I Will Take Hold of You

Chapter Thirteen

"I want you, Isa. I ached with wanting you that sometimes I feel like exploding. Do you know that? And I don't want to do it tenderly. I want to crush you in my arms..."

"Do it then, Paolo..." she said.

"Isa..." he pressed the girl with a kiss. Passionate, violent. But it only added to the small flames that were flashing in his body.

He didn't know how long that kiss lasted. She almost gasped for breath when he released her. Paolo looked at her face. Then his thumb finger felt her lips.

"They're like velvet..." whispered the young man. "I've been dreaming this all my life..." then his lips dropped to hers again. This time it was gentle, like a feather caressing her lips. The young man's lips moved to her cheek, to her eyes, to her ears. And she reciprocates his actions with mutual kisses. A dangerous response!

She could feel the young man's hand traveling all over her back... under her clothes! His hand stopped on her chest. A sign that she is in the danger zone. But she was deaf to those signs.

And she didn't realize how all the buttons on her clothes were undone. The only thing she knew was the strange happiness caused by the young man's lips on her chest.

Paolo's hands and lips make a delicious path on her body. She felt like she was in space and floating.

Suddenly Paolo stopped what he was doing. Released from her embrace and leaned back in the chair. Isa didn't move even though she was surprised.

"I don't know why you're doing this, Isa..." said Paolo in a voice that seemed to have just woken up. There is still a trace of intense self-control on his face.

"B-because I want..."

"I know you're upset. Even at Miguel's apartment a while ago. And don't make it an outlet..."

"That's not true," the girl denied.

"Have you gone this far with Thomas?"

"No!" she answered directly.

"And you're marrying him..." said the young man bitterly before getting out of the car. He lit a cigar and leaned against the door.

The girl does not know what to say and think. She was embarrassed. If Paolo continued what he did she was sure she would agree. And she agreed to marry Thomas! What is happening to her? Is she losing her sanity?

The girl let out an accented sob. If Paolo doesn't stop what will she present to Thomas when he expects her to be a virgin? And if she's not going to continue marrying him why did she give herself to a man who doesn't even show love to her? Except what he said earlier. But loving is different from wanting and desiring.

Will she thank Paolo for stopping? She took her handkerchief from the bag and wiped the tears from her eyes. Right at the moment Paolo bowed and looked at her.

"Get some sleep, Isa. It's only three o'clock. I'll keep an eye on you."

The girl took a deep breath. What thoughts are in her head. The surroundings are still dark. What is the light of the sun that will rise soon? Is the saying 'The darkest time of the night is before dawn' true?'

Paolo slowly returned to the car. The girl is asleep. He carefully kissed her on the lips.

"I'm sorry for playing dirty tricks, darling. I love you and I just can't give you up that easy. This moment is my last card..." he said to himself.

And leaned back in the chair.

Meanwhile at Nicholas' house the three were still there and not resting as the old man told them to do.

"It's three o'clock, Juana. Where did those two go?" Thomas asked hostilely as he walked around.

Miguel yawned as he lay on the sofa and sat next to Juana.

"Why don't you sit down or maybe take a nap. Maybe the car just broke."

"Of course, Thomas..." Juana amended.

"And I can't imagine, Miguel, Juana, that Mr. De Leon isn't even worried that his daughter isn't here yet?" Thomas continued to look up where the old man might be sleeping.

"How do you know he's not worried just because he's composed?" Juana's defense.

"Paolo is his godson and he trusts him..." said Miguel who had been wanting to sleep for a while but couldn't because of Thomas.

"Trust? Her daughter is a woman and Paolo is a man!"

"Listen, Thomas," scolded Juana. "It's embarrassing for the old man. You've been like that for a while when we came..."

"I know Paolo, Thomas. He wouldn't do what you're thinking."

Thomas didn't answer but he didn't believe what Miguel was saying. It only covers Paolo because the young man is his friend.




A cold breeze wakes up Isa. She shivered a little from the cold. She slowly opened her eyes. Light shines in the sky even though it is still dark. The hood of the car is up. Paolo is probably looking at it.

She quickly straightened herself up. Forced to reach for the button of the dress to fasten it.

"Let me..." Paolo smiled slightly and opened the door on her side.

Although embarrassed, the girl turned away. She took a deep breath when she felt the warmth of the young man's hand on her back.

"I wish I could offer you a cup of tea, darling. But just at your house..." he joked and returned to the front again and lowered the hood.

He called her 'darling'? Why the endearment?

"Can we leave, Paolo?" she asked while adjusting the buttons of her clothes.

Paolo got into the car. "Yap. The fuse blew in the power supply to the machine so we stopped. I fixed it..." and stared at her. "I've never seen a girl as beautiful as you, even when you just woke up..."

The girl smiled sadly. After this day, he and Paolo will probably not be together. And it really hurts! But as Juana said, love is never without pain...

The young man started the car and drove off. A few moments later they were running. The two didn't move until they reached their house. Paolo parked his car behind Thomas's car.

"A-are you coming inside?"

"Of course. I have to explain to Godfather Nicholas," the young man said with a smile. His finger caressed the girl's lips. "Come inside and prepare ourselves for the firing squad..."

"You still got to joke..."