Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following characters.

Chapter 4

He was still wearing what he had worn to dinner: a long sleeve button down black shirt, and grey slacks that had been tailored just right. The youkai looked calm to the miko. Internally, he was reeling. Sesshomaru was attempting to bat away at his instincts. He didn't know why he was there, just that he had to be. But now what?

"Would you like to come in?" Kagome wasn't as intimidated by Sesshomaru as she was with Inuyasha. Having worked with the youkai, she trusted him. Stealthily looking him up and down, she admitted her attraction to him. But yes, she trusted him.

She opened the door wider and stepped to the side, allowing for his large body to pass by hers.

The back of his hand brushed her arm, and she felt a shudder run through her body. It had to have only been nerves from earlier in the day. What had happened between her and Inuyasha had screwed the miko up mentally and she was wondering if her nerves had also been fried.

Sesshomaru smirked behind her. He had meant to touch her. The barest of skin to skin. But enough for his power to seep into her just long enough to linger.

He took a deep breath, smelling him on her slightly. He narrowed his eyes. The hanyou's scent was still overpowering, and Sesshomaru meant to change that.

"I apologize for my late house call, Miss Higurashi."

Kagome smiled and motioned for him to follow her into her dining room. "You know you're welcome to call me Kagome."

They both seated themselves at the table and Sesshomaru's jaw clenched. Her scent was all over. He wanted to bathe in it.

"Kagome," he let a shadow of a smile play at his lips. "I do apologize. I just wished to discuss a few things in regards to our new project."

Kagome spread her hands over her torso, smoothing out her slightly wrinkled button up blue blouse.

She didn't notice Sesshomaru's eyes linger at the fabric stretching over her breasts. He licked his lips, mouth going dry, and he cleared his throat.

"Would that be okay?" He asked in a low tone, a part of his demon side kicking in to take over. "It's a single concern that's been plaguing me."

Sesshomaru had no such real concerns, but he was experienced in making things up to get what he wanted. Manipulation was his forte. After all, it's why Kagome favored him above others in the company.

Kagome's delicious brown eyes became nothing but serious and she nodded curtly, "Go on."

And so Sesshomaru began his wildly elaborate twists and turns to find something that could go wrong with the project. The one they hadn't even started yet.

Kagome listened intently. It was hard to follow the logic. She was exhausted and she was drained emotionally from earlier in the day.

After his explanation, Kagome furrowed her brows and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry. I must be more tired than I thought. Let me grab some coffee and we can start from the beginning." She moved to stand before asking, "Care for some?"

Sesshomaru smiled. "Yes, yes I would. Let me assist you."

Normally, Kagome would have declined, but she wasn't one to always turn down a kind gesture. She walked them both to her second personal kitchen and began pulling things from cupboards.

She felt him behind suddenly, the closeness of him caused her to tense, and it was then that a mug slipped from her hands. She didn't move to try catching it, already knowing it would be futile

Sesshomaru took his opportunity then. He leaned down at the same time she did, and began picking up the small shards. And every chance he had, he grazed his fingers against her hands, glancing her way as he did so.

Kagome attempted to contain the blush fighting to creep it's way on to her cheeks. She was tired. She was probably imagining the intense stare of the youkai. On a normal day, she would have wrapped herself with her magic, but she couldn't. And it was out of fear.

When the last pieces were picked up, they stood simultaneously. Sesshomaru towered over her. With a strong gaze, he reached out with his clawed hand and pulled something from her hair.

"A shard," he whispered, staring down at her. Everything in his body pulsed for her. He wanted her. Craved her.

"Oh," she felt her heartbeat speed up. He was so close to her, she could feel his warmth spread from him to her. She could smell his musky scent and it was intoxicating. It reminded her of Inuyasha. But it was different. It was...wilder. And the way his golden eyes gazed made her skin feel prickly.

Her eyelids grew heavy as she held his stare. He was sexy. And powerful. His aura was huge and she felt it unfold in the small confines of the kitchen. She felt it curl around her. Her mouth went dry. Images of what that power could do to her began to spring forward.

And then the youkai knew: a spark of spice filled his nostrils. It was a faint arousal. Not as strong as it had been at the office, but he knew he would draw it out. Slowly. Leisurely. He would take his time unwrapping her in his hands.

"Kagome, I apologize," his deep voice reverberated within the kitchen walls and he closed the distance between them, ducking his head and licking her lips before catching her mouth with his.

The miko was at a loss for words – she could only feel. His hands settled at her hips, pulling her closer to his warmth. And his lips were experts. Soft and moist against her own. His slick tongue pressed against her slightly parted mouth, and she hesitated just a moment. That is until she opened wider, giving him better access to the sweetness of her mouth.

He swept into her, groaning at the taste of her. He pushed her against the counter, forcing him closer and flushing her body against his.

She was limp against him, her arms resting on his waist. Kagome wanted to respond, but she didn't want to lose herself. Not like before. Not like with...

He could feel her reserve and he pulled back, sucking her bottom lip. The action elicited a moan from her and he growled out, "Kagome."

And that broke her barrier; it eradicated all form of doubts for a moment and she gave in to what she wanted. Her fingers tightened on his muscular waist and she pushed against him as he pulled against her. Their lips met again and again, tongues rubbing against one another, breaths mingling and husky noises pulling from both throats.

The miko was lost in him. In silver and gold, in heat and noises. And his hands. Fuck, his hands were melting her. It was so different from earlier. He was taking his time. As if he had all century to pleasure her.

Inuyasha. The name brushed against her mind and she shut her eyes tighter, trying to stay with Sesshomaru. Savoring the kiss and playing with his tongue.

Inuyasha. Again, the name caressed her thoughts and suddenly, when she pulled back, she could see the hanyou in the youkai's eyes. She could taste his flavor of peppermint instead of the youkai's honey sweetness. She could feel his strength through his brother's arms. And then a dripping need settled between her legs for entirely other reasons.

"We should stop," she said aloud, trying to pull away from Sesshomaru but only bumping against the counter.

He maneuvered his head to hide in her neck. Inhaling, he smelled his marking scent on her skin, oozing from her pores. It was an aphrodisiac for him.

Kagome melted just the slightest. His tongue drew organic designs on her soft flesh. And then she felt his sharp fangs nip her earlobe.

A hot need spread through her again. Different from the sudden desire she felt about the youkai's brother. She was wet for him - for Sesshomaru. She knew he could smell her desire. If he wasn't so close to her, she would have purified her scent to calm the beast down. But if she did, he would have been harmed. She didn't want to hurt the other Takagi brother.

She gritted her teeth and ducked under his hold, separating their bodies by a few feet. "We need to stop, Sesshomaru."

The youkai turned to her and she silently cursed herself. His eyes held the slightest tint of red, as if attempting to sate the demon within. Immediately, she reached for her magic but hesitated. His demeanor was calm, but his eyes betrayed his peaceful body language.

"Sesshomaru?" she called to him, at the ready.

He growled deep in his chest, shook his head and closed his eyes tightly. "I'm- ." And he bounded out of there, too fast for any human to see – even a miko.

Kagome didn't realize how heavy she was breathing, how tense every muscle was. All she was aware of was the heat that still spilled from her skin as it remembered the danger and seduction of the man that had just left.

And Inuyasha. She winced and then, finally, wrapped her magic around herself. Purifying any strand of demon scent from her skin and attempting – but failing – to erase all shadow touches that still lingered from both brothers.

"Why hasn't Kagome been in?" The hanyou's voice was deadly passive as he leaned into the desk of the small assistant.

Rin, having dealt with the same question from everyone in the company for nearly a week smiled for what seemed the millionth time and answered, "She's been under the weather."

Inuyasha wasn't entertaining that shit and rolled his eyes. "She's a miko. She isn't sick and we both know that."

Rin's eyes widened the slightest. The hanyou was the only one – out of the hundreds whom had asked – to be so blunt and open about the truth.

The assistant didn't have anything to offer the hanyou. He wasn't wrong, but all Rin knew was that Miss Higurashi wasn't coming in. Her excuse had been illness. Even Rin hadn't bought it, but being the CEO had its perks. It meant people respected your decisions, so Rin respected the woman's words and carried out her duty as the assistant to handle the office with the miko on hiatus.

But miss Higurashi isn't sick, Rin mused as she looked at the golden-eyed Takagi.

"Mr. Takagi, I don't know what I can offer you, really." But Rin had one thing that might be useful to Sesshomaru's brother. She was just going to wait to see if the half demon was as stubborn as he seemed.

To no surprise, really, Inuyasha rolled his eyes and leaned closer towards the woman, "Look. You and I both know that's bullshit. Is she out of the country? Is she okay, at least? I searched hospital records – I know, not my best moment – but she hasn't been in the whole week. That woman, if she's anything like I have witnessed, doesn't miss work. So," he lowered his voice and stared daggers into the petite assistant, "Where. Is. She?"

I like him. She grabbed a pen without a word. Pulled off a sticky note from her desk pad and scribbled something swiftly. Looking up with a twinkle in her eye, she handed it to him with these words, "Again, I have no idea what I can do for you. Miss Higurashi won't be in. Please have a good day, Mr. Takagi." And she lowered her eyes back to the computer screen, a soft smile on her lips.

Inuyasha looked down at the paper and grinned widely. "You too, Rin." And he was out of there, entering the address the assistant had handed him into his phone's GPS.

Good god, who is it now? Kagome was beyond annoyed. She hadn't changed out of her sweats and tank top for a couple days. Her hair was a little greasy, and her magic was the only thing fueling her.

She didn't bother checking with her power, she just opened the door.

"You?" She glared and huffed. What was with the Takagi brothers and barging their way into her home like they owned the place?

Inuyasha was taken aback. Kagome's hair was ruffled, her skin had an oily sheen to it, and she looked utterly and completely disheveled in mind and body.

"Kagome, are you alright?" His question was soft and he looked in her glowering brown eyes for any sign of the strong miko he was used to.

Suddenly, it was as if a weight lifted off of her and she almost crumpled to the floor if the hanyou hadn't caught her.

"No. No, I am not alright." It was an admission she had been denying herself. And all it had taken to break down the barrier was the man's simple question.

Inuyasha pressed his lips to her hair as he hoisted her into his arms bridal style. She weighed nothing, and he could feel her bones through her sweater.

He shuffled through the foyer, closing the door behind him and sniffed his way to her kitchen, where he smelled food that was close to spoiling. Glancing around, he saw a few bar stools below the counter and pulled one out with his foot, not wanting to let her go.

She smells like my human form. He wondered how that was possible when he had marked her with his hanyou scent.

Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he gently set her down. She folded into the stool and rested her upper body against the countertop. There was a slight hesitation in his movement away from her, but he needed to feed her. She was running on nothing.

"When was the last time you ate?" He asked in what he hoped was a passive tone. From the fridge he pulled out eggs, ham, tomatoes, onions, juice and milk.

"Dinner," was her delayed and one worded answer.

"You had dinner last ni-." He paused, the ham sizzling on the pan he had prepared with demon speed. Turning, tongs in hand, he looked at the miko with glaring eyes. "You're talking about the dinner a week ago?"

Kagome didn't say a word, her head resting on her folded arms atop the counter. Her eyes were shut. And at the smell of the food cooking, her stomach grumbled for the first time that week.

"Kagome, answer me." His stern voice was what snapped her back to the present.

A burst of her magic spread through her body, giving her skin an unnatural glow, and darkening her eyes until they were as black as her pupils. Her back straightened and he heard her neck crack.

"Do not speak to me like I'm some child. To answer your question: yes, I am talking about the dinner a week ago. The dinner after and before you and your brother screwed me." She paused, gathering her words before rolling her eyes, "Figuratively." It didn't help that she wanted them to screw her. It also wasn't helpful that she wanted that damn hanyou, who was currently cooking for her, to ravish her until she really couldn't think.

Just as fast as the energy pulsed through her, it rushed out. It left exhaustion in its place and she crumpled again, eyes closing and breath coming out in sleepy puffs.

Inuyasha turned around, focusing back on the food he was cooking. He moved on autopilot as his mind raced – something he was accustomed to during simple lab procedures.

Sesshomaru "screwed" her? He questioned. How? And, most importantly, why would he?

To say he was upset would be an understatement. His imagination was getting to the best of him. The worst scenarios in his mind developing and playing out, each one involving Kagome doing things Inuyasha hoped the miko would only perform on him.

He didn't think she would answer him, but he needed to try, and so with that he asked, "What did my brother do?"

Kagome opened her eyes and shifted her head so she could see him better. His back was to her, and his hands were moving left and right, stirring and flipping whatever he was making her.

But she knew. She knew from his tone that he was fighting some kind of emotion, one that her words had caused.

Maybe it was out of guilt, or maybe it was that she wanted to be kinder to him. Hell, maybe it was just because she lacked enough energy to make anything up. Whatever it was, she decided to answer him.

"He came here that same night. Something about going over the project. He had a concern over it." She paused there and closed her eyes.

"I've replayed that conversation over and over again. And I still can't understand what he was so worried about. I'm starting to believe he just came to do what he did."

Inuyasha's back tensed and he fully turned then, a plate of ham in one hand and an omelet in the other.

"What did he do?" She could see his clawed fingers tighten on her porcelain platters and she winced.

"That makes it sound worse than what actually happened: he kissed me." Her words ended just as the plates slid in front of her. She didn't even wait, but instead shoveled bites of food into her watering mouth.

Oh my god. This is amazing, she shut her eyes in ecstasy and grabbed a hold of the juice Inuyasha set down slowly.

He was livid. But watching her enjoy the food he prepared was keeping his rage at bay. Still...

"Why don't I smell him here?"

Kagome answered in between mouthfuls, "I purged," she took a drink of juice then of milk, "all youkai affiliation," she bit into the ham and her eyes glazed over, "from me and," a bite of the omelet and she licked her lips, "my home."

And the amazing food was gone. She wanted more. Almost like a kitten finished with her cream, she looked up at Inuyasha expectedly.

The hanyou smirked and reached behind his back to remove another full size plate from the counter he leaned against.

Her eyes widened and she reached out for the food. Before handing it to her he pulled the plate back and asked, "All youkai?"

With eyes still on the food she answered, "Staff, him, you."

He nodded and set the plate in her stretched fingers. As Inuyasha watched her eat, his mind put pieces together. All youkai meant only his demon side was purified from her. That was why he smelled his human side. He hid his smile from her as he began cleaning up after himself. She probably didn't realize that his scent still marked her. And even if she purged her home again, his human scent would remain. That'll show Sesshomaru.

Kagome finished the last bite and, immediately, she felt relieved and sated. Her magic had fed her for the whole week, and even then it was becoming harder to manage. A yawn pulled from deep within her and she felt her eyelids droop down.

It was then that Inuyasha had made his way back to her side and pulled her into his arms. She didn't protest, too sleepy to care.

Again, he sniffed his way until he found her bedroom. It looked like it hadn't been touched in a while. "Have you slept?"

She didn't answer, already half asleep. But no, she hadn't. She had been so consumed by her confusion, her wants and the reemerging dangers of her powers, she forgot the most important thing to her: self care and self love.

Kagome felt the comforts of her soft bed beneath her. A few rumpled movements and a heat was set beside her.

Mustering up enough energy, she opened her eyes to see the hanyou lying beside her. His eyes were closed and his hands were clasped together on his stomach.

"What're you doing?" She managed through a stifled yawn.

"You don't have staff here. I can tell you've exerted your magic too much, miko. So sleep and rest. I'll make sure no one disturbs you." He never once looked at her or even opened his eyes.

For that, she was thankful. If he had given her any form of look, she would have ordered him out and would have regretted doing so. But he hadn't and she appreciated it. Her eyes watered the slightest, and she pulled herself into a ball before lulling to sleep beside the hanyou she was unexpectedly opening up to.

A/N: Well here it is! Please review! Let me know what you like, what you dislike. Both types of reviews are necessary for me to know what I do well and what I need to work on. I'm SUPER excited about the next chapter. And I think another demon may be knocking on Kagame's door soon...one that already may have a claim on her. If ya catch my drift? ;) Peace and love!