Chapter 2

First Encounter

Upon reaching the pool Sesshoumaru swore. He was hoping to find it empty.

'At least there is only one.'

He opened the door and the smell of chlorine hit him.

'Do they always have to put in so much chlorine?'

Setting his towel down, he stripped down to his trunks, he had never gotten around to taking them off after his jog this morning. As he took off his watch he watched the girl swim. Lost in the rhythm of her strokes she hadn't noticed him yet, much less the other male who was watching her from the shadows.

'Wonder what his relationship to her is. Obviously he doesn't want her to see him or else he wouldn't be hiding in the shadows.'

Stepping up onto the diving plat form he dove smoothly into the pool. Surfacing only when he was next to the girl.

Kagome gave a start when he surfaced beside her. She had felt rather than heard when he dived into the pool; however she wasn't expecting him to catch up to her so quickly. She gave another start when she realized that he was staring.

'I've scared her.' The fact that he couldn't take his eyes off her didn't help matters.

'She's beautiful for a human. But that figure…that figure is something else again. It's perfect…nicely rounded hips, cute ass-not too small and not too big-, legs that I would swear were a mile long and nicely shaped, a small waist and breasts that every girl would envy, they have to be at least a d maybe even a dd cup…'

'SHE WOULD MAKE A FINE MATE FOR THE LORD OF THE WEST, MASTER.'

'Shut up. No one asked for your opinion.'

'IF YOU WERE NOT CONSIDERING HER AS A POTENTIAL MATE, WHAT ARE YOU STARING AT HER FOR?'

Growling silently, he lengthened his stroke, putting distance between them.

'Of all the nerve--! What gives him the right to look at me the way he did? And then he had the gall to dismiss me--!!'

Peeved beyond reason, she picked up her pace and caught up to him. When she caught his eye she glared at him and passed him. It became a race after that. They were both good swimmers and stubborn. Neither would let the other win.

As he passed her again she cried out in pain and grabbed her leg. And went under. Sesshoumaru swam back to her quickly and caught her just as she went under again. Putting one arm around her waist and the other behind her knees, he stood up to his full height and grunted.

'She's heavier than she looks.'

Aware of how heavy she must seem, she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her body closer to his. Lessening the weight he carried in his arms.

"Thank you."

"How's your leg?"

"It's still cramped and hurts like you wouldn't believe."

He set her down on the lounge chair. "Which?"

She pointed to her left leg. He gently rolled her over unto her stomach and gently started to massage her leg.

"Relax. Tensing will only make the cramp worse."

"It's hard to relax when you have a hunk of a guy massaging your leg when you're only wearing a bikini and that doesn't cover much." She muttered too low for anyone with human hearing to hear, he was a demon however and he heard her loud and clear.

He agreed with her silently, knowing that he wasn't supposed to have heard.

'So I'm a hunk?'

Out loud he said, "What's your name? I feel awkward massaging your leg when I don't even know your name."

"Kagome. Yours?"

"Sesshomaru. Do you get cramps often?"

He was having a difficult time keeping his mind on what he was doing and why. HE WAS NOT thinking about whom he was doing it to. 'Damn, but her skin is soft.'

"No, I think the only reason that I got one today was because I swam longer than I should have. I had been swimming a good hour before you came."

'And she was still able to keep up with me? Impressive.'

A/N: I hope this is easier to read than the first chapter! Thanks for your reviews!