****WARNING! I will state, for the record, once again, that this story has a particular rating for a reason. There has been explicit language and innuendo, and some citrusy content. However, I will state again, do not continue if you are sensitive to sex. There is a lemon here. And please consider yourself WARNED!

That being said, the moment everyone has been waiting for is finally upon us.

Once they arrived home, Kaoru felt as though a weight lifted off her shoulders. She looked around and wondered when she had started thinking of this place as her home. She moved into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?"

"I have a craving."

"A craving?"

She turned and saw Kenshin puling the bowtie at his neck loose. "I want ice cream."

He stood in the doorway and glanced at her. He approached her slowly. Kaoru froze, unsure of his intentions. He hadn't touched her since the night of their party almost a week ago. He reached past her and opened the freezer. She let go of her breath and peered into the space with him. "It appears we are out of luck."

"Then it's decided."

"What is."

"I'm going to order ice cream.

"Are you, now?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

She grinned. "I'm just going to get out of this dress first."

He matched her grin. "Would you like a bourbon in the meantime?"

Kaoru hesitated. "I'm good for the moment."

She moved past him and headed towards her room. There she took off the necklace on loan. Then she reached behind her and unzipped the short zipper for her dress. Despite the fact it didn't fully appear restrictive, she felt as though she could breathe for the first time. Unrestricted, she reached for a camisole and yoga pants. She slipped them on, feeling comfy. Pulling the few pins from her hair, it fell around her face in the soft curls the stylist had painstakingly put into her dark hair. She was tempted to put it up. But decided to leave it down. Wrapping a sweater about her torso, she glanced at her phone and saw she had a message from Sano. Knowing he was supposed to have dinner with Megumi that night, she sent him a brief message to call her.

Debating if she still wanting ice cream or not, she moved into the living room, her phone still in her hands. She glanced up, her hands above the button to place the order when she spotted Kenshin.

The man sat on the couch, his tuxedo shirt unbuttoned, the sleeves rolled up. From her spot she could see that he was barefoot. Dark red strands framed his face. He sipped a dark liquor and sighed, his violet eyes staring at nothing. She wondered what was on his mind. From what she could discern, the evening had been a success. So why did he sit in the dim light, pondering the future?

"Are you going to continue to lurk in the shadows?"

She stepped into the room, shaking her head. "How do you always seem to know?"

He looked up at her "Know what?"

"That I'm here."

Kenshin watched her as she tucked one leg underneath her and sat down next to him on the couch. She placed her phone on the coffee table. "You're a very hard presence to ignore."

"Then don't ignore me."

"Are you sure you wouldn't like a bourbon?"

"I really wanted ice cream."

"Unfortunately, I think we've established there is none to be had."

"I suppose I'll have a bourbon." Before he could stop her, she plucked the glass from his hands and sipped.

"I can make you your own." He chided.

She grinned and handed it back to him. "I'm good."

She studied him. The man appeared relaxed and at peace. She wanted to climb into his lap and bury her head in his shoulder. She was aware that the timeline they had set was coming to an end, but it struck her that she did not want it to. He placed the glass on the coffee table, sat back and closed his eyes. "I'm just glad the night is over." He murmured with a sigh.

Before she could change her mind, she reached towards him and ran a finger down his cheek. In a flash, he grasped her fingers and turned to meet her gaze. They stared at each other, and Kaoru took a deep breath. Before she could start to even think about her next move, she leaned forward and kissed him.

His lips were soft and moved underneath hers. The knowledge he returned the kiss had her heart racing and the tension she had been feeling the past few weeks suddenly demanded release. Her lips parted and he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She moaned softly and leaned further into the kiss. His fingers moved along her collarbone before slipping into her hair.

Desire and need coursed through her and pressed against him before giving into her urge and threw one leg over his lap. Giving him more access, Kenshin wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her full on against him. She moved her own hands up his chest and along his jaw deepening the kiss. She widened her legs, settling against him and felt his own desire.

Relishing in the discovery, she threw her head back gasping for breath. His lips roved down her neck and over her collarbone. Kaoru took a shaky breath as he nibbled along the edge of her camisole. Her chest heaving, she leaned back slightly. Kenshin paused and looked up at her. His violet eyes were hazed with want. She was struck briefly of the memory when he had once told her that this moment would happen. Feeling empowered, she kissed him again, feeling crazed with her need for him. She arched her hips against his, eliciting a low moan from him. Her fingers stole down, and she fumbled at the buttons of his shirt. Attempting to calm herself, she managed to slip the small disks through the holes. Revealing his warm flesh, she slid her fingertips inside, relishing in the feel of his skin.

Suddenly it wasn't enough for either of them. His hands shoved the sweater off her shoulders. Flinging the item away, she returned to buttons of his shirt. His arms fully wrapped around her, pulling her flush against him. Kenshin's hands moved underneath her camisole, along the small of her back, inching it upwards. She managed to finish unbuttoning his shirt and shoved it off his shoulders, marveling at the muscle she could feel underneath his hot skin. Abruptly he moved forward, and she registered he attempted to rise.

Not meaning to, she leaned back and nearly toppled them. A giggle escaped her as she threw back an arm to brace herself as he rose swiftly, his lips on her neck before she put her feet down. Standing only allowed her to fit more naturally against him. She tugged the shirt from him, and he let her go, only to tug her own camisole from her body. Then they wrapped their arms about each other, both moaning at the feel of flesh on flesh.

Kenshin began to move her backwards, the intensity of the moment driving them onward. Not willing to pause and give rise to any doubts, Kaoru complied, her hands roving over his back and down to the waist band of his pants. Aggressively he pushed her up against the wall as her fingers found the belt buckle.

Together they stumbled down the hall as she struggled to undo the belt, all the while not wanting to relinquish her lips on his. Kenshin's hands moved over her body, stirring her desire more and more. They passed into his bedroom as she finally succeeded in undoing the buckle. Immediately she set on the button, needing more and more to fulfill the fantasy that had taken shape since the moment they had met.

She felt the back of her legs hit the bed and she heard the rasp of the zipper amidst their panting breath. Clinging to the redhead with one arm, she slid her other hand into his pants, finding him. He hissed, pulling slightly away from her.

"You play a dangerous game, Koishi." Kenshin murmured as he own fingers slid underneath her cotton pants and deftly pushed them over her hips. She wrapped one leg around his hip, allowing gravity to pull her to the bed. He fell with her and rolled until she straddled him.

Kaoru moved against him, shoving his pants down, her fervor claiming her. She felt free and uninhibited as he moved again, one hand wrapping her fingers in his own as he trailed his tongue down her neck and finally claimed one turgid tip of her breath with his lips. Arching her back she cried out, thinking she might explode if he didn't' touch her soon. His lips on her breast, he rolled them, so she was underneath him. Not wanting to disappoint, his hand strayed down her side and between her legs. Her head tossing from side to side, he deftly ran one finger along her slick folds before slipping into her.

Her hips bucked and she nearly climaxed at the simple touch. Swiftly he added a second finger, and he moved back up alongside her. Kenshin pressed a hot kiss just behind her ear, his fingers moving inside her. Her gasped echoed in her head. "Come for me, Koishi." He whispered.

At the command, Kaoru shattered, her cry reverberating through the room. Before she had a chance to recuperate, he moved over her, both hands twining with hers as he settled over her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, guiding him towards what she had been craving for far too long. Easily he moved against her. As he finally slid home, she sucked in her breath, feeling complete. His moans mingled with hers as they moved against each other, their lips fervently fused together.

It wasn't long until she felt herself building again. His thrusts came faster, her cries louder until he paused. She moaned, the brief loss of warmth when she was so close nearly having her in tears. Then he pushed into her fully and her world shattered.

Distantly she heard him cry out at his own release and she clung to him as her body shuddered as the orgasm coursed through her. Kenshin collapsed on her, taking in large gulps of air. It was several moments before her breathing slowed and she became aware of her surroundings. She mewed softly, feeling so utterly satisfied that she didn't want to move. Kaoru wrapped her fingers on his shoulder clinging to him, wanting the moment to last. She didn't want it to end as she had to admit to herself that she had passed a point in this charade where she didn't think she would recover.

Warm sunlight brought her to her senses. She frowned, not used to the bright light in the morning. Her windows faced north. She rolled over onto her back, luxuriating in the soft pillows. She opened her eyes, a little taken aback by the room. Blinking, the night came back to her, and she immediately looked to her left and reached out, feeling a touch of sadness caress her as she realized she was in bed alone.

Feeling dejected she fought back tears and rolled back over onto her side. She breathed in deep and opened her eyes. It was bound to happen. Her eyes caught sight of something on the night stand next to the bed and she sat up slightly. A glass of orange juice, a fruit tray, and cold strips of bacon rested there. An envelope with her name scrawled on it rested against the glass.

Abruptly she sat up, clutching the sheet to her bosom. Kaoru glanced around, searching for a clock. She wondered if it was still before noon, knowing she didn't have to be at the restaurant until two. Carefully she picked up a piece of the bacon. She nibbled on it and reached for the envelope.

She recognized the redheads' writing. Stuffing the rest of the bacon into her mouth, she opened the envelope, careful not to smudge grease on the stationary.

**Koishi,

I didn't want to wake you. I had an early appointment that I Unfortunately had to keep. You looked so peaceful and stunning that I did not wish to disturb you. Enjoy your day and I hope that you will join me later.

Yours,

Kenshin**

Kaoru caught her bottom lip between her teeth. Absently she picked up a piece of melon and nibbled on it as she reread the note. She attempted to read between the lines. Did he regret last night? It didn't seem so. In fact, she got the impression that he would rather have kept her in bed.

The prospect of spending an entire day in bed with the redhead had her flushing, her heart beating a bit faster. Could it be something that might happen? Gingerly she turned and placed her feet on the floor. She felt a bit reluctant to get up, knowing the memories of the night would begin to fade. However, she had no clue what time it was and needed to talk to someone.

Her clothes had been folded neatly and placed on the dresser top. On top of the pile was her phone. She quickly slipped into the clothes, vaguely recalling that some of her the items had been discarded in the living room. She had put her phone down on the table. He had taken the time to collect her clothes.

Not quite sure what that meant she moved towards the door. Fighting the feeling of shame, she opened it slowly and peered into the hall. Kaoru was aware that Kenshin wasn't home and yet had a fear of running into him. Before she could question it, she dashed towards the rooms he had given her and closed the door.

Her eyes blinked at the sudden dim light, and she caught sight of her clock. Reading a quarter past ten she registered that she had plenty of time until she had to be into work. Wondering if her friend would be up, she moved to the nightstand and plugged her phone in to charge. She had a missed call from one of the restaurants and a new message from Sanosuke. The message from her friend was from late last night after she had told him to call her.

She opened the message and sighed to see a simple Busy. How was the event? Before she could change her mind, she called him.

It rang and she got his voicemail. Cursing she put her phone down, realizing she should have known he might still be asleep. The phone in her hand vibrated and she immediately recognized the tone. "You are not going to believe me." She answered.

"What happened?" Sanosuke asked. "I thought you were going to give me the details last night but then I didn't hear from you."

"I told you to call me."

"I was busy."

Kaoru flung herself onto the bed, debating on exactly how she was supposed to tell her best friend what had transpired. "You didn't respond right away. I was thinking about ice cream and got distracted."

"What, you ran into Kenshin?"

She fought the urge to blush. "He does live here too." She responded defensively.

"Still, you know I'm up late. Did you two finally have sex and you're just now waking up to tell me?" Kaoru swallowed, not answering. "Holy shit, you did, you dirty little minx!"

"Sano!"

"What? I mean that with love. You finally slept with him? Was it worth it? Actually, don't tell me, because I really don't want to know, but damn! It's about fucking time."

She could feel the color rising to her cheeks though there was no one around to see. "He left me though." She finally murmured.

"What do you mean?"

"I woke up alone."

"With nothing?"

Nibbling on her lower lip she reached down and picked up the note Kenshin had left her. "He left a note and breakfast."

"That's not nothing. That's actually kind of a big deal."

"You think?"

"Jou-chan, I have admittedly had many one-night stands, several which have me sneaking out before sunrise. I have never left a note, let alone breakfast, waiting."

"I suppose."

"Let me ask you something that I really don't want to ask but feel like I should if the answer will quell your anxiety."

She sat on the bed, waiting. "Okay."

"How many times did you have sex? Was it more than once?"

Kaoru felt herself blush. After the initial encounter, he had slowly worshipped her body and left her writhing on the bed before they had come together again. "What happens now?"

She heard the man sigh. "I don't know. How much longer are you going to pretend this charade isn't really a charade?"

"Technically there's still another few days."

"You need to be honest with Kenshin about how you feel. The question is, how do you feel?"

Kaoru wrapped her arms about her knees. "I don't really know. It's all so confusing. In the beginning it was a business arrangement, but then it became something more; at least for me."

"What is more? Do you love him?"

"I don't know." She admitted truthfully. "I know that I want to see him; that I enjoy his company. I want to see if this could become something."

"Then tell him that."

Not wanting to think on it anymore she changed tactics. "What's going on between you and Megumi?"

"Don't change the subject."

"You two were supposed to have dinner?"

"We did."

"And?"

There was a beat of silence. "It went well."

"So did you seal the deal?" She asked. When he didn't answer right away, she gave the same response he did. "You did! Dirty little minx."

"Actually, we didn't exactly have sex."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She snorted.

"I'm approaching this from a different angel."

Kaoru flopped back on the bed. "What angle?"

"We didn't have sex, but I did spend the night with her, if that's what you're wanting to know."

"You're telling me that you spent the night with her, and nothing happened?"

"I didn't say that."

She fought the urge to scream at him. "Get to the point."

The man sighed. "I mean I probably could have; I wanted to." Sanosuke stated slowly. "And I think she wanted to, though she still has these moments." He took a deep breath and Kaoru could envision him running his hand through his dark hair. "I"m going at her speed. It's just different with her. I think it started out as me just wanting to bed her, but then as I started to get to know her, I think we could really have something. I don't want to fuck this up with sex."

His words haunted her. Is that what could have happened between her and Kenshin? Now that they had finally consummated their relationship, would it muck up the comraderies they had developed these past few months? "Nothing really happened?"

"I didn't say that." He reiterated.

Kaoru shook her head with a chuckle. "Where are you now?"

"I'm at home. She had to go in early."

"So did Kenshin." She murmured.

"Jou-chan, listen. Just be honest with him. It's clear you two want the same thing."

"Why do you even think that?"

She could hear the man sigh in exasperation. "Because despite what you think, I do actually pay attention."

"Attention to what?"

"If you haven't been paying attention then you're a dum-dum."

She grew still and breathed in deeply. She thought back over the past few weeks. She had seen the glances, the touches that lingered, him reaching out to wrap her hair around his fingers. And even before last night, there had been the kisses between them, the last time being unprovoked after their dinner party. She didn't doubt that Kenshin cared for her, not after last night. But that didn't mean he wanted a future with her.

"How can you be so sure?"

She heard him sigh again. "Nothing is ever sure. But until you are ready to face what you feel for the man, you're never going to know where you stand with him."

Of course, it was never going to be simple. That would be too easy. I just want to thank everyone again for the continued support. Kisses until next time!