Eternally Seduced(42)

Swallowing, I blurted out, "But Constantijin … what if you lose interest  in me because of that?" It was my greatest fear and I wanted to cry just  for saying it out loud.

"Yanna … "

I shook my head, not wanting to look at him because I was already  crying. God, this was so embarrassing. All the women he dated in the  past probably never cried in front of him because that would scare him  away. And here I was, practically scaring him every day.

I only sensed Constantijin was near me when he was on his knee and  pulling my hands away from my face. "Yanna, listen. You are the first  –   the only  –  woman I had ever courted, the only woman I have worked hard  to have back in my life. You are the only woman I want enough to move in  with me. How will it be possible for me to lose interest in you when I  want you so much?"

"But there are so many others," I sniffed. Pathetic, I knew, but it was also pathetically true.

His smile looked a bit ironic as he spoke. "You're the only girl I've  dated that I'm not really sure of. I'm worried that there'd be something  I'd do wrong again and you'll leave before you let me explain. You're  the only girl I constantly look for---I always miss you when you're not  with me."

I cried harder at his words. "But I'll never leave you," I choked,  wishing I could say more but knowing he wouldn't want to hear what else I  had hidden in my heart.

"Take this risk with me, sweetheart," he whispered as he tipped my chin up. "Please?"

God, he was so good. He knew I was such a sucker when he used that word  on me. How could I not fall for it when I knew he had never used that  word with anyone else?

I said shakily, "All right, but … I have conditions."

"Name it," he said readily, "and it's yours."

If I moved in with him, I needed to make sure no one would have reason  to think that I was sponging off him. But I also had to be practical  –   there were a lot of things in his life that I would never be able to  afford.         

     



 

Chewing on my lip, I said slowly, "We'll split expenses. I know that's  unrealistic since the upkeep for your home is more than what I earn in a  year---"

"You're exaggerating," he said with a roll of his eyes, but his eyes were laughing, and I knew it was because he was happy.

The knowledge that I was the cause of that happiness made me giddy, and I  couldn't help giving him a crazy goofy smile as I continued, "So, I've  decided … I'll take care of the groceries---" Catching the look of  uneasiness that briefly crossed his face, I demanded, "What?"

"I've seen the kitchen you share with your friend. You don't even buy  fresh produce. You eat canned food or buy takeout all the time. And you  want to be the mistress of my kitchen?"

"But canned food is not that bad! And it's cheap!" Yes, it was my  exaggeratedly cheapskate genes from my Quaker grandparents talking.

Constantijin just stared.

I cringed. "Seriously? We have to buy fresh food all the time?"

"I'm always willing to take over all the expenses---"

Scowling, I cut him off, "Fine. Okay. Fresh produce all the time." I shook my head. "God, you're so high maintenance!"

He choked.

"What?" I growled.

Constantijin shook his head, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "Nothing. I just marvel at how unique you are."

"Is that good or bad?" I asked suspiciously.

He suddenly pulled me to him, and I shrieked as we fell on the floor, me on top of him.

"Fucking good," he breathed under me, his cock already hard and throbbing against my sex.

He tugged a lock of my hair, which was his favorite way of getting my  attention. It was another childish trait of Constantijin, an  unbelievably cute one that I secretly couldn't get enough of.

"What?" I said, bracing my hands on his chest as I did my best not to be distracted by his erection. It was so, umm, hard.

"You're moving in with me then?"

I giggled. "What do you think?"

"I think we need to seal the deal with sex."

"Constantijin!"





Lesson #8




Your billionaire may be an angel to others,

but do not be too sure he will be the same to you.





"Are you really sure this interior designer is not one of your billion  exes?" Three days later and I was waiting at a coffee shop near Kastein,  Inc., forcibly ejected out of my workplace by the CEO himself.  Yesterday, he had taken me to the vacant pad next to his. He said it  would be my "own" space, and I could do whatever I wanted with it. His  only requirement: that I slept in his bed every night, even when I was  pissed with him.

"There you go again, exaggerating."

I could hear him smiling and I did my best not to smile back because I  knew he'd sense it, too. But honestly, I wasn't exaggerating. Lately, it  seemed like he had bedded a woman for every dollar he had in his bank  account.

Last week, I learned the receptionist at 25/F  –  who was best friends  with the guy George was dating on and off  –  had been one of his  innumerable one-night stands. Needless to say, she hated my guts.

The previous weekend, I was on my way back to Constantijin's private box  at the theater and someone "accidentally" threw a tart at my back. No  pun seemed intended but whatever. However, tickets to that play cost  several thousand dollars so seriously, what was wrong with these wealthy  chicks that Constantijin dated?

Unfortunately, it wasn't even the last straw. If you thought those  things were, like, uncool, Alyx taught me the other night that  Constantijin's European exes could be a lot worse. She had DM'd me a  tweet of this super famous movie actress in Germany. When I ran it  through a random web translator, this was what I got: Inexpensive  she-dog nabbed the horse that I rode so well.

So, you see, I totally had reason to be wary about any unknown woman I got to meet these days.

"You will like her, this woman. She has very good taste. In fact, she was the one who decorated my pad."

A now-familiar green-eyed monster reared its head at the tone of  admiration in Constantijin's words. Even though I thought his pad was  beautifully decorated as well, I heard myself saying noncommittally,  "We'll see. I mean, we're from different generations."

"Are you saying I'm old?" Constantijin mock growled.

"No. I'm saying your interior designer is probably someone you did date and she's old. Like, cougar-old---"

"Yanna?" a cultured voice floated up to me.

Shock had me choking because I accidentally swallowed half of my donut.  Scrambling to my feet, I had this insane urge to bow, curtsy, and salute  all at the same time. Even though I now knew about her difficult past,  none of it changed the way I saw her.

As Alyx would be inclined to say, this woman "got balls".

Constantijin was still talking. "Let me speak with my mother, Yanna. I  just want her to know that you think she is, what did you say---"

I ended the call. Surely nobody was interested in what Constantijin had to say.

Marge pulled me close for a brief warm hug and kissed my cheek before  releasing me. "You look more and more beautiful every time I see you,  dear," she said as she took a seat across me.

"You, too, Mrs. Kastein." It was true. She was dressed in this lovely  pale pink sheath and matching pumps. A choker of pearls around her neck  was her only accessory, and it made her look like a spunkier middle-aged  version of Audrey Hepburn.

There was a moment of silence between us before she spoke again. "Thank you for defending me that night, Yanna."

The words had me completely flustered. "It was nothing, Mrs. Kastein---"

"Marge, please, and of course it's not nothing, Yanna. Only a few people would have cared to defend me that way."

I grimaced. "That way meaning turning into a war freak, right?"

She laughed. "I prefer war freaks to wimps." She called for a waiter  then, ordering coffee and a slice of cake. Looking back at me, she said  softly, "You know, I had wanted to call you the very next day, but  Constantijin asked me to wait."

"He did?" Constantijin's actions confused me yet again, but then that wasn't really new, was it?

His mother sighed. "If you haven't noticed by now, my son is not the  type to take a lot of risks when it comes to his feelings. I suppose he  thought he had to do more things to … win you over to his side before we  unloaded more of the family baggage on you."

Thinking very carefully of what I wanted to say and what was safe to  reveal, I finally murmured, "No matter what others say, I'll always  think you're a wonderful woman and a great mother."

"And my son?"

Biting back a sigh because I was hoping she wouldn't ask that, I mumbled, "He's great, too."

"And … " When I didn't answer, Marge said in an even tone, "You love him, don't you?"

Oh, shit.

"Mrs. Kastein, I mean, Marge, I don't---"