I was sitting in Natsu's lap, facing him with my lips captured in his. I had on one of his button up shirts and a pair of black shorts from the night before. The shirt was completely undone; not that either of us minded. Though it was right then that his cellphone rang from its place on the bedside table. He growled a few profanities as he grabbed the phone before answering it.

"Hello, Dragneel speaking." I started to get off his lap so he could have the conversation in private but his free hand moved and kept me in place. I raised an eyebrow at him but he barely responded to me.

"Yes, I already told you that department needed to raise the prices by two percent to fluctuate the market. Don't I pay you to keep an eye on that?!" His jaw tensed slightly as I heard a stammered response on the other end of the line.

"Get it done, I'll be in the office soon and I better have a good report waiting for me." He hung up and sighed, putting the phone back on the table.

"Time for me to go then," I heave a soft breath.

"Who says?" He looks at me mischievously.

"Well...aren't you going to work soon?" I tilt my head to the side slightly.

"Yep, but I'm bringing you with me." He kisses me and then lifts me off of his lap.

"Wait...what?! I thought you wanted no one finding out..." I sit on my legs as I watch him get dressed.

He chuckles slightly. "Luce, I'm bringing you as a friend. They won't know about anything else," Natsu assures me. I get up and stretch my arms before padding over to my bag of clothes. I pull out a black mini skirt and a pink crop top. I brush my hair out pull on the pair of boots I wore last night.

"Ready to go?" Natsu asks as I step out of his room. I nod walk with him to the elevator. It was later in the morning, so traffic was a bit lighter than what it would be like in rush hour. After a short drive we pulled up to a tall black building with Dragneel sprawled across the top in red letters. Natsu waited for me to get out of his car before guiding me inside with his hand placed on my lower back.

As soon as we entered the building a few attendants gave a slight bow on recognition of Natsu. He nodded his head at them and they returned to their work at their computers.

"Ah, Mr. Dragneel, Sir! The Northern branch's executive has requested a meeting with you," a tall woman with her hair pulled back tightly and a tablet in hand hurried over to Natsu. He nodded.

"Get me times, make it within this coming week. I want it here, no exceptions," Natsu tells her and she bows slightly before hurrying off again. We reach the glass elevator and as we go past each floor I could catch a small glimpse of what was going on.

"So...what exactly does your company do?" I ask Natsu as I watch the glass floors go by.

"I manage different products and services. There are different departments and branches that help organize everything into manageable parts. Take for instance the Northern branch. They specialize in metals and electronics. That's also the branch where most shipping is done," Natsu explains to me. I nod slowly.

"How big is your company?" I glance at him and he smiles, and leans in next to my ear.

"Isn't that something a bit personal to be asking a man?" He then kissed my jaw and smirked as my face grew red.

"You're such a child..." I mutter.

"You took it that way Luce, it's not my fault," he chuckles as the elevators stop and the doors slide open. I follow him out of the elevator as a few more people throw names and information his way. He gives them all things to do as they all look at me curiously. A woman then strides up to Natsu, her short white hair swinging slightly.

"You're late."

He grins and gives her an innocent look. "Lis, I was picking up my friend Lucy. I'm taking her out to dinner tonight so I brought her along to work, she's only been pestering me about it for the past few weeks."

"Not like you weren't eager to show it off either," I add. He grabs my arm and leads me into what was labeled as his office with "Lis" not far behind. Natsu sits behind his desk and I drift over to one of the windows.

"This mornings reports are on your desk. Advertising also has a new sales pitch that needs approval, Northern branch's executive requested a meeting that was just scheduled a few minutes ago for Wednesday. And you have a press conference in an hour with Sorcerer Weekly, Magnolia Times and 22," she tells him before putting her hand on her hip.

"Okay, I'll be ready. Anything else?" He meets her slightly venomous look.

"Yeah, are you keeping the bimbo here much longer? Your latest fling doesn't even have the decency to dress properly," she says lowly, but loud enough so I can hear.

"My business with my friends is none of your concern. She may dress how she pleases, now if you have nothing else to say please return to your work, Lisanna," he says her name with some malice and she turns curtly on the tall, thin heel of her boots and makes her way out of the office, the door slamming slightly behind her.

"Do you always let your employees be so...so..." I search for the word as I turn to fully face him.

"Unruly? No. She oversteps her grounds every once in a while since she thinks she has wiggle room as a former fling." Natsu sighs as he thumbs through some documents.

"You slept with her?!" I exclaim and he shoots me a glare. I bite my lip.

"Yes, before I hired her," he tells me before returning to his papers.

"Will we stay friends when you get bored with me?" I ask him as I turn to face the windows again. He doesn't answer me. In fact I hear total silence.

"Natsu?" I start to turn around when my arm is pulled gently and I end up kissing Natsu. I quickly jump back, hitting the window. "Hey, what are you, stupid?!" I hiss. I stop when I see his expression.

"Wh-what's wrong?" My voice is quieter.

"That was your answer," he says before returning to his desk. I furrow my brow slightly, and then I storm over to his desk and slam my hand down; he hardly even glances at me.

"The hell kind of an answer was that?" My other hand is on my hip.

"Figure it out, until then, don't ask anymore questions. I'll have plenty of that when the interviewers get here. And when that happens, don't say a word. You'll stay in my chair while I talk to them," he says sternly and I pull my hand from his desk.

"Yeah, sure." Right as I say that the door to Natsu's office opens and Lisanna returns with three people trailing behind her.

"...and this is his office. Don't mind the woman over there, she's just a visitor. Oh, please refrain from taking pictures, you all have plenty from the photoshoot on Friday," she tells them before leaving. Natsu stands and moves out from behind the desk. I plop down in his seat and watch him move with the interviewers to a set of chairs and a couch.

The interviewers looked at me with curious eyes but I kept quiet. They asked Natsu all about a relationship he had a few months ago over summer. I thought he said he only had one night flings? Was I not his first exception? Did he...actually like a girl at one point?

"She captured some of my interest. She was a beautiful woman, but really after some time she just became a major annoyance. I hate to say it, but I got bored. I picked the wrong woman and it became clear to me." He answered one of their questions.

"Is there anyone new?" One asked, leaning forward. I held my breath.

"No. I have no interest in that kind of thing." He said bluntly, after hesitating slightly. I released my breath, nodding slightly. I could have told them that. But what are you really thinking?

"And that gorgeous woman over there?" My gaze moves to an interviewer who was looking right at me with a small smirk. I smile slightly and look away, embarrassed he brought me up like that.

"She's a good friend of mine." He tells the guy with hints of cold. The interviewer just nodded and after a few more moments he pulled his gaze from me. "Alright, times about up. I have other business to attend, so if you don't mind please leave."

I watch them go, and the guy who had been watching me winked before he walked out the door. I looked away from it to see Natsu standing beside me, arms folded.

"What the hell was that Heartfilia?" Natsu spins the chair to where I'm facing him.

"What?" I shrug.

"What just happened with you and that interviewer?" He growls. I raise my eyebrow.

"Why the hell do you care? You aren't my boyfriend or anything..." I mutter.

"You're currently mine," he says getting in my face.

"Who says?! You've got no way of keeping me!" I snap back at him. His look darkens.

"You wanna bet on that one babe?" His question is menacing.

"I'll bet my freedom on it."

• • ☙ • •

What do you guys think of the magazine cover i put together? I think it's kinda cute! I might make a few more, it's fun.

Also how are you liking this book so far? I know i have yet to breech full on lemon, but hey, i'm working on it! I'm really liking this book honestly, it's fun to write. I draw from a darker untapped place in my mind and it's enjoyable bringing to life this "friends with benefits" type of relationship.

✿ dedicated to Mkat1227 for her birthday! happy ( 1 day early ) sixteenth kitten, i love you ✿