I'm trying, people! But you still love my story though, so that's okay! To tell you the truth, I think that I suffer from the Nara Lazy Syndrome… Another long awaited chapter, so let's go!
"You…cooked breakfast?"
If her younger brother didn't look so damned confused right now, then she would have been offended by the reservation in his voice as he checked out the breakfast spread on the table with a raised eyebrow. Instead, she smirked and sipped her steaming French Vanilla cappuccino.
"What's wrong with me cooking? You never complained as you grew up on my food."
"It's more along the fact that you're usually never here for breakfast…" He hesitated and shot her a glare. "Are you hiding from your damn boss again?"
Temari slammed her mug down and almost sloshed hot cappuccino all over herself. The now familiar agony of not ever knowing what her boss would be like in bed rocked through her, but she hid it well. "No! Will you just sit down and eat before it gets cold? I try to do pleasant things for you assholes I call brothers and you chastise me for it."
Gaara opened his mouth to argue, but then his eyes spotted something at the end of the table. Temari smiled in victory as he strolled past her and right to the huge stack of hot pancakes. Without another word, he grabbed and plate and began checking out his possible sides with his main course.
Much like everything else that had anything to do with him; he was very meticulous about what he ate. No matter how world famous or how delicious anyone claimed them to be, Gaara wouldn't touch anyone else's pancakes, unless she made them. Never the destined-to-be chef, Temari sucked at achieving the golden brown fluffiness of the pancakes shown on the boxes, no matter how much she stuck to the instructions.
She even remembered going so far as making half the box of pancake mix! Out of the dozens of pancakes made, not one looked like the pancake advertised on the box. She would have called it quits then, but her knack for noticing small details began to poke its investigative head out.
All the pancakes she had made that day weren't golden brown, but they weren't burnt either. In fact, she had succeeded in somehow managing to make a crunchy outer edge on all the pancakes. She had left them on the counter, too defeated to throw them away and clean up. Later on though, when she had come back to clean, she found every single pancake gone. Just a plate of crumbs left in the sink.
Temari questioned everyone, trying to figure out what happened to the pancakes, but no one knew what happened to them. She had questioned everyone but Gaara, because at the time, he'd said himself plenty of times that he disliked pancakes. So why ask someone about something they didn't care for?
With no answer to what happened to her pancakes, she had decided to be sly. A few weeks later, she made another batch of pancakes, pretending to be defeated by not making them right, and hid out. When Gaara walked into the kitchen that day, it didn't take her long to figure out what had happened.
Making sure no one was around, he picked up the plate and dashed out of the kitchen, but not before Temari saw the smile he had on his face when he left. From that day forward, she picked a random day to make pancakes and leave it out for him. Whether he smelled them or someone told him that she had made them, Temari didn't know, but when she was done and when the kitchen was empty, he would come in and snatch up the pancakes, as happy as you could picture him.
Pretty soon after that, Temari guessed he done some digging himself and soon stopped being sneaky about getting the pancakes. He would come in the kitchen while she was making them and wait patiently, then eat them right at the table. He was too stubborn to ask for them, so when she felt like it or was particularly happy about something he'd done, she'd make them for him.
"Oh, shit!" her oldest little brother, Kankuro, burst into the kitchen. "You cooked, sis?"
Temari put down my mug and looked at him. "Yes, I cooked. Sausage links are right there to the left of your seat."
He approached his seat with enthusiasm and plopped down. "Hell yeah! You don't cook as much anymore, but when you do, one must not miss out on the opportunity to pig out! Right, Gaara? "
Gaara glanced up from his almost finished pancakes and stared at him. "I'm going to accept that as a yes. Thanks, Temi."
Temari nodded his way and studied him. She was so fucking glad he took that damn hood off nowadays. Yes, she had to burn it to make him stop, and he didn't speak to her for months, but it was all necessary for the greater good. When he didn't have his war paint artfully smeared on, he was a generally good looking guy. At least, as good as far could go, with him being her brother and all.
The honest truth was that she only cooked breakfast for them this morning was simply because she could hardly sleep last night. All night, her libido was revved up roaring to go. She masturbated, using both her fingers and her favorite dildo, and came, but as soon as her heartbeat slowed, she felt the urge to fuck someone coming back again.
To the point of soreness, she came again and again, with no ultimate release. Soon, she fell into a fitful sleep and dreamed. She dreamt that she was back at that office party again with Shikamaru; finger-fucking her as he tugged hard on her nipple with his teeth. A sharp pain ignited within her, and then crested out into pleasure that pooled between her thighs.
"Temari," was all he mumbled in that sexy voice of his against her breast, and instantly, she knew exactly what he wanted. She craved the same. She was mentally pleading for it, for sand's sake!
"Yes!" She moaned, spreading her legs wider so her dress rode further up her thighs but Shikamaru—God bless him!—didn't think that was fast, nor far enough. He clutched the end of Temari's dress and yanked. Hard. The fabric tore easily in his capable hands, and when he looked up at her, the lust in his eyes was enough to make her almost come right then and there.
Before she could even take a breath, he's already hooked his arms under her thighs, hefted her up, and was feasting on her slit like Thanksgiving dinner! Immediately, her body got hot and tingly, and before she could think to stop it, she came. Hard and loudly.
She felt her dam burst open and flow onto his face, but he just lapped it all up like an over-eager puppy. She moaned. He groaned. She pulled his hair. He thrust his tongue deeper into her aching core and growled. She came a thousand times, or at least that's what it felt like.
Then he slid her down his arms and put her legs around his waist. She thought for sure she had somehow been transported to paradise. She was wrong. So very wrong... Sometime between the time that she was trying to unroll her eyes from the back of her head and attempting to stop her heart from beating out of her chest, Shikamaru had dropped his pants and no sooner than Temari took a breath, he buried himself inside her.
She cried out, in both pleasure in pain. He was fucking huge, and he was turning her opening into a public archway.
"Oh fuck! Fuck! Slow down, you fucking machine!"
"What's wrong, Temari?" He taunted, but complied immediately by easing his thrusts. "I thought that you liked it hard and fast?"
"Yeah, well, that was before you started fucking the inside of my stomach! Just wait a little…before…you—oh, fuck, yes! Just like that..! Yes, yes! Fuck me just like that!"
He chuckled sexily, and rested his head on her shoulder. "Sorry about that…" He groaned and picked up the pace a little more. "It's been a while for me. This is definitely what I needed…"
"Yeah, yeah. Less talking, and more fucking." She moaned and arched into him while wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, digging her heels into his ass.
Thank goodness that the music was so loud and that there weren't any lights on around them, because with her ass slamming into the wall and their loud moans, she was sure everyone would have heard, different floors be damned.
Shikamaru was beginning to speed up again, but this time, her body had adjusted to his length and was ready, not to be outdone what seemed like limitless endurance. She decided that she would show him a few things.
He bent his head and sucked a tingling nipple into his mouth. "Say my name." He demanded of her in a toe-curling growl. "You haven't yet, and now I want to hear it..."
In response, she leaned her head back against the wall and smiled devilishly at the sky. "You want to hear me say it, huh? Okay." She leaned close to his ear. "I'll Say it…Shikamaru!"
She tightened her vaginal muscles for emphasis as soon as he plunged inside her, squeezing his cock as he pulled out to plunge again. It was her way of making it up to him for not saying his name earlier. Almost as if she was making her body tell him: "Don't go. I want you inside me."
He yelled obscenities as his body shook from pleasure. Too much pleasure for him to handle, it seemed, because shortly after he pulled out reached down to pump himself. He was late to the party though, as his come was already spurting uncontrollably out of the tip of cock. The white hot sperm splattering on her slit sent her over the edge as well. Unlike him though, she didn't fight it. She welcomed it by arching her back and crying out as the wave of heat and tingles shook her from the ends of her hair to the tips of her toes.
She opened her eyes, and was stunned to not see the twinkling stars in the sky, but her own belongings around in her room. Her decorated headboard and satin pillow, to be accurate. Instantly embarrassed, she blushed all the way to her still tingling toes and looked down.
Apparently, in her dream state of mind, she had flipped herself over on her knees, and had begun masturbating in her sleep. Her hands were still positioned on her left nipple and her thigh. Oh for fuck's sake!
As she breathed heavily she completed a mental check of herself and found that at least, after all the trouble she went through, she was exhausted. Her needs were sated and stable for the time being. Good. Now she could finally get some real rest.
Feeling ridiculous, she flipped herself over and plopped down with a…splash? What the fuck?
Slowly, she reached a hand under herself and felt about the comforter. Damn it. No sleep yet. She was indeed lying in a wet spot.
Knowing she hadn't pissed herself, she rolled off the bed and turned on her bedside lamp and gasped. Fuck! She had squirted from her dream! There was a long wet streak from where she was lying almost all the way to the end of her queen-sized bed. It was just fucking amazing how even when not in the vicinity of her, Shikamaru Nara still had this effect on her… Damn him, and damn him again for good measure.
Good thing she had fallen asleep on top of her comforter naked, or she would've had a lot more washing to do. With that thought and Shikamaru on her brain—even if she didn't like to admit it—she rolled her eyes and slipped into her silk bathrobe, just in case her little brother, who was also an insomniac to top his problems, was roaming the halls like he sometimes did.
It was already five in the morning though, and luckily she didn't run into poor Gaara as she washed and dried her comforter while going over the financial spreadsheets that Shikamaru had emailed her. When her comforter was fluffy and dry again, she made her bed and decided to take a shower, feeling oddly refreshed and awake.
And that's how she came up with the idea of cooking breakfast. She was too energized to fall back to sleep, so why not be productive?
"So," She started after smacking her lips from the last delicious drop of her cappuccino. "What are everyone's plans for today?"
"We're going back. Sorry, but we have to ditch you. The Konoha girls are awesome, but, business is business." Kankuro inhaled another sausage.
Temari sat up straighter, shaking off her unwanted thoughts of her boss. This was news to her. She hadn't expected them to stay forever, but she certainly thought that they'd stay a little longer.
"You're going back to Suna? So soon?"
Gaara nodded and polished off his last piece of bacon, chewing thoughtfully. "Yes. We had something come up, and they need us back immediately. This little vacation has been…interesting, but we have to get back to more urgent matters."
"And let me guess…. Things you aren't allowed to speak about around me, right?"
She hoped that they hadn't noticed her voice icing steadily with each word, but she was destined to be disappointed. Kankuro was kind enough to give her a sympathetic look. "Hey, that's not fair. You know why you're out of the loop on this…." Kankuro spoke up. "It's not that we don't want to tell you, but—"
"—But when you screw up once, that career option is all over for you, isn't it?"
Kankuro narrowed his eyes, but I didn't take the hint. "I had one mistake! One! Maybe I went too far when I st—"
The chair squealed against the wooden floor and fell over as Gaara rushed to get up. "Temari!" His voice went soft, but lethal. "You're done."
The room went silent, except for Temari's heavy breathing. While Kankuro watched, Gaara and Temari had a silent argument. Argument lost and suddenly emotionally exhausted, Temari broke eye contact with Gaara and hung her head.
"You know," Kankuro started after a few minutes of more silence. "I don't think I was ever fully debriefed on this whole screw up thing with Temari…."
"I told you," Gaara replied, keeping focus on Temari's head on the table. "She was given specific instructions for something important, and she chose not to follow them. Simple as that."
"Yeah, but" Kankuro countered, failing at trying to dig deeper indiscreetly. "We're pretty high on the food chain back home. What mistake was possibly so horrible that she can't be ANBU anymore?"
"I wouldn't call it a mistake," she chimed in, raising her head.
"And you're allowed to think that," Gaara cut in. "But you forget that others are included in this, and they think it was a mistake. A dire one, at that. You barely got to keep your life in the matter."
Kankuro was none the wiser, but Temari knew what Gaara meant when he paused at others. If her younger brother ever found out what she'd done, there's no telling what he'd do. The last thing she ever wanted to do was kill her relationship with the only family she had left. Her brothers were really all she had in this world. Her heart cracked a little more every time she looked at Kankuro, but she would absolutely shatter into billons of pieces if he ever found out about what Gaara and she hid from him all these years.
Besides, in a way, Gaara was right. She would never regret what she'd done with her own hands. But she really needed to shut up about it. Gaara has and still goes through hell about it for her back home, even as Kazekage. The least she could do was be grateful and quit poking the bear before it actually woke up and chomped her damn head off.
Sighing, she turned to Kankuro. "Nevermind that. I lost it and it doesn't matter and I'm sorry. The honest truth is that I'll miss you both horribly. I've gotten used to both of you idiots being here, that's all."
"Well you sure have a way of showing it, let me tell you!" Kankuro grinned, his question forgotten.
"A month and a half is a long time to be away. Too long for a Kazekage," Gaara relaxed and leaned back in his newly up-righted chair. "I'm tired of the elders sending me messages anyway."
"It's your own fault, you know." Temari shook her finger at him. "If you would just answer them back, then—oh shit! I'm going to be late for work!"
"What? No travel bags packed for us and get there safe blessings before we go?" Kankuro laughed as Temari zoomed up the stairs.
"Pack your own bags and say your own damn blessing! I'm tired of doing your nasty ass laundry anyway!"
~oOo~
"You're late."
Damn. She didn't even enter the office all the way before he spoke. Temari closed the door behind herself and glared at him while he nonchalantly studied the papers before him.
"You're wrong." She corrected him as she placed her things atop her desk to free her arms so that they could rest on her hips.
"Is that so?" He questioned, still not looking up.
"That is so. If I recall correctly—which, I do. I remember you agreeing to me being able to come in to work whenever I please."
Check and mate! Temari sat in her chair and crossed her legs with flourish, while grinning expectantly at him. This time he did meet her eyes, and even had the nerve to smirk back. "And if I recall correctly, after you said that, you…"
He caught himself, but not before the damage was done. That was the first time she had lost control in front of him, which had led to other scenarios more desirable under…better circumstances. She couldn't really say if it was a good or bad thing that he found out, but time will tell.
Shikamaru chose professionalism over awkwardness. He cleared his throat and shuffled his papers. "Well…You know. Hate to say it, but you're right. I did agree to that. So, how's Gaara?"
His voice had a weird sound to it when he said her brother's name, but she chalked it up to their fight and left it alone. "Fine. He had to leave today, though. Went back home, so now I'm here by myself." A thought came to Temari, and she tried to pull it off as best as she could. "Its fine though. I needed some alone time. But I'll admit that it'll be creepy by myself in that huge house. We didn't need anything that big anyway… What about the girl on the phone Friday? Did you have a good weekend?"
Her plan worked perfectly, because he yawned and stretched, and then answered her question without hesitation. "Great. Took her out to eat and to spend more money on stuff that she'll never use or wear. She was happy, so in turn I got some good rest and food. Troublesome women…Why are you all so damn complicated?"
"We wouldn't be complicated if men weren't lazy jackasses."
He stood and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I'm not lazy. I'm highly motivated to do nothing. There is definitely a difference."
Heading toward the door, he grabbed the handle and turned toward her. "I have a place to be, so do me a favor and hold down the fort for a while."
Temari shrugged and rolled her eyes. "It's not like I have much choice. Just make sure you're back for the luncheon. It's important that we get them to endorse us."
He nodded, stared at her for just a second too long, and walked out the door. She cursed herself for getting chills through her body for that one second, and buried herself in work before she could let her thoughts wonder. A few hours later, she received an IM.
11:23 a.m. - PerceptiveShadow: Good morning.
She thought about closing it out, thinking it was one of these perverted guys messing around. Then, curiosity got the best of her, and she replied back under an alias name she made up on the spot.
11:24 a.m. - MsSunaShine: Good morning. So, are you bored and just randomly instant messaging people?
11:24 a.m. - PerceptiveShadow: I am bored, but this is not a random message. I was looking specifically for you.
11:24 a.m. - MsSunaShine: Really?
11:24 a.m. - PerceptiveShadow: Really. Until the time is right, I've decided to go under an alias to speak with you.
11:25 a.m. – MsSunaShine: Ooh, how wonderfully sexy. ;) Do you even know who you're speaking with?
11:25 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: I do. But, how about this? Let's pretend I don't know who you are. I don't ask your name and you don't ask mine. Deal?
Temari crinkled her nose at her laptop in front of her. Who did this guy think he was? ANBU? She smiled at the ridiculousness of that thought and continued typing.
11:26 a.m. – MsSunaShine: How does that even work when you just said you already know who I am? Doesn't that leave me with a clear disadvantage?
11:26 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: It does. I have to draw your attention in somehow… ;)
He knew just how to do it too, because Temari was now sucked in. She thought for a few minutes, and then decided she was going to play along with this game. It gave her something to do.
11:28 a.m. – MsSunaShine: Fine. I'll play along.
11:29 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: Good girl… There will be a reward for that soon. Now, ask me any question you like. Three questions and I will ask you three questions. As long as they don't have to do with our identities, we have to answer truthfully.
She raised her eyebrow, and looked around the room for good measure. She was still alone and caught up in her work, so why not have a little mysterious fun?
11:31 a.m. – MsSunaShine: OK. Are you a serial killer? Are you a rapist? Are you a criminal in any way?
11:31 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: Ha. You wasted your questions. No. Hell no. No again. Now, my turn.
11:31 a.m. – MsSunaShine: OK. Shoot.
11:32 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: Do you know how sexy you are? Do you know that you have spoken to me many times? Do you know that I want to fuck you on top of your desk?
Temari gasped and scooted the chair back a little, as if the words were going to come out of the screen and grab hold of her. Was he serious? Who was this guy? And finally, why now, of all times?
A sharp pang of pleasure shot through her, and she didn't know why. She didn't even know who this guy was, let alone be attracted to him! She'd give him one thing; he was bold—on a computer, anyway. She scooted forward and grabbed the mouse, ready to click the window closed, when he sent another message.
11:34 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: You agreed to the deal. I didn't take you as a woman to back down from a…stimulating conversation… Was I wrong?
Against her better judgment, Temari started typing again.
11:36 a.m. – MsSunaShine: I did agree to the deal, but I assumed you wanted a normal conversation. I was very wrong, I see.
11:36 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: You were very wrong. Answer my questions.
11:36 a.m. – MsSunaShine: Do you work at the same place as me?
11:36 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: You aren't being fair. Answer my questions. I answered yours. If you refuse to do so, then I will disconnect and never interact with you by computer again. Then, you'll never know who I am…
Quickly, she scrolled up and reread his three questions, and felt herself getting wet. Holy hell, why was she finding this so fucking sexy? Her body was beginning to hum with arousal, and she was helpless to stop it. Taking a deep breath and thinking that she had finally crossed the line from in control to pure desperation, she started typing.
11:38 a.m. – MsSunaShine: Yes, I do consider myself a sexy woman. No, I did not know that I have spoken to you, and no, I did not know you have had fantasies about fucking me.
11:39 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: Don't forget about me wanting to fuck you on your desk. That's a very important part of the fantasy… Your turn again. You not have two questions. Don't waste them this time. ;)
Her heart began to beat faster and she took a long drink of the water she pulled from her lunch. A little bit more under control, she thought hard about her questions and started typing.
11:41 a.m. – MsSunaShine: I have to admit, you have made this very interesting… Why do you want to fuck me on my desk? How long have you wanted to fuck me?
11:42 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: I want to fuck you on your desk because it means I get to have complete control of you. Plus, you have access to the best room of all offices, I hear. That way, I can do whatever I want and I don't have to worry about someone hearing you scream. The boss's office is sound proof, I hope. I have been wanting to fuck you since…since you got here, pretty much. My goal is to be able to do just that…
Temari closed her eyes as the heat wave passed over her. Oh yeah, this guy had a way with words. Her nipples were beginning to grow sensitive, and the fact that they had to rub against the fabric of her bra wasn't helping. But he didn't know that, so she continued to play it cool.
11:43 a.m. – MsSunaShine: Oh wow... Your turn I believe.
11:44 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: Call me crazy, but I think you're feeling a little more than just 'wow'… But if you want to be hard to get, I'm more than happy to assure you than I'm even harder to shake off. ;) It is my turn. Are you turned on right now? How do you plan to deal with your arousal?
He got straight to the point, didn't he? Or, at least, she thought 'he' was a he… Becoming a little paranoid now, she tried to focus on the questions.
11:45 a.m. – MsSunaShine: Being truthful, yes, I am turned on, but, I don't know why. I don't even know you, which makes me worry. I'm not sure how I plan to deal with my arousal yet. But rest assured that if it needs to be taken care of, I'm more than capable of finding solutions.
11:47 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: I going to assume that that's your way of telling me that you don't trust me enough to let me help you. That's OK. I'm patient. I have been for this long, haven't I? That is a rhetorical question, by the way. It does not count as my last one. It is your turn. One question…
In spite of herself, she smiled at the screen. Whoever he was, he was smart and funny. But once again, she couldn't shake the fact of not knowing a little about who 'he' was, so she decided to break down and ask.
11:48 a.m. – MsSunaShine: My last question… You may think that it is being wasted, but I would disagree with you. I need to know. You are a man, right? I fall into many categories, but not the lesbian one… 0_o
11:49 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: Hahaha! You assumed wrong again. You're on a roll today. To stop that nagging feeling in the base of your brain, I will indulge you. Yes, I am 100% man. Especially from the waist down. ;}
Temari laughed out loud and smiled genuinely.
11:50 a.m. – MsSunaShine: Behave!
11:50 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: I find that hard to achieve when I think about or see you, so no promises. My last question is this: Am I allowed to contact you again?
She didn't hesitate.
11:50 a.m. – MsSunaShine: Yes, you may.
11:51 a.m. – PerceptiveShadow: Good. I won't take up anymore of your time, but I will contact you again soon. Keep me in your thoughts. Also, your reward for agreeing to this…proposition…will arrive to you shortly. I think you'll like it. ;}
Before she had time to reply to him, he logged off. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was kind of sad to see him go. It has been a while since she'd had such a fun and flirty conversation with someone. Granted, she didn't know who that 'someone' was and the conversation went way past flirty, but she enjoyed it and felt refreshed all the same. She was still smiling at the laptop like an idiot when Anya, the assistant that took her place when she got promoted, cracked open the door and peeked through.
"Ma'am, I didn't mean to interrupt you…"
She closed the laptop and smiled at her. "Not a problem. What is it?"
She opened the door a little more. "Mr. Nara just called. He asked me to inform you that if you don't leave right away, you're going to be late for the luncheon at noon."
Temari glance at the clock on the wall and swore. Anya blushed and tried to close the door, but Temari snatched it out of her hands on the way out and apologized when she was already at the door that led to the stairs. No luxury of an elevator today. She had completely forgotten about the luncheon when she received the first IM. Damn it all!
Thank goodness that the restaurant where the meeting would be held was only a few blocks away and that she had decided to wear flats. She didn't like running, but she was going to get exercise today, whether she liked it or not.
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Shikamaru watched her with mild interest a few minutes after their potential buyers had excused themselves from the restaurant to go back to their hotel to think things over before they signed the contract. That wasn't important. He knew that they had them, hook, line, and sinker. But he couldn't blame them for wanting to review the contract. It was just good business.
As Temari rattled on about statics and whatnot, Shikamaru cut her off. "No need to busy yourself with that. Read it over for yourself if you want, but I get the gist of it already. What are you so happy about?"
She looked up from the files and glared at him. "You let me get this far and you didn't even-… You are such a bastard sometimes! And what do you mean?"
"Well, you ran here and you haven't complained once. You just went to the bathroom for a few seconds, came back out all professional looking, and went straight to work on those guys."
"Maybe," she replied, and Shikamaru struggled not to watch her lips. "I am trying to become a better person and not let things like that get to me, although I should black one of your eyes for waiting until there was ten minutes left before you decided to check and see if I was on my way."
He shook his head at her and sighed. "Women are so damn troublesome… If I didn't call, you'd be upset at me for letting you be late. When I did call, you're upset at me for calling you to make sure you were on time! How is it my fault that you lost track of time?"
"It's not your fault that I was late. It's just the simple fact that—"
His phone started ringing, and he held up one finger while he answered it. "Yeah? Oh, hey! What's up? Alright… I'll call you back when I get time, ok? Later."
"That had better been an important phone call because you're about to lose the finger you p—"
""Ma'am?"
They both turned to their waitress, who was waiting patiently by their table. When she was satisfied with their attention, she smiled and handed Temari a plain white envelope with the initials P.S. scribbled on the front. "You are Sabaku no Temari, right? He described you well."
Wordlessly, she took the envelope and ripped it open. Shikamaru had to lean closer to her to see. The card that fell out was an all-day gift certificate to a nearby hot spring, Expenses paid.
"Someone sure likes you a lot… Was it Gaara?"
Temari ignored his question and turned to the waitress. "You saw him, right? What did he look like?"
She grinned at her. "He told me that you'd ask that. He told me to tell you that that was your reward, and he made me promise to him not to describe him to you." She blushed. "It's all so very romantic! I wish my boyfriend had as much creativity as yours."
"He's not my boyfriend…" Temari correctly absent-mindedly, turning the card over in her hands.
"No? Well, you better make him your boyfriend if he's pulling out fancy stuff like this! It's kind of obvious he wants you..."
She walked away to greet the people coming in, and Temari continued to stare at the card. "Is it going to do something?"
That made him snap out of the daze. She stuffed it in her purse and glared at him again. "Mind your business. I don't ask who calls your personal phone at all times of the day, and you don't ask me about potential admirers."
"Jeez, no reason to get all bent out of shape about it." He reached for and retrieved his pen out of his blazer pocket to sign the receipt for their meal. "I asked one question, and she gives me the third degree… Women are such unstable creatures...!"
"Because men make them that way…" Temari rolled her eyes and stood up, all in one motion. She was talented like that when it came to performing two separate movements and combining them. He watched her with a lazy smirk.
"In a hurry to make that appointment at the spa? If that's what you wanted, I could've gotten you that. All you had to do was say so."
"A piece of advice for you, Shikamaru—if you ever get someone to put up with you, that is—sometimes, it's not about asking… Sometimes, it's about that person who can do things for you, without you having to ask them…"
Temari got that I'm-a-million-miles-away-and-you-can't-touch-me look, so he took the time to study her while she was lost in thought. She sure was happy about a damn coupon… It is a pretty good feeling to know that no matter what, someone always had your back. Someone you could count on… Someone like, Asu—!
Shikamaru rose so fast that his knee hit the table and snapped Temari out of her thoughts. He zeroed in on the pain receptors in his body and let them take over his brain. Anything to block out those thoughts… "Shit!"
As he bent down to hold his knee, Temari pushed her chair out of the way and pushed him back down into his chair. "Idiot. What made you shoot up like that, anyway?"
"I got caught up in my own head and wasn't really thinking, if that makes sense… Damn it."
Temari pulled up his pants leg and looked at his knee. "You big baby. You bruised your knee, but you'll be fine. A little ice—"
"I want you to stay in my house."
"—and it should be good…to… Excuse me?"
She looked up at him, and his brain went blank. Why, of all times, did his brain pick this time to fill his head with how beautiful she was? Or how he wanted to get her hair untangled from those hair sticks so he could she how she looked with her hair down. He had never seen her with her hair down, had he?
"What did you say?"
Blood rushed in two directions, and he hoped a lot more went up than down. He cleared his throat and tried again. "My house. Well, my temporary house, anyway. It's more of an apartment, really…"
She straightened, and his eyes darted to her shapely legs in that almost-too-short skirt, then immediately darted back up. He swallowed hard and tried again. "You said that Gaara left, right? I remember you said that the house you were staying in was too big, so I figured you could stay in the apartment. I've only been in it like four times, but I got it just in case I needed a change of clothes or something like that. But I haven't and now it's going to waste."
She stared hard at him, and then shrugged. "Sure. That's the one right down the street from the office, right? Konoha Tower?"
"Yeah, that's the one. I know how much of a clean-freak you are, so I'm not worried about you messing it up or anything like that."
She sighed and rolled her eyes, and Shikamaru's thoughts turned to the night he spent in the gym in the office. His cock reacted, and he stood up quickly. Too quickly. His knee that he hit popped and he swore. Temari laughed at him.
"That's what you get for saying crap like that. Thank you for the offer. I think it's a good idea. How much will I be paying for—"
"Nothing."
Temari opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it. "You really think I need more money? I already don't know what to do with money I've already got, and you want to give me more? Come on; let's get back to the office. My chair is getting lonely."
He yawned and began to walk toward the exit, and she followed him, shaking her head. It wasn't the best save, by far, but a save nonetheless. Besides, all of it was not just for his benefit. She was closer to the office and she had a smaller place to live. She didn't have to know that was all part of his elaborate plan. And if this all played out right, she wouldn't know until the time was right…
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The rest of the day was uneventful. Every time Temari had a free moment, she would check her instant messenger; just to be sure she hadn't missed any of his messages. Something was truly wrong with her. The fact that she was excited about a complete stranger doing things for her was a sure sign that she was off her rocker.
But there was something there that pulled her toward him. Her instincts told her that she could trust this stranger, even if she didn't know who he was. You could call it crazy—because she sure did—but that was how she felt.
As she finished the last file on her desk and put it in the proper place, Shikamaru closed his laptop and yawned. "Well, seems like the end of the work day is finally here."
"Seems like it. That spa is calling my name, now."
Shikamaru turned toward the wide open window, and leaned back in his chair. He grunted and complained under his breath as he loosened his tie, then sighed when it finally came undone. Temari turned her head away from him and looked out the window as well. Whatever she had to do, she was going to avoid anything like last time from happening again.
"Clouds are out…"
She walked over and leaned on his desk beside him. "Hmm."
"Great day for cloud-watching…"
"Shikamaru."
He didn't say anything. He just kept staring at the clouds with a dazed expression on his face.
"OK. I take it that you have a feeling of what I'm about to say. You don't have to talk anyway. I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to be so…awkward… Even more awkward than normal, and that's saying something."
He blinked slowly, but that's all the reaction she got, so she kept going. "That night… When I lost control of myself… Look, it was really embarrassing for me. I really tried not to show that to you and—"
"Why, Temari?"
"—I don't want to… You have got to stop doing that!" She sighed. "What do you mean why?"
"I mean why did you try to hide it from me?"
"Because it's embarrassing and I…I want to be more than just a fuck to some people in my damned life!"
Temari slapped a hand over her mouth and looked at him. Slowly, he rose and started to the door. Just as she was about to call out to him, he turned right and went to the bar, selected a sake set, and returned to the desk with it. Gently, he poured the sake from the katakuchi into two sakazuki cups, and then offered one to her. Temari took it gratefully.
She stared down into the contents of her cup and watched the ripples. "Truth be told, I don't even like sex…"
When Shikamaru looked up sharply from the sake set, she sighed and plopped down in his chair. "Hell. I don't even know why I just told you that… But it's true. I don't like sex. It's kind of…grotesque when you think about it. The pupils widen, your veins tighten up, and your temperature goes off the charts, causing you to sweat all over each other! Your heart races like a champion horse and all other kinds of extremes your body goes through to achieve a few minutes of ecstasy. It's insanity… And if it was up to me to have sex or not, hell, I'd probably be a nun right now."
She gulped down the sake, and surprisingly, Shikamaru began to rub her shoulders. After a few minutes, she leaned forward in the chair and pulled away from him with a sigh. "See? I can't even enjoy simple things in life!"
She tried to get up, but he grabbed her shoulders and stopped her from doing so. "Temari, would you relax for a second?"
"I can't!" She shrugged his hands off again. "Don't you understand? A simple massage—on the shoulders!—is turning me on. I can't relax when I'm sitting here thinking about fucking you!"
She saw his hands coming and tried to stand up, but he was fast. Fast and strong. He clamped down on her shoulders and when she got done squirming and got tired, he relaxed his hold on her and started massaging her shoulders again. "Don't think. Easy as that."
"There's no such thing as not thinking, Shikamaru…" Her words came out in more of a moan than a sassy retort, but he just ignored her and kept going.
"You're right. There is no such thing as not thinking, but, there is such a thing as minimal thinking. To do that, you have to relax. To give my mind and my troublesome problems a rest, I watch clouds. I focus on the clouds to drown out my own thoughts. After a while it becomes easy. Now, try to think of something relaxing."
"Orgasms."
Shikamaru sighed and Temari smiled. "Try something non-sexual."\
"Everything is sexual to me."
Temari realized that he was actually trying to help her, so she ceased the smart-ass remarks and really tried to do as he said. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. His hands felt so good. Slowly, he inched his way up from her shoulders and began kneading her neck. Against her will, she moaned as a hot spear of pleasure shot through her.
"Is it working?"
"No."
"What are you thinking about?"
"Sex."
"Woman!" Shikamaru hands stopped for a moment, and then he sighed and started again. "Think of something other than sex! Try... I don't know. Try flowers."
"Flowers are sexy."
"What? Nevermind. Try paperwork."
"Paperwork scattered all over the place—"
"Kenji! Try Kenji from the copy room."
Temari thought about him and wrinkled her nose. "Kenji is not sexy. Not even remotely."
"Good. Then you should think about Kenji."
She tried. She really did. For a moment, it worked, because all she could think about was that nasty sore on the corner of his mouth. When he would talk to people, it would move and you couldn't help but zero in on it. Then, she disgusted herself and tried to think of something better. Better like Shikamaru's chest when she ripped his shirt open and sent buttons flying everywhere. Now that was sexy!
White hot pleasure shot straight to her core and she gasped and squeezed her thighs together. Thoughts of his hands caressing her breast and rubbing her clit had her heart speeding up. Unable to take anymore, she shot up and headed across the room, away from him.
"Don't." She said when he began walking toward her. "Don't come over here. If you do…It'll happen again. Thank you for trying to help me, but it's just something that I'm going to have to deal with the rest of my life. I'm not OK with that, but I accept it."
Before he could say anything, she gathered her purse and laptop and stuffed it in its proper bag. He took a step toward her, and she took a step back. "I'll…see you tomorrow."
He opened his mouth again, and she turned and threw open the door. Quickly and stiffly, she walked out into the hall. Instead of waiting for the elevator, she opted for the stairs. When she had closed the door behind her and listened to make sure no one else was on the stairwell, she burst into tears and started down them. She was a strong woman, damn it!
I am more than my body's urges!
By the time she reached the first floor, they were dried up and she had her business masked glued back on…
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Θ
"Temari!" He called out to her, but she was already gone. Quickly, he rushed to the door and looked out just in time to see the stairwell door close. Damn it!
He closed the office door quietly and paced the floor, taking deep breaths. It didn't help. He sat down in his chair and stared out the window. That didn't help either. Knowing what he had to do, he reached with shaky hands into his blazer pocket and pulled out his silver cigarette case. Carefully, he pulled one out and stuck it in his mouth, then produced a lighter from the same pocket. He tried to light it, but couldn't light it because of his shaking hands. Beyond annoyed, he threw the lighter across the room and swore loudly.
It didn't make him feel better, so he swore louder and slammed his hands on the desk. He banged on the desk until he felt like a ridiculous little kid throwing a tantrum, then stopped. Slowly, he got up and searched for the lighter. When he found it, he lit the cigarette still hanging from his mouth, took one deep pull, let it out slowly, and then put it out on his shoe. He stuck the slightly used cigarette back in the silver case, closed it, and put the case and lighter back into his blazer pocket.
"You're not supposed to smoke… That shit is a drag on your health." He spoke aloud to no one in particular. "Isn't that right, old friend? Man, I could just imagine what your family would say to me about that. Kurenai would probably go off the deep end and your child… Man… Your child is…definitely a hand full…" Shikamaru downed another cup of sake. "You being dead Asuma is such a damn drag… But, I have to be the cool adult, right? So, the question is what would be a cool adult's next move?"
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Temari held off going to the spa and decided to have a stay in day. As soon as she fired up her laptop, an email came through. Thinking it was someone emailing her work to review, she clicked on the email.
From: Perceptive Shadow
Subject: No Spa?
To: MsSunaShine
MsSunaShine,
Didn't feel like going to the spa today? That's OK. The gift certificate I got you has no expiration date on it. ;)
Suddenly giddy, she hurriedly typed out a reply.
From: MsSunaShine
Subject: RE: No Spa?
To: Perceptive Shadow
P.S.,
Thank you for the certificate. It was a very good reward. Sadly, I will not be going to the spa today. I know that if I go right now, I wouldn't enjoy it much. Hard day. What about you? How was your day? I see that you cover your tracks, by the way. A bogus email, all for me! I'm flattered.
She clicked send and went to change out of her business attire into something more suitable for roaming the house alone. It wasn't nearly as glamorous as it sounded. She wound up putting on some cotton boy shorts and a slightly too small tank top; One of the perks of being home alone. She would never wear this around the house with anyone else here.
The ding from the computer told her that she had just received an IM form someone. She returned to the living room and peered down at the screen.
6:28 p.m. – PerceptiveShadow: Good evening.
6:29 p.m. – MsSunaShine: Good evening.
6:29 p.m. – PerceptiveShadow: How does the lady feel so far?
Temari paused, and then started typing. What was the worst that could happen?
6:30 p.m. – MsSunaShine: Terrible. For some stupid reason, I told my boss that I hate sex. And no, I didn't lie. I really do hate sex. I bet that turns you off, doesn't it?
She waited with bated breath, and when no answer came, she sighed and rolled her eyes. Typical man. Why did she even dare to hope that this mysterious man was different from the rest? Why assume that any man she had slept with would be interested in anything other than her damn body? She knew the definition of insanity well: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results…
Temari was coming clean with herself, and it was pissing her off. What the hell was wrong with her? Why couldn't she control herself? This disease? She had been born a fighter, dammit! No matter what had happened in her childhood, it shouldn't still have a hold on her…
The laptop dinged in her lap and scared the shit out of her. She wasn't expecting him to answer back. As a matter of fact, she had expected him to be erasing this email address and user name by now. Putting her hand to her chest to comfort her pumping heart, she read the screen.
6:36 p.m. – PerceptiveShadow: Sorry. I had to take care of something. You don't like sex? That is very…attention-grabbing. Personally, what comes to mind over here is that you haven't had someone who knows how to pull out all the stops. Did I mention I am an expert on the subject of a woman's anatomy? :) Why would you tell your boss something so personal in the first place?
6:37 p.m. – MsSunaShine: I told you. It was for some stupid reason. That and the fact that I think my boss is sexy beyond belief… Can I tell you something in complete confidence?
6:38 p.m. – PerceptiveShadow: Everything you tell me is completely safe. I wouldn't tell a soul. How can I get you to trust me if I do something stupid like that?
Temari thought about the first time she had had this conversation…
~oOo~
The gynecologist walked in and peered at her with open curiosity. He was a middle-aged man, and good looking as well. She could tell by the way his doctor coat strained around his forearms and biceps that he was muscled under his clothing. Smiling, he sat down on his stool and opened his clipboard.
"Can you tell me how old you are again, Ms. Temari?"
"I just turned eighteen. Why? Does that matter?"
He looked up from the clipboard. "No, not at all. It was purely for personal curiosity."
He smiled at me again and stared at me just a second too long before his eyes fell back onto his clipboard. I didn't miss that his eyes lingered on my breast either. Men! Even the male doctors were fixated on her.
Struggling to appear at ease, she stopped herself from rolling her eyes and looked at him. "So? What do the tests say?"
"Well, with everything you've told me so far… I believe that you may be a nymphomaniac, Temari. Considering the information you gave me about your intense sexual desires, the compulsive masturbation, and the immense amount of males you have had sexual contact with, and the information that the tests brought us, I'd say the my medical conclusion is apt."
I stared at him for a few minutes, and then sighed. "Look, Doc, be straight with me. Is this some made up medical disease to not make me feel like a whore? Because it's not working!" I hopped off the bed and started to pace the small room. "I thought you were going to tell me some medical mumbo-jumbo about the wrong wires crossing in my brain."
"But it's not a made up medical condition. You may want to read up on it if you have time. If not treated, your condition could get worse. Have you been experiencing mood swings? Anxiety? Depression?"
She had experienced all those symptoms. Suddenly exhausted, she scrubbed her face with her hands and took a seat. "OK. You said if not treated. Well, I want to treat it. What do I have to do to make this go away?"
"Oh, there is no cure as of yet." He informed and Temari sighed again. "But there are treatments for it, such as therapy, anti-depressants, help groups…"
"You mean like Sex Anonymous and crazy pills? No thank you."
Temari stood up and headed toward the door, and the doctor stood as well. "Or…"
She stopped with her hand on the knob. "Or?"
"Or you could not treat it like a disease… A very high sex drive is not necessarily a bad thing. Indulge in it once in a while…"
His hand rested on hers on the doorknob, and she knew what he was trying to do. Unfortunately, her adulterous body knew what he was doing as well, and started firing up her engines without her permission.
He set the clipboard down on the counter and used his now free hand to run it softly across her cheek. "You know, to get an accurate diagnosis, I may need to see it for myself."
She shied away from his hands and stepped back. "Don't do this."
Her heart beat fast and her clit throbbed in tune with it. She couldn't tell if it was desire or fear she was really feeling. Now that she knew the true meaning of why she always reacted this way, she wanted to change. She wanted to be more than the girl that sleeps with everyone. She wanted a normal life.
He stepped toward her with a full on charismatic smile. "It's alright. I won't tell anyone. Let's just see where it goes…"
~oOo~
It still gave her chills down her spine. She went home that day and took such a long shower that the hot water ran out. She didn't care. She stayed in the shower two more hours after that, scrubbing him off her and hating herself for being so fucking easy. Unfortunately, the sob story did not end there. She went through the same thing over and over again, hoping for someone different. Insanity.
What was one more try? There was no way to win anyway. Even if she did find someone worth keeping, she'd screw up the relationship by fucking someone else eventually. She tried to stay to herself and only be around people she could trust, and look how that turned out. She was literally begged her own boss to fuck her. She really was beginning to see the reality of things.
6:40 p.m. – MsSunaShine: I'm a nymphomaniac. Read up on it. Then you'll see why I hate sex. Someone should do the world a favor and end my life. It really can't be any worse than this… Goodnight, Shadow.
Before he had any time to reply, she logged off her laptop and set it down on the power mat to charge. Now depressed, she walked into her bathroom and filled the bathtub. She lit some candles as well, but they did little to elevate her mood. When the tub was finished and she was completed naked in it with a glass of wine in her hand, she stared at the two small yellow pills.
She laughed cynically at the thought of herself swearing that she would not take these anti-depressants. That she would rather fight though her problem, rather than feel numb all over, like some sort of zombie. Guess the fight in her is all gone now.
Relaxing, she popped the pills in her mouth and sipped her wine. At least that was good. Soon, she felt the effects of the pills as everything slowed down. Then, she realized it had become hard to think. It probably was a good idea to get out now...
About to get out of the tub, she tried and failed to gauge if the water was still hot or now cold. She couldn't recall how long she had been in the tub. She didn't care. She couldn't care, even if she wanted to. Right now, she felt nothing…