“So there’s nothing to be sorry about.”
“I said no such—-”
But he was already pulling her inside her own house, and as soon as they entered the living room, they found Jan seated on the couch, busy scribbling on his notebook. He looked up, and the billionaire smiled at Ilse’s brother. “Hello.”
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.
