The number of emotions that the miko experienced in a matter of seconds was astounding. He'd never taken notice before, never had the need or want to before, but her expressions were completely unfiltered, even when something had upset her. Was it a complete lack of self-preservation, or was she unaware of it happening?

She'd been so immersed in her chore that she'd forgotten his presence, stripping down as if she were alone, giving him the time to do the same and enter the spring before she turned around. He'd planned on coming here after his training anyway, intent on washing away some of the weight on his shoulders with Rin's disappearance.

They'd barely found anything, and what they had found hadn't helped at all. Yet the rest of his brother's pack refused to give up hope—no matter how high their frustration became. Sesshoumaru wanted to put his claws through something—namely, the person responsible for taking his ward, but in order to do so, they had to find them first.

This latest trail had pointed them in the opposite direction, and he could feel Kohaku's guilt growing by the hour. The boy had led them away from the mountainside, assuming the kidnappers had taken a more leisurely route, and now it seemed they'd wasted precious time by not investigating the area further.

Sesshoumaru didn't blame him for it. If he'd assumed the culprits were human, he would've come to the same conclusion.

He couldn't even blame him for enlisting the help of his brother; Inuyasha was impulsive, but his bullheaded determination was useful, especially when it came to those within his pack.

Sesshoumaru snorted. In truth, it wasn't his pack at all. The other members, especially the humans, looked to him for leadership because he wielded the biggest weapon—and was the loudest in his displeasure. But it was the miko who fed him instruction, coaxing him in the right direction when his emotions threatened to override his common sense.

Sesshoumaru planned for most contingencies—had been taught to do so as a means of successful battle strategies—but he hadn't planned on her.

He didn't trust her completely. An odd guilt tainted her scent now and then, one she hadn't explained, even to the slayer, so she knew something about Rin's disappearance that she'd yet to share with the rest of the group.

It was the reason he'd first approached her. The ruse about unblocking her reiki had worked enough to get her alone but had quickly shifted when the potency of her desire hit his senses.

He'd tried to ignore it, to chalk it up to them being on a long journey and her being away from whatever paramour she had back in her village through the well, but the shift only happened when he touched her, and his curiosity had got the better of him.

And she hadn't refused.

That should've been the most surprising part, but the fact he kept coming back for more continued to gnaw at him. When female youkai, especially those of inu descent, were in heat, their scents were at their most lethal, luring in groups of males until only one remained. There was always bloodshed, and those females without a chosen mate revelled in the sight of those fighting over her, their scent driving them to the brink of madness.

The miko's was beginning to do that on a regular basis.

Her scent had always been intriguing, but there were other tasks to focus on, especially when it came to defeating the spider. There was also always a tinge of longing or loneliness tainting the overall mixture, which was easily ignored.

Not so now. Warm honey and citrus quickly darkened to caramel whenever he touched her, and Sesshoumaru was quickly discovering he had a sweet tooth. At least when it came to her. And the confidence she'd acquired since she'd returned made it all that more difficult to resist.

Like right now.

When she'd remembered she wasn't alone, there'd been an initial flicker of shock and embarrassment, her hand moving to cover her breasts, but she'd seen something in his expression that had the caramel returning, and she'd strode into the spring like she owned it.

The little minx.

He kept himself pressed against the bank of the spring. It was one thing to engage in carnal desires when they were full-dressed, but seeing her in nothing but tanned skin had his fangs elongating. There would be nothing stopping him from—

"Do you ever touch yourself?"

The crimson receded from his eyes, and he schooled his features. "Only when necessary." It was meant to clear the mind and senses of any distraction, especially when it came to the heat of battle, but based on her earlier assessment, humans clearly had a different take on it.

She had the audacity to laugh, the sound bouncing through the steam, then raised her arms, purposely revealing her breasts. Droplets of water ran down between them, saliva pooling around his fangs, and her hands soon followed in a blatant offering. "You should try it more often."

Breath hitched in his throat. "Why?"

Blue eyes became half-lidded as one hand slid down her stomach and under the water. "Because you get to know what your body likes. And it's fun." She blinked slowly, then met his gaze. "Especially if someone's watching." She rolled a nipple between her fingers, then arched slightly, the muscles of her other arm clenching.

A growl escaped his lips as heat pooled in his stomach, muscles seizing as his body stood at attention. He tried to ignore it, but his gaze turned hazy as she continued her ministrations, soft mewls cutting through the silence as her body rolled. Her head fell back, and his hand found his cock, gripping it firmly as he fell into the same tempo.

Every time her body arched, his hand came down, attempting to mimic the sensation of something much more dangerous. By the way she moved, she'd clearly done this before, but Sesshoumaru was no fool—she was putting on a show. Each twitch, each sound was emphasized, her eyes only leaving his when her head fell backward.

It wasn't enough to bring him to climax—not while the sensation of her mouth wrapped around his head was still so fresh in his mind—but he would enjoy anything she gave him, inhaling large gulps of caramel as she worked herself into a frenzy.

Her release wasn't as powerful as when his tongue had been inside her, and he preened at the thought that though she'd engaged in this act before, he was still a better partner than her own hand. Her body still shuddered, goosebumps roughening her skin, but there was no outcry, no explosion of power, and Sesshoumaru found himself panting, his erection painfully hard in his hand.

Rolling her shoulders, she offered him a sultry smile. "See? Fun."

He nodded stiffly. "I shall remember that in the future."

Her smile only widened, and she winked. "You do that." She dunked her head under the water, and he half-expected her to resurface in front of him, disappointment rising when she popped up in the same location, running her hands through her hair. The action once again had her breasts lifting above the water, and he growled at the sight.

He felt her aura spike in interest, and she did it again, hands sliding over her curves. "Do you like it when I touch myself?" she asked, flipping wet hair over her shoulder.

"Hnn."

She rolled her eyes and immediately crossed her arms. "That's not a real answer."

Sesshoumaru pursed his lips, forcing himself to meet her gaze. "Yes."

She lifted her chin, then resumed, replenishing the water in her hands to keep her skin slick. "Was that so hard?"

"Youkai do not deal in words, miko. Actions are much harder to hide."

She leaned back against the bank, body on full display. "And what do my actions tell you?"

He grunted, wishing she would stop talking so he could appreciate the view. "That you enjoy providing for others instead of just taking for yourself."

A dark eyebrow raised. "How was touching myself selfless?" She waved a hand toward him. "Especially when you didn't even do anything?"

"You said so yourself: it is more 'fun' when someone is watching." She blushed, as he hoped she would, the edge of his lips twitching.

"Maybe I was hoping you'd lose control for once."

Sesshoumaru cocked his head at that. "What would that prove?"

She sighed. "That I have more an effect on you than you let on."

Her scent soured, and he grimaced. It had not been his intent to deter her seduction. Perhaps holding back was not all it was cracked up to be. He let his eyes slide over her body, lingering in certain places until the sweet scent of caramel returned, and he smirked at her flushed face. "The fact that I have engaged in such actions is proof enough, miko. There are few others I have allowed so close to my person."

That seemed to pacify her, but as she continued to watch him, he wondered if he'd revealed too much, an alluring smirk tilting her lips, and if he hadn't known better, he would've sworn she had fangs.

"So," she drawled, "it's not a matter of not having any effect. It's that I haven't had enough of an effect."