Enticement

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

Enticement

Himura Kaoru stepped down from the wooden crate she\'d placed in the dojo with a puff
of air escaping from her lips. Wiping her lightly perspiring forehead, she surveyed her
handiwork.

\'Revealing yukata? Check\'

\'Yahiko gone at the Akabeko? Check.\'

\'Sexy husband being distracted by Tae in the market? Check.\'

\'Note on the closed dojo door? Check.\'

\'Strong peg attached to dojo support beam . . .\'

Kaoru swallowed silently.

\'Definitely Check.\'

Kaoru placed the crate against the far wall, wondering how she convinced herself this
was a good idea. She gauged the time by the light slanting through the window, and
figured she had a moment to rest. Closing her eyes slightly, she leaned her head against
the dojo wall and thought back to the week prior.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Marriage to the red-haired former Hitokiri was pleasant. He was a protective, supportive
husband, and exceedingly solicitous in the bedroom. Kaoru blushed more in the first
three months of their marriage than she thought possible by the new sensations of his
tender lovemaking. One of his favorite places to surprise her with affection was in the
bath, when her skin was soft and slick with moisture. Kaoru bit her lip and clenched her
thighs together at the thought of some of his more interesting ways of getting her clean.

Despite all the tenderness, Kaoru often felt that Kenshin was holding something back.
Their lovemaking was always sensual, slow, and careful. Not that Kaoru was
complaining, but she knew there was a hell of a spark in her husband, something she saw
when he was in the midst of a battle. That almost animalistic spark made her weaker in
the knees than any of his tender touches, but he exhibited it in her presence so rarely.

One day, however, Kaoru felt that spark first hand.

Life had gotten fairly routine after the end of Enishi\'s jinchuu. Kenshin and Kaoru
married, she taught classes, and he took on odd jobs and took care of the dojo. Yahiko
stayed with them half the time, and disappeared to the Akabeko the rest. After about six
months of this routine, the calm was rudely interrupted by some disgruntled fanatic from
Kenshin\'s past.

Kaoru had gone to the market by herself that day, as Kenshin was off helping a neighbor
re-tile their roof after a nasty storm. She had spent a bit longer than necessary looking at
hair ribbons and kimono fabric, and was rushing home as fast as she could, laden down
with food for dinner. She knew Kenshin would be hungry after his long day of work in
the sun, and didn\'t pay much attention to her surroundings. At a deserted stretch of road,
a strong pair of hands grabbed her from behind and pressed a foul-smelling cloth to her
mouth. As her struggles grew weaker from the drugged cloth, a strangely detached
thought echoed through her head. . .

\'Mou, not again.\'

Kaoru slowly awoke to the sight of a dimly lit, mostly empty warehouse. Kaoru shook
her head to remove the cobwebs from her drugged brain. She quickly realized that she
was tied securely to a wooden pillar with a rope around her waist and her arms secured
above her head with rope. A thick gag was tied around her mouth, turning her moan of
frustration into little more than a murmur. She looked down and was shocked at the
generous amount of cleavage her restrained position revealed. Blushing, she wriggled as
much as she could to cover herself, with no avail.

Her thoughts were disturbed by the appearance of a tall, mean looking man in a dirty
kimono and hakama.

\"Good, you\'re awake,\" He sneered. \"Just in time to watch your beloved Battosai die
before your eyes.\"

Kaoru would have rolled her eyes and sighed at the unoriginality of his statement, but
thought better of it. He did have the sword, and she was pretty helpless at the moment.
She merely returned his sneer with an unfriendly glare. He frowned and narrowed his
eyes at her.

Pressing into her and grasping her chin, he growled menacingly. \"Woman, you would be
wise to fear me. My sword skills are unparalleled!\"

Kaoru raised her knee up sharply, causing him to groan in pain and stumble back slightly.

\'Idiot should know better than to leave a woman\'s legs free,\' Kaoru thought, darkly
amused. Her thoughts were short lived when the man stood and drew his sword from his
sheath, a cruel look in his eyes. A cold curl of fear worked it\'s way up from Kaoru\'s
stomach into her throat as she locked eyes with the furious man.

A loud noise in the direction of the warehouse door drew both their attention. Much to
Kaoru\'s relief, she heard Kenshin\'s familiar voice shouting in the dimness.

\"Kaoru! Where are you?!\"

\"We are not finished, bitch. You will pay for that.\" The tall man stepped away from
Kaoru and held his sword at the ready.

Kenshin appeared, rounding a tall set of crates. His eyes were hard and intense, almost
gold, sending a shiver through Kaoru.

\'Kami, don\'t tell me I\'m excited now!\'

Kenshin\'s eyes widened slightly as he caught sight of Kaoru\'s bound form, then
narrowed as he took in her captor. Kaoru could have sworn that she saw a flash of desire
in his widened eyes, but dismissed it as the man addressed Kenshin.

\"So, you do come running for your woman. The rumor was true.\"

\"This one does not \'come running.\' He merely protects what is his. This one suggests
you leave before you get hurt.\"

The man chuckled. \"No, I will not leave until I\'ve had my satisfaction. I have spent
many long years training for this day, when I will defeat the Battosai!\"

Kaoru sighed internally at the familiar diatribe, less fearful now that Kenshin had arrived.
Kenshin shifted slightly and placed his right hand near the hilt of his sakabato.

\"This one does not recall any quarrel with you. There are many who crossed blades with
this one, but that is past.\"

\"Past!\" the man roared. \"This is not the past! I will take you here and now, and you will
pay for your crimes!\"

\"Enough,\" Kenshin said, anger beginning to tinge his voice. \"You have harmed this ones
wife, and interrupted this one\'s peace. If it is a fight you wish, come then.\"

Not wasting any time, the man raised his sword and lunged madly at the shorter red-head.
Using his near god-like speed, Kenshin easily avoided the man\'s attacks. Within
minutes, the tall man was panting heavily and getting clumsier in his thrusts. In a wild
swing, he knocked a set of boxes falling towards Kaoru\'s bound form.

Kaoru closed her eyes in anticipation, but heard a loud crash to her right. Opening her
eyes, she gasped as she took in Kenshin\'s tense form in front of her, his sakabato having
destroyed the boxes the second before they reached her. Kenshin\'s left fist was clenched
tightly at his side, bangs covering his eyes.

Without further words, Kenshin sprang towards the panting man, eyes lit with rage. The
man desperately fought back Kenshin\'s attacks, only to succumb to a viscous \'Ryu Shu
Sen\'. The man crumpled to the floor out cold.

Kaoru saw Kenshin breathing heavily over the man, sakabato clenched tightly in his
hand. He stood still for moments, his shoulders stiff in fury. Kaoru shifted
uncomfortably in her position, undeniably aroused at witnessing Kenshin\'s prowess in
the fight, but tiring from the pressures of her restraints. She mmphed his name through
the gag to get his attention.

Kenshin turned towards her, eyes still clouded in a slightly amber haze. He took in her
form, starting at the toes and working his way up, lingering on her slightly exposed
breasts, finally meeting her wide eyes. Starting as if awaking from a dream, Kenshin
blinked and sheathed his sakabato, rushing to her side.

\"Kaoru, koi, daijobu ka?\" He said as he removed the gag, voice still deep from his anger.

\"Hai, daijobu,\" she responded, feeling weak from the heat in his gaze.

He pressed against her and reached up to release her hands. Kaoru\'s eyes widened
slightly as she felt the slightest touch of his hardened manhood against her body.

\'I guess I wasn\'t the only one excited by this rescue.\'

\"Kenshin?\" she said, eyes questioning.

Kenshin\'s eyes flashed amber. He gritted his teeth and removed the rest of her bonds,
sweeping her into his arms and running towards the dojo. Kaoru wrapped her arms
around his neck and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the feel of his heated body against
hers.

Kenshin strode into the dojo grounds and went into their room without pausing. Before
Kaoru could blink, she found her self with her back pressed against the wall with
Kenshin\'s insistent mouth on hers. His hardened manhood was more than obvious now
as he pressed his hips urgently into hers.

Kaoru\'s world tilted as Kenshin passionately devoured her mouth. His tongue demanded
dominance over hers, and stoked the already burning fires of her arousal. This was the
passion she saw in battle! This was the other Kenshin she loved as dearly as the Rurouni.

Kenshin grasped her barely clothed breasts, almost roughly teasing the peaks through the
cloth. He began kissing fervently down her neck, leaving small, red bites on her pale
skin. As he grabbed at her shoulder to remove her kimono, Kaoru suddenly hissed in
pain, still sore from her bondage.

Kenshin\'s head snapped up and met Kaoru\'s eyes, looking startled. Deep purple settled
immediately into his gaze, and guilt flooded his features. He looked away and set her
down on the futon, withdrawing completely. He murmured a quiet \"Gomen\" and turned
to leave the room.

Hazy from the passion of the moment before and startled by his sudden withdrawl, Kaoru
grabbed for the hem of his hakama.

\"Kenshin, where are you going?\"

Kenshin paused, refusing to meet her gaze. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
\"You\'ve been accosted today. Let me go prepare your bath.\" Before she could respond,
he quickly left the room.

Kaoru looked after him in shock. His unbridled passion felt so good, why did he stop?
Was it something she did or said? She finally felt the other half of her husband, the
passion of the Battosai, and he just leaves? Was he mad at her for getting captured in the
first place?

Shakily she rose to her feet and went to follow him. To her surprise, Yahiko appeared on
the engawa in front of her door.

\"Oi, busu, you ok? Kenshin ran off in a hurry earlier today after getting a note from
some nutjob,\" he said jokingly in his slightly breaking adolescent voice.

Kaoru looked at him blankly for a moment. \"Did you see where Kenshin went?\"

\"To the bathouse I think.\" He looked at her more intently. \"Kaoru, are you sure you\'re
ok? You look a bit . . . messed up.\"

\"Fine, I\'m . . .fine.\" she said, tearing up slightly from the stress of the day and at the
thought of Kenshin upset at her. She stumbled towards the bathouse, intent on getting an
answer.

She reached the bathouse door and opened it, gasping slightly at finding Kenshin in front
of the doorway. He was completely drenched, soaked to the skin with cold water. He
would not meet her eyes. She reached up to touch his cheek, and he pulled away slightly.

\"Kenshin?\"

\"Let me prepare your bath and some dinner koi. You must be tired after today\'s ordeal.\"
He paused as he passed, placing a tender kiss on her forehead. \"I will take better care of
you, I promise.\"

…………………………….

Kaoru sighed, standing up from the crate. It had taken her a couple days, and a talk with
Tae, to piece together what was wrong with her beloved husband. Kenshin had been
even more tender and gentle with her than before, treating her as if she would break. She
had caught him on a couple of occasions looking guiltily and somewhat longingly at the
fading marks on her neck. She figured that he thought he had frightened and hurt her in
his passion, and would harm her further if he continued. It wasn\'t the first time she had
encountered his feelings of inadequacy, although she thought he was beyond it.
Apparently not.

After agonizing over the problem, and waking up frustrated from several steamy dreams
of Battosai ravaging her, she came up with her current solution. Recreate the situation
that brought out the passion in Kenshin in the first place, assuring him that it was okay to
embrace that side of him. It just wasn\'t healthy to deny part of oneself, as long as she
was willing to participate!

With renewed determination, and noting the slant of the afternoon sunlight through the
slats in the dojo door, Kaoru hurried to finish her final preparations. She placed the crate
out of sight behind a shoji screen, and adjusted the ribbon in her hair.

Stepping up to the support beam, she pulled another ribbon from her yukata sleeve and
carefully tied it around one wrist. With the help of her teeth, she awkwardly wrapped the
ribbon around her other wrist and tied it as securely as possible. She knew she\'d be able
to pull out of it without too much trouble – it was the illusion that mattered. Backing up
to the beam, she stood on her tip-toes and lifted her hands over the peg. She could just
get her heels on the floor, which combined with the angle of her arms overhead enhanced
the thrust of her breasts coming out of the tight yukata.

\'Well, this is the closest I\'m going to get to recreating two weeks ago. I hope this
works.\'

A shiver of desire ran through her in anticipation of Kenshin\'s return. She knew she had
to be confident, or this wouldn\'t work. If she showed weakness before he was convinced,
she may make matters worse. Kaoru shook her head. She wouldn\'t dwell on it. Even if
it didn\'t bring out his passionate side, hopefully it would clear up his worries of hurting
her.

Several long minutes passed. Kaoru shifted nervously in her bound position. He should
be home soon, Tae shouldn\'t be keeping him that long. Her mind spun faster with
thoughts of him getting stopped in the marketplace, or attacked on the way home. She
was brought from her reverie with the sound of the outside gate opening and closing and
Kenshin\'s faint \'Tadaima.\'

Kaoru\'s heart jumped in her throat at the sound of his voice. Her heart began hammering
in anticipation. She heard him calling for her, his voice raising in slight concern as it got
closer to the dojo door. She thought of the simple words on the note as his footsteps
approached.

\"Battosai – Enjoy the \'present\' inside\"

She heard the light tearing of paper as the note was pulled from the door, and held her
breath in anticipation at the pause that followed. Suddenly, the dojo door was flung open,
Kenshin\'s battle-ready silhouette visible through the glare of the afternoon sun, hand
hovering over his sakabato. She couldn\'t see his face.

\"Kaoru, are . . .\"

He stopped mid-word and mid-step as a seductive smile spread across her face.

\"Ne, Battosai, do you like your present?\" Kaoru arched her back slightly and leaned
forward, drawing his attention to her daring neckline and secured arms. \"You didn\'t
finish what you started last time, and I\'ve been burning ever since.\"

Kenshin stood still as stone, his front still completely shadowed by the sun behind him.
His tension was evident, fists clenched as he started to shake slightly.

Kaoru began to worry at his silence.

\"Kenshin?\" she said, cursing the uncertainty in her voice.

Suddenly, Kenshin sharply turned and closed the door behind him. Kaoru blinked at the
sudden darkness and looked up to see him striding towards her. His blood-red bangs
shaded his eyes, but his frame shook as if in anger. She started to doubt her plan. He
seemed so upset! Her heart sank as he stood at her side and reached towards her bound
hands.

\"Kenshin, gomen, I . . .\" she stopped, surprised, when she felt him tighten her bonds
instead of releasing them. He trailed his hands down her arms, causing her to shiver at
the sensation. He placed one hand on her shoulder and the other under her chin, raising
her gaze to meet his. Blazing amber greeted her clear blue orbs.

\"I can\'t have my present getting away from me, ne?\"

Arousal shot through Kaoru like a hot iron as his lips descended on hers. Hot, fiery,
demanding, possessive, all conveyed through a soul-searing kiss. Kaoru was happy for
the post at her back as her knees weakened. All rational thought flew out of her head as
Battosai\'s hands blazed a sensual trail down her front and cupped her backside. His
tongue danced in insistent patterns with hers, branding her as his. He slowly ground his
clothed arousal into to her center, causing her to groan in his mouth. He smirked as he
pulled back, taking in her dazed visage.

\"Like that koibito?\" he said, pressing against her again. Her head rolled back slightly as
she moaned louder, her eyes closing in pleasure.
\"I think I should start unwrapping you now.\"

Kaoru opened her eyes to look into his golden ones, his lust heating her even further.
Never breaking eye contact, he took hold of her obi with both hands and pulled it sharply
from her body. Her yukata, already strained from her position, fell open easily, revealing
her body to his gaze. He stepped back, openly admiring her form.

\"Beautiful,\" he murmured, cupping her right breast and gently flicking the rosy bud with
his thumb. \"And mine,\" he finished, gripping tighter and kissing her deeply once more.

Kaoru moaned as he continued teasing and pulling her breast with his long, talented
fingers. His touches felt like fire as he confidently stroked her body. His left hand
cupped her other breast, and he mimicked his sweet torture on the other side. She
groaned as he pulled away from her lips and began nipping and kissing down her neck.
Battosai worked his way down to one of her stiff peaks, and licked lightly at the tip. Her
head rolled back as she moaned and arched her chest towards his willing mouth, wanting
more of his hot caresses. Chuckling, he pressed his left hand against her waist, holding
her firmly against the post, and continued his teasing. He suddenly drew her nipple into
his mouth, sucking sharply and biting the distended flesh.

Kaoru\'s head spun at the combined sensations of his rough tongue on her flesh and his
strong arm holding her still. She desperately wanted more, to offer herself completely to
him and get what she wanted, but he was obviously in control. This was the nature of
Battosai\'s passion – heights of worshipful, possessive passion on his terms.

Battosai pulled away from his ministrations on her breasts and gazed at her flushed face.
Kaoru could barely focus on his handsome face as he gazed at her. Stroking her hip, he
shifted his other hand between their bodies and firmly cupped her womanhood. Kaoru
gasped at his bold caress, and her eyes began to droop at the heady sensation.

\"Look at me.\"

Kaoru struggled to obey, meeting his intense gaze. He pressed his hand against her more
fully, caressing her outer folds with his fingers. Her eyes began to flutter again,
overwhelmed by the feeling. He pulled his hand away slightly and she whimpered at the
loss.

\"I want you to look at me koibito.\" The threat of him stopping the unbelievable
sensations was enough to keep her eyes locked on his amber pools.

His eyes bore into her as he slowly slipped a finger inside her. She cried out at the
sensation, her already slick folds pulsing with her heartbeat at the contact.

\"So wet for me. Someone likes being my captive,\" Battosai purred, withdrawing his
finger and licking her juices from it.

\"Please,\" Kaoru moaned as she clenched her bound hands.

\"Please what koibito?\" he said, lightly tracing his fingers down her body, the other hand
catching the base of her neck.

\"T-touch me more,\" she whispered, burning at the intensity of his gaze.

Battosai smirked, eyes glowing amber in approval of her passion. He cupped her again,
slowly entering her with his fingers again. His other hand held her gaze on his, holding
her prisoner as he stroked inside her.

He stroked her more insistently, adding a second finger and then a third. She moaned
louder with each addition, panting at the sensation coiling and building in her. He
watched her intently, slowing down, speeding up, keeping her guessing.

Unable to take it any longer, a cry escaped from her lips, begging him to give her what
she wanted, what he wanted to give her. He captured her lips again and rubbed his thumb
across her hidden gem, instantly triggering her release. She moaned loudly, muffled by
his kiss, and almost blacked out from her powerful orgasm. No longer held back, she
thrust her hips into his hand, and he stroked her further, prolonging the feelings.

As she came back to herself, she felt him reach up and lift her arms from the peg.
Continuing to kiss her, he slid his hands underneath her rear and wrapped her legs around
his waist. Her bound hands rested on his chest, enjoying the sensation of his skin beneath
her fingers.

Without warning, he pulled away and turned her around, placing her hands against the
dojo wall.

\"Stay still,\" he said, and she heard the metallic sound of his sakabato leaving the sheath.
She followed his command, and felt a brush of air around her body. The open yukata fell
to the ground in pieces. She drew her hands down closer to her, and started to look over
her shoulder.

\"Kaoru.\"

She heard the warning in his voice, and the undercurrent of passion beneath. She
shivered in renewed arousal and returned her hands to their position, facing the wall once
more.

She heard clothing dropping to the floor, and felt his heated caresses on her back. He
pulled the ribbon smoothly from her hair, draping the ebony cascade over her shoulder
but within his touch. Reaching from behind, he caressed her breasts and stomach, kissing
her neck fervently. His caresses alternated between rough and gentle, building her
excitement once more. He pushed her legs further apart, forcing her to lean forward into
her arms and arch her back. He licked and bit his way up the curve of her spine, and
placed his hardness between her legs, teasing her opening with its head.

\"Do you want me inside you koibito?\" Battosai purred, hand reaching down to stroke her
jewel again. Kaoru dropped her head against her arms and moaned at the sensation.

\"Hai,\" she said, lustful. \"Claim me, please.\"

His manhood twitched at her words. He threaded his hand through her hair and pulled
her mouth back to his sharply for a kiss as he quickly entered her. He groaned at the feel
of her wet heat, her inner muscles clenching him firmly. Releasing her mouth, he set a
slow but firm pace, thrusting sharply with a roll of his hips. Kaoru moaned louder and
shifted back to meet each thrust, savoring the friction between them. He placed his other
hand on her hip, guiding her to sheathe him to the hilt.

Battosai continued to stroke her as he thrusted, matching his movements to get her closer
to his peak. He kissed and nipped at her back, molding his body to hers from behind.
Kaoru started to shudder, getting closer to her peak.

\"Come for me Kaoru,\" he whispered, panting slightly in her ear. His words pushed her
over the edge as he thrust harder and faster into her. One peak crested to a second as he
plunged rapidly into her core. He increased his speed beyond Kaoru\'s ability to keep up,
griping her hips hard enough to leave red welts in her pale flesh. He bit down hard on her
shoulder, and she screamed his name as he pushed her to one final climax. He spilled
himself into her groaning her name like a hushed prayer.

Panting, he lowered them down to the floor, still joined. He held her tenderly in his arms,
breathing heavily into her back. Kaoru sat spent and completely satisfied as the
perspiration from their activities trickled down their bodies.

After several long minutes, Kaoru felt him lift her gently off him. He shifted so his back
was against the wall, and settled her between his legs, facing him. Kaoru looked into his
eyes, and saw the swirling amber receding into his purple depths. He smiled at her, and
started untying her wrists.

\"So, did you like your present?\"

Kenshin chuckled as he massaged her wrists.

\"Couldn\'t you tell?\"

Kaoru smiled and placed a hand on his cheek.

\"You know I won\'t break, right? And that I\'m never going to be afraid of you? Any part
of you?\"

Kenshin looked a little startled, and bit of realization dawned in his eyes. He pulled her
into his embrace, resting her head against his chest.

\"Arigato koi.\"

\"For what Kenshin?\"

\"For loving me for who I am.\"

Kaoru smiled in his embrace and snuggled closer. Kenshin reached over to his gi and
placed it over their bodies. Kaoru sighed and relaxed, drifting off into a content slumber.
She had enticed the Battosai, and gotten her beloved to not be afraid of her or himself.
Her gamble had paid off.

Kenshin looked lovingly down at Kaoru\'s sleeping form. He grinned at the thought of
what lengths she\'d go to in order to make him happy. He\'d have to keep her happy in
return – including letting the Battosai come out and play. A plume of amber swirled
lazily in his eyes as he settled back against the dojo wall. He\'d have to plan an
appropriate response to her present today. No good deed should go unrewarded.

………………………….

Thank you for reading! This is my first fanfic (or at least the first one that\'s made it out
of my head).

-gretel_chan

Japanese terms:

Yukata: light cotton kimono
Hakama: wide-legged Japanese pants
Kami: god
Koi: love
Daijobu ka?: Are you okay?
Gomen: sorry
Engawa: porch
Tadaima: I\'m home.
Koibito: lover