“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 looksand 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—-”
