BILLIONAIRE'S DESIRE

The sound of Laura's restless movements could be heard as she lay on her bed, her mind still reeling from what had just happened between her and Señorito Ian a few minutes ago.

She'd turn to the left, then to the right, and roll around, unable to settle down. Her heart was racing like it was going to burst out of her ribcage.

Her employer, Señorito Ian, had come home drunk and happened to be in the kitchen when she was getting a drink of water. He cornered her by the sink, grabbed her waist, lifted her onto the sink, and kissed her!

Even now, she could still taste the sweetness of his kiss.

"Stop, Laura!" she told herself, trying to shake off the feelings she couldn't quite process.

What did Señorito Ian mean by his actions? Why did he kiss her? she wondered.

The feeling was familiar, like her heart was skipping beats, filled with excitement and joy – emotions she thought she'd only experience with her husband.

She jumped out of bed, feeling like a teenager, despite being 22 and married!

She was alone in the servant's quarters, so she let her excitement show.

But what she was feeling was crazy – she should only feel this way with her husband.

The thought sent shivers down her spine, and she realized she was committing a sin.

She snapped back to reality, remembering her morals and fear of God.

"I'm sorry, Aaron, my love..." she whispered to herself, turned off the light, and lay down, trying to sleep and forget the brief moment of sin.

Laura didn't know how long she'd been asleep when she was awakened by the creaking of her bed. She was facing the wall but knew someone was sitting on her bed.

Oh God, please don't let anything bad happen to me...

She was scared it might be Kanor, the family's driver, who she suspected had feelings for her.

She gasped when a hand touched her lips, gentle as a feather.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the person's breath on her face. She opened her mouth to scream but heard the voice.

"Even in the darkness, Laura, you're still beautiful..."

She couldn't mistake the voice – it was Ian in her room!

Ian's hand was caressing her face, and she didn't know how he knew her position in the dark room.

"I know you're awake, Laura..." Ian's sexy baritone voice seemed to promise wonderful things as he did something in her dark room.

"Ian, don't do this to me... Stop tormenting me..."

Her protest turned into a moan when Ian expertly massaged her breast.

"I-Ian..."

"Yes, Laura?" He was teasing her, giving her immense pleasure.

"Stop, please..." she begged, trying to stop his hand.

When he stopped and removed his hand from her blouse, Laura regretted protesting.

She was gasping for breath, and Ian could hear it.

He didn't know what he was doing in the maid's room, but he couldn't deny his curiosity about the softness of her skin and the sweetness of her lips.

Laura asked him to leave, saying "If I've committed a sin, I ask for forgiveness... Please leave."

Ian's pride was hurt, and he couldn't help but react. "What did you say?!"

He wanted to laugh in frustration because for the first time, someone had rejected him!

Him?! Rejected?!

Who would reject an Ian dela Paz?!

She just did, dela Paz. Laura just did...

Because of his frustration and wounded pride, combined with the effects of the alcohol and attraction to the beautiful woman, he couldn't control himself.

He reached for the table lamp and turned it on, casting a soft, dim light in the room, revealing the beautiful sight before him.

Because of his bold move earlier, Laura's loose clothing had gotten disarranged, exposing the side of her breast.

Laura quickly fixed her clothes when she saw the burning desire in Ian's eyes. He was looking at her like she was a masterpiece created by Fernando Amorsolo himself.

Laura tried to sit up and squeeze to the side, but Ian was too quick. He grabbed her hands and pinned her down, straddling her.

The man on top of her was big and tall, but surprisingly, her small body could bear his weight.

"Say you don't want me here, Laura!" he growled at her.

She wanted to speak, but her throat was dry. In an unconscious move, she bit her lower lip and licked it to moisten it.

Ian gritted his teeth when he saw what she did. He knew Laura wasn't inviting him, seeing the fear in her small face, but he couldn't help himself as his desire surged like water bursting from a dam.

His earlier restraint was gone, and he wanted to break free from his tight pants and enter a place that wasn't his to claim!

"W-what's that?!" Laura's eyes widened beneath him. Perhaps his clothes weren't a barrier for her to feel his arousal.

He released her hands and propped himself up on his elbows, not removing his lower body from hers.

"Which one, Laura?" She swallowed hard and didn't answer, so he moved his hips, pressing himself against her.

"Stop it, or I'll scream!" she threatened, making him laugh loudly.

"Didn't you ask what that was?" He met her eyes before looking down at his lower body.

When he looked back at Laura, he smirked.

"N-no! G-get out!" There was a plea in Laura's voice, making him pause and be serious.

He got off her and stood up, grabbing the blanket and throwing it at her face.

"I don't know what game you want to play, Laura, but I'll make sure I win the game you want to play!"

He was sure of what he saw earlier – the burning desire in Laura's eyes. He didn't know why she rejected him.

He turned to leave, but Laura's words made him stop.

"I thought you were him, but you're not!" She sobbed. "Because my husband will never be like you!"

Husband...

The last two words echoed in Ian's mind.

He turned around, his eyes piercing Laura.

"I want you out of this house! Now!" He pointed at her. "Now!!!"

His anger rose because he had just discovered she was married!

He was furious because he couldn't accept that someone had come before him!

"Hello! Hello!" The knocking on the door was persistent, and despite feeling unwell, Laura forced herself to get up from her bed.

"Just a moment, please." She didn't recognize the voice, so she had no idea who was outside.

Struggling to walk due to dizziness, Laura slowly made her way to the gate, using the wall and chairs as support.

The bamboo door creaked as she opened it, and she was startled to see who was standing there.

"W-what do you need?" she stuttered, her heart racing.

Who wouldn't stutter when the handsome stranger was standing right in front of her? Although, after almost a year living on their small barangay, maybe he wasn't a stranger anymore.

"Are you okay? You look pale," he said, concern etched on his face.

Without thinking, Laura touched her face. "I-I'm fine. What brings you here?" Despite struggling to control her racing heart, she tried to compose herself to avoid looking foolish in front of him.

"Ka Siding sent me," he said, referring to her aunt who had been her guardian since her parents passed away.

"Why did she send you?"

"Are you sure you're okay, Miss?" Instead of answering her question, he asked another one, likely noticing her poor condition due to her high fever.

Feeling dizzy, Laura leaned against the doorframe. She was nauseous, and her stomach felt like it was being churned.

Aaron quickly moved to support her, placing a hand on her shoulder and checking her forehead. He jerked his hand back, shocked by how hot she was.

"Your fever is really high. Have you taken any medicine?" Laura shook her head, and Aaron continued, "I'll help you go inside, okay? It's not good for you to be out here with the wind making your condition worse."

"I-I'm fine," Laura insisted.

Aaron understood why she might be cold towards him, given her aunt's reputation. He wouldn't blame her for being distant.

Despite Laura's protests, Aaron gently picked her up and carried her inside. As he did, he felt her soft skin and confirmed his suspicion - she was burning up with fever.

"P-put me down, please," Laura requested, surprised by his sudden action. Luckily, the house was small, and Aaron was able to gently lay her down.

"Have you eaten?" Aaron asked, and Laura wasn't sure why he was being so caring. All she knew was that she appreciated his kindness.

The simple question felt like a warm touch to her heart.

"Not yet," she replied. "What did you need?"

"Your aunt asked you to bring food and water to the farm, but given your condition, I doubt you can make it," Aaron explained.

His words brought Laura back to reality. She tried to stand up but fell back down.

"Tell Tiya Siding I'll cook something. You can go now," she said softly, not wanting to offend him.

"Don't push yourself if you're not feeling well-"

She spoke up to stop him from continuing. "I'm fine, I can take care of myself." She smiled. "Thanks for your concern."

"Are the girls in the province really this stubborn, or is it just you?" He might have been joking, but his smile revealed his perfectly aligned teeth. "Or maybe you're the only stubborn one?" he added.

"What do you think?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind. You should go, or my aunt might scold you."

Laura heard him sigh, but he didn't say anything else and just left.

Since her parents' death, this was the first time someone had shown her genuine concern, and the kindness from this stranger brought her a different kind of joy, especially since...

She had a crush on him.

Cooking took Laura over an hour, especially since she was using wood for fuel. The headache made her feel dizzy, and by the time she arrived at the farm, it was already past one.

"Well, well, well! Look who's finally arrived! What took you so long, huh?!" her aunt shouted angrily.

She didn't care that she was embarrassing Laura in front of the farmworkers.

"I'm sorry, Tiya Siding, I was sick-"

Before Laura could finish explaining, her aunt slapped her arm.

"You've never been a responsible child! Be grateful I'm still feeding and sending you to school!" She snatched the bag of food from Laura's hands.

"Maybe you were busy flirting with someone, Laura?"

"What? That's not true, Juliana," Laura defended herself.

Juliana was her cousin, barely a few months older than her, but she acted like she was much older. In reality, Laura was three months older.

"Stop it, Juliana!" their cousin Trevor intervened. He was Juliana's brother and Laura's cousin. "You're the one who's always doing nothing and enjoying life." He approached Laura and felt her forehead. "Go home and take your medicine, Laura. I'll visit you later."

"O-okay." Laura was grateful to escape the humiliation caused by her aunt and cousin.

Her aunt had no qualms abo

ut scolding her in front of the farmworkers.

Laura bid her aunt goodbye before leaving.

When Laura got home, she felt even more exhausted. Her body ached all over, and she felt dizzy. If she could have avoided going to the farm, she would have. But she was worried about her aunt's insults.

She locked the door and went to her room to lie down.

When she's sick like this, she feels lonely. She's isolated because that's what her aunt wants. No one checks on her except for her cousin Trevor. He's the only one who shows her kindness. If it weren't for him, she would have a harder time going on with her life.

Her life is simple and filled with sadness. It's hard to live without parents because sometimes, your own relatives are the ones who make your life difficult.

Like what's happening in her life now.

Her life wouldn't be like this if she had parents to take care of her.

If she could only do something about it...

When Laura lay down, she fell into deep thought.

How old is she, anyway?

She's only seventeen.

It's the prime of her life, when she should be happy, but that's not what's happening because she's a total orphan. Everyone knows her aunt took her in when her parents passed away, but they also know how her aunt treats her.

She's heard rumors that her aunt only took her in because of her father's money, but she just shrugged it off because her parents weren't rich.

She closed her eyes, and tears fell.

She felt helpless and had nothing to do but cry.

The physical pain and resentment took over, and the young woman fell asleep.

**********

"Hey, this is delicious. Want to try?"

Aaron looked up at the young woman who approached him.

It was Juliana, the daughter of his employer at the farm, and Laura's cousin.

To avoid embarrassment, he accepted the ensaymada she offered. "Thanks," he said, placing the bread on the chair.

"Eat it, please..."

Aaron shifted uncomfortably as Juliana sat beside him, and because she was so close, he caught a whiff of her cologne.

"Maybe later, I'm still full. You should go back to your mom, or she might scold you."

"You don't have to worry about that, okay? She won't get mad at me."

He nodded, stood up, and walked away from the young woman.

He didn't want trouble, so he would avoid Juliana, who was openly showing interest in him. He walked towards a mango tree and lay down in its shade. He chose that spot because he knew Juliana wouldn't follow him.

Juliana is a good catch, but he's not a cradle snatcher, and he wouldn't like her even if she looked like Joyce Jimenez, plus the boobs. Maybe because she didn't work under the sun like Laura that's why Juliana's skin was smooth and fair.

He thinks about Laura.

Modest and shy.

Based on what her cousin Trevor, his friend, has told him, he can say that she's hardworking and intelligent – qualities he likes in a woman.

"What? Is my sister bothering you again?"

"No, not really." He lay down, plucked a blade of grass, and put it in his mouth to play with.

He loves the air in the province because it's fresh and doesn't stick to his skin like it does in Manila.

"You're into Laura, aren't you?" He laughed at his friend's question. "What are you laughing about? Am I wrong?"

"What's with you, bro? Your cousin is still young. I'm not into young girls."

"Let's change the subject, bro." His friend mimicked his pose. "Don't you plan on going back to your place?"

He didn't answer the question right away. He looked up and watched two birds playing freely on a branch of the tree they were under.

"Whatever happens, happens," he said.

"Where's your place again?"

"In Tondo. Haven't you been to Manila?"

His friend shook his head. "I want to go there, but my parents won't let me, so I'm stuck in here. I don't want to insist on leaving because they need help with our farm."

"Aren't you still studying?" He knew that both Trevor and Laura were smart. Trevor was already in college, while Laura was graduating from high school.

"Yes, that's another reason why I don't want to go to Manila. It's better if I have a license in my course before I leave this place. What about you? I don't know much about you. We've known each other for months, but the only thing I know is that you're a construction worker in Manila."

Aaron shrugged. "There's nothing interesting about my life. Besides being a jobless guy in Manila, I was also imprisoned."

His friend fell silent because of what he said. The truth was, he had told him about his imprisonment before. He asked why, but he didn't answer.

As much as possible, he didn't want to think about that thing because it stirred up negative emotions in his chest.

He wanted to escape everything, which is why he ended up in the province of Leyte.

San Lorenzo, Kawayan, Biliran.

In this place, he found peace.

He saw how simple and how happy the people were, despite being far from civilization. People in this place lived through fishing and farming.

There was no electricity, so

they didn't receive any news from Manila.

A perfect resting place for him...

A perfect hiding place...