The Firm
Smut Monday – Little Black Dress

A small sigh passed between her lips as Haruno Sakura slipped into the chair at the bar. She smiled politely at the well-dressed bartender and waited patiently for him to finish speaking with another patron before she ordered herself a double vodka tonic. As he prepared it for her, she waited quietly, her emerald eyes gazing about absentmindedly as she observed the grand bar and lounge.

It was inside one of the city's most spectacular and expensive hotels, and though it was far above her pay to spend a night there, it had been the closest bar to escape from the miserable, blind date her best friend had set her up on. She was going to kill Ino. After she had a drink or three first.

"Here you go, miss." She turned with a smile towards the bartender again, causing her long, pink hair to fall over her shoulder in soft curls, and she pulled her drink towards her as he excused himself to serve another newcomer.

For some time, Sakura sat alone, silently drinking her cocktail as she alternated between scrolling through her phone, glancing at the news that was playing on the television above the bar and gazing about the large sitting room. There were a handful of guests filling the many tables, many of whom appeared to be married couples or single men, all adorning expensive gowns and suits of silk. It made her feel almost a little underdressed in the black dress she had chosen for dinner. But she wasn't here to make a statement. Only to drink some of her frustrations away.

Returning her gaze to her glass, she lightly traced the rim with her fingertip as she weighed the pros and cons of having another. She did have a meeting in the morning with the partners and other paralegals of her firm, but she supposed one more drink wouldn't hurt and she waved the bartender down before she drained the rest of her glass.

It was at that moment Sakura felt another presence next to her and she angled her head to find a man easily a decade her senior standing next to her with a smile that made her skin prickle uncomfortably. "May I buy you a drink?"

Her smile was polite but tight. "No, thank you. I'm fine."

However, his smile didn't fade. "Are you sure? I don't mind moving a conversation elsewhere. Perhaps somewhere more private and comfortable?"

Surprised at his bluntness, she momentarily found herself speechless and before she could answer, movement caught her attention and she gazed past the man's shoulder to see there was a small group of men all sitting around the large leather chairs in the corner watching them. She got the sudden impression he had been challenged by his friends, and whatever patience she'd had left after her botched dinner vanished.

Without another glance at him, she turned back to the bar as the bartender returned with a fresh drink. "I would feel more comfortable if you turned around and walked away."

"Come find me should you change your mind," he murmured, his tone giving away his lack of offense at her rude brush off.

Without looking, Sakura heard him leave and she ground her teeth together in irritation as she listened to the men in the corner begin talking and laughing, no doubt discussing their friend's failed attempt at getting her into bed. If it wasn't for the fact that she was wearing Ino's dress and inside the most luxurious hotel around, she would have walked over and given him a piece of her mind – or rather, her fist. However, Sakura had inherited her luck, or rather lack of it, from her mother and she knew if she did so, the man would turn out to be a governor or a high-ranking city official and she would find herself with a lawsuit even her firm couldn't protect her from.

With a great deal of self-control, she tuned the men out and grasped the glass in front of her as she took a long, calming drink. She finished her glass in record time and quickly ordered another. The bartender said nothing. He merely refilled her glass before he turned to another guest next to her as a young man slipped into the chair next to her. He ordered and smiled politely at her as their gazes met, but Sakura said nothing to him as she slipped off her stool and grasped her drink in one fluid motion before her gaze traveled over the lounge.

With her back to the rest of the room, she hadn't realized how busy it had become. Most of the tables were now full with only a few left empty in the back of the room. The idea of sitting by herself in the corner was just as unappealing to her as remaining at the bar where bold, drunken – or sober – men could still approach her.

What she needed was a dummy; someone to keep her company without actually having any interest in her.

More purposefully, her gaze wondered the room again until they came to rest on a male a few tables away. He was easily a few years older than herself and was sitting by himself with a single glass of dark amber in front of him. She recognized him from when she had first walked in and she stared curiously to find him alone. He was very handsome with hair that was pulled back into a neat, low ponytail. It was the color of a raven's wing and framed his midnight eyes. The low-lighting of the room accentuated his aristocratic features and made his attractive face absolutely alluring. Either that or the alcohol was beginning to affect her.

It must have been the latter for she found herself moving towards him before she could stop herself. Without asking, she pulled out the chair across from him and lowered herself into it, drawing his gaze from his cell phone. "I hope you don't mind," she said easily. "Everywhere else is full."

Silently his gaze drifted across the room, obviously observing the handful of open tables in the back, before he returned his attention to her. His brow arched, conveying his distrust of her reasoning, but his expression remained otherwise cool and aloof.

"Okay," she admitted, the vodka loosening her tongue, "that was my clever lie to sit here to make it appear that I'm not by myself. I really don't want anything from you."

"How can you be sure I am not expecting company?"

His tone was smooth but cool, relaying without words his desires to remain by himself at the table. However, she merely smiled, ignoring his silent request for her to leave. It wasn't as if she wanted an actual conversation with him. "Because you've been sitting here alone since I came in. No wedding ring-" she glanced at the drink still half-full of the amber liquid before him, "-one glass, and you've been preoccupied with your phone all night. What else could you be other than a single man here on business?"

She must have sparked his curiosity for the slight hostility in the set of his shoulders relaxed as he inclined his head. "You seem fairly confident in your observations. How can you be so certain?"

"My mother was a criminal profiler," Sakura provided nonchalantly. "I may have picked up a few things growing up."

"Is that how you knew that man was going to ask to you buy a drink?"

Her brow arched curiously and she followed his dark gaze back to the bar to see the man that had slipped into the seat next to her glance in their direction before quickly looking away. Turning back to the handsome man in front of her, she merely shrugged before she sipped from her glass. "No, that's a woman's instinct."

His expression was still calmly collected, but she didn't miss the small twitch in the corner of his mouth as if he found amusement in their conversation. "Then you will not be offended if I do not buy you a drink."

She made a point of sipping from her glass, her gaze never leaving his, before she answered, "Please don't. I can buy my own. Besides, that's not why I came over here."

"Then why did you come over?" he asked.

She didn't miss the way he had set his phone aside, as if he was no longer interested in the business he had been previously occupied with. It made her feel somewhat conflicted. On one hand, she simply wanted to drink quietly and be left alone to her thoughts and musings. But on the other, her conversation with this man was more intriguing than she had anticipated and she didn't find herself wanting it to end just yet.

"I told you already," Sakura said, her tone lightly chastising but still teasing. "I would rather sit with a stranger in total silence than continue to be plagued by the annoyance known as 'men'."

Rather than fall prey to her subtle insult, he angled his head curiously. "Because your first date failed for the evening and you do not wish to be bothered with another?"

Her eyes narrowed and the urge to refute his claim nearly overcame her, but she found herself unwilling as she recalled her pained date with Sai. Just thinking about his fake smiles with his rude and unnecessary comments made her reach for her quickly emptying glass again. "What gave it away? Was it my patience with my admirers or my dainty sipping of my cocktails?" she asked sarcastically.

Again, the corner of his mouth twitched as his black eyes danced in silent amusement. "Neither. A woman does not dress up simply to sit at the bar alone. And since you have declined the invitations of every male that has approached you this evening, I can only assume that your date did not end well."

Sakura laughed ironically. "'Not ending well' was me fleeting halfway through dinner so yes, you are correct in that assumption."

However, rather than laugh at her misfortune, he merely sipped from his glass calmly before he returned his attention to her. "Then it appears we have something in common."

"What? You fled from an awkward, insensitive asshole too?"

He laughed softly out his nose at her joke. "As the daughter of a profiler, I am aware you know that was not what I was implying. What I was implying is that neither of us seem to have had a proper meal this evening. So instead of a drink, perhaps I can buy you dinner?"

Sakura would be lying if she said that wasn't the smoothest transition she had ever heard and she pursed her lips together and hid her mouth behind her glass to keep her grin from showing. "Fine. But I get to buy dessert."

For the first time, the corner of his mouth lifted to fully betray the extent of his amusement in the form of a smirk and he nodded. "Very well. I am Itachi."

"Sakura," she introduced herself.

xx

Dinner passed pleasantly and quickly as they ate and conversed as if they had done so many times in the past. Itachi was soft-spoken but she could sense how intelligent he was by the way in which he worded his responses. It was almost intimidating but the alcohol running through her system calmed whatever nerves she would have otherwise had.

They discussed everything from Sakura's failed, blind date to how Itachi had just moved to the city from across the country for a new job. There were no breaks or awkward pauses – a complete contrast to how her night had started, but all her earlier irritation and disappointment faded the longer she spoke with Itachi. He was nearly seven years her senior and obviously more successful than herself but he was never condescending nor haughty.

To be honest, Sakura wasn't entirely sure how it happened. One moment they were finishing their drinks as they picked at their dessert and the next her back was being pressed against the wall of the elevator as Itachi touched her with mouth, body and hands. His weight was dominating but not overbearing as he pressed himself into her, taking full control as his hand tightened in her hair and the other angled her jaw.

Alcohol and arousal was pulsing through her body and though she knew she was far from sober, she also knew exactly what she was doing and she followed his silent urgings without hesitation or complaint as the elevator opened once more. With a breathless laugh, she trailed after Itachi as he grasped her hand and pulled her across the hall to a hotel door. With effortless motions, he unlocked it with a key card before he ushered her inside.

She wasn't given the chance to admire the wide room and stunning view before she was spun around and warm lips found hers again as he pulled her into another lustful kiss. She could still taste the bite of brandy on his tongue, but it only fueled her passions to taste more of him and she grasped the silk of his suit and unconsciously she tugged at it, wanting nothing more than to feel smooth muscle against her hands. Itachi seemed to understand what she wanted for he shrugged the material off before his hands fell to her waist as he guided her backwards further into the room, their mouths never parting.

Their movements didn't slow Sakura down and she made quick work of unbuttoning the vest of his suit before she tugged it over his shoulders and down his arms. Her fingers moved to loosen his tie and unbutton his undershirt as Itachi ran his hands up her back to the zipper of her dress. With one easy motion, he drew it down, causing the straps to fall off her shoulders.

For the first time since entering the room, they parted for air as Sakura lowered her arms to allow the soft material to fall down her body and to the floor, leaving her bare in her matching, black panties and bra. Itachi's gaze was smoldering as he traced every curve as it was revealed, causing her body to warm under his intense stare. It made a new wave of desire flood her but before she could act, Itachi stepped towards her and wrapped an arm around her waist before he drove her backwards once more.

The back of knees hit the bed and she would have stumbled if not for his easy strength keeping her steady. Carefully he lowered her down before he straightened once more to finish removing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. Without taking her eyes off him, she kicked her shoes to the floor before she centered herself on the bed, her body stretched out before him as she propped herself up on her elbows to watch.

Her gaze tracked his movements as his long, nimble fingers unbuttoned his shirt one-by-one, but it wasn't long before she found herself draw impatient. "Hurry up. You're taking too long."

A devastatingly sexy smirk stretched across his mouth and he shrugged off his shirt and dropped it to the floor before he unfastened the buckle of his belt and let the pants of his suit fall to the floor, leaving him in only a pair of well-fitted briefs.

Unconsciously Sakura's eyes fell to the muscles of his shoulders as they flexed and rippled with his movements. He wasn't overly buff but his body was lean and toned, and she bit her lip as she traced the flow of muscle down his chest and stomach to the lines of his hips. She could see his arousal pushing against the material of his briefs, but her gaze was forced upwards as Itachi split her knees apart and climbed onto the bed to settle himself between her thighs.

"You need to learn patience," he murmured teasingly, his voice low and thick with lust. "I promise you by the end of the night, you will not be unsatisfied."

His words shot warmth into the pit of her stomach and she only caught a glimpse of the mischievous smirk playing on his lips before he dipped his head and trailed wet, open-mouthed kisses along her jaw and down the column of her neck. A breathy moan sounded in the back of her throat as she tangled her fingers into his smooth, silky hair and bared her throat to give him better access.

She could feel the strength of his fingers as his hand slipped down her ribcage and over her hip to grasp her thigh. He hoisted her leg further over his hip before he ground his hardness against her. Pleasure rippled through her lower stomach and automatically she bucked her in response to feel that delicious friction again, but Itachi didn't let her.

He chuckled softly against the base of her throat before his mouth continued downwards to the swell of her breasts. He made quick work of slipping his hand under her to release the clasp of her bra before he helped her shrug out of the material and tossed it from the bed, forgotten. Without pause, Itachi bent his head again and flicked his tongue across one of her tightened buds before he wrapped his lips around it. Her reaction was immediate as she arched her back and let out an audible cry. In her drunken state, the pleasure felt magnified.

Unconsciously Sakura tugged at his hair, pulling the hair tie keeping his locks contained out, while her other hand smoothed up and down the plains of his muscular back as she urged him on, caught between wanting him to continue with his ministrations and needing more than just the firm, hot pressure of his clothed length against her covered womanhood. Sensing her desires, Itachi stopped his attentions on her breasts to continue his path downwards.

Soft sighs and moans escaped her, broken up by a few breathy laughs as he found ticklish patches of skin until he finally reached her panties. His fingers hooked under their hem before he dragged them down her long, tone legs and discarded them. She wasn't given the chance to feel shy or self-conscious before he settled between her legs, his broad shoulders preventing her from closing her thighs as he dipped his head to run his tongue along the length of her seam.

She moaned softly as he dipped his tongue into her core only for her to release a second, much louder cry as he found her pearl. She threw her head back. "Yes! Right there!"

Taking her cue, Itachi used his mouth and tongue to apply more pressure, drawing her pleasure out until she was arching her hips to meet him. Her fingers dug into the sheets below her as her other hand grasped at his hair, silently urging him on until the coil in the pit of her stomach wound tighter and tighter until she was teetering on the edge.

Sakura came hard with a loud cry. Her fingers twisted into the bedding until her fingers were stiff and sore, as her hips bucked in an attempt to get him closer. Itachi merely held her down with a firm grip and continued to pleasure her, his tongue still moving skillfully as he hummed softly, until she fell back against the bed, her body limp and her mind a groggy mess.

It took Sakura a moment to find her strength and as she finally slipped open her eyes again, she found Itachi kneeling between her thighs, his briefs gone leaving him utterly bare, as he stroked his hardened length. His gaze was piercing as he stared down at her and she felt her slowing heartbeat begin to speed up once more as she recognized the pure lust and desire still darkening his midnight irises.

"I told you you would not be unsatisfied," he murmured.

Sakura swallowed as she felt her blood warm once more. Her womanhood was still pulsing softly in the aftermath of her orgasm, but it only reignited her arousal upon hearing his smoldering voice. She couldn't wait to feel him inside her.

Silently she watched as Itachi reached into the drawer next to the nightstand and withdrew a condom. He opened the package and easily rolled it onto his member, but before he could enter her, Sakura reached down between them to grasp his heavy manhood. She smirked confidently and met his gaze evenly as she fisted him slowly.

"I won't be the only one satisfied by the end of the night."

With a not-so-smooth swiftness, Sakura drunkenly rolled them over until Itachi's back was pressed against the bed with her straddling his hips. She could see the amusement dancing in his dark eyes as he smirked up at her, but it quickly vanished as she grasped his length again and guided him inside of her until he was fully seated within her. She sighed in pleasure as he stretched and filled her, but she only gave herself a moment to adjust before she raised herself up on her knees and sank down again. A low groan rumbled low in Itachi's throat and his hands came to rest on her sides as he helped guide her up and down his length.

Together, they built up to a fast, hard pace as Sakura raised herself only for Itachi to slam her back down again. He filled her so completely that his member nudged her cervix on every thrust and she angled her hips until he found the spot that sent her nerves into overdrive. A steady chorus of moans escaped her as she continued to ride him, building her pleasure along with his, until she began to slow with exhaustion.

Dropping onto Itachi's chest, she bent her head until she could lock their mouths together again, her tongue coming out to twist with his in a hot, open-mouthed kiss. Without pause, he took control as he tangled his fingers into her hair and wrapped his arm around her before he forcefully rolled them over until she was below him with his weight was pressing her into the mattress.

Sakura giggled softly at their sudden change in position, but it quickly melted into a moan as Itachi pressed a kiss into her pulse point and rocked his hips hard into hers until he was fully and completely seated within her. Then he separated his hips from hers before he plunged back in, his pace slow but hard.

"Ah, 'tachi!" She cried his name as he hit a particularly sensitive angle.

He didn't change his pace as he kissed a patch of skin on her shoulder before he bit down – not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make a jolt of arousal shoot down to her core again. "What do you want, Sakura?" he asked huskily.

The mere sound of his voice made her groan aloud and she turned her face towards him as she hiked her thigh further over his hip, allowing him to thrust even deeper. "Fuck me. Please just fuck me."

She watched a devilishly sexy smirk crossed his face as he leaned back and grasped her hips before he started an almost animalistic pace. His hips slammed into hers with near bruising force, causing Sakura to cry out as her body arched under him. She held onto him with one hand wrapped around his forearm and the other pressing against the wall above her head as she did her best to keep up with him.

She could feel that familiar edge approaching again as he hilted himself inside her and with one particularly deep thrust, she felt her world shatter as she came with a sharp cry. Pleasure rippled through her body and into her mind, sending her reeling as her very soul shattered. Her orgasm felt as if it lasted an eternity and yet only a fraction of a second before she came crashing back to reality. It was a slow return to awareness and she opened her eyes just as she watched Itachi finish, the muscles of his stomach and biceps flexing as he groaned brokenly and thrust into her for a final time.

For a moment, neither of them moved as Itachi caught his breath above her and Sakura continued to pulse around his softening member until eventually he withdrew from her. Through half-lidded eyes, she watched him slipped off the bed and dispose of the now-used condom before he climbed back onto the mattress beside her. Without a word, he reached for the sheets and tossed them over their cooling bodies before he settled next to her.

Silence fell between them for a little while as the night wore on. Sakura could feel sleep pulling behind her eyes, but she didn't allow herself to close her eyes yet as she turned on her side to face the man next to her. "You were right," she murmured in the darkness.

Itachi turned his head to look at her, exhaustion apparent on his face, but he regarded her as he arched a brow curiously.

"That I wouldn't be unsatisfied by the end of the night," she answered breathily, her voice pitched higher in laughter.

A smirk stretched across his face and he rolled towards her until he was propped up on his elbows and looking down upon her. "Good," he murmured.

Then he bent his head and kissed her, his strong fingers cupping the back of her neck as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She hummed softly as he tasted her slowly, the burn of brandy and the tang of her arousal still on his tongue. She hooked her arms around his middle, her hands smoothing over the muscles of his back before her fingers began to play idly with the ends of his long hair, as they kissed languidly.

It wasn't until she felt his member twitch against her leg that she realized the effect their ministrations were having on the male on top of her and she pulled back slightly to look at him questioningly. She was surprised to find lust was building in the depths of his gaze again and automatically her body warmed in response of things to come.

"Are you sore?" Itachi asked.

A smirk crept up onto her face as she spread her legs, allowing him to slip comfortably between them. "No."

She only got a glimpse of his smart smile before his mouth founds hers again as he proceeded to keep them up most of the night.

xx

Light was streaming into the room when Sakura awoke. It blinded her, forcing her to pinch her eyes closed again as pain pulsed through her temples. Without a doubt, she knew she was hungover and she took a moment to breathe deeply through her nose and out her mouth as she fought against the nausea that was threatening to surface.

Only once she was sure it had passed did she carefully open her eyes once more and glance around. There was a moment where she didn't recognize where she was but as the events from the night before slowly began to return, she relaxed back against the sheets and rubbed a hand over her face before she dared glance at the space beside her.

To her surprise, she was alone. There was no handsome, naked man next to her and she felt her chest twinge – though out of relief or disappointment she didn't know. In fact, as she pushed herself up and fully scanned the large hotel room, she realized Itachi wasn't in the room at all. There was no cell phone or wallet that she could see, and for one moment, she had thought he was gone completely. But then she saw the mix of men's clothes scattered across the floor along hers and she realized the soft hum in the background was the sound of the shower.

Glancing towards the bathroom, Sakura could see the door was partially cracked and inwardly she debated whether she should get dressed and wait for him to get out to say 'bye' or if she should just slip away and avoid the awkward, morning-after conversation completely. This had not been her plan the night before.

Oh God, she thought as she pressed her hand to her pounding head. She just had a one night stand. She hadn't done anything this reckless since she could remember! What if he was a violent criminal? Alright, well that was unlikely with his obvious intelligence and the generous salary she assumed he had given by the sheer size of the hotel room; but the point was she had shared a night with a man she barely knew. She half-wondered if Ino would be excited or disappointed of her uncharacteristic nightly activities. Most likely the former.

As if on cue, Sakura heard the familiar ping of her cell phone and she followed the sound to find the device hidden under Itachi's shirt nearly under the bed. Grabbing it, she fell back amongst the sheets as she braced herself for the many text messages that were sure to be waiting for her. However, as Sakura turned on her screen, she froze as the time displayed on her lock screen. The meeting with all the partners and paralegals in her office was in less than an hour.

All thoughts of waiting for Itachi or not vanished as she tossed the covers back and sprang out of bed. She scrambled for her underwear and searched for her bra for a few minutes before she gave up and slipped her dress on from the night before. She fought with the zipper for a moment before she was able to finally pull it up all the way. Next, she found her purse and searched for a hair tie before she yanked her locks up into a messy bun as she silently searched for her shoes. She saw one next to her side of the bed and grabbed it before she bent down to find its partner as she cursed softly.

"Check at the foot of the bed."

Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin as she spun around. Itachi was standing just outside the bathroom as steam rolled out of the doorway behind him, his hair wet and freshly washed and his jaw slightly red from having just shaven. His expression was cool, just as it had been when she had first approached him the night before, and she swallowed thickly as she realized she had no idea what she was supposed to say or do. Her liquid courage was gone.

"I uh…" she started slowly. "I promise I'm not trying to run out on you or whatever. I'm just very, very late for work on a day that I can't be late."

"I understand," Itachi nodded. His tone was strangely indifferent and she watched as his eyes silently roamed over her figure before he returned his gaze to hers. "Would you like me to call my driver to take you home?"

"No! I mean, no thank you," Sakura quickly corrected. "I'll figure it out. Thanks."

An awkward silence stretched between them and Sakura did her best to keep her gaze from wondering as his wet hair dripped water down his chest and stomach until it caught on the towel secured around his narrow hips. She could still remember having her legs wrapped around his waist as he kissed her and hilted himself inside her until she cried his name-.

Sakura snapped her gaze back to his as she fought the blush that was threatening to spread across her cheeks and reveal her thoughts. However, she already knew she was caught and instead she busied herself with retrieving her other shoe from where it was hidden amongst the sheets on the floor.

Once she was sure she had everything, she turned back to Itachi to where he was still watching her. His gaze was intense as if he was looking into her very soul. It made her heart race. "About last night…I had a lot of fun. It was great and you were great and it was all just…great."

She paused awkwardly as she stared at him and he stared right back at her. She waited for him to say something, but it soon became apparent that he wasn't going to and so she smiled tightly as she carefully backed towards the door. "Anyway, uh bye."

Without waiting for a reply, Sakura turned and opened the door. She made sure to close it firmly behind her before she hurriedly took to the elevator and punched the button down as she stepped into her heels. As soon as the doors opened, she slipped inside and pressed the button for the lobby as she checked her phone again. She was going to be late. And she had six new messages.

Deciding to wait to read Ino's sure-to-be questions about her date the previous night, Sakura quickly collected her jacket from the front desk before she asked them to call her a cab. Only once she was inside the familiar, yellow car and quickly speeding towards her apartment did she finally unlock her screen and read the messages waiting for her. Just as she predicted, they were written in typical Ino fashion:

'So how did it go?'
'Did you guys stay out late?'
'Sakura?'
'Yo, Forehead!'
'Where are you?'
'You better be dead…'

With practice, Sakura swiped her reply: 'Running late. Will explain later. Please have coffee ready.'

Then she closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples as she willed her pounding head to cease. She could only hope that her firm's managing partner, Hatake Kakashi, was running late as usual and she wouldn't miss the meeting. He never had company-wide announcements.

It took Sakura nearly forty-five minutes to get home, shower, and change into clean work attire. With her limited time, she had chosen a nice pair of slacks and a dark blouse before she piled her wet hair into a messy but professional bun, and brushed a quick swipe of mascara on before she was out the door again.

With the city now in full rush hour, she had chosen to take the subway and arrived to find that her luck had been unfortunate just as usual. It appeared Kakashi had just concluded the meeting and the room was already breaking up into groups as partners and paralegals discussed amongst themselves whatever had just taken place.

"You're late. You missed Hatake's big announcement."

Turning towards that familiar voice, Sakura shot her best friend a look as she accepted the coffee Ino held out for her. "I know, I know. Thanks. Ugh...I still have such a headache. What did I miss?"

Ino crossed her arms loosely as she nodded in Kakashi's direction. "We have a new partner."

"Partner?" she repeated. She glanced towards their boss to find he was in conversation with another high-ranking associate, but she couldn't see the newcomer past his tall frame. "Who is it?"

"Don't know. Apparently, he's some big hot shot prosecutor from the East Coast."

"Really? That'll be good since our last one left last month to go travel. What's his name?"

"Uchiha something. I can't remember," Ino shrugged. Then a pleased smile crossed his face. "But he's gorgeous. Look."

Obediently, Sakura turned to where she had last seen Kakashi to find that he and their new employee had moved closer to speak to another group. It was then that she realized she recognized those eyes of volcanic glass. They were framed perfectly by dark silky bangs and even from a distance, his high cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes made his attractiveness only too apparent.

Her heart stopped in her chest. "Itachi? Oh, my God," she half-whispered. "Oh no, no, no, no."

"Itachi, that's his name!" Ino said. Then she turned to Sakura, her blue eyes narrowing curiously. "How do you know him?"

It was a moment before Sakura pulled her face up from where she had buried it in her hand in mortification and she ducked her head in an attempt to remain hidden from view a while longer. "I may have had a one-night stand with him last night."

"You what?!"

"Shh!"

Ino's half-incredulous and half-annoyed expression didn't change, but fortunately she lowered her voice as she stared expectantly at Sakura. "You had a one-night stand last night and I'm just finding out about it now? What happened to Sai?"

She nearly rolled her eyes. "I ditched Sai after he told me I would be more attractive if I showed more cleavage."

"And so you hooked up with Itachi instead?"

Sakura didn't miss the note of sarcasm in her best friend's voice. "We had a dinner and a couple of drinks together. I may have been a little impaired at the time."

"Hence the hangover," Ino muttered.

"I didn't know he was some big prosecutor," she defended. "What the hell am I going to do?"

"I don't know but you better figure it out quickly," the blonde said, biting back her laugh. "They're headed this way."

"They're what?"

Sakura barely had time to school her expression before their managing partner stopped next to them with their new prosecutor at his side. She could feel Itachi's gaze piercing into her, but she refused to look at him as Ino quietly excused herself and Kakashi arched his brow. "Sakura, I see we were running a bit late this morning."

She fought the blush that was warming the back of her neck. "Yes, sir. Sorry about that. It won't happen again."

"I hope not," he said, but she could tell there was no warning in his voice. She was hardly ever late and usually stayed well into the evening, far longer than most of the paralegals and lawyers within the building. But they both knew he had to say the words for pretenses. "I was just introducing Itachi to our most valuable members. He's requested to work with the best paralegal and I can't think of anyone more fit to do the job."

Sakura felt her heart dropped into her stomach. "Really?" she repeated tightly.

It was then that her gaze finally fell to Itachi as he stepped forward and extended his hand to her. He was dressed just as handsomely as the night before in a three-piece suit that made his eyes turn the most remarkable color of obsidian and accentuated his attractive face. His long hair was no longer loose and cascading across his back as it had been the night before, but rather pulled back in a neat, low ponytail as it had been when she had first approached him.

His expression was collected as he observed her closely, causing nervousness to break out into butterflies in her stomach. She hadn't had time to decipher his cool exterior this morning in her mad rush to get to work and now that he was standing before her, she realized she still had no idea what this powerful man was thinking. Was he annoyed at finding her employed at his new workplace or frustrated that she was now to assist him? The unknown made her heart begin to pound in her chest as she accepted his greeting. "Itachi."

"Hello, Sakura. It is nice to see you again."

She tried not to notice the warmth and strength of his grip as they shook hands as her memory threatened to replay how only last night those fingers had caressed her body as his lips trailed across her skin pleasantly. A shiver raced down her spine. "I didn't think we would cross paths again so soon," she returned almost cryptically.

"You two know one other?" Kakashi asked, his mismatched gaze flickering between the two.

"We became acquainted quite recently," Itachi provided, his hypnotizing gaze never once wavering from hers. She could feel the tension between them like a physical weight on her shoulders.

"Excellent. Then I should expect to see no less than good work from you two."

There was an undertone in Kakashi's voice that made Sakura take notice and she peeled her eyes away from Itachi to glance at her boss only to realize with heart stopping dread that he knew. She didn't know how he was so certain, but she knew without a doubt that he was aware something was going on between the two of them and silently she wished more than anything that the floor would open and swallow her whole. What the hell did she get herself into?

"I plan to work to your standards," she murmured to Kakashi respectfully.

"We will do great together," Itachi added.

Sakura visibly stilled as she recognized her awkward ramble from this morning, but she refused to meet his gaze as Kakashi stared at the pair a moment longer before he excused himself, leaving them to speak amongst themselves amid the crowded room. It took her a moment to steel her nerves before she dared meet Itachi's gaze again. "Very funny," she said flatly. She thought she saw the corner of his mouth twitch, but his expression remained otherwise unreadable. "You failed to mention last night your new job was here."

"You failed to ask."

His tone was smooth and unrevealing of his thoughts, but Sakura merely crossed her arms as she tapped her finger against her coffee cup, refusing to back down so easily. The tension between them thickened. "How did you know I worked here? Did you ask Kakashi to make me your assistant?"

"I was unaware you were employed here until this morning when I requested to work with the best the firm had to offer. Much to my surprise, Hatake offered your name."

"Is that so?" Sakura said disbelievingly.

"It is."

Pursing her lips, she stared at Itachi with narrowed eyes as she tried not for the first time that morning to decipher his demeanor. She couldn't tell if he was being condescending or teasing her, and the unknown was making her discomfort threaten to show on the surface as she tried not to fidget with her coffee.

However, before she could find the courage to ask what she was dying to know, his phone chimed, drawing his attention from their almost stained conversation. With ease, Itachi pulled the ringing device from his pocket and quickly silenced it as he read the screen. "I apologize, but I must take this. Come by my office today and we can discuss our new work privately."

Reluctantly she nodded and watched silently as he began to turn away, only for him to stop as he glanced back at her. To her surprise, his expression was still cool but his gaze held a warmer note as his eyes danced with the amusement he had kept hidden until now. "I also have something of yours to return to you."

For one moment, Sakura stared at him in confusion as she pondered her words. But then, like a light flickering to life in a dark room, understanding washed over her and she felt herself warm in embarrassment as she realized exactly what he was referring to. Her bra.

A hot blush dusted her face pink from her neck to the tops of her ears and she opened her mouth only for her words to fail her. Itachi merely flashed her a quick smirk, that single look telling her everything she had been wanting to know, before he nodded and turned away once more. "I will see you later then."

It was going to be a long day.

end?

Written for beyondthemoor/moor. I hope you enjoyed. It was fun to write!