My Love My Hero, Montañez (UNEDITED) (COMPLETED)

11

Napabalikwas si Roseanne. Totally disoriented, nilinga niya ang madilim na kapaligiran. Wala siyang makita. Fear gripped her. Sinikap niyang kontrolin ang ungol na kumakawala sa lalamunan niya

Nasaan siya? Bakit kay dilim?

Roseanne, nasaan ka! Roseanneee...No! Please... nooo!

Doon bumukas ang pinto. Bahagyang nagliwanag ang paligid sa antigong lamparang hawak ni Luke. Mabilis itong lumapit sa kama.

"Ano ang nangyari?" tanong nito, a frown on his forehead. "Bakit ka sumigaw?"

Nanlalaki ang mga matang tiningala niya ito. Matagal na tinitigan. Her hands grasped the bedsheet. May ilang sandali ang lumipas bago niya natanto kung sino ito at kung nasaan siya.

"L-Luke?" she croaked. Her breath came out in a gasp.

"Nanaginip ka ba?" he asked gently.

She swallowed painfully. Kinalma ang sarili. "S-sumigaw ba ako?"

"Ang ikalawa'y patakbo na akong patungo rito sa silid mo. What happened?"

"A-ayoko ng madilim sa silid... I mean, I sleep with lights on."

Sa aandap-andap na liwanag mula sa lampara ay nilinga niya ang paligid. It looked familiar. "I-ito ang silid ng mga magulang ko sa tuwing uuwi sila rito." Hinayon niya ng tingin ang full-length vanity mirror ng mother niya.

Luke had no idea. The first room from the stairs was locked. At hindi nakasusi ang katapat na silid na ito. At humihiyaw ang likod nito sa matinding kirot habang buhat-buhat si Roseanne.Roseanne's eyes darted to him. "I-I don't remember climbing up the stairs... Paano akong napunta rito? Where's Andre? Ang alam ko'y nakaupo ako sa sofa..." She was speaking frantically.

"Calm down, Roseanne," putol nito sa sinasabi niya sa kalmanteng tinig. "Nakatulog ka sa sofa. I carried you both up here... one after the other. Si Andre ay katabi ko. You were sleeping like a log, baka mahulog ang bata."

"Y-you carried me—" She stopped herself. Tinitigan niya ito. And for the first time since Luke entered the room she noticed he was naked from the waist up. And his jeans was unsnapped. At mula sa aandap-andap na liwanag ng lamparang hawak nito, she couldn't fail to notice the beautiful male body. Ang malapad nitong dibdib ay nalalatagan ng pinong balahibo.Her fingers ached to feel it. Was it soft? Silky?

Luke cleared his throat.

Sapat upang matauhan si Roseanne. Embarrassed, agad niyang iniwas ang mga mata mula sa katawan nito. How silly of her! She was glad of the semidarkness. Hindi nito mapupuna ang pamumula ng mukha niya.

Why was he still here? Why didn't he left?

Nang biglang may nagdaan sa isip niya na ikinapanghilakbot niya. Mabilis na niyuko ang sarili. Napalitan na ang damit niya! She was wearing her silk nightdress!Marahas ang pagtingala niya rito. She opened her mouth to say something, subalit naunang magsalita si Luke.

"Pinangahasan kong buksan ang mga bagahe mo—"

"Pinangahasan mong buksan—how dare you!" she barked. Nag-init ang mukha niya sa biglang pag-ahon ng galit at kahihiyan. Tumayo mula sa kama upang ibagsak din lang muli ang sarili pabalik nang matantong nakahantad ang kalahati ng katawan niya. Ang nightdress niya ay tama lang na natatakpan ang panties niya.

"I trusted you. You took advantage!" she said furiously.

"Roseanne, be reasonable," he said patiently, as if to a child. "Basa ang suot mo. Kung hindi kita binihisan, tiyak na may pulmonya ka na bukas."

"You have no right to—"

"You just said you trusted me," putol nito sa sinasabi niya. "Iyon ang alam kong tamang gawin upang hindi ka magkasakit. And no. I didn't take advantage of you!"

"Damn you!" she hissed. Hindi nabawasan ang galit sa kabila ng lohikong paliwanag nito. "How would I know? Ni hindi ako nagising nang ipanhik mo ako rito sa itaas!"

"If you noticed, you still had your underthings on. Ang inalis ko lang ay ang blusa at jeans mo. Besides, you are a married woman, wouldn't you know if I—"

"I didn't mean that you raped me!" she snapped. Muling nag-init ang mukha niya sa kahihiyan sa gustong tukuyin nito. "For all I know, you could have... you could have..." Hindi niya maapuhap ang tamang salita.

She was a matured woman. Hindi lang iyon. Isa siyang doktor kung saan ang human anatomy ay ordinaryo na lang. Yet she was still a woman and this stranger who undressed her was a man! A total stranger!

Marahil sa ibang pagkakataon ay gusto niyang pagtawanan ang eksenang ito. In the middle of the night, na lampara lang ang liwanag, naroon siya at nakikipagtalo sa isang estranghero dahil nagmagandang-loob na bihisan siya upang huwag siyang mapulmonya.

But she was embarrassed and anger was the best defense.

Matabang na ngumiti si Luke. "Why, thank you." He was sarcastic. "At least, absuwelto na ako sa kategoryang rapist. No, Ma'am. I am not in a habit of taking advantage of a sleeping woman, a married woman for that matter..." he paused, and then added in a huskier tone as he met her eyes. "And if I decided to take advantage of a woman's body... feel its softness... and memorize each and every curve, married or not, I'll make sure she's fully awake, so she would know the delight my touches and kisses evoke... so she would enjoy my lovemaking as much as I do..."

Roseanne drew in uneven breaths as she gaped at him. He spoke with passion. Hindi itinago ni Luke ang pagnanasang nasa mga mata nito. At agad ang pagtugong ginawa ng katawan niya. Something like molten lava flowed down to the middle of her thighs. And her nipples hardened that she didn't dare move lest he noticed them.

She searched her brain for some intelligent thing to say. But she realized she couldn't even think coherently. All she could think of was images of him kissing and touching her... everywhere.

Isang marahas na paghinga ang pinakawalan ni Luke. Even through the layers of her silk nightgown and lacy bra, the hardening of her nipples were outlined. He hadn't removed her lacy bra when he took her wet clothes off. Yet he knew her breasts were made to fit his hand, and that in a mere two minutes he could have her naked and writhing beneath him.

Damn. She wasn't even her type. She was too thin. Besides, he had committed sins in his life, pero hindi kasali roon ang pagsamantalahan ang isang babaeng mahina at marahil ay nagtatampo sa asawa—even if that vulnerable married woman would be more than willing. He never wanted that on his conscience.

Tumalikod si Luke at humakbang patungo sa pinto. Nang may biglang maisip. Muling humarap,nakakunot ang noo. "I'm curious though. May sariwang sugat ka sa ibabang bahagi ng kanang balikat mo? Knife had done it, I'm sure. What happened?"

Sandali lang ang pagkabigla ni Roseanne, agad na nakahagilap ng isasagot. "Cyst operation. Three weeks ago."

Luke stood there for a moment. Ni hindi niya mabasa ang ekspresyon sa mukha nito. Pagkuwa'y nagbuntong-hininga. "Alas-tres pa lang ng madaling-araw, Roseanne. Go back to sleep."

Nang makalabas si Luke sa silid ay kumawala ang hiningang hindi alam ni Roseanne na pinipigilan niya. Nahiga siyang muli. Wala sa loob na nakatitig siya sa apoy ng lampara na aandap-andap na tila siya hinihipnotismo.

Subalit hindi ang apoy ang nakikita niya kundi mukha ni Luke. Pagkuwa'y wala sa loob na dinama ng mga daliri ang sugat sa ibabang balikat. She shuddered. Tuluyang naglaho ang anumang pantasya na mayroon para kay Luke.