Kagome sat by the pool at the Taisho residence. She was wearing a white bikini and a blue cardigan sweater that she left unbuttoned. It was warm outside but the occasional breeze would send shivers down Kagome's spine, the sweater took some of the edge off. She was engrossed in her current novel and enjoying relaxing next to the pool. Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Rin and Kikiyo where playing Marco Polo in the pool in front of her.

"Are you sure you don't want to play?" Sango said quietly from the pool's edge.

"No, no. I'm fine. I'm enjoying my book." Kagome gave her friend a reassuring smile.

"Okay. Polo!" Sango turned back to her friends and began to swim away. Kagome smiled, Inuyasha was 'it' and he sucked at this game. Even with his superior senses, he could never find anyone. He would run through the water in a heavy, clumsy way so that any hope of detecting the sounds of his friend's movements were lost.

"Kagome," a smooth voice said from behind her, very quietly. Kagome froze for a moment and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. The goosebumps on her arms could no longer be attributed to the cold breeze. She knew who it was and she knew what he wanted. She slowly closed her book and set it down on the small table beside her. She rose, her eyes never leaving the playful activities in the pool. None of her friends had noticed that she was leaving.

She followed Sesshomaru through the paths of the garden. When she caught up to him he took her hand in his. Kagome knew that no one suspected anything. What had been going on between the two of them was their secret. Though it was always short and never serious, it was their well guarded secret. It was not uncommon for Sesshomaru and Kagome to spend time together, even before they began... what ever this was.