Chapter Twenty-one
“A RE YOU all right?”
Tiningala ni Dana ang nagsalita. A smoky blue eyed Adonis was staring down at her with concern.
“You must have fainted there for a second,” patuloy nito. Still holding her.
“I–I am fine,” she said. Still gazing at the tall and attractive man before her. Wala siyang natatandaang naipakilala sa kanya ang binatang ito kanina. Marahil ay late na itong dumating sa party. “T-thank you.”
“Anytime. Do you want to get out—” h indi naituloy ng lalaki ang sasabihin nang dumantay sa balikat nito ang palad ni Lenny na nakalapit na kaagad.
“Thank you, Renz,” wika ng binata at kinuha mula kay Renz si Dana. Possessively inakbayan nito si Dana. “Ako na ang bahala sa fiancée ko.”
Not wanting to create a scene ay nagpaubaya ang dalaga sa kabila ng nagngingitngit ang loob.
“Congratulations, pare,” nakangising sabi ni Renz Navarro, deep dimples appeared on both cheeks.
Iniabot nito ang kamay kay Lenny at pagkatapos ng mahigpit na pakikipagkamay sa kaibigan ay muling binalingan si Dana at inabot din ang kamay ng dalaga at dinala sa mga labi.
“Where have you been all my life? How could fate be so unfair?” he said in dramatic humor. The smoky blue eyes were sparkling as he stared down at her with obvious admiration.
She was speechless. His lips were warm on her skin. At ni hindi pa man lang siya nakaka-recover sa matinding pagkabigla. Yet she smiled at Renz gratefully. Pagkatapos ay tiningala si Lenny. Nawala ang ngiti.
“Get me out of here,” bulong niya sa pagalit na tono. Alam niyang maraming tao ang nagnanais na batiin sila. She was thankful na hinila siya ni Renz sa may pasilyo nang may ilang segundong nagdilim ang paningin niya.
Tinapik ni Lenny ang balikat ng kaibigan. “Bahala ka nang magpaliwanag, pare. Lalabas kami mamaya lang.”
“ No problemo ,” nakangiti pa ring sabi nito, at saka idinagdag, “I can’t believe you’ve got all the luck, pare. Huwag mo nang pakawalan or else...” i binitin nito ang pabirong threat.
“Find your own woman, Renz. I don’t share what’s mine,” tonong-pabiro ang sagot ni Lenny subalit sa ilalim ng tinig ay naroon ang paniniyak.
“Shut up, you two!” hindi nakapagpigil na singhal ni Dana. “Kung mag-usap kayo’y parang wala ako rito... parang hindi ako ang pinag-uusapan ninyo. And I am not yours!” nanlilisik ang mga matang wika nito kay Lenny.
“Whew!” s i Renz na itinaas ang mga kamay sa ere. “You’ve got a handful, pare. Ako na ang bahala sa mga kaibigan natin.” He gave Dana a gentle smile at saka tumalikod.
Si Dana ay mabilis na tumalikod, nagmamadaling humakbang pabalik sa pinanggalingan nila kanina. Sa verandah. Subalit nahawakan ni Lenny ang braso niya at hinila siya nito papasok sa guest room.
“Bitiwan mo ako, ano ba!” Akma siyang lalabas subalit isinara ni Lenny ang pinto.
“Calma, por favor?”
“No!” singhal niya. “You expect me to calm down pagkatapos ng ginawa mo? Wala kang karapatang ianunsiyo ang walang katotohanang engagement na iyon!”
Ni hindi natigatig ang binata. Sumandal sa may pinto. “Would you rather me announced my engagement to your cousin?”
“Yes! No!” Then she groaned in frustration.
Lenny smiled faintly at the anger and confusion in her face. She was beautiful beyond description, even in anger.
“See?”
“See what? Wala akong nakikitang mabuti sa ginawa mo!” she said. “Paano ko ipaliliwanag sa lahat ang ginawa mo? Sa mga magulang mo? Sa mga magulang ko?”
“Wala akong problema sa mga magulang ko, querida —”
“Shut up... shut up! Hindi mo ako querida !”
He chuckled. “You made the endearment sound malicious, sweetheart...” His Texan drawl was thick and sweet.
“You rotten, despicable, son of a—” She stopped in midsentence as Lenny reached out and caught her arm before she could dodge, and pulled her toward him. And Dana found herself trapped against his chest.
“I have a better way to keep you quiet, Dana,” wika nito. He bent his head and kissed her.
Napasinghap nang malakas si Dana. The unexpected impact of his kiss startled her that for a breathless second she stood perfectly still and had time to acknowledge the heat of his mouth.
Banayad ang mga halik nito. Hindi nagmamadali, as he was learning the feel and taste of her. As if what he was doing was the most natural thing to do; na para bang hindi siya nagagalit; na para bang hindi nito inanunsiyo ang walang-katotohanang engagement nila kanina lang...
Sa biglang pagbabalik sa isip ng mga pangyayari’y marahas na nagpumiglas si Dana. But she could barely move inside the hard, unyielding circle of his arms. Humigpit pang lalo ang pagkakayakap nito sa kanya and pinned her against his chest. Nagpupumiglas siya upang makawala.
“Stop struggling, you little wild cat,” he said into her mouth habang patuloy siya sa pagpupumiglas. “I am only kissing you, not beating you. Pagkatapos mo akong sigawan at pagsalitaan ng kung ano-ano, mapalad ka’t ito lang ang inabot mo...”
She noticed the indulgent humor in his voice na lalo lang nagpagalit nang higit sa kanya. Marahas siyang nagpumiglas. Ni hindi makalabas ang tinig niya sa sariling mga labing angkin ng binata.
“Calm down, Dana. I am not hurting you,” he muttered against her lips. His hands moved soothingly, sensually, on her back.
Sinisikap ng dalagang paglabanan ang emosyon. Tried to ignore the rush of heat sweeping through her and turned her face sideways.
“Oh, please, stop this!” Her voice was a mixture of panic and pleading that he loosened his arms a little and raised his face a little enough to gaze down at her.
“Should I take that as an insult?” he asked in half-amused, half-mocked tone.
“The hell I care kung ano man ang isipin mo!” she said hotly. Pilit na itinataboy sa isip ang damdamin na umaahon sa pagkakakulong na iyon sa mga bisig ng binata. “I am so angry with you. I am confused. I don’t know what to think. Pagkatapos ay dadagdagan mo pa ng halik! Dear l ord, you are driving me crazy!”
Isang mahinang tawa ang pinakawalan ng binata. It was a tender laugh as he gazed down at her lovely face.
“I want you to go crazy for me, querida ,” he almost whispered. His voice husky.
“Oh, Lenny, plea—”
He again bent his head and drowned her complaints with his mouth as he tasted her with small and compelling kisses.
“It’s only fair because I’ve been out of my mind these past few days wondering what it would be to kiss you... how you would feel in my arms...”
“Oh, stop it!” Hindi na maintindihan ng dalaga ang nararamdaman. And she was more wary now than angry.
“Don’t fight, querida . It’s going to be all right,” he coaxed sensually. Ang tinig nito’y tila maliliit na diamante na kumakalat sa buong katawan ni Dana.
Para siyang nasa loob ng sapot ng gagamba na pilit kumakawala. Nararamdaman niya ang panganib. His hands on her spine were numbing her senses. The slow and deliberate manner in which he was kissing her was a torment.
But she wanted to remain passive. She wanted to ignore Lenny’s intriguing caress. Kung paglalabanan niya ang sariling katawan at hindi tutugon ay pakakawalan siya ng binata. But she could feel something was flaring up inside her. Something like an aching emotion. And she had never felt this before.
She could not even compare the feelings with what she felt for Leon in 1928.
With Lenny, it was something potentially devastating. And that scared her so.
Itinaas niya ang dalawang kamay sa dibdib nito upang itulak ang binata at pakawalan ang sarili. Subalit nang lumapat ang mga palad niya sa dibdib nito’y inakala ni Lenny na tumutugon siya.
He groaned and she felt it reverberate through her, and she savored the flavor of it in her mouth. Instantly, he was inside her mouth. It was because Dana parted her lips for him. Dahil sa halip na itulak niya ang binata’y kusang pumaloob ang mga kamay niya sa polo shirt nito mula sa ilang butones na nakabukas, feeling him.
Kanina pa siya hinahagkan ni Lenny. Teasing and tasting and coaxing. But he waited for her to voluntarily part her lips for him. Everything about him was impacting her senses now. Nararamdaman niya ang bawat galaw ng muscles nito sa ilalim ng mga palad niya.
Then one hand moved downward to curve around her buttocks and pulled her into the heat of his thighs. His body had grown hard with desire.
Dana was stunned. She was pressed intimately against him. Wala siyang natatandaan sa buong buhay niya na nasa ganoong sitwasyon. Lenny’s hands were even more intimate as it moved against her hips. Her heart was racing... nanlalambot ang mga tuhod niya.
Yet she found herself kissing him back. Played her tongue with his. Moaned in her throat when he sucked it lightly. Her hands sunk into his hair, pulling him close.
Slowly and hesitantly, pinakawalan nito ang mga labi niya. Bahagyang inilayo ang mukha upang titigan siya.
“Dana?” Her name was both a soft, urgent command and a question. His voice hoarse with desire. His eyes so dark like the devil himself.
Hindi siya humihinga habang sinasalubong ang titig nito. Lenny wanted her. It was shadowed in his eyes. At kung pahihintulutan niya, he’d take her right here and now. At ang kaalamang iyon ay gustong magpalabo sa isip ng dalaga.
At kinatatakutan niya ang sariling damdamin. Part of her screamed warning. But another part wanted him, too! There was that unfamiliar soft and aching longing within her that was clamoring for fulfillment.
Nagyuko ng ulo si Lenny upang muling angkinin ang mga labi niya nang isang warning knock ang narinig nila sa labas ng pinto kasabay ng pagbukas niyon.
“What happened?”