Forbidden Pleasure

Chapter 12

"I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul."
–Pablo Neruda

∞

CHAPTER 12

Napaigtad ako sa biglaang pagkislot ng aking sintido. Fuck, what happened? I tried to open my eyes to know where the hell I am. The scent of the place is familiar, but definitely not my room. Pilit kong idinilat ang aking mga mata.

I blinked multiple times to adjust my eyesight to the brightness of the surroundings. Napahawak naman ako sa aking sintido nang muli na naman itong kumirot, kasabay ng paghapdi ng bulaklak ko.

Bulaklak what?!

Dali-dali kong inangat ang makapal na comforter upang tingnan ang aking katawan at napasinghap nang mapagtantong hindi ito ang damit na suot ko kagabi. Si Hiro? Fuck, I need to get out of here!

Dahan-dahan akong bumangon at naglibot ng paningin. Kaninong penthouse 'to? My eyes darted on the paintings and the marble vase inside this room. Dumapo ang paningin ko sa isang digital clock na nasa night stand. And my eyes literally widened. Alas sais na ng gabi?! Buong araw akong tulog?!

Tinakbo ko ang distansiya ng bintana at hinawi ang makapal na kurtina. I was dumbfounded as I saw how red, with a mixture of orange and blue paint the sky.

"You're awake," saad ng baritonong boses sa likod ko.

Napalunok ako at dahan-dahang lumingon. I almost lost my breath as I saw Kaius. And he's freaking half naked. "M-Mr. Imperial..."

I saw how the left side of his lip raised. "Mr. Imperial? Hmm?"

Napatabon ako sa aking legs nang mapansin kong dumapo ang paningin niya rito. "Eyes up here, Mr. Imperial!"

He chuckled and lifted his gaze up on my face. And suddenly, memories from last night asssaulted me. From the bar, the car, the elevator, and here... in his penthouse. A flush crept up my face. Oh no, it's not a dream?

Napaigtad ako nang tumikhim si Kaius. "Here's your bag. Mr. Austria handed it to me last night."

My eyes grew wide. Hindi na ako nag-aksaya pa ng oras at mabilis na naglakad palapit kay Kaius. I immediately reached for my bag and opened it. Hindi na ako nag-abala pang takpan ang legs ko. He already saw it last night. At wala doon ang isip ko, kundi sa cellphone kong mayroong sampung missed calls mula kay James. Fuck!

"Who's James?" he asked sternly, gone from the playful smirk a moment ago.

Napaiwas ako ng tingin. "You don't need to know," mahinang usal ko, sapat na para marinig niya. "I need to go."

Hindi pa man ako nakakalampas sa pwesto niya nang harangan ako nito. May inabot itong... sketchpad. Sketchpad ko ba 'to? "You left it in our guestroom."

Fear rushed through me. Should I ask? Napalunok ako at dahan-dahang tinanggap ang sketchpad. "S-salamat."

He nodded. "Eat before you leave."

"I'm full," mabilis pa sa alas kuwatro kong tugon dahilan upang kagatin ko ang aking ibabang labi.

He chuckled, again. "You were tired from last—"

"Please don't talk about it!" nakapikit kong sambit. Ayokong marinig ang ano mang sasabihin niya. "Just shut the hell up."

--

Napahilot ako sa aking sintido habang nagkakaroon ng malalim na iniisip. Damn, where did that sketch go?! Hindi pwedeng makita ni Kaius ang sketch na 'yun!