Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. It is the creation of Watsuki Nobuhiro. 'A Game of Chess', and its events are mine so don't steal!

Rating: M. Rated for adult situations

Warning: MATURE. This is a MATURE story; it tackles adult themes and situations. Content requires reader discretion. krystalMage puts tongue-in-cheek as she writes this

If your parents do not approve you reading mature content, please do not read this story. Thank you.

P.S. Unless of course, you can convince them otherwise….but since that isn't going to happen any time soon….better not take the risk. Ciao.

Special Thanks to all my reviewers!! Especially to the reviewers who sent me personal messages egging me on to write! Without which, me and my lazy muse would never get anything done. This one's for you guys.

Yes, I took forever to update this chapter and I'm sorry for the delay, but hey! A girl needs a vacation every now and then. By the way, this has nothing to do with the story but I thought I'd just vent my feelings while I'm here, I need a job! Somebody get me one...ehehe…..Ookay I'm done. Thanks for listening.

Enjoy.

A Game of Chess

-

-

Chapter 6: Ambush

-

-

Recap

She bent to pick the keys up but she was too slow. Before she could reach them, a hand appeared out of nowhere and scooped them up. She jerked back.

"Who's there?"

"Stupid question kitten."

Kenshin was leaning against the door, dangling the keys form his fingers like a prize. The dark fury simmering in his eyes would have put the night to shame. Kaoru swallowed.

"I saw you leave." She muttered.

His lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?"

End of Recap

The overhead lights flickered. Kenshin's eyes were smoked over. The purple hue of his eyes had dimmed. Kaoru looked at him cautiously. His irises were entirely dark blue now. She held her breath. He was angry, very angry. But that was what she had planned wasn't it? To make Kenshin so angry with her that he would leave. Any man, regardless of how enamored he was, would have left after witnessing the act she had put on display with Enishi. She blushed and thanked the faulty wiring for creating a blackout in the hall at that moment. If nothing else, it hid the blush that had spread all over her face and neck. She felt so ashamed.

Good heavens! The things she had let Enishi do to her and in front of Kenshin too! There was no explanation she could give him now. It was over; it had to be. After what he had seen in the car, Kenshin would hate her viciously. She had got what she wanted…..or so she thought. Kenshin should have been on his way back to Tomoe right now, returning the favor. Repeating every kiss she'd shared with Enishi, only this time prolonging it to heighten the pain.

Only….he wasn't with Tomoe. He hadn't gone back to her. He wasn't kissing Tomoe to get back at her or anything. He was here. Standing right in front of her, not a meter away. He was here because he still wanted…..what? What did he want?

The lights went out again. Kaoru slid her palm along the wall till she found the fire emergency button. It was the only amenity that worked with clock-like precision in the building. All she had to do was press the little red button and every single occupant of the building would come tumbling out in the corridor. It would be a while before the fire department determined that it was safe to return to the building. In the confusion, she could easily snatch the keys from Kenshin and rush into her apartment before he even realized what was going on. Then he would have no choice but to leave.

She pursed her lips and slowly, gradually inched towards the fire emergency button.

-

-

Tomoe frowned. She stared at the small LCD display in her phone. She'd called Kenshin ten times already but he wasn't accepting any of her calls. He'd said he needed to take care of something important but it was late and he wasn't even answering his phone. She was worried. Where could he be?

-

-

Kaoru's stealthy move towards the emergency button weren't missed by him. Kenshin chuckled. "You need the fire brigade to deal with me?" He leaned forward. "I didn't know I made you that nervous."

Kaoru stepped away from the wall. She tossed her head, flicking her bangs back into place and glanced back at him.

"It takes a lot more than the sight of you standing here to make me nervous. What are you doing here, anyway? Are you stalking me? What do you want?" She asked irritably. Kenshin watched silently as she shifted her weight, rolling her hips to the side, an appreciative look gleaming in his eyes. His mouth lifted in one corner as he feasted his eyes over her in the dim light.

He ran his tongue over his lips slowly, suggestively, enjoying how Kaoru watched him warily, comfortable in the assurance that he had her where he wanted her. He wanted her to feel trapped, caged by his gaze and nervous with anticipation. He leaned against the door to her apartment and dangled the keys in her face. The smile on his face turned sinister.

"You look good. Have you lost weight?" He tilted his head slightly.

Kaoru shook her head in disbelief. "It's the middle of the night Kenshin! Do you mean to tell me that you came here just to discuss my figure?"

He grinned in response. "And what's wrong with discussing your figure. It's a very nice figure." He raised his hands and traced her curves in the air.

She rolled her eyes. "Go home Kenshin. I'm tired."

"Yeah I guess so. Acting like you're enjoying while some idiot slobbers over your neck can hardly be a walk in the park."

Kaoru laughed. It was a laugh meant to ridicule. "Don't talk as though you knew what I was feeling."

"Oh, really? So you enjoyed yourself, is that it?"

She stroked her earlobe slowly. There was nothing innocent or spontaneous about the gesture. It was deliberate. In the past, when they had been together, Kenshin loved to nibble on her earlobe. It had been one of "his" hotspots on her body.

"Yeah, I did enjoy myself."

Kaoru watched with satisfaction as a muscle twitched on Kenshin's face. He recovered soon though. "Oh. It didn't look that way to me."

"Maybe you need glasses."

"Maybe, but you know what, I don't buy it."

"That's not my problem Kenshin."

"Why isn't he here with you, right now? Why are you going home alone? He definitely wanted to be here."

Kaoru hesitated, but only for a second. "I have class tomorrow and I don't want to be up all night."

Kenshin laughed. "Oh Kaoru, listen to yourself. Even a baby would see through that one."

"Shut up, and go away Kenshin. I don't want you here." She snapped back irritably.

"Why are you lying to me, Kaoru?"

"Who's lying? Look, I've had a long day and right now I just want to relax so I would really appreciate if you could just leave me alone."

"Can't."

"Can't, or won't? Why are you being such a nuisance Kenshin? I mean, don't you have better things to do? And aren't you supposed to be with Tomoe?"

"I want….to be with you."

Kaoru's breath hitched in her throat. She swallowed. "Leave, Kenshin. I don't think I'll be able to explain this to Enishi and I don't want to ruin what I have with him."

Kenshin seemed to sink within himself. He shrank against the door carrying a dead look in his eyes. He stared her unbelievingly, the wounded expression on his face twisting like a dagger in her heart. It seemed as though he had given up in that one second. All of a sudden, a bolt of electricity seemed to course through his body. He jumped forward and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Explain to Enishi? What the hell is wrong with you Kaoru? The only explanation you owe is to me! To me! Why did you leave? Just give me an answer, and it'll be alright. I don't care, Kaoru, I don't care…..about what you did then or even what you did just now…..I don't care…nothing matters but you. Just tell me you're back and I can forget everything."

Kaoru squirmed and pushed against him. "Kenshin, stop it."

He tightened his grip. "I'm not leaving without an answer Kaoru."

Kaoru winced as she felt Kenshin's fingers digging into her flesh. She gasped with pain. Shaking her head, she squirmed and tried to break away.

"Kenshin….stop it….you're hurting me. Kenshin…STOP…..You're HURTING me!"

He let go. Kaoru wrapped her arms around her body protectively and slowly rubbed her fingers against the red bruises left on her upper arms. She glared at him.

"What's wrong with you? You don't even realize when you turn into an animal!"

Kenshin looked away. "I….am sorry. I forgot my own strength. Forgive me." He stepped closer.

"Kaoru. Are you okay, baby?" He asked with concern. Kaoru looked at him. His eyes were wide, hued with gentle purple once more. She smiled weakly, forgetting herself for a minute. This was her Kenshin. The Kenshin she had known and loved insanely, without limit, without constraint. The Kenshin she was trying to push away even now. Her head hurt and her heart was in turmoil because of the limits she had willingly placed on herself.

And it was too late now. It would have been fine before but now, there was Tomoe to think of. She couldn't betray her like this.

Kaoru sighed. "Whatever. It's useless talking to you."

He looked hurt. "Why?"

"Because. You do not listen. I tell you everything is over, but you don't listen. I tell you to leave and give me my keys back, but you don't listen! I tell you I don't want you, but you don't listen! You never listen!"

Kenshin smiled sarcastically but in his heart he knew he had lost the battle. Kaoru was not going to come clean like this. He would have to try other, more unpleasant ways to get her to talk. "You expect me to take you seriously when you say those things to me?"

"There you go again." She clicked her tongue and swept her hand through her hair. She was tired of his questions. Questions that wouldn't let her rest, questions she didn't have answers to. She turned to him, weary with the burden of lying and masking her yearning for him. "Kenshin…..why are you here?"

She looked up at him and froze.

The raw emotion that had filled his eyes just minutes ago had disappeared. He had laid his soul bare when he begged her to come back to him. But looking at him now, it would seem as though those few minutes were nothing more but a figment of her imagination, as though they had never happened. A cold mask covered his face and his eyes…..his eyes reflected the detached desire a man may display at seeing the racy centre spread of a magazine.

"When a man shows up at a woman's door at this hour, it can only mean one thing kitten." His voice was low and husky. She couldn't recognize Kenshin in it. It was the lust in his eyes talking, not him.

Kaoru stared at him incredulously and laughed, nervously at first and then with disbelief. "You really are something else, aren't you? I mean, you have some nerve, following me to my house and then talking as though you own me you bastard!"

Kenshin chuckled once more. He strode forward, and stood before her. Thrusting his hands into his pockets, he bent his head and spoke huskily, "But I do own you, kitten."

"What the heck…..I don't have time for this nonsense, Kenshin. Move aside."

Kaoru pushed past him. Kenshin grabbed her elbow and whipped her around. Kaoru yelped in surprise. Her left heel slipped and she felt a dull click in her knee as it buckled and twisted. Next thing she knew, Kenshin had her trapped between her apartment door and his body. He supported her left leg with one hand and gently held her back with the other. She groaned uneasily.

"What are you doing you idiot?" She froze.

He was sliding one finger up her leg. It slipped past her kneecap and then curved inward towards her thigh. She felt goose bumps rise on her legs as he reached the slender elastic band of her stocking. She clamped her thighs together and grabbed his wrist, stopping him from going any further.

She pursed her lips together and (with great difficulty) managed to speak, "You better have a damn good explanation for this Kenshin."

He flicked her hand off his fingers and resumed stroking her inner thigh. "Let me see, how should I put it? I'm just reliving our relationship."

"What?"

"Relax kitten, it's just sex. Nothing more, nothing less." He smiled disarmingly at her. Kaoru opened her eyes wide in shock. He threw her own words back at her with such aplomb that she was at a loss for words.

"I don't……"

"You don't understand? I'll make it simple. According to you, sex was all we had, right? So, from now on, that's all I'll ask of you. It's not an unreasonable thing to ask, is it?" He spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Kaoru felt as though Kenshin had climbed up on a steam roller and crashed through her. Her lower lip shook and her eyes welled up with tears. She pushed him away with a ferocity she didn't know she possessed.

"You bastard! You total creep; I can't believe you would even consider saying something so cheap, so revolting. I'm not a fancy toy you can play around with, dammit! You disgust me!"

He didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Come on, what are you getting so worked up about? It's okay. It's me Kaoru. There's nothing about you I don't know already. Unless, you got a tattoo in the three years I didn't see you."

Kaoru glared at him in utter disbelief. "Don't talk as if it's normal!"

He pouted. "Isn't it?" If she hadn't been so angry, she definitely would've melted at the sight of him sticking his lower lip out like that. He was so effortlessly sexy; but it only served in making her even more furious.

"No, it isn't!"

"Huh….that's strange. I thought that sex was the most normal, and natural thing in the world…and the most enjoyable." He winked mischievously.

"It is natural only when you are in love with the person, not when……"

He snorted. "Love? Don't make me laugh." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Only fools fall in love and dress up fantasies of 'happily ever after'. That's just nonsense. You, of all people should know."

Kaoru opened her mouth to say something but couldn't.

Kenshin smiled. "I should be thanking you. You woke me up from my silly, childish ideas. So now I'm going to stop being a pest and act more like an adult. That's what you wanted right? You wanted me to grow up."

"I didn't mean it like that……"

"Now now kitten, it's not nice to go back on your words."

"What words? I didn't promise anything like that to you!" Kaoru began to panic.

"How about you do then?"

He pulled her into his arms once more. Holding her tightly, he gently hummed into her ear, dropped soft kisses on her temple and gently rocked her to and fro in his arms. Stealthily turning the key in the keyhole, he nudged the door open with his foot. Kaoru tried to turn but couldn't. She looked back at him. He stood still, watching her strangely, as though he were deciding what to do. He swept her off her feet and up into his arms. Kicking the door shut with his foot, he strode inside confidently and conveniently ignoring Kaoru's threats of delivering untold pain to him.

He dropped her on the couch. Kaoru pushed herself up and launched into a tirade.

"How dare you! Get out! Get out of my house at once I don't want……."

She stopped speaking all of a sudden. Not because she had run out of words to say, but because no woman has ever managed to speak while she is being kissed with the kind of intensity and ardor that Kenshin smothered her lips with. His lips felt soft and persistent in turns. He stroked her cheek with the fingers of his left hand and held her face close with the other. His tongue felt silky and smooth. Kaoru moaned softly. Had it really been three years?

She hadn't forgotten the fluttering quickening of her heartbeat when she felt Kenshin's hands on her body, and he hadn't even gone past her neck yet. His fingers rested on the nape of her neck and her face. They caressed her skin, teasing, tantalizing, and bothering her. He wouldn't linger anywhere. He left her lips to kiss her cheek, then her eyes, her temples, the sensitive patch of skin beside her eye. He wickedly ran his tongue over her earlobe and nibbled it slightly before biting hard. She jumped.

He remembered! She dug her nails into the couch, and wished her would stop and wished he would never stop and wish he would leave and wish he would push her back and kiss her and kiss her and kiss her. She moaned again. Kenshin pulled back.

He gently extricated his hands from her neck and sat back, against the arm of the couch. A window was open. The cold night air swept over Kaoru's skin. She shivered. Kenshin's warmth was gone. She opened her eyes. He was sitting at the other end of the couch, looking at her in that same cold, callous manner. She shrank away. Neither of them spoke for a while. Finally Kenshin stood.

"So, should I understand it's a promise now?"

Kaoru seemed perplexed. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't revolt you, nor do I disgust you. Far from it, you can't wait to have me back in your arms."

Kaoru blinked. "That's nonsense!"

"Cut the denial Kaoru. I smell arousal a mile away."

"Arousal? Don't make me laugh. That was nothing."

Kenshin swooped in and captured her lips once more. Despite her words, she didn't push him away.

He straightened. And elegantly arched an eyebrow.

Kaoru looked away. "Fine. So you know how to kiss, so?"

"So be with me."

"God! How many times do I have to tell you? I don't love you anymore!"

"Who said anything about love? Aren't you being presumptuous? I want you, and that's about it. I won't cramp your style kitten. It's just sex, like you said."

She didn't know what hurt more. That he finally accepted her lies or that he wanted a no strings attached fling.

A shrill ring broke the tension. His phone was ringing. Kenshin fished his phone out and flipped it open.

"Hello? Tomoe. Honey, how are you?" He practically purred her name. Kaoru turned away. She stood and walked over to her kitchenette. She poured a glass of water and almost jumped as she felt his arms snake around her waist once more. He rested his head on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry I had to rush off so soon. I told you it was something important. Nah, don't worry, I'm fine. Yes, it's alright. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." The phone snapped shut with a click.

Kaoru pulled away. "What is this, some kind of joke?"

He shook his head. "Why would you say something like that?"

"You're engaged to Tomoe, Kenshin! What the hell are you doing here, kissing me and holding me and ….and…."

"It's not like it matters to you, does it? We're both adults. I want you, you want me. Simple as that."

"You're sick! I can't believe you've changed so much."

"Yeah well, it takes a little getting used to but you know what kitten, I have found that's its a lot easier being a bastard than being a nice guy. I guess I just got sick of it. This suits me just fine."

"Get out. I don't even want to see you again, never again."

"You don't mean that kitten."

"Get out!"

Kenshin smiled. He seemed to enjoy watching her crumple. "Call me anytime." He strode leisurely to the door. Kaoru hurried after him, eager to lock him out. He turned at the threshold.

"Oh and kitten, I just wanted to say, that sound you make when I kiss you... it makes me go wild."

Kaoru shrieked in exasperation and slammed the door in his face. She slid to the floor. Hot tears of humiliation and pain slid down her cheeks. She wiped her lips again and again, trying to erase the feel of his lips. She sobbed without caring. Kenshin had shattered her.

-

-

Kenshin glanced at his feet. He sighed. "Sorry kitten. But it's time for payback."

Author's Note

I hope you all like this chapter. Yes. Nasty, evil Kenshin is here. And he's not scared by Kaoru!!