Sliding the shoji smoothly open, Kaoru tilted her head back to cast a despondent eye on the cloud-shrouded moon. The Autumn air was moist and slightly chill, hinting at rain soon to come, and it would have been a perfect night to cuddle close to Kenshin in cozy, affectionate warmth... if only he were there. It was unusual for her rurouni to be gone so late at night, and the dreary weather only made her long all the more for his accustomed embraces. She needed him, longed for him to take the world away in a breathless, heady climb to that quiet place which was theirs alone; wanted to be cradled close against his solid strength as her body tingled all over with a satiated glow, resting drowsy and languid in his arms. As the wind picked up and the rain began a stilted rhythm on the roof, she snuggled under the blankets on their futon, closing her eyes to imagine him there, holding her spooned against his lean frame while his palms stroked soothingly over her arms. His hands were always gentle, his touch tender when he came to her, even when the passionate, demanding Battousai shone from his eyes.
What would it be like to be loved by him -- to have him claim her as his own? She'd once considered the Battousai a threat, his darker personality fierce and intimidating, his capacity for bloodshed unmeasured. Now she knew that he was even more protective than the rurouni she'd loved from the beginning, and as completely incapable of hurting her as his softer-edged other half. One was simply a more intense version of the other, and at heart the same man. Even so, the amber glow in Kenshin's eyes still caused her breath to catch with equal parts anticipation and trepidation, made something within her feel deliciously weak and helpless. It wasn't fear exactly -- never that -- more the uncertainty of the unknown, the heady thrill of holding the attention of so dangerous a man. What would it be like to experience more of him than the glimpses she'd seen when her rurouni made love to her? Would his loving be as implacably determined as his manner, his desire as undeniable as the pleasure he gave?
Flesh warming at the thought, Kaoru shifted restlessly, nipples already taut with latent excitement pebbling in reaction as they brushed against her yukata. The worn fabric teased the aroused peaks in much the way Kenshin's sword-calloused fingers were wont, and she savored the imagined touch, legs parting in unconscious invitation. It never took much to set her senses aflame -- the slightest touch of his hand, the most brief, hungry look from his violet eyes could start her body burning for more of the same. Memory now served that purpose, fueling her ardor with thoughts of how his knowing hands would cup her breasts in his palms, massaging gently as he accepted her offer, one knee slipping between her thighs to rub against her core. The solid strength of him would feel so good as she arched into the almost casual caress, her fingers clenching on his shoulders as he bent to tease her nipples with his tongue...
Moaning softly in frustration as the sweet ache in her belly increased with her fantasy, Kaoru turned onto her back, letting the covers slide into a tangle at her hip. Hesitantly, she took the full globes in her own hands, squeezing lightly as she pretended the cradling warmth were his; and in her mind's eye Kenshin laughed low in his throat at her eager response, his gaze glowing with fierce approval. Flame bright hair brushed feather-light against the rising curves of her breasts as he nuzzled a kiss between them, then skimmed lower to follow the path she drew with trembling fingers from the center of her chest to the folds of her womanhood. As her dream-lover's tongue lapped gently against her, Kaoru's longing grew so intense that she whimpered his name, arching into the press of her own hand.
Kenshin threw the wet weight of his kimono against the wall of the bathhouse in an exasperated motion, ignoring the slapping sound it made as it hit. Why, he wondered, rotating his shoulders in appreciation before reaching up to pull the sopping tie from his hair, do I let Chief Uramura talk me into these things? Standing in the rain, acting as bodyguard for nervous government officials, was no longer his calling, nor generally his choice. I have better things to do with my time, and more important people to spend it with. Settling into the waiting tub, he let the hot water take the rain-chill from his skin and hair, knowing Kaoru would appreciate the warmth when he joined her. Would she be awake and waiting, worrying as she still sometimes did; or asleep, her body open and welcoming, her responses drowsy and slow? Kami-sama he wanted her. Wanted to feel the way her body clenched so desperately around him when she climaxed, wanted to hear her mewl his name, pleading for more. As the cold had crept through his clothing and his patience had worn thin, the memory of her impassioned response had heated him from the inside out... but had done little to ease his temper. If his eyes had glowed faintly golden when he bid Uramura good night, Kenshin had no reason to question why.
Impatient, he rose from the tub and dressed in dry hakama and a loose haori -- clothing easily donned and just as swiftly removed. Footsteps swift but silent, he walked the polished wood floors, rounding the corner to their bedroom to find the shoji standing expectantly open. The gesture was typically Kaoru, part welcome and part unvoiced reprimand: where are you, and why aren't you here?
Why indeed. Taking her silence as a sign that she was no longer awake, Kenshin propped his shoulder against the doorframe, wanting to watch her sleep while his eyes adjusted to the deeper gloom inside. Sight of her caused his breath to catch, raw need abruptly clenching in his gut. She lay on her back, face flushed with excitement, one hand fisted in the blankets beside her while the other played gently between her legs. Loosened by her movements, her yukata gaped temptingly open, the swell of her breasts white in the faded moonlight streaming through the door. They quivered as she arched upward into the press of her fingers, whimpering his name, her head tossing back and forth on the pillow in a delirium of want -- desperate to have him.
His answering smile was almost feral with satisfaction.
"Tadaima."
The whispered word was at once shocking and comforting, a dash of cold water and a heated thrill. Raising lashes heavy with desire, Kaoru focused on the vision leaning against the open shoji, his hair loose about his shoulders, his chest and feet bare.
"Don't stop," he murmured a heartbeat later, when she realized what she'd been doing and recoiled in embarrassment. Amber eyes observed her with a possessive heat as he pushed away from the wall to pace closer. "I want to watch."
"Da..." Kaoru's voice wavered then dropped as he knelt beside her, bringing her hand to his lips to taste her lingering arousal, "datte... you're here now."
Amused by her shyness, he suckled gently at her fingers, tongue swirling around them as if to savor her flavor. "Aa," he agreed, releasing the captured digits from the warmth of his mouth and pressing a kiss into her palm. "I'm sorry I was late." Threading his fingers through hers, he guided her hand back to her dark curls. "Come koishii..." he coaxed, "show me what you like."
Hiding her face in the loose sleeve of his haori, she protested in a voice no less tight with wanting for all its softness, "You know -- you taught me -- and it's not the same..." Not as intense, not as overwhelming.
Playing his laughter against her throat, Kenshin bent to murmur in her ear as he snuggled her hand against the pulse-point throbbing at the apex of her thighs. "Greedy one... I would never leave you wanting." Releasing her fingers he hooked his right leg over hers, holding her open to his gaze. "Show me."
Couched in that low, persuasive voice, the words weren't quite a demand, yet the look in his eyes and her own yearning made it so. Slowly, nervously, Kaoru stroked one slender finger over the tiny bud that cried for attention, seeking the rhythm she'd found before he'd interrupted, recapturing it as his calloused hand cupped her breast, thumb brushing circles around the tight nipple. Pleasuring herself became easier as he took suckle, her hips rising into the motion of her hand as she lost herself in the dual sensations. Her free hand slipped through his hair, trying to hold him to her, then clenched in the blue fabric of his shirt as he raised his head. Turning hers on the pillow she opened her eyes, surprised to find his golden gaze focused on her face. "Kenshin," she pled almost silently, something wild and untamed gathering within her, something beyond her ability to control.
"Reach for it, koishii, just a little more..." he answered, dipping his head to nuzzle her throat, nipping teasingly at her earlobe. Eyes closing again as she strained toward her release, Kaoru could only whimper in response. Kenshin's indulgent, masculine chuckle rumbled in her ear scant seconds before she felt his strong hand curving over hers, his palm pressing firmly against her fingers, holding them in place as his own searched deftly inside her. She came instantly, thighs reflexively closing over their joined hands, face pressed into his shoulder to muffle her incoherent scream. Grinding his palm against her sheltering fingers, he kept her suspended there for long moments, crooning wordless approval until finally the pleasure peaked and she collapsed back onto the futon.
As she relaxed he withdrew, raising her hand to his lips and nibbling lightly at her damp fingers. Dimly, through the silken cloud which seemed to have wrapped itself about her senses, Kaoru was aware of him shrugging out of his shirt, and of the gentle press of his hands against her thighs, parting them to make room for him between. It wasn't until he cupped a hand under each knee, raising her legs to his shoulders, that she stirred. Opening her eyes she stretched slowly, smiling drowsily as his hold shifted to her hips, steadying her.
Readying her.
Leaning forward he kissed her for the first time since his return, taking her mouth and exploring it fully as their position brought her still-throbbing mound into contact with his hard stomach. That easily his heat, his dominance, assailed her; moaning beseechingly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, capturing his tongue with eager suction, trying to convey what she wanted without words. Fitting his hand to the curve of her face, Kenshin brushed his thumb over her cheekbone to coax his release, scraping her bottom lip between careful teeth as he withdrew. Sword-calloused fingers briefly caressed her throat as if testing her pulse, then stroked downward to toy with one turgid nipple while his mouth claimed the other.
Tangling her fingers in his hair and clenching her legs against his back, Kaoru felt a rush of warm air against her as he laughed at her blatant attempt to bring him closer. "Ready for more?" he teased, the words muffled against her skin as he nuzzled her passion-swollen breasts. She had no breath to answer, air and rational thought stolen as his tongue painted a maddeningly slow path to her navel, then delved inside to send pleasure-shocks radiating outward through both belly and womb. Taking her wordless sounds of desire as assent he ventured further, nestling his cheek against her dark curls.
The scent of her arousal was heady, rising about him as her hands tightened at his nape. Capturing her wrists, he gently but firmly removed her fingers from his hair, threading them through his to prevent even that semblance of control. Kaoru bit her lip as he blew lightly against her aching flesh, cried aloud as his tongue flickered out to taste. "Better than sake, sweeter than amenko," he whispered, his lips brushing against her with the words. Delighting in the way her hands grasped spasmodically at his in reaction, he tugged carefully at her sensitive nub, suckling as he had at her breast before thrusting inside to better sample her honeyed welcome. Ignoring her pleas and judging her response by the tone of her voice, he released her hands only after she began to shake with orgasm, cupping her bottom to keep her from escaping as he savored every nuance of her impassioned response.
Panting, fingers curled limply in the rumpled satin of his hair, Kaoru watched through her lashes as Kenshin idly rubbed his chin against the smooth skin of her stomach before raising his head to trail kisses along the inside of her knee. So this is what it means to be the Battousai's woman. Intense heat and fond masculine amusement; tender, unrelenting demand; a beguiling dominance -- a manner which took without asking, yet left her the pretense of choice. It was seductive, the complete control he had over both himself and her, the way he seemed determined to exhaust her capacity for pleasure before seeking his own -- as if his hunger was to satisfy only her, and his need to do so insatiable. Or perhaps it was her response alone he craved, the knowledge that he could make her forget everything but him, could make her need nothing beyond the surety of his touch.
Amber eyes glowing possessively, he tenderly smoothed her hair away from her face, tilting her chin for his kiss. "Want me," he urged in a voice velvet with leashed desire, two fingers suddenly curling inside her to rub all-to-briefly against her pleasure center, leaving her clutching desperately at him, moaning uncontrollably. "Yearn for me, let me take you higher..."
Dizzy from the spiraling sensations, gasping for more, Kaoru had little choice in the matter; willingly succumbing to another wave of warm release, she gave herself into his keeping.
"Dame..." she protested as he nuzzled her stomach, sending her senses climbing toward another peak before she'd completely crested the last. Her voice was breathless and slightly husky from screaming her pleasure more times than she could count, her legs still trembling from the force of her recent orgasm. Pleasantly exhausted, yet craving what he had so far denied them both, she struggled to convey her desire as nimble fingers worked to make her forget. "No more... not like this, I can't... Kenshin, o...ne...ga...i..." the whisper rose to a keening wail as his thumb roughly circled her throbbing bud and her body dissolved in another wave of pleasure. "Take me! Take me!"
"Shhhhh... it's all right, koishii... it's all right..." slipping her passion-weakened limbs from his shoulders, Kenshin let her curl onto her side, his palm still warm against her core. Murmuring wordless reassurances, he held her spooned protectively against him until she calmed, until her slender form quit shaking, and the pulse point beneath his hand beat less frantically.
"I need you," the words were faint, tearfully hungry, whispered into the arm cradling her head. His arousal was rampantly obvious, pressing against her through the thin material of his hakama, the feel of it only serving to make her ache even more, wanting to feel him inside her, claiming her, filling her, sending her over the edge she could only find when they were one. "I need you."
Yes. Dark with satisfaction and welcome demand, his voice made her shiver as he breathed his response in her ear, "Then have me." Pressing a kiss into her shoulder, his teeth an erotic scrape against her skin, he coaxed her onto her hands and knees before rising to his feet. Nervous, questioning this new position without his warmth behind her, she whispered his name, a mere thread of sound in the darkness. The only answer was the rustle of fabric, the sound of something soft hitting the floor, and suddenly he was there, his heat searing almost painfully aroused flesh. One arm slid around her waist to brace her, his hand cupping her breast; the other rode lower, his palm firm against her belly, tilting her hips to allow his entrance.
Hands fisting in the blankets as he took her with one sleek thrust, Kaoru screamed, internal muscles spasming uncontrollably. Scattering open-mouthed kisses along her spine, Kenshin eased her through it, his thighs supporting her trembling, the hand at her breast continuing its gentle massage as she pressed her forehead to the mattress and drew in deep, gasping breaths. Even when the tremors passed, his exquisite fullness within her was almost more than she could bear, and she whimpered as he slowly withdrew only to stroke just as slowly back inside.
"Once more, Kaoru," he whispered, lips brushing softly along her throat, "once more for me." His knowing fingers slipped between the moist petals of her womanhood to tease the tangle of nerves hidden there, his palm grinding against her belly with each thrust into her body, ensuring she felt the way his shaft caressed that place inside which made her quiver and moan. "Together," he promised, voice rough with concentration, "stay with me, koishii..."
Sobbing beneath him, surrounded by his strength and overwhelmed by the perfection of it all, Kaoru was past fighting the maelstrom building within her. It crested without warning, the pleasure so intense that it took her breath and closed her throat. As her body clenched around him in the desperate seeking he so loved, Kenshin shuddered with his own climax, flooding her with warmth scant heartbeats before her body went limp in his arms.
Collapsing beside her and gathering her against him, Kenshin buried his face in her hair, savoring her scent as his lungs worked for air. His. This unbelievably responsive woman was his, willing partner to anything he might do. Even now, relaxed against him in unconscious repose, the tips of her breasts were still fiercely aroused, her body answering to the brush of his hand. His hand, his touch. Responding to him , not the rurouni, not his "safe" persona. He'd never dreamed she'd welcome him so freely, had hesitated to claim her out of concern that he would shock or frighten her -- she was, after all, still such an innocent. Ill-accustomed to such loving, she would be tender and sore in the morning.
Frowning at the thought, he ran his fingers through her hair, golden eyes alight with protective instincts. The water in the bath should still be warm enough to soothe overly sensitive skin, ease some of the evening's after effects. Wrapping the blankets around her as the rain reasserted itself with a sudden gust of wind, he gathered into his arms and rose to his feet, quieting her mumbled protest with a brief caress of his lips.
Blinking sleepily as Kenshin tugged the covers away from her, Kaoru leaned trustingly against him as he ran liquid warmth down her back and over her breasts, following the trail of water with a soft, equally wet cloth. Relaxing into his careful ministrations, she was washed away on a rainbow flow of delight as he ran the cloth between her legs, her response muted but still overwhelming in her drowsy state. Surprised, he pressed the soft fabric more firmly against her as he realized what her slight shudders meant, coaxing her through it before gently rinsing away the evidence of her desire.
Feeling as if she were floating, Kaoru let him bundle her into a fresh yukata and carry her back to bed, snuggling close for warmth and unvoiced reassurance. Twining her arms around his neck, and hiding her face in the red spill of his hair, she savored how it felt to be at once so helpless and yet so safe.
How it felt to be... his.
Index of Japanese terms:
- koishii -- beloved
- amenko -- a sweet syrup
Komagata Yumi
yumi@sekihara.dreamhost.com
September 29, 2000
