The fireworks exploded in a final, spectacular kaleidoscope of gold and crimson, lighting up the Hayashi estate like a private celebration just for them. Kenzo stood beside Sharon on the veranda, their shoulders brushing as the family's cheerful exclamations floated up from the garden below. Then he felt it, her pinky hooking around his. An electric connection in the dark.
"Best fake weekend ever," she whispered, her breath a warm ghost against his ear.
He turned, his voice dropping to a husky murmur. "It's not over yet." But before he could pull her aside, before he could chase the promise in his own words, Grandma swept in, hugging them both tightly.
"Sharon chan, you are family now!" the old woman declared, her eyes twinkling. "You must visit monthly! Promise me!"
By midnight, they were piling back into the sleek black Audi, waving their final goodbyes. The two hour drive back to Tokyo was a quiet, the air between them charged with everything left unsaid.
Halfway home, Sharon dozed off, her head slipping from the window to rest firmly on Kenzo's shoulder. He didn't move a muscle, savoring the gentle weight of her, the sweet scent of jasmine in her hair.
Just one more night of this, he thought, the city lights beginning to bleed into the horizon. Tomorrow, reality. And the cold reality waiting on his desk was that damn resignation letter.
Monday Morning, Hayashi Tech Headquarters
Kenzo strode into the boardroom at 8:55 a.m., his crisp suit a shield, his CEO mask locked in place. The weekend felt like a distant, hazy dream, until his eyes found Sharon.
She was already at the conference table, back in her sharp pencil skirt and blouse, her fingers flying across her tablet. Professional Sharon. His Sharon? Not really, The woman from the weekend. The line was blurring.
She glanced up as he approached, a secret, knowing smile playing on her lips. "Morning, fiancé. Coffee?"
He nodded, taking the seat beside her, deliberately closer than protocol demanded. "Morning, wife to be." The faint brush of her knee against his under the mahogany table sent a jolt through him, The spark was still there.
The rest of the board members filed in, exchanging quiet greetings. The low hum of conversation died as the meeting began. Q3 projections, database patent updates. Kenzo dominated the conversation, his voice a commanding force in the room, he was in control. Until the door opened ten minutes late.
Leo Nakamura stood there, a rival exec from Nakamura Corp, dressed in a slick suit that cost more than most cars. His smile was all shark. Kenzo's nemesis from last year's brutal acquisition war.
"Traffic," Leo lied smoothly, sliding into the empty seat right next to Sharon. His gaze immediately landed on her. "Sharon Lee? Hayashi's secret weapon. I heard you single handedly crushed the opposition at the Tokyo Tech Gala."
Sharon's eyes narrowed slightly. He knows my name? "Just doing my job, Mr. Nakamura."
"Call me Leo" He leaned in, flashing a set of perfect teeth. "A smart girl like you is wasted here. Nakamura Corp is poaching top talent. Triple salary. A penthouse in Tokyo." He jerked a thumb dismissively at Kenzo. "Ditch this stiff for a taste of real power."
A few board members chuckled nervously. The sharp crack of Kenzo's pen snapping in his fist silenced them. Triple? A penthouse? Blood roared in his ears, a primal drumbeat.
Sharon laughed it off, a cool and professional sound. "Flattering, but I'm loyal."
Leo didn't relent. He accidentally brushed her hand while passing a file, his fingers lingering a moment too long. "Dinner tonight, then? To discuss... opportunities."
Sharon pulled her hand back politely, but a faint blush colored her cheeks. Was it annoyance? Or flattery? Kenzo couldn't tell. His vision tunneled until all he could see was Leo's hand near hers. Touch her again, and—
"Enough." Kenzo's voice was ice, cutting through the tension. The room froze. He stood, looming over the polished table. "Nakamura, your opportunities are as fake as your traffic excuse. Sharon is not interested and this meeting is adjourned."
Takashi merely smirked, totally unfazed. "Touchy, Hayashi. Protecting your assistant?" He winked at Sharon. "The offer stands. Call me."
As the executives filed out, a wave of whispers followed them. "What's with the boss?" "Did you see that? Trouble in paradise?"
Kenzo waited, his jaw clenched, until the last person was gone before slamming the door shut. He whirled around to face her.
Sharon stood her ground, arms crossed, one eyebrow arched in challenge. "Jealous much, Mr. Hayashi?"
"Jealous?" He paced, his fingers hooking under his tie and yanking it loose. "He's trying to poach our patent secrets through you. It's a classic move." The lie tasted bitter. It was so much more than that. That wink and the possessive brush of his hand. "Why even entertain him?"
"Entertain him? I shut him down!" She stood, stepping into his personal space, the boardroom battle turning intensely personal.
She poked a finger hard against his chest. "But you... growling like a wolf. Why do I even care what you think?" Her voice softened, her eyes searching his. "Or... do you care?"
The air in the room thickened. Kenzo's hand shot up, catching her wrist mid-poke and pinning her palm flat against his chest. Through the fine cotton of his shirt, she could feel the frantic, racing beat of his heart.
"Because..." He swallowed, the memory of her unsigned resignation letter burning a hole in his desk drawer. Desperation clawed at him, but he couldn't show it, not yet. "Because the weekend's over," he said, his voice low and rough.
He lifted her hand, turning it over, and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. It wasn't a performance this time. It was real. "But this? This doesn't feel fake."
Sharon's breath hitched, her lips parting. They were inches apart, the locked boardroom door and the sprawling city skyline their only witnesses. Her free hand fisted in his tie, pulling him the final inch closer. "Kenzo..."
Their lips brushed with a soft, tentative, electric touch when is phone buzzed violently on the table, shattering the moment.
They sprang apart, both flushed and breathing heavily. Sharon smoothed her skirt, a shaky smirk plastered on her face to hide the tremble in her hands. "Saved by the bell. Again."
Kenzo adjusted his tie, his heart still hammering against his ribs. "This isn't over." But as she grabbed her tablet and slipped out with a quiet, "Back to work, boss," a cold panic surged through him.
Nakamura's flirting was child's play. The real threat was the letter in his drawer. After that almost kiss, the thought of her leaving was unbearable. He wanted her. He needed her to stay so badly.
By lunchtime, he'd overheard the rumor mill churning: "Is the secretary jumping ship?" It was time for a counter offensive. But what could he offer that would truly make her stay? He had to make her want to stay.
Little did he know, in the quiet of her office, Sharon's own heart was cracking. Nakamura's offer was tempting, a clear path to power and independence.
But the possessive growl in Kenzo's voice? The look in his eyes when he kissed her knuckles? That was completely irresistible.