Cup of Tea
Chapter Four
Kouga sauntered off the elevator onto the executive floor at an ungodly hour. There was no doubt in his mind however that his boss was around; SesshouMaru was a night owl, early-riser, and slave driver all in one. He'd been demanding longer hours of his pretty temp secretary of recent, and Kouga figured being an hour early for his meeting would give him time to get better acquainted with the beautiful and ever cheerful Kagome.
"Good morning, Sunshine," he chimed coming around the corner expecting to see Kagome at her desk.
The empty chair was confusing but not so much as the still open door to his boss's office. Kagome's personal items, her tea cup, lunch bag, and purse will still on her desk, almost as though she had been preparing to leave and yet didn't.
Horrifying images of her and his boss, dead and bled out on the floor had Kouga rushing into the office. Her coat was there and the desk, usually so immaculate, was covered in texts and papers, but he barely noticed these details and certainly didn't register them. Kouga's panicked attention was focused on discovering inevitable foul play.
Seeing nothing in the office he swiftly moved into the private suites. The first thing to catch his attention was clothing, both men's and women's, scattered on the floor and furniture in the general direction of the bedroom. First jackets, sweaters, and shirts, and within the room more intimate items.
His gaze followed the trail right up to the master bed, its canopy pulled back on one side to reveal a single form draped across the bed. A cascade of raven hair was spilled over the side, reaching nearly to the floor, and Kouga knew instantly he'd found Kagome.
Crossing to her using his youkai speed, Kouga carefully began lifting her hair. Her body was wrapped in a sheet from the bed, apparently naked, and the scent of sex and blood heavy in the air. Whatever had happened, whoever had attacked her hadn't been kind. He could see faint bruises on her shoulders, and a dark mark at the junction of her neck.
Taking a closer look, he could have sworn the mark looked like a mating mark, but that would mean, she was still alive. He made himself calm down then, to use his senses to determine what was really going on.
The first thing he became aware of was the sound of her heart beating and breathes being drawn smoothly in and out of her chest. She was moving slightly too, her body with the intake of air and her eye lids ever so slightly as she dreamed. It was an immense relief. Reaching beneath her hair, Kouga touched Kagome's shoulder slightly, wanting her awake so he could ask her what had happened.
Why was she in SesshouMaru's private suite, and specifically in his bed? Had she been assaulted after their boss left for the night and then left to deal with it alone? Was she hurt and need of medical attention?
His soft shake turned into a substantial push and Kagome awoke. SesshouMaru had been nothing but gentle with her the night before. He'd caused her pain only twice, first with the taking of her virginity and second with the giving of his mark. She'd marked him too though, with his help of course, but they had become one the pervious evening and after which he'd left her be.
Kagome had not slept so well in weeks and she was not happy to be so rudely awakened by her new husband the first morning of a week he had deemed their honeymoon. He was being insistent though and beginning to shake her hard to wake.
With the leisure pace of a cat, she opened one eye and regarded the man before her.
"Come on, wake up," he whispered, as though trying to be sneaky. Instantly she knew this was not her new husband. When he reached for her again, Kagome tensed, sensing his desperation and translating it to mal intent. Adrenaline flashed into her system and she bolted.
Kagome screamed and jumped nearly across the bed. She clutched the sheet tightly to her chest, doing everything in her power to see who the man standing before her was. The figure was unidentifiable in the near dusk light of the room but certainly too short to be SesshouMaru.
It neither mattered nor worried her in the next instant as the man was pulled back and hurled across the room into the salon sitting area. SesshouMaru stalked after the assailant, violence and danger evident in the set of his bare shoulders as he approached the now apparently unconscious man.
Kagome gathered the sheet around her self, determined to reach her husband before he committed assault or worse, murder. "SesshouMaru, wait," she pleaded, reaching his side just as he bent to roll the man over.
Kouga's face was easily identified.
"What the hell," SesshouMaru mumbled in confusion, and then took note of his barely covered wife as she stood beside him. Turning he took in her shocked expression and how her diverted attention was causing the sheet wrapped around her to slip. If she didn't go back into the bedroom, or better yet the adjoining bathroom, he was going to quickly loose focus as well.
"Go dress," SesshouMaru stated as kindly as he though himself capable of.
Kagome immediately came to attention and blushed, realizing her state of near undress. It was not the first time in the last eight hours he'd seen her skin turn such an attractive and seductive shade of pink, and SesshouMaru hoped to see it many times again in their future, but at that particular instance he could not fully indulge the instinctual whisper inside him.
She tightened her hold on the sheet, ready to turn when he reached out and pulled her close. Without warning his mouth found hers, the kiss fierce and deep, sweeping through her and turning her on to him instantly. SesshouMaru felt her heart rate go up, could smell the way she became aroused and ready for him, and nearly turned with her back to the bed, his silly Vice President be dammed.
At their feet Kouga moaned, the sound bringing Kagome back into herself and the situation at hand. She still leaned into him as his mouth released hers, clinging to his half dressed form, and SesshouMaru smirked. This was how he always wanted them to be.
"Go," he said, the sex and instinct evident in his voice. Kagome nodded numbly, stumbling slightly as she backed away from the youkai she'd married. He was still looking at her like a fresh kill waiting to be devoured as she turned the corner and disappeared from his sight.
He had to take a deep breath and calm the rage, arousal, and overall turmoil in his system before even looking down to the reviving form below him. SesshouMaru reached down and grasped a handful of shirt and expensive suit, half dragging half carrying Kouga from the room.
Kouga sauntered off the elevator onto the executive floor at an ungodly hour. There was no doubt in his mind however that his boss was around; SesshouMaru was a night owl, early-riser, and slave driver all in one. He'd been demanding longer hours of his pretty temp secretary of recent, and Kouga figured being an hour early for his meeting would give him time to get better acquainted with the beautiful and ever cheerful Kagome.
"Good morning, Sunshine," he chimed coming around the corner expecting to see Kagome at her desk.
The empty chair was confusing but not so much as the still open door to his boss's office. Kagome's personal items, her tea cup, lunch bag, and purse will still on her desk, almost as though she had been preparing to leave and yet didn't.
Horrifying images of her and his boss, dead and bled out on the floor had Kouga rushing into the office. Her coat was there and the desk, usually so immaculate, was covered in texts and papers, but he barely noticed these details and certainly didn't register them. Kouga's panicked attention was focused on discovering inevitable foul play.
Seeing nothing in the office he swiftly moved into the private suites. The first thing to catch his attention was clothing, both men's and women's, scattered on the floor and furniture in the general direction of the bedroom. First jackets, sweaters, and shirts, and within the room more intimate items.
His gaze followed the trail right up to the master bed, its canopy pulled back on one side to reveal a single form draped across the bed. A cascade of raven hair was spilled over the side, reaching nearly to the floor, and Kouga knew instantly he'd found Kagome.
Crossing to her using his youkai speed, Kouga carefully began lifting her hair. Her body was wrapped in a sheet from the bed, apparently naked, and the scent of sex and blood heavy in the air. Whatever had happened, whoever had attacked her hadn't been kind. He could see faint bruises on her shoulders, and a dark mark at the junction of her neck.
Taking a closer look, he could have sworn the mark looked like a mating mark, but that would mean, she was still alive. He made himself calm down then, to use his senses to determine what was really going on.
The first thing he became aware of was the sound of her heart beating and breathes being drawn smoothly in and out of her chest. She was moving slightly too, her body with the intake of air and her eye lids ever so slightly as she dreamed. It was an immense relief. Reaching beneath her hair, Kouga touched Kagome's shoulder slightly, wanting her awake so he could ask her what had happened.
Why was she in SesshouMaru's private suite, and specifically in his bed? Had she been assaulted after their boss left for the night and then left to deal with it alone? Was she hurt and need of medical attention?
His soft shake turned into a substantial push and Kagome awoke. SesshouMaru had been nothing but gentle with her the night before. He'd caused her pain only twice, first with the taking of her virginity and second with the giving of his mark. She'd marked him too though, with his help of course, but they had become one the pervious evening and after which he'd left her be.
Kagome had not slept so well in weeks and she was not happy to be so rudely awakened by her new husband the first morning of a week he had deemed their honeymoon. He was being insistent though and beginning to shake her hard to wake.
With the leisure pace of a cat, she opened one eye and regarded the man before her.
"Come on, wake up," he whispered, as though trying to be sneaky. Instantly she knew this was not her new husband. When he reached for her again, Kagome tensed, sensing his desperation and translating it to mal intent. Adrenaline flashed into her system and she bolted.
Kagome screamed and jumped nearly across the bed. She clutched the sheet tightly to her chest, doing everything in her power to see who the man standing before her was. The figure was unidentifiable in the near dusk light of the room but certainly too short to be SesshouMaru.
It neither mattered nor worried her in the next instant as the man was pulled back and hurled across the room into the salon sitting area. SesshouMaru stalked after the assailant, violence and danger evident in the set of his bare shoulders as he approached the now apparently unconscious man.
Kagome gathered the sheet around her self, determined to reach her husband before he committed assault or worse, murder. "SesshouMaru, wait," she pleaded, reaching his side just as he bent to roll the man over.
Kouga's face was easily identified.
"What the hell," SesshouMaru mumbled in confusion, and then took note of his barely covered wife as she stood beside him. Turning he took in her shocked expression and how her diverted attention was causing the sheet wrapped around her to slip. If she didn't go back into the bedroom, or better yet the adjoining bathroom, he was going to quickly loose focus as well.
"Go dress," SesshouMaru stated as kindly as he though himself capable of.
Kagome immediately came to attention and blushed, realizing her state of near undress. It was not the first time in the last eight hours he'd seen her skin turn such an attractive and seductive shade of pink, and SesshouMaru hoped to see it many times again in their future, but at that particular instance he could not fully indulge the instinctual whisper inside him.
She tightened her hold on the sheet, ready to turn when he reached out and pulled her close. Without warning his mouth found hers, the kiss fierce and deep, sweeping through her and turning her on to him instantly. SesshouMaru felt her heart rate go up, could smell the way she became aroused and ready for him, and nearly turned with her back to the bed, his silly Vice President be dammed.
At their feet Kouga moaned, the sound bringing Kagome back into herself and the situation at hand. She still leaned into him as his mouth released hers, clinging to his half dressed form, and SesshouMaru smirked. This was how he always wanted them to be.
"Go," he said, the sex and instinct evident in his voice. Kagome nodded numbly, stumbling slightly as she backed away from the youkai she'd married. He was still looking at her like a fresh kill waiting to be devoured as she turned the corner and disappeared from his sight.
He had to take a deep breath and calm the rage, arousal, and overall turmoil in his system before even looking down to the reviving form below him. SesshouMaru reached down and grasped a handful of shirt and expensive suit, half dragging half carrying Kouga from the room.