I walked through the house in my swim trunks with the towel over my shoulder. “Dante?”

“Yes, sir?” He appeared at my side, stepping out of the corner from nowhere.

“I’ll take my breakfast in forty-five minutes. Tell Sapphire she is to join me.”

“Of course. Enjoy your swim, sir.”

“Thank you, Dante.” I arrived at the pool and pulled the goggles off my head. I dived into the water and immediately began my laps, swimming back and forth to finish a thousand meters before I started my day. It was a beautiful summer day, and the land was always warm even though it wasn’t even eight yet.

I did my underwater turns and then swam back, stretching myself to exercise every muscle in my body. I kicked hard and picked up the pace, racing against myself. The cool water moved past me, gently soothing the warm muscles as they burned under the skin.

When I finished my session, I climbed out of the water and let the drops roll off my body and hit the deck. I ripped off my goggles and tossed them aside, knowing Dante would correctly care for them.

Dante already had the table on the terrace prepared for breakfast. A white tablecloth covered the surface, and the white umbrella shielded the chairs from the hot sun. A small vase held a single red rose, picked from the property.

I used the towel to dry myself, starting with my arms and legs and then my hair. When I was dry enough, I took a seat at the table and saw the collection of Italian newspapers and my cell phone. I looked through my emails as I waited for my guest to join me.

Sapphire arrived on the terrace in a long white dress with her hair extending over her chest. Her makeup was done, and she looked ready to embrace the summer sun in the large sun hat she wore. She sat across from me and scooted her chair in, her blue eyes hardly moving to my face.

I kept reading my emails even when Dante served our egg whites, sautéed vegetables, and the single piece of Italian bread.

Sapphire didn’t wait and started to eat.

Nicole sent me a lot of emails last night, updating me on orders and scheduled appearances. Apparently, the fabric makers in Turkey were asking for more money since we’d increased our orders so significantly. I didn’t care about the money, but I refused to be a pushover. I responded to her emails and didn’t touch my food.

“Why did you want me to join you if you’re going to ignore me?”

My eyes slowly lifted to her face, shocked that she would speak to me that way. “That’s my business, not yours.” I looked at her fierce blue eyes and remembered the way they looked when they were locked on to my gaze. I loved their brightness as well as their darkness. She’d never looked so beautiful as when her mouth was stuffed with my come. Now she sat under the bright sun, looking like an Italian woman every man would want to keep at their villa. Even if I didn’t pick out her clothes or buy her makeup, she would still be beautiful. That innate perfection enhanced the clothes I gave her.

“It is my business when I could have kept sleeping…”

“It’s eight. You shouldn’t be sleeping.”

“Not everyone wakes up at the crack of dawn.”

“No. But no one should sleep in past eight.” I set my phone aside since she wasn’t going to let me do any work while I sat across from her. Besides, looking at her was a lot more entertaining than staring at my phone. I grabbed my mug of hot coffee and took a drink, letting the warm caffeine make its way into my stomach.

“Do you swim every morning?”

“When it’s warm.”

“What do you do in the winter?”

“The gym. But I prefer to be outside.” I drank my coffee again and then took a bite of my omelet. “I expect you to exercise every day.”

“Every day?” she asked incredulously.

“Yes.”

“That’s a little ridiculous.”

“It’s good for you.”

She added a little cream to her coffee and stirred it with her spoon. “I’ll do it five days a week, but not on weekends. That’s the best you’re going to get from me, so don’t push it.”

Five days was acceptable. “You’re forgetting that I’m in charge here. And that’s something you shouldn’t forget.” I’d walked into her bedroom last night and fucked her throat so hard that I knew she was sore today. I did it because I could. I could do anything I wanted. She, on the other hand, had nothing.

“You’re in charge of most things. But not everything.”

If she cooperated with me most of the time, I supposed that was enough. What I wanted most out of her was sexual satisfaction. As long as she delivered, I could put up with the rest of her attitude. “You don’t want me to push you, but don’t make the mistake of pushing me.” I picked up the newspaper and looked at the headlines, knowing she was staring hard at my face.

“Are you going to Milan today?”

“Yes.”

“Can I come along?”

I was keeping her under the radar for the time being. “No.”

“You want me to stay here all day?”

“Yes.”

She looked over the hillside, her hair moving slightly with the breeze.

“When I get home tonight, you’ll have dinner with me—and you’ll be wearing the lingerie that Dante will set on your bed.” I looked up and waited for an argument, wondering if she would defy me. Last night, she took all of my cock inside her small mouth, saliva dripping everywhere as she fought the urge to gag. I’d never forget the erotic scene, the way she looked into my eyes as she took the skull-pounding.

She didn’t make an argument. “I hope you will make better use of me as time goes on. If I sit around all day, I’ll get fat.”

“Which is why you need to exercise every day.”

“Working out every day is unnatural. I won’t do it.” She drank her coffee then cut into her omelet. “I’d rather be on my feet all day doing something. I could always help you at the studio, even when you aren’t using my body for a new design. I’m a smart girl with a lot of potential.”

“Do smart girls get mixed up in the mess you made?” I said coldly.

Her eyes narrowed. “My brother’s actions were out of my control.”

“But everything that came after that was in your control.” My biggest fear was something happening to my sister. Vanessa was so beautiful that even I couldn’t deny it. She had the elegance of a queen and the smile of a supermodel. Anytime I made a friend growing up, they were always smitten with her.

It was fucking annoying.

My life would be so much easier if she were ugly.

What if a man wanted her the way I wanted Sapphire—and he was just as evil and controlling?

She shook her head slightly, her gaze cold. “I refuse to apologize for the things that happened to me. I refuse to be blamed as a victim. Outnumbered with no resources, there was very little I could have done. I don’t judge myself, and neither should you.”

“I never said I judge you. But you had another choice…you just didn’t see it.” I could make any problem go away with the snap of my fingers. If she’d confided in me, perhaps my wallet would be a little heavier right now.

“My offer still stands. I want to be useful in other ways.”

If Dante hadn’t served me for the past decade, I would replace him with her. But I wouldn’t take anything away from him. He not only took care of my home, but he kept my secrets. This strange woman was living with me now, and he never once asked about her. It was none of his business, and he knew it. “If I think of anything, I’ll let you know.”

“I can still do modeling…”

“No.” I turned back to the newspaper and found a new article. The last time she hit the stage, she ignited the world’s obsession. Men couldn’t stop gawking at her, eyeing her like a piece of meat. My muse was special to me, essential to my work. I didn’t want to share her with anyone.

She didn’t ask again. “Are you a rider?”

“In what context?” The corner of my mouth rose in a smile.

“Of horses.”

I looked up to see her eyeing the stables and the beautiful mares that stood in the sectioned-off pasture. They were magnificent beasts, collections rather than resources. “Rarely.”

“Then what do you keep them for?”

“Because I can do whatever I want with my money.” I took another bite of my food.

Her eyes narrowed. “You may own me, but I won’t put up with an asshole.”

“And I won’t put up with someone who questions me.”

“I’m not questioning you. I’m simply asking you a question. It’s how conversations work…unless you’ve never had one before.” She brought the mug to her mouth but didn’t take a drink. “Which wouldn’t surprise me.”

I hid my grin as best I could, making sure my face remained hard and stoic. I admired her no-bullshit attitude and wit. She got herself stuck in shitty situations, but she certainly had the spunk to get out of them. She never gave up, and she retained as much dignity as she could in the process. Even when she was on her knees in front of me, obeying me because she was my property, I couldn’t help but respect her.

There was something about her.

“Why do you have horses?” she repeated.

“I enjoy looking at them. That’s it.”

She stared at the stables and the horses in the grass. “Can I go into the stables and ride them?”

“You can do whatever you want on the property.”

“Really?” she asked in surprise.

“I already said that. Marco is the stables master. Tell him what you want, and he’ll make it happen.”

She finished half her food then occupied her time by staring at the horses. I had a wide variety, from a jet-black mare to an Appaloosa. All of them were unique and beautiful. I didn’t show them at contests or ride them often. But they were nice trophies. They had considerable land to roam, and they were taken care of on a daily basis. “I’ve always loved horses but never had a chance to spend time with them.”

I watched her stare over the land at the wild beasts. There was excitement and vigor in her expression, a kind that made her soft features even more beautiful. The sun hit her face at the right angle, making her eyes shine bright like two jewels.

Instead of reading my paper, I decided to look at her.

---

Anastasia was gone, and now I had the place all to myself. There were four different units inside the building, but I’d bought them all just so I wouldn’t have to deal with the hassle of having neighbors. I didn’t want anyone to see me in the hallway or in the stairway. I wanted this building to be completely mine, covered in the tightest security. I didn’t have a lot of enemies, but if I ever did get one, I wanted to be ready.

Nicole had sent me all the paperwork for the sales the past week. We’d managed to get distribution to the European nations, but for America, all the pieces they saw in the show were on preorder.

But those numbers had spiked.

It was the highest sales week of my career.

And I’d been doing this for a long time.

I was the one who created the designs my customers fell in love with, but Muse was the one who sparked my creativity. From her beautiful hips to her tiny waist, she was more perfect than any woman ever painted across a canvas. She elicited desires from deep inside me, brought a new wave of sensuality over my body. I was already a sexual man with a large appetite, but she made me hungrier than I’d ever been.

The only reason why I didn’t fuck her was because my dick ached to be in her mouth. I saw her sitting on the floor in her lingerie, and my cock was desperate to pierce those luscious lips. My tongue was anxious to see how she tasted, to know if she was as sweet as she looked.

But tonight, I wouldn’t wait.

I would take her virginity—because I paid for it.

The doorbell rang, and I knew exactly who was paying me a visit. I walked into the main room and opened the solid black door.

Carter stepped inside. “You got time to talk?”

“You know I never have time.” I shut the door behind him and walked to the bar. “What do you want?”

“I’m your cousin. I don’t need a reason to stop by.”

I poured two glasses of scotch then handed him one. “Keep telling yourself that until you believe it.”

He took a long drink before he set the glass on the table. “So are you going to tell me the whole story, or am I going to have to drag it out of you?”

“The second one.” I sat on the black leather couch and held my glass by the rim.

“I was hoping you would say that.” He fell back onto the other couch, wearing a black leather jacket with dark jeans. “So, what the fuck happened? I sent Anastasia home, and now I have Marisa staying at my place. I wouldn’t mind, but since I can’t fuck her, I’m not sure what to do with her.”

“You can do other things with a woman besides fuck her.”

“Not things that are fun.”

I didn’t fuck Muse last night, and it was certainly fun.

“So what the fuck, Conway? What’s going on?”

“My muse had been captured and was being sold at the Underground. One of the guys from the Chainsaw Yankees was there, and he had his eyes set on her. He’s a sick asshole, so I did what I had to do—I bought her.”

“So you bought two women?”

“Yep.” I took a drink, letting the liquid fill my belly.

“How much did you pay for her?”

“Doesn’t matter.” I brushed it off, knowing he would flip out if I told him the truth. “Now she’s mine. She’s no longer my model or my employee—she’s just mine. I’ll keep her at my place and use her for designs…among other things.”

“Like a slave?” He cocked an eyebrow.

“She’s willing.”

“Really?” he asked. “Because you’re rich?”

“Because she has nowhere else to go. If she runs, Knuckles will get her. She’s in so much debt that she can’t return to America. Her only other option is living on the street and hoping Knuckles doesn’t find her. Being my slave is a much better option.”

“How much did you pay for her?”

I ignored the question altogether.

His eyes narrowed. “The more you don’t answer, the more I want to know.”

“Because you’re a child.”

“Fine.” When he set his glass on the table, it made a deep thud. “You know I can get that information elsewhere—and I will.”

Now that he wouldn’t let it go, I decided to rip the bandage off. “A hundred.”

“A hundred thousand?” he asked in surprise. “Seems like she’d sell for a couple million, at least.”

“No…hundred million.”

His earlier surprise didn’t compare to his look now. His jaw dropped, and his brown eyes deepened in color. With disbelief in his eyes, he stared at me like he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. For the first time, Carter Barsetti was speechless. “Are you fucking insane?”

“Knuckles pushed me.”

“And why didn’t you just let him win?”

I knew what would happen to her if I didn’t step up. A short life of brutal rape and torture would be all she ever knew. A woman like that had so much potential to be something more. My muse didn’t deserve to die like that. She was too valuable. I couldn’t let something so beautiful just die. “I need her.”

“There’s a thousand other women that can take her place. She’s hot, but there are other fish in the sea.”

“She helps me with my designs. That fashion show was the biggest one I’d ever done. Those designs grossed over twenty million dollars…in just the first week. There are other fish in the sea, but nothing compared to her.”

He ran his fingers through his hair, still processing my announcement. “Conway, no woman is worth that much money. This is about more than just work.”

“It’s not.”

“Yes, it is,” he snapped. “Does this woman mean something to you?”

“She only means something to my work and my dick.”

He shook his head. “Now what? She just lives with you forever?”

“I keep her until I get all my use out of her. After that, I don’t know. When she begins to age, Knuckles won’t want her anymore. So she can walk away then.”

“So she’s your private slave?” he said. “Even though our entire family opposes it.”

“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.

I watched her eat, fascinated by the way her mouth moved. She didn’t smear her bright red lipstick or make a single smacking sound with her mouth. When her mouth was full of my come, she’d had to swallow a few times before she could get it all down. It was impossible for me not to think about that moment whenever I looked at that tiny mouth. “You’re right. It is.”

Utensils tapped against the plate as we ate in mutual silence. I’d never had a woman over here for dinner before. I’d never had a woman over here at all, actually. When I picked up women on the town, I always used my place in Milan. Out here in the countryside, it was my time to be alone. But I didn’t want to keep Muse in the city, not when there was nothing for her to do. She would just stare out the window like a lonely cat. Here, she had the entire world at her feet.

Her pretty voice broke the silence. “How was work?”

I spent most of my day crunching numbers and going over the schedule for the next few months. The most daunting task was finding a replacement for my most famous model. I hadn’t even begun to deal with that nightmare. “That line of lingerie I debuted is selling all over the world. We didn’t meet the distribution deadline for America, so people are only getting the option to preorder. But I’ve never seen so many people preorder my fashion before. My brand has been propelled to a new level. It’s exciting…but a bit terrifying at the same time.”

“Terrifying how?” She cut into her fish and kept eating. She usually paired her bites with a bit of her salad. She didn’t touch her bread.

I dazzled the world with my creations, showed the world a line of fashion that women would die for. Men wanted to cover their mistresses with only the finest lingerie, and women wanted to be adored in the fabric. People weren’t just obsessed with my new model—but everything that she inspired. Now they would wait anxiously for my next collection. “How will I top that?”

“How long have you been doing this?”

“Nearly a decade.” I sipped the white wine, the bottle that Dante had recommended to me. He was knowledgeable about everything when it came to food. He was also a great manager, making sure the rest of the staff fulfilled their responsibilities on a daily basis. He was rewarded handsomely with a salary people would kill for.

“Then you’ve done it before.”

“But I’ve never made this kind of a splash. Barsetti Lingerie has always been known for its premium luxury. It’s always been a recognized brand. If my name is on it, you know it’s quality. But now my name is famous in a different stratosphere. It’s attracting attention in a whole new way. My sales have suggested I’m more than just popular. Now that I’ve raised the expectations, anything less than absolutely perfect won’t be enough. I can’t disappoint my critics, my customers.”

She finished her fish and then rested her fingers around the stem of her glass. “You won’t.”

I didn’t deserve her confidence. She didn’t know me well enough.

“You won’t because you care too much. You won’t release your next designs until you’re absolutely certain they will kill. And I can help you with that. Like I said, I want to be of use to you…since you saved my life.”

I loved hearing her gratitude. She hated this situation because all of her freedom had been stripped away, but she was grateful for it at the exact same time. Without me, her fate would have been terrible. Now I had an obedient woman that I didn’t even need to chain. I didn’t see her a slave—not when she was indebted to me. “You will be of use to me, Muse. You can count on it.”

---

I shut the door behind me then pressed my chest into her back. The halter top dress she wore revealed the gorgeous skin of her back. I pulled her hair over one shoulder and kissed her bare skin, tasting her sweetness. It was nothing compared to the erotic taste between her legs, but I enjoyed it all the same.

I kissed the shell of her ear and slowly moved my hands underneath the short dress she wore. I felt her soft skin, my callused fingertips gently caressing her. I moved across her belly button and then slid farther up, anxious to feel those perky tits. I’d seen her completely naked only once. That was when she’d stood on the stage at the Underground. I didn’t feel an ounce of arousal then because I was too pissed she was up there in the first place.

She was mine.

But now it was just the two of us.

She was my muse.

My fantasy.

I untied the string around her neck and let the dress come loose. It slowly fell forward, slipping down her body until her tits were revealed. My hands slid over her dress until I felt the curve of her tits. I pressed my mouth to her ear and breaths as I cupped each one, feeling their firmness. My fingers squeezed hard, her tits filling out my large hands perfectly. I felt her nipples harden in response, gentle bumps forming on her creamy white skin. I squeezed them again as I stared down at her body, my cock harder than it’d ever been before. “My muse…” My thumbs flicked over her nipples, and then I kissed her neck.

She was fucking perfect.

I had stared at her gorgeous figure under the bright lights of the stage. I’d studied the way her body moved, the way her hips shook as she paraded across the room like a queen. But now she was physically in my hands—and she was my property.

I pulled the dress back over her head, and she lifted her arms in cooperation. Her breathing had picked up. I could see it in the way her chest rose and fell. The muscles of her back were all tight in anticipation. Her lips were slightly parted so she could draw in more breath.

I dropped the dress on the ground.

Now she stood in her heels and the thong, her round ass perfect for a slap. My hands trailed down her back, my finger feeling the ridges over her spine. I followed the steep curve and reached her luscious behind. My finger hooked into her panties.

I didn’t know how I would take her. I wanted to fuck her in every way imaginable, but for the first time, I wanted it to be good. I wanted her legs spread underneath me, every inch of my dick buried inside her. I wanted to give her every drop of come, to take away her innocence and make her feel like a real woman.

My hands shook just thinking about it.

Paying that kind of dough for her was a hit, even for me. But now that I felt her tremble at my touch, I knew she was worth every penny. Not only would I have her now, but I would have her all I wanted—as long as I wanted. She was a treasure I wouldn’t share with anyone else. She was exclusively mine.

I pulled her panties down, tugging them down her tanned skin and over the huge curve of her ass. Slowly, I removed them, dragging them down her thighs. I lowered to my knees at the same time, undressing her slowly. My lips kissed each of her cheeks and the backside of her thighs until I helped her step out of the thong.

That’s when I spotted the pussy juice in her panties.

She was wet for me.

I rose back to my feet, a maniacal smile on my face. She could pretend she was only here because she had to be, but she couldn’t pretend not to be attracted to me. She fought the urge to come as some kind of silent protest, but that hadn’t worked. Her body wanted me as much as mine wanted hers. I felt the connection anytime I touched her. And now that I’d rescued her, dropped a bunch of change to own her, she respected my power.

Now my dick was a little thicker.

I slowly turned her around so we were face-to-face, spotting the redness in her cheeks. Her slender shoulders led to an even more slender neck. Her body was endless curves, soft skin, and pure beauty.

I could stare at her all day.

I slowly backed her up to the bed, my dick eager to be inside that slick pussy for the first time. I was already possessive of her, but I knew my attachment would only intensify once I’d fucked her.

She moved with me, her hands gliding to my chest. Once the back of her knees hit the bed, she was supposed to scoot up onto the mattress. But instead, she leaned in to kiss me.

I pulled my face away, never allowing her lips to touch mine.

She stilled at the cold rejection, her eyes shifting back and forth in alarm. Her hands slowly slid down my body and stopped at my stomach.

“I don’t kiss.” My hand moved up her back, directly over her spine.

“Why?”

I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it on the floor without taking my eyes off her. Her bust was large in comparison to her petite rib cage. Every time she breathed, her tits seemed to swell. When she held herself with perfect posture, it made her body that much more hypnotic. Her waist curved in before it lengthened into the wide hips I loved to grab. I wanted to drag my lips all over her body. “I just don’t.” I grabbed her plump ass and set her on the bed.

Now the sexy expression was gone from her eyes. She didn’t look at me with desire, the way she did when my dick was in her mouth. The look she gave me was completely different, like I’d just sucked all her spirit away. “Why?” She repeated the same question a second time, demanding an answer even though she couldn’t demand anything from me.

“Doesn’t matter.” I dropped my jeans and my boxers then moved on top of her on the bed. I scooted her toward the pillows so I would have plenty of room to fold her underneath me.

“It matters to me.” She pressed her hand against my chest, like the action could somehow steady me.

“When you kiss and fuck, it’s lovemaking. When you just fuck, it’s fucking. I don’t do lovemaking.”

“So you never kiss anyone?”

“Never.” I liked the way her hair was spread out around her, stretching outward across the bedspread. Her blue eyes were bright like the diamonds that had just covered her body. She was tense with fear, and I liked that she was afraid.

“Do you not like it?”

“I love it. But I never want to feel anything. I like not feeling anything at all.”

“Why don’t you want to feel anything?”

I came in here to fuck her, to claim my reward for saving her life. I wasn’t in the mood for chitchat. “Enough with the talking.” I spread her legs with my thighs and tilted her hips until she was angled perfectly underneath me. I could barely keep my breathing even because I finally had this woman spread underneath me, ready to be fucked good and hard. I wanted to stretch her and make her bleed for the first time.

She tensed underneath me, consternation spreading over her face. She didn’t move with me the way she did the other night. She gripped my arms hard to steady herself. She wasn’t fluid and free. She wouldn’t even look at me.

I pressed my crown to her entrance and pushed gently.

“Conway…”

I ignored her and kept pressing, trying to push into her tight entrance. But she was so tight I couldn’t break through. It would take work for me to sink inside. But the wait would be worth it. Feeling her resistance was only a turn-on. Untouched and innocent, her body wasn’t used to taking a man.

“I…I don’t want this.”

I looked into her eyes, watching the fear grow inside.

“I want it to be different. I want it to be mean something.”

I kept my dick pressed against her, but I didn’t try to push farther inside. “I don’t care what you want. I bought you—and I can do whatever I want.”

“Conway, please. I’ve been waiting my whole life for the right guy. I know he isn’t you…but I don’t want it to be like this. I want you to touch me, to kiss me, for it to be gentle and slow. I know it’s stupid—”

“It is stupid. People think losing their virginity is supposed to be a magical experience. It’s usually not. It’s awkward, bumpy, and painful. There was never going to be a Prince Charming to make your first time any different. Why should I?” I saw her as a physical possession, something I’d spent a fortune on. She was the key to my success, to making me the greatest designer the world would ever see. My lingerie would still thrive even long after I was gone.

She kept her legs open, but her eyes showed her disappointment. “I know you saved my life. I know you paid a fortune for me. I know I should just shut up and take it…but you’re keeping me for the rest of your life. I guess it’s just one favor I want to ask.”

“You think you’re in any position to ask for favors?” My dick was hard, and I was horny as fuck. I should have sunk inside her by now. I should be surrounded by her warm tightness. I should be ramming her right this second, getting off to the incredible pussy that tasted amazing.

Defeat finally entered her eyes. “Fine…” She widened her legs farther, surrendering to me completely. The argument was finally over, and she was ready for me to take her exactly how I wanted.

As hard as I was, I hated that look in her eyes. I hated her disappointment. It hurt me in ways I couldn’t explain. I should just use her the way I promised I would, but something held me back. I wasn’t a good guy and never claimed to be one, so there was no guilty conscience stopping me.

But I couldn’t do it.

I wanted to fuck her so goddamn bad.

But I didn’t.

I growled under my breath then got off her, all the muscles in my body flexed with fury. My arousal had given away to rage, and I wanted to punch a hole in the wall since I wasn’t getting what I wanted.

I grabbed my boxers from the floor and pulled them on. I didn’t bother putting on my jeans. Instead, I snatched them off the floor and threw them over my shoulder. I marched out of her room and headed to my bedroom at the very end of the hallway.

I slammed the door harder than I meant to.

My master bedroom had a living room with a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the rest of my land. There was a large fireplace in the corner, perfect for the nights when the fog settled over the grass. Sometimes I read by the fire, but most of the time, I just drank. I tossed my pants on the couch and headed into the bedroom where my king-size bed lay. There was a fireplace in there too, along with a walk-in closet and an enormous bathroom.

My dick was so hard I thought it might explode.

Unless I jerked off, it wasn’t going anywhere.

I was disappointed in myself for listening to my slave, treating her like she had rights or something. But I was also turned on as fuck that she had this invisible power over me. She had the ability to make requests when no one else did. No one else could get away with that shit. If anyone else had been bought for a hundred million dollars to save their life, they wouldn’t dare pull a stunt like that.

But she did.

I pulled my boxers down again, ready to jerk off so I could release the buildup of anger, frustration, and immense arousal.

But Muse stepped into my room.

The diamond lingerie was back on her body. Her hair was pulled over one shoulder, and she was in the five-inch heels that made her ass even perkier. Her blue eyes were on me, deeply apologetic.

Then she lowered herself to her knees.

Right in front of me.

She rested her hands on her thighs and tilted her chin up to look at me. “Let me make it up to you…sir.”

---

I worked from my office at home the following day, and the view from my window showed the stables. It was a beautiful day outside, and the sun was so bright that looking over the grounds was a slight strain on the eyes.

After several hours at my desk, I went downstairs to grab a banana from the kitchen. I took breakfast in my office to avoid Sapphire. She made up for her abstinence by giving me a great blow job, but I was still pissed I’d come in her mouth instead of her pussy or ass.

“Anything else, sir?” Dante asked.

I peeled the banana and took a few bites. “Yes. I want a gynecologist to come by the house and see Sapphire. Make it happen.”

Like always, Dante didn’t ask any questions. “Of course, sir.”

“Where is she, anyway?”

“Last time I checked, she was at the stables.”

“Really?” I finished my banana and tossed the peel in the garbage. When we had breakfast together the other morning, she’d seemed particularly interested in the horses. Now I wondered if she was riding them.

“Would you like a ride there, sir?” Dante asked. “I can bring the golf cart around.”

“That won’t be necessary.” A walk across the field in the sunshine would do me some good anyway. There was no better feeling than experiencing the hot sun right on my skin on a beautiful day like this. My art took place indoors, and it didn’t matter how big my windows were, being inside didn’t compare to direct sunlight.

I walked across the terrace then took the path that guided me to the stables along the outside. The horses perked up when they noticed me, their ears pointing to the sky and their eyes on me. They turned their heads slightly to look at me.

My black stallion trotted toward me across the grass, his beautiful mane flowing back in the wind. He started walking with me along the fence, his black eyes the same color as his deep-colored hair.

I leaned over the fence and rested my elbows against the wood. “Hey, boy.”

A quiet snort came from his nose as he approached me.

“I don’t have any apples, Carbine.”

He smelled my hands as he searched for food, his hot breath flowing over me in powerful waves.

“Let me check in the stables.” I rubbed the front of his muzzle and then scratched him behind both ears. “But your belly is getting a little big. Not sure if you need it.”

He neighed like he understood me.

I gave his flank a playful pat before I walked away.

Carbine continued to follow me along the fence, his hooves hitting the soil with gentle thuds. His tail shifted from left to right, and a small snort escaped his nose every few seconds.

Marco stepped out of the stables in boots and a Stetson. “Carbine misses you.”

I glanced at him one more time before I turned away from the fence and approached the tables. “He’s a good horse.”

“He is when he’s separated from the mares,” Marco said with a laugh. “What brings you down here, sir?”

“I was told my guest was down here.”

“Sapphire?”

I didn’t even like hearing another man call her by name, but I swallowed my annoyance. “Yes.”

“She’s been grooming the horses and feeding them all morning. She’s really taken a liking to the horses. And the horses seemed just as interested in her as she is in them.” He gripped the brim of his hat and adjusted it as he walked beside me. His brown boots were covered with dust, and his skintight jeans made him look like the perfect rancher. He took me into the shade of the stables and away from the summer heat. “How about a ride?”

“Not today.” I looked around the stalls and saw Sapphire standing at the very end with an Appaloosa tied up to the stall. She was brushing his flank with a thick brush, cleaning the outer coat to keep the beast cooler in the warm sun. Dante must have given her clothes to wear, because she was in skintight denim jeans, boots, and a collared shirt.

She was a hot cowgirl.

I held up my hand and silently dismissed Marco.

He read the signal correctly and walked to the other side of the tables. Like Dante, he didn’t ask any questions about my guest. Whether she was a prisoner or not, it wasn’t his concern.

I approached Sapphire from behind. “You’re pretty good at that.”

She looked over her shoulder at the sound of my voice, slightly startled because she hadn’t expected me to be standing there. “Thanks…Marco has shown me a few things.”

I moved to the head of the horse and rubbed her along her snout. “Dante told me you’ve been out here all morning.”

She turned her gaze back to her work, running the brush along the horse. She took long strokes, digging up the loose hair and removing it from the horse’s flank. The horse was surprisingly docile for the fact that Sapphire wasn’t Marco, the person she was used to. Sapphire was a complete stranger, but she didn’t seem to mind. “Yeah. I asked if I could help out, and he’s teaching me a few things. It’s better than sitting around all day. Besides, I like the horses.” She kept her eyes on her work, probably to avoid contact after the tense night we had. She’d gotten on her knees and sucked my dick in apology, and I allowed it to happen because she was too damn sexy to turn down. She didn’t gag and swallowed all of my come like last time—then she let herself out.

I watched her hand go across the animal’s back. Because of her height, she struggled to reach the very top, where the horse’s spine curved inward. I grabbed the wooden step from the closet then set it on the ground in front of here. “Here.”

She stepped up and was instantly a foot taller. “Wow, so this is what it’s like to be you…”

I was still a few inches taller than her. “Almost.”

She reached forward, using the horse for balance as she stretched across to get the untouched patches. “Marco said I need to get to know the horses before I ride them. They’ll get used to me, and I’ll get used to them. Then there shouldn’t be as many problems.”

“It’s a good idea.”

She finished brushing the beast before she stepped back down the ladder. Her collared shirt was tucked in, showing off her sexy waistline. The skintight jeans showed the outline of her long and toned legs. Whether she was naked or fully clothed, she looked stunning. “Anything I can help you with?”

“You’re having lunch with me.”

“When?” She carried the brush to the sink and rinsed it of the horsehair that had been collected during grooming. Even when she had to lean over the sink, she kept her shoulders back and her posture perfect. Now the action was programmed into her spine.

“Thirty minutes.”

“You aren’t working today?”

“It’s Saturday.”

“Then where were you this morning?”

My eyes narrowed at the question. Since she was my slave, she wasn’t entitled to ask any questions. No matter how many times I laid down the law, she never seemed to get it. So I refused to answer the question, my silence clear enough.

She rolled her eyes and looked at the sink again.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?”

“Yes. It was pretty clear.”

After the bullshit stunt she’d pulled last night, I couldn’t believe she had the audacity to test the limits. Maybe I shouldn’t have shown an ounce of compassion. Maybe I should have just fucked her without thinking twice about it. “I can get you on your back any second, Muse. Don’t push me.”

She turned off the water then turned her blue gaze on me. “I don’t think you have it in you—and that’s something you should be proud of.”

---

She changed into a sundress before she joined me for lunch on the terrace. Dante positioned the umbrella so we were completely in the shade. Not only was the sun hot that afternoon, but the humidity was high. The summers in the countryside were breathtaking, something I would never get used to. But I would never be a fan of the wet heat.

My villa reminded me of my childhood home. That was why I’d bought it. It wasn’t situated in western Tuscany, though. I was much farther north and closer to the east. Sometimes in the winter, I received a bit of snow. But in Florence and Tuscany, snow didn’t exist.

Muse sipped her iced tea then broke off a piece of bread from the basket. She was hungrier than usual, probably because she’d been on her feet in the stables all morning. She wasn’t leisurely riding the horses around, but being active in their grooming and feeding. If she did that every day, I guess I wouldn’t care if she didn’t use the gym.

She took a few bites then drank her iced tea again, pretending everything was perfectly alright between the two of us.

I stared at her with my intense expression, watching every little movement she made as I waited for her to look at me. My gaze was piercing, hot like a bullet just fired from the barrel. There was no mistaking that she felt it. Anyone this close to me would feel it.

She finally lifted her gaze. “It’s hard to enjoy my lunch when you stare at me like that.”

“Good.” That was the point.

“How would you feel if I stared at you like that?”

“I’d encourage it.” Despite her confidence and elegance, she would never hold my gaze with the same unflinching focus.

She popped another piece of bread into her mouth and chewed as she lifted her eyes and looked at me. She held my gaze with the same cool confidence, not blinking and not challenged.

But that wouldn’t last long.

It was easy for me to stare at her because I found her to be the most sexually alluring thing on the planet. Everything about her, from her thick eyelashes to the fullness of her lips, got me off. If I were to paint a picture of the perfect woman, she was what I would paint. And her false attempts to meet my intimidation was simply laughable.

Time stretched on. Neither one of us backed down.

“I’m going to fuck you sometime this week. That’s all the time I’m giving you.” I couldn’t give her all the time in the world. If I gave her too much power, then she would know she could push me. I didn’t give anyone any leverage over me, and I shouldn’t have given her a voice at all. But I had—and now we were here. I was negotiating with a woman I’d spent a hundred million dollars on.

It was ridiculous.

She finally broke eye contact, the subject of the conversation obviously striking a nerve.

I knew she would cave.

“If you think you can keep postponing it indefinitely, that’s not going to happen. Maybe I’m not evil, but I’m not good either. My patience is very thin, and I’m already frustrated by your lack of cooperation. It seems like you’ve forgotten what I’ve done for you…”

“I never will.” Her voice escaped as a whisper, nearly as quiet as the breeze. “I am grateful…even if I don’t show it in the way you want.”

“I want to start collecting on your debt—now.”

She grabbed another piece of bread and tore it into two pieces. Then she ripped the pieces into more pieces, playing with the freshly baked bread rather than enjoying it. “If I were in a different circumstance, it would be easy. But since I’m not…it’s a little more difficult.”

“That’s not my problem.” Her lack of experience had nothing to do with me. It only made me feel a little less angry for spending so much money on her. At least she was untouched. Having a gorgeous virgin wasn’t common.

“Well, I don’t want it to be this cold and robotic thing.”

“Well, I don’t do romance. So, what do you expect?”

“I need something more.” She lifted her gaze to look at me. “When we worked together at the studio, you kissed me on the shoulder and the neck…”

“I can do that again.” And I intended to. I knew she liked it. I could feel her tighten underneath me at my touch.

“You were gentle and it felt good. That’s what I want.”

I could do that—one time. “Done.”

“But…I want you to kiss me.”

Not this bullshit again. “I made my position on that very clear.”

“And I want you to change it.”

My hand closed into a fist, pissed that she would make any kind of demand from me. “Too bad.”

“I don’t understand, Conway. You can fuck me but not kiss me?”

“Kissing is innately romantic. It’s definitely a lot more romantic than two people fucking and getting off. That’s all I want from you, to fuck you whenever I want, come inside you, and then go on with my life. I don’t want to pause and take the time to kiss you.”

Her expression slowly hardened into annoyance. “Well, that’s not what I want for my first time. I can’t screw a man without at least kissing him. It makes me feel like I don’t know you. I feel something when you hold me and kiss my neck…but I need more than that. You’re acting like I’m asking you for money or something. I’m not asking for much.”

“Yes, you are,” I snapped. “You’re asking for a lot more than you realize.”

“How long do you intend to keep me?”

My body tensed at the mere suggestion of letting her go. “Until you die.”

She smirked slightly, trying not to laugh. “I’m not going to look the same in fifteen years.”

“I have to squeeze every penny out of you.” No matter how many new designs I released, it would take forever to make back that money I spent.

“And if that’s the case, then we should make this relationship as positive as possible.”

“It’s not a relationship. You’re my property.”

“And what about friendship? Trust? You don’t want those things?”

I clenched my jaw slightly, refusing to answer.

“I’m telling you what I need to make this work.” She leaned forward, her long hair falling over one shoulder. “I’m not going to lie, I’m attracted to you, Conway. I’ve looked at you many times and wanted to kiss you. The idea of spending the rest of my life in a mansion in Italy with a gorgeous man to protect me is a dream come true in many ways…since I don’t have any other options. It’s sad for me to think about it that way, but it’s true. Out there in the real world, I have nothing. I can never go back to America because I’ll never make enough money to live. Even if I get a job, the government will take my checks to pay back the loan I’ll never repay…plus interest. I have a psychopath that will make good on his word the second he has a chance. This is all I have. So I’d rather make it as good as possible. For that to happen, I need to be connected to you. I’m not talking about falling in love or even romance…just human affection. I’m basically your mistress…treat me like your mistress.”

I considered what she said and had a difficult time arguing against it. She was my willing prisoner, so I never had to worry about her running off. She wanted me the way I wanted her, but she needed different terms. I didn’t need to treat her like a slave because she wasn’t one. She was my fantasy, a fantasy I would never have to lose. So I might as well give her what she wanted to make it as enjoyable as possible. Because she was right—this was a lifetime commitment. She wouldn’t just be one of the women in my bed, but the key to my artistic success. The more I enjoyed her, the better designer I would become. “I’ll consider it.”

She tilted her head slightly. “What’s the big deal, Conway?”

“I can’t afford to let the sex turn into something more.”

“Because…?”

“My designs are fueled by masculine sexuality. Men just want to fuck, to feel kingly by being in between a woman’s legs. They aren’t interested in lovemaking or romance. That’s why my lingerie is so prized. It speaks of that innate and carnal desire. So I keep my sexual encounters exactly the same—as nothing but fucking.”

She listened to me in silence, her head still slightly tilted. “And you don’t think it would be smart to broaden your audience more? Not all men are only interested in fucking a woman and walking away. There are some men out there stupidly in love with the person they’re with.”

A few. Not many. “Trust me, that’s not what most men want.”

“So you’ve never made love to a woman?”

I’d known what I wanted in life at a very young age. Romance had never interested in me. There was so much beauty between a man and a woman having a purely physical encounter. It allowed more passion, knowing they would only have one night together. They wanted to make it last before the sun rose the following morning. “No.”

“You’ve never been in love?” she asked incredulously.

“No.” Nor would I ever.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“And you’ve never met anyone that’s meant something to you?”

The only person who stole my complete focus was sitting across from me at that very moment. “No.”

She finally turned her gaze away, looking at her food. “That’s sad…”

“You haven’t met anyone that’s meant something to you either.”

“But I want to.”

The idea of her falling for some guy immediately ticked me off. “Now you never will—as long as you’re mine.”

Her eyes moved up again, this time with disappointment.

I didn’t feel bad for what I said. For one hundred million dollars and her life, she would give up her romantic freedom.

She suddenly set her napkin on the table, her food only half eaten. Then she stood up and walked away, leaving me to enjoy my lunch alone.

“Sit.”

She halted in her tracks but didn’t move back to the chair. She slowly turned to me, her blue eyes bright like the ocean. “If you want me to feel connected to you, you need to stop bossing me around—and treat me with respect.”

She was asking for too much. “I’ve already given you respect. You said no—and I listened. Choose your battles wisely, Muse. You can’t win them all.” She might be able to get bits and pieces from me, but not everything. I wasn’t a pushover.

She rested her hand on the back of the chair and then changed her mind. She sat down again, lowering herself with perfect grace as well as a slight purse of her lips. She obeyed when she didn’t want to, but it was a wise decision.

She couldn’t have everything.