Muse in Lingerie (Lingerie 1)

Conway only gave him a nod in acknowledgment before he walked up the stone steps to the front door.

I trailed behind him, and when I didn’t walk fast enough, he turned back to look at me.

I came to his side, pulling the jacket tighter around my body.

We stepped inside the entryway, where the ceiling extended all the way to the third floor and revealed the double staircase. It was a grand entryway fitted with two enormous stone statues near the staircases. Both were Roman soldiers, decorated from Caesar’s era. They held spears at their sides, and their bodies were rigid and hard like Conway’s.

He headed up the stairs to the right, the muscles in his back rippling and shifting underneath his skin. His narrow hips stretched out into his wide shoulders, looking just like the statues he had erected in his home.

We went up to the third floor, and I took the opportunity to admire the artwork on the walls. The oil paintings were all unique and beautiful, adding color to the Tuscan style home. The windows all had square wooden panels in the center, and they opened outward to let the fresh air into the house.

Conway stopped at a double doorway on the third floor and stepped inside. “This is your space. It has a private bathroom, a living room, and a balcony. You should have more than enough room.”

I spotted the large king bed with a bright red and orange bedspread. The Mediterranean colors matched the panels on the windows. It was dark outside so I couldn’t see the scenery, but I imagined the view was spectacular. All of the furniture was perfectly designed to complement the room. Paintings adorned the walls, and the individual art lights in the ceiling illuminated the works at the perfect brightness. The second room contained the large living room along with the balcony. The bookshelves were full of books, and the couch was positioned in front of a large TV on the wall.

It looked like I was staying in the presidential suite of a resort. “It’s…gorgeous.” Even if I hadn’t slept next to a dumpster, I would still think it was the most beautiful room I’d ever seen. It didn’t seem fair that he’d spent so much money on me, and I got to enjoy such luxuries.

“Dante can get you anything you need. You’re free to use the gym or the pool. Just stay out of my way for the next few days.” Cold as frost, he turned away from me and walked back to the door.

“Why?”

His hand gripped the knob, and he didn’t bother turning around. “Because I don’t want to look at you.”

* * *

His home was extraordinary.

I’d never seen it in the light of the sun before. It was a cloudless day, and the sky was so blue that it seemed like an ocean was stretching over my head. My patio had a great view of the stables and the vineyards. When the sun hit my spot on the balcony, it was the most comfortable place on earth.

My bathroom was nearly the size of my bedroom, with a large tub under a window that overlooked the front of the house. There was a huge shower and double sinks. If this was just a guest bedroom, I wondered what Conway’s master bedroom looked like.

I explored the grounds on foot, walking along one of the paths that went by the stables. I stopped and stared at the horses for a long time, admiring their beautiful coats before I passed the swimming pool and the large terrace where the party had been last weekend.

It was a palace.

I didn’t cross paths with Conway, even though I hoped I would. He said he wanted nothing to do with me for a while, and I knew that was because he was pissed at me—pissed I’d been so stupid.

I’d cost him a fortune.

Dante appeared from behind me, “Sapphire, can I get you anything?”

I was standing in the largest living room in the house, the place big enough for a ballroom. There were three stories to this place, and I still hadn’t explored them all. “No, I was just looking around.”

“I noticed you didn’t take your breakfast tray.” Dante stood in a collared shirt with his hands behind his back. He was noticeably cold toward me, disliking me even though he’d never spoken to me before.

“My breakfast tray?”

“I set it in your living room.”

He’d been in my room?

Dante must have noticed the surprise on my face because he said. “There’s a separate doorway in there. I’ve been instructed to bring you breakfast every morning for the next few days.”

“I’m sorry…I didn’t see it.”

He didn’t bother covering his sigh. “Then let me make you some lunch. Come.”

“You don’t have to do that. I can do it myself—”

“You don’t like my cooking?”