Beauty in Lingerie Read online

  It was one of the best orgasms I’d ever had.

  My dick softened, but I still felt the remains of the climax. My entire body felt tired and satisfied. My come was deep inside her, mixed with hers. I’d never been inside a woman so much in my life. I had a quick turnaround rate, but Muse had been the longest partner I’d ever had.

  And I still wasn’t tired of her.

  I lay beside her and immediately closed my eyes, exhausted.

  We were both sweaty, but she still moved into me and wrapped her leg over my hip. She cuddled into me and breathed a sigh of satisfaction.

  I wrapped my arm around her waist, and I didn’t have a single thought before I crashed.

  I fell asleep, my arms enveloping this woman. And I slept well.

  * * *

  Dante had breakfast set up in her living room, so I sat there and drank my coffee while I waited for her to wake up. The newspaper was open in my lap, and the view of the property was breathtaking from the window. The sun had risen over the horizon and blanketed the landscape in golden sunlight.

  I had work to do that day, but I decided to blow it off.

  I was needed elsewhere.

  She opened the door from the bedroom and stood in the white t-shirt she put on last night. Her hair was a mess from the way I fisted it during the night, and her eyes held sleepy satisfaction. Her gaze narrowed slightly as she looked at me, obviously expecting me to be gone by now.

  “Hungry?” I folded the newspaper and set it on my lap. I was in my black sweatpants with a bare chest. My feet rested on the soft carpet, and I felt the morning light enfold me in warmth. It was going to be a warm day, but I’d always loved the heat. Must be my Tuscan roots.

  She sat on the couch across from me and picked up a mug of hot coffee. She pulled her knees to her chest and crossed her ankles.

  But I caught a glimpse between her legs. She still didn’t have any panties on.

  Fuck.

  Seeing that little slit first thing in the morning got my engine revving in a way my coffee didn’t. I suspected my come was still sitting inside her, thick and warm. I wanted to hook a finger inside her just to check.

  She sipped her coffee and looked out the window.

  I turned back to the newspaper and reveled in the comfortable silence between us. I enjoyed times like these, when talking wasn’t necessary. I’d never been much of a conversationalist. There were much better ways of communicating than through speech.

  She grabbed her plate of scrambled eggs and bacon and ate quietly, her fork tapping lightly against the china.

  I kept reading.

  “Sleep well?”

  I slept better than I ever had. “Yes. You?”

  “Yes.”

  I didn’t take my eyes off my paper.

  “Are you going to work in Milan today?”

  “No.” I closed my paper and tossed it on the table. “I have other plans.”

  “Oh?”

  “When you’ve finished your breakfast, get dressed. I’ll meet you at the stables.”

  Surprise came over her face. “Why?”

  “I’m going to show you a few things.”

  “You?” she asked. “Don’t you have work to do?”

  I knew I hadn’t been the greatest man when it came to Muse. I treated her well, but not that well. I was cold to her when she didn’t deserve it, and I didn’t worship her in the way she did deserve. I guess I wanted to make that right. “Yes. But I’d rather spend time with you.”

  * * *

  We arrived at the stables, both dressed for the dust and the heat.

  “I can’t picture you working out here.” She looked adorable in her Stetson and denim jeans. They went high up her waist but hugged her body perfectly. She wore a white camisole with a plaid shirt over top. It was tied in the front, making the fabric hug the deep curve in her lower back.

  I hadn’t realized the word adorable was in my vocabulary until then.

  “Just because I make clothes indoors doesn’t mean I don’t know how to work outdoors.” I grabbed the saddle and reins for my horse and then carried it to Carbine’s pen.

  Muse watched me. “Are we going riding?”

  “Yes.”

  The look she gave me was priceless. She looked happier than I’d ever seen her, as if her dream really had come true. “Really?”

  “Yep.”

  She covered her mouth with both hands momentarily, her excitement uncontainable. “I’ve wanted to ride for months now.”

  “I think you’re ready.”

  “Which horse am I going to ride on?”

  “Carbine.” I walked into his pen and set up his bridle.

  “Really?” She stood on the outside of the gate and rested her hands on the wooden fence. “He’s so volatile.”

  “Not with me.” I rubbed his nose and tightened the leather. “He’s a good horse. He’ll take care of you.” I held him by the reins and pulled him out of the pen and into the center of the stables. I tied him in place then got to work on the saddle.

  Muse moved to the other side and started to help me.

  Carbine snarled then stepped away from her.

  I whistled. “Boy, no.”

  Muse stepped back and didn’t approach him again. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

  “Yes.” I secured the saddle then met Carbine face-to-face. I clicked my tongue then scratched him behind the ears. He was hostile because he was misunderstood. He only responded to people he recognized. While we were different species, we had the same personality. “Come here, Muse.”

  She slowly walked toward me.

  “He likes to be rubbed right here.” I placed her hand at the top of his head, right where his mane began to grow.

  She scratched the area.

  Carbine didn’t move.

  “He prefers to eat apples. He’ll eat carrots once in a while, but he has a sweet tooth.” I pulled a red apple out of the bag and handed it to her.

  She fed it to him, and Carbine devoured it.

  “I need you to treat this lady right, alright?” I spoke to my horse even though he didn’t understand me, but he understood my moods. If I was particularly angry, he knew to stay away from me. If I was somber, he chased after me. He recognized my attitude, and I recognized his. We were both intuitive.

  I pulled him into the riding pen with Muse behind me. “Always approach him on the right side, not the left.”

  “Why?”

  I shrugged. “He doesn’t like it. That’s all I know.”

  She followed my directions.

  I came up behind her and grabbed her by the hips. “Right foot in the stirrup first.”

  She secured her boot inside.

  “Then pull your weight up onto the saddle by the horn. Don’t move slowly. The quicker you launch yourself, the easier it’ll be.”

  She pulled herself over quickly, getting herself in the saddle without issue. She grabbed the reins and scooted closer to the horn. She ran her fingers through Carbine’s mane and stared down at him. “I never thought this was possible. He wouldn’t even let me feed him.”

  “He’s not as hostile as he seems. He just puts up a front.” I stepped back against the fence. “Now walk him in a circle.”

  “When are we going to go on a long ride?” she asked. “You know, over a trail or something?”

  Like always, she wanted to jump ahead. While her excitement was infectious, it was rushed. “Basics first. Then we’ll talk.”

  * * *

  We had lunch then afternoon sex. She was on top, riding and grinding me better than Carbine. Then she fell asleep in my bed, so I showered and got ready for my plans that evening. I was meeting Carter at my lingerie club.

  We hadn’t spoken in weeks.

  I put on a dark blue suit and matching tie before I slipped my shiny watch onto my wrist. My shoes had been shined, and the clothing fit me as well as my lingerie fit my models. To most people, a suit was just uncomfortable clothing that squeezed
your neck and weighed you down. People didn’t understand it was a non-violent weapon. Intimidation kept people at bay.

  When I walked back into my bedroom, Muse was sitting up in bed with the sheets pulled up to her chest. Her hair was messy like before because I’d screwed it up again when I fisted it in my hand.

  She looked me up and down. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m meeting Carter.”

  “Oh.”

  I grabbed my phone off the dresser and dropped it into my pocket.

  “When will you be back?”

  My natural instinct was to tell her it was none of her business. She didn’t have the right to ask me questions, as if my decisions were any of her concern. But I was training myself not to be such an ass. “Later tonight.”

  “Can I come along?”

  I was going to the lingerie club, where every woman who wanted admission had to be dressed in lingerie. I didn’t want Muse half naked in front of anyone, even if my arm was wrapped around her shoulders. “It’s a business meeting.”

  She finally let it go. “Alright.”

  I sat on the bed beside her and leaned in to kiss her. A part of me didn’t want to leave her, not after the day we’d spent together. I knew she was still vulnerable after that nightmare. I wanted to fix everything for her, make her feel safe.

  “I’d like to sleep with you again tonight…if that’s alright.” She pressed her forehead against mine.

  I didn’t want her to get comfortable around me, to expect things from me. But it was still too soon to be a jerk. After making her smile all day, I didn’t want to take that away. I could undo all the work I’d just done with the snap of a finger. “Yes.”

  “Okay.”

  I kissed her on the forehead before I walked out. I took my Ferrari to Milan and parked it in my building before I walked up the street to the club. I preferred to leave my car in the garage so it wouldn’t get scratches from the idiots who drove shitty cars and didn’t give a damn about mine.

  The bouncers held everyone back as I stepped inside, walking into the world I owned. The Barsetti line owned various businesses in different capacities. It was the best way to protect assets, by diversifying into different sectors.

  The women stared at me as I passed, recognizing me instantly. Whenever I was there, women always made a pass at me, whether they wanted to spend the night with me or they wanted to convince me to give them a shot on the runway. Pictures of my most famous girls were on the walls, Lacey Lockwood having the largest spotlight.

  If Muse were on display, no one would give a damn about Lacey Lockwood.

  But Muse was just for me to enjoy.

  I found my private booth on the second landing, the place where no one else was allowed to go besides Carter and me.

  Carter already had two women to entertain him, one under each arm. They wore black lingerie, their tits popping out and their thongs barely covering anything down below.

  I sat across from him and watched the waitress set a glass of scotch in front of me. “Carter.”

  One of the women kissed his neck as she pressed her tits into his chest.

  “Conway. How’s it going?”

  “Good. I can tell you’re having a good evening.” The waitress set a tray in front of me along with a lit cigar. I immediately picked it up and took a drag. I didn’t smoke cigars often, but they were my weakness. They took the edge off in a way booze couldn’t. It was soothing down into my lungs.

  “I’m always having a good evening.” He waved the women away. “Give us a minute, ladies.”

  Like obedient dogs, they scurried away.

  If I said that to Muse, she would give me a glare and not move. The thought made me smile.

  “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, ther
e’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.”

  “She gets jealous when I’m around the models, but I haven’t actually slept with anyone, so I’m not sure what her reaction would be.”

  Carter was about to take another drag from his cigar, but he steadied his hand. “Hold up. You haven’t slept with anyone else in…two months?”

  I shrugged. “I guess.”

  “Con, that means you’re in a relationship.”

  “No, it doesn’t. I told her I would sleep with other women. The opportunity just hasn’t come up because I’ve been so busy.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  I drank my scotch. “I don’t give a damn what you think, Carter.”

  “If that’s the case, why don’t you just admit what this really is?”

  There was nothing to admit. I enjoyed Muse in many ways, and there was nothing wrong with that. The only reason I hadn’t fucked anyone was because it hadn’t come up. If I saw a sexy woman I wanted, I would have her. I’d take someone back to my apartment tonight if I wanted to. “Lay off, Carter.”

  “Lay off, huh?” He snapped his fingers and got the attention of the women again.

  They walked back to us, both brunettes and both curvy in all the right places. Either one could qualify to be one of the models on my runway. Both were beautiful, with pretty hair and glowing skin.

  “Pick one.” Carter kept his eyes on me. “I’ll take the other.”