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More than you can ever know.
His eyes drill into mine, unblinking, and I see something flicker behind them. Something that walks the knife edge of protectiveness and danger.
Something that screams:tell me their name.
If I mentioned Phil and what he did … What would Konstantin do? He barely knows me. Yet I swear, he’d hunt Phil down and punish him for me.
As tempting as the idea may be, I can’t agree to that.
“I didn’t come here to wallow in self-pity,” I say as casually as I can. I even manage a smile before filling my mouth with more wine. It was sweeter before. But it tastes sour now.
He folds his hands over his lips, never taking his attention off me. There’s half a panini on his plate, but he ignores it. He’s feasting on me.
“I understand.”
I draw my chin to my chest with a blink. “You do?”
“I know what it’s like to not want to go back to reality …” A faint smile passes over his face, and he turns to look over the sea. “You’re not alone, Kitty Cat.”
A hundred questions flock into my brain.How can a guy who can afford a Lamborghini on a whim and stay in a place likethiswant to run away from reality?Konstantin drips money. His confidence is worn as comfortably as his bespoke clothes. The base of my neck is itching as I stare hard at him while trying to make sense of his comment.
“You’re in town for work. What sort of work?”
He shrugs casually. “I’d bore you talking about it.”
“It can’t be that bad if you get to travel to Italy.” I glance at the glass doors, thinking about what I saw in his bedroom. “You always take that same suitcase with you on your trips?”
“You’re wondering about the Hello Kitty bag tag, aren’t you?”
“Can you blame me? It’s not exactly what I’d expect from someone like …”
“Like me.” His smile is dangerous. “I get it. If it wasn’t for my sister, I wouldn’t have it at all.”
Sister …
The thorns from before are back. They slither through my veins, cutting me up as they go. “It’s hers?”
Shaking his head, he begins to talk in a softer voice. I have to lean closer to hear him over the crash of the waves below.
“I bought it for her. She loves Hello Kitty.” He stops talking, as if he’s working through a lump in his throat as he says it. “But they only sell the tags in pairs. I gave one to her, and she insisted I use the other. So, I do.”
“Same for me, actually,” I tell him. “Except, it’s my sister who bought it formebefore she left home.”
For the second time, I wonder about her. About how she’s doing.
Does she still have her Hello Kitty bag tag?
Does she think of me like I think of her when she sees it?
Konstantin tilts his head at me. His pupils are bottomless, sucking me in. He’s reading my pensive mood. I wish I was better at hiding it. I’m a damn open book with my emotions.
He leans in closer, and my heart races as his lips part.
“I—” I try to protest.
Just then, a ringing noise blasts from his pocket. His face contorts, every wrinkle deepening as he hits the ignore button.
But whoever is on the other end is insistent. Not a second later, the phone rings again.
