Bad Times at Sunrise (La Fortuna Series #3)

Kabanata 45

I straddled his back when I was done with his hands. Itinaas ko ang scrubs niya at naglagay ng handcream sa kaniyang likod. Even his back was beautiful! It was muscly and firm and smooth. Sunod kong minasahe ang kaniyang biceps. His arms were hard even though he wasn't flexing them. After his biceps, I laid next to him and massaged his temples and clenched jaw.

He stopped my fingers that were now trailing his sharp jawline. Iminulat niya ang kaniyang mga mata upang mataman akong titigan. He looked as handsome as ever. Pagod pero guwapo pa rin.

"You are heaven-sent, Sunny. Where were you my entire life?"

Natawa ako. "Probably flirting with La Fortuna's entire male population."

Hinila niya ako palapit sa kaniya at mahigpit na niyakap. Inayos niya iyong kumot para pareho kaming mabalot nito. His arms, incredibly warm and heavy, had always been where I belonged.

A soft kiss landed on my forehead. "You are my favorite person," he whispered.

"You are my favorite person, too."

I could say we had a good night's sleep, but we even had a better morning. Pareho kaming hinihingal ni Ico nang umalis siya mula sa pagkakasampa sa akin. He pulled me toward him and cupped my face. 

I always loved the way he looked after sex. Dahil mestizo siya, halata ang pagpula ng kaniyang leeg, pisngi, at tenga. His lips were bee-stung and red. His eyes were glass-stained, and his body had beads of sweat on it. He looked high, disheveled, mine.

Gusto kong umahon pero pinigilan niya ako. "Ico," angal ko dahil male-late na ako sa trabaho. "Pakawalan mo nga ako. Masisisante ako sa ginagawa mong 'to, e."

"Just a few more minutes. I want to hold you longer."

"Sige ka. Hindi ko mababayaran 'yong utang ko sa 'yo kapag nasisante nga ako."

"You're not going to get fired. I'm one of your company's shareholders."

"Now that's unfair. My colleagues are going to talk if they knew you have my back. Grabeng discrimination na nga ang kailangan kong harapin kasi male-dominated ang industriyang pinasukan ko. What more if they knew I was fucking one of the shareholders behind their backs?"

Umangat ang ulo niya upang mas maigi akong mapagmasdan. "You're being discriminated?" he sounded offended.

"It's normal. Ganiyan talaga kapag babae ka at nasa engineering field ka. Medyo nakakainis lang kasi marami akong magandang ideya pero walang nakikinig. Minsan uulitin lang nila iyong sinabi ko tapos aakuing sila 'yong nakaisip no'n."

His brows furrowed. "You should report them."

"It's no use. Besides, I just want to work peacefully."

"What else do they do to you? Sinasaktan ka ba nila?"

Napangiwi ako. "Of course, not! They still value their jobs enough for that. Iyong iba nga lang, lagi akong inaaya ng date. Ni hindi na nga ako sumusuot ng dress o skirt kahit gusto ko kasi baka hindi nila ako respetuhin. They think I'm in this field to look for a hookup."

"That's sexual harassment. I can call Yuki, so she can represent you."

"It's fine," I insisted. 

"Sunny," he warned. His eyes turned into slits.

"Ayos lang talaga. As I said, I just want to work peacefully."

Bumuntong-hininga siya. He tenderly raked my hair away from my face. "Alright. But if you ever encounter any of those things again, tell me. You worked hard for your title. You are not inferior to your colleagues just because you are a woman."