She didn’t make a sound, but she didn’t have to.
“Serenity, dammit, will you stay put?” Willem was already bearing down on her, and when she still insisted on reaching for the phone, he laid his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back down.
“I should go after her, Mr. de Konigh,” Serenity murmured as Willem reached for the phone himself. “What if Mr. Manolis calls her and it’s important?”
“Free sex is important?” Willem asked dryly.
Serenity’s mouth opened and closed while her cheeks flushed pink again. It was her first time to hear the Dutch billionaire say something so explicit. All she could hear was Willem’s lovely, accented voice saying the word over and over. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex.
The look on his intern’s face made him grimace. “Apologies, Serenity.” He paused, but whhen she didn’t correct him on his use of her first name, he shook his head in exasperation. “It appears she’s a corruptive influence on both of us.”
Several beats of silence passed before Serenity was able to recover her voice, but it still quivered as she said faintly, “The phone?”
Willem slid the phone into his pocket. “I need to head out and talk to Nic, anyway. I’ll look for Ms. Somerset myself.” His eyes narrowed. “As for you, it’s my direct order that you stay off your legs the entire day. Understood, Ms. Raleigh?”
The fact that he had voluntarily used her surname told her he meant business, and she nodded obediently. “Yes, Mr. de Konigh.”
When Willem left as well, it was Serenity’s turn to slump over the desk. Her entire body shook, but it was nothing to how she had reacted between her legs. Oh God, this was so embarrassing. And this was Willow Somerset’s fault. She had always managed to keep her reactions in check but ever since she had seen how Willow and Stavros Manolis were with each other—
She pressed her thighs together, but the wetness still stemmed, soaking her panties.
****
Stavros Manolis was in hiding.
In his entire life, he could never be accused of such a thing, had never even gone away to do proverbial wound licking when he had found out the truth about his parents. But this time was different. This time, he knew he couldn’t afford to face anyone until he effectively got rid of all the doubts wearing him down and the bewilderment that turned his mind into a haze.
That he needed time alone didn’t sit well with him at all, of course. It felt too much like an excuse, made him like one of those shallow, self-centered celebrities who flew aorund the world acting like they were the only one who knew what broken-hearted meant.
Even so, it was the truth.
He needed time to think, needed time to figure out why there was a growing sense of dread inside him, needed time to understand why all his insticts were screaming at him that everything was wrong. Completely wrong.
Taking hold of the paddles, Stavros started to row. It was one of his favorite pasttimes here in Contini, which had a number of hidden lagoons and secret caves.
The exertion calmed him, and the quiet surrounding Stavros, which was only occasionally marred by turquoise waters rippling under his boat, helped clear his mind.
For once, he tried to think logically about everything that had happened between him and Willow.
He had once thought her the most genuine woman in the world, someone who wouldn’t ever be able to hide her thoughts or stop herself from saying the truth.
Was that a lie?
He had also thought she wouldn’t be the type to go after a man for his money alone. Was that a lie as well?
His mind said yes, but his heart – his goddamn foolish heart that kept wanting to beat for the people who didn’t give a damn about him – his heart told him no. If he closed his eyes now, if he allowed himself to remember, all the memories would say the same thing his heart was insisting.
It hadn’t been a lie. She had felt something for him, the same thing he felt about her. The one thing they had never openly talked about.
Stavros started rowing faster, but it was no match for the pace of his heartbeat.
But what if they weren’t lies?
What if, for one moment, he considered that those weren’t lies? Then why had she betrayed him?
Was it because she was like him? Had she been motivated by an integral instinct to please her parents, the way he had once been, even though they had repeatedly rejected her? Had her desire to make her father proud of her accomplishments outweigh her desire to be with him?
And if that was so, what then? It didn’t make her evil, did it? It only made Stavros...second place.
His jaw clenched, and he let go of the paddles, allowing the boat to cruise freely. Second place wasn’t too bad, Stavros thought. It was...familiar territory. Reaching for his phone, he checked for any messages and calls from Willow but found none. Was she looking for him but too proud to let him know? Or did she not care at all?