Distinct Difference: Chapter 3
By DragonFly
She'd still been at her desk, diligently working away when he'd left to make an appearance at the party. That's all it would be, a show of face to let his employees know he cared. Horse shit, he thought, wanting more than anything to get back to the quiet confines of his office and work.
Plus there was Kagome to consider.
He hoped she wouldn't come upstairs, not saying that he wouldn't like to see her, it was just that his imbecile of a half-brother had gone off and proposed to that woman, Kikyou, and though he hated to admit it, he didn't want Kagome to know quite yet. He, SesshouMaru Takaski, wanted to have her heart safely secured alongside his own before the two children had announced their engagement, if only to help her through the pain he knew the action would cause.
But fate was against him. Not only had he been unable to leave the party, Kagome had decided to join it. There was no way he would have found her inside the room, it was too full and she was not as tall as most of the people that worked for him, but on the balcony her figure was distinctive and easily recognized.
She was still watching the Tokyo nightline, obviously thinking, but seemingly in control of her emotions. Maybe she hasn't heard, he considered then straightened when he saw her shiver.
Kagome rubbed her hands up and down her arms which had suddenly peppered into goose flesh. It was not the biting cold of the night air that was causing her to shiver, rather the unshakable feeling she was being watched.
No one else appeared to be on the balcony with her, which is why her heart leapt into her throat when he spoke. "You should not be out here without a coat. It is far too cold."
Kagome spun on her heel to face him, leaning back against the stone and steel rail that surrounded the balcony. SesshouMaru noticed she recognized him immediately even covered in shadow and darkness as he was. His heart gave a flip as her stunning beauty, though he kept a straight, emotionless face.
"Yes, well.," Kagome looked away, hugging herself once more. "I didn't want to go back to the coat check and there are heaters here," she shrugged but stiffened slightly as he approached.
SesshouMaru understood and agreed completely. He had made a direct line for the balcony once he stepped from the personal elevator that connected his office to the conference room. The outside doors were actually discreetly close to where his elevator opened into the room.
He came to stand directly before her and began unbuttoning his coat. Her shivering was becoming more noticeable, though he had no way of knowing he was the cause.
Kagome nearly jumped when her boss's boss, the head and majority owner of the company, a youkai lord by birth, flung his winter coat around her shoulders and pulled her close by the lapels. Her head barely came up to his chin, but when she looked up to see just what exactly was going on, she found herself nearly lip-to-lip with one of the sexiest and most powerful beings on the island.
The intoxicating smell, warm feel, and elevated breathing of this amazing woman sent SesshouMaru into overdrive. Dipping his head ever so slightly, SesshouMaru touched her lips with his own, his hands grasping the coat tighter to prevent her withdrawal.
Shocked, Kagome hesitated at first contact then settled into him when SesshouMaru did not push. His scent, sandalwood and cedar with just a touch of something spicy, surrounded her, from him and the coat she wore. Without her arms in the sleeves all she could do was lean closer and tip her head more to show her enjoyment.
With a sexy little sigh and her body snuggled right up to SesshouMaru, Kagome's eyes slid shut and she allowed him to take the kiss wherever he might deem appropriate. When she surrendered to him, SesshouMaru demanded a little more from this human woman he had come to love from afar. He hoped it was her decision and not the influence of any alcohol she might have had, when he opened his own mouth and began enticing her to do the same. Kagome gave a small gasp, engaging SesshouMaru when he tasted her for the first time, returning the contact with tastes of her own.
Behind them the party was still in full swing. Neither noticed the cheers being made by the crowd as the entire room's audience was held captivated and overly pleased by what they were watching on the screen.
From the side of the room where he had been dancing with his fiancée, InuYasha starred a look of complete blank-minded shock on his face. His brother was kissing his former girlfriend, and truth be told a woman he still harbored affections for, on the huge projector screen, in plain view of everyone employed by Takaski Enterprises.
When SesshouMaru pulled Kagome flush against himself with one arm while tilting her head for an even deeper, obvious French style, kiss, InuYasha was sure the roof might just be blown off. His own emotions, temporarily bowled over by what he was seeing, kicked into full rage.
"That bastard," he growled, suddenly searching for the wandering cameraman he and Kikyou had finally managed to shake. It was obvious they were out on the balcony, under one of the heating lamps, but where? There were at least five doors, most of which were on the opposite side of the room to his current position, from which the footage could be shot.
Seeing the camera light from the corner of his eye, InuYasha began across the room. He was brought up short by a hand on his wrist.
"What!?" He swung around, exasperated and fuming, to face Kikyou, her features set to extreme anger, though not at the show her cousin was putting on.
"You're not going over there, InuYasha." Her tone and expression left no room for conversation or compromise on the subject.
Stepping close, InuYasha towered over her. The entire reason he'd left Kagome for this woman was her ability to trap him into things. Three years ago she'd impersonated her cousin and gotten him to sleep with her. He'd known the instant he entered her it was Kikyou not Kagome, because the latter had been a virgin then and to his knowledge, still was. Kikyou'd used him to hurt her cousin, a rivalry not unlike the one he and SesshouMaru had, though InuYasha knew what his half-brother was doing now with Kagome stemmed from long hidden feelings.
When Kagome had found out about InuYasha, about the infidelity and with whom he had cheat on her with, that had been the end of them. In the three years since not a day went by, not a single time he happened to catch a glimpse of her, not a mention of her name, that InuYasha didn't regret losing Kagome. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him, hands down. And now Kikyou, having backed him into a corner to become his fiancée, was preventing him from any chance of being with the woman he truly loved.
SesshouMaru would not make the same mistake, ever.
Kikyou gave him a meaningful look before she turned away and headed towards the coat check and elevators. He had a second to decide, follow his heart or follow the lie he was being forced to live.
By DragonFly
She'd still been at her desk, diligently working away when he'd left to make an appearance at the party. That's all it would be, a show of face to let his employees know he cared. Horse shit, he thought, wanting more than anything to get back to the quiet confines of his office and work.
Plus there was Kagome to consider.
He hoped she wouldn't come upstairs, not saying that he wouldn't like to see her, it was just that his imbecile of a half-brother had gone off and proposed to that woman, Kikyou, and though he hated to admit it, he didn't want Kagome to know quite yet. He, SesshouMaru Takaski, wanted to have her heart safely secured alongside his own before the two children had announced their engagement, if only to help her through the pain he knew the action would cause.
But fate was against him. Not only had he been unable to leave the party, Kagome had decided to join it. There was no way he would have found her inside the room, it was too full and she was not as tall as most of the people that worked for him, but on the balcony her figure was distinctive and easily recognized.
She was still watching the Tokyo nightline, obviously thinking, but seemingly in control of her emotions. Maybe she hasn't heard, he considered then straightened when he saw her shiver.
Kagome rubbed her hands up and down her arms which had suddenly peppered into goose flesh. It was not the biting cold of the night air that was causing her to shiver, rather the unshakable feeling she was being watched.
No one else appeared to be on the balcony with her, which is why her heart leapt into her throat when he spoke. "You should not be out here without a coat. It is far too cold."
Kagome spun on her heel to face him, leaning back against the stone and steel rail that surrounded the balcony. SesshouMaru noticed she recognized him immediately even covered in shadow and darkness as he was. His heart gave a flip as her stunning beauty, though he kept a straight, emotionless face.
"Yes, well.," Kagome looked away, hugging herself once more. "I didn't want to go back to the coat check and there are heaters here," she shrugged but stiffened slightly as he approached.
SesshouMaru understood and agreed completely. He had made a direct line for the balcony once he stepped from the personal elevator that connected his office to the conference room. The outside doors were actually discreetly close to where his elevator opened into the room.
He came to stand directly before her and began unbuttoning his coat. Her shivering was becoming more noticeable, though he had no way of knowing he was the cause.
Kagome nearly jumped when her boss's boss, the head and majority owner of the company, a youkai lord by birth, flung his winter coat around her shoulders and pulled her close by the lapels. Her head barely came up to his chin, but when she looked up to see just what exactly was going on, she found herself nearly lip-to-lip with one of the sexiest and most powerful beings on the island.
The intoxicating smell, warm feel, and elevated breathing of this amazing woman sent SesshouMaru into overdrive. Dipping his head ever so slightly, SesshouMaru touched her lips with his own, his hands grasping the coat tighter to prevent her withdrawal.
Shocked, Kagome hesitated at first contact then settled into him when SesshouMaru did not push. His scent, sandalwood and cedar with just a touch of something spicy, surrounded her, from him and the coat she wore. Without her arms in the sleeves all she could do was lean closer and tip her head more to show her enjoyment.
With a sexy little sigh and her body snuggled right up to SesshouMaru, Kagome's eyes slid shut and she allowed him to take the kiss wherever he might deem appropriate. When she surrendered to him, SesshouMaru demanded a little more from this human woman he had come to love from afar. He hoped it was her decision and not the influence of any alcohol she might have had, when he opened his own mouth and began enticing her to do the same. Kagome gave a small gasp, engaging SesshouMaru when he tasted her for the first time, returning the contact with tastes of her own.
Behind them the party was still in full swing. Neither noticed the cheers being made by the crowd as the entire room's audience was held captivated and overly pleased by what they were watching on the screen.
From the side of the room where he had been dancing with his fiancée, InuYasha starred a look of complete blank-minded shock on his face. His brother was kissing his former girlfriend, and truth be told a woman he still harbored affections for, on the huge projector screen, in plain view of everyone employed by Takaski Enterprises.
When SesshouMaru pulled Kagome flush against himself with one arm while tilting her head for an even deeper, obvious French style, kiss, InuYasha was sure the roof might just be blown off. His own emotions, temporarily bowled over by what he was seeing, kicked into full rage.
"That bastard," he growled, suddenly searching for the wandering cameraman he and Kikyou had finally managed to shake. It was obvious they were out on the balcony, under one of the heating lamps, but where? There were at least five doors, most of which were on the opposite side of the room to his current position, from which the footage could be shot.
Seeing the camera light from the corner of his eye, InuYasha began across the room. He was brought up short by a hand on his wrist.
"What!?" He swung around, exasperated and fuming, to face Kikyou, her features set to extreme anger, though not at the show her cousin was putting on.
"You're not going over there, InuYasha." Her tone and expression left no room for conversation or compromise on the subject.
Stepping close, InuYasha towered over her. The entire reason he'd left Kagome for this woman was her ability to trap him into things. Three years ago she'd impersonated her cousin and gotten him to sleep with her. He'd known the instant he entered her it was Kikyou not Kagome, because the latter had been a virgin then and to his knowledge, still was. Kikyou'd used him to hurt her cousin, a rivalry not unlike the one he and SesshouMaru had, though InuYasha knew what his half-brother was doing now with Kagome stemmed from long hidden feelings.
When Kagome had found out about InuYasha, about the infidelity and with whom he had cheat on her with, that had been the end of them. In the three years since not a day went by, not a single time he happened to catch a glimpse of her, not a mention of her name, that InuYasha didn't regret losing Kagome. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him, hands down. And now Kikyou, having backed him into a corner to become his fiancée, was preventing him from any chance of being with the woman he truly loved.
SesshouMaru would not make the same mistake, ever.
Kikyou gave him a meaningful look before she turned away and headed towards the coat check and elevators. He had a second to decide, follow his heart or follow the lie he was being forced to live.