Respectively named after Taylor Swift's "Dress"

It took a moment for air to fully reenter Inuyasha's lungs as he made eye contact with the radiant woman from across the party hall, his body suddenly forgetting how to function normally the second she'd walked into the room. She gave him a knowing smile, thoroughly exciting him, as she continued her conversation with her friends, her brown eyes flickering back his way as she took a sip of her cocktail. It didn't matter what sort of physical strength Inuyasha harbored thanks to his demon blood. He was absolutely, one-hundred percent, definitely and utterly weak in regards to her, and if they weren't surrounded by hundreds of coworkers, all of upper management, and associates of sorts, he'd happily crumble to his knees and crawl to where she stood to express how fucking thankful he was that she existed.

Since February, their relationship had been under wraps. Not a single person in the company, close friends or what have you, knew they'd been secretly seeing each other for almost a year now. They hardly spoke in front of others; they remained completely professional. It was a personal rule, surprisingly for the both of them, not to dip your toes in the company ink, and while he'd tried to hold off, it became physically impossible for Inuyasha not to shove his entire foot in just to talk to her. Kagome was unfairly beautiful. He'd noticed her walking past his office one time, her heavenly scent catching his attention, and the rest was history. He'd never felt so unnaturally pathetic before. Inuyasha was really good at keeping his head down and minding his business. He'd consider one, maybe two people his friends, and the rest were nothing more than associates and acquaintances that he'd only mingle with in reference to work matters. The second he noticed her, though, he was doomed. Suddenly, he had to know who she was and what department she worked in. He needed to know her name and what the sound of her voice would do to him. Sure, there was a meager line of defense within his brain that told him to get a grip, but the voice wasn't loud enough to be heard over his overly-curious thoughts. Who could he ask without blowing his cover, though? How was he supposed to figure her out while trying to remain inconspicuous?

One fortuitous day, Inuyasha had to make a shit ton of copies of a report for a meeting he'd be attending soon. Normally, he'd do it last minute, when traffic in the print room was at a minimum and he wouldn't have to hear some overdone pun about how the printer was named Bob Marley because it's always jammin', but something in the back of his mind was telling him to get it done and get it done now. So, he did. He marched his way over to the stairwell, never opting for the elevator, came out two floors below, took the back route around some cubicles, and entered the print room where the mysterious brunette stood with her back to him, struggling to work the scanner. Her scent filled the area, damn near intoxicating the half demon, and he almost forced himself to turn around and come back later. Before he could, she'd glanced behind and given him a smile. In that moment, he realized just how fucked he was about to be.

Everything would have potentially been fine if she had been as rough around the edges as he was, hopefully bringing him to feel uncomfortable and expelling this irrational crush, but no chance. This girl was the exact opposite of Inuyasha, attracting him like a moth to a flame. After that small encounter, he started to notice her more around their eight-story building. He'd learned she was stationed on the fourth floor, and would often make excuses to head down the three flights from his office to see her, "coincidentally" bumping into her in the break room claiming their bagels were more fresh since they were closer to the ground, and therefore dropped off first. It made sense in his head, and only in his head, but Kagome never seemed to question the excuse. On days where he was really lucky, she'd hike up to his floor to drop something off for her friend, whose cubicle was just outside of his office doors. She wouldn't spare him much of a glance during their brief conversations, but as she'd leave, she'd give him this smile that took roughly around twelve hours to leave his mind.

It didn't take very long for things to grow between them. Office "bump-in's" turned into after work drinks, and after work drinks turned into Friday night dinners, and Friday night dinners turned into whatever the hell Inuyasha could think to do because he never wanted their dates to end. The only good thing about dropping her off at her place was the goodnight kiss, and while he was trying to take her breath away, she was the one leaving a golden indentation on him.

It was a mutual agreement that they'd wanted their relationship to remain separate from their work lives to maintain professionalism and the health of whatever developed between the two of them, and so far it had been nothing less of a thrill. Inuyasha couldn't take his eyes off of her as she mingled and laughed, completely enraptured by the new dress she donned, all the while attempting to uphold a conversation of his own with a coworker and his date. It was like Kagome was trying to make it as hard as possible not to blow his cover. Who gave her the right to look this good? Especially in the one fucking place where he had to keep his shit together.

The way the black fabric hugged her chest and waist was perfect, accentuating her form without showing off too much, the material thick enough to be appropriate for a work function as it hid the curve of her features. The dress, itself, was sleeveless; a collar wrapping around her neck like a chocker holding it together. Nothing touched her shoulders. The cloth curved from the front of the collar and around her bosom, a cut from the center of the chocker to the center of her sternum serving as nothing more than a tease to the half demon. There was a gold belt wrapped around her, holding no purpose other than an accessory, but he wasn't about to complain. Inuyasha had yet to see the back, but he'd noticed a sliver of lace on her shoulder blade when she did a small turn to acknowledge someone saying hello, and he was about ready to do a lap around the building just to see what she was hiding. The skirt was straight and loosened up at her hips, landing about mid-thigh and granting him the view of the century.

God, her thighs. Bless her thighs. He'd always admired her toned muscles, but when she wore heels and her quads did that slight flare, he was almost willing to call a foul because Kagome was playing unfairly.

As if to make his point, she looked at him as she lifted her glass to her mouth, biting her red-painted, bottom lip just before letting it go and taking a sip. Where the fuck was the referee, because this woman was way out of line.

Inuyasha took his phone out of his pocket, still somehow managing to pull off nonchalance as he responded to his friend's question, the conversation never hindering no matter how distracted he was. It was a good thing he wasn't known for being much of a talker; friends were used to making up for his silence. Opening his messages, he tapped on Kagome's contact, her number saved as a simple endearment so no one looking over his shoulder asked questions, and typed, Turn around.

It was only a small moment later that Kagome pulled the phone out of her clutch and checked the text he'd sent, a little smirk curving her lips upward. Then she locked the screen of her cell, closed her clutch, said something to the group of girls she was hanging with, laughed, and walked over to the bartender behind her that the company had hired for the New Years Eve party.

Inuyasha was right when he'd thought he'd seen lace. There were two strips of the wonderful, fragile material leading from the hem of the collar to the outer waistline of her skirt, allowing the center of her back to be exposed. Her creamy skin was calling his name, the dip where her muscles met her spine making his fingers twitch as he thought of gingerly dragging his claws up and down her back as she fell asleep to his touch in bed.

"Do you know Kagome?" Someone asked, yanking Inuyasha from his blissful reverie.

"I'm sorry, what?" He blinked, looking over to see that Hojo guy smiling at him as he awaited an answer. When had he even joined their group?

"Kagome? Is that who you were looking at? I was asking if you knew her." The smile never left his face and he couldn't help but wonder how it was possible the guy didn't live with chronic cheek cramps.

"No." He said flatly. "I was looking at the bar. I'll need a refill in a second."

"You've still got half a glass." Miroku commented, side-eyeing the red, plastic cup in his hand. Without missing a beat, the half demon lifted the cup to his lips and downed the mixture of rum and coke, smiling sarcastically at his friend.

"And now I don't."

Before he knew it, Inuyasha was being personally escorted to the temporarily installed bar across the hall, closer and closer to Kagome, her perfume beginning to stand out over the washed out scents of everyone else. She kept her eyes on the few girls talking with her, and he, somehow, managed to keep his head forward.

This was his favorite part about working together: pretending she didn't notice him as he brushed by, the long sleeve of his white button up shirt caressing the silky flesh of her arm. Pretending he didn't know who she was, when in fact he'd taken the deliberate time to memorize every little thing about her. For some odd reason, the secret, the privacy, gave him a rush every time they were able to join together at the end of the night. Then, she wouldn't look away from him. Then, he was the one making her laugh and getting her drinks. Then, Kagome was in her pajamas, which usually consisted of one of his shirts and some shorts she'd left at his place the second time she'd spent the night, and good fucking lord was she beautiful when she dressed down. No one else got to see that. Not a single person in the room understood what he was lucky enough to experience.

And that's the way they liked it.

Things were more personal.

"Hey, guys!" Hojo shouted over the hubbub and music as they walked along with their drinks. Inuyasha couldn't help the small tension of shock that restricted his chest as the overly-joyous man lead him over to the group of girls they were supposed to stride passed. He kept his expression straight, waiting to see what would happen. "You all look great!"

"I know." A red head joked, waving her hand dismissively.

"Hojo, you traitor. You're supposed to be hanging with us! We're cubicle buddies!" A skinny girl with short, black hair whined, almost high enough to offend Inuyasha's ears. He hid his grimace behind his refill of rum and coke.

"We're supposed to be mingling, you guys. These parties are meant for us to get out there and find out what the other floors in the building are like. So far, I've discovered the sixth floor is made up of mostly video game enthusiasts."

"The I.T. department?" The red head laughed. Hojo chuckled too, all the while gesturing for Inuyasha to step in closer and join the circle.

"Speaking of mingling, introductions are in order. This is Yuka, Ayame, and Kagome. Guys, this is... oh wow, I'm so sorry. I never got your name back there."

"Inuyasha." He filled in, shaking their hands in the respective order, forcing himself not to linger on the last.

"So, Inuyasha." Yuka started, cocking a brow suggestively. From the daring look she was giving, he'd guess alcohol was her liquid courage. "What floor are you on? Give us the scoop on your department."

"I'm on the seventh floor, and we're a bunch of snobs."

"Do all the guys up there wear shirts as tight as yours?" Ayame asked, staring at his chest. Kagome elbowed her side, hissing her name with an embarrassed smile, giving her a subtle yet incredulous stare. Ayame held her ground.

"No. Not all the men up there are capable of filling them out."

"Oh, I like him!" Ayame exclaimed, looking at Kagome with an amused smile while pointing back at Inuyasha. "I like you! You got jokes!"

As Kagome giggled, causing a riveting tingle to shoot down his back, he heard his name being called from the front of the room. Inuyasha peered over, glad he stood taller than the majority around him, and noticed some of the executives of the company ushering him over. As politely as possible, he excused himself, claiming it was nice to meet them all before stepping around the small group, choosing the back route and inconspicuously dragging his hand around the exposed small of Kagome's back.

It wasn't long after that he was itching to leave. He'd done his part and shown face, and none of the higher ups expected the office to bring in the new year at a company party. Inuyasha checked his phone, noticing it was just barely past eleven, and texted Kagome.

Almost ready?

He'd lost track of her when he'd mingled with management, listening to them praise his father's brand, something Inuyasha had chosen not to be a part of. Often, he received very shocked expressions when people learned that his dad owned his company, one his older brother was set to inherit, and were astonished Inuyasha hadn't taken the same career path by following in his footsteps, and every time Inuyasha would scoff and reply by telling them he's never had an interest in that business. He didn't care for the easy route, and never wanted the responsibility of owning a company in the first place.

I thought you'd never ask.

I'll head out and catch a taxi. Meet me at the liquor market on 26th and Firn in 15.

I'll be there. 3

Inuyasha shoved his phone back into the deep pocket of his dress pants, making his way through the enthusiastic crowd of minorly intoxicated associates, scouting out the nearest exit. He was only stopped twice, the first time being by his own manager wishing him a good night, and the second time being by Miroku giving him shit because he was surprised he'd lasted as long as he had. The half demon couldn't argue, though he'd groaned for him to shut up. Nonetheless, he had a point. He was infamous for no-showing or leaving thirty minutes into any party he'd ever bothered appearing at, but Kagome was having a good time, and he selfishly couldn't deny himself the pleasure of seeing her in that cocktail dress she'd purchased just for tonight.

He checked out his jacket at the front lobby, and stepped into the chill of the final hour of December, waving down the first taxi he set his eyes on.

Kagome took her time bidding her friends goodbye, hugging the tipsy girls over and over until they deemed themselves satisfied enough to let go, whining about her leaving before the ball dropped- the projector shining on the screen at the front of the room and showing the countdown from New York. She used the excuse that she had a family party to stop in at, which was easy for them to accept. Hojo walked her out, helping to retrieve her sweater from the reception desk in the front lobby, and afterward waving down a taxi for her. He was sweet and considerate, and made sure to take care of all the girls in their cubicle buddy system.

As the cab door was shut behind her, and she'd waved goodbye to her friend through the slightly-tinted window, Kagome smiled at the driver, giving him the cross streets of their first location. They pulled into the parking lot where Inuyasha stood waiting, a brown, paper bag held in his arm. The smile on her face only got wider as he approached, opening the opposite side door and sliding in.

"Where to?" The driver asked, glancing back at the lovers through the rearview mirror.

"Rivernest and eighty-third. It's the blue building." Inuyasha replied.

"What's in the bag?" Kagome leaned over slightly, attempting to examine the contents he held, and he chuckled. The noise was breathy and simple, but enough to make her heart flutter furiously. It wasn't something she got to hear nearly as often as she wished, but something that held an intense effect on her well-being.

Inuyasha reached in, pulling each item out as he listed them off. "I've got Skittles, a bag of Hot Cheetos, a Slim Jim that isn't for you-"

She mock pouted.

"Water- drink it," He handed it over. "Peanut M&M's, and a coffee for you in the morning."

"You've never looked sexier." Kagome stated, looking at him astonishingly.

"Oh, yeah?" He laughed again, leaning inward.

"Yeah." She giggled, happily filling in the space as Inuyasha playfully pressed a kiss to her lips.

When they'd arrived, Inuyasha stepped out along the curb, ushering Kagome to slide out on his side, not wanting her to exit out into the street. The driver was tipped, and he took Kagome's hand to aid her, their fingers entwining the moment she was standing straight. Inuyasha wasn't about to let go of her. Not after having to watch her from across the room in the outfit she currently donned, not after being physically incapable of looking away for god knows how long. She was his, and this was the place and time he could express that.

In his loft, she set her clutch and the half-drunk bottle of water on the table, reaching down to unstrap her heels from her ankles. Inuyasha promptly stopped her, turning on all the lights necessary to take all of Kagome in her stunning, indefinite glory in, no longer having to worry about nonchalance or distractions. The way his lungs pressed out his inhale as his ember eyes swept over her from top to bottom, bottom to top, was a solemn reminder that he'd never felt this way in his life. How could one creature on this huge, overpopulated planet hold so much heart-sputtering power over him? Was he lucky or just plain delicate?

Both.

But who fucking cares?

The woman standing before him, biting her red-faded lip, blushing yet enjoying his attention would never take advantage of the open vulnerability he was showing, and for once in his life, he wasn't worried about the burn the electricity between them could potentially provide. Closing the offending distance between them, Inuyasha carefully cupped the crook of her jaw, tilting her mouth upward so he could capture it with his own. It was sweet, his tongue catching the lingering taste of the fruity alcohol she'd consumed, making it increasingly hard for him not to want to taste more. It was more intoxicating than the hard beverages he'd sipped all night, dragging him further and further into an abyss he hoped to never escape.

His kisses became more feverish with pressing need. Kagome was running her hands over his chest, pushing the coat from his shoulders and down his arms, which he discarded on the table they stood beside to be forgotten. Inuyasha spun her around, never hindering the dance of their lips, his hands finding the curve of her neck and gently guiding her to the back of the couch in the living room. Following suit, he pushed the sweater from her shoulders, allowing her a moment of breath.

She was dragging her hands down his abdomen, feeling as much as she could through the white, creaseless shirt, watching the way the fabric tightened as he inhaled. Slowly, her hands climbed back up, meeting the knot of his tie, pulling at the loop to simultaneously loosen the accessory and yank him back down to kiss her. Inuyasha didn't show an ounce of resistance, succumbing to her wishes and delighting her with the way his teeth teased her bottom lip, only separating long enough to pull the black garment over his head, minding his ears and ponytail, and meeting together again as she dropped it to the floor.

There was urgency in her movements now as Inuyasha pressed her into the back lining of the couch, the furniture heavy enough to stay put with their weight. The two were squeezed tightly together, his fingers clutching at the back of her hair as she pulled the tucked shirt from his fastened pants, giving her proper access to unbutton and remove the unnecessary item. His smooth, hot skin welcomed her, enveloped her, and Kagome let out a feeble noise she would have been embarrassed about on any other night.

She pushed him back, ignoring his concerned gaze as she openly gaped at the ridges of each individual muscle sculpting his stomach and sides, the rich, toned V in his lower abdominals disappearing beneath his black slacks. Inuyasha asked what was wrong, but Kagome just kept staring. Who looked this way without the help of photoshop? Again, he asked if she was okay, and Kagome exhaled sharply in disbelief, shaking her head as she pushed him back further to take as much of his physique in.

"How? How do you even look like this? What, is your trainer a Greek God or something?"

He laughed, causing his abdominals to flex beneath his skin, and Kagome groaned, lolling her head to the side in exasperation as she clutched his hardened sides once more.

"It's not even fair."

"You're one to talk."

"Yeah, yeah I look great, but this is makeup." She gestured to her face. "That is…" She gestured wildly to his entire torso, trailing off with a powerful hnng sort of grunt.

Inuyasha blinked in surprise, his brows raised before nodding along with a smirk. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Don't make me make the noise again."

"I wanna hear the noise again."

"I'm not making the noise again."

"I didn't catch it."

"Oh well."

"Get in the room." Inuyasha twisted Kagome in the direction of the hall, smacking her butt to get her to walk. She giggled and wiggled her shoulders, turning and walking backwards as he followed her to his bedroom, flirtatiously sticking her tongue out at him.

At the entrance to the master bedroom, his girlfriend paused, waiting for him to catch up, and as soon as he was within reach, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his chest, capturing her lips in a heated kiss. The fingers of his free hand snaked into the thick strands of ebony hair at the back of her head, gripping once more, holding her mouth to his, because he wasn't willing to let go. It was a straight shot to his bed, so there was no need to watch his footing, allowing their bodies to fall onto the mattress. Kagome always teased him for having a bed so large it didn't matter which way you were laying in order to fit, but he didn't hear her complaining as they climbed further sideways onto the soft pillow top.

Reluctantly, the half demon retracted from Kagome, sitting to the side and pulling her ankles into his lap. It was easy to undo the straps of her shoes, throwing them off the bed to land wherever. Then he stood on his knees, wagging his finger for her to follow suit. She did so, a seductive smile barely slighting her lips. It didn't need to be said aloud for him to know that she loved being told what to do. She loved playful spankings, and she loved when he kissed her just above the freckle on her collar bone. She loved when he took his time, and even when he was too eager not to. She loved being teased. She loved being ravished. Most importantly, though, she loved when he undressed her. Without instigation, Kagome slid the mass of her hair over one shoulder getting it out of the way of Inuyasha's fingers as he fiddled with the button at the back of the choker, his lips hovering just above hers until he got it free. Careful of his claws, he dragged the backs of his knuckles down her sides, feeling the smooth skin of her ribcage just before it became hidden beneath the crease of cotton and lace. Dragging them further, he finally found the soft flesh of her thighs, bellowing his name as loudly as they had been at the New Years party. He'd almost gotten lost in the feeling, forgetting the purpose of his travels. If it weren't for Kagome closing the space and sealing their lips together, he probably would have never escaped his blissful, thigh-absorbed reverie. Inuyasha used the moment to trail his hands back up her skin, gliding beneath the skirt of her dress, simultaneously pushing the garment upward as he felt nothing more than silky skin.

Realizing why, Inuyasha stopped, pulling back from her kiss as he inspected Kagome's bottom with his curious hands once more. "Did you…"

She laughed, fidgeting from his grope until he finally pulled the entire dress over her shoulders, drinking in the naked sight of her. Now he was the one giving constrained grunts from his throat, falling over her until she collided with the mattress once more. Kagome was giggling as he playfully littered her entire face with kisses, dancing down her body until he reached the plush of her legs, all the while undoing his belt and pushing his pants down as far as he could go.

He was at the point where complete nudeness, on his level, just wasn't important anymore. Nothing was more significant than taking her, claiming her. Gently settling down, he slid inside, completely washed in molting heat. The color on Kagome's lips was just about gone, probably smudged on his own, and as he watched her bite down, hardly stifling her whine, the thought wilted away like a malnourished rose.

Kagome had a way of matching his rhythm and declaring it her own. She could tell him what she wanted, how she wanted it, but just sighing and rolling her hips. He'd never deny her. Whatever created those delicious, heavenly sighs was his guide through the night. When she grabbed his hips, digging her nails in, the half demon groaned, aching wonderfully within Kagome, snagging her wrists and pinning them over her head. She thought she was sneaky, but he saw the smile she tried to hide.

He knew how close she was as her beautiful figure began to writhe beneath him, the sounds from her mouth less controlled. This was what he'd wanted to do since the moment he'd set eyes on her hours ago. He had a dignified sense of control, but with Kagome, it all blew to hell. Nothing mattered. Not when he was presented with the opportunity to worship the one woman who's single handedly, and unknowingly, managed to break down every defense system he's generated. He only bickered and resisted for show. In actuality, she had him wrapped around her finger like the fated string that brought her walking past his office. She tensed and arched her back, moaning a broken version of his name, throwing him over a ledge that ended with him clutching her, kissing her, soaking up every last drop of her, silently thanking her for being his.

"I love you." She later said through the crunch of a Hot Cheeto, muffled by the audio of the movie he'd put on, dressed to the nines in his old Guns N' Roses tee.

Inuyasha glanced over, enriched and engulfed in total adoration. He held his half-eaten Slim Jim out for her to bite. "I love you, too."