by Marian Tee
She had to have time away from him and find out on her own if a life with him was what she really wanted.
And if it was, a voice inside him asked mockingly.
Willem took a deep breath. If it was, then he would have a ring on her finger faster than she could blink. Because he knew now. In fact, he was absolutely certain. Serenity Raleigh was his perfect match, the only woman he could imagine growing old with.
But right now, he was hurting that very woman, too.
He hadn’t known it until it was too late. As the car slowed to a stop, he heard the tiniest sound from her—
Serenity, trying to swallow back a sob.
Willem’s chest constricted.
Goddammit.
He started to reach for her, but then the door opened, and Serenity moved to sit on the opposite row with clumsy haste just as her older sister slid inside the limousine.
“I couldn’t wait,” Shane said gaily as she took her place next to the billionaire. As soon as the door closed, she reached for Willem to kiss him. He started to turn away, but she didn’t let him, murmurning throatily, “It’s just my sister.” She giggled. “She won’t tell the queen.”
Serenity heard the two kiss, and slowly she forced herself to look at the pair.
Willem’s eyes were open, and his gaze was on her even while Serenity’s sister was kissing him.
She stared back at him, unblinking, even as a tear slowly slipped down her face.
****
Willem was not used to being ignored. He was not used to being jealous either. But he found himself struggling intensely with both as he watched Serenity spend all her time with an assortment of his cousins, all of them younger and definitely more easygoing than the old and dreadfully grim Executioner, which was how the entire de Konigh family had come to describe him.
Beside him, Shane continued to pout and fume, and he was beginning to realize that everything about her was an act. He had thought her remarkably easygoing and understanding, and he was now disconcerted and uneasy to realize that her pretense had led him to once consider making her his bride.
Shane tugged on his sleeve again. “Can’t we dance once?” As she spoke, Serenity whirled past their table, dancing in Gabe’s arms, and Shane gritted her teeth.
Willem frowned.
There was something about the look in her face...
A thought occurred to him, and he abruptly made a decision. Coming to his feet, he smiled charmingly at his date and offered his hand. “Your wish is my command, my dear.”
Shane brightened and happily took Willem’s hand. Her laughter rang out in the ballroom as Willem expertly swung her onto the dance floor, the sound drawing lots of admiring glances their way.
It caught Serenity’s attention, too, and before she could stop herself, she was already looking around—
“I don’t think it’s worth feeling sad about,” her dance partner murmured wryly.
Serenity was startled. “Pardon, Your Highness?”
Gabe said gently, “My cousin’s just dancing with his date, and she’s just whoring for attention.”
She choked. “T-that’s my sister.”
“That sucks,” he said sympathetically.
She almost smiled, but laughter tinged her voice as she said, “No wonder you keep getting into trouble, Your Highness.”
Gabe gave her a look of sham innocence. “Me?”
“You.” She nodded sagely. “I’ll go as far as saying you’ve cost my boss one or two nights of lost sleep.”
An injured look fell on the prince’s face. “I’m hurt. Just one or two?”
Before she could answer, someone said behind them. “An exchange of partners perhaps?”
Serenity stiffened.
Willem.
The prince only smiled. “One lovely lady for another? A fair exchange,” he murmured as he let go of Serenity and drew Shane into his arms.
As Willem took Serenity’s cold hand in his, he bent his head to Gabe and said under his breath, “Distract her, please.” He spoke in Contini’s native language, which he knew Shane did not speak.
The prince nodded before whirling Serenity’s sister away, which left Serenity and Willem alone.
“I...I...” She blurted out the first excuse that came to her. “I think I, umm, need to rest my leg.”
His smile was pleasant, but it didn’t reach his eyes as he said, “I know.” Her eyes widened, more so when the billionaire hissed under his breath, “You little fool.” Before she knew what was happening, he was already drawing her close and taking her back to their table. “I saw your face a while ago. Your leg was paining you, but you couldn’t make yourself tell the prince.”
She started to protest, “I knew the dance was about to end—”
He cut her off, saying sharply, “And you’re not wearing any of the shoes I’ve given you.” His eyes raked her with furious disbelief. “How long are you going to act like a child with this? Every time I piss you off, you’re not going to wear my shoes?” He pulled back a chair for her as he spoke, and she lowered herself to it with dignity.
Sitting down next to her, he demanded, “Well?”
She glared at him in mutinous silence.
In the past, the rare sight of Serenity fully riled up would have amused him, but not now, not when he was still seeing red with the way the prince’s hands had stayed too damn long on her hips and his fingers too damn close to being splayed on Serenity’s pert bottom.
“Did you enjoy dancing with the prince?” he bit out.
Defiantly, she said, “More than I ever enjoyed dancing with you.”
His eyes turned a frigid shade of blue.
“In fact,” Serenity continued in a low voice made shaky by her own pent-up jealousy, “I’d say he’s better than you in every way—”
“Shut up,” Willem snarled under his breath, “or I’ll shut it myself with my mouth.”
“I dare you!” She had hissed the words unthinkingly, forgetting that this was Willem de Konigh she was talking to, and he did not take kindly to being dared.
But when the billionaire made a move to do exactly as he had threatened, she panicked and quickly leaned back—
The chair started to fall back at her sudden movement.
Serenity paled.
The people around them gasped as she started to fall with the chair, but just when she thought her head was going to crack against the floor, Willem had caught hold of the edge and pulled it back upright with one firm yank.
The guests around them burst into applause.
“Are you alright?” he asked immediately.
She could not speak right away, could only stare at him while he gripped her hand tightly under the table.
“Sere?” the billionaire asked gently even as wickedness glittered in his eyes.
She swallowed. “I’m o-okay.” His fingers tightened its hold and she swallowed again. “T-thank you for helping me.” Her voice was tremulous, her gaze glued to his face, and every cell in her body concentrated on their clasped fingers.
He bent close, and she held her breath.
“I didn’t like seeing you dance with another man.”
Her heart skipped a beat, and she whispered, “I d-didn’t like seeing you kiss my sister either.”
Silence.
Then, finally, the billionaire said, “You win.”
Her lips parted in bemused shock. “W-win what?”
“If you’re a good girl for the rest of the evening,” the billionaire said calmly, “then I’ll fuck you tonight.”
Her throat dried. Her breasts swelled. And her pussy slowly throbbed in a thoroughly drenched state of arousal.
The billionaire leaned back against his seat, and as his thumb stroked her knuckles under the table, he arched one elegant brow at her, asking easily, “Do we have a deal, engel?”
“Yes.”
As soon as she said the word, she heard Shane rushing to their table, exclaiming, “I saw it while the prince an
d I were dancing! Are you okay?” But this was directed to Willem, which made the billionaire frown.
“I’m not the one who almost fell, Shane,” he said gently. “Perhaps you were too far to see how it truly happened?”
Flushing at the hint of disapproval in his eyes, she eagerly grabbed the excuse, saying, “Yes, I’m sorry. I thought it was you.” She looked at her younger sister with sham concern. “Are you all right, darling?”
Willem chose that exact moment to prod her uninjured foot with his, and even the simple contact was enough to have blood rushing to her head. She croaked out to her sister, “Yes.”
Shane looked at her oddly. “You look like you’re about to have a fever.”
“It’s the scare of almost falling off her chair, I’m sure,” the billionaire murmured. Smiling at Shane, he said, “Just enjoy yourself, my dear. I’ll look after the child while I make some business calls.”
She pouted. “Can’t you forget work for a while so we can enjoy tonight?”
“Soon,” he promised. “But go on, I love seeing you have fun.”
When Shane left, Serenity said uneasily, “You’re too good at manipulating people.”
“True.” The billionaire shrugged.
“How do I know you’re not manipulating me?”
The billionaire gave her a sardonic look. “I think I should be the one worried, don’t you? After all...” He let go of her hand under the table and with her beside him, it was easy enough to have his fingers slip under the loose, flowing skirt of her ballgown.
Serenity paled.
“You’re the one who succeeded in changing my mind.”
His fingers moved up her thigh, and Serenity started feeling hot. Oh God, she needed to fan herself—oh God, his fingers were on her crotch!
Her gaze jerked to his, arousal and anxiety in her eyes.
“Are you being a good girl, engel?”
Almost shuddering at the purr in the billionaire’s tone, she whispered, “Yes.”
“Then does that mean I’ll get to fuck you tonight?”
“Yes.”
And they remained seated at their table for the rest of the evening, his fingers stroking her pussy leisurely until she wanted to sob in need. Soon, his stroking fingers promised. Soon, it would be the billionaire’s cock pleasing her.
Chapter Nine
“Good night, Mr. de Konigh,” Serenity said politely and, not waiting for the billionaire to answer, she stepped out of the limousine. The chauffeur had a look of pained sympathy on his face, but she pretended to ignore this while she waited on the sidewalk.
It took Shane almost a minute before she, too, stepped out of the billionaire’s limousine, but Serenity refused to think why that was so.
Unfortunately, her sister was in a chatty mood, and as they took the elevator, Shane wetted her lips, murmuring, “Willem de Konigh is so divinely sexy, isn’t he?”
“I wouldn’t know since he’s just my boss, Shane.” Serenity stared at the elevator doors stoically.
“Oh, don’t be a prude. I’m sure you’ve heard from others about his exploits when he was in college.”
She had, Serenity thought, but directly from Willem himself. When she had bugged him about it, he had told her reluctantly that contrary to the tabloids’ reports about a certain night between him and an entire cheerleading squad, it was actually just him and half of the squad.
“It may not look like it, but he’s a dynamo in bed.”
“I wouldn’t know,” she repeated, but inside herself, Serenity promised fiercely that after tonight, she would know. And she would be the last one to know because Serenity had this wild, silly hope that by giving her virginity to him, the Dutch billionaire would finally realize the truth.
He loved her, always had, and always will.
When they reached their apartment, Shane headed straight up while Serenity went to the kitchen, saying nervously, “I need a glass of water.”
“Don’t care,” her sister answered airily, and her footsteps faded, followed by the sound of Shane’s bedroom door opening and closing.
She counted the minutes while chewing on her lip, jittery and restless, when the text finally came.
Serenity rushed to the front door and tried to unlock it as noiselessly as possible. She opened the door, and there he was, beautiful and sexy, and looking at her like she was the only girl in the world for him.
I love him so much.
She wanted to whisper it to him, wanted to cry it out, wanted to sing it to the world.
But even Serenity knew it was too early, and she had to content herself with placing a trembling hand in his.
He closed the door and turning back to her, he raised a brow. What are we waiting for?
She almost, almost giggled.
Serenity led him up the stairs, and Willem was content to let her. When they reached the top, Serenity motioned him to stay on the steps while she double-checked the knobs of Shane and Melanie’s doors. Both were locked, which meant they were inside the room.
Serenity went back to the billionaire and offered her hand.
He took it, but when she started to lead him, he held on to her hand.
Her eyes widened.
Lifting her hand to his mouth, he began to nibble on her fingers, one by one, and she swayed on her feet. When he met her eyes, she was glaring at him. Really? You have to do that now? But the way her nipples pebbled against the velvet of her gown told him that she was as aroused as she was frustrated.
Taking his hand again, she led him into her bedroom, but as soon as the door was locked, he swept her in his arms and took her mouth with his.
Wrapping her arms around him, she hid her face against his neck and whispered, “I’m terrified of being caught.”
The billionaire only shrugged. “If we are caught, then so be it.” In his mind, he had already relinquished their fate to the winds. Since he was going to make her his tonight, there was no point holding back, no point maintaining his farce of a relationship with Shane. It might hurt the other woman, but one thing he had never been blind about was her obsession with money. He was certain that with the right amount of bribe, all would be forgiven.
But in this case, he was mistaken.
Outside Serenity’s room, Shane had her ear pressed to the door, her entire body shaking with fury. She had just been about to step out of the closet room she shared with Melanie when she had heard footsteps. To her shock, it was Serenity and Willem, and Shane had found herself wavering between outrage and disbelief as her little hussy of a sister took the billionaire into her own room.
The traitorous slut!
Shane’s teeth gnashed with jealousy.
Her first instinct was to burst into the scene and throw a hell of a tantrum, but she fortunately had enough self-control to prevent herself from doing so. She needed to be just as patient and methodical with revenge as she was with seduction. She wanted Serenity dying in humiliation and pain, and for that to happen she had to plan, carefully and thoroughly.
****
Inside Serenity’s room, the billionaire and his intern were slowly undressing each other while their gazes remained entwined. Tonight, Willem was less efficient as he was before, making her look at him in wonder.
“I want you so much,” he explained harshly, “that it’s taking all my control not to fuck you right this moment.”
She blushed at his words, but her soft, shy voice was filled with convinction when she said, “After tonight, you will never have to control yourself again.”
He closed his eyes, groaning, “Words like that aren’t going to help, engel.” His fingers moved faster, but when they weren’t moving fast enough, he muttered a nearly incoherent apology before ripping her gown into two pieces.
Serenity let out a low gasp. “Willem!”
“I’ll buy you the exact same thing if you want, but I just need you naked now.” His voice was thick with desire as he got rid of her bra and panties the same way.
Finally, she was completely naked save for her shoes, and even though the sight of her in heels made him swallow, he forced himself to move. Making her sit on the bed, he crouched down to take her shoes off one by one. Once her feet were bare, he took one and started massaging it.
“Oooooh.” Her eyes closed, a dreamy expression falling over her face.
He massaged the other foot. “You like it?”
“I love it.” Her eyes flew open, and she said softly, “Thank you.” Then she was standing up, and he came to his feet as well. She finished unbuttoning his shirt and let it fall to the floor as she bent down and worked on the button and zipper of his pants. This, too, fell a moment later, and Willem was down to his briefs.
Gulping, she took hold of the gartered band and slowly pulled it down Willem’s long, muscular legs. She, too, got rid of his socks and shoes, until finally, they were both naked.
They stared at each other, and Serenity gulped again when she saw the way Willem’s cock jutted up into full erection.
“Still haven’t changed your mind?” he asked hoarsely.
She shook her head, her eyes still on his cock. “Never.”
“So be it.” He took hold of her hand and led Serenity to her bed. When she was on her back, he followed her, his body between her parted legs and his face looming above her.
Serenity reached up to clasp his face, and she said with aching sweetness, “You’re so beautiful, Willem de Konigh.”
No one had ever said that to him before.
No one.
His heart clenched, his desire reached a feverish peak, and he began to kiss her with unchecked ardor. His passion took a savage, relentless edge, Willem no longer able to control the urges of his body.
The magic Willem wielded around them was scorching and hypnotic, lulling Serenity into surrendering everything of her to the billionaire. Her mind, her body, her soul – she yielded everything to him because he was always meant to own them.
As the billionaire kissed his way down her body, Serenity grabbed a pillow and bit into it. When he started sucking on her nipples, she screamed into the pillow, and when he started eating her pussy again, she shuddered and began to pant.