Nicole dropped the subject and made notes on her tablet. “I’ll get these to production and coordinate with the retailers. They’ll want to be as prepared as possible for this line. When did Sapphire return?”
“A few days ago.”
Nicole turned to me, her eyebrows hiked nearly off her face. “You did all this in a few days?”
More like twenty-four hours. “Yeah.”
“Jesus…she must be some woman.”
Oh, she was.
“I’ll take care of all this. Did you have a date in mind for the next show?”
“No. Whenever you think is best.”
“Alright.”
I walked back into my office and found Muse waiting for me. She was flipping through a magazine, her legs bent and pulled toward her body. Her hair was curled that day, and smoky makeup was on her eyes.
“How’d it go?” She set the magazine off to the side.
“Nicole liked everything.” I opened a drawer in my desk and pulled out my checkbook. After a quick calculation, I wrote down the amount I owed. “She was shocked I made everything so quickly.”
“I’m still shocked about it.”
“Well, when inspiration hits you…”
I grabbed the check and walked toward her. “There’s something I want to know.”
“Yes?” She looked up at me, smiling once her eyes met mine.
I moved into the seat beside her and wrapped my arm around her body. I pulled her close to me, the smell of her hair immediately surrounding me. “What’s your last name? You’ve never told me.”
“You’ve never asked.”
I pressed a kiss to her neck. “What is it?”
“Swanson.”
“Sapphire Swanson…pretty.”
“Thanks.”
I grabbed the check and added her last name to the line. “Your first paycheck.”
She took it from my hands and eyed the number with disappointment. “I don’t think this is right.”
“Not high enough?”
“Too high.” She handed it back to me. “I’m supposed to pay you back for everything.”
“And you are. I’m taking ten million out every month.” I handed it back. “So this is yours.”
“Oh…” She eyed it again, like she’d never seen a big check before. “But what about my apartment?”
“It’s included. By the way, my guy says he put it on the market. He has a lot of interest already.”
“Wow, that was fast.”
“I think you can get more than what you paid, so you might even make a profit from it.”
“I only lived there for three months, so I’d be surprised.”
“And the fact that it’s already furnished really helps.”
“I guess…if people want my old things.”
“When the Realtor tells them you used to live there, I’m sure they’ll want to keep everything.”
She folded the check in half. “So I just go down to a bank and deposit this?”
“Yep.”
“Maybe I should buy myself a car.”
“Why?” I demanded.
“So I can run errands and do things…live my life. What do you mean, why?”
“I have seven cars in the garage.”
“But I don’t want to drive one of those. I want something more practical, like an SUV or something.”
If I had my way, she wouldn’t drive anywhere. If she needed to be somewhere, my guys could escort her there. I wanted her under my surveillance at all times, but I knew that was unrealistic now that she was permanently living with me. She had the same kind of sass like all the other women in my family, so she wouldn’t put up with my protection forever. “I can help you pick one out.”
“Thanks.”
“How about we go to the bank now? I’ll give you a ride.”
“Yeah, that would be great.”
I got out of the chair then straightened my tie.
She stood in front of me then rose on her tiptoes to kiss me. “Thanks for everything, Con.”
“You just inspired my best work. You don’t need to thank me.”
“But I do,” she whispered. “You’ve given me so much, not just money in my pocket. I live in a beautiful house with a beautiful man. I’m living a fairy tale. My Prince Charming is a shade darker than the ones in the stories, but I think darker is better…”
My hands gripped her waist, and I pulled her close to me. “What I’ve given you is nothing in comparison to what you’ve given me. And I’ll spend my days and nights trying to make up for the stupid things I did.”
“It’s water under the bridge, Conway. Just make love to me every night, tell me I’m beautiful every morning, and tell me you love me over dinner. That’s all I want.”
“Then you’ll have it.”
My parents came over for dinner.
It was the first time we were all together since the shit hit the fan. My dad knew the truth about my relationship with Muse, and that meant my mother knew too. But I knew they would never tell Vanessa.
“We brought a bottle of wine.” Dad walked inside with a bottle in hand. “It’s from the best harvest we produced this year. Bold and smooth, it’ll go with anything Dante is preparing for tonight.”
“Thanks.” I took the bottle. “I’ll tell him to put it on ice.”