Misconceptions And Misunderstandings
Chapter 25
Over the next two days she discovered he was a hard taskmaster. They went over and over the material until she could recite it in her sleep. He allowed her to stop only when she was too tired to remain awake. By the time Monday and her first final rolled around, she was sure she hated him. When she breezed through the first test with no difficulties, she wanted to kiss him. By the end of the week, she was ready to bow down before him and worship him as a god. When the test scores were posted and she aced them all, she was ready to profess her undying love. Scratch that. Not a good idea. He was certain to misunderstand the meaning. She decided a simple thank you would suffice. But how do you say a simple thank you to the person who helped you make the Dean's list?
Sesshoumaru waited for her call. He was as anxious as Kagome to know what her grades were. His miko was intelligent, of that there was no doubt. He knew that from the way she held up her end of their many conversations. She had lacked focus when she was younger, but now that she had matured, she had drive and determination. He gave a small shake of his head. That drive and determination of hers was also what stood in his way of getting what he wanted. His miko back in his life as she was meant to be.
His concentration was off. He had told his assistants to hold his calls and cancel his appointments. The only call he wanted to answer would be coming in on his cell phone, not his office phone. Everything else could be handled by Inuyasha or Shippo. He debated going home, but he wanted to be close when she called. He would be there for her whether it was for celebration or comfort. He had offered to pick her up, but she had declined. She knew he would draw attention the moment he was recognized. It would lead to questions from her fellow students that she didn't want to answer. No one on the campus knew her since she used her maiden name.
That was something that bothered him as well. She was his wife. She should be using his name. Although he had to admit it would have made it harder for her to accomplish her early goals. One of which was to prevent him from finding out her secret. He smirked. She should have known that he would find out. He was very adept at getting information. He had an entire network of individuals at his beck and call.
He glanced at his watch. She should have called by now. The grades were going to be posted at ten. It was now half past. The only reason she would not have called is if… No. Not possible. She was prepared as well as she could have been for the tests. He had left her alone all week so that she could concentrate on them. It had to be something as simple as the grades had not been posted on time. He clenched his fist when he realized he was drumming his fingers impatiently on the desk. He was not nervous. He was never nervous. So why did he once again have to still his drumming fingers?
It was a quarter past eleven when his cell finally rang.
"Kagome? I was expecting you to call sooner. Is something wrong?"
She smiled on her end. He always got right to the point.
"Sesshoumaru? I need to see you. Can you get away?"
Her voice was flat. He got his keys out of his desk and stood.
"I'm on my way. Where are you?"
"At the apartment. If you are busy, I understand."
He was halfway to the door.
"I said I'm on my way. I'll be there in twenty minutes."
"Ok. Thanks."
He closed his phone and shoved it into his pocket. She sounded… He didn't know. She wasn't excited. She wasn't crying. What the hell was wrong? If he thought he could pull it off without being seen, he would have been there in seconds. He would have to settle for the car. And there better not be any damn cops between here and the apartment. He would not tolerate any additional delays.
Kagome stared for a moment at her phone. Twenty minutes, huh? That gave her a little time to freshen up before he got there. She sincerely hoped he didn't get pulled over. She could only pity the unfortunate cop who would wish it had been his day off afterward, or at the very least that his assignment had been on the other side of the city.
She checked the cake once more before she hurried off to get ready. It was almost cool enough to put the frosting on. It would be by the time she got back. For some reason he had always liked her German chocolate cake. She was satisfied that lunch would be done by the time he got here.
Sesshoumaru's mind was sifting through all of the possibilities on the way to the Shippo's apartment. There was no way she could have failed her tests. She knew the material. He had been impressed by how easily she had responded to his questions over the weekend. She had told him about her poor math skills. He hadn't seen any evidence of poor math skills. He had figured her frequent absences while she traveled to the past had handicapped her in that area. He was impatient to find out what had happened.
Kagome stepped back to take a last look at the table. She had just set the last of the food out. The champagne was chilled and the cake was frosted and on the table. Everything was perfect. Now all she needed was for the other participant in the celebration to arrive. She'd had a hard time not telling him the news on the phone. She was impatient and excited, but this way was more fun.
He took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. He wasn't sure what to expect. When Kagome opened the door, her expression gave him no clues. She didn't appear to be overly upset. He walked in when she stepped back. He turned to her as she closed the door.
"What is wrong? You were late calling. On the phone, you didn't sound…"
He stopped when the smells finally demanded his attention. He could definitely smell chicken. And was that…German chocolate cake?
He looked back at her to see a huge grin on her face. Before he could blink, she had launched herself into his arms, wrapping hers tightly around his neck.
"I aced them all! Thank you! Thank you! I made the Dean's list!"
He spun her around before setting her on her feet once again. She took his hand and led him to the table.
"I'm sorry I was late. I wanted to celebrate so I stopped at the market."
He opened the champagne and poured two glasses. Once she had taken hers, he held his up.
"Congratulations on your achievement. I know it will be the first of many."
She smiled at him.
"It wasn't only my achievement. I couldn't have done it without your help. You kept me focused and made studying possible. Thank you."
He nodded.
"Have you thought about what you will do over winter break?"
She set her glass down.
"I thought I would just enjoy the season. It is my favorite time of year."
He was well aware of that. This time last year she was still dealing with her breakup with Inuyasha. And recovering from her illness, though he hadn't known it at the time. It had not dampened her enthusiasm for the holidays in the slightest.
He'd been anticipating their first Christmas together as mates. And with one monumental lapse in judgment, he now found himself facing Christmas alone. And even if not alone, then at least far different from what he had imagined. He shook off the less than pleasant thoughts. He would not allow them to intrude on his time with her.
As he helped her load the dishwasher, he decided he did not want their time together to end this soon.
"Let's go out. Take a drive. Your mind needs a break after all the hard work you've done this semester."
She turned a bright smile on him.
"Ok. Let me put on a sweater. It's beginning to get colder."
She returned a few minutes later wearing a soft pink turtleneck sweater. She grabbed her jacket and they left the apartment. As he drove, they talked about her plans for the next semester. Registration was the first week in January and she told him she had already selected her courses. She had not yet decided if she would attend the summer session. It would, of course, shorten the time it would take to complete her degree. But she didn't know if she wanted to deal with the stress. She would decide for sure once the spring semester was over. By then, she just might need the break.
She looked out the window during a lull in the conversation. They had traveled a good ways out of town. Traffic was almost nonexistent. When she asked if they were headed anywhere in particular, he pulled into a small convenience store. She got out and followed him in. After purchasing two bottled waters, they exited the store. She was surprised when he went to the driver's door. He always opened her door for her. She raised an eyebrow when he leaned on the car.
"You are on the wrong side of the car."
She frowned her confusion, when she heard him say, "Heads up."
She barely caught the keys he tossed at her.
"Huh?"
He smirked.
"Don't you think it's about time you learned to drive?"
She squealed and ran around to the driver's side.
"You mean it? You never had time before."
He reached out to tenderly stroke her cheek.
"I should have made time."
For so many things, he thought. He opened the door and helped her in before going around to the passenger side.
She already had her seatbelt on and the keys in the ignition when he got in. He made sure she adjusted the seat and mirrors to the perfect positions for her shorter stature. She knew the basics. It was impossible to get to her age and not know, having watched the procedure probably thousands of times. He was glad his Lexus was an automatic. It would be much easier to learn than a manual transmission.
She started the engine when he instructed her to. She turned nervous eyes to him.
"What if I wreck your car?"
He chuckled.
"I won't let anything happen to you. And cars can be repaired or replaced."
She smiled at his confidence and tried to summon a little of her own.
"I can take down demons. I made the Dean's list. I can learn to drive a car."
He sat back.
"That's my girl. Now put the gear shift in reverse and lightly press on the gas pedal to back up slowly. Use your mirrors to check your surroundings."
Half an hour later, he had her turn around and head back to the convenience store. It was beginning to rain and he knew she was not ready to deal with wet roads yet. She pulled into the parking lot and turned the car off.
"How did I do?"
"Very well for your first time. We will do this again when the weather is better. I want you to have a little more experience and confidence before we do this on wet roads. We should still have a couple of weeks before we get snow."
He got out and went around to open her door. She followed him back to the passenger side. Before he could open the door, she pulled him into a kiss.
"Thank you."
He ran a hand through her hair.
"You should know how to drive. And I should have seen to it sooner."
He helped her in and hurried back to his side. It was raining harder. He was soaked by the time he got in. He shivered slightly from the chill. She noticed it immediately.
"You need to get into some dry clothes before you catch cold."
He decided not to remind her that demons rarely get sick. It was uncomfortable in the wet clothes.
"Would you mind if I stop off at the house before I take you back to the apartment?"
He refused to say 'take her home'. It was not her home. It was merely where she was staying temporarily.
"Of course I don't mind. You need to dry off and change clothes."
They reached the house in a matter of minutes. He parked in front of the main entrance. It was still raining. He flipped his cell phone open. Moments later a servant with a large umbrella opened the passenger door and helped Kagome out, making sure she stayed dry on the short walk to the front door. Sesshoumaru was already wet, so he made a dash for the door.
Once inside he instructed the servant to serve tea in the living room. He was dripping in the foyer.
"I'm going to take a quick shower and change clothes. I'll be down in a few minutes."
She nodded and headed for the living room. She still felt out of place. She had never really felt like she lived here. She was a visitor. Even if she was at one time a long term visitor.
She thanked the servant for the tea. She was still a little chilled and decided the tea was just what she needed to warm her up. Once she wrapped her cold hands around the steaming cup, she thought about the man upstairs. He had been so supportive since he found out she was going to school. Even if his finding out had been sneaky and underhanded. He had been somewhat controlling, but nothing out of character. Controlling was something he did. And did very well, she had to add.
But he had been willing to compromise. He definitely seemed to have learned from his mistakes. It really felt like it had the first time they dated. He was considerate and attentive. He wasn't pushing for anything she wasn't ready to give. She had missed his companionship more than anything through what she now referred to as his period of idiocy. Well, she only called it that to herself. And never out loud.
She closed her eyes and her thoughts drifted to their time on the island. Before the storm. When he confessed the truth about their separation. He told her that he wanted to start over. It seemed that they had done just that. They were now dating. She had to smile as she remembered his tactics on the island. He apparently had wanted to skip a few steps in that starting over. The image of him standing in the hall on the way to his bath was now a vivid image in her mind. An image of him naked and magnificent. An image she couldn't get rid of.
Sesshoumaru finished dressing and made his way to the living room. He knew he would soon have to take her back. He didn't want to. He wanted to carry her up the stairs and erase their disastrous wedding night from both their minds. To make love to her. To worship her. To let her know that she was his. Now and forever. His mate.
He entered the living room to find her relaxed on the couch with her eyes closed. He could smell the scent of her slight arousal. What had brought that about? Whatever it was, he was not above using it to his advantage.
She sensed his arrival before he sat down beside her. She smiled at him.
"Do you want some tea? It's still hot."
"No. The shower was enough to warm me up."
And your scent is making me even warmer, he thought.
She moved closer to him. It took every ounce of control he possessed not to pounce.
"I really want to thank you for today. And for helping me study."
He moved closer to her. She inhaled his clean scent. His normal male scent and the sandalwood soap he used.
"It was my pleasure."
He thought of so many other things that would be his pleasure too. If she would only allow it.
Kagome knew what she wanted. There was no insistent little voice in her head telling her no. She knew this was right. The time was right. She reached up to cup his cheek. Tangling her other hand in his still damp hair, she pulled him down for a kiss. He was surprised when it was her tongue that insisted on playing. He wasn't about to question his good fortune. At this point he would take whatever he could get.
Before long, he wrested control of the kiss from her, and she let him. He could definitely scent her arousal now. His hands roamed over her back. Hers were fisted in his shirt and hair as the kiss went on and on. His hands had lifted the hem of her sweater and were now stroking her bare back. She leaned in closer. Her breasts were pressed against his shirtfront, her hands now clutching his shoulders as if she couldn't get him close enough.
He pulled back, panting.
"We have to stop this. Now. Or I won't be able to stop."
She leaned in again to whisper, "Then don't stop."
He stiffened in surprise. Then gazed into her passion filled eyes.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded before pulling him back into a sensual kiss. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her up the stairs.
To be continued….