Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
As he laughed, she tried to tug her wrist out of his hold, but he only retaliated by tightening his grip even more. “I know you already think I’m bad news, mevrouw, but I’m afraid I’ve more disappointing news. The more antagonistic you are, the more it just makes me want you.”
“I s-see.” Her voice faltered. Ilse knew she should say something more or at least sound angrier, but she couldn’t. The moment he had used the word ‘antagonistic,’ her heart had started to race, and she forgot all about freeing herself from his hold.
“Nothing else to say to that?” he teased.
Plenty, she thought. But if she allowed herself to speak, he might figure out how sexy she found his vocabulary was, and that would be quite, quite bad.
The silence between them stretched, but Ilse refused to let it get to her. She had a feeling that this man was able to get his way more often than he should. It was time he realized that being rich and handsome wouldn’t always get him everything he wanted.
A full minute passed, and she heard him say with a smile in his voice, “You’re determined to resist me, aren’t you?”
She looked at him with sham innocence. “I’m only here because you paid for a tour, mijnheer.”
His lips curved. “And if I say the kind of tour I want is of your body?”
“That will be grounds for sexual harassment.”
“Only if I don’t turn you on,” he returned easily, without even missing a beat.
Oh.
His gaze captured hers, and the fingers that still held her wrist started to move.
Soft, tender, seductive – his every stroke said everything else for him.
He turned her on...and they both knew it.
The thought shook her, and in her panic and confusion Ilse found the strength to yank her wrist free of his hold. “This isn’t—-”
“Let’s stop running in circles, schatje.” His tone was quiet but firm, an invitation that was also an order.
“I want you in my bed.”
Oh.
“Willingly and exclusively,” he clarified.
Ilse wondered vaguely if she was being insulted or if all the women he previously dated had a tendency to bed hop.
“In exchange, you may name your price, and if I deem it reasonable, then it is yours. A contract will be drawn, and you can have a lawyer check it out for you before signing.”
Ilse’s face remained expressionless.
“Am I being too businesslike about this?” he queried.
Ilse slowly shook her head. “No.”
“Then do you accept?”
“If I ask you for a million euros,” she heard herself say, “will you agree?” And a million euros would solve so much, she thought vaguely. Jan would receive the best kind of medical care, and she could go back to school—-
“Yes.”
Her jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”
“Even if you ask for another million, I’ll still be inclined to say yes.”
“ARE YOU SERIOUS?” Should she be flattered, or did money just mean that little to him because he had so much of it?
A million euros, Ilse thought dazedly.
It was so, so tempting to say yes.
And she might have said yes...
...if she hadn’t caught that fleeting look in his eyes—-
A look that told her he had always thought she had a price.
Ah.
She waited for their eyes to meet.
And when it did—-
“I truly appreciate the offer...” And Ilse slowly came to her feet. “But I’d rather you go fuck yourself.”
ALL HIS LIFE, WOMEN had always been the ones to throw themselves at Jaak de Konigh. It was the way of the world, the way it was supposed to be. Jaak hadn’t ever the need to run after a woman, and even now, having a woman walk out on him for the first time in his life—-
The part of Jaak that was entirely used to his every command being followed told him to fuck it. She was beautiful, exciting – different.
But so were a million other women.
And yet, even knowing this, he found himself standing up.
Even as he cursed himself for doing something completely unnatural, he found himself going after her.
He reached her at the end of the narrow and steep staircase spiraling from the café’s entrance doors, Jaak cupping her elbow as he pulled her back to face him, the urgency in her action causing her dark locks to spin like a wave of caramel silk behind her.
Her big brown eyes clashed with his, and an unfamiliar emotion struck Jaak, causing his chest to tighten. It felt very much like...fear.
In her eyes, he saw that she had dismissed him already – that they were over before anything could have started.
He stared at her beautiful, impassive face, and he could practically hear her gently chiding him. Did you expect me to make a scene, mijnheer? Or even worse, did you expect me to throw my arms around you simply because you ran after me?
His grip on her elbow tightened as that tight, painful feeling squeezed his chest just a bit harder. He knew he was being foolish, but he couldn’t get rid of the thought that if he let her go now, then he could never have her in his life again.