"Are you okay?" Penny asked him, his eyes had yet to turn back to its usual color which was still black right now. It was the longest time she had seen him carry the corruption for this long duration of time. 

"Yes. How about yourself?" 

"I am okay," she whispered, looking deep into his eyes and then saying, "You should go change yourself," Penny didn't know where he had been to as he had left the birthday party without many words but a kiss on her cheek. 

"Hmm, I should. Come with me," he offered her his hand. Penny had forgotten that she hadn't changed her clothes as well as she had arrived at the mansion to only have her neck squeezed and witness the fingers being chopped. She gulped hearing his suggestion. Damien didn't stop there and he said, "You will need a warm bath with his grubby hands on you. Join me," he waited for her patiently but his eyes told otherwise compared to his calm voice that was a sea of calmness before the storm would fall upon it. 

His dark soulful eyes stared at her. 

Penny placed her hand in his. Getting up from the bed to follow him into the bathroom, her feet padded softly on the ground. 

Once they entered the bathroom, Damien let go of her hand. Walking towards the tub to plug the little k.n.o.b into the hole of the bottom of the tub. Turning the faucet, he touched the water that started to run down and fill up the bathtub. Walking to one of the cabinets, he pulled out a box to pour something dry and brown into the tub. As the water level raised in the tub, something like bubbles started to appear which was the doing of what Damien had just poured into the tub. 

Penny could feel herself turning nervous by the second, the water continuously pouring down as it turned the room warm because of the heat present in the water. She saw Damien unb.u.t.ton the first few top b.u.t.tons of his s.h.i.+rt. Reaching for his back, he pulled out the s.h.i.+rt in a swift movement.

She let her toes curl which drew closer to her when she saw his bareback. Her heart beginning to beat against her chest. 

"I don't mind if you are planning to step into the bath with your clothes on," Damien commented looking over his shoulder where Penny stood still and hadn't moved a finger. That wasn't the considerate Damien but the sarcastic Damien. 

Her hands made way to her own b.u.t.tons at the front and sides. Her hands shaking softly out of nervousness and the cold weather. The temperature was a mix of cold and hot. It wasn't that Damien hadn't seen her naked before. The pureblooded vampire had not missed an opportunity to move in and out of the bath when she used to bathe which was why during the initial time of her being here, she had changed the timings on when to take a bath. 

For a moment she stopped, her thoughts turning fuzzy and warm where she was sure she was going to faint with her nervousness. She hadn't felt this way even when Mr. Reverale had squeezed her neck to suffocate her. She tried to calm and soothe her errant nerves but it didn't help before she started to draw out why it was okay or not okay. 

Damien who had pulled down his trousers until he stood stark naked turned towards her where her hands were moving in a snail's pace. With three long steps, he reached her, "You still have time if you want to walk out," he said grabbing her attention where she stared into his eyes. 

"You wanted me to come," on Penny's words Damien's lips twisted but he hid the grin. 

"Is that why you agreed?" he c.o.c.ked his head in question. Wondering what she would come up with. He could see that the wind around her had changed. Penelope who had always put up a guard now had lowered it and it wasn't out of unconsciousness. Lately, he had been noticing how her eyes would often follow him everywhere around the room. When he would catch her looking at him, the eyes that had started to flicker somewhere between needy and l.u.s.tful she would look away like he hadn't caught her at all. 

Penny, on the other hand, felt embarra.s.sed. It wasn't every day she stripped her clothes ready to get inside the tub with a man. 

"I want you to be here but what about you, Penelope?" he challenged her, pus.h.i.+ng her to a corner, "Are you willing to take a step forward from where you are?" 

She herself could hear her own breath that had turned slightly shallower with her chest heaving. She had followed him like it was something natural but right now she was nervous. She liked him and he liked her. Their feelings were mutual. If it was another man maybe it would have been much easier but Damien had the habit of being intimidating at times like this. His feral like eyes watching every move she made- be it the blink of her eye or the way she breathed. 

Suddenly she felt his hand on her head. Patting her, "You should step outside. Come back when you are ready," he offered her comforting smile which tugged the strings of her heart. Something swirling at the pit of her stomach. When he was ready to turn around, the thoughts in her head were running so quickly that she placed a hand on his arm to stop him from walking away from where he stood. 

Damien gave her a look wondering if she had something to say, "My fingers are slow," said Penny gulping and pus.h.i.+ng away the nervousness away from her.