My first urge was to go to him, but then I decided to stay where I was. The view was perfect. The sun hit his chiseled features perfectly. His tanned skin was beautiful, and it complemented his dark hair and even darker expression. His eyes were the gateway to his kind soul, to the man underneath the monster.
I could stare at him all day.
I didn’t know how things had changed so much. I came here as a woman with no freedom, but now I didn’t even want that freedom anymore. When I didn’t get sex, I demanded it. This man claimed my innocence, but now I wanted him to have the rest of me. I needed to listen to his deep breathing beside me in order to sleep, and anytime he was gone, I counted down the minutes until he returned.
When did everything change?
My phone rang on the bedside table.
My mind immediately went to Andrew Lexington. It’d only been a few days since our last conversation, so it couldn’t be him, but so far, he was the only person in the world to ever call me on that phone. I stared at the number on the screen and recognized it.
It was him.
I took a breath before I answered the call. I continued to stand at the window in Conway’s t-shirt, my bottoms still on the bedroom floor. My eyes moved to Conway on the patio. He lifted his mug without taking his eyes off his paper and took a drink. “Hello, Mr. Lexington.”
“Hello, Sapphire. Please call me Andrew.”
“Alright. Hi, Andrew. I thought I wouldn’t hear from you for a few more days.”
“Ironic,” he said. “I thought I would hear from you sooner. Just wanted to pick your brain and see what you’re thinking.”
I watched Conway from my bird’s-eye view, seeing the corded veins of his forearms. His hair was still wet and messy, obviously because he must have hopped out of the pool just a few minutes ago. I’d never seen a more beautiful man in my life. Even when he did nothing at all, he was gorgeous. A part of me wanted to walk down there and straddle his hips right under the sun.
I knew I wasn’t thinking logically. I was thinking with my lust, my attraction to this man. Andrew was offering me a way out, a way to fix all my problems. I’d have to be a model again, back to never eating and being nearly naked for strangers. But at least I’d make an honest living. And at least I would have the freedom to do what I wanted. Not to mention, I would be a very wealthy woman.
But I loved being here.
I loved Conway’s home. I loved his horses. I loved sharing my bed with him every night. Even if our relationship wasn’t real, it felt like it meant something.
Not to mention, I’d never felt safer in my entire life.
But it wasn’t real. He didn’t love me. I would never be his girlfriend. He would use me until he got bored with me. Once the inspiration ran out, he would dump me on the side of the road and find the next woman who pleased him. It didn’t matter how much he aged. The older a man got, the more desirable he was. For me, time wasn’t on my side.
It would be stupid not to take the deal.
Absolutely idiotic.
But I still didn’t want to. “I don’t think so, Andrew. I’m very flattered by your offer—”
“Two hundred and fifty million.”
My mouth remained open as I heard the offer echo in my mind. He’d just added another fifty million to the pot. How could I possibly be worth that much? “Andrew, I’m a very confident woman, but I can’t fathom why you think I’m worth that much.”
“Trust me, you are.”
“I don’t know about that,” I said with a chuckle.
“Take the deal, sweetheart. Any other woman on the planet would take it.”
Yes, I know. And they’d be smart to. “It’s not about the money.”
“Three hundred.”
Jesus Christ. That would leave me with two hundred million dollars for myself.
“Think about it. Please. I’m willing to do anything to make this deal happen.”
“Uh…” Now I couldn’t say no. But I couldn’t say yes either.
“I’ll call back in a few days. Just think about how much your life would change. You would be the wealthiest model on the planet. Not only would you have fame and glory but also respect. Think about it, Sapphire.” He hung up, leaving nothing but silence on the other end of the line.
I crossed my arms over my chest with the phone clutched in my fingertips. My eyes returned to Conway, who was staring across his property with a dreamy look in his eyes. He had no idea what was going on upstairs.
Now I was even more confused than before.