Sleepless

TRINITY

“What am I doing?” I ask myself in the mirror.

Last night I kept turning in bed for some reason that I didn’t even know. That was the first night that I didn’t think of Oli since he passed away. All I could think of was the gorgeous gray-eyed who ran away from his office and didn’t come back after the meeting.

What’s his problem anyway?

I play with my engagement ring on my finger while I’m humming the song on my phone. My officemates are already rushing to get in the cramming elevator. Some say hi, greet a good morning, and some think that I’m invisible. I know exactly what they talk about, so I keep my volume on my headset louder even it’s already deafening my ears.

Enough thinking of Bash! You had all that last night! I’m sure he isn’t doing the same.

I start my routine as soon as I get into my office. Still no signs of Bash. It’s almost nine in the morning when I check the time on my laptop.

“Wow! Very impressive for the second day. The most punctual Hughes in the History of Hughes!” I slump my ass back to my chair dramatically.

“Well, thank you, sweetheart.”

I jerk in my seat and compose myself when I meet the gray-eyed old version of him.

“S-sorry. Um, good morning, Mr. Hughes!” I say and raise from my seat as the heat creeps on my cheeks. I am sure he knows who I am talking about.

“Kiara, Bash won’t be here. His driver just informed me that Bash is still in bed and not feeling well. I guess he has jet lag. I will let him work from his home, or he can take off for the rest of the week,” he says politely. He is the best father to Lizzy and Bash. Though he’s very strict as boss while at work, but he’s nothing like when he’s out of his building.

“So, he won’t be here today?” I ask, and my voice sounds disappointed. Jeez!

He chuckles. “I need him to sign some papers, and you have to go to his penthouse. I need the documents at the end of the day.” He pauses and fishes out something in his pants pocket. “Take this key if he will not open for you, and I will write down the passcode on his security system.”

I take the key from his hand, unsure. My brows meet as I look up at him. He’s smiling at me, and I can’t help but smile back and nod in understanding.

***

I meet Bash’s driver, Edmund at the lobby. He helps me up to the penthouse, then he goes down when I’m already at the front door of Bash luxurious den.

I press the doorbell; Daddy Seb said if he won’t open for me, then that’s the time I will use the key and the passcode.

I start tapping my black high heels on the floor patiently, a gift from Lizzy when we went shopping two weeks ago. That’s one of the perks of having a best friend and the daughter of the Billionaire, always having gifts.

I press again, no answer.

I roll my eyes and press it repeatedly. Jeez, is he deaf? Is he really not feeling well? Did he happen to eat peanut butter or strawberries?

I know he has allergies to them.

Before I can press again, I hear him from the other side saying he’s coming. I stand straight and hug my file manager tightly to my chest and take deep breaths.

My heart starts thundering in my chest. The shiny dark wooden door unlocks and swings open.

Wow! If he looks hotter than the molten lava, now half-naked Bash looks hotter than hell. How does it even possible? His black bedhead hair looks good even it shouldn’t. He looks tired, though. With half-closed eyes, he rubs his face with his long fingers.

“Can’t you be a little patient?” he comments with his sleepy voice. He opens the door wider for me and walks away without looking back. I want to inspect his body, but he’s already leaving me standing glued in front of his door.

He ignores me. Great!

What are you expecting, Kiara?

A gasp escapes my lips as he turns his back on me, and I am sure he hears it because he stops and freezes. He turns around and looks at me with my hand already on my mouth. My green eyes widen, and I can’t say anything like I lose all my thoughts.

“Trinity, please, come in, and close the door behind you. I’ll just put a shirt on,” he says after clearing his throat. He walks away again while I’m still standing frozen.

I blink many times and swallow hard before I get my voice back. “Oh, my God.”

“Have a seat, Trinity. Be down a bit,” he says as he walks away.

From his torso to his back are muscles-ripped, and they look sexier when he moves. He must work out a lot to gain that. He took care of himself while he was away. Unlike me, I have a lazy ass to even run on a treadmill, but my body never gained weight since I was a kid.

Finally, I am able to move when his back is finally out of my sight. I walk toward his enormous and modern living room. I place down the folder on the coffee table that I’ve been gripping tightly against my chest. I sit down and rest my back on his expensive couch.

I let my eyes wander around. I’m used to seeing a luxurious home since I’m close to his family. The living room has a black brick wall decorated with modern and stylish furniture with enormous floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Raindrop’s inspired chandelier is hanging in the double-high ceiling room.

I hear footsteps get closer, so I am quickly on my feet as I draw a deep breath to face my gorgeous boss.

“Morning, Trinity!” He smiles that makes a school girl daydream, showing his dimples and straight pearly white teeth as you’ve seen on toothpaste commercials.

“Good morning, Mr. Hughes. Your dad sent me here for you to sign some documents that he needs to be at his desk at the end of the day.” I bend down to grab the folder from the coffee table.

He slumps his body down to his couch with a loud whoosh. He rubs his temples with fingers, then he releases a sigh, tapping the space between us. I stand still with furrowed brows, glaring at him. He stops rubbing his temples when he notices me not moving.

“Tri, I have a terrible headache. Can we talk later about what Dad told you?” He’s feeling close to me, huh? Tri, my ass.

I have a terrible and horrible heart. It beats faster like I run three miles on a treadmill.

“Why do you have my name tattooed on your back?” I ask out of curiosity, but more likely an interrogation.

He sits straight, and he is on his feet in a second. “Follow me. I need caffeine,” he says, but it sounds like a command.

He saunters away. I groan, kicking off my high heels when I saw him barefooted. “Mr. Hughes!” I yell as I follow him like a puppy.

He stops abruptly, so I halt to stop to avoid bumping into him.

“Call me Mr. Hughes again—”

“Or what?” I cut him off.

“Trinity,” he warns.

“You didn’t answer me.”

“Bash,” he responds.

“What?”

“You didn’t answer me, Bash,” Rephrasing, I emphasize his name. I pout and follow him to his copper colored-wall kitchen. “Why didn’t you go to work?” I ask while he’s busy filling up the coffee machine.

He has a perfect and muscular athletic body. He was physically fit before he left, but now he looks more mature, muscle-ripped, and hotter than every woman daydreams of taking him into their beds.

Shitty brain!

He doesn’t answer me. Instead, he opens the wall-mounted fridge, taking a transparent plastic container. He opens the microwave, placing two croissants inside, then he closes and presses the screen to set the timer.

“Take a seat, Tri,” that’s all he says, and I feel annoyed.

I do what he said. He ignores my questions then I will ignore his. He places a plate with pastries, a mug of black coffee, and another mug in front of me with cream. I am kind of touched that he still remembers what I like.

“I put sugar on that,” he says.

I lift my eyes to look at him, and it’s a mistake because he’s staring at me. He raises his brow like asking me.

I shake my head, grab the steaming mug, and sip it silently. It tastes like what I really like.

“I was drunk last night when I got this tattoo. I can’t remember what happened. It’s vague, but I remember something that I got into some tequila shots challenge.”

I don’t look at him.

He sips his coffee. “I was surprised to see it in the mirror when I went up to grab a shirt,” he adds.

Why do I feel it isn’t awkward talking with him?

“Don’t worry. I will ask for an appointment with a cosmetic surgeon. Maybe they can remove it while it still fresh.”

I look at him and nod.

“I will work here today. I don’t have the strength to go to the office.”

“Okay.”

“It means you stay here too. I have an office here from the door to the left.”

“I know.”

“Where is he?” all of a sudden, he asks.

My brows furrow. “Who?”

“Luke.” He looks at my fingers. “Your fiancé.”

My eyes widen before I burst out laughing. “Luke? My fiancé?”

He looks confused, and looks hurt?

“Luke is not my fiancé, Bash. I’m not marrying a gay.” I press my lips together to contain my smile.

“Then, who is your fiancé?” he asks.

My smile fades. “Luke is my gay roommate since college, and he’s engaged to Ryker.”

I feel like I just drained all my energy. I can’t believe he doesn’t know what happened to my fiancé. I guess Lizzy didn’t mention anything to him about me.

My shoulders droop. “My fiancé died six months ago,” I say slowly.

His eyes widen in shock. He swallows hard and blinks rapidly. “I’m so sorry, Tri. I’ve no idea.”

“Of course, you don’t. Why would you even care about my misery when you are living the life that you deserve in a foreign country?”

“Of course, I care, Tri,” he says, sounding sympathetic.

“Like you are.”

“Tri,” he says, grabbing my left hand, causing me to gasp. He does too, but he doesn’t let go. Instead, he tightens the grip. The heat from the contact spreads through my toes that I curl unbeknownst.

My heart swells, which makes my breathing catch. I pull my hand, but Bash manages to tighten it even more.

I look at our hands slowly up to his taut arm, to his chest that is breathing heavily, to the throat that swallows, to his red slightly parted lips, to his straight nose, and to his gorgeous and mesmerizing gray eyes that are looking straight back at my green ones.

We look at each other for as long as I can take his gaze. He never breaks it until I surrender. I feel his thumb moving and gently caressing my knuckles. I almost moaned at the sensation of the caress he is giving me. I can’t help but grip his hand back tighter as if I’ll fall from the stool if I let it go.

“Trinity.”

My breath holds in my lungs.

“I’m here now.” I can feel the concern in his tone, but what I can hear is the longingness so thick. His voice turns huskier and deeper.

I pull my hand abruptly when he loosens it a bit.

“Let’s get back to work,” I announce before I stand, taking my coffee with me. I walk back to the couch.

His office is bigger than my room and cozier than his main office. With dark wooden walls, his mahogany desk is placed at the center with nothing but only his laptop on top. From my left are the two opposites shelves of hardback books. From his back are the cabinets and drawers where he probably places some files.

One long brown L-shaped leather couch and a brown chair are at its left side, and a small liquor cabinet aligning the couch. What catches my attention is the sketch of his face that I still remember he stole from me, and now it’s framed and mounted on the wall just above the couch.

“Is that the sketch that you stole from me?” My heart melts.

How does he even keep this for so long?

He smirks. “Seat on the couch, Trinity, and give me the papers that Dad wants me to sign. Anything important for my schedule today?”

I offer a folder that has documents in it.

“You don’t have an appointment for today. Your dad said you can take the rest of this week as your off if you want to, or you can work from here. As you wish.”

He looks at me. “Really?”

I nod. “Ask your dad to confirm.”

“That’s not how to answer your boss, goldfish,” he says casually.

I stay still.

“It still affects you, Tri.”

“That’s not right to bully your assistant, Mr. Hughes!” I say firmly before I walk toward the couch.

He only chuckles.

I sit on the couch, frowning. Why my life has to be this sucks? What I did that God has to punish me since birth?

“Trinity?”

My head snaps.

“I mean it.”

“About what?”

“That I’m here now.”

“I don’t need you.”

He rises from his chair and walks in my direction, taking a seat beside me. My heart can combust in my chest as he leans closer to me, wrapping his strong arms around me. He plants his chin on top of my head.

I can feel his body press against mine. I can smell his masculine cologne scent.

I can’t help myself not to wrap my hands on his arm as I press it closer to me. I close my eyes and feel him and just listen to his breathing and heartbeat at this moment. I’m sure he can hear how my heart is beating too fast. For him.

“I need you, Trinity,” he says, kissing the top of my head. I don’t let him go because I know that I need him too.