PROLOGUE

Los Angeles, California

"Hanz Eliseo Alvarez, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in holy matrimony, to love her, to honor her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?" the judge asked.

"I do," Hanz quickly replied, then smiles at the woman in front of him.

The judge gazed upon the woman and asked, "Yeisha Elizabeth McKenzie, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love him, to honor him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," she replied, as her lips formed the sweetest smile she has ever done.

Hanz squeezed her hand gently and never left his stares from his soon-to-be wife.

"Repeat after me." 

And they both listened to the judge carefully.

"I,Hanz Eliseo Alvarez, take you Yeisha Elizabeth McKenzie, to be my wife, to have and to old from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part." 

"I, Yeisha Elizabeth McKenzie, take you Hanz EliseoAlvarez, to be my husband, to have and to old from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part." 

They responded together. 

Hanz looked at Yeisha seriously and mouthed something. Yeisha smiled and mouthed the same exact words to him.

The judge looked at him and said, "Please put this ring on her finger and repeat after me."

He nodded.

"I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love." He followed. 

And while putting the ring on Yeisha's finger he felt her tremble. Again, he squeezed it gently.

After him, it's Yeisha's turned. And the feeling of her slowly putting the symbol of their love with each other gave warmth to his heart. The feeling is surreal and overwhelming. It made him teary-eyed that even in his wildest dreams he didn't know he was capable of doing so.

He heard the judge in front of them speaks again, "By virtue of the authority vested in me under the laws of the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife.You may kiss the bride." Then, the judge smiles at him.

He stared at Yeisha-who now his wife. Then, he slowly bent his head and claimed her heavenly lips. And it takes a while before he lets them go. They both gasped some air while smiling at each other.

"Let's go?" he whispered in his wife's ear.

*****

"As I watch you move, across the moonlit room. . . There's so much tenderness in your loving. . ."

Iyon ang pumapailanlang na tugtugin sa loob ng kanilang silid, habang sinasabayan nila nang masuyong pag-indayog ng kanilang mga katawan.

"You make me the happiest man alive," bulong ni Hanz sa tainga ni Yeisha. 

Napangiti ang asawa. "And you make me the luckiest woman in the whole universe," anito.

Sabay silang natawa.

"Ang corny natin," ani Hanz na bahagya pang umiling.

Iniyakap ni Yeisha ang mga kamay sa batok nito. "Corny or not, we'll live together like that for the rest of our lives. Kaya kahit corny tayo pareho, dapat lang na hindi natin pagsasawaang pakinggan ang mga ganoong bagay. Because that's how we could truly feel the love for each other." At pinaraanan nito ng mga daliri ang may kaluguang buhok niya.

Napapikit siya. "Oo naman." At muling nagmulat ng mga mata. "I will never stop loving you. Kahit dumugo na ang tainga ko sa pakikinig sa ka-corny-han mo," tatawa-tawang wika niya.

Marahang hinampas nito ang balikat niya sabay ingos. "Hmmp! Mas ikaw ang lamang, ha! Kung alam ko lang, you never did such unwanted things in your life just to get a woman's attention. Alam kong first time mo lahat iyong ginawa, especially that one time in the bar," pambubuska nito.

Napailing siya ng maalala iyon. That's the second time na nakita niya ito. 

Yeisha is a supermodel. Sa isang event na kung saan ito ang modelo at dumalo naman siya, sila unang nagkita. The woman has slim body na bumagay sa taas nito. Hindi pangkaraniwang taas ng isang Filipina, dahil ang asawa ay isang half-American. 

Unang kita pa lang niya habang lumalakad ito sa runway; with her slender body swaying gracefully, nabihag na agad nito ang puso niya. Ang mga mata nitong kulay asul, na kasingkulay ng dagat ay nakakaakit tingnan. Idagdag pa ang parang sinadyasa pagkakaguhit nangmakakapal nitong mga kilay, at ang mahahaba at malantik na pilik-mata.

Ang maliit pero matangos nitong ilong ay nagbibigay ng anyong kapita-pitagan dito. She has a small face, long-wavy brown hair-na sadyang ganoon ang kulay, at ang mga labi nitong may kakapalan sailalim ay hindi lang kaakit-akit-katakam-takam din iyon kung mamasdan.

"How did you know that that was my first time?" tanong niya sa asawa.

Saglit itong nag-isip. Maya-maya'y tumiyad ito at bumulong sa kaniyang punong tainga. "Because I know how virgin men looks like." At bahagya pa nitong kinagat ang tainga niya.

Marahas siyang napahugot nang malalim na hininga, nang dumaloy sa buo niyang katawan ang kakaibang init at kilabot. Namumungay ang mga matang tinitigan niya ito.

"Ah. . . So? I'm a virgin?" amused na tanong niya. 

Subalit hindi na niya pinasagot pa ang asawa. Inangkin niya nang mabilis ang mga labi nito at walang kahirap-hirap na binuhat niya ito at inihiga sa kama. 

Walang inhibisyon namang tumugon ito sa mga pananalakay niya. Hanggang sa matanggal na nila pareho ang kanilang mga damit at saplot sa katawan.

He never left her eyes habang ginagawa niya iyon. Malakas pang napasinghap ang kaniyang asawa nang tuluyan na nitong makita ang kahubdan niya.

"I've never seen such a perfect body like you," paanas na wika nito bago lumunok. "You look like a God from Mount Olympus. Have you heard of Zeus?" patuloy nito.

Tumango siya at ngumiti. "Do I look like him?"

"Better than him."

At nang marinig ang sagot ng asawa ay mabilis niya itong sinaluhan sa kama. He kissed her again like a hungry beast. 

"And I'm better than him when it comes to pleasing my woman," aniya bago inangkin ng mga labi ang ituktok ng dibdib nito.

Napaarko ang katawan nito kasabay nang malakas na pag-ungol at pagsabunot sa buhok niya.

Hindi nagtagal at iba naman ang pinuntirya ng mga labi niya. He delved his mouth on her femininity. Sinabayan niya iyon nang paggalaw ng kaniyang dila.

"Oh. . . !" tila baliw na ungol nito habang pabaling-baling ang ulo sa kinahihigan. 

Tiningala niya ito at saglit na iniwan ang ginagawa. Humihingal na napatingin ito sa kaniya sa nagtatanong na mga mata. Larawan doon ang matinding pagnanasa na nadarama at ang pagkabitin sa kaniyang ginagawa.

"Do you want me to continue?" nanunuksong tanong niya rito.

Sunod-sunod itong tumango.

At hindi naman niya binigo ang asawa. Again, he tastes her there while trying to put his middle finger inside. Ramdam na ramdam niya ang init nito sa loob pati na ang may kasikipang butas nito.

"S**t!" palatak nito sabay sabunot sa kaniya.

Hindi niya akalaing unang beses iyon ng kaniyang asawa. Pero alam niyang mas madali itong masasanay kung ganoon ang gagawin niya.

"Are you uncomfortable with this?" naninigurong tanong niya. He never had any experienced with a virgin woman before. Iyon ang unang beses. At sa asawa pa niya mismo.

"Yes, Babe. . . Please. . . continue," she pleaded.

Nagpatuloy naman si Hanz sa kaniyang ginagawa. At maya-maya pa ay ubod lakas na napa-ungol ang asawa, kasabay nang halos pagkatanggal nang ilang hibla ng kaniyang buhok.

"But we are not yet done, Babe," aniya bago pinaraanan nang magagaang halik ang katawan nito pataas-paakyat sa mga labi nito. Nang marating iyon ay muli niya iyong inangkin ng may kapangahasan. "I want you now," bulong niya bago ibinuka ang binti nito, at dahan-dahang ipinasok ang kaniyang pagkala***i rito.

Napasinghap nang malakas si Yeisha at mariing napakapit sa kaniyang may balikat. Ang panghihimasok niya rito ay lumikha nang di-matatawarang sakit. At kitang-kita niya nang kumawala ang dalawang butil ng mga luha sa mga mata nito.

He showered her butterfly kisses on her face upang mawala ang sakit na nadarama nito. Pagkuwa'y marahan siyang gumalaw sa ibabaw nito. 

Hindi naman naglaon at pareho na sila ng tugtog na sinasayaw. Madaling nakagamayan ng kan'yang asawa ang panghihimasok niya at ang kabigatan niya sa ibabaw nito.

And after getting and getting faster, pareho nilang naabot ang langit sa dako pa roon; with the same intensity of fiery feelings. . .