If You're Going to Sell Yourself, Sell It to Me - Chapter 107

“Georgiana, wake up. The rain has stopped.”

A gentle voice tried to rouse her from sleep.

“Just a little longer.”

Georgiana mumbled and burrowed deeper into the warmth.

“I do enjoy this too, but wouldn’t it be better to return to the estate as soon as possible?”

“I said I’m tired.”

Had it been two hours since she fell asleep? Her entire body felt bruised and sore.

“Still, we have to go. We can’t stay here.”

“Who do you think kept me from sleeping… huh?”

Mumbling in her half-sleep, she suddenly opened her eyes wide.

“You’re awake?”

Locke, who had been lying on his side with one arm under her, smiled as he looked at her.

“Locke, are you okay?”

Unlike during the night, the sun had risen, so it wasn’t very dark under the rock.

Perhaps because of that, Locke looked noticeably better than he had the day before.

She quickly turned her head to look at his arm and was relieved to see the bleeding had stopped.

But the bandage was only a temporary measure. He needed proper treatment as soon as possible. The torn flesh would have to be stitched.

As Georgiana tried to sit up, she had to suppress a gasp.

Only then did she realize she had been using Locke’s arm as a pillow all this time.

Sleeping on an injured man’s arm—what kind of absurd situation was this?

Her eyes widened in shock as Locke reached out with his injured arm and pulled her into his embrace.

His chest, not as hot as before but still warm, held her close, and she froze like a stone.

“Thank you for last night. If not for you, I wouldn’t be in one piece now.”

The voice above her head was sweeter than ever.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“I don’t remember it well, but I vaguely recall you sharing your warmth with me while completely drenched.”

“T-that’s because you got hurt because of me. I-I would’ve done the same for anyone, not just you.”

At her flustered tone, he let out a soft laugh. “Yes. I know your personality better than anyone. But still, I’d like you to know that it felt special to me.”

“It wasn’t…”

Though she said otherwise, her heart fluttered at his words.

Despite all the pain and betrayal he had caused her, she could no longer hate the man who had nearly died for her.

If she had built walls on all sides after fleeing here, then after last night, one of those walls had certainly crumbled.

As Georgiana hesitated in embarrassment, Locke leaned down and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.

“Even if you never forgive me or love me, my heart belongs wholly to you, Georgiana. I will remain by your side for the rest of my life.”

His confession made her face burn as hot as his had the night before.

Through their gently touching bodies, his sincerity was conveyed completely.

It wasn’t his first confession, but now that her heart had changed, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him to stop.

Just for this moment, she didn’t want to reject him.

Though it wasn’t a sad moment, tears welled up in her eyes.

At first just a drop or two, but they soon streamed down her face.

She tried to hold them back, but they soaked his chest, making it impossible to hide.

Locke quietly patted her back.

After the sorrow mingled with the tears and washed away, she finally lifted her head to look at him.

Locke’s gaze was as blue as the sea, ready to embrace everything.

Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she opened her lips.

“I don’t trust anyone.”

“That’s probably for the best.”

Having experienced so many people who tried to sell her out, and others who turned cold overnight, her heart had worn down to nothing.

That’s why she always kept a certain distance from others, no matter how kindly she treated them.

“Now I prefer finding my own way over living a life someone else set for me.”

“That’s the right mindset.”

There had been failures, but tending to the estate through trial and error brought her so much joy.

Her current position felt burdensome, but she hoped to someday own a home of her own with the money she saved—a place where she could plant flowers in a small garden and hang curtains she made herself.

“I’m not in a position to meet anyone yet, nor do I have the heart for it.”

“That’s… a bit of a pity.”

There was still lingering anxiety. Her unsettled status and the family that remained like a nightmare—she didn’t want to share the misfortunes that could come for her at any time with anyone else.

Especially not if that someone was Locke.

She had learned from others how Locke and Raymond’s parents had died, and because of that, she could understand why he had become a soldier to some extent.

She didn’t want to burden someone like him with her misfortune.

As she revealed her true feelings, Locke smiled softly. “So that’s the armor you’ve wrapped yourself in to protect yourself. I don’t particularly like your last words, but if that’s your honest heart, it’s only natural that I accept it.”

His reply made her heart ache.

“But if, someday, you find peace of mind and want someone by your side, I hope you won’t forget that I’ll be there. Will you do that for me?”

Locke gently wiped away the tears gathered on her lashes and looked at her, as if seeking permission.

Georgiana, her face flushed, avoided his gaze and gave a small nod.

Watching her quietly, Locke let out a grunt and suddenly stood up.

“Let’s go back now.”

“What?”

“If we stay here any longer, I feel like I might do something you’ll hate.”

“Something I’ll hate?”

“Yes. I said I’d wait, but I’m still a man. Being alone with you for too long is hard to endure.”

He pointed playfully at the front of his trousers, which were clearly bulging. His actions might have been joking, but the prominent outline beneath his pants was no joke.

“Locke!”

Realizing what he meant right away, she smacked his chest with a slap.

Laughing heartily, he pulled her into his arms and guided her hand to his cheek.

“Would you grant me just one slap?”

“What nonsense is that?”

“I feel like I’m about to do something that deserves it, and it seems only right to take the hit first.”

“E-enough.”

She tried to pull her hand away, but he was faster.

He slapped his own cheek so hard it made a loud smack, then, as her eyes widened in shock, he leaned in and covered her lips with his.

Her lips were swallowed in an instant.

Still heated, his lips felt dry rather than soft. Perhaps because of that, he devoured her lips like a man in the desert discovering an oasis.

It had been so long that the sensation felt unfamiliar—heat surged through her entire body.

Though it was only their lips touching, the world spun dizzyingly.

Georgiana had no choice but to cling to his waist to keep her balance.

But she soon realized that had been the wrong move.

Their lower bodies pressed together, and she could clearly feel how much more swollen he had become.

As if her gesture had been a signal, he began to slowly suck on her lower lip and then tapped between her lips with the tip of his tongue.

“Mmmph…”

When her breathing quickened and she finally opened her mouth, it was like unlocking the door to a forbidden room—he surged in like a tidal wave.

Tilting his head further, he captured her soft tongue with his own, sucking as if to swallow it whole.

From the base of her tongue to the roof of her mouth—there was no place he didn’t touch.

It was as if he were reclaiming every breath she released, as if to compensate for all the restraint he had shown until now, his desire surged endlessly.

All Georgiana could do was cling tightly and keep herself from being swept away by the storm he had created.

Only when saliva trickled down from their lips and soaked under her chin did the kiss finally begin to slow.

A thin silver string stretched between their parting lips, then snapped.

“Haa…”

As he slowly drew back, panting heavily, a dark longing filled his gaze.

Georgiana, afraid he might lose control again, backed away—but he didn’t stop her, simply watched.

Standing in place, Locke wiped his face several times with his hand, then let out a long sigh.

He picked up his still-damp clothes and left the shelter.

Georgiana could only follow him after her flushed face had finally calmed down a little.

Not long after, the sound of hooves rumbling through the ground reached their ears.