Epiphany

4

1 am, my digital clock beeped. I have been turning and tossing on my bed for the past five hours.

I give up and sit up in my bed.

I decide to take a tour around the house.

As I wander outside, I discover they have a pool, a cool ass backyard and.. holy cow, a basketball court!

I try my luck and look for a basketball and I'm in my luck.

Oh, it's been ages.

I start dribbling and moving, enjoying the air hitting my face and running and shooting.

Suddenly, I can feel someone trying to get the ball from me and I turn in that moment shoot a straight and smooth 3 pointer. Only then do I register the person and flinch at his presence.

"Oh, hi" I pant and smile, embarrassed- for what, I don't know.

"Hey" He whispers, his voice low and husky.

"Hey" I say stupidly again.

"I'm surprised you play well. You have a very uncanny ability to surprise me everytime I think I've figured you out" He mutters, although I'm sure that last sentence wasn't for me to hear.

Why the hell should he be surprised?

"What say, we'll have a game before I show you something?" He asks, his lips set in an arrogant smirk. He thinks he can win.

I hesitate.

"Relax. You won't lose that bad" He says feigning innocence. Oh, okay.

"One shoot.  A three pointer and you win" He states. Fair enough.

"You're on, Cass" I smirk and startle him with a fake pass.

"You're going to pay for that, Rogers" He shakes his head with a grin and runs after me as I aim directly for the hoop. I was at an advantage and I was not going to let this go.

I move fast and efficient, but suddenly I catch Hunter's eyes and I can see he moves with a tiger's easy grace. Suddenly, I feel him close and I know he's behind me trying to get the ball. I also note that the hoop is behind me.

Good one, Cass, I think.

I run forward, turn, aim and shoot. Just when it's about to hit the hoop clear and cut, Hunter grabs the ball in mid air, runs to where I am and shoots and it falls right into the hoop.

Damn.

"Nice play" I shake his hand and smile and mentally make a not of the move.

"You too, Rogers" he winks. He's as close as he can be without touching me. His grin fades and his hand caresses my arm and halts at my middle finger, where my infamous tattoo lies.

"You seemed interested in the tattoo" I state and he looks at me and gives me his enigmatic smile. It's infectious.

He holds up his hand and shows me his middle finger. I gape at him, shocked.

HE HAS THE SAME TATTOO! I want to scream but I stifle it in.

"And the business deal, how'd you know what I was going to say?" He asks

"Why'd you ask me to stay?" I counter and he sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

"I asked you first" he says. What are we, five?

After a moment, I resolve to tell him. Why, don't ask me because I don't know. Maybe because I'm going out of my mind!

"I used to say the same thing" I say, still unsure about telling him the whole story. That would be like telling him my entire life story. That would be novel, me telling him everything.

Thankfully, he accepts my answer for now.

"I asked you to stay, because.. I don't know alright, I don't. I just wanted you there" he says, obviously frustrated that he can't figure it out.

"What're you doing out?" He asks.

"Couldn't sleep" I mutter.

"Come" he holds his hand out to me. I take it and he drags me past my room and his, and I just realised my room is right next to his, up to the terrace. The terrace has a huge cemented well kind of thing that has a ladder to it. We climb it and in between is a huge door like thing but he doesn't open it. Instead he drags a small cushion like thing and sits on it.

I regard him quizzically.

"Come, sit" he says.

"Where?" I ask

And he pats his lap, gesturing me to come and sit on his lap. What the hell?

This is.. he's my boss, well kind of.

"I'm not your boss. I know you own the security company you were sent from" he suddenly snaps. His eyes blazing.

WHAT?!

"I don't know what you're talking about" I lie. How does he know?!

"Either that or you own something else. It's impossible for a plain security team manager to say that" he says. Oh so he just guessed.

Guessed on point, my subconscious snarls. I slap her down.

"We're friends, Rogers. You can tell me" he says softly. Denying his offer to sit on his lap, I lie down next to him. He frowns, gets off the stool like thing and lies down next to me.

"Where you being so nice to me?" I ask

"Why? I don't know. It's annoying. You're nice, you really are. I really really hope we're friends" he says. He sounds different. Scared and vulnerable. Something tells me he's never done this before

"Okay. We are. Cass, working for you is.. it feels different. It's so unprofessional. I've never even smiled on duty. Thank you, I had an amazing first day" I smile and gaze at his beautiful face

"Rogers, you're working with me. Not for me. I know, I've done my research about your earlier positions" he says, his eyes twinkling under the stars.

"Come here" he says and opens his arms out for me. I hesitate and he nods, willing me.

I shift so my head rests on his chest and his arms wrap around me and I fit right in. Like the place in his arms was made just for me but well he doesn't do relationships and I don't do dating my colleague or bosses.

I don't think I'd ever be able to imagine not working for or with this man. He's addicting.

"You fit right in" he says, with the uncanny ability to read my mind, although I'm not sure if he's talking about me or my job.

"Mhmm" I hum and fall asleep, his heartbeat and the weaving of his chest a lullaby to my ears