Mission Love

Five

Recap: I fell for him again..

I giggled, darting across the sandy beach. The tiny gravel beneath my feet tickled as I ran alongside the breezy wave, sending my hair flying back and forth.

"Wait… I’ll catch you soon."

A voice rang out behind me, but stopping was not an option—nope, not until I was suddenly scooped up from behind. I giggled even harder, half in surprise, half in sheer joy. I wrapped my arms around his huge, wide shoulders. His body felt warm against my skin as I hid my face in the crook of his neck. The fresh minty fragrance numbed my mind.

"Gotcha!"

The voice chirped, not even remotely winded, like carrying me was the easiest thing in the world. But, let’s be real—I’m no feather. Yet here I was, effortlessly hoisted up as if I weighed nothing more than a pillow.

This was it! My happiness!

"Aisha," the voice purred, as sweet as chocolate, so smooth and warm that it made me think of... well, someone else, someone who...

"Aisha"

Okay, now it was getting a bit annoying.

"What?"

I giggled peeking at the distorted face of the man, which scared me a bit, to be honest.

"Aisha...Wake up!"

The voice was much sharper; it made my ears ring, unlike the other one, followed by a not-so-gentle nudge to my shoulder.

"Mhm." I stirred, blinking groggily.
My vision was still fuzzy, but I could make out a figure leaning over me.

Naveen?

I blinked again, trying to focus.

Why was Naveen standing over me? And why did my neck feel like I’d been sleeping on a pile of bricks?

Wait a minute. Shit!

The harsh fluorescent lights, the papers strewn across the desk, and the computer screen still glowing finally made sense.

I wasn’t on a beach enjoying the waves; I was in the office.

I shot up in my seat, almost knocking over the coffee cup on the table.

"Oh crap! Did I fall asleep?"

Naveen nodded, his expression somewhere between concern and amusement. He looked far too fresh and alert for someone who had also pulled an all-nighter.

"You’ve been snoring for the past fifteen minutes."
I groaned, rubbing my eyes with the heel of my hand. My hair felt like it was trying to escape my scalp in all directions.

Before I could fully process the situation, a shadow loomed over my desk. I slowly looked up to see Ryan standing with an eyebrow raised and arms crossed.

"So," Ryan began, his tone icy yet somehow amused, "are you awake now?"

My mouth opened, but no sound came out. I probably looked like a fish out of water, gaping up at him.