Chapter Twenty One

Feeling the vibrations of his phone against his suit, he ignored the call. Knowing who was on the other end of the line, his lips thinned.

"You're not going to pick that up?" A feminine voice sounded beside him as they rode the elevator together. Brushing a strand of golden hair behind her ears, she smirked at his silence. As the doors to the elevator opened, she walked beside him towards his penthouse. A silent gasp escaped her lips when she saw the fancy apartment Sesshomaru lived in. Eyeing the handsome man beside her and the extravagant lifestyle he owned, the temptation to keep him swayed her heart for a moment. Hearing his phone ring again, she said, "You should probably answer, Sesshomaru. They will probably not stop calling until you do. I wouldn't want a phone call to interrupt us, right?"

"Zhang Li," he called her name, knowing it would silence her.

A grimace replaced her smirk at the sound of her ugly name. Though she told everyone to call her Jessica, he would always call her by her unwanted name which irked her. Looking away from Sesshomaru, she scoffed. She knew since the beginning that she would not really get along well with this icy inuyoukai. Though it didn't matter if she liked him or not, she didn't plan to stay with him too long. Slipping off her blazer, she revealed the lilac dress that molded against her body to reveal her beautiful figure.

She had told Sesshomaru her intentions since their first meeting. She agreed to give him an heir in order to be released from Ryuu's control. Her bloodline was related to the dragon clan and she would never be able to fulfil her dreams and marry the one she loves if she was stuck under Ryuu's control. She didn't mind sacrificing one child in order for her freedom.

Her gaze turned back towards the inuyoukai. His attention had not glanced her way. She did not care for his love or attention, but she did have to have his child for her own sake. Inching towards him, she finally caught his attention. Her slender fingers twirled around the lace that held together the front of her dress. Smiling seductively, she pulled at the lace to reveal more of her skin. The dress slowly fell from her shoulder.

Stoic eyes watched the woman seduce him into bed. His heart grew numb. Feeling her hand against his chest and wander down, he felt disgust in the pit of his stomach. From her scent, he could tell that she was at the height of her fertility. Every inch of his body revolted from her touch. How was he even supposed to continue further. Sensing the buttons of his shirt coming undone, an anger brewed within him. The thirst to kill the old man grew more than ever. Cold fingers traced the markings on his ribs as her mouth explored the shape of his toned muscle.

Holding in the temptation to rip the woman off him, he stood in silence.

He hated it.

Suddenly, the sound of the door bell interrupted their act. Pushing the woman off of him, she stumbled a few steps backwards in shock. Needing a distraction from the repulsive woman, he opened the door without another thought.

Angry blue eyes appeared before him, along with the strong gust of Sakura blossoms. Immediately, the feeling of disgust that crawled down his body vanished. Briefly closing his eyes, he drank in the calming scent that always soothed him.

Caught off guard by his appearance, a slight blush tinted her cheeks. Her anger wavered at the sight of his unbuttoned shirt, exposing his toned chest. Her mind grew blank for a few seconds before she gathered her thoughts. "You have been ignoring me for too many weeks! Why aren't you picking up any of my phone calls?"

"Who is this?" Kagome heard a gentle and mature-like voice. Her eyes widened at the sight of the gorgeous woman she had seen with Sesshomaru at the coffee shop. Noticing the dishevelled dress that was slowly slipping off her shoulders, Kagome felt a stab in her chest. Looking downwards, she hid the pained expression that slipped past her guard.

It seemed she had interrupted them.

"S-Sorry. I didn't know you were busy, Sesshomaru. I should go," she stammered out and planned to run away from the scene that was breaking her heart.

A clawed hand grabbed her's, stopping her from escaping. She stared at the owner of her captive in confusion.

Zhang Li stared at Sesshomaru's hand that held onto the human woman with intrigue. Raising a brow, she let out a small smile. So, Sesshomaru was in love with a human? No wonder Ryuu wanted her to birth Sesshomaru's child. Turning away from the tension between the two, she turned to pick up her blazer. Walking past Sesshomaru, she said, "I'll be fertile in another month, Sesshomaru. I'll see you then."

She would give him time to accept it. In the end, she will have his child no matter what.

The elevator door closed, leaving the two alone in silence.

His grasp on her hand did not release. Seeing that she hadn't resisted his touch yet, he tugged her inside. The soft thud of the door closing behind them broke their silence. Finally noticing his hold, she twisted her wrist free. She hushed quietly, "Sorry, I really should have been the one to leave."

"Why did you come, Kagome," his voice remained empty. Her abrupt interference made it obvious to him how impossible it would be to be intimate with another being.

Staring at the ground, she tried to hold in the tears that wished to fall. The painful image of him beside the beautiful lady tormented her heart. Mumbling her words, she said with guilt, "You weren't picking up my phone calls...and the mark...you never responded when I said I couldn't keep the mark..."

Hearing a sigh coming from Sesshomaru, Kagome felt like she was being an annoying little sister. Before the conversation led to another argument, she interrupted, "A month. She'll be back in a month... so I'll keep the mark only until then."

Blue eyes avoided his unbuttoned shirt that slightly exposed his chest in fear that he would notice the inappropriate thoughts racing through her mind. At such a time like this, her mind betrayed her and flashed memories of when she caught Sesshomaru without his shirt on.

"Fine." A darkness loomed past his gaze and went unnoticed by Kagome.

He did not plan on reclaiming the mark.

Heading for his room, he knew she would want to sleep over. It was already late into the night.

She hesitated before following him. She wondered if it was okay for her to stay over when he was expecting to sleep with that beautiful lady. Her lips tilted downwards as she blamed herself for ruining his night. Still wanting to spend time with him, she decided to stay.

Selfish.

Knowing she was being selfish, she choked down the feeling and walked into his room. The lights dimmed for her to sleep while he stayed up a little longer to read; The same routine they had when she slept by his side. Seeing Sesshomaru already on his side of the bed with a book open, she took out her nightgown from the wardrobe. Always leaving her stuff at his place, she one day found an empty wardrobe for her things to stay in.

Fabric fell to her ankle as she changed in the washroom. Strands of thick hair tumbled past her shoulders. Brushing away a few strands from her face, she caught her reflection in the mirror. A rose coloured flush against her cheeks, a small smile, a look of longing in her eyes, she caught her expression that exposed her feelings towards Sesshomaru. Smacking bother her hands against her cheeks, she told herself to snap out of it. She couldn't let Sesshomaru see her like this. She couldn't let him know. Chanting the words to her heart, she took in a deep breath before exiting the washroom.

Noticing Sesshomaru was not reading but lying down facing away from her, she wondered if he was asleep. She had never seen Sesshomaru sleep before her. Trying not to make a noise, she quietly snuggled under the thick blanket. Facing his back as she lay, she felt the distance of his warmth. An ache in her heart started to spread. Staring at his silver hair that sprawled towards the bed, she wondered if she could remain this close to him after the month was over. He would be starting a family with the beautiful lady. She wouldn't be able to stay by his side like this anymore. The sinking sensation of loss engulfed her mind. Struggling to stay afloat, she grasp onto the edge of his shirt to stop the drowning sensation. Breathing in his scent, she needed more. Inching closer, she rested her forehead against his back and felt the wave of emotion slowly disperse.

Suddenly feeling movement on the bed, she let out a silent gasp as she found golden eyes staring back at her. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her into an embrace. Her cheeks grew hot at the intimacy. Though she was always this close when they slept together, it felt different now that she understood her true feelings. Hoping he didn't notice the sound of her pounding heart, she softly patted her chest to calm down.

The image of golden hair flickered through her mind. Her pounding heart mixed with a spread of poison. Closing her eyes shut, she swallowed the lump in her throat. Accepting that these kind of moments with Sesshomaru would soon cease, she snuggled her head against the crevice under his chin. Engraving the feel of his body against her's, she would cherish the moments she would have with him until he left her.

Slowly drifting off into a deep slumber, her dreams filled with the memories of their childhood.

The light beat of her heart echoed.

The soft sound of her breathing synced with his.

Hours passed, diving deeper into the dead of night.

Dark lashes contrasted against her skin. The vulnerable expression of her slumbering face told him the trust she had in him. He could never understand how easily she fell asleep in his presence. His eyes slowly landed on her lips, tracing the plump shape that always enticed him. No, he could never sleep so easily with her. The temptation getting the best of him, he leaned closer towards her. The bed dipped as his lips hovered centimetres away from her's. His mind screamed for him to stop as he hesitated only for a moment. Feeling the heat of her breath against his skin, his lips devoured her's.

Hunger.

The taste of her lips became familiar to him, yet he craved her constantly. Unable to satisfy his hunger with just this, his tongue ran across her lower lip.

A surge of shock caused him to freeze as he felt the warmth of her hands wrap around his neck pulling him closer.

Something within him snapped.

Her lips gasped, giving him access to deepen the kiss.

His control broken.

Drowning in a ripple of sensations, he felt her respond to his kiss. Addicted to the feeling of her lips, he grew lost in the overwhelming sensation.

Feeling her grow out of breath, her hands that wrapped around him slowly fell away. Forcing every inch of his body to pull away, heat consumed him.

The sound of her breathing returned to normal.

He watched helplessly as Kagome lay in a deep slumber. Her eyes remained closed, telling him that she reacted to his kiss to a man in her dreams. A searing pain strangled at his chest. For a moment... he thought she had been awake.

For a moment he thought she reciprocated this one sided love.

Golden eyes that were filled with passion moments ago sizzled out to reveal a pained expression.

He wanted her.

"I can't."

Recalling her rejection to keep his mark, the painful grasp around his chest refused to loosen. Would she hate him when she realized he never planned to take back the mark? Would she refuse to see him again? Staring at the innocence of her slumbering figure, he wondered if he would ever see her this way after that.

He couldn't allow that.

A darkness seeped inside. A selfishness to keep her by his side tempted him. He could never have her heart in the first place. He could at least have her body then.