'Til I Found You (COMPLETED)

12

Christmas break has come. The teachers plan to spend their year-end party at a resort, and Aga rents the entire venue for two days. He is willing to spend any amount just to be near her—just to feel her inches closer again. Everything is set a week before this day. Lea is a flurry of anxiety; he is her weakness, and being near him again might let her guard down. Aga is determined to bridge the gap she set between them. Weeks of her keeping her distance haven't peeved him; in fact, it only challenges him to amp up his actions. Little does she know that Aga took a course of action with the help of the entire teaching and admin staff. His friends tease him about it, but he is desperate to win her back, even if it means bringing out the predator in him.

William, his Casanova friend, once told him, "Gapangin mo na kase tol. Buntisin mo para wala ng kawala pa." He chuckles at the thought, but if things turn rough and such an idea becomes his last resort, he might actually consider it. Both of them are no longer young; he wants to settle down—to be with his future kids, attend school meetings, drop them off, and pick them up. He wants to raise children with his dream wife, Lea. He pulls back to his senses when Cielo informs him that Lea has just arrived. Everyone acts casual so she won't smell something fishy. He stays at the pool area, where the cottage is clear in his vision.

"Ay ang tagal, madam!" Jason helps prepare their feast.

Lea steps into the cottage. "Told you. I was hesitant to come."

"Sus! Ang KJ Ms. Lea ha. Ikaw lang ang wala kung hindi ka pumunta," says Trina, the HR head.

"Yeah. Right." She furtively roams her eyes around, unaware that he can see her every move from a distance. He smirks, seeing her searching the place as if looking for someone. She wears a one-piece swimsuit with a plunging neckline, while her waist down is covered with a scarf. It would be a huge lie if he said it wasn't a turn-on; she wakes up the wildness in him.

Emma clears her throat and sings a few lines from a song:
"Pasulyap-sulyap ka't kunwari'y. Patingin-tingin sa akin
Di maintindihan ang ibig mong sabihin
Kung mayro'ng pag-ibig ay
Ipagtapat mo na sa akin
AGAd naman kitang sasagutin"

Lea grasps the teasing looks from her co-teachers and shakes her head, smiling. He isn't around yet, she thinks. She feels a brief comfort knowing Aga might be late or stuck in traffic, but the urge to ask is too strong. "Mmmmm. So... uhm... t-tayo lang ata ang nandito noh? I mean, no other guests?"

Jason responds, "May gusto kaseng solohin si Sir Aga eh." Emma elbows him so hard he winces. "Aray ko ha! Ang ibig ko lang naman sabihin ayaw ni Sir na may ibang makisalo sa atin. Gusto niya ma-SOLO... yung buong place."

"So he rented the whole place?" she asks.

"Yeah. I did."

A manly voice answers from behind her. The teasing eyes of her colleagues kick off, and she finds herself unable to move. His musk scent mixes into the air she breathes, and his warm presence kisses her smooth skin. He slowly takes steps toward her until she feels him standing directly behind her.

"Teka sandali. San ba si Cielo? Yung batang yun talaga bigla-bigla nawawala. Hahanapin ko nga," Emma excuses herself.

"Naku macheck nga kung maraming gwapong crew dito," Jason adds, dragging three co-teachers with him. The rest find excuses to leave as well until they are alone. He reaches for a glass of water on the table fronting Lea. She feels the heat of his body against her.

"G-good morning, Sir." She tries to move, but he leans his hand on the table, blocking her path.

"Good morning too." His lips are an inch from her neck. He can feel the heavy breaths she takes. "Why are you late?"

She remains with her back to him. After days of spacing out, here she is again—entrapped in his arms. "I... uhhh... I... I lost track of t-time, Sir. Sorry."

"Is that how you talk to your school director? Nakatalikod?"

She slowly turns around. The sight of his half-naked body stuns her. He wears black board shorts that reveal his physique. "S-sorry, Sir. I... I meant to say that... uhmmm..." She is losing her mind; the man in front of her is a deliberate tease.

"That what, Ms. Salazar?" He moves closer, his chest almost brushing against her. He has noticed other men darting sticky glances at her since she arrived, and the revealing suit peeves him.

"Th-that because of the... the traffic, Sir. I... aaah... I arrived late." She avoids his burning gaze, but the heat is already rising through her system.

"Alright. I see. Change your suit," he orders.

"What?" She gazes up at him.

"Do I have to repeat what I said? You heard me. Change that damn suit or I'll rip it off."

She scoffs. "Excuse me, Sir, but I think you're crossing the line. I'll wear what I want."

"Don't impugn me. Wear something that covers your tits or my hands will cover those for you." He takes a closer look at her face. "And you know what's next. You choose."

She sneers at him. "Why do you care? Atsaka hindi naman ata ako nainform na may required outfit pala. Eh di sana I wear a sweatshirt instead."

"I don't want to argue with you. Magbihis ka."

"What if I won't?" She crosses her arms defiantly.

He fights the urge to pull her in and devour those red lips, though his palms itch to touch her. He leans both hands on the table, pinning her against it. "Don't push me to my limit."

She maintains her tough exterior despite a heartbeat that screams his name. "I'm not. Baka lang kase nagkakalimutan tayo. We broke up already, Sir."

"Baka lang din nagkakalimutan tayo. I don't remember agreeing to that."

"You don't have to. I don't need your validation. Ayoko na. That is all." She expects him to walk away, but he only smirks.

"We'll see." He turns to leave.

"What do you mean?" she calls out, raising a brow.

He keeps his back to her, hands slid into his pockets. "No one else can have you like I do, Lei. Mananatili kang akin."

That shuts her up. Her friends are right—he is not a man who lets go easily. He is a person who gets what he wants. Each step she takes away from Aga seems to drag him even closer. He isn't giving up, but she cannot be defeated by her weakness again. She has to take control of her emotions—not just for herself, but for the man she loves dearly.