"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞," he whispered, leaning in further, his minty breath washing over my face.
Sliding an icy hand under my shirt, he rested it above my hips.
"I... I don't. Let go of me," I stuttered, shuddering...
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My eyes slowly fluttered open, greeted by the gentle intrusion of sunlight streaming through the window. As I stirred, I became aware of a pair of calloused hands encircling my waist. Turning around, I found a drowsy Lucas beside me.
Bathed in the morning sun, Lucas's features seemed to glow, and the sight of him sleeping peacefully brought a soothing calmness to my heart. Thankfully, he hadn't left this time, sparing me from the erosion of trust that his absence would have inflicted.
I leaned in and planted a tender kiss on his lips as he drew me closer, our bodies entwining.
"Good morning, princess. I could definitely get used to waking up like this," he murmured, his voice still laced with sleepiness.
"Now, are you going to tell me?" I inquired.
He teased, "You wouldn't let me leave the room without an explanation, would you?"
"Absolutely not," I replied firmly.
"Alright," he relented. "That man from yesterday is indeed my father. He was supposed to be in jail for seven years, and this year would have marked his fifth. But it seems they released him early, either because of 'good behavior' or some other favor he pulled." There was a simmering anger in his voice as he recounted this.
"What did he do?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"He abused my mother, not to an extreme extent, but it happened when he was drunk. And besides that, he's involved in a human trafficking business that has expanded extensively across the country," Lucas replied, his face contorted with disgust.
"The worst part is that he wants me to take over his despicable job, but I flatly refused and had him put in jail. Now he's back, and he won't rest until he forces me into his filthy business," he added, his fists clenched, his anger palpable.
"But how do you plan to protect yourself from him?" I inquired.
"I honestly have no idea. If he's back, it means trouble is waiting for me," he sighed.
"I don't want him to hurt you," he whispered, his concern evident.
"He won't," I reassured him.
"You don't know what he's capable of," he cautioned.
"I won't let him hurt me," I affirmed once more.
"I will not let him hurt you," he vowed, looking deeply into my eyes.
"I know," I whispered.
He gently tilted my chin upward and softly pressed his lips against mine, the kiss tender and fleeting.
"Come on, let's get ready for the beach party," I exclaimed.
We both rose from the bed and started preparing for the beach party that Haley had informed us about.
