IN THE ARMS OF STRANGER------

Very very important: Special thanks to my beta-reader royal blueKitsune for all the suggestions she gave me. She inspired me to continue on with the chapter… Without her it still would be a one-shot full of mistakes. So thank you again

Chapter two:

Kaoru was sitting on the still warm sand, holding a glass of wine in her right hand. It was a magnificent night. The waves of the sea were tenderly touching her bare feet and she closed her eyes enjoying the perfect moment.

"A gorgeous night!" she murmured in delight. That same night reminded her of something that happened so long ago. Four years had passed since that night. That one night when she learned what true passion was all about. Sometimes she thought that he was never there with her that night, that she had never even met him and all was part of her imagination. But the proof of his existence was the small child sleeping in a room next to hers.

Other times Kaoru felt that he wasn't gone. That maybe he was still there with her and their child, but then again life was twisted. Sometimes you think that happiness is right there in your hands, then you see that this illusion is slowly but surely slipping through your fingers and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Yes, she called happiness an illusion. And why wouldn't she?

Kaoru shook her head to rid herself of the depressing feelings that were trying to envelop her again, and took a sip from the glass of wine.

Four years... It was like yesterday when the gorgeous man took her to the highest peaks of pleasure and woke her body up. She had never felt so alive before.

There were nights that she would wake up after having dreams that were so real that she was convinced he was with her, that it really was his hands holding her.

Subsequently she understood that he would never come back and she would never see him again. Her mind understood that, but her heart was still hopping to see him again. Still she didn't regret her choice of giving herself fully to the stranger. Her beautiful stranger. They had surpassed all the shyness and common sense of society, replacing it with feverish passion that made her yearn for more. Eventually the night had ended and she was left alone on the shore to wake up to the sound of splashing waves with only a heart shaped necklace as a reminder.

Her thoughts were interrupted when two strong but gentle hands hugged her from behind just above her breasts. Kaoru's body tensed and her breath hitched in her throat. The hand that was holding the glass slowly opened and it fell on the sand. The red liquid scattered and a few drops fell on her white yukata coloring it.

'Is it possible? Is it...' Her thoughts were frantically running in her head while her trembling fingers slowly ran up and down the soft skin of the arms that had trapped her.

"Come to bed." a soft voice whispered in her ear.

"Enishi" Kaoru breathed somehow disappointed.

"Where you expecting someone else?" the man withdrew one hand from her and slowly moved it to caress her hair. Enishi slowly ran his fingers through her silken locks and moved it to one side. She felt warm lips press against the nape of her neck, gently nuzzling and sucking on her tender skin. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she closed her eyes enjoying the sensation, his lips were bringing her.

In the moment she was sharing with her husband, her mind was remembering something, or rather someone else.

"Kenji fell asleep after eating an entire can of ice-cream. I swear that kid can live on only eating ice-cream." Kaoru opened her eyes and slowly lifted her head to stare at her husband's smiling face. He was truly happy with the child not even suspecting that Kenji wasn't even his. A dark shadow passed over her face. What did this gentle and faithful man did to deserve such an ungrateful and cheating woman like her?

After she gave birth one look was enough to make her realize whose was the newborn baby. Kaoru was ready to tell Enishi the truth, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it after she saw him holding the child and smiling down at him. Kaoru could still remember that smile. It was so bright that it could have outshone the sun. He even thanked her for the child, telling her that this was the happiest day of his life. These words made her sad and brought tears to her eyes that day. Her husband was worried about her asking her what was wrong. She lied to him yet again. "I'm crying because I'm happy."

"I think that you conceived in a night exactly like this one." His voice was so soft she could barely hear him and yet, she could see the certainty in his eyes.

Her eyes dropped to her feet and her breathing got very shallow.

"Yes, exactly four years ago." there was no point in lying to him about that. After all they did make love the night before her and the red-haired man.

"I still wonder where did he get the red hair from." Enishi asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice. His hands were moving along her spine and Kaoru felt herself relaxing under his touch. She closed her eyes yet again, feeling his warm fingers through the cotton yukata.

"I'm sure that either from my parents or grandparents." Another lie. And it rolled off her tongue so easily. "After all I was adopted." That was true and this was the thing that saved her. Otherwise he would suspect that something wasn't quit right. Not many people had natural red hair.

"Well that doesn't matter to me. I love you for who you are. Nothing else interests me.I know that you are the woman I'm meant to be with." His tender words hurt like hell. She felt guilt for the fact that, in spending time with him like this she would eventually lie to him more and more. Enishi didn't deserve that. He deserved someone better.

Her lips trembled.

"I love you too." Another lie. Why was she like this? How could she bring herself to continue to lie to him? Why didn't she love him? Enishi loved and cherished her. Why was she still thinking of the stranger? He left her without even saying goodbye to her. But who can control the heart desires? Maybe for the stranger she was just another woman, an answer to his need, but to her he was someone very special. Someone that will always have a hold on her heart.

Two fingers under her chin turned her face to one side and her lips where captured by his in a soft and very tender kiss.

"I'm very tired so I'm going to bed. Don't be long." Placing another kiss on her lips and one on the tip of her nose he stood up and dusted his pants off. Before he had turned around, Enishi bent down and kissed the top of her head.

"Don't be long." He repeated once more and left her be.

Her gaze followed him to the door and when he closed it from inside. The woman's eyes turned back to the smooth surface. There were no more waves, she noted. She looked at the red drops on her yukata and mentally scolded herself for her foolishness. Kaoru's heart was still waiting for his return.

The woman stood up and her eyes fell on the long-forgotten glass lying on its side. Long-forgotten...Was she that way to her stranger? Kaoru shook her head yet again and slowly opened her yukata. The cloth slid down her beautiful body and fell silently on the sand.

She took a few steps forward and very slowly eased her body in the still warm water. She slowly lifted her head up to stare at the sky. Today was a full moon. The woman had read that if you dip yourself in the see on a full moon, one of your wishes would be fulfilled.

She took a deep breath and plunged into the water. After a few seconds her raven hair emerged from the perfect surface. Her eyes stared at the distance.

A feeling of a strange presence made her snap out of her stare. Two hands were placed on her shoulders from behind and a head was buried in the nape of her neck.

"Weren't you asleep?" she asked facetiously, without turning back. Kaoru was obvious to the person that was behind her.

"Yes, I was. For a very long time." That voice. It was not her husband's, but it was so familiar, so close. Shock ripped through her as she slowly turned back to look into his face, his perfect face, and then her blue eyes met those magnificent amber eyes.

'It couldn't be. It wasn't him. It wasn't possible, there was absolutely no way. How could... Why...' millions of questions mixed inside her head.

"Hello, my little siren. " the same husky voice she remembered so well, spoke to her adding more turmoil.

And time stopped.

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To all who reviewed the first chapter:

Reignashii– you are the first one to review this story so I thank you very much. Here is the next chapter I hope you like it. Oh, and thanks for telling me to correct my rating. Thank you very much

Angela Himura –well here is the next chapter! Hope you like it. There really is something very sexy in the way a very gorgeous man walks out of the water…Naked… blushes

Kao-gurl – Here is the next chapter I think it came out very good thanks to royal blueKitsune. I don't know about the next chapter and what will take place after Kenshin popped out of the water four years later. The next chapter will show. Thanks for the review.

Gabyhyatt- Thanks for the review! Here is the new chapter. Enjoy and review again.

Ka0-sweetie-Well here is the next chapter. Hope you like it and review again.

Black Shadow Fox Shaman-Thank you for the review. Here is the next chapter. Enjoy and review again. That would make me very happy.

TearsofAenima –Well I'm open for suggestions so if you like I would be very happy to e-mail them to me. Thanks for the review.

Nobody-Thanks very much for the review. Well I really was going to leave it a one-shot, but a very nice co-author offered me help and gave me very good suggestions for this chapter, not to mention that she corrected the mistakes in this and the first chapter. So here is the next chapter! I hope you'll enjoy it.

royal blueKitsune- Thanks for every thing that you did for me. I really appreciate the magnificent job you did to my chapters. Thank you very very much. This means very much to me… As I said: you inspired me to pick up my lazy ass and think about the future of the story. I didn't expect to be ready so fast. Thanks again

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Review please! I would be very happy, but please no flames. That's all for now but I'll be back evil laught