I guided her back to the bed, clothes coming off as we went. I got her on the bed, moved between her legs, and finally slid my cock inside her.
And then I was gone.
I left early the next morning and drove to Milan.
I walked into my studio and sat there with a cup of coffee, staring at my sketchbook blankly, the pencil sitting on the paper. It was overcast that day, the first hint of fall reaching us. The days of brutal heat and humidity would start to dwindle, and as we moved into the fall, snow would arrive.
I drank my coffee and spun the pencil in my fingertips, having no inspiration whatsoever.
I was too pissed.
I fucked Muse last night—twice in a row. Then we lay in silence together before drifting off to sleep. We didn’t speak to each other. I didn’t dig into her for all the mistakes she’d made.
I stayed awake for a long time, staring at the ceiling and feeling her cuddled next to my side. I wanted to push her off me, but I also wanted to pull her closer. Two versions of myself existed, one that wanted to pack her bags and kick her out of my house, and another that wanted to keep burying myself between her legs every night.
Who would win?
Now, I sat there in my studio, silence surrounding me like a constant drum in the background. All the models were on vacation, visiting their families wherever they were from. Orders continued to pile in, and the media worshiped the designs I created. Now that Muse had told the world she loved me, I wondered if it changed the outcome of all my hard work.
Nicole walked inside, her clipboard tucked into the crook of her arm. “What are you doing here, Conway?”
“I own this building.” I didn’t need to give anyone an explanation.
Nicole brushed off my coldness. “I thought you were taking some time off.”
“I did. Now I’m ready to work again.”
Nicole came around the table and looked down at my blank sketch pad. Her eyes shifted back to me, full of accusation. “Doesn’t seem that way.”
No one spoke to me that way, but Nicole could get away with it—because she knew I’d be devastated if she ever left Barsetti Lingerie.
“Something on your mind?”
One thing. “No.”
Even though she knew I was lying, she didn’t push it. “How was Greece?”
Fucking perfect. I spent my afternoons sailing with Muse or exploring the small town. Our nights were spent fucking in the pool. The trip was short, but it was exactly what I wanted. But now I looked back on the memory with resentment. “Good.”
She set the clipboard on the table and looked through the papers. “I’m sure you’re aware that Sapphire made a very public declaration the other night. Not sure if it was staged or not, but the world loved it. Orders increased by an additional twenty-five percent.”
I slowly turned to her, wearing an incredulous look. “You’re fucking kidding me.”
“No.”
I slowly dragged my hands through my hair and down my face.
Nicole stood beside me in silence, giving me a moment to recover. “Isn’t that a good thing, Conway?”
“A good thing that this woman has this much power over me?” I snapped. “No, it’s not a good fucking thing.” I tossed my sketchbook off the table and onto the floor. The pencil rolled away then clanked when it hit the hardwood floor.
Nicole didn’t flinch, used to my violent outbursts. “She’s had this much power over you since the first day she walked in here. And she’s had the same power over the entire world.”
12
Sapphire
Conway was gone when I woke up the next morning. Since we’d been apart for days, I didn’t expect him to run off without saying two words to me. I called him, but he didn’t answer. And after five hours had passed, he still hadn’t called me back.
He was quiet when he got home yesterday, but I just assumed spending time with his family had taken a toll on him. They weren’t getting together for dinner and a celebration. They were preparing for a potential war. Tensions were high.
So, I gave him his space.
But I was hurt that he left for the entire day—and didn’t even call me back.
I worked in the stables all day then took a shower. The sun had been blocked by the clouds, so it wasn’t as warm as usual. It was a nice respite, but I still preferred the hot sun over a blanket of clouds.
When I got out of the shower, Conway finally walked through the door.
I sighed in relief when I saw his muscular build in a formfitting t-shirt. If he hadn’t returned in the next hour, I would have called him again. And if he didn’t answer, I wouldn’t have stopped calling until he picked up.