LOVE MATCH
Series: LOTHARIO SAGA
BOOK EXCERPT:
NICO SANVICTORES
by Eve Montelibano
HE HATED the way she was blinking her tears away. Hindi bagay ang mga luha sa mapanlinlang na babaing ito! Pero naapektuhan si Nico sa nakikitang hapdi sa mga mata ni Laila. May kung ano’ng panlalambot siyang nararamdaman para dito. He fought the urge to take her in his arms and comfort her. Stupid fool! Pinairal niya ang kanyang galit dito. Kahit awa ay ayaw niyang maramdaman para sa babaing ito.
Series: LOTHARIO SAGA
BOOK EXCERPT:
NICO SANVICTORES
by Eve Montelibano
HE HATED the way she was blinking her tears away. Hindi bagay ang mga luha sa mapanlinlang na babaing ito! Pero naapektuhan si Nico sa nakikitang hapdi sa mga mata ni Laila. May kung ano’ng panlalambot siyang nararamdaman para dito. He fought the urge to take her in his arms and comfort her. Stupid fool! Pinairal niya ang kanyang galit dito. Kahit awa ay ayaw niyang maramdaman para sa babaing ito.
“Please, spare me the stupid tears, Laila. Nakinabang ka sa pera ko. Sa ating dalawa, ikaw ang nakabentahe. You were the most expensive geisha Lothario ever had. You must be really proud of yourself, huh?”
“It was your mother’s money, not yours.”
He smiled coldly. “Wrong, sweetheart. Ako ang gumagawa ng pera sa pamilya namin. Lahat ng tsekeng galing sa mga accounts ng SGC ay may lagda ko rin. Or you never bothered to check? Sobra ba ang excitement mong mai-withdraw ang pera at ni hindi mo na tiningnan kung kanino talaga nanggaling ‘yon?”
Namutla si Laila. Hindi nakasagot.
“You mean, you didn’t know?”
Nagkibit-balikat ito at umiling. “It was pay to cash. Kung ikaw man ang nagbigay niyon sa akin kahit na hindi direkta ay nagpapasalamat ako, Nico. Nakatulong iyon nang malaki sa akin. Hindi ko na kinailangang bumalik sa Lothario o magtinda ng hamburger.”
The casual way she said it grated at his nerves even more. He moved towards her on the sofa. Her scent wafted all over him, making his head swim with memories of hot, steamy nights with her. They had been explosive in bed together.
He stared at her. She stood her ground.
Itinaas nito ang noo at nakipagtitigan sa kanya nang diretso. Nanggigigil siyang sunggaban ito at…ano? So many urges came to mind. He wanted to put his hands around her lovely neck and squeeze the avaricious life out of her. He wanted to kiss her hard and wipe that maddening arrogance off her pouty lips. He wanted to fuck her so hard till he got tired of her and never think of her anymore! He wanted to be free of her. For good! But he will never be a fool again for this woman. Right now, he was a businessman with a bad case of lust. And like any company he had coveted in the past, he would have her, use her. And then discard her.
“So… magkano ka na ngayon, Laila?”
SHE PRAYED for the courage to endure his presence a bit longer. Just a bit longer. Iyon ang naidasal ni Laila. Kung dito matatapos ang lahat, so be it. Maybe, this was finally the closure that she had been waiting for. Ang muling makaharap si Nico, at malamang wala na ni anupamang maaaring mamagitan pa sa kanilang dalawa. Titiisin niya ang lahat ng pang-iinsulto nito, kung iyon na ang huli nilang pagkikita.
Noon ay sinunod niya lahat ng dikta ng kanyang puso, kinalimutan niya ang kanyang respeto sa sarili. Pero hindi na ngayon. Iba na siya. She had evolved into a new person. She had rebuilt her life from the ashes. And never again will she succumb to her feelings for this man.
“I don’t think you can afford me this time, Nico.”
His eyes flared. “Ah, Laila. You’re a contradiction, you know that? Masyadong mataas ang pride mo para sa klase ng pagkatao mo. I actually thought you were priceless. Pero murang-mura ka pala. Five million. Tsk. Still, that was a lot better than our original two-million deal. I gotta give you credit for your bargaining power. Nauto mo si Mama na bayaran ka nang mas higit sa totoo mong halaga.”
She didn’t even blink at the insult. “Bakit? Nasaktan ko ba ang pride mo nang iwan kita, Nic? Hindi ka sanay na iniiwan dahil ikaw ang nang-iiwan? Masyado bang masakit sa ego mo ‘yon? What do you want from me? An apology?”
His eyes were harsh and smoldering on her. “No. Sinabi mo sa sulat mo noon, it was good while it lasted. It wasn’t good enough, Laila. You took my five million bucks but I didn’t get my money’s worth. You owe me.”
“Your arrogance is unbelievable, Nico.”
He smiled ferally. “Believe it, sweetheart.”
“Then I will pay in cash. Bigyan mo lang ako ng sapat na panahon. Ibabalik ko nang buong-buo ang limang milyon mo.”
He moved closer to her on the sofa that she could feel the warmth emanating from his big body. “You don’t get it, do you, Laila? You think it’s the money? Latak lang ang limang milyon sa bulto ng perang nasa pangalan ko. I could have given you much, much more than that if you bothered to stick around a little longer. But you jumped the gun way too early, sweetheart. You could have been rolling in money.”
Kung anong lalim ng sugat na iniwan ni Krista sa kanyang pagkatao noon as siya ring muling binubuksan ni Nico. At mas malalim ang sakit na dulot niyon. Because she gave her all to
this man. Minahal niya ito nang sobra.
“Kung ano man ang mga nangyari noon ay hindi na natin maibabalik pa, Nico. Pareho tayong nagkamali ng pagkakilala sa isa’t-isa. Para matapos na ang lahat nang ito, babayaran kita. You have my word.”
His hand went up and his fingers traced her cleavage slowly, making circles on her delicate skin. Her body reacted instantly. Licks of fire seemed to spark from his fingertips and travelled like liquid heat all the way to her extremities.
“Pay me with your body.”
She was breathless and he smiled down at her knowingly. “No… I’ll pay you in cash.”
Naningkit ang mga mata nito. “Ah, still as shrewd as ever? Bakit, mas mahal na ba ang presyo mo ngayon, hmm? Have you acquired better skills as a geisha? Siguro ay beterana ka na ngayon sa negosyong ‘yan? Mas lucrative ba ang market dito sa Singapore at nag-relocate ka? Alright, I’m a businessman. Let’s negotiate.”
His voice was so smooth and silky but they hurt her like razor blades. Pinilit pa rin niyang maging kalmante. “I was never a geisha and you know it.”
“Oh yes, you were. Mas pasimple nga lang ang diskarte mo kaysa sa iba. You certainly put a nice touch to it, baby. Yes, you were a virgin but a very shrewd one. You put a very high price to that piece of membrane between your legs. Tinanggihan mo si Lucky. Of course, it was a calculated move. You knew that was guaranteed to make you more expensive. You knew you were playing a winning hand. Alam mo kung gaano nabaliw sa ‘yo ang mga lalaki sa Lothario. You just waited for the highest bidder. And it turned out, ako pala ‘yun. Thanks to my ever generous mother.”
Nagkibit-balikat siya. “Thanks to her, indeed.”
They stared into each other’s eyes with unconcealed, burning hatred. It was so hard to rebuild her life all over again after she walked away from him. Now, here he was again, annihilating her defenses, making her feel vulnerable again. Her mind recoiled in remembered pain as memories of her earlier days without him came back. She thought she’d never survive the loss of him, but she did. And she should never forget that.
Tinangka ni Laila na tumayo mula sa sofa ngunit pinigil siya ni Nico. He grabbed her waist and sat her across his lap. “Don’t play hard to get with me, Laila. I know you want it.”
She panicked. “Bitiwan mo ako!” Itinukod niya ang mga kamay sa dibdib nito pero hindi ito matinag. Bagkus ay naramdaman niya ang mabilis na pintig ng puso nito. And down there against her thigh, she could feel him, hard and insistent, throbbing with life. Memories of the intense pleasure they had shared together flooded her consciousness. He used to make love to her so slowly till she was screaming for completion. Shefelt hot and feverish now. Worse, she could feel wetness flow between her legs. She was horrified!
“You owe me two months, sweetheart. Pay me with your body. Then we’ll call it quits.”
“No! Let me go! How dare you! Let me go!” Nagpumiglas na siya. Her defenses were slowly crumbling against his powerful sensuality.
Parang wala itong narinig. “Ah, same ol’ trick, Laila? Nagpapapresyo ka pa rin? That hot little pussy sure knew all the best tricks before and I won’t be surprised if it made you rich already. Only this time, please spare me the act, will you? I’m a paying costumer. I’m giving you a premium deal. Kapag nag-enjoy ako, bibigyan kita ng bonus. Another million. How’s that, sweety? That’s way, way too much for an encore but you can earn it. I’m sure you’d be able to earn it easily enough. You still remember how to please me, Laila? Don’t you, baby?”
Parang umakyat ang dugo sa ulo ni Laila. Hindi niya napigilan ang kanyang rumaragasang galit sa mga pambabastos nito sa kanyang pagkatao. Sinampal niya ito nang ubod-lakas.
Violence exploded out of him. Dinaklot nito ang kanyang mga balikat. Bumaon ang mga daliri nito sa kanyang balat “Bitch! You man-eating, little bitch!”
A second later, his mouth descended on hers.
ORDER NOW!!!
“It was your mother’s money, not yours.”
He smiled coldly. “Wrong, sweetheart. Ako ang gumagawa ng pera sa pamilya namin. Lahat ng tsekeng galing sa mga accounts ng SGC ay may lagda ko rin. Or you never bothered to check? Sobra ba ang excitement mong mai-withdraw ang pera at ni hindi mo na tiningnan kung kanino talaga nanggaling ‘yon?”
Namutla si Laila. Hindi nakasagot.
“You mean, you didn’t know?”
Nagkibit-balikat ito at umiling. “It was pay to cash. Kung ikaw man ang nagbigay niyon sa akin kahit na hindi direkta ay nagpapasalamat ako, Nico. Nakatulong iyon nang malaki sa akin. Hindi ko na kinailangang bumalik sa Lothario o magtinda ng hamburger.”
The casual way she said it grated at his nerves even more. He moved towards her on the sofa. Her scent wafted all over him, making his head swim with memories of hot, steamy nights with her. They had been explosive in bed together.
He stared at her. She stood her ground.
Itinaas nito ang noo at nakipagtitigan sa kanya nang diretso. Nanggigigil siyang sunggaban ito at…ano? So many urges came to mind. He wanted to put his hands around her lovely neck and squeeze the avaricious life out of her. He wanted to kiss her hard and wipe that maddening arrogance off her pouty lips. He wanted to fuck her so hard till he got tired of her and never think of her anymore! He wanted to be free of her. For good! But he will never be a fool again for this woman. Right now, he was a businessman with a bad case of lust. And like any company he had coveted in the past, he would have her, use her. And then discard her.
“So… magkano ka na ngayon, Laila?”
SHE PRAYED for the courage to endure his presence a bit longer. Just a bit longer. Iyon ang naidasal ni Laila. Kung dito matatapos ang lahat, so be it. Maybe, this was finally the closure that she had been waiting for. Ang muling makaharap si Nico, at malamang wala na ni anupamang maaaring mamagitan pa sa kanilang dalawa. Titiisin niya ang lahat ng pang-iinsulto nito, kung iyon na ang huli nilang pagkikita.
Noon ay sinunod niya lahat ng dikta ng kanyang puso, kinalimutan niya ang kanyang respeto sa sarili. Pero hindi na ngayon. Iba na siya. She had evolved into a new person. She had rebuilt her life from the ashes. And never again will she succumb to her feelings for this man.
“I don’t think you can afford me this time, Nico.”
His eyes flared. “Ah, Laila. You’re a contradiction, you know that? Masyadong mataas ang pride mo para sa klase ng pagkatao mo. I actually thought you were priceless. Pero murang-mura ka pala. Five million. Tsk. Still, that was a lot better than our original two-million deal. I gotta give you credit for your bargaining power. Nauto mo si Mama na bayaran ka nang mas higit sa totoo mong halaga.”
She didn’t even blink at the insult. “Bakit? Nasaktan ko ba ang pride mo nang iwan kita, Nic? Hindi ka sanay na iniiwan dahil ikaw ang nang-iiwan? Masyado bang masakit sa ego mo ‘yon? What do you want from me? An apology?”
His eyes were harsh and smoldering on her. “No. Sinabi mo sa sulat mo noon, it was good while it lasted. It wasn’t good enough, Laila. You took my five million bucks but I didn’t get my money’s worth. You owe me.”
“Your arrogance is unbelievable, Nico.”
He smiled ferally. “Believe it, sweetheart.”
“Then I will pay in cash. Bigyan mo lang ako ng sapat na panahon. Ibabalik ko nang buong-buo ang limang milyon mo.”
He moved closer to her on the sofa that she could feel the warmth emanating from his big body. “You don’t get it, do you, Laila? You think it’s the money? Latak lang ang limang milyon sa bulto ng perang nasa pangalan ko. I could have given you much, much more than that if you bothered to stick around a little longer. But you jumped the gun way too early, sweetheart. You could have been rolling in money.”
Kung anong lalim ng sugat na iniwan ni Krista sa kanyang pagkatao noon as siya ring muling binubuksan ni Nico. At mas malalim ang sakit na dulot niyon. Because she gave her all to
this man. Minahal niya ito nang sobra.
“Kung ano man ang mga nangyari noon ay hindi na natin maibabalik pa, Nico. Pareho tayong nagkamali ng pagkakilala sa isa’t-isa. Para matapos na ang lahat nang ito, babayaran kita. You have my word.”
His hand went up and his fingers traced her cleavage slowly, making circles on her delicate skin. Her body reacted instantly. Licks of fire seemed to spark from his fingertips and travelled like liquid heat all the way to her extremities.
“Pay me with your body.”
She was breathless and he smiled down at her knowingly. “No… I’ll pay you in cash.”
Naningkit ang mga mata nito. “Ah, still as shrewd as ever? Bakit, mas mahal na ba ang presyo mo ngayon, hmm? Have you acquired better skills as a geisha? Siguro ay beterana ka na ngayon sa negosyong ‘yan? Mas lucrative ba ang market dito sa Singapore at nag-relocate ka? Alright, I’m a businessman. Let’s negotiate.”
His voice was so smooth and silky but they hurt her like razor blades. Pinilit pa rin niyang maging kalmante. “I was never a geisha and you know it.”
“Oh yes, you were. Mas pasimple nga lang ang diskarte mo kaysa sa iba. You certainly put a nice touch to it, baby. Yes, you were a virgin but a very shrewd one. You put a very high price to that piece of membrane between your legs. Tinanggihan mo si Lucky. Of course, it was a calculated move. You knew that was guaranteed to make you more expensive. You knew you were playing a winning hand. Alam mo kung gaano nabaliw sa ‘yo ang mga lalaki sa Lothario. You just waited for the highest bidder. And it turned out, ako pala ‘yun. Thanks to my ever generous mother.”
Nagkibit-balikat siya. “Thanks to her, indeed.”
They stared into each other’s eyes with unconcealed, burning hatred. It was so hard to rebuild her life all over again after she walked away from him. Now, here he was again, annihilating her defenses, making her feel vulnerable again. Her mind recoiled in remembered pain as memories of her earlier days without him came back. She thought she’d never survive the loss of him, but she did. And she should never forget that.
Tinangka ni Laila na tumayo mula sa sofa ngunit pinigil siya ni Nico. He grabbed her waist and sat her across his lap. “Don’t play hard to get with me, Laila. I know you want it.”
She panicked. “Bitiwan mo ako!” Itinukod niya ang mga kamay sa dibdib nito pero hindi ito matinag. Bagkus ay naramdaman niya ang mabilis na pintig ng puso nito. And down there against her thigh, she could feel him, hard and insistent, throbbing with life. Memories of the intense pleasure they had shared together flooded her consciousness. He used to make love to her so slowly till she was screaming for completion. Shefelt hot and feverish now. Worse, she could feel wetness flow between her legs. She was horrified!
“You owe me two months, sweetheart. Pay me with your body. Then we’ll call it quits.”
“No! Let me go! How dare you! Let me go!” Nagpumiglas na siya. Her defenses were slowly crumbling against his powerful sensuality.
Parang wala itong narinig. “Ah, same ol’ trick, Laila? Nagpapapresyo ka pa rin? That hot little pussy sure knew all the best tricks before and I won’t be surprised if it made you rich already. Only this time, please spare me the act, will you? I’m a paying costumer. I’m giving you a premium deal. Kapag nag-enjoy ako, bibigyan kita ng bonus. Another million. How’s that, sweety? That’s way, way too much for an encore but you can earn it. I’m sure you’d be able to earn it easily enough. You still remember how to please me, Laila? Don’t you, baby?”
Parang umakyat ang dugo sa ulo ni Laila. Hindi niya napigilan ang kanyang rumaragasang galit sa mga pambabastos nito sa kanyang pagkatao. Sinampal niya ito nang ubod-lakas.
Violence exploded out of him. Dinaklot nito ang kanyang mga balikat. Bumaon ang mga daliri nito sa kanyang balat “Bitch! You man-eating, little bitch!”
A second later, his mouth descended on hers.
ORDER NOW!!!