“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.

Her very beautiful, adorable...idiot.

How could someone so wonderfully intelligent be so darn clueless? She was so tempted to laugh, and she probably would have if she hadn’t the same burning urge to cry.

Willem de Konigh thought that love had only one form, one face, and it was the kind that his parents shared. A terrible, destructive love that he hated and did not want in his life, even if it meant turning his back on her.

If he thought she had loved him back, he would have left her.

So what was she going to do now?

Tell Willem she didn’t love him to stay...or tell him she did so he could push her away?

She closed her eyes, and the tears won over the laughter. “Oh, Willem.”

Time was the only answer, she thought brokenly. Time was what she needed the most – time to make him realize he was wrong, time to make him discover the other faces of love, and that the kind of love she had for him was different from what his parents had.

Her love...knew no bounds.

Her love...lasted.

Her love...gave way.

“Do you understand now?” her billionaire asked hoarsely.

Slowly, she nodded. “Y-yes.” She understood that for now, she had to lie. In order to be with him, open his eyes, and teach him about her kind of love, she would lie about not loving him.

Their eyes met.

“You’re right,” Serenity whispered. “I m-might not love you, but I n-need you---”

His mouth conquered hers. “And I need you back, engel.” His voice was fierce. “I need you forever.” He started to say something else when they heard voices outside.

Serenity’s eyes widened.

“Serenity? Are you in here?”

Seeing the way panic flared in Serenity’s eyes, he pressed his finger to his lips, reminding her to be quiet. At the same time, he let her go and, lowering himself to the ottoman inside the cubicle, he pulled Serenity between his legs before bracing his feet on each side of the door.

If anyone cared to look at the peepspace below, no one would know that Serenity wasn’t alone inside.

“Serenity!” Melanie’s voice was now tinged with impatience.

Answer her, Willem mouthed.

“I-I’m h-here, Melanie.” As she answered, she felt the billionaire slowly draw her closer to him, and her eyes widened in alarm.

“Why did it take you so long to answer?” This, from a suspicious-sounding Shane.

“It’s t-this swimsuit.” Her billionaire was smiling wickedly at her. Wickedly. Willem de Konigh, in a wicked mood. She was enthralled.

“What about it?” Shane demanded.

“It’s so...glamo---” Her breath caught as Willem slowly spun her around. Gulping, she said, “It’s too glamorous for me.” Willem had started pulling the zipper of her dress down.

Shane and Melanie burst into laughter.

“Well, of course it’s going to be glamorous,” her stepmother retorted. “This is the House of Ivy, you know.”

“S-sorry.” She could barely speak, with Willem slowly trailing his lips down her spine.

“I swear, Serenity. You can be so provincial,” Shane sneered.

“S-sorry.” It was the only thing Serenity could remember to say, with Willem turning her around and pushing the dress off her shoulders. It slid down her arms before falling gently into a pool of silk around her feet.

The billionaire stared at her for a long time, his gaze leisurely exploring hers, and she could feel entire body turning pink as his eyes lingered on her lace-covered breasts and the matching scrap of lace that covered her mound.

Outside the fitting room, Shane and Melanie had started talking to their sales consultant about the latest swimwear designs.

Willem tugged on a lock of blonde hair, and understanding the silent command, Serenity bent down towards him. He immediately reached around her for the back clasp of her bra. As he unhooked it, he whispered to her ear, “Whatever I do...”

She swallowed.

“Don’t make any noise.”

Her bra joined her dress on the floor.

And then the billionaire was carefully cupping her tender young breasts. Their gazes met, and she bit back a whimper at the hunger that blazed from Willem’s blue eyes. Another second, and his head had dipped, and he was drawing a nipple into his mouth.

When he began to suck, her world spun faster, and she found herself weakly bracing her arms against the walls of the cubicle.

He sucked long and hard on each nipple, and just when her knees started to buckle, he finally ceased his agonizingly tempting ministrations and lifted his head.

The billionaire’s eyes gleamed in satisfaction as he surveyed her dazed expression. His eyes still holding hers captive, he slowly reached into her panties---

Her lips parted in a silent scream.

His fingers dipped inside.

His eyes widened. Wet, he mouthed in shock.

She shuddered, and when more moisture flooded out of her pussy, the billionaire shuddered, too. Her wetness seemed to greatly turn him on, with Willem ripping her panties from her body the next second.

Outside, Shane and Melanie listened to the ripping sound in shock.

“Oh my God,” her stepmother moaned. “Don’t tell me you’ve accidentally torn something!”

“I...did.” The words came out a gasp as the billionaire started running his fingers up and down her folds. Slowly at first, and then faster and harder, until her world followed and spun at the same pace as his stroking fingers.

“You’ll have to buy that obviously,” Shane said angrily. “God, what a waste.”

“Sorry!” The word came out a half scream as the billionaire surprised her by sliding one finger inside her sex. Her billionaire’s rock-hard shoulders shook with laughter even as she beat at them angrily.

“Oh my God, don’t get hysterical,” Shane groaned, mistaking the reason for her half-sister’s scream.

Flushing at the way Shane misunderstood, Serenity glared down at her billionaire. Don’t you ever do that---

But he did it again, taking her by suprise as he slid a second finger inside her.

She fell back against the door as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Oh. My. God. She clutched her billionaire’s shoulders tightly as he began fucking her hard with his fingers.

Outside, the thud Serenity’s body made against the door had her stepmother and half-sister exchanging apprehensive glances.

“I think she’s having one of her breakdowns,” Melanie whispered under her breath.

“We should go now,’ Shane whispered hastily, “before she does. I’m in no mood to go with her to the ER. It’s so depressing there.”

When Serenity heard her stepmother and half-sister’s footsteps fade, she looked down at Willem. Are they gone?

His fingers paused mid-thrust as he cocked his head to listen for any sounds.

Serenity wanted to cry out in protest.

Willem glanced up at her. “They’re gone.”

She raised a brow. You’re sure? She also tried to raise her hips to get more of his fingers inside her, but the billionaire definitely withheld it from her, pulling his fingers out just as her hips thrust up. Unbearable agony shot through her, and before she knew it, the billionaire’s name was being torn out of her throat.

“Willem!”

It was as if the billionaire had only been waiting for her to surrender, and the moment she cried out his name, he was suddenly there. His fingers pulled out, his tongue pushed back in, and he started playing with her clit.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head. “Oh God, Willem.”

He began to eat her. Devour her. His tongue thrust in and out of her pussy, exploring every nook and cranny it could reach while his fingers relentlessly teased her clit to life.

Her world started to splinter, and her hips started to buckle.

“Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.”

Now she knew why Willow had sounded so wanton in that audio clip Stavros had sent to Willem. This kind of pleasure was just impossible to control one’s reaction to, impossible to be immune to.

Willem’s tongue lapped her folds clean and she found herself clutching his hair. She felt him nuzzling her mound just before his mouth latched to her clit, and Serenity tensed. A part of her was saying, this was it. This was it. This was it.

But it still took her by surprise.

Willem bit her clit the same time three of his fingers resumed pummelling her pussy.

It came out of nowhere.

“Oh God, Willem,” Serenity screamed the moment her orgasm took over her senses, and she was drowning, oh God, she was drowning in such intensely hot waves of pleasure. She shuddered against her billionaire as her essence continued to pour out of her in powerful waves.

When it was over, Serenity didn’t even think, only falling limply into his arms.

Her billionaire caught her easily, and cradling her in his lap, he kissed her head and whispered, “This is only the beginning, Sere.”

And it was.