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)
He alternated between infuriating and endearing effortlessly, whichever the situation would call for, but it was when a particularly nosy reporter came to them, asking Jaak about how he felt regarding Ilse’s job as a sex tour guide, that Ilse couldn’t help tensing, couldn’t help wondering if maybe - just maybe – tonight was only meant to be a fantasy.
“I heard she dresses up and role-plays to satisfy her clients’ fantasies,” the reporter said with a snigger. And he had obviously done his research on Ilse as he then proceeded to describe her job in the coarsest possible terms, his loud voice attracting the attention of the people around them, as it was meant to.
She listened to him with a carefully blank expression, not because she was ashamed – she was not – but because she could only wait.
Most men would have been livid at hearing such things about their girlfriends, and they would be forgiven for it.
But Ilse was hoping Jaak de Konigh would prove to be different from most men.
When the billionaire met her eyes, she gave him a little smile. This is how it’s going to be when all secrets are out in the open. And I do want everything out.
The billionaire smiled back. I guess that makes you a masochist. He reached for her hand. But you’re also a masochist I happen to love so...
He turned to face the reporter, saying easily, “Yes. That’s her job, and Ilse’s amazing at it.” He raised a brow at Ilse. “Perhaps you have a business card with you?”
“Of course.” She opened her purse and pulled out one. “I’m always prepared.” She handed it to the reporter, who looked dumbfounded for suddenly losing his prey and not understanding how it happened. “Our rates at Glory Hall are rather high, but I promise you—-” Her voice lowered, and she winked at the reporter, saying, “Every euro you spend will be worth it.”
As they walked away, her hand still grasped securely in his, the billionaire murmured her name. She looked at him inquisitively, and he gave her a crooked grin, saying, “Admit it, babe. I handled that better than you hoped.”
“You did,” she said grudgingly.
“Did it make your heart beat fast?”
“Nope.” But it had, and the way the billionaire only smirked at her in response told Ilse he knew she was lying.
The ball officially commenced a few minutes later, with Ilse and Jaak joining his siblings in the VIP table. The billionaire knew by now that Ilse had spent the entire three days with his family, but even so it was a pleasant surprise to see her getting along extremely well with everyone.
When there was a rare pause in the conversation, he couldn’t help intruding with a curious question he had wanted to ask from the start. “What have you guys been up to in the past three days?”
His sister Anneke appeared surprised. “What else?”
He only raised a brow, wondering if all women had the mistaken belief that men were mind readers.
Fleur, his other sister, rolled her eyes at him, saying, “She wants to dig out every possible skeleton in your closet, naturally.”
“I see.” He looked at his sisters one at a time. “And you helped, of course?”
His sisters pointed to Serenity. “She helped, too.”
Serenity cocked her head to the man beside her, murmuring politely, “Mr. de Konigh asked me to.”
“Yes, I did,” Willem confirmed bluntly to his brother just before turning to his secretary-slash-fiancée, saying pleasantly, “Serenity?”
“Yes, sir?”
“It’s Willem.”
“I know, Mr. de Konigh. I’ve known since I was fourteen.”
“Serenity?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Don’t push it.”
“Yes, Willem.”
As the couple stared at each other, Ilse stared at them with unconcealed fascination. These two were just so alike, it was uncanny! Serenity was like a living Barbie doll, Willem was like Ken with a Dutch accent and a billion-dollar account, and the two were so impossibly gorgeous they had every right to be shallow, dumb, and selfish and everyone would love them. But instead they were the opposite, with Willem considered legendary because of his smooth-talking skills and Serenity being fondly referred to as ‘Willem, Jr.’ because of the way she so obviously followed Willem’s footsteps.
Fascinating, Ilse thought again. She had seen a lot of crazy sexual things in her line of work, but these two were the only ones to make her realize that it was possible for polite talk to be so sexually charged.
A second later, and everyone at the table laughed, and Ilse realized she had unknowingly spoken her thoughts aloud.
Oops.
When the ball finally ended, Jaak and Ilse walked out hand in hand, their pace slow and relaxed, and as they waited for the billionaire’s limousine to roll up the hotel’s driveway,
Jaak asked her if she had indeed meant what she told his sisters.
“About me leaving my job, you mean, and maybe going back to school?” At the billionaire’s nod, Ilse said simply, “I’ve been considering it since we started going out.”