My Boss The Genius
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INTERLUDE THIRTEEN
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He sighed tiredly, rubbing the back of his neck as he leaned against the railing of his balcony. The night air was crisp, cool, and it was a refreshing feeling on his heated skin. He still wore the black dress shirt, but the biting cold of the metal railing was still felt through the thin fabric. Shikamaru wanted to button the dress shirt up, but he was too goddamn lazy right now.
He turned to face the view of skyscrapers, fumbling for his cigarette and lighter, taking a long puff and letting the smoke swim in the cold night air. Goosebumps already started popping up over his body, but he ignored them and took another drag. It was too noisy inside his apartment right now; he needed a bit of peace and quiet. But, in Shikamaru's life, that would never be possible because of one certain blue-eyed, blonde-haired troublesome woman.
He heard the balcony door open and close before a pair of slim, warm hands wrapped around his waist. He saw the pastel purple colour of her painted nails reaching for his cigarette, but deftly avoided her sneaky fingers and let his other hand grasp both of hers firmly, keeping them on his stomach.
"No Ino," he said. He knew she only smoked the cigarettes he smoked because she was trying to make a point. Instead of yelling about how bad it was for him, she made him feel bad by doing it too. But he couldn't stop, and so he resolved to prevent her from smoking as much as possible. He flicked the ash off over the railing, letting them be carried away by the breeze. Ino's hands were still tightly gripped at his stomach, but she wasn't struggling to be released. Instead, he felt the warmth of her cheek press against his back.
"The party is inside, you know," she said cheekily. He placed the cigarette to his lips again to avoid answering. She let him have his silence, but tugged her hands out of his, her cheek slipping away from his back. He thought maybe she went back inside, but instead she wormed her way between his chest and the metal railing. He looked down at her, his dark hair and eyes almost invisible in the darkness. Ino's hair glowed in the moonlight, and he saw the soft shine of her blue eyes looking up at him.
"What is it?" he asked. She shrugged, and the movement made her diamond earrings sparkle. She turned and pressed the side of her face against his bare chest, her arms wrapping around him again. He could feel the chill of one of the diamonds on his skin, but his other hand reached up to play with the diamond on her other earlobe. He stared straight ahead at the skyscrapers in front of his balcony, feeling her shallow breaths against his skin.
"How's next month sound?" Ino asked, her voice quiet in the night air. Shikamaru frowned.
"Bit soon. You'll have a lot to deal with next month," he said. He could almost see her pouting now. Ino hated not getting her way, but her pondering silence told him she knew he had made a valid point. He felt her head shift from his chest and when his eyes flickered down, she was looking at him. The pout was gone from her lips, which was a good thing for him. Ino with luscious lips was one thing; Ino with pouty luscious lips was another.
"Fine. The month after, then," she said. He grumbled his consent and went back to looking at the skyscrapers. Cars passed by his balcony, the headlights causing shadows to flicker and move. His mouth opened before he was able to stop himself.
"Are you sure?"
He heard Ino laugh.
"I was never not sure," she told him, and he felt the smile tugging at his lips.
"I don't clean up after myself," he said. She snorted.
"I've known that since we were five."
"I leave the toilet seat up."
"I'll just tape it down."
"I never make the bed." She snorted again.
"Who actually makes their bed?"
Shikamaru's chin dropped down to touch the top of her head. His eyes grew stormy.
"I spend a lot of late nights at the office." Her eyes softened and she pillowed her cheek on his chest.
"I'll come visit you."
"I'm going to forget important dates."
She smiled. "I'll forgive you."
Shikamaru sighed and pulled away from her.
"Ino… this is going to change everything," he said. She looked at him with determination in her eyes.
"I'm not running away anymore."
Their heads inched closer, foreheads touching and breaths puffing, no signs of stopping even as their noses brushed and their eyes closed, but the shrill of Shikamaru's cell phone halted them.
"Who is it?" Ino asked curiously, peering at the bright screen as he pulled it out. His eyebrows furrowed as he saw the unknown number that sent him a text message. When he opened it there was only one line and a picture of a bound and gagged Temari wearing her little black dress.
Trade you 500k for the secretary.