I still didn’t open my eyes, but I released a quiet protest. “Mmm…”
He hesitated. “You want me to stay?”
“Yes…”
“I’ve got a lot of work to do, Muse.” His hand moved into my hair.
That was when I finally opened my eyes. I stared at the sleepiness in his eyes, seeing his ruffled hair and rested expression. His tanned skin was such a pretty color, a color only a true Italian could acquire.
He gave me a slight smile before he got out of bed, his bare ass right in my line of sight.
Such a beautiful ass.
He changed into his swimsuit and grabbed his goggles before leaving the room.
I knew I should get up so I could have breakfast before I headed to work. And if I got up right now, I could watch him swim a bit. When those drops fell down his body, it was an arousing sight. It was even tastier than breakfast.
I sat on the terrace under the umbrella because it was already hot despite the morning sun. We were making our way into fall, but the heat hadn’t died away yet. I enjoyed my coffee as Conway completed his morning fitness routine. My phone was on the table even though the only person who ever contacted me was Vanessa.
Conway climbed out and dried off with a towel, water streaking down his hard physique. No matter the angle, he was chiseled and strong. His muscular shoulders led to cut arms, and his large pectoral muscles contrasted with his narrow hips. He was a perfect triangle, the ideal example of masculinity. Never in my life had I looked at a man and felt the kind of physical attraction I did for him. The second I saw him on TV, he became my celebrity crush. But now, I was the woman sleeping in his bed every night, the only woman in his life at the moment.
Life could be unpredictable.
He finished off by drying his hair with a towel before he joined me at the table.
The second his ass was in the seat, Dante appeared with breakfast platters. There was a baguette of fresh French bread, a side of fruit, and an egg white crepe with vegetables and marinara sauce. It was more carbs than he usually ate, so today must be a cheat day.
He’d definitely earned a cheat day.
He grabbed the newspaper and started reading.
I sipped my coffee and stared at him, enjoying the view of him sitting across from me.
When he felt my stare, he glanced up. “Yes?”
“Yes, what?”
“You’re staring.”
“So?”
His eyes flicked down again. “It’s rude.”
“It’s not rude when you do it?”
“It’s different.”
“No, it’s exactly the same. And I like to stare at you.” I held my coffee between my hands and took a sip. “You’re hot.”
His eyes moved up again, this time accompanied by a smile. “Hot?”
“Yeah.”
His grin quickly turned into an arrogant one. “I guess I should have put out this morning.”
“You should always put out.”
His smile dropped instantly, his eyes suddenly darkening in intensity. He stared at me for several heartbeats, his newspaper still open but forgotten.
I smiled then sipped my coffee again, loving the way I got under his skin so easily.
After another minute passed, he finally returned his gaze to his paper. “You aren’t working in the stables today.”
“I’m not?”
“No. You’re working with me in the studio.”
“I thought you had all your pieces ready?” I quipped.
“Well, I think I just got inspiration for another one.”
I set my coffee down as a small heat wave moved over my body. It had nothing to do with the coffee, but now it was too hot to hold. I ripped off a piece of bread and popped it into my mouth.
We fell into comfortable silence.
My phone rang.
I didn’t recognize the number on the screen. It wasn’t Andrew Lexington or Vanessa.
Conway didn’t look up from his newspaper.
I took the call. “Hi, this is Sapphire.”
“Hey, Sapphire.” Her deep voice came over the line, affectionate and warm. “It’s Pearl, Conway’s mother.”
My eyebrows shot up because I never expected her to call me. “Hello, Mrs. Barsetti. What a nice surprise.”
Conway lowered his newspaper as his eyes settled on me.
“Oh, call me Pearl,” she said with a laugh. “Mrs. Barsetti makes me feel old. I only let people call me that in public because my husband demands that’s how people address me…because he’s a psychopath.”
I laughed at the open way she spoke about her husband, in a teasing tone with an underlying seriousness. “Reminds me of Conway.”
She laughed at the joke I made about her son. “I didn’t realize how similar they were until he brought you around. Anyway, I’m in the area and wanted to know if you wanted to get lunch and do some shopping.”
Conway’s mother was asking to spend time with me. I froze on the spot because the question was totally unexpected. I couldn’t say no because that was rude, and I didn’t want to say no anyway. Now that I wasn’t his prisoner, just his girlfriend, it didn’t seem as deceitful. “Sure, I’d love to.”