Always Running (MATURE CONTENT)

CHAPTER 5

LOVE. Who would say no to love and being loved? Love has been known to be one of the most powerful feelings that made the world turn. It has fueled lonely hearts to reach out and find one another. It has given dreams wings to be able to fly and soar. It made Lucas hopeful that Nessa would one day come to love him. Love was a very complex feeling. It was so huge that anything was possible around that one little word that held so much power and so much hope at the same time.

Nessa swallowed hard and removed the blade from Lucas' throat. "What kind of proposition?"

Lucas did not move an inch. He did not want Nessa to feel threatened again and have the moment ruined.

"It's really simple and you come out winning either way." He looked at her and smiled trying to get her tense body to relax so she became more receptive to his proposition.

"I'm not a whore so don't even—"

Lucas frowned at her removing that sexy smile from his lips and cut her off. "I never once thought you were that kind of woman. My proposition is honorable, and I would really like the chance to lay it out on the table for you and let you decide."

He took a few steps back and took a seat on the chair by the table and waited for Nessa to consider listening to him without pushing her. She was very apprehensive, not to mention terrified. He wanted, no, he needed her to relax, to consider what he wanted to propose before she sent him straight to hell as a knee jerk reaction due to her fear and mistrust of men.

Nessa sheathed her knife keeping it in her hand, which did not go unnoticed by Lucas. She was still defensive, although showing small signs of reception.

"Start talking but if I hear something that sounds remotely offensive the fish will be fed for a month." Nessa did not expect Lucas to laugh, yet he did. His laughter was deep and sensual.

"A month? Have you seen the size of me, woman?" He kept laughing.

Was he making jokes? Really? Nessa couldn't help smiling. Lucas was something else, she had to admit.

"Fine, a few months, now talk, fish food."

More laughter came from Lucas. He stopped when Nessa began to frown. He was losing her again. He cleared his throat and looked straight in her eyes.

"I know that whatever made you run had to have been awful." He waited for her reaction and when he got nothing he continued. "I understand better than anyone what it's like to fear for your life. I know you walk around looking over your shoulder every few minutes when you're out on the street to make sure no one is following you or nothing looks out of place. You probably sleep fully dressed just in case you have to make a run for it... again." Again, he paused gauging her reactions. Her body was tense, and her face was a mixture of surprise and sadness.

"Nessa is probably not your real name and it's probably the who-knows-what-number name you chose when you ran to Harbor City. I know how scared you are and how tired you are of running and you don't see a way out of this life. You can rest easy now, Nessa, I want to help you."

Nessa blinked away the tears threatening to spill over. "At what expense? What do you want from me?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing," she repeated. She began to laugh, not because she found the situation funny, no, because she found life cruel and unforgiving. "You want to help me in exchange for nothing? Am I supposed to believe that? A man like you, who could get any woman in the world to fall at his feet, wants to help me for nothing?"

Lucas understood why she would think bad about him. Why she would automatically assume there was a catch to his offer.

"I may look simple-minded and uneducated, which I am, uneducated not simple-minded, but that is beside the point. Don't think for a moment that I will fall for your pretty words and your kind offer to help out a strange woman for nothing in return? Come on! How stupid do you think I am?" Nessa grabbed her bag off the bed and slung it over her shoulder and walked out of the room at a fast pace.

Lucas did not call after her, he simply followed her. He knew this would not be easy. He also knew that it would probably take a few days to convince her, he would wait however long it took to get Nessa. She was worth it, he knew it in his gut and in his heart, no matter the baggage she had trailing behind her.

STUPID. Her stupidity had gotten her in the predicament she found herself in currently. Her stupid belief in love and things fluffy and pink and nice had turned her life upside down and all kinds of screwed up.

Help, ha! He wanted to help her for nothing! stupid! Her inner voice shouted at her again, Nessa didn't know if it was because she wanted to believe him or because she was actually considering his offer.

TIRED. She was tired of running. Tired of always looking over her shoulder. So, so tired of not knowing if that day would be the day Justin finally found her again and that time, she would not be so lucky to get away again. She was oh so tired of not having a good night's sleep. She wanted to stop running. She wasn't sure if she would ever be able to stop running, it had been her life for seven years. Seven long years of running from one place to another. It was all she knew how to do, and she was good at it, well good enough anyway.

Nessa stopped and turned around and found Lucas standing there. "You really want nothing in return?"

Lucas smiled and said, "Nothing." Of course, he wanted something from her, but not what she was thinking. He would do everything in his power to win her heart and her trust. All he wanted was her, all of her.

"For how long?" She raised an eyebrow in question. "How long will you help me for? Until you get tired of me? Or until you finally get me in your bed and then toss me aside?"

Lucas cocked his head to the right. "I know you don't trust me or any man in this world."

Nessa shook her head no. "Wrong, I don't trust any man or woman in this world," she said, correcting him.

"Fair enough. You'll have to start trusting someone, someday. Why not let it be me? Let me show you that I'm trustworthy. I know you don't know me at all. I swear to you I will shelter you. I will take care of your frightened and damaged heart. I will be your safety and protection. I will be whatever you need me to be."

Nessa wanted to run into his muscular arms and cling to him for dear life. She didn't. She couldn't let herself trust again. It was too dangerous, his words were beautiful, yes, and very, very tempting but her heart could not trust again. Her life depended on her keeping her wits about her.

No. Her answer was No. She had done fine by herself until now and she would keep doing fine for however long she needed to keep running.

"Thank you for the kind offer but I will decline. I have to go now."

"Take my card." Lucas reached in his back pocket and pulled out his card and handed it to Nessa. "My cell phone and home number are written on the back should you change your mind. The offer does not expire. I'm here for you. I'll wait however long I need to wait. Please think about the offer, Nessa. Life doesn't have to be so hard and lonely, not when you could lean on me, at least for a while."

Nessa watched him walk away and her chest felt like it was caving in for some reason.

* * *

Lucas reached his office and called Ron.

"Yeah, Luke, what do you need?"

Lucas leaned back in his chair and smiled. "Lock it down."

"You sure?"

"I want her and the only way to get her is to make things harder for her. No job and no shelter will make her think about my offer. Just get it done, Ron."

DESIRE. A very powerful emotion. A feeling when left unattended for so long it could drive any man or woman close to madness...very close. Lucas had been waiting for the right woman for a while now. After his messy divorce, he had taken a time out from women and had dedicated his time to building his empire and he had done well for himself. His desire had snuck up on him and now all he wanted was to satiate it before he truly went mad and the only person that could do that was Nessa.

Lucas made a few phone calls and made sure that everyone in Harbor City that owed him a favor paid it back, and it was quite a few people.

Nessa would have a hard time making it out there on her own. He hated to play with her this way, but it was a necessary evil, a white lie, a harmless ruse if you will, that would steer her in the right direction...him.