My Dutch Billionaire 2 (7 page)

“When you kissed me that first day, I knew you believed you love me.” She started to protest, but he didn’t let her, biting out, “Listen to me first,
engel
.” Slowly, he leaned back so their eyes could meet again. “It doesn’t matter if you really love me or not. The one thing you have to understand now is that I do
not
love you back.” He saw Serenity blanch, but he didn’t let it stop him. “That day you kissed me, you looked like you had been hit by a bolt of lightning. You looked at me like the sun rose and set—”

“Stop it,” Serenity whispered shakily.
 

“The point is,” he said tensely, “
Everything you felt...
it didn’t happen to me—”

A broken cry spilled past her lips.

“And I thank God for it,” he finished harshly. “Because I don’t ever want to love you.” Now that he had started, he knew he would not stop until he had gotten it all out of his system.

And after that—

After that, it was up to Serenity to decide whether she still wanted him in her life or not.
 

“Even to this day,
engel
, my parents continue to profess their love for each other. And it happened to them, just like how you think it happened to you – a bolt of lightning, Cupid’s arrow, whatever bullshit terms other people have come up for it. It
is
love for my parents, but I despise them for it. I hate them for using love as an excuse to destroy each other and...hurt their own children.”

Sucking his breath in, he slowly cupped her face, and his gaze capturing hers, he told her quietly, “I don’t love you, and for me, Sere, that’s a good thing. I would never allow you to stay in my life if I did.
But I don’t.
And that’s why I’m asking you back.”
 

He waited for her to say something.

But instead of an answer, he heard someone knock on the door before his bodyguard entered the lounge and told them that Shane and Melanie were on their way back.

Chapter Six

“Oh my God, you look so bored, darling. I’m so sorry for being such a selfish bitch and leaving you to babysit.”
 

Serenity watched numbly as her half-sister rained kisses all over the billionaire’s face. When Shane also tried nibbling on his lips, she averted her face immediately, and because she did, she completely missed the way Willem’s icy stare had Shane quickly drawing back.

Serenity bent her head as she listened Melanie and Shane regale the billionaire with their shopping escapade, most of which had to do with price tags than any actual description of the clothes they had bought.

She wrung her hands as Shane started talking about what she would wear when she was in bed with Willem, unaware that the entire time the billionaire was doing his best to catch her eye. When it didn’t seem Shane was likely to stop, Serenity clumsily came to her feet.

“I t-think it’s my turn to shop,” Serenity muttered under her breath, and not waiting for anyone to answer, she walked quickly out of the lounge.

She was about to reach the exit doors when a pair of Willem’s bodyguards suddenly blocked her way.
 

Serenity started to protest when she realized who the pair were. “Mr. Molen and Mr. Smit!”

“It is a pleasure to see you again, Ms. Raleigh.”

“We have just returned from an assignment in Contini and was asked to come straight here from the airport.”

Serenity began to feel uneasy. “You’re not going to let me leave, are you?”

The duo gave her benign smiles but did not move out of her way.

If it had been any of Willem’s bodyguards, she wouldn’t have hesitated to force her way out, knowing that none of them would actually lift a finger to stop her. But these two were different...and Willem knew it.

“It’s the master’s orders, I’m afraid,” Mr. Molen said gently.

“If it pleases you,” Mr. Smit continued, “we would like to escort you to the other floors. A saleslady has been promised a significant bonus if she were to successfully entertain you.”

Serenity grimaced. “Which means if I don’t buy anything, she’s going to be heartbroken.” She frowned up at the two. “Is that what you’re saying?”

More benign smiles.

The three of them started walking.
 

“It is just like old times, is it not, Ms. Raleigh?” Mr. Molen asked complacently.
 

Serenity sighed, and in a small voice, she said, “The two of you know, don’t you?”

“From the day Mr. de Konigh made an excuse to visit you at school,” Mr. Smit answered.
 

Keeping her gaze resolutely ahead of her, she said softly, “It’s just me, though.” Her heart ached, wobbled, and lurched at the same time as she remembered the billionaire’s words.

The one thing you have to understand now is that I do not love you back.
 

That day you kissed me, you looked like you had been hit by a bolt of lightning.

You looked like the sun rose and set—

The point is...everything you felt...it didn’t happen to me.

Serenity closed her eyes. “He told me himself, and I...believe him.”
 

****

Willem:
Where are you now?

Serenity:
In the fitting room. As ordered.

Willem:
Good girl
.

Serenity:
Only because you left me no choice.

Willem:
I meant every word I said.

Serenity:
That’s what I’m afraid of, Mr. de Konigh.

He almost, almost smiled.
 

Serenity:
Where are you?

Willem:
Still with your family. They’re likely to start shopping again.

Serenity:
I see.
 

Willem:
You only have to say the word. I will let them know the truth, and I’ll make sure they will not be able to blame you.

Serenity:
It’s okay. It’s too early to say anything anyway.

Willem:
You doubt me?

Serenity:
I doubt myself.

Willem: What does that mean?

When a full minute passed and Serenity still didn’t answer, he knew he had to get to her before she started thinking crazy thoughts again. He remembered the way Serenity had sat in stiff, pale-faced silence as Shane spoke of having sex with him, and his lips compressed.
 
When he had been unable to catch her gaze, Willem had known the day would not end without him getting to talk to Serenity. Not because he demanded an answer from her, but because he needed to make sure...

He took a deep breath.

He just needed to make sure she was okay.

Looking up, he waited for Shane to pause for breath and when she did, he immediately rose to his feet, saying apologetically, “I’m afraid I must go. I have a meeting to attend, but please do not leave on my account. It would be my absolute joy for you and your family to enjoy shopping here. I’m sure you haven’t yet fully explored the other departments.”

“Are you sure?” Shane pretended to hesitate even as her heart beat madly at the thought of being able to continue shopping.

“Of course.” He smiled at both women. “In fact, I would consider myself offended if the two of you and Serenity were to leave this place with only a few shopping bags each.”

Shane almost threw her arms around him in her delight but managed not to, remembering the way Willem had reacted earlier. Instead, she satisfied herself with a sweet smile as she said, “Thank you, darling. This means so much.” Everything she said and did was under scrutiny now, and the Queen of Contini preferred women of reserve, not passion, Willem had told her.

When Willem left the lounge, he turned towards the elevator rather than the exit doors. The meeting he spoke of to Shane had only been an excuse so he could have a chance to speak to Serenity in private.

The boutique consisted of several floors, with one department stationed at each floor. The elevator stopped at the third floor, which was where Serenity had been escorted to under his orders.
 

The sales attendants of the department greeted him politely, and Willem nodded back in acknowledgement. That they knew who he was and could talk about him was of no concern. Unknown to many, a de Konigh cousin owned the House of Ivy, and as such Willem was assured of every employee’s loyalty to his family.

When he reached the fitting room, he gestured for the sales attendant to leave before walking straight to the only cubicle that showed a pair of dainty feet through the peepspace below the door.

He knocked on the door.

“Is that the size S I asked about?”

Willem didn’t answer.

“Miss?”

Willem waited patiently.

The door slowly opened and, a second later, Serenity stuck her head out.

As her eyes widened at the sight of him, he smiled and said mockingly, “Surprise.”

Serenity automatically tried to swing the door shut, but Willem was too fast for her. Before she knew what was happening, he had joined her inside the cubicle, kicked the door shut, and bolted the lock.

She opened her mouth to scream but with a dark, exultant laugh, Willem only yanked her towards him and crushed her mouth under his.

Serenity shuddered in shock. A second later, and pleasure blazed through her as Willem started kissing her more deeply. His lips were moving coaxingly against hers, his teeth catching her lower lip between them before sucking.

“L-let me go.” She tried valiantly to struggle even as her limbs weakened at the force of his passion.
 

Willem only kissed her harder, muttering against her lips, “Not until you say yes.”

“T-to what?” It was so hard to think with Willem so close to her, his hard body pressed hotly against hers.

He lifted his head. “To coming back to me.”

She shook her head, whispering, “Shane—”

He scowled. “Don’t make me repeat myself,
engel.
You know what I said—”

“But not why,” she whispered. “Y-you could have told me that it was all a diversion, just a way for us to talk.
But you didn’t.
You wanted me to think you and Shane would marry, and I don’t want to think it was because you wanted to hurt me.” She paused. “And it’s not. Right?”
 

Willem swore when her voice caught in the end. God, she was so damn young, so damn innocent. Just thinking about it made him question himself – made him wonder what the hell he was thinking, tying himself – even temporarily – to a nineteen year old.

But then he looked into her eyes, saw the way they looked so haunted again, just like how she had been when she had been unable to move past the shadows of her father’s death—

“The truth’s not pretty,” he warned tersely.

Serenity nodded jerkily. “But it’s the truth at least.”

Drawing another deep, heavy breath, Willem spilled it out in one go. “I wanted you to realize through it that you didn’t love me either.”

Serenity’s lips parted in shock. She had expected everything but that, and she couldn’t fathom it at all. Slowly shaking her head, she whispered, “I don’t understand.”

“You think you love me,” he said harshly, “but you don’t. I’ve seen the real thing, Sere. If you had really loved me, finding out that I’d marry someone else would have made you berserk. It would have made you want to kill me – maybe even try to kill me. But you didn’t. You even told me fucking congratulations, so what does that tell you?” He gripped her shoulders tightly, almost as if to shake the truth into her.
“You don’t love me, and I’m glad you don’t.”

You don’t love me...and I’m glad you don’t.

The words repeated themselves inside her mind.
 

Over and over until she was sure she wasn’t dreaming.

She stared up at Willem.
 

Her guardian, her savior, her very own Dutch billionaire.