Never Descending

Chapter 11

Dito lang

Napasipol si Jett.

"Let's start?" basag ni Paul sa katahimikan.

Zane got no choice but to find another partner. Habang ako naman ay hindi pa rin maialis ang tingin kay Ace. I'm still fascinated by his sudden change of disposition.

Nauna na siyang pumwesto na para bang wala lang. Nang magsimula siyang maglakad patungo sa gitna kung nasan din ang iba ay tila napako pa ang paa ko sa sahig nang ilang saglit bago naibalik ang lakas at sumunod na rin.

Naninibago ako dahil tuwid na siyang nakakatingin sa akin. Hindi ko man masabing gumaan na ang titig niya ay kakaiba pa rin ito kumpa sa mabibigat niyang tingin noon. Yes, it was still dark but a different kind of dark this time.

"Alright," Zane said. "Let's see who has to do it first." he said before rolling the randomizer app from his phone.

Hinintay namin kung sa 'boy' or 'girl' iyon tuturo. Sa huli ay huminto ang pag-ikot at tumama ang arrow sa 'girl'.

"Nice," Jett grinned. 

Para naman sa body part na didilaan ay ginamit ulit ni Zane ang parehong application. Puno iyon ng iba't ibang pagpipilian mula ulo hanggang paa. Nang matapos ang pag-ikot ay tumuro ang arrow sa 'neck'.

I heard a whistle from one of the guys. Zane told everyone to get on their positions and even bid his goodluck for the girls. 

"Don't forget to put the lime wedge on your partners mouth," he reminded.

Napalunok ako nang ibinalik ko ang tingin kay Ace. My heart pounded inside my chest. I don't remember being this anxious for a mere body shot before. Especially coz I'm always praised for being such an expert in this field. So what the hell am I nervous for?

Umangat ang kilay niya sa tumatagal kong tingin. 

"Put it, Iris." he ordered.

His authoritative tone was full of command that I nearly trembled. Halos mataranta ang kalamnan ko habang inaabot ang nakahandang lemon. My hands are internally shuddering while pulling it up.

I swallowed as I brought back my eyes to his face. Habang nilalapit ko ang hawak na lime wedge sa bibig niya ay nagtama ang mga mata namin. My insides panicked when I saw him gazing straight to my eyes. He wasn't looking anywhere but me!

Damn. I know I've always craved to have his full attention on me but this is too much. Hindi ko naman alam na ganito pala. I don't think I can stand his unwavering stare given how drop-dead gorgeous he is upclose. Sobrang nakakalunod. 

Parang tingin niya pa lang ay mapapaluhod niya na agad ako. Huwag naman sana. Laban tayo, Iris.

His brow raised at me when I still wasn't able to place the lemon in between his lips. May munting bakas ng panghahamon sa mga mata niya.

I gritted my teeth to get my s**t together. This isn't even the body shot proper yet. Dammit.

Tuluyan ko nang naipwesto ang lemon sa tapat ng bibig niya. Waiting for him to part his lips so I can insert it. 

I hitched my breathe as I watched him do it. Sa pag-parte ng labi niya ay agad kong naramdaman ang mainit na hininga niya. It brushed and touched my fingers that were right in front of his mouth. His breath gave me a certain fleeting sensation.

Halos manginig ang kamay ko nang ipinuwesto ko ang lemon sa pagitan ng labi niya. Ingat na ingat akong hindi mahawakan ang labi niya dahil baka hindi ko na kayanin ang pakiramdam non sa mga oras na ito. Pag nagkataon ay baka hindi na 'ko makapagpatuloy sa laro.

Just right on cue, I heard Zane declare another reminder.

"Make sure to put the salt on your partner's neck too!" he said.

Hindi ko na pinatagal pa at nilagyan na agad ng asin ang gilid ng leeg niya gamit ang nanghihinang kamay. The salt was amusingly moist so it wasn't hard to make it stay in place.

"Ready na ba?"

The background voices aren't even that vivid in my ears anymore. My sense of hearing involuntarily opted to focus on the deafening silence between me and Ace. While my other sensibilities seem to stop functioning already.

I heard a fading voice from the background. Sa pakiwari ko ay hudyat iyon ng pagsisimula ng laro.

My eyes landed on Ace. Our gazes easily locked. Tila nanghihigop ang mga mata niya. Ang kaniyang malalalim na tingin ay nakahahalina.

Wala sa sariling lumapit ang ulo ko patungo sa kaniya. Kusang itong gumalaw pababa sa direksyon ng leeg niya. 

My head feels light. Pakiramdam ko ay nakalutang ako. Mabagal ang bawat galaw. Unti-unti at dahan-dahan.

Ilang pulgada na lang ang distansya ng ulo ko sa gilid ng leeg niya. It was already too close. To the point that I can already hear his rough and heavy breathing from here.

I was trying my best to hold my breathe but when my mouth was only an inch away from his skin, it feels like I was already running out of air. I decided to part my lips a bit just to grasp some air. I then softly sighed in comfort afterwards, causing my breath to touch his skin. I witnessed how that incidental contact made some hair on his nape stand up.

Hindi nagtagal ay isinara ko na nang tuluyan ang distansya sa pagitan namin. My other senses instantly stopped working the moment my lips landed on the side of his neck. Tila humiwalay ang kaluluwa ko sa katawan. Ang malambot at mainit niyang balat ay nagdulot ng kiliti sa aking kaloob-looban.

It made me yearn for more. I want to savor this tenderness. I want to endulge myself in this hotness. I let myself give into temptation and I doubt that I would ever find my way out.

I slowly let my tongue out of my mouth and carefully made it touch his skin. I licked the salt on his neck very leisurely and I immediately felt his body turning rigid.

I never knew that a salt can taste like this. The fact that I'm doing it right on his bare skin made it unimaginably delectable. Its lusciousness was beyond anyone's wildest dream.

The scrumptious taste lingered on my bud. It craved for more. So my tongue did what has to be done. I stroked and nudged his skin with passion. I traced every bit of salt with my lick. I can feel his body getting harder by the minute.

But my mouth remains unsatisfied. It wants to make sure that no salt is left behind. And so I dived to the side of his neck even more. This time, with the lucid intention of sucking him alive. Sa sandaling inipit ko ang munting bahagi ng balat niya sa pagitan ng mga labi ko ay halos takasan ako ng ulirat.

His stiff body was unyielding. I engulfed upon his skin with relish. My sip was filled with thirst and need. Habang tumatagal ay ramdam ko ang munting pagbabago sa bilis ng paghinga niya. I can sense the minor movement of his chest as if he was catching his breathe.

Nang masigurong nasimot ko na ang lahat ng asin na naroroon ay unti-unti kong nilayo ang ulo mula roon. I was caught off guard by how red his skin was. I might have really lapped his neck too much.

Pagkatapos ay agad kong nilapit ang shot glass na may lamang tequila sa bibig ko at nilagok iyon. Napapikit ako nang gumuhit iyon sa lalamunan ko.

Tila uminit ang pakiramdam ko. Kinailangan ko ring maghabol ng hininga dahil tila kinapos na ako ng hangin sa katawan. 

Now I only need to do one thing. To suck the lemon on his mouth.

Nang magtama ang tingin namin ni Ace ay animo'y nanuyo ang lalamunan ko. His eyes were... flaring up. It was glistening with blaze as if he was hungry for something. Sa nagbabaga niyang mata niya ay bigla akong nauhaw. 

"Ooooh!"

Naagaw ang atensyon ko nang marinig ang hiyawan ng iba. Sinundan ko kung saan nakatuon ang mga manghang mata nila at dinala ako noon kina Paul at Ash na nasa gitna. The engaged couple seems to enjoy the activity so much as they have now redounded to a hot kissing session.

"Eyes on me, Iris." an extensive tone adjured.

Nanlamig ang buong katauhan ko nang marinig ang malalim na tinig. Nanigas ako sa kinatatayuan.

Nang hindi ako agad nakagalaw para ibalik sa kaniya ang tingin ay nahigit ko ang hininga sa sunod niyang ginawa. He held my chin in between his thumb and index finger before gently turning it towards him. 

My insides instantly weakened when my eyes met his fiery eyes. Kung saan man napunta ang lemon na kanina'y nasa bibig niya ay hindi ko na alam. I was too caught up in his enormous gaze.

"Dito lang ang tingin," his profound voice strictly instructed while staring right into my eyes.

He never broke his burning gaze on me as he smoothly bring back the lime wedge in his mouth, waiting for me to suck it ardently.