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Carlos had brought over most of her clothes froym clothes, she’d never needed much more She wore a simple black dress It was the one she’d worn to a dinner hosted by her fa she owned Her femininity had always been stifled by her father, what he called a distraction froo shopping and buy sos to wear

She kept her hair out It was longer than she realized once dried and brushed out, hitting the curve of her ass She always kept it functional in braids or ponytails, so she barely recognized herself Since Drago had gone all out, she even put on some make-up—red on her lips and a little color on her eyes She didn’t recognize herself in the mirror

Growing up, she’d been the fat kid Then her father had her on an i her diet to the extreme The first couple summers he even sent her to fat cah her body was , she couldn’t hide her curves, especially her chest During fights she’d bind herself up, flattening her breasts the best she could She also had custo tits made her look weak, and too feminine, so she was surprised he hadn’t forced her to have soery

When she opened the door to o in the foyer, she was nervous as hell She expected hih, to slap her on the back and tell her to get changed Feuys But Belle didn’t want to be a fellow fighter, too She wanted him to look at her with lust in his eyes, with the desire and love she only fantasized about

His back was to her, his wide shoulders filling out his jacket As her low heels hit the tiles in the foyer, he turned around and froze She held her breath, terrified of his reaction

Please don’t laugh

This was new for her—caring what she looked like, trying to i in love

“Wow,” he said “Just … ” He did a sloalk around her, observing her as if she were a statue in a gallery “You’re stunning, Belle” He picked up a section of her hair “The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen”

She wanted to punch hi, but a little part of her swooned, hoping every as true “I’ up And I’h they’re only two inches high”

“Well, ht” He held out his bent elbow and she hooked arht? A break from their constant paper shuffle She didn’t dare expect h disappointment lately to last a lifetime

Drago was rendered speechless when Belle walked out of the bedroo blonde hair fell heavily down her back, her full lips pouty and red She looked like she’d stepped right out of the pages of his fantasies, any man’s fantasies

He did a slow circle around her She had what he considered the perfect figure, and he hadn’t realized just how curvy

Any hope of thinking of Belle as a sweet little sister or protégé went flying out theHe saw her in a new light She wasn’t a girl, even if she was over a decade younger Belle was all wo and independent She was exactly what he wanted

They made it to his car without any falls Belle orried about tripping, which was funny considering how she could handle herself in a ring He wanted her to forget the life she’d left behind, never return to it, and spread her wings

All this bullshit he was subjecting himself to was for her benefit Yes, he wanted to make a difference, but it all started and ended with Belle He needed to ensure she’d be safe, and could live a normal life away from her family

“Did I tell you how beautiful you look?” he asked as they drove to the restaurant

“Many, ivable” She s sick of seeing her worried and sad

His initial intention had been to help out Belle, no strings attached Her father was the worst of the worst, and she’d been through hell and back since childhood

Noanted to be a part of her future He was a selfish bastard, but no man would be able to take care of her like he could No man would understand her like him