“I did her a favor, alright? If I didn’t buy her, she would have ended up somewhere worse. She agrees with me. She even thanked me for it.”
“Conway, you know I’m not a saint. I do things I’m not proud of every single night. I’ve paid for whores, and I’ve smuggled drugs out of the country with my cars. But this is something our parents will never accept.”
“I know.” Both of my parents would be livid with me. My mother would slap me so hard, I’d see stars. My father would kill me with just his disappointment. He didn’t have to say anything at all to make me feel like shit. “Which is why they aren’t going to know about it.”
“You’re going to hide it from them? For ten years?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“How will you explain her?”
I shrugged. “I’ll tell them she’s my girlfriend or something.”
“So you’re going to make your parents excited that you’ve settled down even though it’s bullshit.”
I took another drink. “My personal life is none of their business anyway.”
“Vanessa?” he asked. “What about her?”
She was so honest and innocent that lying to her made me feel shitty. “My personal life is none of her concern either.”
Carter finally dropped the argument and drank from his glass.
“The truth stays between us. Alright?”
He downed the contents before he set the empty glass on the table. “Fine. But I get a go every now and then.”
I unleashed a silent threat with just my eyes. No other man would have my muse. No other man would even get to look at her. She was all mine, my private fantasy. “No.”
“If she doesn’t mean anything to you, why not?”
“Because her pussy is worth a hundred million dollars—and I’m the only one that gets to fuck it.”
* * *
I returned to the villa that evening and left my car in the roundabout so one of the staff could take care of it. My secure garage was around the backside of the property, directly underneath the house and with an assortment of different vehicles. I had SUVs, sports cars—a wide collection.
I stepped inside the house and handed my jacket to the maid, Beatrice.
“Good evening, sir.” She placed my jacket over her arm, about to take it to be dry cleaned once she left my sight. “Dante is serving dinner in the dining room. Your guest is already there.”
She’d better be in the lingerie that was left on the bedspread.
I moved across the house to the large dining room that I had for dozens of guests. A grand table sat in the center, surrounded by windows that overlooked the grounds. Paintings hung on the wall, and the crystal chandelier reflected the light from the candles.
My muse was there, sitting in the diamond dress she’d worn in the fashion show. She hit the runway and sparkled just like the dozens of one-carat diamonds sewn into her clothing. A diamond necklace hung around her throat, and her hair and makeup were done like she was about to make another appearance on the catwalk.
Good, she listened.
I sat across from her and placed my napkin over my lap.
She looked like a beauty queen sitting perfectly upright. She held the right posture, her hands by her sides. Her blue eyes were narrowed in discomfort.
Dante filled our wineglasses and removed the silver lids over our plates. The sizzling salmon grilled with rosemary and herbs sat on the plate along with a side salad and a thin slice of French bread. He excused himself from the room and left us alone.
I started to eat.
She paused before she grabbed her fork and knife. “I don’t want to dress like this for dinner. It makes me uncomfortable.”
I cut into my fish, my eyes on my plate. “I don’t care how it makes you feel.”
“I don’t want Dante to see me in something that barely covers me up.”
“He would never touch you.” Like always, Dante’s cooking didn’t disappoint. The fish was thoroughly cooked, and the juices were delicious. He knew I had a strict diet, and he managed to incorporate delicious selections for me.
“That doesn’t matter.”
I finally looked up when I realized she wasn’t eating. I stared at the most gorgeous woman in the world, her cleavage on display for me to enjoy. Her rosy skin was perfect against the silver color, and the diamonds matched her value. Only a perfect woman like her deserved to wear the most expensive piece of lingerie ever made. “You can wear that in front of millions of people, but not Dante?”
“It’s different, and you know it.”
“Eat.” I pointed at her plate with my fork. “It’s delicious.”
She finally picked up her fork and stared at her food. She took a pause, deliberating before she finally took her first bite. She chewed quietly with her small mouth, having the manners of someone with high class.