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

26

"'Night," masuyong bulong ni Luke at dinampian ng halik sa noo si Andre na nag-aantok na. Sa silid ni Roseanne niya dinala ang bata habang nasa ibaba ito at nagpupunas ng mga hinugasang pinagkainan nila.

Alas-seis na ng gabi siya dumating. Hinintay pa niyang matapos ang pagpipintura sa bubungan ng bahay nina Manang Felipa. Hindi na niya dinatnan sina Eric at Louise. He was glad to have an excuse to be there. Hindi niya gustong wala itong kasama sa bahay.

Something was mortally wrong. He hated this feeling! Sa kabila ng masasayang biruan kasama ng mga Japanese sa rancho sa Capistrano ay naramdaman niyang parang may hindi tamang mangyayari. He dismissed the feeling only to find out that his whole family was murdered on that very day.

At muli ngayon. He smothered a curse. He feared that should anything happen to Roseanne he might not be able to do a damn thing to prevent it.

"Dennis was my dad," inaantok na wika ni Andre, then sleepy eyes turned to him. "But he's gone. 

Can I call you 'daddy'?"

Luke gently combed the soft brownish hair with his fingers. "Sure, kid."

Andre smiled contentedly, yawned and closed his eyes. "'Night, Daddy..."

"'Night," he whispered back. Tumayo siya mula sa pagkakaupo sa gilid ng kama at tinitigan ang bata. "No one will harm your mother, Andre. I promise you that..." bulong niya at pagkatapos ay hininaan ang lampara sa night table at lumabas ng silid.

Nasa puno na siya ng hagdan nang marinig ang pagbagsak ng kung anong nabasag sa sahig. He frowned. Then he heard Roseanne cried his name... almost a croak, bahagya nang umabot sa pandinig niya. Hinugot niya ang baril sa waistband niya. Halos talunin niya pababa ang hagdan.

Sa ilang saglit ay nasa kusina na siya. Nakatutok ang baril. "Roseanne!"

But there was no one in the room. Nakatayo ito sa may lababo na tila naestatwa, nakatitig sa bahagi ng bintana, sa paanan nito ay ang basag na pinggan.

Ibinaba niya ang baril. "What is it? Are you all right?"

"M-may tao sa bintana... nakasilip siya rito at nakatingin sa akin... m-may hawak siyang patalim, Luke!"

Sa dalawang hakbang ay nasa pinto na siya at binuksan ang pinto, sa kamay ay ang baril niya at nakatutok sa dilim. Trained eyes scanned the surroundings. Subalit wala siyang maaninag. Ni ingay ng nabaling sanga na natatapakan ay wala. Ang tanging ingay na maririnig sa katahimikan ng gabi ay ang hampas ng alon sa dagat sa di-kalayuan at ang ingay ng mga panggabing insekto.

"M-may nakita ka ba?" tanong ni Roseanne nang bumalik siya sa loob. Isinarang muli ni Luke ang pinto.

"Kukunin ko ang flashlight sa sasakyan." Bago siya makarating sa entrada palabas ng sala ay nasa tabi na niya si Roseanne at nakahawak sa braso niya.

"No!" awat nito. "It could be dangerous. It was foolish of me to let you go outside in the dark. Paano kung nakaabang siya sa iyo?"

"I have a gun, Roseanne..." And I'm used to this kind of job. Danger is what I breathe...

"N-nakatakbo na siyang tiyak..."

Hinarap niya ito. "What exactly did you see?" Iniyakap nito ang mga braso sa sariling katawan. With huge eyes, sinulyapan nito ang bintana. "N-nakahawak sa rehas ang isang kamay niya... ang isa'y iwinagayway ang hawak niyang patalim."

"Did you recognize him?"

Umiling siya. "Madilim sa labas at nakadikit ang mukha niya sa salamin. Kaya lang ako lumingon sa bintana ay dahil nararamdaman kong may nakamasid sa akin... tulad din ng nararamdaman ko noon..." She sobbed and cried angrily. "He can't do this to me! He can't keep on scaring me like this!"

"Calm down, sweetheart..." Inabot niya ito subalit tinabig nito ang kamay niya. Hinawakan niyang pareho ang dalawang braso nito at pinigilan. "Roseanne, it's all right... he can't harm you."

"He almost killed me! He almost killed me!" naghihisteryang sigaw nito. Luke pulled her against him and held her tightly. Her body racked as she sobbed in his chest. .

His arms went around her. Slowly, gently, soothingly, he stroked her back from shoulder to waist. The gesture was becoming too familiar. And he was starting to get used to her scent... sweet and natural.

He planted a kiss on the top of her head. I shouldn't do this... ang dikta ng isip niya. Subalit ayaw makisama ng katawan niya sa sinasabi ng isip niya.

Tumaas ang mga kamay niya sa buhok ni Roseanne, curled her hair around his fingers and pulled it down gently. Her head raised a couple of inches and then his mouth covered hers with hungry heat.

Roseanne drew in a deep breath and stopped sobbing then shut her eyes instinctively.Not too much... not too much, babala ni Luke sa sarili. Just a little kiss to sop the aching need—a need he hadn't feel in many years—to bury himself in a woman's silky heat.No. Hindi sa kahit na sinong babae. This woman.

Stop it now! Nagawa mo na ang munting halik na gusto mong igawad—a reassuring kiss. Isang katalinuhang huminto na.

But when it came to some things though, Luke had never been a wise man. At hindi niya kayang huminto. It had been too long. Kaninang tanghali, tanging ang kaalamang may mga tao sa paligid ang nagpangyari upang huwag niyang hagkan itong tuluyan. The longing overwhelmed him, sweeping him up in aching waves.

His tongue ran slowly, tenderly, along Roseanne's lips, tasting her sweetness. When he thrust his tongue inside her mouth, a soft husky sound escaped her, causing his insides to clench sharply. Pleasurably. Hungers long denied, long buried, came to immediate life.

"Oh, Roseanne, wala akong ibang iniisip sa nakalipas na mga araw kundi ang mahagkan ka nang ganito," he murmured. His tongue moved lightly to trace the outline of her lips, learning their shape and taste.

Tumaas ang mga kamay ni Roseanne sa dibdib niya. Her fingers were tracing the rippling muscles of his shoulders.

Dear lord, it felt heavenly! It had been damn too long since he had been touched.He pulled her close... too close and rubbed his body against her intimately and at the same time his hand sought and found her breast.

Malakas na napasinghap si Roseanne. And then she managed a tiny step backward. Sapat iyon upang pakawalan ni Luke ang mga labi nito. Subalit nanatiling yakap niya ito nang may ilang sandali habang kinakalma ang sarili.

"That was taking advantage," he whispered and kissed her temple softly.