THE RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE BABYSITS ME (R18+)

Bonus Chapter Two

BONUS CHAPTER TWO

JAZZLENE 

The city lights shimmered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Adam's penthouse bedroom, casting a gentle glow over the plush surroundings. The air was warm and heavy with the scent of passion as we lay intertwined on his bed, our bodies still humming with the echoes of our intimacy. Nestled in his arms, under the soft blanket, I felt an overwhelming sense of closeness and contentment.

"Nahihiya akong umuwi sa bahay bukas. Siguradong pagdududahan ako ni Mommy at Daddy," pabulong kong sabi. Ang una ko kasing paalam sa text ko kay mommy kanina ay ma-la-late ako nang uwi dahil may event sa hotel at kailangan kong mag-overtime. Pero matapos lang ang unang round namin kanina ni Adam, sinabihan niya ako na hindi niya ako kayang pauwiin ngayong gabi, gusto niya pa raw akong makasama, kaya naman napilitan uli akong mag-message kay mommy para sabihing sa hotel na ako mag-overnight. "Alam mo naman ang mga parents, they have the strangest radar."

"Then don't bother going home. Stay in my penthouse instead. I'll take care of you like royalty, Your Highness." He chuckled, habang nilalaro ang ilang hibla ng buhok ko. His touch was tender yet possessive. Each stroke sent a shiver of pleasure down my spine, grounding me in the present moment. His chest rose and fell rhythmically beneath my cheek, the steady beat of his heart a comforting symphony in the quiet of the room.

"Hindi pa nga kita sinasagot, ibabahay mo na ako? Gusto mong habulin ka ni Daddy ng golf stick?"

"Bakit kasi ang tagal mo 'kong sagutin? I've been pursuing you for a month now. Frankly, we don't really need to go through all this courting because we've known each other for such a long time. I've known you since you were in elementary school. I still vividly remember the day you came home in tears because they appointed you as the class president instead of the muse you wanted to be." Bahagya pa siyang natawa dahil totoo ang sinabi niya. Nangyari talaga 'yon. High school pa lang siya ay magkaibigan na sila nila Kuya Zane at six years ang age gap namin, kaya nakilala na niya ako noong elementary pa lang ako.

"Naalala mo pa pala 'yon?" Napabungisngis ako. "Ako kasi wala akong maalala na tungkol sa 'yo. Lumaki kasi akong walang pake' sa 'yo. Hangin ka lang sa paningin ko noon," mayabang kong ganti sa kaniya. "Ang naaalala ko lang, snob ka. Nakakatakot kang i-approach." Hindi siya kumibo. "At 'wag kang magreklamo kung matagal kitang sagutin. Sa 'yo lang naman ako nagbabase. Hindi mo lang alam, pero pinakikiramdaman kita, Adam. Alam ko kasing wala ka pang naging totoong girlfriend. Ayaw kitang biglain, lalo na at 'di ka naman sanay na may karelasyon."

"Are you being serious right now?" Bahagya niyang inilayo ang mukha niya sa akin para masulyapan ako, kunot ang noo niya. "What does accepting me as your boyfriend have to do with the fact that I've never been in a relationship before? It doesn't make sense, Jazzie."

"It does, Adam," maagap kong sagot sa kaniya, nakatingala na rin ako sa kaniya ngayon. "Wala kang experience kaya siguradong hindi mo alam ang mga do's and don'ts habang nasa isang romantic relationship. 'Yong nakasanayan mo kasi, babaeng mga kinakama-kama mo lang, na p'wede mong i-disposed once you're done with them. As for me, ang pagpasok sa isang relasyon, paghahanda na 'yan sa future. Sa married life."

"Married life?" He gave me a teasing smile. "Aren't you jumping ahead? I'm just courting you, Jazz, so why are you already thinking about marriage? Akala ko ba hangin lang ako noon sa paningin mo? Why does it seem like you're the one who can't wait now?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not rushing! You just don't get my point!"

"Then explain your point to me more clearly."

I sighed. "Okay. Direct to the point. Kapag nakipagrelasyon ako sa isang tao, paghahanda ko na 'yon sa future na kasama siya. As my future husband. Ikaw? Ano ba'ng intensyon mo sa panliligaw sa 'kin? Para lang ba jowain ako? Para may matawag kang girlfriend? Para may magpapainit sa kama mo? Para maging free trial mo kapag nahanap mo na 'yong gusto mong makasama habang-buhay? Ano? Tell me. Dahil kung jojowain mo lang ako, pero hindi mo naman pala ako gustong makasama sa future mo, then stay far, far away from me. Ilang beses na akong naiwan, Adam. Alam mo 'yan. Saksi ka sa mga heartbreaks ko. Ayoko na 'yon mangyari uli."

He fell silent, gazing into my eyes for what felt like an eternity. "I get it, Jazz. I get your point now. Clear as day. But right now, I'm not sure about my intentions. The only thing I'm certain of is that I'm willing to do anything for you. It doesn't matter to me what label we have. Whether you're my girlfriend or not, if anyone hurts you, I'm ready to set the world on fire for you."

I swallowed hard, blinked, and was left speechless, deeply touched. No one had ever said anything like that to me before. His words were the equivalent of saying he was willing to walk through hell just for me.

"Adam..." I shifted slightly, adjusting myself closer to him, wanting to feel even more connected. Napayakap ulit ako sa katawan niya, and his embrace tightened in response, his hand now gently caressing the curve of my back, his touch leaving a trail of warmth in its wake. "You're amazing, you know that? You always know the right thing to say," I added. My voice was a soft murmur, laced with admiration and a hint of wonder. Hindi niya alam ang intensyon niya, pero malinaw na 'yon sa akin dahil sa sinabi niya.

"I know," he answered with a hint of arrogance, followed by a soft chuckle. "So, to ensure we fully understand each other, could you guide me through the do's and don'ts you mentioned in this relationship?"

I looked up at him, my heart swelling with affection for the man who held me so tenderly. I then smirked. "Sige. Tuturuan kita. Let's have a test. I'm the one asking questions. Una; ano'ng gagawin mo kapag nagtatampo ako sa 'yo?"

"Susuyuin kita."

"Sa anong paraan?"

"A date? Chocolates? Food? Maybe s*x."

"Sige. Pwede na 'yang mga 'yan. Next is: ano naman ang dapat kong gawin kung ikaw naman ang nagtatampo sa 'kin?"

"Simple, baby. You just have to give me a blow—"

"Wrong," I interrupted him. "Wala akong dapat gawin dahil wala kang karapatang magtampo sa 'kin. Powerless Adam, remember?"

He chuckled. "I get it, Your Highness."

"Third. Say we get into an argument and you're absolutely sure you're right and I'm wrong. Who should apologize and stay quiet?"

"You. Because—"

"Wrong again."

"But I'm the one who's—"

"Powerless."

Muli siyang tawa. "All right. Silly me. Forgive me, Your Highness." Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. Hanggang gabi ay gano'n ang naging topic namin. Kung paano ang gusto kong pagtrato niya sa akin inside our relationship. Natatawa na lang siya madalas sa mga sinasabi ko, pero lagi pa rin siyang uma-agree kahit minsan ay nonsense na ang sinasabi ko.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

Kinabukasan. 4:00 p.m nang mag-out ako sa hotel. Hindi ako maihahatid ni Adam dahil tumawag siya sa akin kanina, busy raw siya sa Meadows Group. Mabuti na lamang at nasa labas si mommy at daddy, nag-grocery sila, kaya nagawa nila akong daanan sa hotel nang matapos sila sa pamimili.

I was nervous on the way home, fearing Mom might bombard me with questions about why I didn't come home last night. Luckily, she didn't. It seemed they really bought the story that I stayed overnight due to work. Instead, our topic was Adam booking them a Hawaii vacation for a week as his gift during their wedding anniversary celebration last month. Mom was excited about their upcoming flight, while I was secretly thrilled to have Adam's plan for some alone time with me for a whole week. Sana lang ay huwag nilang maisip na paraan lang 'yon ni Adam para malaya niya akong masolo nang buong linggo.

Pagdating sa bahay, ako ang bumaba sa sasakyan para buksan ang gate namin at maipasok ni daddy ang sasakyan sa garahe. Ngunit kumunot ang noo ko dahil may natanaw akong sasakyan sa driveway, pero mayroon iyon cover na itim, dahilan para hindi makita kung anong klaseng sasakyan 'yon.

"Kaninong sasakyan 'yon, 'My?" tanong ko kay Mommy noong nakalabas na siya sa sasakyan ni daddy, nakalapit na sila pareho sa akin at nakatanaw rin sa sasakyang may cover. Binalingan ko sila, kunot noo. "Bumili kayo ng sasakyan ni Daddy?"

But instead of answering, Mom gave me a knowing smirk. Next thing I knew, I saw Adam stepping out of our house with effortless charm, clad in his signature three-piece black suit, his usual working attire. Nakasuksok ang isang kamay niya sa bulsa sa gilid ng trouser niya habang nakatuon sa akin ang tingin. Noong tuluyan siyang makalapit sa amin, hinarap niya ako, and he smiled.

"It's not that too late to congratulate you, right? Congratulations on finally escaping the clutches of college. No more exams, no more all-nighters—just endless possibilities! Welcome to the real world, Jazz. Where the only grades you'll worry about are the ones on your paycheck." He glanced over at the covered vehicle, walked towards it, and removed the cover, revealing a new and shiny rose gold McLaren, complete with a ribbon on the front.

Napaawang ang bibig ko. My eyes widening as well. Oh, my gosh!

Nakangiti siyang bumalik sa harap ko at may dinukot sa bulsa niya. A key fob. "Now that you've earned your degree, you're officially qualified for rush hour traffic and parking lot wars." Inabot niya sa akin 'yong susi ng McLaren. "Here's to navigating life together, with me as your personal GPS and designated snack provider. I might be the CEO at work, but on the road, you're the boss behind the wheel."

Naluluha kong pinagmasdan ang key fob na hawak ko bago ako muling nag-angat ng tingin sa kaniya. Slowly, I smiled. "If I'm the boss behind the wheel, buckle up, because I'm driving us straight into a future where we're happily stuck with each other forever."

"Deal. But fair warning, I'm controlling the radio. No Taylor Swift."

We both chuckled, and I couldn't resist kissing him, even though Mom and Dad were right in front of us.