The Magnate's Holiest Sin (Cavanaugh #2)

Kabanata 2

Kabanata 2

Stop

"Dapat ang mga babae nirerespeto, hindi binabastos," pangaral ni Laki sa marahan na tono ng boses nang nakalapit siya sa akin habang nakasampay pa rin ang damit ko sa maskulado niyang balikat, mariin pa itong nakatitig sa akin. "Pero kayong mga babae, kapag binastos kayo, bastusin niyo rin."

It couldn't be much easier for me to step backward if my back would meet the kitchen island. I wanted to bury my face in a glass of bowl here, I just thought that I couldn't stand on my own two helpless feet under Laki's very flirtatious and convincing eyes.

How could be this man had that kind of ability to make people believe and trust him so easily? I could be one of those people if I wouldn't be so cautious and vigilant.

Somehow, I had thought the different side. What if his intentions were clean? Not those things that I had in mind.

But, I had given him the permission. Allowing him to do, and help me with my main problem wasn't a good idea, was it? Laki was so thoughtful, yes, I thought of him as that, because if he wasn't that kind of person? Well, I would expect myself to live down the streets of Manila. I couldn't picture myself sitting on the sidewalk, asking for money, wearing an old shaggy and dirty clothes, like a beggar would do just to survive a day eating nothing but dusts from the polluted air.

That would never happen. Kuya King would not let that happen, plus, I was twenty-one, I could work on my own. I could be a waitress or server in some fine restaurants, or a janitor? I could clean. I had graduated senior high school, what's the use of studying if I wouldn't find a job for myself?

Not bad. He was not that bad in my mind.

Staring back at the man towering over me, I cocked my head to the side to get even with his convincing eyes, he was just so tall to look up at, I didn't want to have that face to chest, instead of face to face.

I couldn't get his words off my mind. The thing that talked about respect and disrespect. I wondered what was running on his mind, how could he say those?

"Gusto kitang bihisan, payagan mo'ko, cherub," he breathe, and seeing his chest moved up and down in a motion, I could sense that he was controlling himself.

"A-Ahm... No," I responded bravely, feeling discomfort as he leaned forward, down to me.

"Why, hm?" nakatungo siya habang mariin akong sinusuri ng kanyang marahan na paraan ng pagtingin.

Those gentle and convincing eyes of him had given me strength to speak, I was intimidated by him, but he wasn't intimidating in a bad or cold way, I was sexually intimidated by him.

His charismatic presence was radiating off his well-toned body. Powerful and noteworthy. I could not ignore it, because it was just so attractive and disturbing to disregard.

"I am not a person with disability," I frowned, I didn't even noticed that I wasn't stammering anymore. "I can change my clothes all by myself, Laki."

Where did I get the courage to talk to him like that? I just felt so sick of men treating woman in a way that makes my essence as a female and dignity felt like it was being stomped on the hard floor, and crashed into thousands of painful pieces.

Chauvinist. They're just acting like a real gentleman. Even in this era, male chauvinism was sticking around the surface of the Earth, like a worm itself.

Nasaksihan ko ang saglit na pagngiti niya nang narinig ang pagtawag ko sa kanyang pangalan, ngunit agad din 'yon napalitan ng ekspresyon na tila ay nalulungkot siya.

I had to admit, his expressions were also convincing. It made me believe.

"Bakit 'yong ibang babae naman, gusto pa nga'ng hinuhubaran ko sila," he muttered.