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nBelle was curious. She wondered if it was bad to ask such questions but she couldn't help not asking especially when it was Lucas.

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"I-I was just asking what kind. Not names,

" she muttered the last two words.

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"I wouldn't be surprised if no one slept with him,

" Barron commented, who was still facing the wall.

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"The women I sleep with are the ones who don't care about society and who don't have good names. Their names are brought up only in whispers,

" said Lucas not giving away anything except for the bad character,

"I am sure you don't want to be part of that.

"

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"I don't think I would be part of that if it was just one person,

" Belle retorted back to him and his eyes narrowed down at her. She looked away noticing the displeased look on his face.

nLucas' eyes stared at her,

"Trust me, Miss Belle. I am not the man you would want to settle down with.

"

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"You cannot tell that without even trying,

" her words were soft in the quiet room,

"It's not like you know what I want.

"

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"I know you plenty enough to know I am a bad choice for you. What you want are fresh flowers that I cannot offer because you will find only wilted and dried twigs,

" Lucas said to her,

"And I cannot give you that,

" Belle didn't understand what he meant.

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"I don't care about the status between us.

"

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"I do,

" Lucas was quick with his response,

"You might not know now but one day you will come to realize I was not what you wanted.

"

nBelle turned her legs around to place her feet on the surface of the ground,

"I am a vampire. I have enough years with me if you are worried that I will regret it to be a mistake,

" when the first time she had noticed Lucas as a man, she had started to fall for him steadfastly that there was no stopping those feelings of her that had grown in her chest.

nThere was no smile on his lips and his eyes glowered at her.

n

"Alright,

" he replied and Belle could tell the storm was going to hit her soon. He walked towards her,

"If what you uttered was serious yesterday and today, I don't think you must have any problem taking off the clothes you're wearing and taking my help in your bath today. It would be rude to let you take a bath when you are injured.

"

nBelle looked at him, her eyes wide to the words she heard him say to her. She wasn't expecting this and she wondered if he was only testing her endurance or was truly being serious about it.

nWas this to test if she was serious with her feelings without being frivolous about it? she asked herself while looking in the eyes of Lucas that never wavered.

nHe stood there as if waiting for her and she took a step forward, holding her beating heart still which continued to beat against her chest. Belle doubted Lucas would do anything that would upset her because he had never done anything so far until now. He had always done things in her best interest which was why she trusted him.

nBefore she had left the room in the morning, it was the maids who had helped her dress up on Lucas' words so that she would look like a refined woman of high status. Internally Belle remembered the number of layers she was wearing right now on her body, there was a high chance Lucas would give up himself. He had never dressed or undressed her as he wasn't a maid but the butler of the house.

nLucas didn't wait and stepped in front of her, unpinning the coat that was worn by her from the front. Removing the coat that she wore along with the ribbon that was tied around her waist. He turned her around to pull out the laces that were tied at the back of the stay which was pink in color to hold what we wore beneath it.

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"Who dressed you in the morning?

" Lucas questioned her as he pulled out the lace from the bottom of her back.

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"Cassie,

" on Belle's reply he said,

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"Looks like she needs to learn how to tie the laces. It needs to be loosened so that you can breathe,

" he removed the stay that she wore and came close to put his hands around her waist.

nBelle's body froze when he stepped close enough where she could feel his breath on the nape of her neck and her hands that were clutching the skirt that she wore had to be let go as he removed it.

nWas he really going to undress her? Asked Belle in a slight amount of panic that rose in the pit of her stomach. She had challenged him thinking he would back out but he was being serious about stripping her naked.

nAs prepared as she thought she was, she realized she wasn't. Her coat was off, along with the stay and skirt that she had been wearing.

nLucas removed her clothes tortuously slow to make the girl know not to play with fire but she was being stubborn, trying to pursue something even after a warning with a subtle explanation was given to her. He heard her breath hitch every time he touched her or the clothes that she had been wearing.

nBelle on the other hand was nervous. When his hands moved to touch the hem of the petticoat that she wore which had another layer in it, she wasn't sure if time was ticking slow or fast anymore.

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"Lift your hands up,

" he whispered behind her and she slowly moved them up for the petticoat to come off.

nHer nerves were errant right now, standing with her back facing him as she only wore the shift which was next to her skin made of linen that reached until her knees and the stockings that were yet to be removed.

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