CHAPTER 2

IT'S 5 pm and Demie is still sleeping upstairs. Habang ang pamilyang Favre ay kanina pa nagsisimulang magluto dahil i-su-surprise nila si Demie for her 25th birthday kasabay ng pasko.

Alessandro is currently putting shrimps on a large disposable pie pan and patting them off to dry with a paper towel— he's going to cook shrimp scampi. His mother said that Demie likes seafoods.

"She will really love that, Sandro." His mother said, cheering. She's currently beating butter and sugar together— she's going to make snowflake butter cookies.

"Ma, I should've just cook something for her too!" Alastair exclaimed, whisking flour and salt together. Tinutulungan niya ang mama niya na mag-bake.

 "Manahimik ka nga Aly, paano ka naman makakapagluto eh hindi ka nga marunong magluto." His mother sneered at him. Napa-iling na lang si Alastair dahil totoo naman ang sinabi ng kaniyang ina. Napatingin siya sa kaniyang kapatid na tahimik lang na nagluluto, he's currently seasoning the shrimps with salt and pepper.

"Kuya hindi ba pupunta si Venice dito?" Alastair asked, still whisking the salt and flour. Agad naman umasim ang mukha ng mama nila sa narinig.

"Why would she? She have her family to spend the Christmas," Sandro replied, putting the shrimps on a heated pan. "I thought she will also tag along like a leech on—" Sandro stared at his brother, not liking the word he used to described his close friend.

"Oh tama na iyan, mabuti pa't tapusin na natin itong ginagawa natin. Baka magising na si Demie." They planned to hide the food until midnight to surprise Demie. Aside from the food that Sandro's cooking and Kareen baked, nag-order na sila ng cooked food na darating maya maya.

Umabot pa hanggang apat na oras bago nagising si Demie. Nag-unat unat pa ito at agad kinuha ang naka-charge na smart phone para alamin ang oras. At agad siyang nataranta ng makitang ala syete na ng gabi. She slept for 8 hours. It must be the jetlag.

Agad naghubad si Demie and she rummages through her suitcase looking for her bathrobe. At nang makita niya ang kulay pula na bathrobe agad niya iyong kinuha ng hindi tinitingnan at saka naman niya ibinalot ang katawan sa tuwalya. And she just run quick to the bathroom to take a bath.

While 30 minutes had passed, Sandro was instructed by his mother to check on Demie. At agad namang tumalima ang lalaki sa inutos ng ina. Narinig niya pang nagreklamo ang kaniyang kapatid na si Alastair, sinasabing siya nalang ang sana ang inutosan. Sandro can tell that Alastair have a shot on Demie, just a man's instinct. 'Who wouldn't?' Sandro mentally said and found himself smirking to a thought.

Huminto si Sandro sa harap ng pintuan ng kwarto ni Demie at marahang kumatok ng tatlong beses. Ofcourse, Demie can't hear it. She's still in the bathroom, finishing her shower.

Sandro knocked three times, once again. Then he thought, his mother told him to 'check' on Demie not to wake her up. Kaya naman dahan dahan niyang pinihit ang door knob at nakabukas naman iyon. He let himself in and found no one in the room. His brows furrowed, and just when he's going to go out in the room, Demie came out from the bathroom— on her red silk satin bathrobe that ends on her mid thighs.

Suddenly, the temperature in the room went hot. Sandro can't help himself but to gaze upon an exquisite and ravishing woman in red infront of him. From her slightly open mouth that made him lick his lips, and his eyes followed the droplet of water from her wet hair that went to her visible cleavage. Sandro can see her round breasts that is under the bathrobe, that made his cock screaming. And the mouth watering sweet scent of Demie is urging Sandro to have a taste of it. And prove that they taste as sweet as they smell. Just by thinking of it, his cock is so hard that it's aching.

While Demie at the moment, she can't help but to constantly gulp every damn seconds. Her body is on fire, she can feel her core dampening just by the stare of this man infront of her. But she needs to get a hold of herself. This is not the man whom she planned to get laid to.

"A-ah… What made you c-come here?" Demie used the little voice left from the sudden thirst she felt. She can't stand looking on Sandro's eyes. She can see again that glint of some emotion on his eyes that she can't read, but she's sure that it is something that made her wet down there.

"Demie…" Sandro called, grunted. Sandro needs to control his self before he'll launched to Demie, that looks like a prey ready to be eaten by a predator— him. He needs a cold shower after this, he needs to load 'stuffs' to calm his body down there.

"Mom made me look for you. If you want to go down, she's looking for you. Sorry for busting in, and thank you for giving me my gift this Christmas." Sandro said, murmured the last sentence while giving a trail to Demie's body before he storm out of the room, leaving Demie dumbfounded.

Demie heaved a loud sigh, she's been holding her breath since she was rooted on the floor. Kahit bago pa lang siyang paligo, she felt the sweat rolling at the side of her neck.

"Damn… ano bang nangyayari sayo, Demie?" Kausap pa nito sa kaniyang sarili habang naglalakad na papunta sa kama kung saan nakalatag pa ang kaniyang maleta at mas lalo pa siyang nahiya nang makitang nakabukaka ang mga undergarments niya sa kama dahil sa pagkalkal niya kanina. Posibleng nakita ito ni Sandro.

Demie hit herself, hindi pa nga nakukuha ang pagkababae niya but she felt like Sandro owned her na. She don't know but she felt that when Sandro was looking at her. It's like looking to his property. And Demie don't know kung bakit nagugustuhan niya ang ideyang pinagmamay-ari siya ng lalaki. But that won't change her plan, she's sure of it. The Christmas won't be over without her, giving her cherry to Alastair.

Ilang minuto ang nakalipas ay nakapagbihis na si Demie. She's wearing A.W.A.K.E's red striped tartan blouse, Isabel Marant's calliandra draped sequin- embelisshed georgette midi skirt paired with Balenciaga's silver polka dot heels. Demie felt like she's over dressed, pero sinabihan siya kanina ng kaniyang Tita Kareen that she should dress well because it's her day. And she silently thanked her friend, Katrina, who chose a series of clothes and dresses for her before coming here in the Philippines.

Demie took a picture of herself and sent it to her friend Katrina, before finally going out of her room. She's just holding her phone looking to herself through the phone's camera. She suddenly feel anxious about how she'll look like because of 'someone'. And just by thinking of that someone, Demie heard a door shut behind her. Kaya naman napalingon siya and there is the man she's been thinking since earlier— Alessandro.

She can't help herself but to smile a little when she saw what he's wearing. A preppy charcoal sweater that has a polar bear wearing christmas prints, printed in the front. And Sandro saw it, who's also dazzled on the way Demie looks tonight.

"What are you smiling at?" Nakalapit na si Sandro kay Demie na hindi maitago ang ngiti dahil sa cute na polar bear sa sweater nito. "Ang cute lang kasi ng suot mo," Demie replied, giggled.

"Oh this sweater. Mom made me wear it, I can't say no to her in this time." Sandro answered, and for the first time he's smiling while shaking his head. "It's cute though, it's not making you less attractive." And it's too late for Demie to take back what she said. She bit her lips out of embarrassment, and his smirk says it all.

"I know sweetheart," Sandro responded, before passing on her. And Demie can feel her cheeks on fire on what he just called her. Nangangapang sumunod si Demie kay Sandro pababa ng hagdan.

She was taken a back by his endearment. Sweetheart?