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Oh, the days were so breathtakingly beautiful that she couldn’t help going to sleep every night with her heart lodged in her throat, terror keeping her awake.

It was too good, her instincts warned her.

Everything was too good to be true, everything too perfect to last.

And it was so, too.



















Chapter Eight

“NO. WE CAN’T.” WILLEM’Svoice was strained, but his touch was firm, albeit also reluctant, in the way he carefully took Serenity’s hands away from his zipper. But then he caught a glimpse of the dejection in her pale blue eyes as she pulled back from him, and shaking his head with a sigh, he said quietly, “Be reasonable,engel.”

They were on their way to a charity ball organized by the de Konighs’ non-profit arm, but unlike most other events they attended together, Shane would be joining them as well.

When Serenity faced him, her usual composed mask had fallen into place, and her voice was polite as she murmured, “Of course.”

She started to turn away but he didn’t let her, taking hold of her hand and yanking her back to him. “You may not like your sister—-”

Serenity flushed at the way the billionaire made her sound so foolishly caught up with childish squabbles. “I’m not the one who dislikes her,” she pointed out with dignity. “It’s Shane who dislikes me.”

“Of course,” he said soothingly. “I misspoke—-”

She tried pushing him away, but it was like going against a brick wall. “I know when you’re just humoring me, Mr. de Konigh,” she muttered even as she finally allowed him to cage her in his arms. “And you’re doing it now.”

He smiled against her hair. “Am I?” Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he murmured, “You know my hands are tied. Invitations had been sent out long ago, and your sister received hers because the charity assumed she would be coming as my date. If I backed out now, she would be suspicious, and you know it.”

Serenity still refused to speak.

Still smiling, he placed a sweet, short kiss on her mouth, murmuring against her lips, “You know I’m right,engel. Your sister is no idiot. She would know the moment she stepped inside the car that we have been doing things a boss shouldn’t be doing with his intern.” He paused. “Unless you’ve changed your mind?”

She bit her lip, then blurted out, “Unless you’ve changed your mind, too?” He didn’t answer, but he didn’t have to. He pulled away at her words, and when she saw the shuttered look that had fallen on the billionaire’s face, her fists clenched on her lap in frustration.

“I don’t understand you, Willem.” Looking at him suddenly made her want to tear up, and she hastily averted her gaze towards the windows. “You want everyone to know we’re together, but you don’t want to make love to me.”

Willem didn’t answer.

“Can’t you tell me why?”