I pursed my lips as Sam put me down on the edge of the bed.

“I’ll prepare your bath.” He said, standing up as he headed to prepare my bath.

I watched his back, noticing his change of demeanor. What did I miss between the lines?

Usually, Sam was arrogant and full of life. He had hurried back here to claim me as his.

However, after his brief argument with Fabian, he just changed completely. It was as if he had a lot of things in his mind, weighing him down currently.

Fabian used to tell me stories about the duke. In every tale of the duke, I had often noticed Fabian’s adoration and respect towards the duke.

Yet he had stood up to him. What’s more shocking was Sam conceded.

Sam seemed to be the type of person who wouldn’t concede to anyone. But he did.

Was it because of me? If I understood them correctly, Sam admitted Fabian said and courageously stood up to him for my well-being.

Why? What am I missing?

While I was deep in my thoughts, Sam’s voice snapped me back to the current lapse.

“They had prepared warm water for you.” He said as he approached.

Slowly, I gazed up at him. “You will bathe me?”

“You don’t want to?”

“How about you?” I asked, biting my tongue upon realizing my indirect invitation.

“You wouldn’t mind sharing?” He arched his brow, yet his voice toneless.

I held back my immediate answer. Would I mind standing bare in front of him?

Well, I stood bare before the maid servants. With him, perhaps, it would be the same?

“I wouldn’t know unless we do.” I answered timidly.

Sam let out a sigh. He shook his head lightly, scratching his temple with his finger.

“I just decided not to touch you, but when you say words like that, you make that task harder.” He shot me a frown. “Come. I’ll carry you to the bath.”

With that, Sam carried me towards the private room where I bathe and get dressed. The tub was placed in the middle. The steam streamed up into a mist, giving a warm atmosphere.

Slowly, Sam put me down, assisting me as I stood on my feet. When I was standing before him, his eyes scanned my dress.

“How do they…” He murmured, figuring out how to undress me.

Seeing him struggle made me smile. I wonder what would be his reaction upon witnessing the layers of clothes I wore.

“You wouldn’t mind if I rip it apart, would you?” He clicked his tongue as he raised his gaze back to mine.

I shook my head. My hand reached to him, guiding his hands carefully as I turned around.

“You start from here,” I said in a low tone as I brushed my hair from my back over my shoulder.

“Oh,” He uttered. 

I bit my lower lip as I felt his hand started unfastening the straps and buttons of my dress.

“I feel like I’m torturing myself.” He muttered under his breath, successfully removing my dress as he welcomed another layer beneath.

“My lord?” I called out as he started loosening my corset.

“Hmm?”

“What did Mister Fabian mean?” I asked.

There was a long silence between us. I waited patiently, giving him time to explain the problem I missed reading between the lines.

“He is saying your human body might not handle it. So, he offered to give a part of him to you.” After the long silence, Sam finally spoke.

“Part of him… to me?”

“By drinking a drop of his blood, it will grant you strength to keep up with my lust. You know a vampire can fuck for days. Sometimes, weeks.” Sam explained, but it made little sense.

Fabian had explained that word, fuck — when I asked him about it. Heaven knows how that moment made me flush with beet red out of embarrassment.

Still, hearing it from Sam didn’t give the same feeling. What I didn’t understand was something else.

“Why did you get mad at him, then? If drinking his blood will boost me up, I don’t understand what’s wrong.” I queried back, trying to make sense of his explanation and action.

“Because if you do, his life is yours to claim. In vampire’s perspective, that’s akin to making out. There’s also a little possibility you’ll get sired because a small portion of my life force is what’s keeping him alive.”

“Make out…? Sired?”

“If you are sired to him, that means you’d do everything for him. Even if it’s against your morals or rational, you’d only yearn for him. It’s basically a fatal, unbreakable attraction that even I couldn’t fight.”

After his explanation, silence ensued once again. What a frightening attraction.

Soon, he successfully loosened my corset and removed it. Taking his precious time as he removed the rest until I stood in my chemise.

Before he could proceed, I slowly turned around and faced him.

“This is the last one?” He asked with disinterest.

But I only looked at him in silence. I watched as he raised his brow, tilting his head to the side.

“I don’t want to get fucked.” After a moment of silence, I uttered.

“I won’t.” He reassured after taking a deep breath and exhaled it sharply. “I know my limits.”

“Fucking comes from lust?” I queried, swallowing down to sooth my drying throat.

“Yes.” He nodded.

“How about love?” I asked, not waiting for him to recover from my queries.

“Huh?”

“You kissed me.” I said. “Did it come from lust or love?”

Perhaps it was the thought of being sired against my will gave me an odd courage to confront him. I breathed heavily, waiting for his response.

I didn’t want to be sired, nor I wanted to get fucked for days.

“I do not know how tormenting it is being fucked for days that could lead to my death. But, if my understanding is correct, I won’t die if you don’t fuck me out of heightened lust, right?” I expressed and sought for clarification.

Sam remained silent, his eyes glinting with fascination and surprise. Again, I took a deep breath to have the courage to express my heart.

“I gave you consent because I like you… no, I love you.” I paused, stabilizing my ragged breathing. 

“Do you love me, Sam? Or do you lust for me?”