Page 67 of Steal My Heart

“I want a refund,” I tell her.

“Sorry, should’ve read the fine print. All sales final.” She continues to explore my palm with her finger; it’s nice. “Ohhh, how cool!”

“What?”

“You have the camera’s eye line. This little one right here.” She moves her finger so I can see the little mark that looks like half of an end quotation mark. “Artistic and yet a bent toward perfectionism, you have a real gift for photography. But you’re not a photographer, right?” she teases.

Unsure if Remi’s knowledge is legitimate or if she’s repackaging details about me she already knows, I still find myself asking, “And health?”

“You don’t have a health line, meaning I don’t see health issues as part of your journey. The Calvani curse only holds power if you let it,” she says gently.

“How do you know?—”

“Alessandra mentioned it. But everyone in my family is dead, so I know a thing or two about family curses,” she says matter-of-factly.

“And yet you’re not jaded because of it.”

“C’est la vie.” She lifts her shoulder. “Besides, where’s the fun in being jaded?”

“It’s not about fun; it’s about realism. Rose colored glasses don’t belong in my world.”

“Ah.” She returns her attention to my palm. “This explains it.”

“What?”

“The broody bastard line.”

She giggles as I roll over and pin her beneath me. “Now I know you’re hustling me.” My lips press to hers, swallowing the delicious sound.

A persistent knocking on my door has me snapping my head up in annoyance. “What?”

“Where’s Remi?” My sister calls.

“Shouldn’t you be in school?” I counter.

“I get out at 2:45 like I always do,” Al calls back with attitude.

Rolling off of Remi, I reach for my phone and check the time. Damn, I didn’t realize it was so late in the afternoon.

“Nola’s scratching at the door, acting crazy.”

“She needs to go to the bathroom,” Remi tells me quietly, sliding out of bed and scooping up her clothes. “I’ll be right there,” she calls to Al.

Sisters and exotic cats. The ultimate cockblocking duo.

Remi

“Still going with the ‘you and my brother aren’t anything?’” Alessandra follows me and a leashed Nola upstairs to the rooftop patio, where Nola hops up into a large planter to handle her business. “And shouldn’t she be doing that in a litter box?”

“No, because she’s not a c-a-t.” I spell out the word. “She needs a green space to do her business, but I can’t risk being seen coming and going from your brother’s apartment before tonight’s party.”

Failing to heed my own warning, I’ve taken my eyes off the prize. One hundred thousand dollars in total; a clean record. That’s what matters, not getting my feelings hurt because I can’t be seen in public with Angelo. Not that we would ever be seen in public together.

Just sex, remember?

Ugh, but why did just sex have to be the best sex of my life…

“What happens to you after tonight?” Alessandra pulls me from my thoughts.