He Took My Vengeance to Covet Me

Chapter 10

He fought against his rising desire, his voice thick with restraint.

Yet I clung to him like ivy, feeling his need swell against me with every breath.

"I'm clean where it matters," I whispered, dragging his palm to the heat between my legs.

He wrenched his hand away, turning with a ragged gasp—his voice sharp with wounded pride. "Winnie, don't repay me like this. This was never a transaction."

My arms tightened around him from behind, my breath hot against his ear. "Lucas, this isn't repayment. I'm giving myself to you... willingly."

His body turned to stone in my embrace.

For one suspended moment, I couldn't read what turmoil churned beneath his calm surface.

Then suddenly he faced me, eyes blazing like captured starlight. "Winnie... what do you mean by that?"

My throat tightened around unspoken truths. I refused to be Anthony's plaything—yet with Lucas, my heart danced between calculation and something dangerously raw.

With those monsters, lies came easily. They deserved nothing real.

But Lucas... His gaze burned too bright, his affection spilling from every unguarded glance. How could I feed him half-truths?

The light in his eyes guttered. His hands fell limp. "I'm sorry," he murmured, voice heavy. "After all you've suffered... I shouldn't ask. I'm not like them. Overseas, you'll be free—do as you please, love whomever you choose... I'll never interfere."

Rising on my toes, I grazed his lips with mine. "Lucas... why won't you make me any promises?"

Confusion flickered across his face. "What promises?"

I held his gaze, deadly serious. "What am I to you when we flee? A friend? A trophy? Or just... some kept woman?"

"None of that!" The words erupted from him, fierce as a gunshot. "You're the woman I want to marry—the only one!"

His face burned scarlet the instant the confession escaped.

I stood frozen. This was the one answer I'd never dared expect.

I froze, stunned into silence as his words sank in. His promise was too heavy, like a gift I wasn't worthy of receiving. "Lucas, I don't deserve you." Tears pooled in my eyes, and I bit my lip hard, fighting to keep them from falling. But the more I struggled, the more I unraveled—my voice cracking like fragile glass. Lucas tugged the pendant from his neck—a humble, square peace charm—and placed it reverently into my hand. "I'm the unworthy one," he rasped, voice rough with emotion. "I lack the Bennett family's influence, so I could only stand by and watch you suffer, helpless. I was powerless—unfit to even dream of a future with you." "But Winnie," he pressed on, fingers squeezing mine, "now that you've asked, you've given me a chance to lay my heart bare. I won't waste it." "If, once we're free, your heart still feels the same..." He swallowed hard. "Then let me spend my life loving you." Tears overflowed, his words carving straight into my chest. His vow was so raw, so real, it turned all my calculations into a cruel joke. Lucas's hands shook as he traced the tears staining my cheeks. "Winnie, don't answer yet," he murmured. "Wait until we're safe. Until we're free." I shattered completely, my walls collapsing like paper. "Lucas, you're a goddamn i***t," I sobbed. "You've been at Anthony's side for years—how can't you see I'm just using you? You know this is about revenge! Once I'm gone, he'll blame Ethan. They'll destroy each other, and I'll walk away clean. And you?"

My voice twisted into a scream. "You're just a pawn! Neither of them will let you live!" My vision burned red, but Lucas only tightened his grip, his voice eerily calm. "Winnie, when that day comes... don't you dare hold back." "Why?" I choked out, tears streaming down my face. He gave a broken laugh. "Since when do fools need reasons?" Moonlight dripped through the window, gilding his face in silver. He lacked the Bennett brothers' sharp, arrogant beauty.

But in this moment, he stood before me like an angel sent from heaven to rescue me.

CRACK! A gunshot shattered the silence. Lucas's body tensed instantly. He pressed a finger to his lips, motioning urgently for me to keep qdays.

"Winnie, today's Ethan's wedding. Only Anthony would be reckless enough to fire shots like this."

Every muscle in my body locked up. "Lucas!" My voice trembled as I shoved against his chest. "Get out of here! If Anthony finds you with me..."

He caught my flailing hands. "It's okay," he murmured, pulling me closer. "I've got you."

I fought like a wild animal in his grasp. "He'll kill you!" I gasped. "He only wants me alive—just go!"

Lucas backed against the window, clamping a hand over my mouth. Heavy footsteps pounded closer. Still I struggled, desperate to make him leave me behind.

Then—a sharp pain at the base of my skull. The world went black, but not before I saw his eyes shining like stars. I let myself fall into that light.

All my life, I'd moved through shadows. I knew how to smile prettily, how to calculate every advantage—but never dreamed my darkest secrets could see daylight.

I thought I'd walk alone in the dark forever.

Yet now... now a desperate hope took root. That this brilliant star might stay with me.

The first light of dawn colored the sky when I woke in Lucas's arms. Weariness etched lines across his face as he stared at the cabin door, his arms instinctively pulling me closer when the ship lurched.

"Lucas..."

He looked down, his eyes filled with tender warmth. "We're safe now," he whispered. "Just past the next port, and we'll be free."

I winced as I rubbed my throbbing head—and his gentle fingers came to soothe the ache.

"I'm sorry, Winnie. Last night was too urgent—I had to make you pass out." His voice was heavy with guilt. In the cramped cabin, just the two of us alone, his apologetic tone stirred a playful desire in me. "Just one 'sorry' and you think I'll forgive you?" I leaned into him, enjoying his soothing touch as he massaged the back of my head. His slender fingers, cool against my skin, traced over my scalp—but this was no innocent comfort. It was unwitting temptation. Yet the one doing the tempting remained completely unaware, asking hesitantly, "Then... Winnie, what will it take for you to forgive me?" I rolled over suddenly, and as the ship swayed, he lost his balance, ending up beneath me. His hands steadied me, voice tight with worry. "Winnie, are you alright?" But when his gaze flickered to the revealing glimpse of skin at my collar, he quickly looked away, his pale neck flushing pink. His voice came out muffled. "If you're fine, let me up." I cupped his face, forcing his eyes back to the exposed curve of my neck. He squeezed his eyes shut—but I closed the distance, capturing his lips, teasing them open until our breaths mingled. His shy hesitation melted into eager reciprocation in mere moments. Men seem to have an instinct for this. Even someone as inexperienced as Lucas —his hands, which had cradled my face so gently, now wandered lower, slipping beneath my collar to explore the curves hidden there. His fingers, tentative at first, soon grew bold—circling, kneading, teasing—until I was squirming under his touch, breathless and wanting. Just as pleasure crested, his tormenting fingers withdrew, leaving me craving more. I arched against him, gripping his shoulders, pressing closer with a breathless whisper. "Lucas... use your tongue... it tickles... I can't..." Before his protest could form, I filled his mouth with the swell of my breast. His lips, already flushed, now glistened against pale skin—a vivid, tantalizing contrast.He sucked gently, his eyes darkening with raw desire.

His hands and mouth moved in perfect harmony, worshipping me like a sacred feast. Lucas possessed a remarkable natural talent for this, pushing my already sensitive body to new heights of ecstasy. Tidal waves of white-hot pleasure crashed through me, relentless and overwhelming. I clung to his head, my cries escaping unbidden. "God... Lucas, you're so good at this... ah... I'm gonna lose my mind..." Hearing my moans, his grip loosened. He pulled back slightly, breathing hotly against my ear, "Winnie, don't... If you keep making those sounds, I won't be able to hold back. I'm just a man."

His breath came ragged, his hardened desire pressing insistently against me, leaving me dripping wet, his trousers damp with proof of how much he affected me. I was fully astride him, my dress beyond saving—the neckline torn wide open from his earlier fervor, the skirt crumpled and shoved aside, baring the pale expanse of my thighs.

Our position left me utterly exposed. A mere shift of his hands, parting my legs, and he could have taken me without resistance. Yet, at the brink, Lucas hesitated. Frustration tinged his voice as he murmured, "Winnie... we have to stop."