I knew Xavier was speaking. I can hear every word, but my mind can’t process what he meant. I took another glance from the dimly lit garden back to his face, locking gaze with his dark hues. There was something in my chest that disturbed me. It’s confusing, but the sensation of the tight knots in my belly is not helping me figure out what it is.
From the contour of my closed knuckles that’s still holding onto his shirt, I could feel his beating heart. It’s as wild as my own, and his chest is heaving the same way mine does. The only difference between us is the calmness in his face. How he managed to put on a show like that is beyond my understanding. I’m pretty aware of how hot my entire skin is. It’s not because of the humidity… it’s because of this man.
The burning splash on my cheeks and core clouded my thoughts. All senses in my body are in an uproar, but
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One… one, two… one… one, two… This is the tapping pattern of Xavier’s fingers on my knee. His rough, large palm never wandered higher. He didn’t have to. The warmth spreading from his touch is enough to make my insides combust. He’d remove his hold on me when he needed to eat his food and slyly slide it back under the table to resume where he’d been touching me. I knew what he was doing. He’s distracting me like what he did back in my room. It’s working. I managed to eat my food properly - timidly - and my focus remained on myself, in the burning need building up on my core. I’ve ignored everything around me, including the thoughts of Ashley and Calvin and the contemptuousness of dining with them. Never in my life has this happened before. I feel so hot all over agai
Xavier’s distractions help me make it through that dreadful dinner. But after Luciano’s left, the reality slowly sinks in - the painful truth that the man I love and Ashley finally got what they wanted. They’re together, and there’s a great possibility that in time, Pier and Francine will accept Ashley with open arms… together with her child. Who knows if they’ll permit them to get married too. They will have a family in the arms of one another while here I am, wearing another man’s ring on my finger. A man who gives me confusing feelings. Not even forty-eight hours after my proposal to him, he turned my world upside down. He ignited something in me from the alley to the kiss we shared, a feeling I’ve yet to put a label on. It’s wrong to even think of Xavier this much, as if there will be something more between us than what we have. Twice, he ought to be my b
Dressed in an oversized shirt and sweats, legs crossed, I’m seated comfortably on the soft cushion of my reading nook. I leaned on my best friend’s shoulder, waiting for the steaming hot chocolate set on the windowsill to cool down a bit. I told Penny not to come over, that I’ll be alright, but she knew me better than I gave her credit for, all the freaking time. We’ve been inseparable since college freshman year for an unknown reason. We don’t exactly agree with everything; in fact, we argue most of the time, especially when it comes to matters of relationship. But she’s surprisingly tamed since she came in an hour ago. For Penny to shut her mouth for half an hour is a miracle. I sat up straight, reaching for the cup of warm choco she prepared with both hands. The steam danced with the movement of the cup as I l
I gave up on thinking of a good password for my phone. Penny, being a genius, only took about five seconds to crack the code I thought of for an entire day. Seriously, I thought that my new password, ‘supermanpanties,’ wouldn’t be so easy to figure out. My phone bounced on the mattress as I flopped on my stomach, face buried on the crumpled white covers. I stared at the clock on my nightstand. 7:15 a.m. and his flight would leave at 10. I’m honestly lost on whether to tell Xavier that I’m not driving him to the airport or not. What would he think about me now? ‘Hubby?’ I kept reading the message throughout the night, hoping I just saw some kind of hazy nightmare. It looks as if I’m so comfortable calling him like that. It’s so… so flirty like I was trying to be sweet
“What the hell happened to you?” Penny barged inside my room without knocking or announcing her invasion of my privacy. Lost and numb with a freezing chest, this is my body and soul’s state after the airport. As soon as I slid inside the car, my tears spilled profoundly. I don’t even know what I was crying about. It’s not like Xavier promised me love and adoration together with this engagement. Realization hit me hard where it hurts the most. God, he must be thinking I’m using him to forget his brother. Shame in bold capital letters danced around my head because of what I did. What he spoke of hurt so badly. ‘Don’t fall for me.’ I don’t understand what this searing pain in my chest is for. ‘You’ll only hurt yourself.’ Having him as my fiancé somehow gave light to the
Never open an email from an unknown source, much less click a link embedded in random emails. I never thought that such a simple thing as email could cause someone a tremendous headache. Well, technically, we won’t know what the effect of my best friend’s ‘fun’ escapade would do to Xavier. When Penny began doing her so-called ‘investigation,’ I heard her curse and grumble like the grouchy child that she is. Remember when I said she’s odd? Well, she’s even weirder when she’s in front of a computer. I heard her mumble something about ‘annoying firewalls,’ ‘fucking smartasses,’ too many times. When she talks to her laptop that way, I knew better than to ask what her problem was. Only a few moments passed, and white-hot steam came out of her ears and fire from her nose and mouth. However, before Penny went home, she
He changed... a lot. He’s still as beautiful as I’d remember him, but damn, I understand now why Penny and my friends were gaping at him. His long hair, which my fingers pulled and tugged at one point while losing myself in his luscious lips, is now shorter in a military haircut. I forced my eyes to not check him out further, but I can’t help it. Like a magnet, my eyes kept wandering to savor this fine specimen. While I stared at the offered flowers for me, my eyes darted towards his chest. Even with his navy blue suit jacket, the toned muscles of his pectoral remained on display through his fitted ashen shirt. He paired this semi-formal look with dark jeans and biker boots, showcasing his signature sexy yet rough appearance. “Thank you.” I reached for the roses, our fingers brushed gently. I tried my hardest to
One guy introduced himself as Lu and led us to the VIP lounge the moment we stepped inside the club. Nothing has changed with the interior of Cielo. The dancing laser lights and the intoxicated crowd still have the same effect on me. It’s suffocating and warm - too warm. All these sweaty bodies grinding on one another create such a unique whiff. The seven of us occupied one side of the bar in the lounge. As per his boss’ instruction, Lu personally gave us the said VIP treatment by serving as our bartender. We all ordered martinis for starters, and Lu keeps cracking jokes that sell to my friends. Even Penny is enjoying his company. I guess this is not such a bad idea after all. However, my mind kept drifting to my fiancé. We’ve consumed a few glasses of alcohol already, and I haven’t seen even a shadow of him.