“What are you smirking about?” Carter placed a cigar in his mouth and lit it. Smoke came from the tip and drifted into the air.
“Nothing. What’s new?”
“I haven’t gotten any new clients. But I deposited the cash for Anastasia into your account.”
“I saw that.”
“I’ll wait until I hear something new. At least we can have a break.”
I didn’t want to go back to the Underground. It was easy money, but after seeing Muse tied up there and naked, I didn’t want to step back inside. I had the money to get her out of there, but what about the others? They were sold into horrific lives and even more gruesome deaths. I never thought about it deeply until it came to Muse. Once I pictured her in chains, it started to feel real. “I’m not sure if I want to go back anyway.”
“Why?”
All I did was shake my head.
“I can’t show my face there. You know that.”
I sucked on my cigar.
“How’s your prisoner? My father told me she’s lovely.”
“Because she is lovely.” She was gorgeous, on the inside and the outside. Not once did she ask me to buy her expensive clothes or jewelry. In her free time, she worked in the stables and made herself useful. She tried to pay back the money I spent on her, even though it would take twenty lifetimes to do it. She was hardworking and honorable. She wasn’t afraid to have dirt under her nails or sweat on her chest.
The corner of his mouth rose in a smile. “And he mentioned you had a little make-out session with her in his club.”
“If it bothers him, he shouldn’t watch.”
Carter ignored my comment. “What happened to the no-kissing policy?”
All I did was stare at him and enjoy my cigar.
“You like your little prisoner?”
She wasn’t a prisoner. She asked me to sleep with her, asked me to make love to her. She called me her friend and confided in me. “I don’t mind her.”
“My father said your parents really like her.”
I exhaled the smoke and let it float toward the ceiling. “She’s pretty likable.”
“And Vanessa and she are friends?”
“Vanessa is just a loser who’s desperate for attention.”
He chuckled because he knew that wasn’t true. “Con, it’s okay if you like the girl. I’ve seen her, and she’s pretty damn beautiful.”
He was my cousin and my friend, so I knew he would never cross me. That was the only reason he was allowed to make that statement. “I enjoy her, yes. But that’s the extent of it.”
“Then why are you introducing her to your parents?”
Because Muse was as smart as she was pretty. “I told her to stay in her room, but she tricked me. She came downstairs and talked to my mom and sister while my father and I were at the stables. By the time I returned, the damage had been done. Now I have to go along with the charade. And if I don’t give her what she wants, she’ll tell my family what our relationship really is.”
“What does she want?”
A lot of things. “Me.”
“Meaning?”
“My affection, friendship, and gentleness. She doesn’t want to be bossed around or treated like a prisoner. She wants me to treat her with respect. I’ve done all those things.”
He chuckled. “Smart girl.”
“It’s not so bad. She’s pleasant company.”
He enjoyed his cigar and kept staring at me, his eyes studying my face. “You love her?”
I shot him a glare.
“I’m serious.”
“I don’t. Our relationship isn’t romantic. It’s just…physical.”
“You said there was friendship and affection as well…the foundation of romance.”
“Not for us,” I said. “I treat her well, but it doesn’t change the relationship. I own her, and she’s my property. That’s it.”
“Are you monogamous?”
“No.”
He nodded slowly. “Then it’s not romantic. Does she get mad when you sleep with other women?”
I hadn’t slept with anyone since the day I laid eyes on her. I hadn’t even been attracted to anyone else. Anytime I was hard, I was hard for her. When I designed lingerie, she inspired every piece. So far, there’d only been room for one woman in my mind. “She’s a jealous woman.”
“Then maybe she loves you.”
I hadn’t considered it. I knew she respected me and was attracted to me. She was grateful I saved her, and she thought I was a hero. But love…I didn’t think that was possible. I bought her like livestock and used her like property. She might enjoy my company and want me in her bed, but that didn’t mean she loved me. I didn’t deserve the love of a woman like that, so she would never give it to me. “Unlikely.”
“If she likes sleeping with you and enjoys your company, then she must.”
“She’s just grateful I saved her life. If I hadn’t, this arrangement would be completely different.”
“Then why does she get angry when you sleep with other women?” He grinned as he backed me into a corner. “That’s all the evidence you need.”