clarity. I wasn’t some stupid girl, falling for the seductive mobster boss.
I knew exactly what those hands were capable of.
Konstantin peered at me, dropping those very same hands slowly. “I know you feel it too, Elena.” His tone was low.
“No, I don’t,” I sounded puffed. “You’re just an arrogant bastard.”
“Oh, definitely. But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong,” Konstantin replied. “You’re not a married woman any longer, nor are you under the watchful gaze of your family. Why deny yourself pleasure?”
Anger managed to clear my mind out of the lusty fog. “Pleasure? What is it about men and their belief they’re so good at giving pleasure?” I cut him a smile. “Trust me, if you ever heard a woman describing your abilities, she wouldn’t be so kind with her description.”
His eyes gleamed. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”
“I am,” I hissed. “Sex isn’t nearly as good as men make it out to be.”
Sex with Thaddeo had been three minutes of me thinking about books I wanted to read and plants I wanted to grow. Boring, painful and never as good as pop culture made it out to be.
Konstantin’s smile was low and dark. “You’re a scientist. Why don’t you test your hypothesis?”
I opened my mouth to retort but was cut off.
“Sorry!” Roksana came jogging down the stairs, her pale skin bright red. Loose curls spilled from chignon. “We better get going or else we’re going to be late.” She stopped and looked between Konstantin and me. Her expression froze. “Am I interrupting something?”
“No. Let’s go,” I said.
Konstantin nodded and gestured a hand forward, beckoning us to lead the way. All the way to the car I felt Konstantin’s stare on my back.
Now I knew how the rabbit felt when it spotted a pair of fox eyes in the shadows.
The Staten Island Opera and Ballet House was a grand piece of architecture, with colossal Latin architecture and beautiful paintings staining the roof. Gold traced the ornate ceilings and archways, like someone had delicately outlined the structure.
The moment we arrived a staffer led us to a private box. It looked over the entire stage and symphony, the prime location. The red velvet seats were cushiony, and we were offered champagne and a board of cheeses seconds after we sat down.
Roksana’s excitement was obvious. She opened the program between the two of us, discussing the principle dancers and the different acts. It was a ballet she had seen many times before but had never lost her love for.
The way she talked about the music and story was with enough familiarity and understanding that I asked, “Did you used to be a ballerina?”
Roksana tensed and I had my answer immediately. “Uh…when I was very young.” She folded up the program. “I’m a much better spectator. Aren’t I, Kostya?”
On Roksana’s other side, Konstantin answered, “A brilliant spectator. One of the best.”
She smiled, pleased. “Konstantin’s a big flirt.” Her eyes danced to me. She looked like she was about to add something, but the theater darkened, bringing the murmurs of a crowd to a stop.
The curtain rose and beautiful dancers flowed onto the stage. Their costumes sparkled as they turned and leaped, the physical difficulty of their movements made to look easy and rhythmical.
Yet throughout the ballet, consistent past the heartbreaking solos and fast-paced corps de ballet dance, I felt Konstantin nearby.
Physically, we were separated by Roksana—who was too enthralled with the dance to notice anything else—but his presence was cemented in my brain. Whenever he lifted his hands to clap or shifted in his seat, my attention immediately snapped to him.
His words were on repeat in my mind.
You’re a scientist. Why don’t you test your hypothesis?
When I turned my head to look at him, he was already looking at me.
13
Elena Falcone
After the rush of the finale, Roksana and I ducked to the bathroom. Women hurried past in their clouds of perfume, laughter and high voices ringing throughout the powder rooms and hallways.
I didn’t mind. I just needed to be away from the Pakhan.
Roksana and I joined the end of the line. Roksana’s bodyguard, Mikhail, hovered near the end of the hallway, expression fierce but very aware he was not permitted into the ladies’ bathroom. He even got chastised by the older women for being in the vicinity of the toilets.
“Did you love it?” Roksana asked.
“It was nice.” I didn’t remember most of it. It was irritating how the audience was supposed to put the pieces together, join the stories and timelines themselves. Science didn’t expect you to