And it wasn’t as if he’d expressed undying love for her. In fact, he’d said the exact opposite. I am interested exclusively in casual. He’d warned her and she hadn’t listened.

So no, she wasn’t foolish enough to fall for a man who would never love her back. Was she?

She set all that aside for tomorrow. Tonight was her birthday. They were here, together, and she would enjoy the evening.

Recriminations could wait until the morning.

He tugged the curtain’s cord and the fabric parted. A huge painting came into view, the piece over eight feet high. It was a lot to take in. Brilliant light from the chandelier illuminated the considerable amount of naked flesh in front of her.

“Goodness. That is indeed something.”

Instead of taking his own seat, Clay came around to her side. He tugged her up, only to slide underneath her and pull her onto his lap. She settled into his broad chest, her back to his front, and they stared at the painting together.

Four voluptuous naked women surrounded a satyr at the edge of a river. They teased him, trying to pull him into the water, but he resisted. There were breasts and buttocks, but most of the genitals were covered. All in all, it didn’t seem so scandalous. She had playing cards under her bed more erotic than this. It was beautiful, however, with both male and female strength displayed.

“It’s called Nymphs and Satyr. Painted by a Frenchman, Bouguereau,” Clay said. “Do you like it, my little voyeur?”

“It is beautiful. Not sure what the hue and cry is about, though. This painting is not as shocking as I expected.”

“They never are.”

“So why not let women in here to see it?”

“Perhaps they don’t wish to give them any ideas.” His hands stroked her waist through her clothing, almost as if he couldn’t help himself.

“To capture a satyr, you mean?”

“No, of fighting back. Don’t you see what is happening here?”

She studied the scene more closely. “It looks like the nymphs are trying to have their wicked way with the satyr and he’s resisting them.”

“Not quite. In mythology, nymphs presided over streams and woods. Satyrs are creatures of self-indulgence and male pleasure, usually depicted with erections. This satyr has been caught spying on a group of bathing nymphs. You can see the other nymphs in the background, observing. The braver ones, in the foreground, are going to pull him into the water to cool him off.”

That certainly made sense. “They’ve joined together to punish him.”

“Exactly.” His hot breath teased the sensitive flesh of her throat an instant before his lips caressed the same spot. “One nymph can do nothing, while many can be an invincible force.”