Kiss Me, Cole (Part 1) [IN EDITING ]

Cole (46)

My first clue was the scent of orange blossoms and jasmine. A pair of silver shoes with blood-red high heels sharp enough to slash a throat follows. A silver evening gown draped haphazardly over the back of my desk chair drove home the point for me. Orianna is hiding in my bedroom. Just as I thought.

Pinulot ko ang pares ng sapatos na nakahandusay sa harapan ko at maingat iyong itinabi sa gilid ng pinto. A certain temperamental kiska will throw a hissy fit if I accidentally stomped on them and break them. Hindi pa naman matawaran ang saya niya nang matanggap ang latest pair na ito mula kay Tita Leine. Sabi pa ni Mommy, ilang araw din daw na itinabi iyon ng babae sa pagtulog.

It looks like kiska is going to get a another pair of stilettos soon if I have to go by the sound of envy in Mommy's voice. Ayaw ng nanay ko na masapawan siya ni Tita Leine pagdating sa pagspo-spoil kay Orianna. The two seems to have an ongoing competition on dressing my kiska, while the girl in question is oblivious to it.

When Orianna isn't wearing our school uniform, she's dressed to kill. Ang sarap sa mata. Nakakainis lang minsan na hindi lang mga mata ko ang nagfi-fiesta sa kanya. But, I suppose, that's life. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't lock her up in a tower. She was born to be wild and free. No matter how strong the desire is, I'll never clip her wings.

When I straightened up and loosened my bow tie, the silver gown drew my attention back. I bite a sigh as I recall whose curves those pieces of nothing were clinging to before. It's not the night to dwell on it, so I took my eyes off it and transfer my gaze to the bed.

The kiska covered herself with the blanket up to just a millimeter below her eyes. Dark cognac orbs blinked up at me for a second or two before the blanket crept higher, covering everything except a few strands of unruly hair.

So, I'm supposed to pretend I didn't see her?

Naiiling akong dumiretso sa cabinet to change into more comfortable clothes. I could feel those eyes following my every step and I tried to ignore them as I unbutton my shirt. I'm already wrestling with my pants, and I could still feel the weight of her stare on my back.

Apparently, she has no plans of looking away whatsoever. Kailan ba siya tumingin palayo kapag naghuhubad ako? The beautiful woman is turning out to be the little voyeur.

"Nasa party ang Papa mo, baby. He's not going to be happy if he finds you here." I had to say anything to ease the tension I feel.

"Wala ako rito," she piped up.

Nilingon ko siya habang sinusuot ang loose pants na nahablot ko. She's still staring. "Guni-guni ko lang ba ang naririnig kong nagsasalita?"

Itinalukbong niyang muli ang kumot sa sarili. "Not here," ulit niya. Her voice is filtered by the heavy textile but the contrariness in it is very clear. Stubborn baby.

Isinuot ko ang kapares na T-shirt ng pantalon ko at natatawang isinara ang pinto ng cabinet. Tinatlong hakbang ko ang kama, and she shrieked when I scooped her up off it, blanket and all.

"Shhh, baby," nakangisi kong saway. "Hindi pa nakakauwi ang lahat. Baka may makarinig sa iyo sa labas. Kukuhain ka rito, sige ka."

Obviously, that was an epic joke. No one can take Orianna away from me and live.

The threat immediately settled her down and I had to drop a soft kiss on top of her head as a reward. I hope she still felt that even through the blanket.

She tossed her head to and fro to move the blanket off her face. She succeeded, of course, but strands of long hair threaded with fire fell in front of her face. She huffed them off before looking at me.