Present…

“I AM REALLY BAFFLED RIGHT NOW. Kung saan ka nakakakuha ng kapal ng mukha na humarap sa akin pagkatapos ng ginawa mo sa akin,” Jared gritted.

“The way you’re treating me doesn’t really fit your job description,” Lily muttered.

“I am not being professional right now, because you’re not a client in my eyes, Lily.” As he said those words, slowly, he was beginning to lose his calm and composure. Nagiging mabigat na ang bigkas niya sa mga kataga. Humihiwa ang bawat salita sa kanyang damdamin. “To me, you are a personal matter that I shouldn’t be even dealing with in my office. You…”

He trailed off. Oh, no. He almost told her again how much she meant to him.

Mabuti at napigilan niya agad ang sarili.

He saw her expectant eyes. Alam niyang naghihintay ang babae sa karugtong ng kanyang sasabihin.

“You better get the fuck out,” taas-noo niya bago bumalik sa kanyang upuan. Sinigurado rin ni Jared na makikita ng babae ang pag-itsa niya sa brown envelope nito sa kalapit na trashbin.

Pag-angat niya ng tingin, hindi niya maipaliwanag kung bakit parang makatotohanan ang pamamasa ng mga mata ng dalaga.

There’s nothing real about her, Jared. Don’t be a fool the second time around.

Tulad ng inaasahan niya, mas pipiliin ni Lily ang dignidad nito kaysa magmukhang desperada. She stomped her way out of his office.

Naiinis siya dahil parang mali ang ginawa niya. Pero kung dadaanin niya ang babaeng iyon sa maayos na usapan, baka hindi na siya nito lubayan.

Yet, there was this nagging feeling that he should start investigating about Lily. Ano na ba ang nangyari sa buhay nito mula nung naputol na ang komunikasyon nila?

No, Jared. Okay ka na. Don’t ruin all the years you spent healing yourself.

Ilang minuto pa at sumulpot ulit si Heidi. Kasama na nito ang huling kliyente na makakadaupang-palad ni Jared para sa araw na ito.

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***

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HE’S RIGHT. Saan nga ba talaga ako nakakakuha ng kapal ng mukha para akitin siya? Lily remained still, lying on the bench by the poolside.

Her sexy body stretched there, covered with a tiny pair of neon-pink bikini. Kanina pa siya nakababad sa araw. She even waited for sunrise. Malapit nang magtanghalian pero naroon pa rin siya. Sa kabila ng mainit na pagdila ng sinag ng araw sa kanyang balat, malamig ang simoy ng hangin. There was something satisfying and toasty with the warm sun and a slight chill in the breeze together.

And her body never mind these two, quite opposing forces at all. She was enjoying her Sunday morning sunbathing.

Kahapon lang nangyari ang komprontasyon nila ni Jared. Pero hanggang ngayon, parang may latay pa rin sa kanya ang sampal ng katotohanan sa kanyang mukha.

I got to overconfident, I guess. Akala ko, tulad pa rin si Jared ng dati. That man who’s going to set aside all the red flags when he wants you. Her eyes narrowed as she blankly stared at nowhere. Now he’s cunning. Smarter. And he doesn’t want me anymore.

Dumiretso na siya ng upo.

Nakakainis.

Tinaas niya ang isang tuhod. Pinatong doon ang isang kamay bago pinatong doon ang kanyang baba. Lumagpas sa kumikislap na bughaw na tubig ng pool ang kanyang tingin. Lumagpas din iyon sa hanay ng makapal na mga puno na nasa kabilang dako ng bakurang iyon.

You have to make a decision now, Lily. Pursue that beast or just… focus on someone else?

Nakita na naman niya sa imahinasyon ang hubad na katawan ni Jared. She sighed wistfully.

“Fuck, Jared. I want you to fuck me already!”

Humiga ulit siya. The blare of the soft sunlight didn’t bother her eyes. Why would they be? Her long lashes umbrellas their amber color. Dahan-dahang dinama ni Lily ng mga daliri ang kanyang leeg. Bumaba ang mga daliri niya. She traced her cleavage with a point finger before it reached between her round breasts.

“Jared…” she was already moaning, lost in her thoughts as she looked back on those times in Amtwerp.

That one night in The Org…

How Jared held her so greedily. How he owned her so fiercely.

Pinagdikit ni Lily ang mga hita. She heard herself pant.

“Jared!!!” naiinis na talaga siya sa sarili.

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JARED JUST LEFT HIS OFFICE. It was quite a gloomy November night. Walang kabitu-bituin sa kalangitan.

Tulad ng nakasanayan, maglalakad-lakad si Jared. Mamamasyal ng kaunti sa malapit na shopping square.

Pagpasok niya ng elevator, nagulat siya nang may sumunod sa kanya roon. She was a quick brush of her pink skater skirt against the thighs, and bounce of blonde-dyed, pink-tipped short bob hair. The doors immediately shut when Jared calmly spun around to face the front. Namilog ang mga mata niya nang harapin na rin siya ng babaeng nakisakay sa elevator.

“Lily!”

“Jared,” sugod nito sa kanya.

“What are you doing here?” pagdidilim ng kanyang anyo.

Lily just coolly grabbed him on the collar of his black long-sleeved shirt. She gave him a shove before pushing him by the shoulders against the elevator’s glass wall.

“Fuck,” he gasped.

“I can’t cuss but you can?” tila hinanakit ng babae.

She was already unfastening his buttons!

“Lily!” saway niya rito.

“What?” tama ng mga mata nito sa kanya.

He felt the intensity in her dark, dilated gaze. Lily sighed heavily and began to throw a passion.

“This will be quick—” itutuloy na sana nito ang gagawin nang hablutin ni Jared sa magkabilang pulsuhan.

“Lily,” he lowered his voice this time. Authoritative. Firm.

“Pinagbigyan lang kita kahapon, Jared,” anas nito. “Dahil oras ng trabaho mo. But not now that you’re off-duty!”

She lunged, about to go for his neck when he pushed her away through her wrists that he was still gripping.

“Jared, you’re hurting me!” her eyes softened as he pressed a finger harder against a bone at the side of her wrist.

“Masasaktan ka talaga dahil sa mga pinaggagagawa mo,” malamig niyang saad.

“Just one more,” titig ni Lily sa kanya, iniinda ang sakit ng pagkakahawak niya sa magkabilang pulsuhan nito. “One more fuck, Jared.”

Hindi niya ito sinagot. Is she really this desperate now?

“And another favor,” patuloy nito. “Ituloy mo ang appointment with our company. With Variant. Pakiusap.”

“Bakit ako papayag sa mga hinihiling mo? Aren’t you the one who made a fool out of me? Paano ako nakakasiguro na walang plot twist sa mga pinag gagagawa mo ngayon?”

“I just… I just want the way you fuck me, Jared. And I want to feel it. That’s all.”

“Your life really revolves around sex now.” Damn, he was bitter.

“Come on, Jared. You kissed me back yesterday. You fucked me in The Org when you said you won’t,” she gnashed her teeth. “Halata namang nagpipigil ka lang! You’re being too smart but you know that when this—” she grabbed his crotch, “—starts to need me, you become dumb as the dumbest of dumbs!”

Marahas niya itong hinablot sa balakang para dumiin sa kanya. Gulat na napahawak si Lily sa kanyang mga braso, napasinghap.

“Ingat ka sa gusto mong mangyari. Kaya kitang lumpuhin. Buong maghapon kang hindi makakabangon.”

“Aww, Jared, my body would love to be the outlet of that pent up passion,” she smirked as she teased him.

He grabbed a good handful of her hair on the back of her head, gave her push to torridly kiss her lips. Mula nang sumayad ang mga labi nila sa isa’t isa, nakaramdam siya ng pag-agos. He felt like a water dam, releasing all that huge, thick waves of water that he had been holding in for such a long time.

Hindi pala agos. Rumaragasa siya. Kasing bilis ng emosyong iyon ang paglikot ng kanyang mga kamay. He groped her body all over, moaning and sighing against Lily’s lips as he touched the most forbidden parts— from her big, soft breasts to her smooth butt as he lifted her skater skirt and set aside her panties.

He felt the intricate detailing of her lace panties. Jared could not help growing thrilled. Because Lily really came prepared. She aimed for this. She came for him. For his body. For his cock. For sex.

And how did she know?

How did she know that after all these years, he will still willingly oblige and give her a good fuck anytime she wants to?

Why? The reason is not good…

Hahalikan pa sana siya ulit ng dalaga nang bumukas bigla ang pinto ng elevator. Jared recollected himself and stepped out of the elevator. Balewala sa kanya ang nakuhang tingin mula sa mga nadaanan nila. Pinagpatuloy lang niya ang mga hakbang, diretso sa harapan ang mga mata habang sinasara ang butones ng kanyang damit.

Lily caught up with his pace.

“Wala ka yatang dalang gamit.”

“Iniwan ko sa office. Nasa bulsa ko ang mga valuables,” walang latoy niyang paliwanag.

“I brought my car. Let’s go to The Org.”

He controlled himself, appeared cool on the outside. “You really think I am serious about the things I said in the elevator?”

“Huli ka na, denial ka pa,” mayabang nitong ngisi habang naglalakad sa kanyang tabi.

Where does this woman get all the guts? Doesn’t it eat her from the inside that she dumped me and now she wants to fuck me again?

Or maybe, Lily didn’t really care at all. Because he had been nothing to her but an outlet. A sexual outlet of all her pent-up passions, insecurities and frustrations…

He knew psychology but damn, she still managed to make a fool of him.

But not this time.

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LILY WAS ALREADY BREATHLESS WHEN SHE PARTED FROM THEIR KISS. Inangat niya ang tingin para makipagtitigan sa matiim na mga mata ni Jared.

Deep inside, she was bothered. Kita niya kasi sa mga mata ng lalaki na hindi pa ito nag-iinit masyado sa kanya.

Ah, hindi bale, nakangising hagod ng kanyang daliri sa sulok ng labi nito. We’re just warming up again. Kaunti pang… landi sa kanya at… mag-iinit din siya.

Lily rubbed herself against him, making sure his chest would feel her breasts perked up in excitement. She released a sharp breath when his hands journeyed the shape of her body. Then they slid toward her back to cup her butt. He clutched them, gave them a lift them let go, making her butt bounce before he grabbed them again. Paikot iyong hinagod-hagod at pinisil-pisil ng lalaki.

Nakapaimbabaw si Lily sa lalaki, suot pa rin ang kanyang high-necked, sleeveless lettuce top at skater skirt. Pero sa ilalim ng paldang iyon, wala na siyang suot na panty. Nakatukod ang kanyang mga tuhod sa magkabilang gilid ni Jared… Si Jared na prenteng nakahiga sa kama, nakataas ang dalawang tuhod at ang ulo nito. Muling sinandal ni Jared ang ulo sa higaan nang maghiwalay ang kanilang mga labi.

His eyes were studying her face, digesting the little smirk at the corner of her lips.

“I want to know what convinced you, Jared,” she clutched a handful of hair on the top of head. Pinatingala niya ito. His eyes still followed her gaze. “The fact that nahuli na kita na indenial ka? Or is it because you really can’t resist me now?”

“It’s because I don’t want you to look desperate,” malumanay nitong wika habang naghahabol ng hininga.

Hindi siya makapaniwala sa lalaking ito. “Desperate?” she scoffed with a mocking grin. “Such bull,” Lily sat on his crotch and began grinding. Oh, fuck… so good, she bit her lower lip. Ang sarap ng pagkakakiskis ng maselang parte ng kanyang katawan sa may kagaspangang pantalon ng lalaki at ang paninigas nito sa ilalim niyon. “When a woman is persistent in getting what she wants, not giving up until she gets it, she’s called desperate.”

“I already made it clear to you that I don’t want to fuck you again, Lily.”

“But we’re here,” ginalingan pa niya ang pag giling sa ibabaw nito. “You’re here.”

“Because you know me so well. Alam mong kahinaan ko ang madaling pressure, at ginagamit mo ‘yon para makuha mo ang gusto mo.”

Sasagot pa sana siya nang hablutin nito sa balakang. Everything just happened too fast. Jared lifted her off him, slammed her flat on the bed before getting on top of her. Napigilan ng binata ang tangka niyang bumangon nang daganan nito.

“Hindi naman halatang excited ka sa’kin, Jared?” hamon niya. “You missed me, didn’t you?” she grabbed his shirt. “I appreciate the effort you gave, just to find a good fuck in The Org. But we both know no one will ever be better than me, Jared. I’m the best you had and you’ll ever have!”

Hinablot ni Jared ang mga kamay niya. Tinaas ang mga iyon at pinako ng pagkakahawak ng lalaki sa kanyang uluhan.

“You sure are,” malamig nitong sang-ayon.

In their closeness, his chest peeked from the unbuttoned parts of his shirt. His scent, a bestseller mix of his minty cologne and sweat. His eyes, piercing and dark. His lips, twitching with passion and controlled wanting. His nose pointed at her direction, an assurance that all his focus in this room is on her.

He drew his face closer. Bumaba tuloy ang tingin ni Lily sa mga labi nito.

Oh, those lips… those lips could ravage every part of her body anytime they want. Each kiss will be sweet ecstasy… and she’s ready to greedily get them all.

“You’re under arrest,” he said that made the world stop for her.

“Huh?”

May dinukot ito mula sa likuran ng pantalon. Pinosasan nito ang isang kamay niya at hinila siya para makabit nito ang kakabit niyong posas sa poste ng kama. Dama niya ang pagdulas sa kama ng katawan bago sinundan iyon ng malutong na tunog ng metal. It was the cuffs' sliding against one another to wrap around her wrist.

“What the hell?!” she snapped at him, lying on her side now as she tugged the handcuff.

Mahigpit! Talaga ngang pinosasan siya ng lalaki!

Kampanteng nilisan ni Jared ang kama bago tumayo sa harapan niya.

“Jared!” pinipigilan pa niyang magalit. “Ano ‘to? Take this off!”

She tugged the cuff again but it was useless.

Inayos ng lalaki ang pagkakabutones ng shirt. “What did I tell you since yesterday? Huli na natin ‘yong nangyari sa atin nung pinapunta mo ako rito sa The Org.”

“Why do you have to deprive yourself of me?”

“Why can’t you take a no?”

“Because I know it’s not sincere. Nadadamay na naman dito ‘yong nangyari sa Belgium.”

He smirked. “Belgium na naman? I thought you already moved on from that?”

Napamaang siya. Parang nabaligtad yata ang sitwasyon ngayon.

Nagpatuloy si Jared. “You wanted me to just forget that happened, right? To start all over again?”

“Well, if we’re starting all over again then why treat me this cruel? Na parang may atraso pa rin ako sa’yo?”

“Because in the past, I liked you. And if given a chance for things to happen all over again, this is how I want it to be.” Natapos na ito sa pagbubutones. “Me never liking you.”

She could not feel any sign of tears. Lily felt more enraged than pained. Paano siya masasaktan? Alam na alam naman niyang may gusto pa rin sa kanya si Jared. What’s maddening was this frustration that she could not persuade him to look her way again.

“Use all the defense and coping mechanisms you learned from psychology, Jared! Use them all you want! But that will never stop me!”

Inekis nito ang mga braso. There was a satisfied smile on his face as he watched her violently tug the  handcuff for nothing. Kasi kahit anong gawin niya, hindi niya naman mababali ang bakal para makaalis doon.

Nang magsawa na ito sa pang-iinis sa kanya, iniwan na siya nito sa kwartong iyon sa The Org.

“Gumaganti talaga ang lalaking ‘yon sa akin!” gigil niyang titig pa rin sa pinto kahit sarado na iyon.