MARINA ONE-SHOTS

CHAPTER 10: WORKPLACE AU (PART V)

I try to calm my breathing as soon as I snap awake. I have no clue where the hell I am. I squeeze my eyes shut as pain flatters in my head. It is throbbing, and the overload paralyzes me for a few precious seconds. I try to bury my head into the pillow and as soon as I feel a shirt sticking to my skin, I realize, this wasn't a normal morning. At least, not as normal as it is supposed to be. I know something is up but can't exactly pin the red on the map. I don't usually sleep with my office clothes on and I certainly don't wake up feeling like death most of the time. I twist my head against the light in the room and open my eyes.

A yelp makes its way to my throat as soon as my eyes land on the person beside me. My body freezes and my heart starts to race. Anyone will freak out if they open their eyes and see that they weren't alone in bed.

Except this isn't my bed.

It is Carina's.

I sigh and fall back on the bed, as I try to remember what happened last night. I took her out on a date. We drank a lot. I took her home and then she fell asleep. She asked me to stay and I was too tired to go down to sleep on the couch and instead fell asleep right here. On her bed. With her. And we didn't have sex. Carina was as much clothed under the covers as I was.

I let out a huge breath of relief. We didn't have sex. That means I didn't break any rules.

I turn to look at her again. Her eyes are shut, eyelashes glinting by the sunlight that was pouring inside the room, which left shadows on her cheek. I had a sudden desire to run a hand through her brown hair that fell around her like a halo, but that would wake her up. I got a feeling in my chest. A feeling that I hadn't felt in a long time. Like I was looking directly at the sun and made no move to look away.

I had to get out of there.

I quietly shift my body to the edge of the bed, trying not to shuffle too much. But Carina was deep in her sleep and didn't look like she was waking up any time soon. I slowly raised the covers above me and wiggled out of the bed. Carina was still out cold as if nothing had happened. She must have been tired by the amount of intoxication she went through yesterday. She didn't even budge when I accidentally tripped over the bed and almost fell face fast on the floor.

I was breathing hard by the time I was at the door, ready to slip away. The covers only covered her just above the waist, the pink dress shirt sticking to her body tightly. Nothing about her sleeping seemed sexy but I couldn't help but stare. She was beautiful. And she looked so peaceful, I almost wanted to go back into the bed and wrap my arms around her until we fell asleep again.

But that couldn't happen. No.

I open her door and silently slip away, closing it softly behind me. Running downstairs, I pick up my bag and phone before I find my keys lying on the kitchen counter and almost run out of her house.

Once inside my car, I check my phone. I had several messages from Andy and Vic demanding to know what happened last night and another from my mother asking if she could come to visit. I quickly type in a reply to them and started my car. The drive to my house doesn't take long from where Carina lived. Ten minutes by car and probably twenty minutes by walking. I could easily swing by her house every time I go out for a run.

It is almost eight when I get home. One hour until I have to leave for the office again.

I sigh and walk into my room, stripping off the clothes from yesterday, and dumping them in the laundry before going into the shower. I groaned as soon as the water hit my body, the exhaustion taking over along with the throbbing pain in my head. The only thing I wanted to do was go to bed and sleep the whole day but I had to make it to the office. I had a big meeting coming up with a client and I just had to win him over, no matter what.