Collision of Hearts

Chapter 17

Mainit ang hangin sa Manila.

Pero mas mainit ang tensyon sa pagitan naming dalawa.

Damon was in his private study at the mansion, sleeves rolled up, tie loosened, habang nakatutok sa laptop. On any other day, I would’ve found the sight sexy. But now? It just pissed me off.

Dahil isang linggo na siyang palaging late umuwi. Palaging may business meetings abroad. Palaging may babaeng nasa tabi niya sa mga event photos.

Mula sa Forbes Park hanggang sa New York, palaging may close-up shot ng mga model-type na palihim na nakatitig sa kanya.

At kahit hindi ako insecure… I wasn’t stupid either.

Corporate summit.

Intercontinental. Makati. Ballroom level.

The entire place screamed wealth and quiet power — polished marble floors, chandelier lights bouncing off designer heels, and business elites sipping overpriced wine while silently sizing each other up.

I stood beside my assistant, Camila, habang hinihintay ko ang cue ko to deliver my keynote speech for Monteverde Innovations. The event wasn’t mine, pero sponsor kami. At si Damon? Guest speaker for a global security panel. Velasquez International had contracts to secure infrastructure across Asia.

Kaya kahit magkaiba kami ng mundo, our names were always written beside each other.

But that didn’t mean I liked sharing the spotlight.

Lalo na kapag may babae na masyadong malapit sa kanya.

I spotted her across the cocktail floor — Lucienne Carter, PR head ng isang Silicon Valley fund group. Modelesque, fluent in five languages, and currently placing her manicured hand on Damon’s arm habang tumatawa sa joke niya.

Napakagat ako sa loob ng pisngi ko.

Bakit ba parang ang dali sa kanila lumapit sa kanya? Parang wala silang pakialam kung sinong kasama niya sa press photos, kung sinong laging ka-table niya sa events, kung sino ang ginagapang niya gabi-gabi.

Camila leaned in. “That’s Lucienne Carter. Divorced. Looking for a Filipino tech anchor for their next investment pool.”

My eyes narrowed. “She looks like she’s hunting for something else.”

“She’s been glued to Mr. Velasquez since the welcome lunch kanina pa po.”

“I noticed,” I said flatly.

At that exact moment, Damon turned slightly — enough to catch my stare from across the room. Our eyes met. One second. Two.

Then he smirked.

Not in apology.

But like he knew exactly what he was doing.

Tangina mo talaga, Damon.

Tahimik ang biyahe namin pabalik. Nasa likod kami ng black SUV niya, may divider sa driver, pero hindi iyon sapat para mapahupa ang tensyon.

Pagpasok namin sa mansion, dumiretso siya sa bar sa may lounge. Ako naman, hindi nagtanggal ng heels. I stood in the middle of the living room, arms crossed, watching him pour himself a drink like nothing happened.

“Masarap ba?” tanong ko.

He turned. “The whiskey?”

“No. The attention.”

Tahimik.

He sipped slowly, then raised a brow. “You’re upset.”

“Dapat ba hindi?”

“She was a guest. I was networking.”

“She touched your arm.”

“I didn’t touch her back.”

“She laughed like she already f*cked you.”

He set the glass down — hard.

“You’re being unreasonable.”

“No,” I snapped. “I’m being honest. There’s a difference.”

He walked toward me, slow, calm, infuriating. “Then let’s be honest.”

Huminto siya sa harap ko. His voice dropped. “You hate when women want me. Because deep down, you still don’t believe I choose you every time.”

I clenched my fists. “Don’t psychoanalyze me, Damon.”

“Then stop acting like a threat is enough to make me stray.”

I stepped closer, eyes blazing. “You didn’t stop her, Damon. You liked it.”

His jaw tightened.

And just like that — the room ignited.

Walang sumigaw.

Pero bawat salita, parang bala.

“You really think I’d risk everything we’ve built just to flirt back with a bored heiress?” he asked darkly.

“I think you like being wanted,” I said, voice low. “And I think you enjoy watching me react.”

He didn’t deny it.

Instead, he took one step closer. So close na halos magdikit na ang dibdib namin.

“You're wrong,” he whispered. “I don’t want them.”

He pressed his palm flat against my stomach, ang init ng skin niya kahit may tela pa.

“I want you, Skyra. Even when you’re angry. Even when you're cruel. Especially then.”

I swallowed hard.

Because as much as I hated him tonight… I hated more how much I still wanted him.

After a week, galing kami sa isang party together. Both invited, kaya magkasama kaming pumunta at magkasama din kaming pauwi sa mansion. Pero pagkasara ng pinto sa mansion, alam ko na — hindi kami makakatulog ngayong gabi.

Ramdam sa bawat hakbang niya ang tensyon. Yung tahimik na galit. Yung control na pilit niyang ikinukubli sa likod ng malamig na kilos.

Umupo ako sa armrest ng velvet couch, tinanggal ang stilettos ko nang hindi tumitingin sa kanya.

Pero si Damon? Dire-diretso sa lounge area, nilaglag ang blazer niya sa upuan, at kinuha muli ang whisky sa crystal decanter. Pangatlong tagay niya na ito simula pag-uwi.

“Tama na ‘yan,” sabi ko, hindi maiiwasan ang asim ng boses.

“Don’t start,” bulong niya, halos walang emosyon.

Pero hindi ako titigil. Hindi ngayon.

“You didn’t push her away,” I said. “That woman, what her name again. Ariana? Ara?—her t**s were basically touching your chest and you just stood there.”

He turned slowly. “I wasn’t the one laughing over wine with a man who couldn’t stop staring at your legs.”

Napanganga ako. “You mean Leo Navarro? The investor?”

“Do I look f*cking blind to you?” His voice dropped. “He touched your back. He leaned in. You smiled.”

“It was business,” I snapped. “He has five percent shares of Monteverde Holdings—”

“And he wants more than shares,” Damon cut me off. “Don’t pretend you didn’t feel it.”

I stood up. “And don’t pretend you didn’t enjoy her. You liked the attention.”

“She’s nothing.”

“Exactly!” Tumaas ang boses ko. “Then why let her cling to you like that in front of everyone?! Damon, para kayong magkasintahan doon sa eksena niyo!”

He slammed the glass down sa marble bar. Clink. “And you—what were you doing smiling at a man who’s been trying to get into your bed for years?!”

I froze. “Excuse me?”

He walked toward me, slow and sharp. “Don’t play innocent. Navarro has a history of crossing lines. I’ve seen the dossiers. He’s touched you before—”

“That was years ago,” I snapped. “And I handled it. I don’t need you to play f*cking bodyguard every time may lalaking kausap ako!”

“But you expect me to shove away every woman who so much as breathes near me?”

“Yes!” Tumulo ang boses ko. “Kasi habang pinagmamasdan ko silang lumalapit sa’yo, walang ginagawa, walang tinatanggihan—nagtatanong ako sa sarili ko kung gano’n mo rin ako tinignan noon.”

“Skyra—”

“If I didn’t walk into that room, would you have kissed her?” I whispered.

Natahimik siya.

And that silence? Mas masakit pa sa sigaw.

I laughed — bitter, shallow. “There it is.”

He stepped forward. “You know damn well I wouldn’t—”

“But you didn’t stop it, Damon. That’s the point. You let her flirt. You let her touch you. Because part of you—part of you still needs to be wanted.”

“Coming from the woman who always keeps her options open?” bulyaw niya.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He scoffed. “You flirt when you're bored. You play power games with men who can't handle you just to watch them fall.”

“That's business, not s*x!”

“It’s intimacy, Skyra! You don’t give your body to them, but you give them pieces of you—your time, your smiles, your goddamn charm!”

My nails dug into my palms. “I don’t cheat, Damon.”

“Neither do I.”

And suddenly—silence.

Pareho kaming humihingal. Parehong pawisan, galit, at sugatan kahit walang duguan.

Humakbang siya palapit muli, until there was barely space between us.

“I’m not him,” he said through clenched teeth. “I’m not your brother. I’m not one of those boardroom snakes. I’m the man who risked everything to keep you breathing.”

“And I never asked for any of it,” I whispered.

He flinched.

I regretted it the moment I said it. But it was too late.

The damage was done.

He stepped back.

Tinapunan niya ako ng tingin na parang sinampal ko siya.

“Now we’re being honest,” he said coldly.

The silence was deafening.

Mainit ang mukha ko, ang dibdib ko’y halos pumutok sa dami ng hindi ko masabi — sa dami ng galit, takot, at libog na hindi ko maipaliwanag.

Damon stood a few steps away, his chest rising and falling fast. His tie was loose, shirt partly unbuttoned, veins bulging on his arms. His jaw clenched, eyes dark.

Dangerous.

Desperate.

And somehow still so f*****g sexy, it hurt.

“Ano, wala ka nang masabi?” I hissed.

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he crossed the room in three long strides and grabbed me by the waist — not to hurt me, but to devour me.

His mouth crushed mine, wild and unapologetic.

I gasped into his kiss as his tongue forced its way in, claiming, punishing, tasting. Hinawakan niya ang batok ko, pinahiga ako sa carpet ng sala as he hovered above me — heavy, burning, furious.

“Don’t say s**t like that again,” he growled against my lips.

“Why? Because it hurts?”

“Yes.” He kissed me again, deeper, rougher. “Because it f*****g kills me.”

He pinned my hands above my head, his thigh pressing between mine. “You think I like this? Thinking about men touching you, flirting with you, imagining how it would feel if they had you instead of me?”

He thrust his hips into mine — hard, clothed, demanding.

“You’re mine, Skyra.”

My breath hitched. “Then prove it.”

That was it.

He lost control.

He tore open the rest of his shirt, buttons scattering across the floor, then yanked up my dress, baring my legs. No warning. No hesitation.

“Spread them.”

I did — breathless, eyes burning, heart thundering.

He dropped to his knees between my thighs. Pulled my lace panties to the side, and without a word, buried his face between my legs.

“D-Damon—!”

His tongue was brutal — licking, sucking, claiming.

He devoured me like he was trying to erase every other man’s memory from my body.

“F-f**k—faster—” I moaned, legs shaking as his tongue circled my clit, then flicked it hard and fast.

Two fingers thrust inside me, filling me, stretching me, pumping deep while his tongue sent lightning bolts up my spine.

“c*m for me,” he rasped, voice muffled against my soaked p***y. “Now.”

I came screaming, hips jerking, thighs trembling around his head. My nails scratched the rug, my vision blurred.

But he didn’t stop.

Not even when I whimpered.

Not even when I begged.

Not until I was raw, twitching, gasping his name.

Then he stood, face glistening with my slick, eyes wild.

“Turn around.”

I obeyed.

He yanked down my panties, unbuckled his belt with one hand, then shoved his pants just low enough. His c**k sprang free — hard, thick, angry.

“Damon, please—”

He slammed into me from behind, one hand gripping my hip, the other tangling in my hair.

“THIS—” thrust

“IS—” thrust

“WHAT—” thrust

“YOU—” deep thrust, making me cry out

“DO TO ME.”

He f****d me like he was losing his mind.

Like he wanted to own me from the inside.

My palms flattened on the floor, my body rocking forward with every hard, punishing thrust.

“Say you’re mine,” he grunted, pounding harder. “Say it, Skyra.”

“I-I’m yours—f**k, Damon—”

“Louder.”

“I’M YOURS!”

He growled, lifted one leg onto the armrest beside us, changing the angle — his c**k now hitting my g-spot with terrifying precision.

“Damon—s**t—please—don’t stop—!”

My second orgasm exploded — white-hot, devastating — my walls clenching around him, milking him.

But he wasn’t done.

He pulled me up by my chest, still inside me, now f*****g me upright, back against his body.

He bit my shoulder, hard. Marking me.

And finally, with a guttural moan, he came — his c**k twitching inside me, thick warmth spilling deep, his arms wrapped around me like chains.

We collapsed together, tangled on the floor, sweat-drenched, wrecked, sobbing each other’s names.

For a moment, we didn’t move.

Just gasps. Just skin. Just silence.

Until he whispered hoarsely:

“If I ever lose you… I’ll burn the world down.”

And I believed him.

Because in that moment?

He already had.

I don’t know how long we lay there sa sahig ng sala.

The carpet was rough against my back, my thighs sticky, my muscles trembling from everything we just did. My body felt used — marked, taken, ruined.

But in the most devastatingly beautiful way.

Damon was still beside me, arms tucked under his head, breathing hard. The buttons of his shirt were gone, his chest heaving, and his c**k still glistening with our release.

He turned his head to look at me.

Neither of us smiled.

But he reached for me — fingers grazing my wrist — and I let him.

Hindi kami nag-usap. Hindi kailangan.

Until, finally, he whispered:

“Come with me.”

Hinila niya ako paakyat. My legs trembled, and he caught me before I could collapse.

“You okay?” he murmured, eyes gentle now.

I nodded, kahit nanlalambot ang tuhod ko. My inner thighs were sore. My lips swollen. My heart… cracked, but full.

He walked us to the bathroom, slowly, both of us naked now, skin on skin. Pagpasok namin, he turned on the shower — warm water, soft steam. No heat. No fire. Just peace.

We stepped in together.

At first, tahimik.

The water cascaded down our bodies, washing away sweat, dried tears, and anger. He picked up the loofah, poured soap into it, then began to run it slowly over my skin.

His touch was gentle now. Worshipful.

He started at my shoulders. Down my arms. Over my chest, avoiding the bruises he left on my breasts with his mouth.

“I’m sorry I lost it,” he whispered.

“I’m not,” I replied.

His hand stilled.

“I needed it,” I added, looking at him. “We needed it.”

His throat worked to swallow something heavy.

Then he knelt in front of me, like a knight kneeling before a queen, and gently lifted my leg, placing my foot on his thigh.

He washed between my legs. Soft. Reverent.

No lust this time. No games. Just slow, circular motions, his eyes fixed on mine as the water flowed over us.

“You’re mine,” he said again — but this time not a growl.

It was a prayer.

I threaded my fingers through his wet hair.

“And you’re mine.”

He stood, water dripping down his lashes, and kissed me.

Not rough. Not needy. Just… there.

Our lips moved like they were finally breathing again. No demands. Just surrender.

He pressed me against the shower wall, but gently this time. His hands cupped my cheeks. His thumbs wiped the remnants of my tears.

Then, without a word, he slid inside me again.

Slow. Deep. Careful.

“Skyra…” he whispered into my mouth. “Don’t let go of me.”

“I won’t,” I whispered back.

Our bodies moved with the rhythm of water and silence.

Every slow thrust echoed the truth we didn’t know how to say aloud.

That we were scared. That we were hurting. That we still chose each other.

He kissed me everywhere — my eyelids, my collarbone, my heart.

We both came together again — quiet, pulsing, gentle — water washing our sins down the drain.

Afterward, we stood there, foreheads pressed, breathing the same air.

Mainit ang tubig. Malamig ang dibdib.

Nakatayo lang kami ni Damon sa loob ng shower, parehong humihingal, parehong lumalaban sa katahimikan na mas malakas pa sa lahat ng sigawan naming dalawa.

He rested his forehead against mine, water dripping from his lashes, his breath mingling with mine.

“Tell me you’re okay,” he murmured.

I nodded, but didn’t speak.

Because I wasn’t sure what okay meant anymore.

His arms wrapped tighter around my waist. I could feel every inch of his skin against mine — wet, raw, real. Para bang sinusubukan niyang ipatunay sa sarili niya na totoo pa rin akong nariyan. Na hindi ako mawawala. Na hindi ako lalayo.

Pero sa loob-loob ko?

Mas takot ako kaysa sa kanya.

Takot ako sa kung anong nangyayari sa pagitan naming dalawa. Sa kung gaano kami kasugatan pero patuloy pa ring bumabalik sa isa’t isa. Sa kung paanong sa halip na maghilom kami… mas lalo lang kaming nadudurog sa bawat halik, sa bawat hawak, sa bawat pagtatalo.

Obsessed. Addicted. Dependent.

“Don’t ever walk away from me again,” he whispered, his lips brushing against my wet temple. “I’m not built to lose you.”

Napapikit ako. Kasi alam kong totoo ’yon. At masakit.

Dahil ni hindi ko alam kung may hawak pa ba akong kontrol sa sarili ko pagdating sa kanya.

“I won’t,” I whispered back.

Pero parehong naming alam — nagsisinungaling ako.

Because we were two people clinging to each other, both too proud to admit how broken we already were.

Pagkatapos ng shower, pareho kaming tahimik habang nagsusuklay ako sa harap ng vanity. Si Damon naman, nakaupo sa edge ng kama, pinapanood ako. Wala sa kanyang usual arrogance. Just exhaustion.

Emotional exhaustion.

“I should’ve pushed her away,” he said suddenly.

I paused mid-brush.

“I should’ve told her to back the f**k off. I just… I didn’t think it would matter. I thought you’d see right through it.”

I turned slowly to face him.

“And I should’ve walked away from Navarro the moment he leaned too close,” I murmured.

Nagkatinginan kami — not angry now, but open. Vulnerable.

“You make me irrational,” I said softly.

“So do you,” he admitted.

Natawa ako, bitter and broken. “We’re a disaster.”

He stood and walked toward me, cupping my cheeks gently.

“We’re our disaster.”

I closed my eyes at the way he said it. Because that’s who we were. Not perfect. Not peaceful.

But ours.

Nakahiga na kami pareho. Magkatalikod.

Pero kahit anong pilit kong ipikit ang mata ko, hindi ko maiwasang maramdaman ang lamig ng espasyong nasa pagitan namin. The silence between us wasn’t comforting. It was suffocating.

And I knew he felt it too.

Because he suddenly whispered, “Do you think we’re toxic?”

I didn’t answer.

Not because I didn’t know…

But because I did.

Huminga siya ng malalim. “I think we’re too similar.”

I rolled to my back, staring at the ceiling. “Maybe that’s why we clash.”

“Or maybe that’s why we understand each other so well,” he replied.

“But understanding doesn’t mean peace, Damon.”

“No,” he agreed. “Sometimes, it means chaos.”

Natahimik kami muli.

Pero bago pa man ako makatulog, he reached over at hinawakan ang kamay ko sa ibabaw ng comforter.

Our fingers laced.

Soft. Warm.

But trembling.

Because even with that touch, even with our promises, I could feel it.

The tiny cracks forming beneath our surface.

The unspoken fears. The buried doubts. The parts of ourselves we weren’t yet ready to share.

And maybe we would fix them.

Or maybe, one day, they’d shatter everything.