His Sinful Revenge

Sophia:

I'll give you two days, Sophia. Two days."

Jack's threat replayed in my head. Stealing from a billionaire like Lucas Louis?

That was crazy. A priceless da Vinci artwork? Even crazier!

Yet, here I was, palms sweating, in Louis' freaking' mansion. This was insane. Jail time was a real possibility, but hey, gotta do what you gotta do, right? For my sick mom at most.

Oh my God, I'm so nervous and scared!

My heart pounded so fast as I reached the heavy glass door. With a quick press of the laser pointer against the keypad, and with a silent click, I was in.

The room was dimly lit, with the smell of old money and leather-bound books thick in the air.

There were collections of paintings displayed around the walls, and there, amongst the masterpieces, hung the Da Vinci. It was smaller than I expected.

"Once you carry out this deal, I'll let go of all the money you still owe me." Jack's voice echoed in my head.

"Alright, let's do this!" I mumbled.

In a practiced move, I went straight for it, straight into my backpack.

Rushing for the exit, I threw open the door and stepped into the hallway, eager to make my escape.

Suddenly, a deep voice startled me. "Lost, are we?"

I turned around to see a tall, handsome man with a strong jawline; he had a hint of beards that shadowed his cheekbones and a warm smoky sapphire set of eyes.

This had to be Lucas Louis.

"Uh, nope," I stuttered, forcing a smile. "Just making sure I'm at the right spot for the delivery."

He arched an eyebrow and had a hint of amusement playing in his eyes. "Delivery for me? Interesting. What is it?" he asked, still in amazement.

Thinking fast, I pulled out a fake invoice. "Special delivery, sir. A one-of-a-kind hand-blown Italian crystal vase, as per your order." I said, my hands shaking as I stretched to show him.

"You know, I was expecting a guest, and I thought perhaps she might have missed her way," he quipped.

"And... you've never met this guest before?" I asked, with fear washing all over me. I needed to leave as soon as possible, even though his charisma made me feel drawn to him.

He chuckled, a rich sound that sent shivers down my spine, both exciting and terrifying.

"Crystal vase, huh? Now that's interesting. Come on, I'll show you where to put it," he continued, like my question was irrelevant.

Panic surged through me. This wasn't good. Leading him to the artwork meant getting caught.

Time to improvise.

"Sir," I blurted, "company policy says I have to deliver these fragile items directly to the designated room."

He studied me for a moment, then shrugged.

"Alright. Lead the way then."

My mind raced. There was no designated room. As we walked, I faked a stumble.

"Oh no!" I yelped, clutching my ankle dramatically.

Lucas reacted instantly, catching my arm. "Whoa dear, you alright?" His touch sent a jolt through me. a confusing mix of fear and something else entirely. Attraction, I guess.

"Think I twisted my ankle," I whimpered, milking it for all it was worth.

"Here, sit down," he said, guiding me to a plush armchair on the landing. "Let me take a look." He said, his voice was tinged with concern. "You should probably ice it."

"Thanks," I gushed, forcing a smile. "I should probably get going anyway."

He nodded, his gaze lingering on me a bit too long.

"Maybe another time, then. We could chat...art." He gestured toward the fancy paintings on the walls. "I'm throwing an art gala next week. You seem to have an eye for the finer things."

My breath hitched. This man, the very person I was robbing, was inviting me to a party? The audacity was...charming.

"That sounds awesome, Mr. Louis," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "But I'll be, uh, out of town."

A complete lie but escaping with a priceless painting seemed like a more pressing engagement.

He walked closer, each step was a silent nudge. My breath hooked as his warmth washed over me. He smelled amazing, like clean air and something sweet.

My fickle brain screamed, "Kiss him!" but the other half, the smart half, yelled, "Get caught!" Ugh, here we go again, my head in a battle.

The space between us was filled with tension, so thick that I could practically see it. Focus, Sophia!

"Call me Lucas," he said sweetly, breaking the tension I already felt in my stomach, and then he paused for a while, scanning me from head to toe, but nicely.

"If you reconsider, the offer stands." His voice was as sweet as chocolate, I wanted to lick it. Silly me, it's impossible to lick someone's voice.

With a final, lingering glance at his dreamy, smoky sapphire eyes, I mumbled "goodbye" and limped away, with feelings of excitement.

God, give me a chance to kiss this man.

********

A wave of nostalgia hit me on my way home, bringing Maya, my best friend, to mind. I had spoken to her about this ordeal the day Jack threw this task at me.

She had been my confidante from childhood; she had cried with me, laughed, and shared every possible memory with me.

Reaching my apartment, I gently placed the knapsack by my bed.

I fumbled for my phone, desperately needing to talk to Maya.

Hey Maya," I stammered, my stomach bubbling with worry. "Can we talk? It's important."

"Always, girl," Maya said, her initial excitement fading. "Spill it. How'd the, uh, mission go?"

The words caught my throat. "It went okay," I finally managed to say, with guilt hitting me hard.

"Okay? Soph, this is huge! You finally got free of Jack's debt, and your mom's treatment for dialysis depends on this." Maya's voice was firm, mixed with a hint of frustration. "You made the right decision."

"Did you even meet him?" Maya suddenly asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Yeah!" I blurted, excitement pounding in my chest. "And guess what? He's actually really nice, exactly my type. But someone like him wouldn't even look twice at a girl like me."

Maya burst out laughing. "Stop being ridiculous! You're gorgeous, Soph! Who wouldn't want to date you?"

I scoffed. "Come on, Maya, be real. I'm practically invisible. Besides, he invited me to an art gala."

"Hold on," Maya said, her voice covered in disbelief. "He what?"

"He invited me to an art gala," I repeated, suddenly nervous and excited at the same time.

"And you said no?" Maya blurted. "Why in the world not?"

"Because" I sighed, "it feels wrong to get close to someone I stole from, even if he is hot."

Maya made a grin I could practically hear over the phone. "He'll never suspect a thing. Go to that gala, girl!"

"I don't think so," I said hesitantly.

"Yikes! Maya replied, though I could hear the disappointment in her voice. "That's too bad but anything you say anyway."

"Thanks, Maya. Love you. Bye."

"Bye, Soph. And hey, change your mind anytime, okay?"

With a sigh, I hung up the phone, the weight of my decision heavy on my shoulders.

*****

Days flew by in a haze. News stations were all over the stolen da Vinci, cops were clueless, and Jack? Weirder than ever. Dude called me to congratulate me on a "sweet heist."

Except, the sweetness had turned sour in my stomach. Lucas was, like, super nice and totally didn't deserve this.

"Jack," I choked, guilt twisting my insides, "This feels messed up. Lucas-he's a good dude. I gotta give it back."

"No way!" Jack roared. "Don't even think about it. You mess with this; you're toast."

The line went dead. Jack wasn't playing. This was big trouble.