“How about I just walk you back to the dorm?” Anton asked as soon as the club president dismissed them for the day and everyone began to leave. He braced himself for rejection, but when Serenity visibly hesitated, he realized that, for whatever reason, he had a real chance now of getting the beautiful Serenity Raleigh to say yes.
“Just a walk,” he pressed, deliberately moving to block her way to the door. He knew he was being unfair. From the very start, Serenity’s innocence had been obvious, and eventually, he had found out that she had studied in an all-girls’ school her entire life. He knew he should give her space, but he just couldn’t do it. The moment he did, Anton was pretty sure some other guy – someone much cooler than he was – would snap her right up. No way in hell would he wait for that to happen.
Serenity chewed on her lip uncertainly. “Just a walk?”
He nodded eagerly. “A walk.” He crossed his heart. “I swear it.” Like Serenity, he was a full-blooded American, and he thanked God for it, knowing that it was another reason why Serenity was more comfortable in his company.
“Okay,” she said finally.
Anton mentally pumped his fist in the air. Yes!
As they walked, Anton noticed the way the other guys gazed at him with not-so-secret envy and almost smirked. Eat your hearts out, he thought smugly. None of them knew Serenity like he did, and he would do everything to ensure it stayed that way.
Keeping his pace slow to prolong his time with her, he began to regale Serenity with funny stories about his family. The first time they had met, he had tried to impress her with how wealthy and famous his family was, and it had been a big mistake. He had noticed the way she became more polite and stiffer with him by the second and had desperately changed tacks, accidentally blurting out the first thing that came to his mind.
“When I’m nervous, I tend to fart. Only my family knows it though, and now you.”
As soon as the words had come out of his mouth, Anton had been aghast and miserable. He had waited for Serenity to tell the whole class about him and wouldn’t have blamed her for it.
But she hadn’t.
Instead, she had smiled at him while saying in her lovely, clearly voice, “Your family sounds so wonderfully nice.” But there had also been a note of wistfulness in her words, and Anton had realized then if he kept telling her stories about his family, she would stay with him forever. It was like Scheherazade and the king, only this time he was the storytelling virgin and he had a queen to entertain.
Even now, Serenity did not seem tired at all, listening to him telling her the most mundane things about his family. Throughout their walk, Anton was careful to keep his distance, knowing also from experience how Serenity hated being touched by members of his sex. He had researched about her and had eventually come to the conclusion that it was probably because she was a virgin. She was Willem, Jr. after all, and the Dutch billionaire likely had some of his guards looking after her, being his girlfriend’s younger sister.
What if the Dutch billionaire came here, he mused even as he kept a steady stream of chatter about his family. What if the Dutch billionaire disapproved of him? What would he do?
Anton mentally shook his head. Nah. Even if the Dutch billionaire did come, surely the older man would not find any fault in him. He came from extremely good Greek stock, and he had never been accused of being a playboy. In fact, if Willem de Konigh requested that he honor Serenity with an offer of marriage, Anton would be more than happy to do so.
He looked at Serenity.
She looked back at him, her tranquil expression unchanging and her eyes still an unreadable shade of blue.
One day, Anton vowed to himself, he would learn all the secrets behind that perfect mask. One day, he would have the right to kiss her. His pulse quickened at the thought. One day, he would have the right to undress her—
Her brows furrowed. “Anton?” Her tone was bemused.
Anton recovered. “Sorry.” He cleared his throat and wished to God it would be just as easy to clear his erection away. “I was just thinking of un—” He hastily caught himself in time. “I mean, I was thinking of unnecessary stuff.”
“Unnecessary stuff like what?” Serenity’s tone had turned curious.
He pulled on his collar. “Well…” Anton was not at all used to lying. He saw her frown and her gaze narrow at him in puzzlement. Her eyes began to move down, and he panicked. Not wanting Serenity to notice the rather prominent bulge under his jeans, he pointed behind her back. “Look!” He hadn’t really anywhere or anything to point at, had only wanted Serenity distracted. But as he followed the random direction his finger pointed to, Anton realized with a start that there was something worth noticing.
A black stretch limousine, parked right in front of Serenity’s dorm.
“What is it?” he heard Serenity ask as she whirled around to follow his gaze.
A chauffeur had stepped out to open the passenger door.
Serenity whitened upon seeing the limousine and the man stepping out of it with elegant grace.
Willem.
Before she knew what she was doing, she had reached for Anton’s hand and gripped it tightly, needing to remind herself that she was not alone.
Anton jumped at the unexpected touch but had enough presence of mind not to pull away. Instead, he tightened his hold on her, and his chest puffed with pride when he felt Serenity return his tight hold.
He turned to face the Dutch billionaire—
Willem de Konigh was standing right in front of him, dressed in an obviously bespoke pinstriped suit, with the way it molded perfectly to his broad shoulders and long, lean frame. He was so damn tall Anton had to crane his neck to meet the Dutch billionaire’s gaze.
The older man’s icy blue eyes raked him from head to toe.
Anton’s earliest boost of self-confidence disappeared, and he heard himself croak out, “Good afternoon, Mr. de Konigh.”
“I’m afraid I do not have the pleasure of knowing your name.” Anton felt like he was in some kind of Twilight Zone as he listened to the Dutch billionaire speak. He had a strong accent, but his perfectly modulated voice also bore an immensely strong resemblance to Serenity’s. It was like hearing twins speak, even when they weren’t really that.
“Anton Floros, sir.” And because he couldn’t very well ignore the hand the billionaire offered, he reluctantly released his hold on Serenity’s hand to shake hands with the older man. When it was over, he considered taking Serenity’s hand again. But her hands were already fisted against her sides, and despite everything, he didn’t quite have the nerve to risk rejection by taking her hand.
“I believe you were just leaving?” The billionaire’s voice was pleasant.
Anton blinked. “I’m not—” He saw the billionaire’s eyes bore through his, and he suddenly realized that even if Serenity had not noticed his erection, the older man had. And right now, Willem de Konigh was courteously and generously offering him a way out before he proceeded to embarrass himself.
“On second thought, I think I have to go.” Anton couldn’t quite meet Serenity’s gaze as he spoke. “See you, Serenity.” He turned and walked away quickly, thanking God that the Dutch billionaire was indeed the nice gentleman that he was reputed to be.
Alone, Serenity and Willem were left facing each other.
It was agony to look at him, but she forced herself to, telling herself that she would only make herself weaker if she did not. He was still heartbreakingly beautiful, maybe even more so than she remembered. But he had grown thinner, too, his new leanness causing his features to be more prominent and aristocratic.