4 am
Maine slid back on the bed, surprised at Alden's newfound aggressiveness. Her back was now against the headboard, her breath growing more ragged as Alden's fingers slowly traced lines on her bare leg, tickling her ever so slightly.
"Alden, what are you doing?"
"What do you think, Meng?" he replied, his expression growing darker, more inscrutable by the second. He slowly crawled towards Maine, taking his time and thoroughly enjoying her reaction. She swallowed hard as she realized: This is it. This is really it. This is the kiss I've been waiting for. She closed her eyes, feeling Alden's face inch closer and closer to hers.
'Meng?" He asked, still slowly caressing her jawline.
Her eyes remained shut but she found herself puckering her lips, waiting for him to kiss her.
"Look at me," he asked in a low voice.
Her eyes fluttered open to see how tantalizingly close his lips were to hers.
Suddenly, he drew a sharp breath and pulled back, as if roused from a daze. "Meng, I'm... I'm so sorry," he stammered, moving to the end of the bed and distancing himself from her.
"Huh?" Maine's eyes widened in surprise. "Alden? You OK?"
"I'm so sorry, Meng," he began as he rubbed the back of his neck ruefully, "I'm really sorry. Di ko dapat ginawa 'yon. It's just that you're in my bed wearing my shirt and we're alone...sh*t," he muttered under his breath.
"Alden, it's just one kiss."
He looked at her with an apologetic smile. "Oh, Meng. Di mo talaga alam no?"
Maine looked at him, puzzled. Her hair spilled over her shoulders while his shirt hung loose over her thighs. Was she even wearing a bra, he wondered. She probably wasn't. Women don't sleep wearing them. He clenched his fists and looked outside his window. "Meng, I'm sorry. I really think you should go."
Maine gulped, taken aback. "Whatever," she muttered with an exasperated sigh. She got up to get a glass of water by the mini bar. I know where I'm not wanted, she thought. Best to get out of here as soon as I can. Shouldn't have made a fool of myself by coming here, she concluded with a heavy heart.
Suddenly, Alden's arms hugged her from behind and she felt him nuzzle her neck. "Meng, please understand," he begged. "I want to kiss you. But in this room, in this bed...Believe me, kissing you is not the only thing I'll want to do to you.'
She turned around to look at him, her big brown eyes slowly destroying Alden's thread-like sanity.
"I promised your parents I'd take care of you, and I will. Trust me, Meng, it's better this way. I have to stop before we start," he confessed.
"It's just a kiss, Alden," she whispered. "I'm not... I'm not even ready for more."
"I know," he replied lovingly, his desire evident in the way his voice broke. "But I am, Meng. I'm ready right now." He closed his eyes and stepped back. "So for your sake, I think you have to go back to the cottage before..."
"Before?"
Alden brought her hand to his neck. "Do you feel this? This is not a fever, Meng," he warned. "This is not a fever anymore. 'Wag ako."
Wordlessly, she dashed to the door and opened it, only to find a very surprised Mama Ten waiting outside.
"Meng?" Alden's manager took one look at Maine's appearance and gasped.
"Naku hindi po, Mama Ten!" Maine exclaimed as she entered. "Nilagnat po si Alden kagabi kaya dito ako nagbantay overnight."
"Ah, so dahil may lagnat si Alden, sinusuot mo polo niya?"
