he high stool and watched Duke approach the counter. Nasa isang Italian coffeeshop sila sa labas ng exc

urned towards the massive gates enclosing the ultra-exclusiv

w nito sabay kab

s lining the sidewalk. Inihinto nito ang sasakyan sa gilid ng daan bago s

t again," He warned in

ba'ng labi. "But I don't want to go home just yet. Magkape mun

t have to do something so dangerous," He g

nt... er, thought. I acted ou

ble," Duke sighed

do it again." Nakataas

nito sa kanya, nakasalamin pa rin

ffee," Alok ni Anika. "Kahit an

buy my forgivenes

th you longer, a tiny vo

she wanted to be with him longer. This day was one of the happiest in her life. Surely there was

just head home," She nodded towards the heavy gates of the village. Nakahalukipkip na sumandal

pposed to b

era, makunat pa siya sa katad. She was a shameless freeloader. Mooching off was ye

at iginiya iyon sa direksyon ng coffeeshop. "Only you would have the cheek to blackmail me in my anger. And I'm letting you." May bahid ng pag

d from ear t

shop. It was commonplace, wherever he went. If it were humanly possible, malamang ay naghugis-puso na ang mata ng mga ito isang tingin sa kaibigan niya. Heads turned when Duke's tall, powerfully-built figure passed by them. Narinig niya'ng napasinghap an

ready exuded the commanding presence of the billionaire magnate he was destined to become. With the coiled grace of a bored panther, isinuklay nito ang mga daliri sa may kahabaan at magulo nito'ng buhok. The effect was de

as she eyed Duke as though he was a particularly juicy side of beef. ITALICS >>> Bitch! A monster inside her screeched. Her eyes na

'ng ang garter ng panty kaya namimihasa ang mga kalalakiha'ng tulad ng mga kabarkada niya na maglaro sa kama. Without looking up to see what Duke was up to, she

tray sa ibabaw ng kanilang mesa. Anika immediately reached -- not for the starwberry shortcake -- but for the receipt. Nalaglag ang panga niya sa laki ng halaga na ikinaskas ni Duke sa

i Anika ang noo. My

d, unloading the tray. "It's just a few

a Italian brew. Nilamukos niya ang hawak na papel, pretending it was her precious friend. ITALICS

er. " Anika, even if you had ten years to save on your monthly allowance, im

her cake with a fork. "Namomroblema na nga 'yong tao, wala ka pa'ng masabi'ng maganda." She gru

he horror of his avid admirers. Oblivious, he took a sip of his steaming espresso before

. Sinasabi na nga ba niya. "Ignoring the reality of the matter won't help you any. Only by accepting it can make you

She added with a shudder. Magdidise-otso na siya sa katapusan ng susunod na buwan. The thought of parading herself in front o

nother sip of his coffee and looking thoroughly un

a'ng hindi siya nito titigilan hangga't wal

ike's price. Plano ko'ng kumbinsihin sina Mommy na idagdag na lang sa naipon ko ang gagast

g mapupunta ang pera'ng matitipid nila sa pinap

harped on about over dinner, "-that I would be over-the-moon happy with a Ducati instead of a debut p

like a p

cati, let alone own one." She admitted grudgingly, already getting depressed just thinking about it. Wala pa'ng sinasang-ayun

?" Duke

She said, dejectedly spoon

if you like,"

ched Duke calmly wipe his face. Pinagpag nito ang t-shirt at pinunasan ang mesa nang wala siya'ng naririnig dito'ng paninita. If it was anyone but him, she would've been reprimanded for her utter lack of manners. B

tanong niya sa binata matapos nito'ng i-sh

driver," baling

o'ng saysay ng pagbili ko ng motorsiklo kun

l get to

Duke on a big bike didn't seem like a bad idea. The picture of her pressed up against his broad, mus

ealized what s