The rest of the evening passes in a daze for Sasuke as he tries to pinpoint what exactly caused the change in attitude in Sakura. To his surprise, Naruto is waiting for him at his condo. The blonde has a spare keycard. When he gets especially annoying, which is often, Sasuke threatens to take it back but has never followed through with it.

The Uchiha man sighs when his eyes land on his male best friend watching a hockey game on the large television with a beer in-hand. Naruto laughs, mimicking a woman's voice terribly, "Welcome home, Honey!"

Sasuke tosses his keys and wallet onto the island counter, grabs a beer of his own, and sits on the other side of the sofa without speaking a word. His dark eyes are glazed over despite being directed at the tv. He's not actually seeing the sport, though. No, he's still lost in thought over a certain pink-haired woman who kissed his cheek out of the blue earlier.

"Hey, Dickhead, don't ignore me!"

In response, he scoffs, sipping his beer and finally shooting Naruto a smirk, "Has Neji's cousin let you off the leash for tonight?"

Naruto's annoyance dissipates. Rather than become bashful, he beams while wiggling his eyebrows, "Have you seen Hinata? I'd let her leash me any day."

"Gross," the Director of Operations says.

"You're just jealous," the blonde insists, "Sakura isn't giving you the time of day even though you're trying so hard. I'm embarrassed for you, Bro."

Sasuke coughs, choking on his beer. He coughs with the back of his hand to his lips and a glare on his friend. When his throat is clear, he forces his gaze onto the television, "Whatever, Idiot."

"...Wait a second," Naruto slowly begins to smile while studying the Uchiha's profile. He punches Sasuke's arm a moment later, "You asshole! Something happened, didn't it? Tell me!"

Begrudgingly, Sasuke tells his friend about his day and how confused he is about its turnout. Naruto isn't the brightest bulb, so he's even more stumped than him.

"I don't get it. You totally stopped trying to butter her up and suddenly she's into you again? Is she a masochist?"

Honestly, the Uchiha man is surprised his friend knows such a long word. He shakes his head with a sigh of defeat, "No idea."

"Oh, I know! Let's ask Ino!"

"No, don't-" "This had better be good, Uzumaki. I'm in the middle of something," Ino's voice comes from Naruto's phone speaker. Sasuke slaps his hand over his eyes and groans as he listens to the two blondes talk about his love life.

Once Ino's been brought up-to-date, a grin can be heard in her voice, "Men are so stupid." There's a murmur that the two men can't make out, to which Ino responds, "Not you, Handsome. You're an exception."

Sasuke and Naruto share a look, the former understanding that a certain pale-skinned liaison is likely with her and the latter blissfully ignorant. So that's what she meant by saying she's in the middle of something. Sasuke's eager to get off the call, so he cuts off whatever Naruto's about to say, "Either explain or we're hanging up."

"You really are all beauty and no brains," the Yamanaka woman remarks. She sighs dramatically before saying in a sing-song voice, "What's the difference between the things you got for Sakura today compared to the flowers and jewelry?"

Naruto gasps, "They're cheap! That's it! Thanks, Ino!" "Wait, dumbass! That's not-" The Uzumaki man clicks the call to an end and smiles proudly at Sasuke, "You lucky dog. It's rare to find a woman who prefers cheap things. Sealing the deal should be easy for you now that you know."

Sasuke stares at his friend in disbelief, "You're not really this stupid. You can't be."

Baby blue eyes go wide with confusion, "Huh?"

Later, after Naruto's left, Sasuke showers and falls into bed. With an arm bent behind his pillow, he stares at the ceiling and thinks about what Ino said. While it's true that the things he purchased for Sakura today are cheaper than the gifts he's sent, that being the reason she cheered up a little is implausible.

Confounded, he thinks back to each interaction they had while together. First, he lost his temper at the perfumery when that douchebag salesman kept grabbing Sakura's hand and wrist even though she was clearly uncomfortable. She didn't say anything about it, but he saw her ears turn red like they do when she's angry, so that can't be why she kissed him. At lunch, that color met her ears again when they ate lunch together.

Realization comes upon the baffled man as he suddenly recalls that her cheeks had some pink dusting them, too. He groans, covering his eyes. He feels like an idiot. Whispering to himself in the dark, he defeatedly says, "She must've had a fever, and that's why she acted weird."

…..

Sakura is humiliated with herself.

"Why did I do that!?" She hisses to herself while rolling back and forth on her bed with the perfume Sasuke bought her in her hands.

Her heart flutters when she recalls the serious expression on his face when he tore her wrist away from Mino earlier. Excitement bubbles in her stomach until she can't hold it back and squeals, closing her eyes and kicking her feet. Then, she gasps, sits up, and sets the expensive bottle on her desk with a frown.

She can't let herself be swayed with just one day of the man treating her correctly, no matter how hot it is to see him play the role of protector. The seriousness of the situation, or lack thereof, doesn't matter. In that moment, the pinkette wanted nothing more than to jump his bones right there in the middle of the store.

Then, he bought her lunch without even having to ask what she likes. Green eyes wander to the perfume on the desk, warming. He also knows what type of scents she likes, and she's certain she never mentioned that sort of thing. That means he noticed on his own. Sasuke showing that he pays attention is so out of character and flattering that even someone with stone cold resolve like Sakura can't help but melt.

Sakura dreams of their night together. When she wakes to her alarm the next morning, she's disappointed because it was just getting to the good part.

After showering, she frowns at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes drift down to her slim figure. She looks at her neck and recalls how it felt for Sasuke's tongue to taste the skin there. Her gaze falls to her small breasts so that she remembers how good the friction of his calloused hands felt as he massaged them. When her eyes lower further, Sakura has to stop herself. She groans, turning away from the mirror to begin preparing for work.

The heat in her body fails to fade in the time it takes for her to flow through her morning routine, remaining even as she rides the elevator up to the office. She spares a glance at the few others riding along, not missing the wandering gaze of one of the men even though he quickly averts his eyes when he notices her looking.

Someone's cologne is noticeable in the air. Unconsciously, Sakura thinks to herself that it's a decent scent, but it's nothing compared to what Sasuke smells like. Especially when he's sweating and on top of her.

!

The pinkette grits her teeth, shakes her head to try to rid of the dirty thoughts, and rushes out of the elevator with her head low and face red the moment the door opens. She hisses under her breath while avoiding eye contact with everyone she passes as she hurries through the hallway, "Stop it. Stop it. Stop it."

Why did she have to dream about that night? She's done so well to distract herself until now!

When she arrives at Sasuke's office, she pauses with a hand on the doorknob. Closing her eyes, she takes some calming breaths. If she can go years without having sex, then she can control herself around the Uchiha man now, no matter how perfect he is and regardless of the fact that they'll be alone almost all day

...

…In this office with a lock on the door.

Sakura bites back a groan as she hypothetically bites the bullet and enters the room. She takes her time removing her coat and hanging it up with her back turned to the rest of the office. When she can no longer put it off, she holds her breath, turns around, and pointedly avoids looking in the direction of Sasuke's desk while heading to her own.

To her surprise, the door to the room opens the moment she sits down. Confusion clouds her thoughts as she watches her temporary boss enter, slightly out of breath and with messier than usual hair as though he's been running. When those hawk-like eyes lock onto hers, she forgets how to breathe and panics.

She lowers her head and stutters, "U-Um, good morning, Sir."

Sasuke says nothing, but Sakura can hear his footsteps as he crosses the room. Her eyes shoot open and she lifts her head when a bag is placed in front of her. She watches the man wordlessly go to his desk and begin checking emails as if this is an everyday thing for them. Sakura's too curious to not, so she peeks inside the bag to see some sports drinks, cold medicine, and cold compresses.

….Huh? What is all this?

The woman glances at Sasuke, entirely lost. It's obvious he can tell she's looking, but he chooses to ignore her stare, so she loses the courage to say something. Is this him trying to change his approach again? But he did so well yesterday, and she clearly let him know that, so why would he…?

A lightbulb could've appeared over Sakura's head. She bites her tongue to stop herself from giggling. With a tiny smile, she takes out one of the sports drinks and opens it to take a drink.

How cute.

Someone as intelligent and stoic as Sasuke thinks she kissed him yesterday because she had a fever, so he made sure to stop by the store on his way to work to buy her things that'll help her feel better. Butterflies flutter about her stomach as she shakes her head to herself and proceeds to focus on work. Sakura can't help but feel a little guilty for not addressing Sasuke's misunderstanding, but the effort he's putting into showing he cares is too admirable to correct.

Many hours pass before the duo speak a word to one another, and even then, it's just Sakura informing Sasuke that one of his meetings has been moved up. Lunch has already passed and they're nearing the end of the day. The man says nothing, but nods toward the door as a silent instruction to follow him as he rises from his desk and begins walking that way. She obeys with green eyes studying his broad shoulders.

Trying to ignore his allure all day has been exhausting, to put it lightly. Sakura feels like something must be wrong with her because she's never felt like this before. Hell, she never so much as bought a vibrator during her "dry spell" between her first boyfriend and now.

Rather than fight the traffic and use the elevator, the pair uses the stairs to join the CEO in a meeting on the top floor. Recognition meets Fugaku's ever-present glare when his eyes meet hers.

She submissively lowers her gaze. This is the first time since Mikoto brought her to dinner that they're meeting. Before then, they'd been in the same room a couple of times, but he never seemed to notice her. Given the icy sensation of intimidation chilling her spine right now, Sakura considers herself lucky to have escaped his notice for so long.

As per usual, Sakura stands by the wall behind where Sasuke takes a seat in one of the chairs in the CEO's office. Her task is to remain silent and pay attention so she can remember any details Sasuke may forget. The meeting is entirely professional. It's long and full of business-y discussion that Sakura finds extremely boring. Despite that, the Haruno woman fails to miss the few tense glances the CEO sends her way. She pretends, for her sake and Sasuke's, that she's ignorant of it. Finally, the meeting ends. Sakura bows politely to Fugaku, as does his youngest son, before following her temporary boss out of the office.

It's as though a weight has lifted from her shoulders the moment the door closes behind them and they're on their way toward the elevator. By this time, almost everyone has gone home for the evening.

Her mind is busy with concern about why Fugaku had been glaring at her like that when, out of the corner of her eye, she notices Sasuke roll his sleeves up to his elbows. He isn't wearing his suit jacket, so the subtle muscles and noticeable veins in his forearms are impossible to miss.

Just like that, the relentless desire to pounce on the man returns in full-force. The CEO's unwanted attention is long forgotten. Sakura swallows nervously as they step into the empty elevator. She glances at Sasuke every couple of seconds, hoping he hasn't noticed. Her eyes dance down his appearance and back up before closing. It's hard not to sigh aloud. Sakura steels her resolve when the door opens on their floor and hurries out like she did earlier in the day.

Her heart is pumping loudly in her ears. So much so that it comes as a complete surprise when Sasuke grabs her wrist the moment they're in his office with the door closed behind them.

She turns to look up at him with a blush, "Is something wrong?"

The Uchiha man quickly releases her, his uncertainty clear on his guarded face, "...If you're feeling sick, you should stay home and rest tomorrow."

Just as she has no idea why she's been so turned on all day, Sakura doesn't know why words are suddenly leaving her mouth. She hisses almost angrily, "Stop it!"

Sasuke takes a step back. His jaw flexes and he nods, "Sorry."

"No! No…" Sakura runs an irritated hand through her hair before throwing her arms out from her sides stressfully, "You haven't done anything wrong. It's me this time. All day today, I've been-" She gets lost in Sasuke's confused gaze, losing her train of thought.

Understanding slowly begins to seep into his expression as she lowers her hands to her sides. Without speaking a word, the Uchiha man reaches over to click the lock on the door.

And that's the last straw.

"Please don't hate me for this," she breathes while closing the distance between them. In a blink, her legs are around Sasuke's hips, her fingers in his hair, and her lips pressed to his hungrily.

The heat burning her core flares wildly when Sasuke reacts smoothly. Large hands grab her leg and hip to support her weight as he slips his tongue past her teeth and carries her seamlessly further into the room.

This is it. This is what she's been yearning for since the night they first slept together.

The hand on her hip momentarily disappears, followed by the sound of whatever's atop a large section of Sasuke's desk being carelessly tossed out of the way and onto the floor. Then, her bottom meets the piece of furniture and she's able to free her hands to frantically unbutton the man's shirt. Both are breathing heavily with desire when their lips part.

A tiny moan leaves Sakura as Sasuke's fingers run into her hair so he can guide her neck to arch. His tongue runs over the sensitive skin where her neck meets her shoulder. The pinkette's legs part further so he can press against her. Her hands fumble to run beneath his shirt over his shoulders so that she can feel his muscles flexing there.

Sasuke's shirt is unbuttoned, but he keeps it on as he speaks in a gruff voice against her damp skin, "You're wearing the perfume."

He pulls back, meeting her gaze hungrily as he unbuttons her shirt.

The warmth between Sakura's legs also appears on her face as he studies her appearance, but she doesn't allow that to ruin the mood. Instead, she gasps out, arching into his touch when her shirt is finally undone and the man has pushed her bra up so he can fondle her chest, "I hoped you'd notice."

Something resembling a growl rumbles through the man as he presses his lips to hers again. The sheer amount of lust blurs things as the pair continues with their heavy petting. Somehow, Sakura's pants are removed and her underwear is shoved to the side, while Sasuke's pants are undone just enough. When he shoves into her, it's as though neither can wait another moment. It's as though they need one another's body to breathe or live.

Though she'd been drunk during their first time together, Sakura is filled with satisfaction as she feels how fully this man fills her up. With each thrust of his hips, the very air in her lungs is stolen, and she's happy to let it happen. Her chest presses against his as she kisses his neck, tearing her lips from his so it's easier to breathe. Tiny, hushed moans become buried in his salty skin. She knows she can't be loud, lest a straggler working late overhear them.

Pressure begins to build within her loins, to the point that she can no longer focus on anything but what the sexy businessman is doing to her insides. Sakura moans his name quietly while leaning back, her hands on the desk slightly behind her so she doesn't lose balance.

The Uchiha man's gaze is burning hot as he grips her hips and studies her body while picking up the pace.

She allows her own eyes to wander over his body. Sasuke's more muscular than she expected, something she learned from their night together, but his form isn't overwhelming. It's just enough to be noticeable, and it suits him way too well. As if he needs to be any more perfect. The woman groans, reaching up to run a hand down his torso, "I've been thinking about this all day." She barely recognizes her own voice because it's so sensual and airy.

Sasuke's jaw flexes and suddenly he's hitting something special inside her. A cry passes her lips, which makes her slap a hand over her own mouth.

Complete and total focus sharpens the lines of the man's face as he watches her steady descent into pleasure. Only when Sakura's insides explode with climax do his lips part for a heavier breath to escape. The woman clings to him, nails digging into his bicep and shoulder as she trembles around him. Then, she's standing, facing the desk, and bent over it.

Sasuke grumbles while sliding back into her from the new angle, "Tell me next time."

Sakura smiles to herself, momentarily having a moment of clarity amidst her lust to appreciate his efforts to communicate. Her body moves on instinct, pressing back against Sasuke's hips with each thrust and relishing in the feel of his sweaty skin against hers. She attempts to casually tease him, though her voice hitches while she does, "You just want to get lucky." A squeak passes her lips when she's suddenly pressed down to the desk, the cold surface contrasting greatly with her warm body.

One of Sasuke's hands is at her hip, holding her in place as he thrusts harder into her, and the other gathers her long hair before moving it over her shoulder to hold it against the desk. He isn't pulling her hair, but he is preventing her from moving much.

"I want you to cum again," he argues quietly, voice rough and unfocused.

Sakura presses her forehead to the desk and bites back louder moans. Everything about him is incredible. Unbelievable. She never expected to feel so good, and it's all his fault. It takes little time for her to begin building toward a second climax.

Sasuke notices, nails digging into her hip as he breathes out, barely audible, "That's it." It feels as though her entire body is on fire as she feels her insides begin to tremble again.

The next thing Sakura knows, she's waking up in her apartment. She gasps, sitting up and looking around. Realizing where she is, she brings her hands to her cheeks and speaks to herself, "What a dream…."

A heavy blush makes her a little light-headed. She wants to get up and wash her face with cold water to calm down. When she does, though, she looks up at the mirror and pauses mid-reach for her towel. There, on the bathroom mirror, is a sticky-note. On it is oh-so-familiar handwriting. 'You fainted, so I brought you home. We should talk. -S'

Sakura's face pales as she snatches the note from the mirror. "...Fuck," she hisses.