Sequel to Chapter 5 (KimiKagu, Pilot, Red)

Kagome grinned as she looked over her schedule—her favourite client was coming in today!

Sesshoumaru Taisho was an expert stuntman, or at least he had been until he'd been pinned under a moving vehicle during his last shoot. It was no one's fault, just an unlucky accident, but the damage had been done, leaving them all questioning if he'd even walk again.

But he was determined. He'd never fallen into the despair that many others had. He would walk again, would work again, and Kagome was glad she'd be there to see it.

Clad in black leggings and a periwinkle hoodie, she almost skipped into the weight room, not surprised to find Sesshoumaru already on the parallel bars. "You got started without me," she accused playfully, noting the time on her clipboard.

"I have a good feeling about today," he said, long silver hair tied into a braid that cascaded down his back, muscles strained as he forced weight onto his legs.

"Well, any day is a good day when you're here," she said, standing at the end of the bars. He raised an eyebrow, and she winked at him, then motioned him to reach the end. "Any changes?"

"Just the slight tingling from before," he grumbled, and she patted his arm.

"You'll get there eventually. Tingling is a great sign." She helped him off the bars and onto the floor, grabbing his ankles as she worked his legs up and down.

"Tingling will not allow me to return to work." She watched as his stomach muscles clenched, both in frustration as well as the exercises she was putting him through.

"Maybe you need more incentive." She ran her hands down his legs, massaging his thigh and moving to his knee. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, his eyes on her fingers. She worked her thumbs into his flesh, watching for any reaction on his face, his ankle resting against his shoulder as she stood over him.

"What did you have in mind?" His eyes slowly shifted to her face, the bottom dropping out of her stomach at the heat in his gaze.

Her lips curved into a sultry smile, reaching back down to his thighs. "Anything here?" He nodded, and she moved back to his knee. "Here?"

"No."

She worked her way up to his feet, the shakes of his head slowly becoming more frustrated. She touched his heel, then the top of his foot, Sesshoumaru almost growling, eyes narrowing.

So when she kissed his big toe, they were both startled when his foot jerked against her cheek. Blue eyes widened, Kagome staring at his foot in shock before looking down at him.

"Was that on purpose?" she whispered.

Sesshoumaru sucked in a breath, stomach muscles clenching as he stared at his foot. A full minute went by, Kagome slowly deflating until it twitched against her cheek. A layer of sweat had broken out onto his forehead, but his eyes lit up, a cocky smile breaking out on his face.

She dropped his leg, collapsing onto the floor before pulling him into a fierce hug. "You did it!"

"A toe twitch is not worth celebrating."

"Are you nuts?" She pulled back, yanking playfully on his braid. "Of course it is!"

He eyes her for a moment, that same heat returning to his eyes. "I still require incentive."

"I don't have—"

"Have dinner with me."

She opened her mouth to accept, the 'yes' on the tip of her tongue, but the logical part of her brain kicked in, and she sighed. "I'm not allowed."

His arm wrapped around her waist. "That's not a refusal."

Kagome worried her bottom lip. "It's company policy."

"After, then."

"After?"

He shifted her, his arm still around her waist as he glared at his feet. "Once I retain use of my legs, I will no longer be a client. Go out with me then."

She chuckled, pulling one of his legs into her lap to continue her massage. "Incentive, huh?"

"Indeed."

She flashed him a smile, unable to keep the giddiness out of her voice. "It's a deal."