"What?!" nanlilisik ang mga mata ni Beatrix habang nakatingin sa binatang prenteng nakaupo sa sofa, tila hindi ito nagulat sa naging reaksyon niya. She gave out a humourless laughter "nahihibang ka na ba talaga? o baka naka drugs ka?"
Xander smiled confidently "that's my condition, princess. If you want me to sign those papers, be my wife again for at least three months" he replied emphasizing the words 'at least'. He continued "it could certainly be longer than 3 months kung magustuhan mo ang-"
"wow! you have some nerve assuming that I would still be dying to be your wife again!" she almost yelled at the guy kung hindi lamang niya iniisip na baka marinig ito ng mga kasambahay at ng anak. Malapit na yatang lumuwa ang mga mata niya sa tindi ng panlilisik ng mga iyon. How could Xander think that she will agree to a very childish & selfish proposition like this?!
"Bakit Beatrix? hindi mo ba gusto ng napipilitan kang gawin ang isang bagay? Like when someone traps you into doing something?" makahulugang tanong nito "If I remember correctly, I was in the same predicament more than 5 years ago... someone trapped me but then I did the right thing, hindi ba? don't you think you owe me the same kind of gesture?" Umunat ito sa pagkakaupo at muling sumandig sa sofa, habang ang naghahamong tingin ay hindi iniaalis sa kanya.
Beatrix was pacing back and forth but abruptly stopped in front of Xander when she heard what he said.
"Oh,! oh so I see!" she said amused "this is about payback isn't it? Hindi ka pa rin ba nakapag move on sa kasalanan ko sa'yo kaya gusto mo akong perwisyuhin ng ganito?!"
"Perwisyuhin?" tumayo si Xander sa kinauupuan at nagsimulang humakbang papalapit sa kinatatayuan niya.
Agad nilamon ng kaba ang dibdib ni Beatrix ng makitang papalapit ito sa kanya. She stepped back as he was approaching hanggang sa maramdaman niya ang dingding sa kanyang likuran.
Tumaas, bumaba ang dibdib ni Beatrix sa malalim na paghinga ng makarating si Xander sa kanyang harapan. The man was standing a few inches away from her, itinukod nito ang dalawang kamay sa dingding sa kanyang likuran, trapping her between him and the wall. He was towering over her sa taas nitong humigit kumulang anim na talampakan, yumukod ito upang magpantay ang kanilang mga mukha.
She tried hard not to let her nervousness show. Her silly heart is going ballistic right now, na halos pangapusan siya ng hininga sa pagkakalapit nilang iyon, idagdag pa ang mga mata ng binatang parang hinihipnotismo siya.
"Perhuwisyo na ba para sa iyo ngayon ang ideya na makasama ako, Beatrix?" his baritone voice was husky at nalalanghap ni Beatrix ang hininga nito nang magsalita. His breath is so familiar to her - sweet, intoxicating and it invokes so many tingling sensations in her body.
"A-ano...y-you know I'm b-busy!" she managed to say.
Oh God! She is really looking like an idiot in front of this man! Ni hindi niya makuhang magsalita ng tuwid, let alone meet those gaze that's slowly melting her! "J-just sign those damn papers will you!"
"And what if I say no, hmm?" sagot ni Xander habang ang mga kamay ay nanatili sa dingding, tila iyon mga bakal na hindi matitinag.
Hindi makapaniwala siyang napatingala rito sa narinig. Wrong move. Dahil sa ginawa niya ay nagsalubong ang kanilang mga mata. Xander's gaze never fails to hypnotize her in a way she'll never understand. Ito lamang ang natatanging lalaking kayang palambutin ang kanyang mga tuhod at lunurin ang puso niya gamit lamang ang mga matang iyon. She gulped while her eyes locked in with his. She was like in a trance, gustuhin man niyang bawiin ang tingin ay hindi niya magawa.
Xander's left hand went to softly caress her cheek. Napapikit siya sa ginawa nito.
Shit Beatrix! Why are you letting him do this to you?! Wake up! sigaw ng maliit na tinig sa kanyang isip.
With the little strength she has left, ay sinubukan niyang itulak itong palayo, using both her hands against his chest. Muli, tila iyon isang pagkakamali dahil ni hindi ito natinag sa kanyang ginawa, sa halip ay mabilis nitong hinawakan ang dalawa niyang kamay na nakapatong sa dibdib nito. He held her hands in place on his chest, not letting her take them away. Ramdam ni Beatrix ang matitipunong dibdib nito sa ilalim ng suot na damit, ganoon din ang malakas na tibok ng puso nito.
"I missed you" he said huskily "can't we start over again?"
"a-ano?" she whispered under heavy breathing
"Be my wife again, Beatrix..."
Muli siyang napalunok nang makita ang marahang pagbaba ng ulo nito sa kanya, and for the life of her! Alam niya ang susunod na mangyayari kapag hindi siya umiwas ngunit hindi magawang gumana ng utak niya upang iwasan iyon! All she did was close her eyes instead and wait for his lips to touch hers.
'Will you marry me, Bea?....'
'I love you...all of you...Let me be the man that you deserve...'
Bigla ang pagmulat niya ng mga mata ng maalala si Daniel. What is she doing? This isn't right! Mayroon ng isang lalaking umaasa sa kanya, someone who loves her and Mico! Xander is the past! Her past! Isang masaya at mapait na ala-ala na lamang itong hindi na niya dapat pang balikan.
"Stop..." she said, halos hindi lumabas ang tinig niya. Xander stopped exactly right when his lips were almost on her lips, bagaman hindi nito inilayo ang mukha.
"I...I have a...f-fiancee now..."
Dahan dahang inilayo ni Xander ang mukha mula sa kanya, his face was blank. Naglaho ang init sa mga mata ng lalaki, at sa halip ay napalitan ng tila yelong ekspresyon.
"Hindi ka pa ba sawa sa tarantadong iyon? Ang akala ko ba ay may expiration date ang paglalaro mo sa mga lalaking pinapaikot mo, before you toss them aside like trash? 1 year?" painsultong tanong ni Xander "or in my case, 9 months?" may pait na wika nito.
Beatrix's jaws dropped, maang siyang napatingin sa kaharap. What is he saying? Pinaglaruan? Tossed aside like trash? She stared at him confused.
******
Fuck! mura ni Xander sa sarili when he looked at Beatrix's face. She was staring at him na tila hindi nito naiintindihan ang sinasabi niya. And for fuck's sake! Her lips were slightly parted, as if inviting him to taste them! Kung hindi lamang niya pinipigilan ang sarili ay kukuyumusin niya ng mainit na halik ang mga labing iyon!
"I..I'm not following X-Xander" she asked, sounding confused
He stepped away from her. Kailangan niyang kalmahin ang sarili or else, he might take her right here and now, sa ayaw man o gusto nito. Hindi niya gustong kamuhian siya ni Beatrix kapag nagkagayon.
Namaywang siya "don't marry him"
"You can't tell me what to do! You and I, are over a long time ago! I will marry Daniel, whether you like it or not!" she retorded, ang mga kilay nito ay nagsalubong, her chest still heaving.
"but you can't if I don't sign those papers, right?"
"I-I'm sure there's a way around it! Abogado ko na ang bahalang makipag usap sa iyo, Mr. de Silva"
Mabilis siyang muling humakbang palapit sa kinaroroonan ni Beatrix. Naniningkit ang mga mata niya sa dalaga "are you that bent on having our marriage annuled para makapag pakasal sa kumag na iyon? Bakit? do you love him?"
Bahagyang natigilan ang dalaga sa tanong niya, bagaman agad itong nakabawi at taas noong sinalubong ang tingin niya "wala ka na roon! wala kang pakialam sa buhay ko! I will marry Daniel whethe-"
Hindi nito natapos ang sinasabi ng wala sabi niyang kinabig ang ulo nito palapit sa kanyang mukha, kissing those lips with the passion he's been trying to control ever since he saw her again. God! He spent countless sleepless nights imagining how this moment would feel like, how her lips would taste like again.
"Umpp!" she protested trying to break free from him, but one of his arms wound around her waist firmly holding her against him, habang ang isang kamay niya ay pumailalim sa buhok nito, gently grabbing her hair so she couldn't move.
He took his time savoring that kiss. Wala siyang pakialam kung may pumasok sa living room at makita sila. His heart was beating wildly, parang isang teenager na nakaranas ng first kiss.
Beatrix's lips remained closed, but after a few tries of coaxing her to open them, she did so with a soft moan. He took the chance to slid his tongue in, once again exploring the familiar sweetness inside. He heard her softly moan, na lalong nagbigay ng apoy sa nararamdaman niyang damdamin. Hindi nagtagal ay naramdaman niya ang unti-unting pag ganti nito sa mga halik niya.
He let go of her hair when he felt that she's no longer struggling to break free, he instead cupped her face from her jawline. Naramdaman niya ang pagdantay ng mga kamay nito sa kanyang dibdib. Lalo niyang idinikit ang sarili rito, deliberately letting her feel what she's doing to him.
Her eyes were wide when he moved his face a few inches away from hers upang sumagap ng hangin. He knew Beatrix felt that 'thing' poking her stomach. Namula ang magkabilang pisngi nito.
"Oh princess" he said huskily.
Fuck! He's gonna die from this agony!
Beatrix bit her lower lip, never taking her gaze off him. Akma niyang muli itong hahalikan ng may magsalitang isang maliit na tinig mula sa di kalayuan.
"Mommy!"
Kitang kita niya ang lalong panlalaki ng mga mata ni Beatrix. Panic and fright both registered on her beatufil face right away.
He slowly moved away from Beatrix at dahan dahang lumingon sa pinanggalingan ng tinig.
Tila itinulos siya sa kinatatayuan sa nakita! Standing a few feet away from them was a little boy! Para siyang sinabugan ng bomba sa sandaling iyon.
Mommy? Beatrix has a child?!