Nadia shook her head, resting her narrow chin on her laced fingers. “That’s not it at all. Katarina is the dysfunctional one.”
He smiled and glanced at the open doorway. “She seems quite functional to me.”
“I think we both know what I’m talking about. There’s a certain way one should aspire to live their life. Her bounty hunter title keeps her from having the negative label of being a rogue, but that’sexactlywhat she is by choice.”
“You don’t consider yourself rogue?”
“I’m a businesswoman, settled in one place, and contribute to my community. It’s hardly the same.”
The soft lull of her words broke when the phone beside her plate went off. “Hello? Yes. … That’s excellent. Can you send me the information in an e-mail and—” She paused, the other person’s voice barely audible. “I’m eating at the moment. Can it wait?” She eyed Prince and held up one finger as she stood up and left the room.
Prince folded his cloth napkin and draped it over his half-eaten quail. Nadia was a skillful cook, but he’d been too anxious to eat, and that was an emotion Prince wasn’t accustomed to. He rose from his chair and entered the dim living room. Nadia had refined taste and had put thought into how she decorated her living space. A white sofa ran along the wall to his right, and across from it, a tall curio was lit up from within.
Kat was sitting on the sofa, staring at the glass shelves. The wine bottle sat on the floor to her left. “Maybe if I pretend hard enough, the figurines will move around and entertain me,” she said. “Who doesn’t own a television?”
He took a seat beside her and stared at the cabinet. Light sparkled against the glass shelves inside, giving a magical aura to the figurines of women, children, and flowers. “I only have one television in my house, but it’s for the pack.”
Her voice softened. “You’re missing out.”
He slanted his eyes toward her legs. The dark leather stood out against the white couch and complemented her figure. His fingers wanted to touch the material, to know what it felt like.
“Did you bring luggage?”
“Not this time. If Nadia’s in one of her moods and doesn’t want to lend me a gown, I guess that means I’ll be sleeping in the nude tonight.”
Prince placed his hands in his lap, hoping she hadn’t noticed the twitch in his pants. He silently cursed himself for behaving like a young wolf.
“So you’re the boyfriend? Nadia always had good taste in men. I don’t know why she won’t settle down. I mean, she’s got it all going on. Looks, grace, a career—but then maybe she’s never been able to find a guy of her caliber. That’s what people need, someone who’s on the same level.”
He lowered his voice to a rich timbre. “For someone who bickers with her sister, you speak highly of her.”
Kat scooted down, her gaze adrift. “I love Nadia; she’s all I’ve got in this world. We couldn’t be more different, though. Sometimes I think if we weren’t related by blood, she’d cut ties with me.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”
She threw her head back and yawned. “I would.”
Prince looked at her over his right shoulder, admiring the way the dim glow from the curio accented her lovely mouth and angled jaw. He considered how to best answer her previous question about his relationship with Nadia. “We just met. There’s no relationship to speak of.”
“Give it time. You’re like peas in a pod.” She leaned against his arm. “You even smell yummy. I probably smell like oil.”
“You mean pizza grease?” he replied, a smile touching his lips. But when he briefly dipped his nose in her hair, he smelled something indescribably wonderful.
“No,” she murmured sleepily. “My car died on the way over. I had to check the engine and got fluid all over my hands.”
When Kat shivered, Prince wrapped his arm around her and she nestled against his chest. He thought about how satisfying it was to hold a woman—an affection he didn’t indulge in very often, if at all.
“I’m going to have to cut our evening short,” Nadia announced, strolling into the room in a pair of strappy heels. “I have a client who’s in need of funds tonight, and I’ve got two hours to locate a buyer for his painting.” She tapped her fingernail against a tooth, her gaze distant. “I’m tempted to buy it myself and sell it later so I don’t have to jump through all these hoops. If you want to wait for me, I’ll be back in an hour or two. It depends on how much he wants to charge. If not, then I’ll understand,” she said, judgment clinging to the edge of her voice.
Nadia was testing him, seeing what he was willing to do for her time and affection.
Under the circumstances, he could hardly go anywhere. Kat had somehow adhered herself to his side and was drooling on his shirt. Oddly, Nadia didn’t question their cozy position.
“Perhaps I’ll find a blanket for your sister and then wait on the terrace.”
That pleased her. “If you get sleepy, feel free to lie down in my bed. Just make sure you’ve removed your clothes; I like to keep my sheets clean. I’ll be back soon.”
With a jingle of her keys, Nadia slipped out the front door. The second it slammed, Kat sat upright, eyes wide.
