Kristine Series 53: Magic Moment, Book 2: I Have Kept You In My Heart

Chapter Twenty-five

WITH a smile, lumakad siya pabalik sa silid. Gising na si Alaina at nakangiti sa kanya, the white sheet wrapping around her body. His heart took an overdrive. It was the same smile he remembered of her always.

A seductive, dazzling, morning-after smile that not even she was aware of it. The kind of smilethat drove a man crazy. And his wife drove him crazy that he wanted to be inside her again.

For crying out loud, they were not young people anymore! But then, he found his intense desire for his wife a novelty after almost fifteen years. At namamangha siya sa sarili kung saan siya kumuha ng lakas.

Nang matitigan nito ang kahubdan niya ay namula ang mga pisngi at bahagyang iniwas ang mga mata sa kanya. Nick had always loved her when she blushed.

"You'll caught pneumonia, Nick. It's too cold outside," naiilang nitong sabi.

"Labis ang init na naipon sa katawan ko mula pa kagabi, darling. And right now, I am so hot! Isn't it obvious?" he teased, niyuko ang ibabang katawan.

Tuluyan nang pinamulahan ang mukha nito. He chuckled. Dinampot niya ang boxer briefs na nahagip niya ng tingin na nasa paanan ng kama at isinuot.

"Sino ang kausap mo sa balkonahe?" she asked carefully.

Nasilip ni Nick ang pag-aalala sa mga mata nito. Or was it fear? "Ang huling kausap ko ay si Leandro. Ako ang tumawag. Before that, I had two calls. One from Veron..."

"V-Veron?" Nakita ni Nick ang pagsisikap nitongalalahanin ang pangalan subalit banayad na umiling si Alaina. Frustration on her face. "Somehow naulinigan kong sinabi mong babalik ka na sa Maynila."

"Tayo, darling. Kailangan nating bumalik sa Maynila..." His voice trailed off, sandaling nag-isip, bago, "this afternoon. There's a change of plan. Nalimutan kong may appointment ang anak mo sa Manila Polo Club bukas with Jenny and Drew." He chuckled softly. "So haul your beautiful butt off this bed. Nasa Alta Tierra ang chopper kaya tutungo tayo roon mamaya lang."

"Bakit kailangang bumalik tayo sa Maynila, Nick?"

"Nagpatawag ako ng emergency meeting, darling. Aasikasuhin ko ang pagsasalin ng pamamahala kay Leandro bilang acting CEO. My brothers will assist him. You've met both of my brothers last week.

"Ang panganay, si Alvaro, with his daughter Naya and husband Ivan with their child. Si Lance ay kasama sa mga dumating mula sa ibang bansa. He and his wife Billie were there on business and pleasure. Si Lance ang CEO ng FNC, darling. Ang canning factory at food processing plant ng mga Navarro."

Naipakilalang lahat kay Alaina ang mga sinasabi ni Nick. At ang iba pang mga kamag-anak na dumalaw at nanatili sa villa at Alta Tierra nangilang araw. Bawat isa ay may mga kuwento tungkol sa kanila ni Nick, kasabay ng panunukso. Tumutulong na maibalik niya ang alaala. Na ginagantihan lamang niya ng ngiti ng panlulumo.

"H-hindi ba maaaring dito na lang ako?"

"Hindi mo kailangang matakot. Narito ako. Hindi ako papayag na may mangyari sa iyo. Sa inyo ni Zach. Hindi na mauulit ang mga nangyari... kung ano man iyon. I hired security people from Kurt La Pierre's security agency.

"Kilala mo si Kurt, darling. Hindi mo lang maalala. He is a very close family friend and he wanted to meet you again as soon as we are in Manila."

"It's so embarrassing, Nick, kapag nakaharap ko ang mga taong kilala ako subalit ni hindi ko sila maalala."

"Naiintindihan ka ng lahat, Laney. You've lost your memory. And if you noticed, nakikisaya ang lahat sa pagbabalik mo sa buhay namin. So quit worrying, darling."