Shouldn’t she have forgotten whatiteven meant?
“I apologize for keeping this from you.” Willem’s quiet voice drew her attention back to him. “But this was also the reason why we thought it better—-”
“We?” Anneke’s voice was stiff. “So he knows you’ve kept this a secret from me?”
“Yes.”
Oh.She could feel her composure evaporate with that single-worded admission, and she fell back against her seat, feeling weak all of a sudden. He knew that Willem had to keep their business partnership a secret from her. Did it make him think she still wasn’t over him?
“Why would you do this behind my back?” Anneke, head still bowed, spoke the words in a threadbare whisper.
“Because I never thought it that way.” A complete and utter lie, but it was also a risk that Willem had decided to take completely on his own. He simply couldn’t bear seeing his sister waste away any longer and had known something drastic was required. “Since you seemed to have gotten on with your life pretty well, I didn’t think you’d mind DKE doing business with Ravelli’s company—-”
Willem paused when Anneke kept shaking her head. He waited for her to speak, but his sister only kept her head bowed, not meeting his gaze.
“Was I wrong?” Willem finally asked. “Have younotgotten over him?”
The question stung Anneke’s pride, enough to make her lift her head and say stiffly, “Of course I have.” She bit her lip hard. “But—-”
“It’s just occurred to me I’ve failed to mention he’s only a silent partner on this one, which means you wouldn’t even have to worry about meeting him under any circumstances. In fact, Ravelli and I have talked about this, and he was the first one to offer skipping the launch—-”
“I don’t mind if he attends,” Anneke heard herself interrupt and wanted to cringe the moment the words left her mouth.Crap, oh crap.What the heck was she saying?
Willem’s fingers tapped rhythmically on his desk
Anneke frowned, sensing her brother’s reservations. “I mean it.”
“You’re certain?”
“Yes.”
“Alright then. I’ll take your word for it and let him know—-” Willem paused once again as his sister started shaking her head, and he asked patiently, “What is it?”
“I can do that for you.” Anneke was proud to hear her voice unshaking. “It’s not like we’re still kids and you have to worry that I’d freak out every time I see him. You’ve got more than enough on your plate with work, so let me handle this.” She forced a smile. “If that’s all then?”
Minutes after Anneke left, Willem remained on his seat, his fingers still drumming on the desk. Had he done the right thing, meddling between his sister and her estranged husband?
Coming to his feet, he walked to Serenity’s desk, where his PA-slash-fiancée was hard at work. She automatically looked up, asking politely, “Is there anything I may do for you, Mr. de Konigh?”
As always, he countered this, saying patiently, “Willem.”
A little frown marred her smooth forehead. Even though they’d been engaged for almost a year now, Serenity still didn’t like having the lines between them blurred during office hours.
“Mr. de Konigh,” she spoke firmly.
“Sere.” His tone, on the other hand, was lazy. And then he was bending down and covering her mouth with his. She gasped, and he kissed her harder, uncaring of the kind of attention they were drawing from the rest of his staff. This woman was his, now and forever, and anyone who couldn’t adjust to this particular reality was free to leave Willem’s employ.
“Your punishment,” he murmured huskily against her lips, “for being so stubborn.” When he pulled away, the consternation in blue eyes identical to his greeted him, and Willem chuckled.
“Y-you shouldn’t have done that,” Serenity muttered under her breath.
“No. I shouldn’t have.” But he hadneededto, and the way the pressure was already easing off his chest as he gazed at her flustered expression was proof of it.
Something flickered in her eyes, and he blinked in surprise when she suddenly stood up and asked out loud, “Perhaps we could talk about this in your office, sir?”
This...being what?
Straightening, he inclined his head, murmuring, “Of course.” He waited until she reached his side, and only then did he start walking, his pace automatically adjusting to hers so she wouldn’t feel the need to limp.