“I appreciate the words, Mr. de Konigh, but I’d rather not take the risk.”
He inclined his head in acknowledgment, murmuring, “Unfortunate, but also understandable.”
But his tone was too relaxed, and Ilse had a feeling her answer hadn’t shocked him at all.
How frustratingly unpredictable this man was, but even more annoying was how he always seemed two steps ahead of her.
“Very well then...” Even though his tone remained light, there was nothing casual about the way he looked at her—-
Lazily, possessively, and this time, she would throw inintensely,too, like she was a toy he wouldn’t let go...even if it turned out the toy wasn’t his in the first place.
“I’m going to do something that I’ve never done before.”
Something like fear skittered down her spine, and Ilse suddenly realized she was way out of her league with this man. “Mr. de Konigh—-”
But it was too late.
“For you,schatje,I will lay all my cards on the table, and I hope it will convince you to return the courtesy.”
Her fingers nervously balled into tight fists on her lap. “Mr. de Konigh—-”
“I want you.”
She choked.
“And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to have you.”
What?
“You have intrigued me since the first time I saw you. I still remember that day very clearly, and it had been quite entertaining, watching you handle the Greek boys I was babysitting, making them toe the line like an army sergeant.”
Ilse remembered that tour very clearly, too. She had shown up in military greens and had ordered the boys to answer her with a ‘yes, ma’am’ at all times. Another memory occurred to her, and she tried not to grimace. My goodness, wasn’t that also the tour where she had gotten carried away just a little bit, and she had “punished” one of the boys by making him recite a rather naughty tongue twister?
The thought had her peeking warily at her VIP client, and when she saw the way his blue eyes smirked at her, she asked stiffly, “You were truly there?”
“In a manner of speaking,” he confirmed with an unrepentant grin. “I wasn’t officially part of the tour, but since they were my responsibility, I also followed the group from behind and—-” His blue eyes shamelessly caressed her as he spoke, and Ilse foughtto control her body from reacting to the way he was gazing at her. How horribly brazen this man was, with the way he could just sit there and look at Ilse like he was undressing her with his eyes.
“I don’t mind telling you that watching you act like an army sergeant was one of the best decisions of my life.”
“Thank you,mijnheer,” she answered coolly. “I also do not mind telling you that I think you either have a very boring life—-”
His lips twitched.
“Or you have remarkably weird tastes in women,” she finished.
The words should have effectively put him in his place, but instead she found the tables turned as her VIP client murmured musingly, “What was that you made the boy say again?Peter Pecker pecked a pack of pickled peckers—-”
Oh!
Try as she might, she couldn’t stop her cheeks from reddening, and seeing it, he threw his head back with a laugh. Knowing that they were both aware he had won this round grated on her, and Ilse snapped, “I see nothing funny,mijnheer.”
“Call me Jaak,” he invited like he hadn’t noticed the irritation in her voice.
“Mijnheer,” she countered stubbornly.
He looked at her in amusement. “You’re a remarkably sore loser.”
Because it was true, she pretended not to have heard anything but instead said politely, “It’s getting late, Mr. de Konigh. I’msure you must have more pressing matters to attend to, so if we could commence with the tour...” Ilse started to stand up but froze when long, elegant fingers encircled her wrist.
