Page 38 of Beautiful Sinner

“Why don’t we just talk?” I suggest. “We have this time together. Might as well make the most out of it. Don’t you agree?”

“Ok. What do you want to talk about?”

I steer clear of the bed and sit down on one of the chairs in the living room section of the suite. After a moment, Julia sits down in the other chair. We can’t be tempted to do anything if we’re not touching.

“I want to know more about you,” I admit. “Hobbies. Things you like and dislike. All of it.”

Her face scrunches up as she thinks and it takes everything inside of me not to kiss her again.

“Hobbies. I like to read. Write in my journal. Bake. We have a housekeeper who does most of the cooking but I like to bake when she lets me in the kitchen. It’s just soothing. I don’t have many exciting hobbies since I was never really allowed to go out much growing up. Viktor didn’t want me getting hurt. As for things I like. I like to watch the sunset, which I know sounds cheesy but it brings me a lot of comfort. I like to look out at the night when everyone’s house is lit up and wonder what their lives are like. What are they doing right in the same moment as me.”

“And things you don’t like?” I ask.

She thinks on it for a moment, then laughs. “I don’t like being cooped up in my house all day. I don’t like itchy clothing. I don’t like root beer floats, even though Viktor loved them when he was a kid. I think they’re disgusting. I don’t like the color black, because I find it too sad. What about you?”

“I don’t have any hobbies. My job takes up most of my time. But I do like root beer floats so I hope you’re not too mad at me about that one.”

“It’s ok. I can forgive you.”

I smile and feel my body ease into the chair. Normally, I’m wound so tight with work but in this moment, I can just relax. “As for things I don’t like… I don’t like this war we’re in. I don’t like the color orange.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s orange,” I say it like it’s obvious.

She laughs. “What else?”

“I don’t like… I don’t like the memories I have of my mom.”

“What do you mean?”

“She was…” I sigh. “She was murdered and I found her body. And now, when I think of her, that’s what I think of. And it’s something I wish I could just forget.”

“My parents were killed too. By rival Bratva members. That’s what Viktor told me but I was too young to understand the full extant of it. I was asleep in my bed when Viktor found them. So, I guess you have that in common with him.”

“That’s probably something neither of us wish we had in common.”

“You’re right. If only my brother could see that you’re a person too. You and Dante and Erik. Maybe then he wouldn’t be at war with you guys.”

“There will always be a war in the world we’re in. It’s just a matter of who and when and right now, it’s your brother, I’m afraid to say. And I don’t see that changing any time soon.”

Her phone beeps, making her jump. “That’s my signal to go. I can’t stay too long.”

“I get it,” I say, even though it pains me to say goodbye to her. Again.

“I wish I could stay here and talk to you forever.”

I don’t say anything to that because it would just get her hopes up and I need to stop doing that. “Let me walk you down to the lobby at least.”

“What if someone sees us?”

“Chances are, we won’t be seen. I won’t even look at you when we get down there. No one will suspect a thing.”

“Ok then.”

Julia and I walk down to the lobby and just like I promised, I don’t even look at her.

But I do stop in my tracks when someone says my name. “Matteo?”