His Punishment (8 page)

“Okay, I’ll wait for you here.” I
hear her voice now calming down.

Then we hang up.

I heard the knob of the front door
right across me move. I stood up and held onto the ribbons of my robe
tightening them. It might be Christian going to use the washroom.

“Tara”

JAMES’ Point of View

I don’t know what’s driving me mad.

Was Rhea right? Yeah I know I lost
one hell of a wildcat in bed. Then I remember I felt my arousal when I kissed
Tara at the parking lot.

Does this confusion have something
to do with me not getting laid for a while now?

I don’t know, the more I talk to
Tara the more I get to know that she’s a good person. But Rhea reminding me of
her stalking me got my blood boiling again. I hate aggressive girls. Then
there’s the fact Rhea pointed out that it was Tara’s fault she left me. My
blood is boiling higher this time.

My head is spinning. Must be the
alcohol. The sexual tension. The confusion. It’s all there.

Room 7890. Correct room.

I slipped the keycard in the hole
and turned the knob.

“Tara,” I called to her. I was
shocked when I entered. I saw her dress in the couch and saw one pair of her
stilettos near the door and the other near the table.

She was holding on the ribbon of
her robe. How did she get in Christian’s room? Is this a set up? Did she ask
for his keys? Then Christian offered me his keys. This is a goddamn set up! She
even brought her friend to lure Christian I guess!

She is still stalking me ‘til now!
What does she really want?! My blood is boiling more now and my pulse is racing
fast and body feels so hot. And seeing this woman just covered in this hotel
robe made me remember how delicious she looked in that appealing dress a while
ago. I feel my erection as my imagination drifted to her now semi naked body in
front of me.

“To hell with you woman!” I quickly
walked to where she is standing and grabbed her head and started devouring her
mouth.

For once, I am going to give her
that fucking punishment she deserves!

Stop!” she was screaming.

I did not listen to any of her
protests. She kept pushing me with great efforts as I tried to peel her robes
off her body. She was struggling and gripping on her robe and I kept tugging it
off her as I kissed her furiously and harder than I did in the parking lot.

I was so anxious to give Tara what
I thought she wants and deserves. I have already read her loud and clear and
concluded in my mind that she is deliberately trying to seduce me. I cringed at
how low this girl can be for luring Christian with Lyn just to be able to get
his keys and have a night with me.

I was so disappointed with her at
the moment. I never thought she could go this far. This girl is definitely
obsessed!

I would have thought otherwise if I
found her here with clothes on. But it was far from that. This girl is almost
naked and drunk and she knew damn well that I am pissed. Now I am more than
eager to give her a piece of the game she is playing.

She wanted this and I’m going to
give it to her. The act of resisting is just turning me on even more.

“You want this kind of game. Hell
I’m giving it to you!”

***

Tara tried to run to the bedroom
but James got hold of the collar of her robe and ripped it down. He was finally
able to peel Tara off from her robes and he pulled her back to where he is
standing.

He looked at her almost naked body.
Her sexy black lacy pair of lingerie is perfectly hugging her private parts and
he can’t wait to take them off.

Tara was clutching her breasts to
cover them from his fuming stare. She knew she had to get away but she doesn’t
know how. She knows James is really mad and is under the influence of alcohol.
This
can’t happen.

“Don’t do this James,” she pleaded
backing away. She’s starting to get frightened by the look in his eyes and his
actions were so aggressive that it’s terrifying her even more.

James did not respond but moved
towards her as she keeps moving back. Then the back of her legs bumped the
couch and she fell down sitting on it.

In seconds, James was on top of her
kissing and sucking her neck down to her collar bone. His big hands are all
over her body. He was trying to cup her breasts by pulling the other part of
her bra down. James lowered his head to suck on her nipples hard. She heard
Tara gasp and felt her hands pulling his hair as if trying to stop him but he
just went on licking and gritting his nipples with his teeth.

Tara inhaled sharply. She can’t
figure if it was from the sensation or from her nervousness. The heat and scent
of his body is overwhelming her. Her eyelids are starting to feel so heavy,
possibly from all the alcohol she is not used to take. She was having a hard
time keeping them open. She wanted to shut out reality and wish that this is
not happening but the sensation that she is feeling is crushing her senses.

James looked up to see her face and
saw her eyes closed. She was still trying to attack his head but he could feel
she is feeling the same sexual tension as he is especially after seeing her
eyes shut.

He tried to cradle her in his arms
and decided to carry her to one of the bedrooms but she struggled once again.

“Put me down!” she was throwing
punches at his chest and slapping his face but James didn’t mind them.

He placed her on top of the bed and
went back to the door to lock it. He looked at Tara when he started to walk back
to her, undoing his tie and buttons of his polo at the same time. She was
desperately trying to get out of bed but he got her again and pressed her in
between his body and the soft mattress. He continued kissing her neck while
getting off his upper garments.

“James, please don’t do this!” Tara
said weakly, pushing him with all the might she could gather.

“Stop with your games Tara. I’m
giving you what you want.” he said as he slightly departed from her body and
finally undressing his suit and polo. He threw them on the floor while intently
looking at her.

Tara gazed at his body.
He’s so
sexy.
“I don’t want this James!” she tried to shout at him but James is
back to pressing her down in bed again. He was trying to unhook her bra and
Tara kept wriggling under him. She felt so vulnerable in his touch.

He was once again licking her
nipples and rubbing the other one with his hands that fit her breasts so
perfectly.

“Tara,” she heard his husky voice
and felt his warm breath back on her neck. One hand slipped down to lift her
chin and urged her to kiss him with the same intensity. “You feel fantastic.”

He was peeling her panties off her
and down her legs. She is caught in mixed emotions. She felt so nervous and
unsure yet she is also feeling impatient and clasped her arms around his neck.
She tugged him closer to her and he loved how his chest is pressing on to her
big and full breasts.

Tara felt hungry from the kisses
and responded to it. His seeking tongue found hers and he felt her trembling
beneath her. It was Tara’s first time to be kissed as wildly as this. Though
she had boyfriends before it never went this intimate, what she is feeling now
is so brand new to her.

Her panties are gone and she
twisted slightly as he felt James unbuttoning his jeans and getting off from
his boxers. He stood up and undressed standing by the edge of the bed.

Tara somewhat awaken from the
enthralling feeling and quickly stood up from bed and covered her breasts. She
looked at James as he undressed in front of her. His body is tempting but Tara
is still not giving in.

“No, James! This is wrong!” she
tried to put some sense in him.

“What are you playing at Tara?” he
walked to where she is.

She tried to move away but James
was quicker and he cradled her when he caught her. He carried her swiftly and
raised her legs to his hips.

“Stop. Please. Stop.” Tara went
back to protesting and pushing James’ shoulders as he carried her while walking
and then pushed her back firmly to the wall. He acts as if not hearing Tara’s
objection.

He continued to push her to the
wall then his lips ravaged on her aching nipples once again. He heard her moan
a little and it encouraged him. He sensed Tara’s complaints are fake after
hearing her and feeling her hands scratching his back. He grinded his hips to
her and he felt Tara loosen and moaned softly.

He walked back to the bed still
carrying Tara, his hardness she felt sticking up on her stomach.

He then laid her down. He dropped
to his knees beside her and saw the fear in Tara’s eyes. She looked like a
helpless pagan sacrifice. But he can’t resist her as he felt how delicious she
is in his arms and lips.

He started loosening up. He bent
down again and covered her face with light kisses. His lips discovered the vein
throbbing in her left temple and kissed it. He felt her blood pounding through
her, echoing the fierce rhythm of his own heartbeat, blaming their excitement
and alcohol intoxication.

He could feel his hunger growing
inside him and the urgent need to enter her. He wanted to tell her how beautiful
she is, how her silky white skin is amazing to touch, how enthralling her
sweat, perfume and alcoholic breath sweetly intoxicates him, how ironically
that his palms fit her breasts perfectly, how tempting her body is . . . but
looking at her with her eyes closed and those long lashes shadowing beneath it
and her lips swollen from his kisses, his lips twitched in dismay as he sense
that this shallow manipulating woman is very much satisfied at where they are
going. He wanted to crash every inch of her body right away. But her sight is
mesmerizing.

“James,” she opened her eyes when
she felt him stopped his kisses. She slowly sat up.

“No, you’re not!” he pushed her
back to bed again. “After teasing me and arousing every inch of me, you won’t
just leave without finishing this off!”

He grabbed her arms and pressed
them hard above her head to stop her from throwing punches at him.

“After getting what you want, you
will finally leave me alone bitch!” he ordered.

He trailed her body with his other
hand then vigorously pushed his finger inside her warm and moist opening and he
heard her gasp.

“NO!” she shouted as she tried to
get his finger out of her. But she was not successful at it. James was strongly
hovering over her and slid another finger and pushed it in and out of her
wetness. She was still bind by his strong arms as he lowered his mouth to hers
to silence her.

His hands never once stopped at
what it’s doing and he felt how wet Tara is at the moment. He pulled his
fingers out of her and spread her legs widely. She started kicking and moving
her legs but James was just stronger.

He can still hear Tara saying NO in
muffled cries as he continues kissing her and positioning his long shaft near
her sex to enter her.

He quickly pushed and penetrated
her and withdrew his hardness then pushed back inside again. “You’re so tight.”
He continued amazed at how good he felt with her. He slid in and out of her
once again.

Tara was slowly stopping her
kicking as signs of protests. She knew she isn’t winning this battle. And she
is becoming more and more tired.

James kept pumping in and out of
her and she literally felt herself being ripped every time. She can’t control
her tears from coming out anymore.

“Fuck! Your tightness is making me
lose control.” He admits as he lifted her hips to receive his deep thrusts. He
keeps rocking her to the in and out rhythm he has built then goes back to
kissing her lips torridly.

“James . . .” her voice low and
seems pleading. She is definitely in pain. Her face so wet from the tears rushing
out of her eyes.

He lifted her legs to his shoulders
and pumped harder inside her, loving the feel of her insides rubbing around his
manhood. He feels lost in her wetness. Her tight walls driving him mad. But he
gets distracted when he hears her cry louder this time.

“Oh God Tara!” he suddenly stopped
when he realized her being this tight isn’t normal. He released Tara’s hands
that were still pinned on top of her head. He lowered her legs back to her
sides.

He looked at her and saw her
flushed face. Her eyes are shut tightly and he saw tears continuously pouring
down her cheeks. They are still connected.

She opened her eyes when she felt
him stop moving and looked at him. Her breath was short and he heard her cries
in her throat.

“Is . . . this . . . your . . .” he
asked confusedly.

She just nodded.

“Virgin?” he asked again as if
double checking.

She didn’t answer. She just wept in
her hands. She is trembling in pain and tension.

James slowly pulled out of Tara and
rolled to lie down on the bed beside her. He could not believe what happened.
He is so confused and didn’t know what to think. He lay flat on his back
staring at the ceiling for a few seconds.

She planned all this but then she
pretends she protested. And she’s a virgin. Why would she give me that
privilege? But she had been crying when I entered. But what is she doing in
Christian’s suite?

He stood up and dressed. He glanced
back at Tara who’s still lying down with sheets covering half her body. He saw
some fresh blood stains on the white bed cover and shivered. “Shit!”

He found the keys and headed back
to the bar.

They are graduating in a week. All
the students are packed in the sports complex to practice for their
commencement.

James never approached Tara nor
glanced her way after what happened at the hotel. He was trying to stay away
from her and he knows she’s doing the same thing. They are both in classes, but
never as in NEVER have they glanced across each other’s paths. Talk about
awkward!

Christian and Lyn’s relationship is
still kept by the two, actually three since Tara knows. Lyn is madly in love
with Christian and so is he. They are always together and Tara either goes home
right after school to eat lunch or eats at the new restaurant at her new
parking space then hibernates in the library if she still got afternoon
classes.

She never had the chance to tell
Lyn of how and when her virginity left her. Well, actually she had no
intentions of telling her. That night, she pitied herself for what happened to
her. But she wasn’t depressed at all. She was a virgin at 21. And she thought
she could have been an endangered species if she kept her V-card a little
longer. The fact that it was James who took it from her, makes her happy a bit.
Yes, a bit. She thought her first experience would be wonderful. But it was far
from that, it was painful. Literally. Emotionally though, she felt satisfied
when James told her she felt fantastic around him.

That night, when he left her at the
suite, she cried to sleep. She was so furious at him. She can’t believe that he
thought all along that it is what she wanted from him. She was so shocked that
night, but there was something about what happened that made her want to start
forgetting about him altogether.

A couple days after the incident,
she wasn’t uptight anymore. She was actually upset that she didn’t enjoy her
“first time”. She often finds herself wondering and asking several “what ifs”.
Your tightness makes me lose control.
She keeps shuddering at the thought
of James’ words. She feels she has an unfinished business with him.

She wasn’t eager to see James
anymore and somehow she felt her infatuation towards him is slowly going down
the drain, all because of mixed emotions. She wanted the guy again, but not the
same painful way it had been. She wanted to forget him because of his
disrespectful way of taking something she kept for so long, yet she wanted to
offer herself to him. She wanted to talk to him, but she doesn’t know what to
say. They had a good time before that fateful thing happened. She wanted to ask
what his flirting was all about, but she knew it was replaced with anger in the
suite. She wanted to tell him she didn’t plan any of what he thought, but
afraid he would never believe her. So she just stayed away.

“James Ervine Aguilar” the loud
speaker at the gym interrupted her thoughts.

She looked at the man going up the
stage. He was grinning widely and throwing some funny faces at his friends and
waving wildly as if he was ascending a boxing ring instead of the graduation
stage.

He looked happy and not a bit
worried about Tara at all.

Are all men like this? After
taking what had been precious to me? He acts like nothing happened?
Tara
thought disgustedly as he went to shake the hands of the dean and some other
professors.

Tara is still graduating with her
block mates and is seated at the fifth row of the graduating class. Their
section is next to James’.

She saw James bow down and then
looked at her. His smile left his face abruptly. He was still bowed and staring
at Tara’s blank expression. This is the first time they had eye to eye contact
after the encounter at the hotel suite. They both can’t remove their intense
stare at each other.

After what seems like an eternity,
James stood up holding his back, as if faking an arthritis or rheumatism and
then goes back down the stage. Tara never glanced his way again.

James walked back to his seat and
did some high fives with his classmates, as if he got his real diploma and not
some fake rolled up piece of scratch paper.

He looked at Tara again, checking
if she was still looking at him, but to his disappointment, he just saw the
bare skin of her nape below her bun-fixed hair.

He inhaled deeply as he saw Tara’s
white skin. Never has a day passed that he didn’t think of her. He was just too
embarrassed to come and talk to her. He replayed so many times the foreplay he
has given her and still continues to shiver at every thought of it. Just like
this moment. His nerves are still shaken and he wanted so much to do the deed
again. He licked his dry lips and swallowed hard as he felt his throat is
drying up from his imagination.

At first, he was so annoyed at
Tara. Even after the alcohol wore off his system, he was still left confused.
He is still angry that she had to drop so low just to get what she wanted. He
felt wonderful knowing he was her first and he so wanted to be her second and
third and fourth, until he gets his craving of her satisfied.

Yes, he craved her now. He wanted
more of her. More of her lips, her breasts, her touch, her breath, her hips and
most especially that precious moist and tight hole he invaded between those
long silky legs. He was so hesitant to ask Christian if he had anything to do
with Tara offering herself to him. He was afraid to hear the answers.

“Simone Tara Salvador” he heard the
loud speakers interrupt his thoughts and she looked at the woman slowly coming
up the stage.

She looked graceful. Her eyes are
blank and expressionless. For the first time, it was so hard to read. Even her
movements do not show how she feels. She just walked leisurely to the dean and
the professors and shook their hands as all of them did. Then she went to the
center of the stage and bowed elegantly just fixing her eyes on the empty seat
she was seated at. She then moved to go down the stairs and went back to her
chair without glancing around.

James just stared at her then felt
Christian nudged his elbow.

“Bedazzled?” it was Christian.

“Huh?” James asked his best friend.

“I don’t get you Aguilar! She’s a
good person.”

“What?” James asked again.

“Don’t play dumb.” Christian pushed
his head.

“What are you talking about man?”
he asked pretending not to have a clue.

“You are stupid. You finally got
some hot and decent chick, and you keep pushing her away!”

“Decent huh!” he wasn’t able to
hold back his pretentions. “You don’t have a clue of what you’re saying!” James
recalled Tara’s look at the suite. He has already sewn his own conclusion
without asking. He thought Christian doesn’t know any of it. He thinks it was
Lyn who gave her the keys.

“Of course I do. Tara never had
flings or boyfriends since she started university. “Christian defends her.

“How do you know?” James looked at
him frowning.
It could be possible she isn’t showy and possible that she
didn’t give herself to her boyfriends, but it was questionable she never got
intimate with them.
He suddenly felt angry at the thought of another guy
touching and kissing Tara.

“I just know.” Christian said not
telling him that the info about Tara came from Lyn. He was not ready to tell
James about them yet.
I will tell him after graduation.

James kept silent pretending to
watch the people coming up and down the stage.

“You’re hopeless!” Christian sighed
loudly.

Am I?

“I don’t know dude!” James finally
answered.

“What’s your problem?” Christian
looked at him after seeing the confusion in his best friend’s eyes when he
glanced over at Tara once again.

“Let’s talk later. Let’s ditch the
gang. I’m not comfortable to talk to them yet.”

“Wow! This is serious.” Christian
smiled from ear to ear.
Maybe he’s feeling something for her. He was really
flirting and acting sweet to her at the ball.

“Fuck off!” James irritatingly
exclaims.

“Want to eat lamb chops at The
Beach?” Christian asked calmly.

The lamb chops are served at the
new restaurant at the parking lot called The Beach. It is just two blocks away
from the sports complex and they haven’t tried it yet.

“Yeah, I’d like that!”

***

Tara went down straight to the
parking lot after the graduation practice. She just sent a text message to Lyn
who was still in her classes that the practice is over and she is heading home.

When she reached the parking lot,
she lit a cigarette. A bad habit she learned to do after what happened at the
hotel with James. She psychologically feels relaxed after she smokes.

She didn’t want to park here but
she had no choice. This is the farthest parking from school and the best area
to hide away from him.

The parking is not cemented and it
was just covered with sand and gravel that’s why it was called The Beach. She
didn’t want to get scratches on her mag wheels so she opted to park very near
the entrance.  She had bribed the parking attendant to reserve her that space
since she started parking there.

She leaned on her car and puffed.
She was still thinking about James. The school is about to end in a week and
she will be in Boracay the following day.
Good bye James forever.
She
felt sad. She exhaled deeply. She is back to wondering in her long list of
“what ifs”.

“What the hell?” James said as he
and Christian entered The Beach.

“I didn’t know she smoked.”
Christian said as he saw why James is frowning.

They are both health conscious as
they are basketball players whose vices are only drinking and womanizing “a
little”.

James walked straight to Tara
without thinking. She saw him leaving Christian behind to approach her. She
threw her half way done cigarette hastily and pressed her car alarm to open.

Just as she was opening the
driver’s side door, James caught her arm.

“What are you doing?” he asked
still frowning and now clutching on to her elbow.

Tara did not respond and went
inside her car. James pulled her door to keep it open while Tara is pulling it
to close.

“James!” she called to him as if
saying to let her go.

“No!” he demanded.

Tara didn’t reply and pulled the
door handle harder to close and she succeeded. James, not knowing what to do,
opened the back seat’s door behind the driver’s side and slid inside the
vehicle.

“What are you doing?” she turned
her head back to fumingly look at James.

“When did you start smoking?!” he
yelled at her acting like a domineering boyfriend.

“What do you care?!” she yelled
back.

“You don’t smoke,” he said
knowingly.

“Since when did you become my baby
sitter?” she glared.

They were interrupted when they
heard knocks on the window. It was Christian. Tara lowered her window and
looked at him.

“Can you two get out of the car?
You talk at the restaurant!” he sounds irate.

“I’m going home.” Tara said to end
the conversation.

“No, we need to talk!” James said.
He didn’t know if he was ready to talk to her yet, but judging from the way she
has changed, he knew they had to talk.

“Not now.” Tara authoritatively
answered.

“Then when?” James asked with very
little patience.

“Hey, it’s either you two get out
of the car, or I’ll drag you both down! You’re acting like kids!” Christian
exaggerates.

James looked at his best friend and
an idea formed in his head. He was now desperate to talk to her and he will
definitely do something about it.

“Okay, if you’re not ready, can we
talk on Saturday? Christian is throwing a graduation party at his house. Will
you come? You can bring Lyn if you want.” James said trying to sound composed.

Tara thought for a moment and
looked at Christian who is now shocked.
Lyn and Christian. Okay.
She
remembered they can’t stay away from each other and knowing Lyn, she would
definitely urge her to accompany her if ever Christian invites her to it.

“Okay. I will come.” she said
quietly. She knows well that most part of her agreement to come was for her
best friend.

“Really?” James sounded appeased.

“Yes. I’ll take Lyn,” she smiled at
Christian who still looks dumbfounded.

“Great! I’ll see you!” James
sounded happy then back to being calm. “We will talk by then.”

“Can I go now?” she asked as if
signaling him to get out of the car.

“Drive safe.” He said before
getting off.

She didn’t answer and just left the
two guys standing there looking at her car until its nowhere in sight.

“I’m having a party?” Christian
asked.

“Please dude. Just invite the team
and their girlfriends!” James pleaded.

“Does this have something to do
with what you wanted to talk to me about?” Christian asks suspiciously.

“I’ll bring the beers!” James
offered.

“Spill it out!” Christian nudged
James’ head. He sensed there’s something this guy isn’t telling him and he’s
determined to squeeze him until he squeals every juice of his secret.

They entered the restaurant and
found it half filled. Most of the people there are not graduating with them.
They found a vacant table near the window and started to walk to it.

“Will you start talking or I
strangle you first?” Christian asked James when they sat.

“I don’t know how to start dude.”
James said rubbing his chin.

“Then just start talking!”
Christian can’t wait.

“Remember my vacation at Samal
Beach?” James asked.

“Yeah.”

“The night Tara and I went to do
our project, we had a talk. We were okay, she promised not to stalk me and I
promised friendship . . .

. . . then the following night, I
caught Rhea. She told me it was all Tara’s fault that she went to have sex with
that guy. I became so angry at Tara.” He paused for a moment and saw his best
bud frowning at him before speaking.