Claim Me Captain! I'm Addicted to You!
Chapter 30: Island (4)

Chapter 30: Island (4)

Georgia let out a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes. "God, Nick, you’re being so dramatic. I mean, I already suspected you of murdering my brother and being some kind of ocean-going pervert. At this point, I’ve seen the worst of you. What else could possibly shock me?"

Nick chuckled, dark amusement glinting in his eyes. "Fair point. I guess I’ve got nothing to lose, then."

"Good. So skip the build-up and just spit it out," Georgia said, leaning in, tone impatient but playful.

He didn’t smile.

He didn’t blink.

"Marry me."

The words hit like a grenade.

Georgia stared, stunned. For a second, she mirrored his deadpan seriousness—until the silence cracked beneath her and she exploded into laughter. "Pfft—what? HAHAHA! You’re killing me, Nick! That was actually convincing! You almost had me going for a second!"

She clapped mockingly, but Nick only sighed and dragged a hand down his face, clearly exasperated.

"How," he muttered, "can you laugh when I’m being dead serious?"

Her laughter cut off like a switch had been thrown. She blinked, sitting straighter. "Wait... you’re not joking?"

Nick met her gaze without flinching and gave a single, solid nod.

Georgia’s brows shot up. "Oh my god. You’re serious."

"Dead serious," he said.

She shook her head slowly, half in disbelief, half in admiration of his audacity. "And here I thought you were the sane one between us. Guess I was wrong. You’re just as insane as I am—maybe worse."

Nick leaned forward with a dangerous voice, with intensity. "Maybe. But that doesn’t change the question."

A beat passed.

"So..." he said, his tone growing more demanding, more urgent. "What’s your answer?"

Georgia stared at him, her expression unreadable. On the surface, she looked calm, indifferent, and even. But behind her eyes, her mind was spiraling. A hundred scenarios. A hundred consequences. Risk versus reward. Was this a gamble she could survive? Or was it a new kind of trap?

Nick simply tilted his head and waited. He shrugged like he hadn’t just dropped a grenade at her feet.

Georgia finally broke the silence. "Let me get this straight... Why the hell would you want to marry me? I have nothing to offer you except a merger with my company that’s currently drowning in debt."

Nick’s gaze sharpened. "I’ve got more than one reason. But the biggest one?" He leaned in and added. "I want to clear my name. And I think marrying you will draw out the bastard who framed me out of hiding. Someone out there wanted us both destroyed, Georgia. Us tying the knot will make them desperate—and reckless."

Georgia narrowed her eyes. "Funny. I thought you didn’t give a damn about rumors. That as long as the court cleared you, you could live whatever people were saying."

"You’re right," Nick admitted. "I don’t care what strangers think. But it’s hurting my family... My father’s pride or legacy, as he calls it, but most importantly, it’s eating away at my mother the most. And I’m done watching her suffer for a crime I didn’t commit."

Something in his voice faltered.

"Mrs. Violet Knight," Georgia said, recalling the elegant woman. "I remember her. I met once through my brother."

Nick’s jaw clenched. His fist curled slightly at his side. "She’s not my— yeah, something like that..."

Georgia felt the shift in the air, the weight behind his words, but chose not to pry any further.

She exhaled slowly. "Alright. If this helps clear your name, then it might help bring justice for my brother, too. Whoever set you up... probably killed him. We’re chasing the same shadow."

Nick straightened, something fierce and hopeful igniting in his eyes. "So... is that a yes?"

Georgia held his gaze. Her heart thudded like a warning drum in her chest.

This was dangerous.

But it also might be the only way out.

"Wait!" Georgia suddenly blurted, her voice sharp and urgent as her hand shot up between them like a barrier. "We need to talk this through. I’ve already made one disastrous mistake... I’m not walking into another one blindly—not after Raymond."

Nick froze, then slowly nodded. "Alright. Fair enough. Ask me anything."

Georgia didn’t hesitate. "Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked flatly. "Or anyone I should know about? A fiancée waiting in some penthouse? An arranged marriage, you’re running from? Or maybe a messy situationship you haven’t untangled yet?"

Her eyes bore into him, unblinking. The bluntness of her words hit like bullets.

Nick’s brows lifted, clearly caught off guard—then a slow smirk tugged at his lips. "Well, well... is that a hint of jealousy I hear already?" he teased.

Georgia frowned and crossed her arms. "Don’t push me, Nick. I’m being serious. If we’re going to pull this off, I want to make sure we’re not burning someone else alive in the process. I’ve hurt people before. I won’t do it again."

"I’m single," Nick said firmly, his tone low and steady. "No relationship. No situationship. No secret strings or shadowy attachments. Nothing."

His expression didn’t waver.

Georgia studied him for a moment, then gave a small nod and glanced away, her eyes narrowing as she turned to the firelight, calculating her next move. Her lips pursed slightly, and Nick couldn’t help but watch the way her brows furrowed in deep thought.

He caught himself smiling.

’What’s going on in that head of yours, Georgia Lewis?’ he wondered. Her face was a map of emotions—worry, defiance, strategy. ’Cute... in a dangerous kind of way. Makes me want to do things to you.’

Then she turned back to him, her tone sharp and clear. "Alright. About my debt with the Davises—how exactly do you plan to deal with that?"

Nick didn’t flinch. "By taking over one of my father’s companies."

Georgia’s jaw nearly hit the sand. She blinked at him. "You said that like you were ordering a damn coffee."

He shrugged. "It’s just a company."

"But what about your career?" she asked, her voice tense. "Your life as a captain—what happens to that?"

Nick’s gaze dropped for a beat before lifting again, colder this time. "It’s already gone," he said simply. "Whoever set me up on that ship either didn’t care about what would happen to me, or knew exactly what the consequences would be."

He exhaled slowly. "I broke more than a few protocols when I saved you. My license is probably revoked by now, and even if it isn’t, it’s only a matter of time. Fighting to get it back would be a nightmare, I don’t have the energy for."

He paused. "And besides... it was never the dream."

Georgia tilted her head slightly, intrigued. "Then why become a captain in the first place?"

Nick gave a half-smile, half-scoff. "I’m an escapist. Remember?"

He leaned back, eyes fixed on the sky for a second, then back to her. "But I’m done running. I’m tired of being the one left holding the blame for things I didn’t do."

"I see... So, losing your license is not a big deal, then. Good for you, you have options," Georgia uttered while thinking of the next question that she would ask.

"So, are we getting married or not?" Nick smiled, trying to be charming, hoping that she would stop asking questions and just agree to it.