Harem Survival System: Stranded On An Island With Beautiful Women-Chapter 21: Under The Moonlight

The warmth of the fire flickered against the cool evening air, the scent of roasted fish thick between the gathered survivors.

Conversations buzzed in quiet murmurs, an occasional laugh breaking the air as people settled into their usual spots.

Lucas chewed slowly, eyes drifting across the camp.

Everything felt... normal.

Well, as normal as things could get when stranded on an island.

His gaze landed on Mia, who sat nearby, picking apart her fish with delicate fingers. Strands of her blonde hair fell over her face, catching the glow of the firelight.

She was beautiful.

He'd known it before, of course. Mia was attractive — gorgeous, even. But it wasn't just that.

She had a way about her. The way she laughed, the way she reacted to his teasing, the way she held herself despite everything.

She intrigued him.

And, for once, he didn't just see her as a game to win.

That realization was enough to push him forward.

Lucas smirked and, without hesitation, scooted closer to her, the fabric of their mats brushing together.

Mia glanced up, eyebrows raised. "Oh? You're getting bold now?"

Lucas grinned. "Always have been."

Mia rolled her eyes, but there was no real annoyance in it. If anything, she was already smiling.

"So, did you come here just to stare at me?" she teased, resting her chin on her palm.

"Maybe." He leaned in slightly. "What, does it bother you?"

She hummed, pretending to think about it before shrugging. "Not really."

Lucas chuckled, pleased with her response.

It was so easy with her.

Their banter flowed naturally, the teasing, the back-and-forth. He didn't have to force it, didn't have to calculate his words — it just happened.

And he liked it.

More than he thought he would.

As if reading his mind, Mia smirked. "You know, I've been watching you."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what have you seen?"

"That you're ridiculously good at making girls flustered," she said bluntly, tilting her head at him.

Lucas paused.

That caught him off guard.

Most people assumed he was just playing around — because he usually was. But Mia?

She saw past that.

His silence must have said something because Mia's expression softened slightly.

"I think... you like getting close to people," she mused. "Not just to flirt, but because you actually care."

Lucas blinked. Care?

He didn't know how to respond to that.

But before he could even think of something, Mia smirked again. "That, or you're just a huge flirt who has no shame."

Lucas snorted, shaking his head. "That's more like it."

Mia laughed. "Thought so."

The sound of her laughter made something in his chest tighten — a feeling he wasn't used to.

It was genuine.

He enjoyed her company, enjoyed the way she looked at him, the way she smiled.

Lucas liked her.

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And not just as another conquest.

The thought caught him off guard.

It wasn't like him to feel this way. He always played things cool, never letting emotions get too involved. But with Mia?

It felt different.

The moment stretched between them, something unspoken lingering in the air.

Then, without warning, Mia reached over and pinched him.

Lucas flinched. "Ow — what the hell?"

Mia grinned. "You were staring at me all weird."

Lucas rubbed his arm. "I was not."

"You totally were."

He groaned, shaking his head, but couldn't stop the grin tugging at his lips. "You're lucky you're cute."

Mia arched an eyebrow. "Oh? And you're lucky I tolerate you."

Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. She was something else.

The night air was warm, carrying the lingering scent of salt and roasted fish.

The faint crackling of torches flickered across the camp as conversations died down, the remnants of dinner now just an afterthought.

Lucas and Mia walked side by side, their steps slow, unhurried, yet neither spoke.

There was an unspoken anticipation between them, the kind that made the air feel heavier, electric in a way neither of them acknowledged out loud.

Mia glanced at him from the corner of her eye, fingers lightly gripping the hem of her shirt. Her heart pounded in her chest, almost too loud, as if it would give her away.

She wasn't sure when it started — this feeling.

The warmth in her chest whenever Lucas was near. The way her skin tingled when he looked at her just a second too long.

It wasn't just attraction — it was something deeper, something that made her breath hitch whenever he got close.

And right now, he was close.

Lucas, ever the observant one, noticed.

He could see the slight flush dusting her cheeks, the way her lips parted just enough as if she was about to say something but changed her mind.

The System notification hovered over her head.

[Lust: 50]

He wasn't sure whether to smirk or feel flustered himself.

The camp was quieter here, fewer people lingering as they approached Mia's tent.

The fabric swayed lightly from the breeze, the entrance slightly parted, offering the illusion of privacy.

Lucas turned to her, and for a moment, neither of them moved. The tension between them was undeniable now, the space shrinking, as if the pull between them had reached its inevitable conclusion.

Mia was the first to move.

She closed the distance, her hands reaching up to cup his face as she pulled him into a kiss — not the hesitant, fleeting ones they'd stolen before, but something deeper.

Her lips pressed against his, warm and insistent, and Lucas didn't hesitate to reciprocate.

His hands found her waist, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them. She shivered at his touch, feeling the heat of his hands even through the fabric of her clothes.

The kiss deepened, her fingers tangling in his hair as a quiet sigh escaped her lips.

Lucas felt it — felt the way she melted into him, the way her body pressed against his as if she never wanted to let go.

Her back slowly met the rough bark of a tree behind her, but she barely registered it.

All she could focus on was him — his warmth, his touch, the way he made her feel like nothing else mattered in this moment.