Chapter 90
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the sterile scent of antiseptic and the soft hum of the cruise ship’s engine. My head pounded slightly, but it wasn’t enough to distract me from the sensation of something cool pressed against my forehead. As I blinked my eyes open, the blurry surroundings of the infirmary came into focus.
And then I saw him.
“Lucas?” I croaked, my voice hoarse from the shock of nearly drowning.li
He stood near the bed, arms crossed, his piercing gaze fixed on me with a mix of concern and something else–relief, maybe? Lucas, my brother’s best friend. Lucas, the man who had once been my entire world.
“Zoe,” he said softly, taking a step closer. His voice sent a ripple through my chest, stirring memories I hadn’t revisited in years. “You’re awake. Thank God.”
I blinked at him, utterly baffled. “What are you doing here?”
He let out a low chuckle, his usual smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, “What am I doing here? What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be-“he paused, frowning, as though hesitating to say more.
I shook my head, attempting to push myself up, but my limbs still felt heavy. “I’m… on a vacation. My brother booked me a trip. I didn’t know. My voice trailed off as I studied his face, so familiar yet distant, as if time had added a new layer of sharpness to his features.
He raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t know what?”
“That you’d be here,” I muttered.
His grin widened slightly, but before he could say anything more, a vivid memory flashed through my mind–one I had buried so deep that I thought it would never surface again.
It was Lucas. Years ago. A quiet night. A forbidden moment.!!
He had been my first crush. My brother’s best friend. The one I’d secretly admired for years while pretending to be indifferent whenever he was around. I remembered how my heart would race whenever he smiled at me, how I’d carefully planned my outfits when I knew he’d be visiting, hoping he’d notice me as more than just his best friend’s little sister.E
And then, one night, he did.E
My cheeks burned, and my heart raced as I recalled every detail of that evening. I had barely turned eighteen, and it had been at one of my brother’s late–night gatherings. Lucas had stayed behind after everyone else had left. We had been sitting on the back porch, the summer air thick with the scent of blooming jasmine. He’d looked at me in a way he never had before–his gaze lingering, searching, almost daring.
I could still feel the warmth of his hands brushing against mine, the intensity of his eyes locking on mine as if no one else in the world existed. His touch had been electric, his voice low and husky as he whispered promises I’d foolishly believed, promises that had made me feel like I was the only girl who mattered.
That night, I had given him a piece of myself I’d never shared with anyone else. Lucas was the man who had taken my virginity–the secret I had kept buried deep, even from my brother. It was a secret I had carried with equal parts guilt and longing, a memory I had tried to bury, knowing how forbidden it had been.E
And now, here he was, standing right in front of me, dragging those memories out of the dark corners of my mind. My stomach twisted with a mixture of embarrassment and something far more dangerous–desire.
“Zoe?” His voice cut through my spiraling thoughts, and I realized I’d been staring at him, my face undoubtedly betraying every ounce of embarrassment coursing through me.E
1–uh–nothing,” I stammered, looking away, but it was too late. He had noticed.E
A low laugh escaped him, and I wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow me whole.
“So, you remember that night,” he said, his voice teasing but laced with something deeper something darker.
“Stop,” I snapped, my face flaming. “Not funny.”
He chuckled again, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “What? It’s not every day you run into someone who pretended you didn’t exist after a night like that.”
I glared at him, my pulse quickening as I tried to sit up fully. “Why are you even here?” I demanded, desperate to change the subject.
Lucas leaned against the bed’s railing, his expression casual but his eyes sharp. “Because I own this cruise, Zoe.”
My mouth fell open. “You–what?”
“Your brother didn’t tell you?” he said, feigning surprise. “This whole ship? Mine. Every deck, every cabin, every pool.” He gestured around the room, his tone dripping with smugness. “You’re in my territory now.”
I stared at him, speechless. Why hadn’t my brother mentioned this? And why did it have to be him? Of all people, why Lucas?! “Well,” I said, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and ignoring the wobbliness in my knees. “Thanks for saving me, but I
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should go.”
Lucas moved faster than I expected, stepping in front of me and placing a hand on my waist to steady me. The touch was electric, and I froze, my breath catching as I looked up at him.
“You can’t leave me again,” he murmured, his voice low and husky.
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding as his words sank in. “What do you mean, ‘again“?”
Lucas’s eyes darkened, and a sly smile played on his lips. “Last time, you ran. This time, you’re not getting away so easily.” “Lucas,” I warned, trying to step back, but his grip tightened ever so slightly.
“Relax,” he said, his tone light but his gaze intense. “I just think we have some unfinished business.”
“Unfinished business?” I repeated, my voice trembling slightly.
He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear. “Are you still single?” he asked, his voice a whisper that sent shivers down my spine.
“What?” I managed to choke out, my mind reeling.
“I’m looking for a wife,” he continued, his lips brushing against my ear. “Would you still want to be my wife… like you used to dream about before?”
My heart stopped, my thoughts spinning out of control as his words hung in the air, heavy and impossible to ignore.
