My driver placed the suitcases in the trunk and hung Muse’s dresses in the back seat. We were being taken to the Milan airport where my plane was waiting for us. It was gassed up and ready to take us across the Atlantic to New York.

I didn’t fly commercial—not even first class.

If I was ever out in public for too long, people asked for autographs and pictures. I didn’t want to sound ungrateful, but where there was one person, a herd soon followed afterward. Then I was swarmed by people like a famous actor, and I wasn’t in this business for sidewalk fame.

Muse and I sat in the back seat while my driver took us to the airport. Muse was in jeans and a t-shirt, a type of outfit she hadn’t worn since the first time I’d met her. Now she wore my designer clothes because she only deserved the best. But since we were going to be on a nine-hour flight, she wanted to be comfortable.

Little did she know, she wouldn’t be wearing anything on the flight.

We spent the drive in silence since my driver was in the front of the SUV. As time passed, I became even more possessive of my muse, of the inspiration for my creative design. She wasn’t just my intellectual property, but the pussy I buried myself in every night. I didn’t want another man to even hear the sound of her voice.

I wasn’t sure how it had gotten this bad.

Muse looked at her phone for a few minutes before she set it aside and looked out the window.

Since she wasn’t looking, I turned my gaze to her and watched her. I studied the way she watched the fields as they passed. Her thick eyelashes moved when she blinked, and her eyes reflected the golden sunlight that pierced through the tinted windows. Her legs were crossed, and her curled hair was pulled over one shoulder. Even dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt, she was still the sexiest woman I’d ever had.

My hand moved to her thigh.

She glanced at my fingers before she turned her gaze on me. Then she gave me a smile, the kind of smile that reached her eyes and made them light up a little brighter. Maybe it was the golden sunlight or the backdrop behind her, but in that moment, she looked more beautiful than she did in any of my lingerie. She looked more beautiful than when she was buck naked on my bed.

Because none of that mattered.

She had her own special beauty, the kind no one else could compete with.

She turned away and looked out the window again.

But my gaze was focused on her completely. I wanted to stare at her like that forever—whether she was looking at me or not.

The car pulled onto the runway beside the large private jet that was waiting for me. The stairway was down, ready to take us onboard once we hopped out of the car. Muse looked at the large plane that could accommodate hundreds of people, her mouth open. “This is yours?”

“Yes.”

“Seriously? You own a plane this big?”

I loved it when she was impressed with me. It was superficial, and for a man as secure as I, it was a stupid thing to care about.

But I wanted to impress this woman every chance I got. “Yes.”

“I’ve never been on a private plane before.”

“I think you’ll like it. There’s a bed, a few showers, and a dining room.”

Her eyes were filled with more excitement than I’d ever seen. “This is so amazing.” She opened the door and got out just as the man opened the back and grabbed our bags to be carried onto the plane.

My phone rang. If my father’s name weren’t on the screen, I would have ignored it. “Father, how are you?”

“Good. Just wanted to see when you were leaving.”

“I’m actually about to board the plane.”

“Oh, I see. I wanted to wish you good luck. I’m sure your show will be great, but nonetheless, hope it goes well.”

“Thanks. I think everyone will be impressed by the new line.” Especially when the sexiest woman in the world had inspired every single design. All the other models despised Muse, but that was because they were jealous—jealous that they would never be as beautiful.

“Your mother told me she had a nice time with Sapphire. Seems to really like her.”

“Yes, all of you have told me that you love the woman…” I was glad they liked her, but they shouldn’t get too attached. I couldn’t picture my life without Muse, but I knew this wouldn’t last forever. At least, it wouldn’t end in marriage and a family.

He chuckled. “I guess we’re relieved that the one woman you want is good for you. I worry about your sister a lot, for obvious reasons. But I worry about you too, son. I want a woman who’s perfect for you. And Sapphire seems perfect.”

Now I regretted introducing her to them. They’d already included her in the family. I knew Muse treasured those relationships because she didn’t have a family of her own. She loved my sister, and now she loved my parents. And they loved her just as much.

But it got me into deep shit. “I’m glad I have your approval.”

“You don’t need my approval, son. But I want you to know you have it. I’ll see you when you get back. Your mother and I want to hear about the show.”

“Of course. Talk to you later.”

“Love you, Con.”

My dad didn’t normally say that when we were getting off the phone, so I knew he was worried about me being out of the country. I was the last person he needed to be concerned about. I had even more money than he did, and my security team were retired Navy SEALs. But at the end of the day, I was his son. “I love you too, Dad.”

I boarded the plane, and the flight attendant shut the door, locking it behind me. I moved to the seat beside Muse in the center of the plane, the seat I had to take until we were in the air. I buckled myself in and rested my ankle on the opposite knee, waiting for takeoff.

“This plane is beautiful,” Muse said. “The bathroom…is like a regular bathroom. I’ve never seen that before. And the bedroom is so nice. If I could fly like this everywhere, I would travel across the world.”

And I would love to take her around the world. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Who were you on the phone with?” She didn’t ask questions like that often, but I knew she was just making conversation.

If this were three months ago, I would have told her off for asking. Now, it didn’t bother me. “My father.”

“Is he coming to New York?”

“No. Too much work to do here.”

The plane approached the runway and prepared for takeoff. “That’s too bad. I was hoping to see them.”

My parents loved her—and now she loved them. “He said my mom enjoyed seeing you the other day.”

“She did?” she asked with a smile. “She’s so nice. And easy to talk to.”

I wasn’t close to my mom the way I was with my father. But she’d been a great mom. I didn’t have a single complaint. She was smart, elegant, and did a good job raising me. As I aged, I realized most people didn’t have what I had—and I wasn’t referring to money. “She’s great.”

“My mom was always difficult,” she said. “Kinda distant with a hint of depression. She was never the same after my father died. And I wasn’t close with him either. You’re lucky your parents are so involved in your life.”

I was a grown man, and my father still said he loved me. I pretended I didn’t need to hear it, but when I felt warmth touch my soul when he showed his affection, I knew I did need to hear it. All I did was give her a nod because I wasn’t sure what else to say.

The plane took off, cruising into the sky at exceptional speed. We leaned back, our weight shifting into the seats. We stayed like that for several minutes before the plane leveled off.

“I have a question.”

I unbuckled my safety belt. “Alright.”

“Why do you live in Verona? You’re hardly at the office in Milan, so why don’t you live closer to your parents?”

I’d bought that house after living in Milan for a few years. I’d started making serious money, and I wanted to live somewhere nice and close to work. That was almost ten years ago. “I started my career in Milan, so I didn’t have much of a choice on where to live. It’s the fashion capital of the world. I was working sixteen-hour days to make it big. Once money started to come in, I decided to buy a nice place outside the city—somewhere with peace and quiet. I didn’t purchase the property with the intention of staying away from my parents.”

“But now that you work from home most of the time, why don’t you move back to Florence?”

The question was odd, and I suspected her curiosity had something to do with her lunch with my mom. “Why do you ask?”

“Your mother told me your parents wished you live closer.”

My heart immediately throbbed in sadness. I hated disappointing them. I hated knowing they missed me.

“She said your father has never gotten used to the distance.”

And now it felt like she’d stepped right on my heart.

“Maybe you should sell that place and buy something close to them,” she suggested. “That seems like something you might enjoy.”

“Did my mother ask you to say this?”

“No. But I think it would make both of you happy.”

Returning to Tuscany sounded nice. I loved the heat and the mild winters. I would love to see my parents on a regular basis. After everything they did for me, I would love nothing more than to make them happy. “I can’t move back right now, not when Vanessa is in Milan. She’d be there alone.”

“Isn’t Carter there?”

“I’m her brother,” I said. “It’s different.”

“But you can’t live your life based on Vanessa,” she said. “She wouldn’t want you to.”

“The idea of her living in that big city alone while we’re all five hours away makes me anxious. When she finishes school, I’ll think about it again. I know she’ll move back to Tuscany when she’s done.”

“You think?”

“Yeah. She wants to live on her own for a while because she needs her independence. But she’s really close with my mom, and she loves being home every time we visit. When she moves back, I’ll consider it.”

“Great. Because I would love to live there too.”

I stared straight ahead, but I felt my heart beat quicker in my chest. She spoke of our future together like it was certain, and that filled me with both joy and terror. If she were still living with me two years from now, the relationship would feel more serious. I’d already been with her longer than any other woman in my life. That would be a whole new kind of commitment. For a man not looking for love or marriage, that sounded like the very thing I was trying to avoid.

So, I forced myself to stop thinking about it.

Muse stretched out underneath the sheets, pointing her toes and bringing her arms above her head. A quiet moan escaped her lips, and her eyes fluttered open a moment later. “I’ve never slept so well on a plane before…”

I lay on my back with her beside me, my tablet held up so that I could look through my emails. Everything was set for the show, and the girls were already in New York. I went through the performance over and over in my mind, but there was nothing left to change. It was ready to go.

But I couldn’t deny I was nervous.

Everyone questioned whether my best model would be in the show, and if she weren’t, it would affect my work. But if she were on my arm for the evening, pulled into my side with affection in her eyes, that should still be good enough. She wasn’t my model anymore because she was the woman in my bed.

The world would know I was the one fucking her.

She turned over and cuddled into my side, her arm draping over my waist and her cheek resting against my shoulder. “Did you sleep?”

“A little.”

“Why are you nervous?”

“Never said I was.” I set my tablet to the side, knowing I wouldn’t be able to read when she was in the mood to talk.

“I know. But I can tell you are.” She propped herself up on her elbows and looked down at me. “I’m just not sure why. You have nothing to be nervous about, Conway. Those women are so proud to model for Barsetti Lingerie that they’re going to give everything they have. And the designs you’ve created are absolutely beautiful. Any woman could wear them, and no one would deny how stunning they are.”

I looked up into her face, seeing the softness in her eyes and the rosy color in her cheeks. Her brown hair was slightly messy, and it was pulled back from her face, showing off her incredible features. Makeup or no makeup, she was ready for the runway at any time.

She placed her palm against my chest and gave me a gentle rub. “So, don’t worry about it.”

“I’m not the kind that worries.”

She couldn’t stifle the laugh that flew out of her mouth. “Yeah, okay. You’re the biggest worrier I know.”

“Incorrect.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say.” She lay back again on the soft sheets. “This is the only way to travel.”

“I’m glad you approve.”

“I’m serious. I’ve never slept like that on a plane before. They’re always so uncomfortable, and there’s always a baby crying somewhere…no offense to babies.”

The attendant knocked on the door. “Mr. Barsetti, we’ll be landing soon. Take a seat and buckle yourself in.”

“Can we just stay here?” Muse pulled the sheets up and released a happy sigh.

“Unfortunately, no.” I kissed her shoulder before I got out of bed. “But we can sleep on the way back.”

“Yay.” She pulled on her clothes and fixed her hair before we returned to the seats toward the front of the plane. The plane landed on the runway smoothly, and then we were escorted to my car that was waiting for us on the runway. The transfer was easy, and within minutes, we were in the heart of Manhattan.

Muse stared out the window and looked at the street corners and the shops that were along the road. Her gaze didn’t change as she examined everything, and it was difficult to tell how she felt about being back in her hometown.

I watched her, noting every single time she blinked and pursed her lips. I’d give anything to know exactly what she was thinking at any given time. Her mind fascinated me. I wanted to know everything about her, even the unimportant details.

We arrived at the hotel and checked in at the front desk where we were escorted to the top floor where the presidential suite awaited. It was ten thousand square feet and much too big for two people, but I refused to accept anything less than the most expensive room in the hotel.

Muse looked around, her eyes scanning the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the full kitchen, and the enormous living room that could house a hundred people. She walked along the floor-to-ceiling windows and admired the view while my men carried all her luggage inside. They handled her dresses with care before placing them in the closet. They were staying in the room across from me, so my security detail could watch the front door and monitor anyone who tried to reach this floor.

Muse stood at the windows with her arms crossed over her chest. The light had disappeared over the horizon, and now the darkness was blanketing the city. Neon lights were brighter, and the street lamps down below were more visible.

I stood behind her and stared at her, watching her petite form contrast against the backdrop of the biggest city in the world. I knew Muse in a different context, so it was difficult for me to imagine her living here. She fit in so much better in Verona, working her hands in the stables and being close to the earth. She complemented the quiet beauty of the landscape, almost like she was born and raised there.

I came up behind her and placed my hands on her hips.

She’d obviously been so focused on the view that she didn’t hear my approach. She took in a deep breath, her waist tightening automatically.

My fingers stretched over her rib cage, feeling the muscles and tiny bones underneath. “Do you miss it?” The height of my head surpassed hers, so it was easy to look over at the city beyond. The glass was so clean that I could see her reflection, see the way her gaze shifted upward to look at me.

“I know this is going to sound strange but…not really.”

My fingers tightened a little farther in response, loving that answer a lot more than I anticipated.

“I was born and raised here, so it has a special place in my heart. But it doesn’t feel like home anymore. I like looking out the window in the morning and seeing the golden hillsides and the vineyards. I like smelling the dirt when I work in the stables. I like the wet heat that sticks to my skin and hearing the crickets and the birds. It’s so peaceful. It’s so quiet. Now, I’m surrounded by constant noise, by the pollution from all the taillights. The lights so bright. They never used to blind me, but now I can barely look at them. There’re so many people on the sidewalk, people intent on getting to the next place as quickly as possible. Speed is constant, and time never slows down. When I lived here, I was always on the go. If I wasn’t doing something, I felt lazy. But in Italy, the culture is so different. Taking the time to appreciate the sky and the smell of the grass is important.”

She described my world so perfectly, painting it into a lively picture I immediately recognized. She understood what I loved about it so much because she described it down to the very last detail. I’d seen a lot of beautiful places in my life, visited foreign countries with so much natural beauty it was difficult to process. But there was something about the Italian hillsides that brought me a sense of peace. “I know exactly what you mean.”

She slowly turned around and looked up into my face. “Well, it’s nine o’ clock, but I slept on the plane all day. Not really tired. What should we do?”

My hands glided under her forearms, feeling the soft skin I loved to touch. “What would you like to do?”

“I’m hungry,” she said. “Maybe we can order some dinner.”

“Would you like to go out?”

“It’s a Friday night. Everything will be booked.”

I couldn’t suppress the grin on my face. “Not for Conway Barsetti.”

I didn’t eat dinner this late, but for me, it was morning. We went to one of the nicest restaurants in Manhattan, and the second I met the host at the podium, he showed me to a table without even asking if I had a reservation.

Once again, Muse was impressed.

I liked impressing her. It gave me a sense of power I couldn’t get anywhere else. With a billion dollars to my name and a garage full of expensive cars, I had enough wealth to impress a foreign prince. But I never cared what anyone thought of me. My sense of self-worth had always been untouchable. But I enjoyed watching the way her eyes lit up whenever she got to experience a hint of luxury. She acted like the plane was one of the coolest experiences she’d ever had. And now she took in my presidential suite, still stunned that I could afford this without making the slightest dent in my bank account.

And now she was impressed I could get her into any establishment without saying a single word.

I liked spoiling her, especially when she appreciated it. Most of the women expected to be spoiled, wanted to be treated to a fancy dinner so they could be seen in public with me. Muse was nothing like that. Money wasn’t important to her the way it was to everyone else. She preferred a simple life, earning everything she was given.

And she definitely earned my affection every night.

She wore a black dress Dante had picked up from my favorite designer in Verona, skintight and flattering against her curves. Her hair was done and makeup was plastered on her face, looking like she hadn’t just spent nine hours on a plane. She held the menu open and looked at the selections.

I’d already ordered the wine, the thing I cared most about, so I stared at her instead. I studied the thickness of her eyelashes, the way her lipstick contrasted against the paleness of her face. This was my hundredth time looking at her, but I never got tired of it. I never knew when a rush of inspiration would hit me. With her, it could happen at any moment.

“I’ll take the New York strip,” she said. “Medium well. And can I have some broccoli on the side?”

“Of course.” The waiter wrote down her order then turned to me.

“I’ll have the same thing.” I handed the menu over.

“Good choice, sir.” He left us alone at the table, a table in the corner right next to the window. A white tablecloth was on top, along with a single white candle in the center and our bottle of wine. There was more space around us than the rest of the tables, probably denoting it as a special VIP area. It was no coincidence it was right against the windows, so paparazzi and anyone with a phone could snap a few pictures.

She swirled her wine then took a drink, treating her glass like an expert wine taster. Spending time around my business and my lifestyle had given her new skills. She knew a lot about wine, about the differences in color and taste. She knew how to pair it with meals and could even distinguish the gentle characteristics in the flavor, like oak, fruit, and other additives.

She was becoming a very refined woman.

My favorite thing of all was her silence. She could sit across from me for thirty minutes straight without saying a single word. There was no necessity to fill the silence with pointless conversation. Other people were uncomfortable with my tense quietness, but she didn’t seem to mind.

She looked out the window as she kept her fingers on the stem. Her nails were painted, and a natural tan bronzed her skin. Her hair had been cut, and she was groomed for the show tomorrow night even though she wouldn’t be performing. But this was the first time I would ever bring a woman with me as a date. I always showed up to my shows alone. There was never a woman in my life who earned the luxury.

But Muse certainly did.

I wanted the world to know she was too busy being mine to model.

She turned back to me and gave me a soft smile from across the table.

I felt the muscles of my stomach harden in response. Such simple gestures had a grand effect on me. She had more power than she realized—and I hoped she never realized it.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yes.”

“So, Carter is a car guy, right?”

“Yes.” My forearms tightened when she asked about another man. Carter was my family, but he still had the Barsetti blood that drove women crazy. He was handsome, landing as many women as I could.

“And he designs luxury cars and produces them? That’s so crazy. I don’t understand how somebody would even start that kind of business. It seems like there are distinctive brands of cars all over the world, but they’ve been around for a long time. How do you start something new?”

“By working your ass off and offering something other competitors can’t.”

“What does Carter offer? What’s different about his cars?”

“The sleek design. The aerodynamics. But he’s also made a luxury car that has the lowest gas emissions of any other vehicle. And more importantly, he’s the first person to release an electric car with the same power as a V12 engine. Competitors are still trying to figure out how he did it.”

“How did he do it?”

The corner of my mouth rose in a smile. “Like he would ever tell me.”

“Aren’t you guys best friends?”

I was about to take a drink of my wine but changed my mind. “No. Men don’t have best friends.”

“Then what is he to you?”

I shrugged. “He’s Carter.”

She rolled her eyes. “You guys don’t talk about business? I thought that’s all you ever did.”

“We do—but our business.”

“Purchasing kidnapped women?”

I nodded. “We split it fifty-fifty.”

“What’s his role in this?”

“He has the connections. Families get in contact with him once their daughters or wives are taken. He handles the wire transfer and then tells me to head to the Underground.”

“Why does he send you and not someone else?”

“I have a preexisting relationship with the Skull Kings. I also have a legitimate alibi. When I buy a woman, I usually put her in a show or an event one time. That way they think I’m using them for my own business gains. Then I release them, and by that time, the Skull Kings have moved on to something else and aren’t paying attention to me anymore.”

“What happens if they catch you?”

I took a long drink of my wine. “I won’t be allowed back to the Underground. But I’m not sure if they would do anything more extensive. Technically, I’m not breaking any rules. I pay for my women fairly by winning the bid. What I do with them after that is none of their concern. When government officials have asked for my cooperation in taking down the Skull Kings, I always refuse. I won’t rat on them. Therefore, there should not be repercussions in the event I’m caught.”

“But if you never take down the Skull Kings, they’ll just keep doing it. And you buy one woman, but what about all the others?”

My eyes narrowed. “I told you I wasn’t a good man, Muse.” Sometimes it bothered me that I did nothing, and those women were sent to their deaths. Sometimes it ruined my sleep. But other times, I didn’t care at all. “Even if I eradicated their organization, someone else would just take over the business. People think crime can be snuffed out, but it can’t. You take down one villain, but another villain always replaces them. That’s just how it is.”

Muse watched me from across the table without judgment in her eyes. Her features didn’t show any particular feeling. She just sat there, her fingers resting on the stem of her glass.

“You think less of me.” I shouldn’t care about her opinion, but I did. It meant more to me than it should.

“No.”

“Then what do you think?”

She released her glass and brought her hands to her lap. “I think there are a lot of shitty people in the world. They do horrific things. And the kind of evil they show is so intense that it makes your crimes pale in comparison. So, no, I don’t think less of you, Conway. I wouldn’t make love to you every night if I felt otherwise.”

Make love. She made love to me.

I wanted to say we were just fucking, but I wouldn’t always be on top if that were the case. My favorite position was having a woman on all fours, her ass in my face. I didn’t want to look into her eyes. I didn’t care about a deeper connection. All I cared about was a good fuck, getting my dick inside her at the perfect angle. But with Muse, I loved feeling her ankles lock together against my back. I loved feeling her heels dig into my ass. I loved looking into her eyes, watching her enjoy me, and I loved kissing her as I rocked into her slowly.

She was right. It wasn’t fucking.

I slept with her every night. I had dinner with her every evening. She was such a large component of my life that it was hard to imagine not having her around. Without even realizing it, I’d become intensely attached to this woman.

The waiter brought our entrees, and we started to eat. Once our utensils were in our hands, we didn’t spend time talking, but we returned to comfortable silence with the exchange of looks across the table.

I watched her enjoy her meal and sip her wine. I watched the way her hands handled her silverware. With perfectly straight posture and graceful movements, she was every bit the supermodel I’d trained her to be.

But I’d also trained her to be the perfect woman.

When Muse stepped out of the bathroom, she was dressed in a white ensemble I’d created just for her. In a push-up bra lined with diamonds and a white thong that complemented her tanned skin perfectly, she was gorgeous.

I sat against the headboard and watched her enter the bedroom. With an hourglass figure and long legs, she was gorgeous from head to toe. My cock was hard the second she walked into the bathroom with the racy pieces in hand. I didn’t need to see her to know she would look stunning.

My memory was good enough.

She sauntered into the room, her eyes locked on me. This time, she wore heels, silver pumps that matched her diamonds. She stood at the foot of the bed and ran her fingers through her hair.

My fantasy.

I grabbed my phone, which was hooked up to the sound system, and I turned on music from a playlist. “Strip for me.”

She hesitated, her confidence waning.

One hand circled my length under the sheets, and I brushed my thumb across the hardness of my dick.

She swayed her hips from side to side then slowly peeled off the bra. It was three in the morning, and neither one of us was tired enough to go to bed. She unclasped the back and let it fall to the floor.

With hard nipples and a tint of pink across her chest, her tits were unbelievable. She didn’t have a big rack, but I preferred small tits as long as they were proportional. When they were perky and firm like that, it was hard not to fall under a cloud of obsession.

Her hands moved down to her panties, and she slowly peeled those off. They moved to her ankles before she pushed them away.

“Touch yourself.”

She faltered at that command too, even more uncomfortable by the suggestion than when I asked her to strip.

“Touch. Yourself.”

She continued to sway to the music before she placed her fingers between her legs. She circled her clit exactly the way I did to her. For the first minute, her breathing didn’t change, and neither did her expression. But once she allowed herself to enjoy it, she finally relaxed and panted with her movements.

I jerked myself under the sheets, my hand moving slowly so I wouldn’t blow my load sooner than I wanted. Seeing her in that white lingerie made me think of the night I claimed her innocence. It felt so good to break her in, to watch her cry because my dick was too big. I wanted to do that again. “Lie on the bed.”

She pulled her hand away reluctantly before she crawled onto the bed.

“On your back.”

She turned over, her ass eyes hanging over the edge.

I got out of bed, my hard dick hanging out because it was swollen with an immense amount of blood. I was hard-up from watching her touch herself, but I was even more aroused by what I was going to do.

I grabbed a bottle from my bag then stood at the foot of the bed. I placed her feet against my chest and let my throbbing dick lay against her wet folds. Slickness was seeping from her slit because her fingertips had stimulated her so deeply.

I separated her knees and leaned over her so I could kiss her.

She was anxious for my mouth. Her fingers dug into my hair, and she kissed me like it’d been too long since she had me. She gave me her tongue first, her excitement overpowering mine. “Conway…” She locked her ankles together at my back and tugged on me, wanting me right in that moment.

My cock twitched in anticipation before I pressed my cock down and slid it into her drenched pussy.

“Yes…” She pulled me into her deeper, moaning directly into my throat.

I moaned at her enthusiasm. “Want my cock, Muse?”

“Please.”

I rocked into her hard, slamming my big dick deep inside her. I hit her again and again, stretching her wide apart while her pussy fought against me to tighten. I sucked on my forefinger and got it soaked before I pressed it against her back entrance.

Her asshole was tight, and the second she felt me, she tightened even more. Her moans faltered, and she stopped gripping me as her concentration was broken. “Conway, what are you—”

“I’m fucking you in the ass tonight.” I pushed my finger inside her and finally made my way inside. She was tighter, a million times tighter than her pussy. I pulsed my finger slowly, giving her body time to acclimate.

She didn’t rock back onto my dick because she was too busy staring at my face. “I’ve never done that before.”

“I know.” That was why I was so excited for it. I moved my mouth to hers and kissed her so she would stop thinking about what my finger was doing. I fingered her harder as I fucked her pussy. My tongue danced with hers, and I felt her whimper against my lips from time to time. I pushed another finger inside, and I felt her stretch even more.

“Conway.” She spoke against my mouth. “Even now, I struggle to take you. I don’t think I can do it.”

“You will.”

The arousal was still in her eyes, but so was the uncertainty. She looked into my gaze and dug her nails into my chest. “You’re so big, Conway…”

I closed my eyes and groaned, loving the way she said those words. This was my fantasy, listening to this beautiful woman compliment the size of my dick. She knew it would hurt, and that turned me on even more. “It’ll hurt. You’ll cry. But I’ll be gentle with you.” I looked into her eyes as I rammed my cock inside her, my fingers still working her ass. “And it’ll feel good too.”

“Do I have a choice?” she whispered.

The asshole inside me wanted to say this was happening whether she wanted it or not. But I wasn’t the same man I used to be. I’d parted with my old ways over the last four months. I did more for her than I did for any other woman. I respected her when others couldn’t earn that respect. “You always have a choice, Muse.” If she said no, I would stop. But I didn’t want to stop.

She stared at me as she considered her response, the desire in her eyes, along with the obvious hesitation. “Okay.”

“Just tell me to stop.” I thrust into her again and resumed my kiss. My embraces were soft and sensual, giving her my tongue and taking hers in return. My fingers still explored her ass, and I felt my dick thicken even more when I understood just how tight she was. I was taking another piece of her, having her in a way I never had before. The evil man inside me loved the sound of her tears, loved knowing she was fighting the pain as she enjoyed the pleasure.

When I felt like she was about to come around my dick, I pulled out and pointed my crown at her back entrance.

She immediately tensed, holding her breath.

“Relax.” I kissed her again, my mouth forcing hers to cooperate. If she just trusted me, she would loosen up, and it would feel so much better.

She started to relax again.

I squirted the lube all over my dick then pushed inside her, getting my crown inside her tight little asshole. There was so much resistance, but that only made it better. It felt so fucking good, so tight and warm. I pushed inside more, slowly inching deep inside.

Her nails cut into my chest, and she panted against my mouth. Winces and moans came from her lips as she felt me slip inside.

I kept going, getting half my length inside her.

Now she was breathing hard, clawing at me like she didn’t know what else to do.

I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against hers. “Fuck…so good.” I let her squeeze me tightly, the lube doing its job to make the friction less unbearable. Then I held myself on both arms and started to thrust, getting inside her deep and slow.

She gripped my biceps and lay back, her tits shaking with every thrust I made. Her legs were spread wide apart, the backs of her knees locked in place by my arms. She moaned with the movements, wincing when my dick moved deep inside her.

I fucked her ass and claimed it as mine. My breaths were just as deep and labored as hers because it felt so damn good. She was so tight, so inexperienced. I moved a little deeper when she got used to it, sheathing more of my dick.

That’s when the tears started. They welled up at the corners of her lids then streaked down her cheeks.

It turned me on just like last time, seeing her fight for control over the pain. But it also made me feel like shit at the same time. I shouldn’t enjoy those tears, and I shouldn’t be the one causing them. “You want me to stop, Muse?” I paused so I could kiss her tears away, letting them absorb on my lips.

She breathed against my face, her tears in her voice. “No. It feels good. It just also really hurts.”

I started to move again, listening to her tears fill the bedroom. They kept streaking down her cheeks, but she never sobbed. Her ass started to loosen around me once she got used to it. Her nails clawed at my back, leaving marks and a little blood.

“Touch yourself.” I guided her hand between her legs and rubbed her fingers over her throbbing clit.

Her moans immediately changed, becoming deeper while the tears kept coming.

Now I could barely stop myself from exploding. I wanted my come to sit inside her ass all night long. I wanted to feel that powerful orgasm that was about to rock my entire body. I knew it was going to be good. I could feel it approaching hard and fast.

But thankfully, she came first. She came with a scream that was louder than any other she’d made. Her nails sliced me, and her asshole tightened all around me. Her head rolled back, and her mouth remained wide open as she kept yelling directly into my face.

I came inside her as I watched her performance, getting off to everything I was seeing and feeling. I dumped all of my seed inside her, filling her tight little asshole with all my arousal. I wanted her to be full of me in every way possible. I wanted to fuck every little hole and make her mine completely.

I groaned against her neck as I finished. My cock slowly softened as I stayed inside her. My wounds burned as the sweat poured directly into them, and I listened to her breaths slowly decrease while mine did the same.

I lifted myself to look directly down at her, seeing that the tears were long gone. “How did that feel?”

“It hurt, but I came harder than I ever have. Not sure how that worked…”

“It’s because I know what I’m doing.” I kissed the corner of her mouth then slowly pulled out of her. Then I lifted her from the bed and carried her into the walk-in shower in the bathroom. The warm water filled the bathroom with steam, and her fancy makeup and hair spray were washed away with the running water.

Her mascara streaked down her face, and like she knew it was there, she wiped it away with both hands. Staring down at her fingertips, she looked at the black ink before rubbing them together to dissolve the color.

Her eyes weren’t red from her tears, and now that we were finished, she was back to her usual self. But she seemed tired, despite all the energy she had just fifteen minutes ago. She tilted her head under the water and let it streak down her body, the warmth enveloping her. She released a quiet sigh, so quiet I couldn’t hear it. But when I watched her chest rise and fall, I knew it occurred.

Now that her makeup was gone, it was just her underneath the water. Beautiful skin, gorgeous eyes, and utter perfection.

I moved under the water with her and cupped her face, my fingertips touching her wet skin. My nose brushed against hers as I felt the warm water run down my back. Then I pulled her into me and kissed her.

Kissed her slowly.

When I had something this pretty, I wanted to cherish it. I wanted to enjoy it as much as possible, like it could be taken away from me at any time. Now that I’d given her freedom, she could walk away from me whenever she wanted.

But when I really thought about it, I wondered if I could keep my word if she really did leave.

What if she decided to stay in New York once the show was over? Would I really be able to board my jet and leave? Would I really be able to say goodbye? She was such an integral part of my life that I couldn’t imagine it.

I didn’t want marriage and kids with this woman, but it seemed like I still wanted a lifetime.

It didn’t make any sense.

I continued to kiss her under the water, to taste the shower on her lips. My hand cradled the back of her hair, and I felt my cock slowly harden once more. Arousal was natural when I kissed a woman like this, but sex wasn’t my end game. I’d just had an amazing climax, had fucked my fantasy in the ass and watched her cry. The last thing I needed was more sex.

Now I just wanted her.

I wanted this connection between us, this intimacy. Her kiss was the luxury I lived for, something that made me weak in the knees. When I was with her, I felt like a teenager all over again. I felt the heat in my stomach and the excitement in my lungs every time I took a breath. I’d bedded so many women before her, all perfect in their own ways.

But there was something about this one…

Something about Muse.

I couldn’t put my finger on it.

I broke away and grabbed the loofah sitting on the shelf. I drenched it in water before I squirted soap onto her chest. Then I started to scrub her, to wash away all the lube and oil that made its way everywhere. I massaged her skin, working the muscles that ached from her constantly perfect posture. I watched her eyes soften as I made her feel good, washed her clean after how dirty I’d just made her.

She watched me through her thick lashes, a faint smile on her lips. She softened directly at my touch, her body relaxing the longer I caressed her. She watched my hands and stared at the soap suds that started to cover her body. “Conway?”

“Yes?” I rubbed the sponge through the valley between her breasts and down her stomach.

“How many women have you been with?”

My sponge stopped at her hip, the suds running down her leg toward the drain. I kept my eyes on my movements before I lifted my gaze back to hers. She’d never asked me a question like that before, and it was probably because she never had the power to do so. “Why?”

“I’m just curious. You know about my past.”

“You mean, your lack of a past.”

“Whatever,” she said. “I’m not asking as some jealous girlfriend.”

Girlfriend. There was that word again. But I let it go. “I’m not sure, but several dozen.”

“Several dozen?” she asked. “That’s very vague.”

“Well, I don’t count every single conquest. I’d say it’s less than a hundred, but barely.”

She didn’t show any reaction, keeping her thoughts to herself. “Have you ever done what we just did with any of them?”

I didn’t spare her feelings. “Yes. There’s nothing I haven’t done.”

“Can I ask you something else?”

I was letting her ask whatever she wanted, and that wasn’t like me. I was a mysterious man, and I was protective of my privacy. I didn’t share my thoughts or feelings. I’d never had a meaningful relationship with a woman in my entire life. They were just flings, one-night stands. But Muse had become my woman, my friend. “Yes.” I forced the answer out because I thought she deserved a response. I thought she deserved more than just being coldly shut down.

She pressed her lips together tightly, taking her time before she worded her question. “Have I meant more to you than all the others? Or do you just see me as…a good lay?”

I was surprised she needed to ask the question at all. I thought the answer was staring at her right in the face. “I’ve never had another woman live with me before. I’ve never been monogamous with one woman, and that was by choice. I’ve never brought a date to one of my shows. In fact, I’ve never been photographed with a woman romantically. You’ve met my family, been in their home, and now you’re here with me. Not to mention, I’m out a hundred million dollars because of you. So, if you have to wonder if you mean something to me, don’t. Because you do.”