Vivian felt Leonard's fingers play with the b.u.t.tons that were at the top of her dress, rotating it as he stared into her eyes while waiting for her permission. She couldn't believe how happy she was to hear from Leonard that he had planned to make her his wife one day. His wife, thought Vivian to herself. For someone who didn't know her last name, she was happy, knowing she would acquire his last name after they got married.

Vivian Carmichael.

She smiled, not realizing that the entire time Leonard had his eyes on her. Waiting for her patiently.

"Vivi," Leo called her sweetly to bring her back to the world from her dreamland.

Breaking away from her thoughts, when Vivian realized what he was waiting for she felt her heart stutter. She was taught not to let a man touch her before marriage, not to let a man kiss her and she had happily done it with Leonard. Now that she thought about it, where Leo was concerned all the teachings she had taken from Paul and Martha went out of the window. Nothing else mattered in his presence.

She felt him run his finger across her cheeks to gain her attention as she had begun to drift away with her thoughts. He gave her a sweet smile, the sweetest which wasn't wide but a small one. The kind that had held whispers of promises.

"I am going to unb.u.t.ton the dress," he stated making her eyes go wide, "I won't do anything more. Nothing you don't like," he used the back of his hand to place it under her chin so that he could tilt her head for a kiss.

He heard her heartbeat slowly come back to normal as he kissed her lips. Leonard had been serious when he had spoken about her punishment. She had done the mistake of instigating him by using Jerome to get back at him and he wasn't going to overlook at the matter. No matter how small it was, she had to learn not to do anything like that. Of course, he could use other methods but this would be the most effective one and it was a matter of time their relations.h.i.+p moved forward. Vivian was his, therefore, he didn't see why he had to wait to have her. The more he would prolong, it would only be that much harder to protect her from other men. It wasn't that he wanted to take advantage of the situation but he wouldn't let such opportunity slip past through his fingers.

His talented fingers were quick to unb.u.t.ton the first two b.u.t.tons while they kissed which she was yet to realize. After the languid kiss, he pulled away from her lips he made sure to tug the b.u.t.ton with his finger to let her know where his fingers were.

"Leo?" her voice was shy, her hands holding the sheets that were beneath her.

"Hmm?" he responded back, keeping his eyes on her and not letting it go astray to make sure she was comfortable.

"Are you going to remove all of it?" and as she said it, unable to hold his burning gaze her eyes moved away from him.

"I would love to do that but for now let's stick only to the dress, Bambi. I am glad you're wearing this one today," he murmured the last sentence with a hum of approval. Unlike the dresses, he had often seen her wear this one had a bow around her neck which he had pulled out in the beginning with only five b.u.t.tons which flared down her waist.

Vivian didn't know if it was his fingers or the air that pa.s.sed from the windows that made her s.h.i.+ver as she laid on the bed with Leonard. As if noticing something he got out of the bed to close one of the windows which was right next to the bed.

Once he was back he gave her his hand for her to take and she sat up.

His long slender fingers made way to her shoulders before he pushed the dress off her shoulders. Helping her out of the dress he laid her back on the bed comfortably with her wearing nothing but a petticoat which she had worn inside the dress that went up to the length of her knee. He saw her gulp softly.

"Do you trust me, Bambi?" she nodded her head at his question. Of course, she did, thought Leo to himself. As gullible he made her feel when she was with him, Vivian wasn't that easy to be swayed in any other person's direction. She was meant for him and him to her.

"Why do you ask me questions to the answers you already know..." her voice trailed with her cheeks which were tainted with pink.

"Because it's good to hear the words come out of your pretty lips. To know what you think and feel," she gasped when his lone index finger touched her lips fully before dragging them down to her neck.

Leo couldn't help but lick his lips at the sight of her naked body which was hidden beneath the white flimsy material that she wore. The petticoat rode low on her chest allowing him to see the top of her bosom. His brooding eyes continued to travel down to look at the nipples that had darkened in contrast to the white almost transparent cloth.

Vivian who was unsure had initially looked away from Leonard but after two seconds it had gone back to look at Leonard who appeared to drink the sight of her. As if touching he was touching her bare skin with his eyes. With her hands back on the bed, she crossed her legs to shy open them and let him see what laid between them.

As his eyes moved lower and lower, looking at the dip and curves that took was on her body, her toes curled, biting her lips. But his eyes never lingered down there more than necessary, his gaze moved down taking in her legs which extended to her feet which were stiff.

"Are you embarra.s.sed?" he asked straightforwardly. For someone who hadn't been with another girl, Leo was too blunt and didn't understand why she should be shy when they both liked each other.

"Of course, I am!" she whispered wanting to hide under the bed but she doubted he would allow it. He would pull her out to bring her back to bed again, "I-I..." her eyes turned gla.s.sy. He had asked for her consent before taking off her clothes not that he had given her many options in the name of punishment but he had made sure to ask her. If she didn't like it, she would have said no. Looking closer he noticed she wasn't upset or sad, he waited for her to continue to speak, "I have never been like this in front of anyone. I would be embarra.s.sed."

So he was right, thought Leo. It wasn't that she was hurt but that without the clothes she felt vulnerable in front of him.

"I had be very troubled if you weren't so," he tucked one of her errant piece of hair that had come out of her plaited hair her ear gently, "I like it this way. The way you are, you are beautiful, Vivi."

"Lies," she didn't meet his eyes when he complimented her.

"Why would you say that?"

"I am a simple girl, Leo," as she said this her heart sunk in her chest.

"And sometimes simple is all we need," his words touched her and she couldn't stop but smile up at him, "I will take you just as you are," picking up her hand he kissed the back of her hand. Pressing his lips on her skin and letting it go, "Let's get you back dressed, darling," he pulled her, taking away from the bed.

That was all? She had been a little anxious and a little excited in the beginning thinking he would touch her, kiss her at places he never had but he didn't. As if reading the expression on her face, Leo spoke, "I promised that I would only see, didn't I Bambi."

While Leo helped her get dressed, it reminded Vivian of the time Martha used to dress her when she would take a trip to the local village where Paul's sister Grace lived. At the memory of it, sadness began to seep in. to think that things had changed so much in such a short span of time.

Upon looking at her, Leonard asked her concerned, "Are you alright, Bambi?" she nodded her head. Once she was completely dressed, he leaned forward to place a kiss on her forehead.

As the time of evening transitioned to night turning the sky pitch black, Leo stayed with Vivian, spending his time with her before he would go to Valeria. He had thought to take her but he would have to leave her alone as the council didn't approve involving commoners when a job took place. There was also another matter where he didn't want her finding him with blood on his hands.

Vivian might have had a slight inclination on what he worked but he didn't want to expose her to that side of him. The side where he was a cold-blooded murder. Knowing about something and seeing it in person where two different things.

It was a three-day trip and he would finish the work quickly before departing back to Bonelake. After a lot of thought, he had decided to send her to the Rune's mansion. Keeping her here when he wasn't going to be around didn't settle well with him.

After him, the safest place for Vivian to stay was at Lord Nicholas' mansion.