988Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
The week passed by, every day filled with routine of early mornings and work that lasted until the late evenings. With Friday slowly coming to a close, the plush mattress of her bed seemed particularly inviting as Sakura changed into more comfortable clothing: a simple purple, v-neck top and a pair of beige, cotton shorts.
She wasn't tired… physically, at least. As she slipped under the covers, Sakura glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand next to her. It was 8 pm.
It seemed time was crawling by.
To an extent, she was hurting. What could have possibly made Ryou do something like this? Did he lose the interest he once had in her? Was there something about her that he did not like? She had always tried to accommodate him, changing herself to his liking, because she wanted to please him. Had her effort been in vain? It seemed so.
Was marrying her just a sort of conquest for him?
Sakura didn't know what to think.
But one thing was for sure: for some reason… she expected it to happen.
Their marriage had been perfect: memories of their first nights together… nights of passion… the way Ryou had always seemed so deeply in love with her. What had driven them apart?
Sakura was lost in thought before the sound of her cellphone ringing alerted her to the confines of reality. Sakura took a deep breath before answering the phone, seeing Ino's name glowing insistently on the screen. Her friend was never one to leave anything unquestioned.
"Hey, Ino."
"So, how'd it go? Did you give him a piece of your mind?"
Sakura paused. Ino sounded so hopeful. "He didn't try to deny it."
"Deny what?"
"I accused him of having an affair, and he didn't try to deny it."
Ino remained silent.
"Can you think of anything that would make him do such a thing, Ino?"
"Sakura, you are the one of the most wonderful and beautiful people I know. Ryou just can't see that. I'm so sorry he—"
"I'm not surprised Ino, and... and, well, neither am I hurting right now." In truth, she was… just a little.
"It's important to let out those feelings," Ino reminded, concerned.
"I'm used to it now: not having him home; not being close to him like I once was," she remarked walking over to the bedroom window and peering outside.
"How about I come over?"
"Ino, there is no need. Trust me, I am fine."
"Are you sure? I'm always here for you, Sakura."
For the second time that day, Sakura smile wholeheartedly. "That's exactly why you are one of my best friends."
"Which is also why I should be heading over to your place right now!"
Sakura laughed… then stopped suddenly. She noticed a black Mercedes pull right in front of the house. It was…
"Sakura, you there?"
"Yeah, Ino, hold on." Sakura squinted her eyes, noticing two figures emerge from the car.
"What is it?" she asked after a minute.
"It's Ryou." Sakura recognized the figure of her husband getting out of the car. "And he's brought someone along with him."
"Don't tell me it's—"
"No, Ino. He's with a man."
"Ryou has been cheating on you with another MALE?!"
Despite herself, Sakura laughed. "I'll call you later, Ino. They're coming inside."
The sound of voices emanating from the bottom floor caught her attention.
She recognized one of them to be Ryou himself. Who had he brought home?
Sakura refused to make any assumptions and quietly exited her room and stood just above the top of the staircase, listening curiously.
"You didn't have to do this Mr. Arata," said a voice that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but tugged some part of her mind.
"Please, call me Ryou. And, no, it would be my pleasure. After all, we will be doing business together. We have to celebrate this partnership," replied her husband.
A business partnership? Sakura chewed her bottom lip, trying to figure out who her husband was talking to.
"Well, you insisted, so a celebration is in order."
That voice… Sakura felt her heart skip a beat… was it excitement she was feeling?
Could it be…? Sakura found her feet lead her down the stairs automatically. All she could think of was how the silky tenor of the voice that flowed to her ears made her shiver.
"She should be home—" Ryou stopped mid-sentence and both men turned to look at her when she appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Sakura's eyes widened upon recognizing the man that stood in front of her husband. Ryou beckoned her over and looked surprisingly happy as if his earlier encounter with her never happened. "Perfect timing, Sakura," he commented when she came to stand next to him. "Mr. Uchiha, this is Sakura, my wife."
Sakura could not look away from the onyx depths of the man's eyes as he put out his hand for her to shake.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Arata," he said with a barely-there smirk, choosing to keep their earlier encounter a secret. He moved forward in formality, and bent down slightly to press his cheek against hers. She felt his lips brush her skin every so slightly.
Funny, because he had called her 'Ms. Haruno' in the elevator earlier that day.
Sakura could not help the slight blush that formed on her face. "It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Uchiha," quickly releasing her hand from his grip. Her cheek tingled and she felt the feeling spread all over her face.
"Mr. Uchiha came by my office today and I insisted that he come over for dinner," began Ryou heading over to the kitchen to find one of the housekeepers and notify them to prepare some food.
"Please, sit down," Sakura insisted, clearing her throat. She gestured toward the sofas in the living room, overly aware of the electricity his presence as she followed in suit. Though she had met him earlier, it was the first time she really took her time to take in his appearance. Putting it blatantly, this man was beautiful. Sakura couldn't help but wonder if he was married. A quick look at his ringless fingers told her that indeed, he wasn't.
Yeah, well you are, she found herself thinking, to an asshole.
Sakura fingered her shirt, feeling she was underdressed, but her husband took his place next to the man across from her before the silence between them became uncomfortable.
"Mr. Uchiha is planning a partnership with Ara," informed her husband, his eyes fixated wholly on her. Sakura found his demeanor different: he seemed happy… like he used to be when they had dated and early on in their marriage. He figured he was just over-compensating for their guest.
What had changed? "That's great, Ryou," she commented, her eyes flicking toward the Uchiha, though she found him looking at her already. The way he was staring at her was unnerving… her heartbeat quickened in response.
"He, of course, is the founder of-"
"The Uchiha Corp.," finished Sakura, feeling something new surface within her.
"I see you've done your research," said the man.
Sakura shrugged "Ryou has talked a lot about going international and expanding outside of Japan," continued Sakura with a newfound source of courage, "and I think that it's great you've decided to partner with him, Mr. Uchiha."
"Please, Mrs. Arata, I've told your husband many times, and ask you to do the same: call me Sasuke," he said, gazing a second too long at the pink-haired woman. "And besides, Ryou has proved himself a very reliable and… trustworthy businessman." Sasuke put a hand on Ryou's shoulder.
Sakura obviously understood his double meaning. And as if on cue, she felt his black-pooled irises zero in on her again.
Ryou smiled, oblivious to their secret communication.
Before either of them could speak, Mayu entered, her hands folder behind her back. "Dinner is ready."
Sakura made it a point to sit not to close too Sasuke. And considering their dining table could seat ten people, it wasn't a hard thing to do. She sat across from him while Ryou sat to her left, at the head of the table.
Most of the banter had been about business. Sakura listened to them talk, but was well aware of how Sasuke's eyes were trained on her every now and then: their gazes met on several occasions. As they continued to eat, her mind could not help but wander to the earlier occurrences of the day… had the woman in Ryou's office been the one whom he was having the affair with? Sakura took another spoonful of her food and figured it was no use dwelling on it at the present. She might as well enjoy the company they had, and put on a fake smile like Ryou was.
Two could play at this game.
Sakura waited for the right moment to speak and contribute to the conversation. "So, do you spend most of your time in Japan, Mr. Uchi—Sasuke?" His name felt different on her lips… foreign but inviting…
"Japan is where it all started for me, so yes, I try my best. I travel year round: spend a few months here, the next few in the U.S., and so on," replied Sasuke, raising another morsel of food to his mouth.
"Considering you have—" Sakura stopped mid-sentence, interrupted by the sound of Ryou's phone ringing. Both Sasuke and Sakura glanced at him; Ryou took a quick look at the caller ID, and hastily silenced the ringtone, stuffing the device into his pocket. Sakura noticed the slight change in his facial expression: he seemed agitated, nervous, anxious…
"You were saying?" prompted Sasuke, wanting to hear what the pink-haired beauty across from him had on her mind.
As of now, it seemed like Ryou had become the spectator. Sakura wasn't event the least bit aware of him… her awareness dwindled back down to the unmarried man in front of her.
"It's a great accomplishment to have expanded your company so widely, across Japan and—"
"See, Mrs. Arata, that's where I must stop you," interrupted Sasuke, loving the way she seemed so wholly focused on him. "My father was the one who built the company to—" The raven-haired man stopped when the Ryou's phone rang for the second time.
"It's not important," insisted Ryou, declining the call and placing his phone back into his pocket. "Please, continue."
"My father brought the company to become one of the most successful in Japan," resumed Sasuke, wiping his mouth with a napkin, apparently done with his food. "I couldn't have gotten this far without his dedication. And besides, I don't consider what I have done to be—"
The sound of Ryou's phone ringing once more interrupted the flow of conversation. Sakura noticed the same look on his face as he glanced at his cell: nervous and anxious.
"I think you should take that, dear," insisted Sakura, sweetly, attempting to prevent her suppressed of anger feelings from leaking into her tone.
Ryou sighed as he glanced at his wife then back at his phone. "I'm terribly sorry," he informed, turning to both of them, "excuse me."
Sakura watched her husband exit the dining room. The dull sound of his footsteps told her he was going upstairs. She heard the creak of a door open and then close. What could possibly be so secret?
"I don't consider what I have done to be much of an accomplishment. Just carrying my father's name forward."
Sakura stared blankly at Sasuke. Preoccupied with Ryou's sudden need for privacy made her forget their earlier conversation.
"Just answering your question," Sasuke stated simply.
The pinkette nodded her head. "Sorry. I've just been very busy with work this week and I'm exhausted."
"My apologizes. I had planned to visit some other time, but Ryou was insistent."
"Well that he is," the pinkette murmured under her breath. She cradled her head against her palm, letting out a loose breath. Sasuke watched her with sharp curiosity, his head tiled slightly. Noticing how intently he was staring, Sakura felt her face heat up. "Yes?"
"I'm surprised I haven't met you before," Sasuke admitted, thoughtfully.
The pinkette tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear suddenly shy. She merely shrugged. "I'm not much into formalities and all those dinners and events."
"So you're a workaholic?"
Sakura gave him a guilty smile. "Something like that, I guess."
"Where do you work?"
"Lira. I'm an executive director."
"Hn." Sasuke raised a hand to his chin, eyes glittering dangerously.
"I'll return the question: how did you get your start there?"
Her eyes averted as she relived the memories. "It started with an internship at a local firm. I wasn't satisfied there, so I started applying for jobs with the companies I wanted to work for. I took a chance with Lira, and was hired as a supervisor, and well, worked my way up."
"Diligent and proactive. Just what Uchiha Corp. strives for in all its employees."
Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Are you leading up to an offer of some sort?" she questioned, her narrowed gaze wary.
"I wouldn't read much into it," Sasuke responded cryptically. "How long have you worked there?"
"A little over six years. Right before I met Ryou..." her voice faltered at the memory of when she first met her husband and it clashed with all the anger she'd felt toward him for the past week. Sakura cleared her throat, continuing, "it was through a partnership I'd got for Lira, and that's what got me promoted." The pinkette leaned back in her seat; she was done talking about herself.
"Professional loyalty," Sasuke noted. "Another plus."
There was definitely something here. Sakura could feel it. It sizzled in the distance between them. "You're trying to figure me out." Sakura leaned forward, her tone playful, "what else can you tell about me?"
Sasuke smirked, liking that the woman across from him had picked on and was subtly playing back. "You're a hermit."
Sakura reared back in surprise. "Excuse me? You were closer with workaholic. Couldn't be further from the truth."
"You drown yourself in work and don't take much time out to enjoy life," Sasuke continued, ignoring her defense. "Which is why you're unhappy."
His tone was so certain it irritated her. Her emerald eyes looked up at him sharply in slight warning. She barely knew him, and yet here he was making assumptions about her—what appalled her the most was that he was accurate, which is why she was unable to form a coherent comeback. It was a simple, observational statement, but it made Sakura suddenly feel defensive.
"I assume you're not very open about your personal life," Sakura began.
"You assume correct." Sasuke had to admit he was getting a kick out of seeing the pinkette riled up. He wanted to peel back that hands-off, icy attitude of hers and find the soft woman underneath.
"Neither am I. Especially with people I don't know very well." Sakura made a move to stand, wanting to put some distance between them. She grabbed the empty plates and headed toward the kitchen to put them away herself. Light footsteps behind her made her realized he'd followed her into the kitchen.
The silence that stretched between them gave her the feeling he knew... what Ryou was up to. He knew her marriage was falling apart. He'd suggested the same when they had run into each other in the elevator before. "That can easily be changed."
He was definitely a smooth talker. And she was sure he used his dark, brooding charm on plenty of other women. "What does the Uchiha do to "enjoy" life?" she ventured to ask, giving in to his seemingly innocent suggestion.
Sasuke chuckled. "Take a wild guess."
"I've met many men like you. It's not hard to guess at all." She mimicked the way he leaned against the kitchen counter, folding her arms over her chest.
"Have some faith in me, Sakura."
Somehow hearing her name fall from his lips was wrong, but deliciously so. "You made the invitation, but I never agreed we were on a first-name basis."
She was feisty. And he was enjoying it. Sasuke raised his palms in surrender, "my apologies, Mrs. Arata… or Ms. Haruno… which one?"
Sakura narrowed her eyes, "well you clearly know which is appropriate at which time." She was on the defensive again, but the unmistakable pull she felt toward him was hard to ignore.
"You're holding back. Clearly there is something here." His voice had deepened to a husk. Sasuke took a step toward her, watching for her reaction.
The view of his agile, lean form had succeeded in distracting her. She couldn't help the way his voice just made her shiver with dangerous excitement. Her emerald gaze flitted back too his, narrowing guardedly. "Excuse me?"
"Can you feel it?," he asked, lowering his tone to an audible hush as got closer and leaned forward.
"You are way too cocky." Sakura put up her hand against his chest, attempting to create some distance between them. "You're probably used to women falling at your feet. If it hadn't occurred to you yet, I'm married." He was seriously throwing her off her game. "Is there anything else you'd like?" she asked, fulfilling her role as host. She watched his eyes glide over her figure quickly before they bored into hers.
Sasuke took amusement at her annoyance with him. His slight smirk told her everything: wrong question.
"So what's the big deal if I find you attractive? So do about a thousand other women in Japan." Sakura tried to push him back, but he didn't budge. "I don't plan to do anything about it."
"We can change that too."
She could see it. The telltale sizzle of attraction that simmered between them was a prequel to the rawest, no-holds pleasure her body suddenly ached to feel. "How about you drop it? I'm sure you can find a woman who'll play to the snap of your fingers." His eyes had taken on a hard edge. She was pushing him, and it thrilled her that she was somehow making this difficult for him.
"Our… relationship," began Sasuke gesturing between them, "is not yet to the point where we can judge so early on."
"I could say the same to you."
"You call it being cocky—I just know what I want."
Sakura felt her heartbeat quicken, but refused to show any outward sign of it. "So do I." He was way too close for her liking. Close enough to grab onto his collar and kiss him wildly, without reservation—she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of revealing just how much he was throwing her off.
"I'd like to know, Ms. Haruno," he coaxed silkily, purposely accentuating the singularity of the title he was giving her, "what do you want?" His question came with a light caress to the side of her face. He reached up to smooth a strand of hair that had fallen out of place.
"We've known each other for less than a few hours; nothing close to a relationship," she clarified, using the same word he had earlier.
"A few hours can take two people… far enough," he remarked, leaning in.
This was seriously not good.
However, the pinkette could not help herself. "We both want different things."
"I'm sure we can agree on one thing, Sakura..." his voice trailed as he leaned in further.
She could feel his breath fan softly against her face, tickling her lips.
"Don't—" Sakura stopped when he suddenly moved a couple feet back. As if on cue, Sakura heard her the echo of her husband's footsteps as he entered the kitchen.
"I'm truly sorry about that," he said to the both of them.
"No need to apologize, Ryou. I find conversing with Mrs. Arata quite interesting."
Ryou looked up at Sakura and smiled, oblivious. Then turning to Sasuke, his brow furrowed, "will you not stay longer?"
"I really cannot. I have some work to attend to early in the morning."
"Well, I will have my chauffeur drive you back," Ryou offered.
"That's not necessary, really."
"I don't mind it in the least bit," insisted the man, ushering Sasuke toward the main door. Ryou called out to his wife as he made a move to leave, his tone laced with disinterest, "I have some things to take care of, Sakura, so I'll be back later."
Sakura followed, knowing full well what her husband was up to. However, she didn't find the urgency within her to stop him. Rather, someone else was on her mind now, and it was a pleasant preoccupation at that. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Uchiha," she repeated, opening the door for both the gentlemen.
"It was my pleasure." He held out his hand for her and leaned forward like he had before. Sakura noticed her husband was already walking toward his black Mercedes, unaware of their exchange, as she slipped her hand into his. She felt his lips press more firmly on her cheek and drag dangerously close to the corner of her mouth as he withdrew. "Until next time."
A small part of her couldn't wait.
Author's Note:
Do you guys think Sasuke is OOC? When he isnt portrayed as an emotionless monotone mute (lqtm), I always get the feeling he is smooth, confident, and sensual... what do you guys think?
As always, thank you SO very much for reading.
Please review, and I shall love you so.
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