KRISTINE SERIES 25: Have You Looked Into my Heart?

CHAPTER 9

"GUSTO kong makausap si Eleanor, Mr.
Atienza," patuloy ni Tiya Adel habang hindi malaman ni Serena kung paano aayusin ang sarili. "Hindi ako papayag na basta mo na lang pagsasamantalahan ang pamangkin ko. Ano ang malay ko kung ano ang maaari mo pang gawin sa kanya kung hindi ako nag-alalang matagal na kayo rito sa dilim..."

Jared cleared his throat. "Tiya Adel-"

"At ikaw, Serena..." Binalingan nito ang
pamangkin, "halos hubaran ka na ng lalaking iyan! Ang mga kamay niya'y naglalakbay na sa katawan mo!" Her horror was genuine.

To her credit, Serena's face was flushed.
"Pero bago mo dalhin dito si Eleanor ay gusto
kitang makausap sa bahay." Tiya Adel's voice was with authority. Pagkatapos ay tumalikod na ito.

"I have heard men talk about 'pikot' and never
realized the meaning of the word until now," he
sneered and saw Serena flinch in the dark.

"Did you expect her to turn her back? She saw
how you ravish me here in the dark. Bukod pa
roon ay narinig niya ang sinabi mo," wika nito.

"Sinabi? May sinabi ba ako? I thought I was
enjoying your neck-"

"Oh, you obviously did," she said drily. "You
enjoyed not only my neck. Tinalo mo pa ang paniki. At bigla'y dumami ang mga kamay mo..."

Sa ibang pagkakataon ay gustong magtawa ni
Jared sa sinabi nito. "And did you not enjoy it, too?"

She cleared her throat, even in the dark she
refused to meet his eyes. "I... I have to admit I
did."

"Such honesty. Thank you very much," he
muttered drily.

Nag-angat ito ng mukha. "But you surprised me when you said something about wanting to marry me. At nahuli rin ni Tiya Adel ang sinabi mo."

"Wanting to marry you?" He groaned inwardly.
Oh, well, that was exactly his intention. Pero hindi sa ganitong paraan na tila itinulak siya sa isang sulok. But then what did it matter? lisa rin ang magiging resulta.

"How many women have you proposed in the
throes of passion, Jared?" She started fanning
herself vigorously.

Hindi magtataka si Jared kung isa-isang
matanggal ang mga tangkay ng pamaypay sa lakas ng pagpaypay nito. My god, he had never uttered such foolish words before. Not to anyone. Kahit na nasa kasukdulan siya. And he didn't imagine himself proposing to a woman in the dark... or in a throes of passion-as she just said.

But Serena presented his chance and he was
a fool if he didn't grab it. Eventually, susuyuin din niya ito tulad ng plano niya.

He harrumphed. "It was my subconscious
talking. Perhaps because I am in a situation where I need to marry. Soon."

She turned to face him. Frowning. "You need
to marry soon? Ano ang ibig mong sabihin?"

"DO YOU really want us to talk here in the dark?" Jared asked.

"At least, you'll know that dark stables aren't
just for kissing and petting... So, ano ang ibig mong sabihin uli?"

Nagsimulang ilahad ni Jared ang dahilan kung
bakit kailangan nitong mag-asawa. Ni hindi
tinangkang putulin ni Serena kahit isang sandali ang paglalahad nito. Ni hindi niya makuhang paniwalaang sa bibig mismo nito manggagaling ang kalutasan ng suliranin niya... nila ni Christian.

Habang nagkukuwento ito ay pinasasalamatan
niya nang lihim si Don Benedicto-saan man ito
naroroon ngayon.

"Nang... magkakilala tayo'y pinlano mo nang
ihayag sa akin ang... ang proposal mo na iyan?"

"To tell you frankly, no. Naisip ko lang ang bagay na ito nang magbiyahe ako kahapon pauwi rito mula sa Maynila."

"I see." May ilang sandali siyang pinalipas bago
nagpatuloy. "And your twin brother must have
married in a rush for the same reason." It was more of a statement than a question.