A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing. My muse has been going crazy since I first came up with this fic idea. But after writing the first part of this chapter, I was mentally exhausted, mainly because I've never written anything as long as this particular interaction before. =P

So without further ado…but with fair warning…Our classy and sheltered Megumi finds herself in a position with a handsome man most women would welcome. And as for Sano…well…I believe Mirune put it best…'meowrr!' grins and produces box of fans and points at buckets of water to the side for anyone unable to stand the…um…see chapter title.

Part 5: Heat

One week before the Sagara Foundation's dance fundraiser, Megumi was practicing her presentation that would be conducted before a panel of four physicians later that afternoon.

The office they had given her was fairly small, but she wasn't expecting special treatment. The office was temporary…many residents used it throughout rotations. For just a few more weeks it would be hers.

Her eyes glanced at the stuffed toy of a fox on her desk. Sanosuke had given it to her…with much fanfare…the last time she had been at the orphanage. On behalf of himself and the children for all the work she had done for the show. She had been tempted to throw it at him after she had peeled back the tissue covering it.

Fox for fox-lady. His brown eyes had been laughing at her from the moment she laid eyes on it. However, children were present, and some of the girls had thought the fox was cute.

It was. But it had another connotation which she doubted they understood.

Over the past few weeks, she had gotten more acquainted with Sanosuke and the children. When the man wasn't taking shots at her, he could be quite charming. She had seen how he'd smoothed over fights between the boys…comforted the girls who were being bullied at school…and gave advice to the boys on how to attract their crushes…He was like their big brother.

She glanced out the window, seeing the Pacific in the distance. Quiet moments like these made her long for a week-long vacation. Basking in the tropical sun on the beach and a tall, handsome man serving her iced drinks. Maybe even giving her backrubs. She stretched her arms over her head. He'd have magical hands, be able to work out all the kinks and knots, turning her into a very satisfied puddle of a sunbather. At the moment she willed herself not to have a mental image of said masseur, a knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes?"

The door swung open and Sanosuke took a step inside, a flat box balanced in one of his hands.

"Hey. Mind if I come in?"

She sighed. "You're already inside…"

He grinned and closed the door behind him.

Megumi rose to her feet. "What brings you here?"

He held up the box. "Tsunan finished the programs for us."

"Oh. That's wonderful." As Sanosuke lifted the lid and pulled a program out for her, she leaned forward.

The front, from what looked to be black brushstrokes, was a silhouette of a palm tree, an ocean, and a Navy ship docked at shore.

"This is beautiful."

He came around to her side of the desk and studied the cover for a moment. "I'll tell him you said so."

Megumi smiled. "Your friend is very talented. Has he ever considered selling his work?"

"Sometimes," Sanosuke answered. "But with a dozen kids to take care of?"

She laughed. "True." She caught something in his eyes that caused her to clear her throat. "What?"

"Nothing." He shrugged. "I've just never heard you really laugh…when it's just us, I mean."

"Maybe there isn't much reason to laugh," Megumi reasoned.

"Ouch. I won't take that as an insult."

She mentally shook her head and rotated her shoulders. "I have things to take care of, and-"

"What's wrong with your shoulders?" he asked immediately.

"Just stiff. Been sitting down a lot…" she admitted. Her mouth opened in protest when he turned her so her back was to him. "Sanosuke-"

"Let me guess. Here." She felt his fingers between her shoulder blades, kneading the tense muscles.

"Ooh. That's nice," she confessed, feeling the muscles loosen. "How did you know?"

"Tsunan occasionally has the same problem. Mrs. Kealoha does this and it works."

Megumi blinked. "Mrs. Kealoha?"

"A nice sixty-year-old woman who's lived on Hawaii since she was born. She works during the day before she has to go home and take care of her grandkids," Sanosuke informed.

"Oh. She must be a saint."

"She is. She cleans up after the kids, has food ready for them before they get home from school and does the laundry."

"Oh. Then she is."

They were quiet for a few moments. For some reason, Megumi's sense of hearing must have escalated, because she could hear when he took a breath and let it out. Focusing on the discomfort in her back was pointless since he was well on his way to getting rid of it. Good hands. Great hands, actually.

She wondered what else he could do besides massage back muscles.

Megumi! she cursed herself. What kind of thought was that??

Men like him tended to inspire women to do naughty things. She swallowed. With his good looks, confidence, and deep voice, all parts were a lethal combination. She immediately noticed that the pressure of his fingers had taken on something else. Slow, deliberate…

Megumi quickly stepped away, mumbling a 'Thank you', before staring out the window to the water.

The room was very quiet.

Before…

"Running, fox-lady?" His breath curved around her ear, and she shivered slightly.

When she turned around, her eyes widened in part horror and part excitement as she realized that he had placed his hands against the glass, trapping her in place. Wait a minute…

She took a step back, feeling the cool glass window through the cotton material of her blouse.

Raising haughty eyes to his, refusing defeat, she declared, "I have a presentation in forty-five minutes..."

"Do you?"

Before she could comment, he bent his head to lightly kiss her lips.

Involuntarily, her eyes drifted shut. The man was an incredibly good kisser and had coaxed a response out of her even though she had been determined to stand firm and not acknowledge any of his gestures. Tingles shot through her body, from her toes to the roots of her hair as his lips slowly moved over hers. His hands left the glass to anchor around her waist and cup the back of her neck. She found herself firmly held against his lean build, locked into a lingering kiss that seemed to absorb all energy from her body.

When it was over, her eyes fluttered open as his lips skimmed her flushed cheek. Her breath came in short gasps and she stared at the ceiling, still in shock with the idea that Sanosuke Sagara had just given her one of the best kisses she had ever received.

Not caring that her voice shook, Megumi spoke up, her breathing still ragged, "Someone could come in-"

"I locked the door," he murmured, his hot breath stirring the hairs at her temple.

Oh my goodness…Megumi's fingers tightened ever so slightly on the light blue fabric of his shirtfront. Her fingers shook, her legs trembled, and if it wasn't for his hold on her, she would have slid to the floor. No wonder women must have found him irresistible. He could cause a meltdown.

She couldn't think when he kissed her again, his fingertips idly stroking the nape of her neck. Her breathing pattern became short and erratic as he grazed the underside of her chin and jaw with his lips, gentle kisses that had her tilting her head back to give him complete access.

Her entire body shuddered as his lips delicately explored her neck. Growing up, in high school and college, she had been this close to men before. But those experiences paled in comparison to this. She whimpered softly as waves of excitement coursed through her, and the sound caused him to smile against her throat before lifting his head to meet her gaze.

A small part of her brain was glad to know that he was as affected as she was. His brown eyes seemed darker than usual as he looked at her, his breathing unsteady.

He pulled away a few inches, smiling down at her, turning her insides to gelatin.

"You might want to calm down a little before your presentation," he suggested gently, his cool fingers brushing the satiny skin of her hot cheek. "You look…well…" he merely shrugged and gave her that devastating grin.

She looked away and said nothing.

"What time do you get off work?" he asked.

The man was asking about her schedule? She just had probably one of the most intense…what were they called…make-out sessions? pre-foreplay sessions? ever and he could talk as if nothing happened??

"Six. Why?" she whispered, surprised that she wasn't croaking.

His eyes darkened once they settled on her features. "I was thinking we could finish this somewhere else."

Oh my…She lost her breath. As tempting as it was, there were just some things she had to do. And others…"I…I can't." She swallowed before anger took over. She wasn't sure why she was so bothered by all of this. Maybe because she was starting to like the man who was a dedicated older brother to those youths at the foundation. Even his flirting was amusing. It was one thing if his come-ons were just games. But it was something else if he was genuinely interested. And if he was, she wouldn't be the distraction for a sailor looking for a good time. Steeling her voice, she added, "I won't be another conquest."

"I never said you were," Sanosuke responded in a low voice that sent shivers down her back.

"You've had your fun. That wasn't enough for you?" she demanded, her voice regaining its biting tone.

His smile only seemed to frustrate her more. "Not really."

She ran shaky fingers through her long bangs. "I…I have to go."

"Then I'll see you later." It was a statement, not a question.

"No," she declared. "I can't do this. I don't get involved with men like you. I have plenty of things to do in my life. So I won't spend time with a man who thinks women are some all-you-can-eat buffet…" At the lift of his brows, she caught the double meaning behind her words and felt her cheeks flame. Pressing on, she continued, "And I have no patience for men who obviously have no respect for-"

His eyes narrowed. "For what? Just because I live my life the way I do means I have no respect for women?"

She merely glared up at him.

"Let's get one thing, straight, sweetheart. I respect women fine. I've never made marriage proposals or relationship offers. I always made it clear that I wasn't looking for those. Any woman who got involved with me knew that. Not all of them accepted it…but they still knew it."

"Stop that," she demanded. "I have a name. I won't be put in the same category as-"

"You know what your problem is?" he cut in. At her silence, he continued, "It's not me calling you 'sweetheart' or any other name except your real one…or even me kissing you in your office. A part of you can't help wonder what it would be like to be with me. That's what makes you angry...that you're actually considering it."

She trembled as he finished his statement. "Of all the conceited-"

"You've had your say, fox-lady," he interrupted, grasping her wrists. "So if you're gonna keep denying it out loud, don't even bother saying anything anymore, because I know it's not me you're trying to convince."

Judging by his silence, he was going to let that sink in for a while. Past the anger…she knew he was right. She didn't understand how he knew how she felt. But he knew. His fingertips brushed the pulse point at her wrist, and she felt her pulse jump rapidly. He had felt it, too.

"You can have me," he began, letting his eyes run over her features before he released her wrists, "so when you've stopped denying it, you let me know."

She turned away to grab several folders on her desk. "That will never happen…" she swore before exiting her office.

()

Bracing his palms against the glass of Megumi's office window, Sanosuke was still playing the incident in his mind. Who knew that the lady doctor would react like that? All that energy. The feeling of her in his arms, the soft curves of her body pressed against him, the cool, silky strands of her hair sifting between his fingers were enough to create midnight fantasies for a month.

What made it worse was her denial. She could say 'no' all she wanted. Her mind may not like him, but her body sure did.

Was anything ever easy with Megumi Takani?

No.

It didn't even occur to him that most men would have given up by now. He'd meant what he said. He'd leave everything to her. But it didn't mean he couldn't sway her decision. He knew that he already appealed to Megumi's physical side. Now he had to work on her mind and emotions. Sanosuke didn't ever recall working so hard to be with a woman. Especially to a woman who screamed commitment. But something told him that his determination would pay off. Which made the prospect of having her even more worthwhile.