“DO you want me to stay for the night?” tanong ni Ace matapos patayin ang makina ang kotse.
Pagkatapos manood ng sine ay niyaya siya nito sa isang exclusive bar na pagmamay-ari ng kaibigan nito. Dalawang araw nang wala si Armando dahil sa pag-aasikaso nito sa bago nitong itinatayong negosyo sa Palawan kaya ngayon na lang uli sila nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na magkita ng dalaga.Things haven’t been good between the two of them lately because of several reasons, one of which is their setup. He hates it every time he wanted to see her but she couldn’t because of his Dad. May mga pagkakataon rin na kahit may chance silang magkita ay ayaw ni Sahara dahil natatakot raw itong baka malaman ng kanyang ama.
“Are you sure?” muling tanong ni Ace.
Tumango lang si Sahara. Though she wanted very much to spend more time with Ace, she just couldn’t. She had a few drinks and feels like everything around her is moving. At kailangan rin niyang magisng nang maaga kinabukasan para sa huling photo shoot para sa isang shampoo ad. Iyon na ang huling shoot niya bago ang kasal nila ni Armando at pagkatapos noon ay nangako siya rito na hindi muna tatanggap ng anumang trabaho para sa kanilang honeymoon. He’s planning on an Asian cruise and she’s actually looking forward to it.
“Good night, Ace. See you,” paalam niya. Hinalikan niya ito sa pisngi.
“When?” tanong nito nang nakalabi, na nakapagpangiti sa kanya.
“Soon.” She cupped his cheeks and gave him a quick kiss.
“Let me stay for the night, please? We barely see each other these passed weeks and I miss you badly.” Mas lumapit pa ito sa kanya at hinimas ang kanyang pisngi. “ Don’t you miss me?”
“Ace, hindi tayo magkasama ngayon kung hindi kita nami-miss.”
“I love you.” He smiled and moved even closer to her seat.
”I love you too,” she whispered.
“Then, marry me instead. Marry me, Sahara. Be with me forever.”
Napanganga siya at natulala na hindi niya napansin ang hawak ng binata na kung hindi pa tamaan ng liwanag mula sa ilaw ay hindi niya iyon makikita. Mula sa mga mata ni Ace ay tiningnan niya ang hawak nitong singsing. Bukod sa malaking kumikinang na bato ay mayroon pang maliliit na diyamante sa paligid niyon.
Kinuha nito ang kaliwa niyang kamay at isusuot na sana ang singsing sa kanyang palasingsingan nang bigla itong natigilan dahil naroon na ang engagement ring na galing sa ama nito. Biglang nag-iba ang ekspresyon ng mukha ni Ace dahil doon.
“What’s it gonna take to change your mind about marrying him, Sahara?”
“Ace-“
“You told me to wait until you’ve made a decision, So, what now?”
Napasandal siya at napapikit. “Next time na lang natin pag-usapan, please?” Dahil lalo lang umikot ang paningin niya at parang binibiyak ang kanyang ulo sa sakit.
“The wedding’s in a couple of months. I need to know now if you’re really gonna go on with it because if so, I’ve got no more reason to stay.”
Napaangat ng tingin si Sahara.
“Is that what you want, huh, Sahara? Not to see me again?” he insisted.
“N-no.”
“Then, let’s do it. Let’s be together, away from here.”
“At pagkatapos, ano? Habang-buhay na kayong magkakaroon ng conflict ng Dad mo dahil sa akin?”
“Whichever way you choose, magkakaroon kami ng conflict ni Dad because of you. Haven’t you thought of that?”
Napailing si Sahara. Of course, he’s right. They’ve been into this for God knows how many times already and they always end up hurting each other. Kaya rin hangga’t maaari ay gusto niyang limitahan ang pagkikita nila dahil sa tuwing nagkikita sila ay hindi p’wedeng hindi nila mapag-usapan ang tungkol sa nalalapit nilang kasal ni Armando at sa tuwing nangyayari iyon ay hindi p’wedeng magkaroon sila ng kaunting pagtatalo.
“What do you expect will happen after marrying Dad? That we can carry on like this? ‘Yung p’wede pa rin tayong magkita, na p’wede pa rin tayong mag-“
Umiling siya kahit pa nga may parte sa kanya na gusto pa ring ituloy kung ano man ang meron sila kahit pagkatapos ng kasal niya kay Armando.
“Hindi mo ba naisip na kapag ikinasal na kayo, magiging stepson mo ako, magiging stepmother kita? Are you expecting that the three of us will be a family and finally live happily ever after? Well, let me remind you the goddamn fact, Sahara. Once you marry him, I’m going back to California with Tatianna, continue my business there and maybe, just maybe, start a family with her there.”
Doon siya napamaang. Hindi iyon ang unang beses na nasabi ni Ace ang plano nito sa oras na magdesisyon siyang ituloy ang kasal. At dapat ay tanggapin niya iyon dahil wala naman siyang kapangyarihan para baguhin ang isip ng binata - bukod na lang sa pag-urong niya sa kasal.
“If you can deal with me being your stepson, well, I can’t. Hindi ko kayang makitang magkasama kayo ni Dad. In fact, hindi ko kayang makita na may kasama kang iba. I’d rather stay away and not see you forever than torture myself and accept you as my stepmother and pretend that everything’s gonna be goddamn okay.”
And then, all of a sudden, she felt his lips came crushing into hers. Hinayaan lang niyang halikan siya nito hindi dahil sa wala siyang kakayahang pigilan ito kundi wala talaga siyang planong pigilan iyon.
Everything happened too fast that Sahara was more than surprised to realized that Ace was able to unbutton her blouse and unclasped her brassier. Her seat was already inclined to give them more room. His lips are now busy kissing her breast while his hand easily glided up her inner thigh.
Alam na ni Sahara ang gustong mangyari ng binata at alam niya sa kanyang sarili na hahayaan niya anuman ang gusto nito. Naging mabilis ang mga kamay niya sa paghubad ng suot nitong T-shirt at pagtanggal ng sinturon nito, kasunod ang pantalon.
Are they really going to do it here?
She tried pulling his face and forced him to look at her. His eyes were closed and when he opened them, she could only see one thing - desire.
Without saying a word, he quickly removed everything that’s on his way - her pants, sandals, her panties. And when she felt his fingers moved over her wetness, she couldn’t help but moan.
“You’re going to miss this when I’m gone, honey,” he whispered against her ear before biting her earlobe. “Nobody can ever give you this kind of pleasure. Not my Dad, no one.”
And Sahara just had to thrust her hips when he went down on her to taste her. She spread her legs and let him do what she loves best.
Napuno ng halinghing ni Sahara ang loob ng kotse at kahit pa malakas ang airconditioner ng sasakyan ay tila nag-aapoy ang buo niyang katawan. Nakahawak ang isa niyang kamay sa sandalan ng kotse samantalang ang isa ay nakasabunot sa buhok ni Ace para mas ilapit pa ang sarili sa binata. Pilit niyang binuksan ang mga mata para makita ang ginagawa nito.
It was an erotic sight, seeing his tongue plunge in and out of her, feeling it lap all over her center, tracing every fold and crevice. She’s got to admit that nobody else can make her come and scream over and over but Ace - and he knows it.
From her breast, one of his hands trailed down her body to caress her firm and soft buttocks. While lapping her wetness, he started massaging it with his fingers and before she could even react, she felt his two fingers enter her as his tongue found her sensitive bud.
“Oh my God!” she cried out as she felt the first wave of orgasm came over her. Hindi niya alam kung saan ibabaling ang ulo, at wala na siyang pakialam kung may makarinig sa kanya. It was all too much for her. She wiggled and pushed herself forward to feel his tongue all the more as wave after wave of pleasure came crashing down on her.