by Marian Tee
Jan stared at him with undisguised curiosity, saying, “Hello.”
Even with all that Ilse had told him about her brother, Jaak was still somewhat surprised at how young Jan looked. A hormonal imbalance, Ilse had explained to him, but the billionaire knew it was more than that. Evil didn’t and couldn’t ever taint her brother, and seeing him, he understood more than ever now why Ilse had been so driven to survive.
“I’m Jaak, your sister’s boyfriend.”
“And I’m Jan.”
It was the simplest exchange, really. Hellos were traded, and so were names, but somehow, just listening to the two most important men in her life talk broke her heart.
Releasing the billionaire’s hand, she moved forward, asking Jan cheerfully, “Are you in the mood to have some snacks?”
Jan brightened. “Yes!”
“Hey,” Jaak protested. “Aren’t I invited, too?”
“Mm...I don’t know.” Ilse pretended to mull it over. “What do you think, Jan?”
A childish grin flashed on her brother’s face. “Okay!”
“Even if we only have enough spaghetti for two persons, so that means I’ll need to give him your share?”
Jan paused for a second and then he said slowly, unhappily, “Okay.”
The billionaire laughed, and so did she.
Simple, she thought. It was another simple thing, but God, how it broke her heart.
It was close to one in the morning by the time Jan went to bed and Jaak was following Ilse to her bedroom.
“It’s not much,” she warned him as she let the billionaire in.
After closing the door behind him, Jaak looked around him with interest. The room was small but cozy, the décor elegant and feminine in its simplicity. “I like it.”
She grunted.
He grinned.
“I should wash up—-”
“Good idea,” he agreed.
And then he carried her to the tub, and conscious of Jan in the room next door, she could only hiss under her breath, “Jaak!”
But he paid her no heed, and when he started kissing her, his hands once again expertly moving over her clothes, Ilse’s protests died in her throat, and by the time they were both naked and in the tub, the water running, she could only stare at him, putty in the billionaire’s hands.
Jaak was unbelievably sexy, every inch of him made of sleek, hard muscles.
“Have I mesmerized you?” the billionaire asked in crisp English.
“No.” But it was a lie, and they both knew it.
Arranging her limbs, the billionaire had her positioned between his legs, and Ilse couldn’t help catching her breath as he pulled her against him, her back on his chest. The intimacy of it was more than she was used to, and she couldn’t help tensing.
“Relax, babe.”
Easy for him to say, she thought crossly. But then the billionaire’s hands settled on her shoulders, and he started kneading her tired muscles, and it felt so good. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had a massage, and that the billionaire was the one to do it now—-
“You don’t have to,” she mumbled.
“Do you want me to stop?”
She shook her head.
“Then just enjoy it.”
Silence fell, the only sound in the room coming from the soft movements of the water every time she or the billionaire shifted.
“Do you mind,” the billionaire murmured, “if I ask what happened?”
Ah. Her eyes drifted shut. “When my parents died in an accident, their finances were in a disarray and I...I trusted Uncle Jerry with everything. He was our family’s accountant, but more than that, he was a friend. He had been around since forever and I thought he was there to help.” There was no trace of bitterness, no trace of anger in Ilse’s voice, but even so, it still made her heart ache a little every time she thought of the man she had considered a second father.
“I guess...the temptation was too much for him. He got the lawyer handling my parents’ affairs to connive with him, and well, long story short, they stole my inheritance but made it seem like my parents died bankrupt.”
Taking a deep breath, she continued haltingly, “At first, I was hoping that I could somehow get the money back. But I also had to figure out a way to stay afloat, so I started borrowing from my friends. I meant to pay them back, but...” Ilse broke off, a part of her unable to stop cringing in shame every time she remembered just how weak she had been.
“Natalia and Issac made you realize you couldn’t.”
There was no note of condemnation in the billionaire’s voice, but even so, Ilse’s self-contempt still colored her own tone as she answered shortly, “Yes.”
“And so you ended up working for Gloria...” The billionaire’s fingers pressed hard as he spoke, and her back arched.
As the billionaire’s quiet ministrations continued, a relaxing sensation began to spread to the rest of her body. It made past hurts fade gradually and eventually allowed Ilse to look at him over her shoulder, saying simply, “She was the first good thing that happened to me after my parents’ deaths.
“I could’ve taken a normal office job, and I probably would’ve been good at it...but I needed a lot of money immediately. I didn’t want to fail Jan, but I was terrified that I would. I was at the end of my tether when I bumped into Gloria, and somehow she got the whole story out of me...”
Ilse’s shoulders moved in a slight shrug under the billionaire’s kneading fingers. “The rest is history.”
“I’m glad you met her.”
And I’m just as glad you feel that way. The thought flitted through her mind as she felt the billionaire’s fingers still, just before his breath caressed her skin and his lips brushed the side of her neck.
A shiver ran through her body at the kiss, and a sigh slowly escaped her lips when the billionaire’s fingers began to move again.
She was so, so lucky to have this man in her life.
So, so lucky—-
And suddenly, she had the most powerful need to tell him that. “Jaak?”
“Mm?”
“Thank you.”
A lifetime of emotions was invested in these two words, and the billionaire knew it. He felt it, and his fingers stilled.
“T-thank you for not judging me.” Her voice was ragged. “Thank you for supporting me. And most of all, t-thank you for n-not looking at J-Jan like he’s a burden.”
Ah. “You love him,” Jaak said quietly. “I was prepared to care for him for that reason alone, but after meeting him...he’s special, Ilse. I’d be honored if he would let me care for him.”
The billionaire’s words empowered and weakened her at the same time, and Ilse could only draw her knees close, whispering, “Thank you. Thank you, Jaak.” Her voice caught, but she just couldn’t stop saying it. “Thank you.”
For so long, she hadn’t let herself lean on anyone, and yet the billionaire had somehow overridden all her defenses, her fears.
And now, whether she wanted it or not, his words had become her harbor, and in his arms she felt like nothing could ever harm her.
She turned to face him and took his hand. “Thank you.” She placed his hand against her heart, hoping and praying that her rapid heartbeat could tell him what she still couldn’t make herself say out loud—-
I love you.
Their lips met, and their bodies molded against each other. The kiss started out slowly and softly, but soon it just wasn’t enough, and when her nails raked down his back, the billionaire growled against her lips just before fisting her hair, yanking her head back as he kissed her hard—-
So, so hard, her feet arched and stiffened under the water—-
She found herself straddling him, and the billionaire clasped her hips just as he began to move her over his throbbing erection. It rubbed against her pussy with the most incredible fiction, and as her eyes started to glaze, she felt him slip one finger inside her.
“Jaak!”
He beg
an to fuck her hard with his finger, and when she fell against him with a cry, he used his free hand to plump one breast and take her nipple into his mouth. He sucked on it as his finger thrust in and out, and the multiple streams of pleasure were just...too...much.
The moment she stiffened, the billionaire released her nipple, and his mouth caught her sob of release in time. His kiss swallowed her cries even as he continued to shove his finger in and out of her, and she continued to desperately meet each plunge with the thrust of her hips.
As soon as they made it to her bed, she pushed the billionaire on his back, whispering, “Let me pleasure you.”
He didn’t demur, only watched her with beautiful, hooded blue eyes as she shakily reached for his cock. It felt silky hard between her fingers, larger and bigger than she imagined.
Bending down, she tentatively tasted the tip with a flick of her tongue, and the billionaire jerked. The reaction made her feel heady, and drawing courage from it, she began licking the head of his cock more leisurely.
His fingers threaded through her hair. “Ilse...” Her lips slowly closed over the head of his cock. “God.” When her lips only continued to play with the head of his erection, his grip on her hair tightened, and he laughed hoarsely. “Beautiful, wonderful tease...”
She only laughed, and the sound – seductive and throaty – made the billionaire shudder anew.
She tortured him as he had tortured her, making him wait, making him wonder just when she would make her move. Her fingers stroked his cock up and down, causing blood to rush to his head, but it was her mouth that was infinitely frustrating, closing over the head of his erection over and over, but never beyond it—-
“Suck it,” he grated out. “Let me fuck your mouth, babe.”
And that seemed to be what Ilse was waiting for.
Her mouth drew his cock inside, inch by inch, and the billionaire groaned.
She started to suck him, and by the time the entire length of his cock was lodged inside her mouth, he had lost all control.
Gripping her head, he began to fuck her mouth. He tried to take it slowly, tried to be gentle, but it was as if she didn’t want it like that at all.
Her fingers dug into the muscled cheeks of his ass—-
Fuck.
His hips began to pump furiously, his cock plunging in and out of her mouth with greater force.
He could feel his balls tightening with every thrust, and knowing he was about to come any second, he rasped, “Let go.”
But her fingers only dug deeper into his ass, Ilse silently urging him to do with her exactly what he wanted.
FUCK.
Clutching her head tightly, he thrust into her one last time and spilled his cum into her. He groaned as she continued to suck at his cock while he unloaded himself, and looking down at her, seeing her swallow his cum—-
FUCK.
His cock shot out one last heavy load of cum into her mouth.
It took him some time to recover his breath, even more time to make his body move and finally pull his cock out from her mouth.
“That,” he panted out, “was more than I bargained for.”
“Jaak!” Ilse’s cheeks turned red. “You don’t need to tell me things like that.”
“But I want to.” He propped himself up on his elbows. “I think it’s both the coolest and hottest thing in the world, having a girlfriend who rocks in bed.”
“Jaak!”
He carried her back into her bathroom, and as he cleaned himself, she stared at him unabashedly while brushing her teeth.
They finished at the same time, and as he swept her up in his arms, Ilse said cheekily, “Are you ready for Round Two?”
“Don’t tempt me,” he grated out just before kissing her hard.
Joining Ilse in her bed, he drew the covers over them, and she turned to him, whispering his name. The odd note in it made the billionaire go still, and he asked quietly, “What is it?”
Her soft brown eyes searched his. “We’re not going to...”
Ah. He reached out to trace her lips ever so gently, and his heart clenched at the sight of her lips trembling at his touch.
This beautiful, strong woman was his.
His.
And it was more than he deserved.
“There’s nothing in this world,” he said softly, “that I want more than to possess you.”
“But?” Ilse’s jaw was clenched. “Because...there’s a but, isn’t it?”
“But...” His tone was mockingly obedient, his lips curving in a smile that was the complete contrast of the state of his heart.
And it seemed like Ilse knew that because she only stared at him without returning his smile.
Ah, Ilse.
So damn beautiful, so damn smart, so damn strong.
Was it right to have her when love was the only thing he could offer?
When the billionaire reached for her, Ilse didn’t even think of resisting. He let his arms enfold her, let him tuck her head under his chin, and when he spoke of words that threatened to break her heart, she let him.
“It’s not the right time yet.” He spoke quietly, heavily, and with so much love that she almost wished she were still the type of girl who could live a lie.
“You know that, don’t you?”
Chapter Fifteen
“It’s always nice doing business with you,” Constantijin Kastein said as he shook hands with Jaak de Konigh. Tall, blond, and powerfully built, the Dutch tycoon had once been notorious for being as ruthless in negotiating business deals as he was in breaking women’s hearts.
But those years were long behind the billionaire now, and as he was also married, the media liked to write about how Constantijin had passed on his title as Netherlands’ #1 Playboy to his heir apparent, who coincidentally was the man he and his friends had flown to Amsterdam to do business with.
“Likewise.” As Jaak shook hands with the other billionaire, he murmured wickedly, “And how is the lovely Yanna, by the way? I heard she’s expecting. Is she with you—-” When the fingers gripping Jaak’s hand tightened in warning, Jaak only laughed, amused at the swift way Constantijin Kastein had taken the bait.
The other two men in the boardroom smirked. “Forgive our friend, Jaak,” Staffan Aehrenthal drawled. A famous rockstar as well as being the scion of a hotel magnate, he was also equally famous for being Sweden’s #1 sex god. “He’s become rather uncivilized since Yanna became pregnant.”
“Fuck you,” Constantijin said pleasantly. “Like you weren’t as bad when Saffi was pregnant.”
“Staffan has always been rather volatile, but you, my friend – we simply expected better from you.” This was from Rathe Wellesley, the Duke of Flanders, whose British pretty boy looks and exquisite manners had earned himself the title as England’s #1 Heartthrob. Turning to Jaak, the duke went on in a tone of exaggerated disappointment, “It’s rather unbecoming for a man of his stature, admittedly, but because we’re his friends, we’ve simply and thoughtfully chosen to overlook—-”
Constantijin gave his friends a middle-finger salute. “Fuck all of you.”
But his friends only laughed. Collectively, the three gentlemen were known as The Three Pussketeers, and Jaak could still recall how there was one instance many summers ago he, together with his brother Nic and their Greek friends Stavros Manolis and Damen Leventis, had been wide-eyed with wonder and admiration when they attended a party hosted by the three.
It still ranked as one of the wildest nights in Jaak’s life, and yet here were the three now, all properly domesticated.
“I cannot be faulted for being too careful,” Constantijin said defensively as they walked out of the boardroom and headed to the private lift that would take them straight to the penthouse ballroom. “Yanna is a beautiful woman, and Jaak’s known to fuck anyone in a skirt—-”
Jaak, who had been arranging his cuffs, looked up in sham protest at Constantijin’s words, saying, “At least give me some credit for having some sta
ndards.”
Constantijin only grunted as he and the others entered the lift. “Well, anyway, you’ll understand soon enough, I think.”
Jaak raised a brow. “Am I supposed to infer something from that too-cryptic remark?”
“Come on, man, no need to be shy,” Staffan interjected with a smirk. “We already met her last night.”
The elevator doors slid open, and Jaak was prevented from answering. When the others saw that Jaak appeared to be staying put, Staffan asked in surprise, “You’re not attending tonight’s party?”
“I am,” he assured them swiftly. “I just have something to do first.” He uttered a lie, hoping it would effectively address the other gentlemen’s worries, but instead he saw the three men exchange looks at his reply.
“I hope everything’s alright with the two of you,” Constantijin said finally.
The English duke nodded. “She seems the nice sort.”
The doors slid close before Jaak could ask any of them what the hell they were talking about. Had another wild rumor started about him and some random celebrity? He knew he should probably give more thought to it, but right now, all he wanted was to drink.
The unusually dark expression on the billionaire’s face had everyone steering clear of him as he headed to the lounge at the hotel’s lobby. His phone buzzed in his pocket as he reached the bar, and he answered the call, seeing that it was from Willem.
“Where are you?”
“Relax, big brother,” Jaak said lightly. “I know better than to skip this one.” Willem let a lot of things slide when it came to his presence in family gatherings, but tonight’s celebration was definitely an exception. “I’ll be right up soon. I just have something to work out here.”
“Make sure you’re here before the ball officially starts,” were the final clipped words Jaak received before the head of the de Konigh clan hung up.
So that would give him, what, fifteen minutes?
Fifteen goddamn minutes.
He might as well give up.
But he couldn’t.
He speed-dialed the number he had been calling for the past three days, and the phone on the other end of the line started to ring. It rang and rang until the call was automatically redirected to a voice mailbox, the way it had done so in the past three days.