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She smiles up at me. "That was almost too cheesy, even for you...yet it's exactly what I needed to hear." Amara responds by capturing my lips in a searing, soul-shattering kiss. A probing, insistent thing that vows to imprint every shared heartbeat, every indelible caress into my marrow where distance can never hope to reach.
We make love that night with a wild, untamed passion, two halves of the same soul savoring every blended breath before the looming separation. Giving and taking and connecting in the most rapturous ways imaginable. When her lips tremble soft gasps with her orgasm, she wraps me tightly in her legs so as not to let me go.
And as the first pale rays of dawn filter through the bedroom window, illuminating Amara's sated form nestled against me, I know with unshakable conviction. This woman is my tether, my destiny personified. The other half of my spirit who will make any trial, any sacrifice worth enduring in the end.
Leaving her is agony. But knowing she'll be waiting, safeguarding my legacy and ensuring the home fires burn brightly until my return...that gives me the resolve to board that plane with a fire lit under my heels.
Fujiwara and all its corporate machinations don't stand a chance.
15
AMARA
The next few days are a blur of back-to-back meetings, negotiations, and short-burst tactical sessions, and yet I find myself thriving under the relentless pressure, making judgment calls and deftly navigating the high-wire political games that safeguard Winthrop Industries' interests at every turn.
"You're a natural-born closer, kiddo," Jazz, one of the senior partners, praises after I stare down a trio of combative Henderson attorneys, forcing them to concede on several key points. "I've never seen a newbie jockey egos like that before."
Despite my fatigue, I find myself laughing at the apt moniker. "Just keeping everything afloat til the real general returns."
His expression turns sly. "I may be biased, but word around the campfire is that the little general is outperforming even Grayson's highest expectations."
My cheeks warm at the insinuation, even as my heart swells with pride. "You're too kind, but I'll take the compliment anyway."
Truth is, I think Grayson would be proud of the way he molded me perfectly for this job. When the day gets long, I imagine his face and his steel gray eyes softening as seeing me handle his clients like he would. He taught me well.
As the merger proceedings roll on over the next few weeks, I find myself settling into a new normal that is somehow both energizing and utterly depleting. My days are consumed by mounting responsibilities and conquering acute emergencies, my nights haunted by video conferences with Grayson from his Tokyo hotel room.
"I just got the latest updates from Caroline," he says during one particularly late tete-a-tete. His hair is delightfully mussed from constantly raking frustrated fingers through it, and my heart clenches at his disheveled appearance. "Amara...you're blazing a trail of settling the score. I don't know how you're juggling all these moving pieces while keeping Henderson in lockstep."
I shrug, aiming for nonchalance despite the very unsubtle thrill that zings through me at his open appreciation and respect. "All part of the job, Mr. Winthrop. Though I do find myself wondering what our merger asset risk is if I keel over from exhaustion before we hit the goal line." I feel myself softening at the reminder of our transcendent connection, the force that bridges all distances and surmounts any obstacles.
"I miss you," I murmur, the simple admission seeming to encapsulate all the complex yearnings and profound emptiness I've been wrestling with.
Grayson's unguarded gaze pins me in place. "Same, more than you will ever know. And you know it’s actually killing me to see you lead in my absence. I’ve never been so attracted to you, and I’m so proud of you, Amara.”
In that heated moment, I make a decision. One borne of pure recklessness and not a small amount of desperation. This separation is too large, it’s time to close the gap.
"Sarah, I need your advice," I blurt out over lunch the next day. "I'm thinking about flying to Tokyo to surprise Grayson."
My best friend's eyes widen, her fork frozen halfway to her mouth. "Whoa, that's a bold move, Ames. What brought this on?"
I shrug helplessly, pushing my salad around the plate. "I just...I miss him so much, Sarah. And seeing him last night on the video call, looking so worn down and lonely...it broke my heart."
Sarah nods sympathetically. "I get it, babe. Long-distance is tough, especially when you're used to being joined at the hip."
"Exactly," I sigh. "And I know it's impulsive and maybe even a little unprofessional, but...I feel like I need to do this. For him and for us."
"Okay, let's think through the logistics," Sarah says, her expression turning pensive. "How long would you stay? And what about the merger you're overseeing?"
I bite my lip, the practicalities threatening to dim my impetuous spark. "I was thinking just for the weekend. I can fly out Friday night and be back in time for work on Monday."
Sarah takes a slow sip of her iced tea, evaluating me over the rim of the glass. "And you're sure Grayson would welcome the surprise? You don't think it might throw him off his game?"
The question gives me pause. Am I being selfish, prioritizing my own needs over Grayson's critical deal-making?
"I don't know," I admit quietly. "I mean, he's always saying how much he misses me and wishes I was there, but...what if I'm just being a needy girlfriend who can't handle a little time apart?"
"Oh please," Sarah scoffs, waving a dismissive hand. "That man is crazy about you, Amara. Anyone with eyes can see that. He'd probably love nothing more than to have you by his side, even for a couple days."
