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Looking up, he waited for Shane to pause for breath and when she did, he immediately rose to his feet, saying apologetically, “I’m afraid I must go. I have a meeting to attend, but please do not leave on my account. It would be my absolute joy for you and your family to enjoy shopping here. I’m sure you haven’t yet fully explored the other departments.”

“Are you sure?” Shane pretended to hesitate even as her heart beat madly at the thought of being able to continue shopping.

“Of course.” He smiled at both women. “In fact, I would consider myself offended if the two of you and Serenity were to leave this place with only a few shopping bags each.”

Shane almost threw her arms around him in her delight but managed not to, remembering the way Willem had reacted earlier. Instead, she satisfied herself with a sweet smile as she said, “Thank you, darling. This means so much.” Everything she said and did was under scrutiny now, and the Queen of Contini preferred women of reserve, not passion, Willem had told her.

When Willem left the lounge, he turned towards the elevator rather than the exit doors. The meeting he spoke of to Shane had only been an excuse so he could have a chance to speak to Serenity in private.

The boutique consisted of several floors, with one department stationed at each floor. The elevator stopped at the third floor, which was where Serenity had been escorted to under his orders.

The sales attendants of the department greeted him politely, and Willem nodded back in acknowledgement. That they knew who he was and could talk about him was of no concern. Unknown to many, a de Konigh cousin owned the House of Ivy, and as such Willem was assured of every employee’s loyalty to his family.

When he reached the fitting room, he gestured for the sales attendant to leave before walking straight to the only cubicle that showed a pair of dainty feet through the door gap.

He knocked on the door.

“Is that the size S I asked about?”

Willem didn’t answer.

“Miss?”

Willem waited patiently.

The door slowly opened and, a second later, Serenity stuck her head out.

As her eyes widened at the sight of him, he smiled and said mockingly, “Surprise.”

Serenity automatically tried to swing the door shut, but Willem was too fast for her. Before she knew what was happening, he had joined her inside the cubicle, kicked the door shut, and bolted the lock.

She opened her mouth to scream but with a dark, exultant laugh, Willem only yanked her towards him and crushed her mouth under his.

Serenity shuddered in shock. A second later, and pleasure blazed through her as Willem started kissing her more deeply. His lips were moving coaxingly against hers, his teeth catching her lower lip between them before sucking.

“L-let me go.” She tried valiantly to struggle even as her limbs weakened at the force of his passion.

Willem only kissed her harder, muttering against her lips, “Not until you say yes.”

“T-to what?” It was so hard to think with Willem so close to her, his hard body pressed hotly against hers.

He lifted his head. “To coming back to me.”

She shook her head, whispering, “Shane—-”

He scowled. “Don’t make me repeat myself,engel.You know what I said—-”

“But not why,” she whispered. “Y-you could have told me that it was all a diversion, just a way for us to talk.But you didn’t.You wanted me to think you and Shane would marry, and I don’t want to think it was because you wanted to hurt me.” She paused. “And it’s not. Right?”

Willem swore when her voice caught in the end. God, she was so damn young, so damn innocent. Just thinking about it made him question himself – made him wonder what the hell he was thinking, tying himself – even temporarily – to a nineteen year old.

But then he looked into her eyes, saw the way they looked so haunted again, just like how she had been when she had been unable to move past the shadows of her father’s death—-

“The truth’s not pretty,” he warned tersely.

Serenity nodded jerkily. “But it’s the truth at least.”

Drawing another deep, heavy breath, Willem spilled it out in one go. “I wanted you to realize through it that you didn’t love me either.”