I showered after working in the stables all day. It was particularly humid that day, so sweat was smeared between my breasts and along the back of my neck. No amount of ice water could keep me cool, so when I’d finally walked into the air-conditioned house, relief had washed over me.
I stepped out of the shower and dried my hair, expecting to have dinner in our bedroom or in the dining room. I’d been thinking about my conversation with Andrew all day, trying to wrap my mind around that kind of money.
It was so much.
More than I could even fathom.
Even if I had that kind of money, what would I do with it? Conway was my only friend in the entire world, so he was the person I would turn to for advice. As a courtesy, I should talk to him about what Andrew offered me before I took it. He had the right to know what was going on. And he might know something that I didn’t. Maybe Andrew was a bad man who wouldn’t treat me right.
Conway was the only man I trusted.
Conway appeared in the reflection of the bathroom mirror, his shirt and jeans gone. He stood in just his boxers, muscular and ripped. His eyes were on me, green and intense, burning a hole into me. He slowly approached me until his chest was against my back. Gripping my shoulders, he then pressed a small kiss to my neck, the kind of kiss he used to give me back when we hardly knew each other. “Have dinner with me tonight.”
“I have dinner with you every night.”
“But this time, we’re going out. Your dress is on the bed.”
I held his gaze in the mirror, my reflection showing my surprise. “We’re going out to eat?”
He nodded.
“Out of the house?” I asked incredulously.
He nodded again.
“We never leave the house.” The only time we did was when he had to work in Milan, and most of the time, he didn’t bring me along. One of the rare times we’d left was when we visited his parents in southern Italy.
A handsome grin stretched across his face. “I’m taking you somewhere nice here in Verona.”
“Wow…” I would finally get to see the city up close. I would finally see the Italian architecture and the historical footprint of this ancient city. Only in my wildest dreams had I thought I would ever be able to go sightseeing across Italy. But now, I actually could. When I wandered through the towns with just my backpack across my shoulders… Well, that was different. I slept under the stars and begged for food. It wasn’t exactly fun. “I’m excited.”
He kissed my shoulder again. “Be ready in thirty minutes.”
The city of Verona was just a ten-minute drive from home. At sunset, it was beautiful. The unique rooftops and the winding river that moved through it made it prettier than a picture. The cobblestone streets and the architecture made it far more beautiful than any photograph could ever capture.
Conway found a parking spot, and then we walked across the street to the restaurant. He moved his arm around my waist as he guided me forward, wearing jeans and a collared shirt with the top button opened. Sunglasses were still on his nose, but once we approached the restaurant, he tucked them into his shirt.
Conway spoke to the host in Italian. It was one of the rare times I’d heard him speak his native tongue. When he was around me, he always used English. He used English at work too, probably because a lot of the models were from America.
We were guided to a table on the patio. A white candle was lit on the table, and it was close enough to the street that we could see other people walk by. But I noticed there were no other guests in the sectioned-off area. We were the only people there.
Conway pulled out my chair for me just as he did in front of his parents. Then he sat across from me and set his sunglasses on the table. His broad shoulders stretched his collared shirt, and the veins in his neck were beautiful and noticeable. Everything about him was perfect, from pretty eyes to his rugged jawline. He examined the wine menu, then set it aside, making his selection within ten seconds. Afterward, he turned to his menu.
I finally tore my gaze away from his good looks and stared at the menu, which was completely in Italian.
“Would you like me to pick something out for you?”
“Please. I trust your tastes.”
The corner of his mouth rose in a smile, but he didn’t lift his gaze from his menu. He looked at it for a moment longer before he set it down.
As if the waiter had been waiting for this very moment, he immediately appeared at Conway’s side.