Instead of the chauffeur waiting to open the door for her, it was the Dutch billionaire himself standing next to his car, his handsome face expressionless even when people around them were already talking about him.
And they were laughing at him, she realized painfully. This was Athens’ business district, and everyone obviously recognized him – and knew that he had just been snubbed. He had to know this, too, Serenity thought feverishly. So why hadn’t he just chosen to wait for her inside his car?
Her legs trembled as she made her way to him.
“Good afternoon, Serenity.” His voice was beautiful, exactly the way she remembered it. But there was no trace of anger in it at all, no trace of accusation, and she had a sudden urge to weep.
Willem de Konigh was no idiot. He had to know she was taking her revenge. He had to. So why wasn’t he saying anything about it?
Swallowing, she said tremulously, “Good afternoon, Mr. de Konigh.” Her voice caught.
The billionaire heard it, and he sucked his breath in audibly.
“God, Sere.” Suddenly, he was taking hold of her hand, and she could only let him take command as he ushered her inside the car. The moment the door closed, the billionaire reached for her. She struggled then, but he was too strong, and she was…
She was weak.
She was always weak against this man, this Dutch billionaire she still loved even as she sought to destroy him.
The billionaire succeeded in pulling her to his lap, and his arms closed around her like a cage. It should have made her feel trapped, but it only made her feel like she was home, and the realization made her want to weep even more.
She felt the billionaire’s lips graze her forehead. “Sere.”
She shuddered at the sound of her pet name on his lips.
“It’s all right, Sere.” His arms tightened around her. “It’s completely all right.”
And she began to cry because she knew what he was saying, what he tried not to say directly, knowing that the actual words would hurt her more.
It was okay for her to take her revenge.
He tipped her chin up, telling her hoarsely, “We’ll take it one day at a time.”
She couldn’t answer, could only cry as both pain and guilt threatened to engulf her.
Just an act, she told herself even as she allowed the billionaire to pull her closer.
She curled up in his lap, and her eyes closed.
It’s all just an act.
Just an act.
****
And so it started all over again, vengeance taking yet another form. Serenity and Willem began to meet in secret, and they were the most unbearably beautiful moments of her life.
The first day, Willem took her out for a rooftop picnic at a de Konigh hotel, something she had not seen coming at all.
“B-but you don’t do picnics,” she had stammered in wide-eyed disbelief.
But the Dutch billionaire had only laughed softly at her protests. Drawing her down to the blanket he had laid out, with a hamper filled with wine, bread, and cheese, he told her that everything was worth doing, as long as it was with her.
The second day, they had just gone driving, taking in Athens’ beauty at night since both of them were still neophytes where Greece’s capital was concerned. They made it to Lycabettus Hill at midnight. It meant ‘the hills walked by wolves,’ a legendary haven where wolves were said to seek refuge. It offered 360-degree views of the city, with the Acropolis’ majestic beauty spread before their eyes while in the distance, the peak of Mt. Parnes rose proudly in the north.
He took her straight back to the university after, even walking her to the front door of her dorm. She knew she should say goodbye but she had been unable to, a part of her shamefully realizing she had wanted him to kiss her.
In front of her, the Dutch billionaire was gazing at Serenity quizzically.
She gazed back at him mutely.
“Sere?” Willem was careful not to call her ‘engel’ anymore. For some reason, doing so caused her pain, and that was the last thing he wanted her to feel.
Her teeth sunk into her lip.
His eyes widened.
Her heart began to beat harder and faster, and her eyes clung to him, Serenity unconsciously pleading for the Dutch billionaire to take over. She wetted her lips, and he sucked in his breath.
“God, Sere. I’m doing my best to control myself.” She didn’t answer, and he was old and experienced enough to understand then it was more because Serenity couldn’t let herself answer.
To ask him to kiss her would have destroyed what little pride she had left, but it was what she wanted. It was there in her eyes, there in the way she was wetting her dry lips, and it was there in the way her nipples had started to prick the thin cotton of her navy blue dress.
Goddammit, but it was what he wanted, too.
His fists clenched against his sides. “I wanted to take things slowly.”
Still, she didn’t answer. Still, she only looked at him.
And then her pink tongue darted outwards—
Ah, fuck it.
He hauled her to him, and her lips immediately parted under his ravenous kiss. He ground his mouth down on her, the same time he ground his erection against her tender belly. He was half afraid the strength of his passion would terrify her, but instead he heard his sweet Serenity moaning softly. Instead, he felt her slim arms wrap around his neck, felt her actually grinding her pussy back against his erection.
His control snapped.
Tearing his mouth off, he rapped out a command to his security before dragging her to the side of the dorm. Serenity went with the billionaire willingly, her whole world dominated by the sound of her racing heartbeat and the throbbing pulse of her pussy.
The alleyway between dorm buildings was empty and silent, wrapped completely in darkness, but Willem took her all the way to the edge until they reached a dead end. He looked at her with burning blue eyes, and she could only stare back at him.
“Fair warning, Sere.” His voice was thickly accented, his tone hard. “I won’t let you push me away after this.”
Serenity didn’t answer.
Slowly, he drew her in front of him and, inching forward, he forced her to move backwards until her back hit the wall. She gasped in shock, only to gasp yet again as the billionaire suddenly swept her up.
Her arms immediately wrapped around his neck, the same time her legs tightened around his waist.
Then there was no thinking for both of them.
Willem kissed her hard, tongue driving inside her mouth, and her senses spun. Dimly, she felt his hands getting busy, pushing her dress up and ripping her panties from her body. She could only writhe under his kiss, her entire body swelling in wanton need for his touch. She heard him unbuckle his belt and unzip himself, and the sound alone made her bite back a cry.
Oh God, it had been so long—
Suddenly, she felt it, the head of his cock sliding teasingly against the folds of her sex, and this time she couldn’t stop herself from crying out—
“Quiet,” the billionaire hissed at her, his hand clamping over her mouth. She shook her head jerkily at him, and the look of dazed need in her eyes made him shudder. “Dammit, Sere.” He had wanted to prolong this at least, but he knew now he wouldn’t last if he did. Releasing her mouth, he said thickly, “Bite my shoulder if you have to. Just don’t make a sound so we can fuck as long as we can.”
She nodded, wide-eyed.
Holding her tightly and pushing her back against the wall, he slowly drove his cock into her sex.
Her eyes rolled back.
Fuck.
He couldn’t stop himself then. His hips began to move furiously, his cock pumping in and out of her. Serenity was clinging to him, biting into his shoulder, sobbing her pleasure against his skin. The painful pleasure of her bite drove him wild, and his thrusts became even more frenzied.