by Grace Reagal
When I finally fall on the grass, all that is going through my mind is that I have died.
I have broken my spine.
I’m paralyzed.
I’m going to bleed out.
The pain.
Blood pounds in my ears. When it finally settles a few seconds later, I try to feel my body for any broken bones. But when I look for any, I feel no searing pain. The pain is just in my head.
Actually the grass is kind of like a cushion…
“You feel good, Kitten.”
Because it is not grass.
“Ah!” I try to scramble up from Valentin’s body. He bursts out laughing and his arms tighten around my waist. He pulls me down back to his chest. I look up at the sky and mutter, breathing hard, “God, please, please—”
Valentin presses his lips on my ear and when he talks, I can feel his smile. “My name isn’t God. But what favor do you need, love?”
I try to calm my breathing while I lay on top of him. His body had cushioned my fall and I can only imagine how it must have hurt his back. Before I can help it, I whisper, “Are you okay?”
His words are low and direct, right in my ear. “No. Can you check out my back?”
My brows furrow, concerned. I scramble up and this time, Valentin loosens his hold. I scoot from his body and look at him. He is watching me intently, his green eyes glowing.
I lean forward, my forehead lining with worry. “Can you turn on your front? Let me check your back.” I’m no doctor, but I can feel around to see if anything is broken.
His lips lift in a slight smile. “Whatever you want, Doctor.”
I narrow my eyes at him, but I can’t keep from secretly biting back a smile. He rolls slowly onto his stomach. I tentatively move toward him.
After a moment, he chuckles. “I think you have to kind of feel around to see if anything is broken. Unless you have x-ray vision…”
I slap his head playfully without thinking. “Don’t be a smart ass.”
He laughs, and I can’t help chuckling too. It feels good to let loose for a little bit, even though it is with someone like him. I slowly put my fingers on his shoulder. He has a broad back, which stretches his t-shirt tightly. Without even touching it, I can see the hardness underneath. It is not just from someone who works out but works out professionally. Such a sculpted back comes from kickboxing moves like jabs and uppercuts. I take a moment to admire the work.
“You like what you see, Kitten?”
I blush. I’m grateful he can’t see me. “Shut up. I’m just…”
I feel lightly on his spine and vertebrae, feeling for anything broken.
“Just what, Kitten?”
I bite the inside of my cheek. “I was just wondering…how often do you train? Your back looks pretty toned…especially your shoulders.”
Without thinking, I flutter my hands over his shoulders, mesmerized. My upper body is pretty strong but I could never get them as full of muscle and hardness like Valentin’s. Which I guess is kind of good, since according to society, muscles make you less feminine blah blah.
Valentin twists his head to look at me with a slight smile. “I’ve never had a girl ask me about training.”
I shrug. “Probably because most girls don’t really train. Having really rich parents kind of makes me a target to arseholes, so I have to protect myself.”
His eyes darken for a moment. Then his face clears and he starts laughing. “Arsehole? You can’t even say asshole? What are you from, the eighteenth century?”
I flush. Oh, my God. Is everyone going to bother me about the fact that I can’t swear?
I mutter, “It’s not that big of a deal,” and before he can reply, I quickly try to divert his attention to something else. “So, what do they usually ask you about…girls I mean.”
He still has a grin on his face but he, thank God, lets it go. He turns back around and settles his chin on his arm, facing the grass. “Usually they’re too shocked to talk to me.”
I roll my eyes. “Shocked about what exactly? You don’t really have that many good qualities.”
Hey, if him thinking he can make me fall in love with him means that I can insult him, then I am going to take the opportunity. Because once he finds out, there is going to be no going back.
“Surprised at how big my cock is usually.” I jerk out of my daydreaming at his language.
I don’t know why I’m so startled, but I am. I scoot away from him, grimacing. “Why? Why would just—why—oh, my God…I can’t…”
Even? You can’t even? Are you really going to be one of those girls?
He flips onto his back without wincing. He winks. “I told you you’d be shocked.”
Because just when I think we are having a mediocre conversation, Valentin just has to go and say something like that. The only reason I even learned what that dirty word means is that he’s said it like ten times and I had to ask Mell what it was.
Apparently, it was interchangeable with the scientific term: penis. I mean, I had been homeschooled in bio and chemistry and anatomy, but none of the tutors ever told me what the slang term was for that body part.
Suddenly, I’m filled with frustration and anger. I narrow my eyes at him.
He doesn’t sit up. Instead, he looks at me smugly. “Speechless too, Kitten?”
I grit my teeth and lean over to gather my things that have fallen next to me. I start searching my bag for my revenge weapon.
“What are you doing?”
I don’t reply.
“Kitten, what—”
I open the water bottle before he even realizes that I have it. And before he can make a move toward me, I pour the water on him.
Chapter 26
Caterina
I smirk, taking in my masterpiece. I know I should be running, but it feels so good to be the one looking down on him. His smugness is wiped from his face.
You could almost say it has been washed clean.
Wow, Cat.
I know, right! I’m so…punny!
Dude, just. Just stop.
Am I going down a slippery slope?
I bite back my laughter and start scrambling away. Valentin looks up from the grass, his eyes hooded. He sits up and wipes his face slowly. “You did not just do that.” His voice is low.
I cock my head. “Hm…I think I did.” I grin. “You look good wet.”
He chuckles quickly before he goes stone-faced again. “You’re making dirty jokes now, Kitten?”
He is surprisingly still. He doesn’t look like he is going to kill me. I stop moving, puzzled. “I didn’t make a dirty joke.”
A smile flits over his face before he shakes his head. “…so fucking weird.”
And that’s when he lunges at me. I haven’t gotten up yet and so I fall back on the grass, watching him fly toward me like a bird or a tiger or whatever animal lunges.
Right before he lands on me, I roll away on the grass. But he catches the hem of my shirt and pulls me toward him. “Do you regret it now, Kitten?”
He shakes his hair, and water droplets fall on me. His hair drooping over his face and his comically angry look make me forget that I am cornered with water falling on my own face. This would have been the perfect opportunity for a panic attack.
But I just find it so incredibly funny.
I look up at Valentin, trying to contain my laughter. He growls down at me, his arms caging my head on both sides. He is supporting himself so I’m not dying under his weight. I shake my head, trying to get the water off me.
“Are you…” He narrows his eyes dangerously and says unbelievingly, “Are you laughing?”
I shake my head. I’m really trying not to laugh. But a giggle escapes my lips. I bite my lip, trying to contain it. “I’m so sorry.” I shake my head. “This isn’t funny.” I try to look serious. “At all. Not even a little bit.”
His lips turn up a little, without him knowing. That sets me off and I burst out laughing. “You just look so…” I turn
to my side, laughing so hard that my side aches. “A wet dog—you look like—”
“A dog? I look like a fucking dog?”
That gets another wave of laughter from me. I’m shaking hysterically; I don’t know why I find this so funny, I just do. And it feels good to laugh this hard, this much, so I’m not about to question it.
When I finally calm down enough to open my eyes, I find Valentin looking down at me, his green eyes bright. He doesn’t really look mad.
More like…intrigued.
He probably thinks I am weird.
Who cares? Laughing is the best medicine, and if it poisons the monster along the way…even better.
He shakes his head slowly. I give him my most brilliant and innocent smile. I had heard that smiling at someone makes them less angry…or something.
Dude, you’re just making up facts now.
Valentin leans down, his breath on my ear. “You have a beautiful smile, Kitten.”
The smile wipes from my face. I become uncomfortable and fidget on the grass. I cough. “Well, um, uh…”
I never know how to take compliments. My mind basically shuts down. Especially when they come from guys. Not that Valentin is actually being serious with his compliments, but still.
“Why don’t you smile more often?” His lips touch my ear slightly.
I pull back and mutter, “Well, you don’t give me much of a reason to.”
I feel him grin. “Touché.”
I gulp, closing my eyes so I don’t have to look at him. Valentin is too intense.
A bad intense.
One that is dangerous.
I don’t want to get pulled in like I did in the classroom. I shut my eyes, trying to forget it.
I whisper, without opening my eyes, “Can you get off of me?”
Surprisingly, a moment later, he does. Whoa. Maybe he is changing…
Always the positive sunshine, aren’t you!
Oh, shut it.
He shakes off his hair and water flies on me. He winks, jumping up to his feet. “I’ll get you back, Kitten. You’ll never know when it’s coming.”
I laugh. “Looking forward to it.” I try to get up, but the water kind of makes the grass slippery.
Valentin leans down. And wrapping his hand around mine, he pulls me up.
I quickly pull away, brushing the hair from my eyes. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
He starts walking toward the gate. When I don’t follow, he turns and raises an eyebrow. Brushing his hair back with his hand, he grins and says, “I’m not going to do anything now, Kitten. Don’t worry. The train should be coming in a few. It’s a couple of stops to the best burger place you’ve ever been to.”
I shuffle my feet and look back at the school. Shading my eyes with my hand, I look up. A shadow flits in one of the windows. But when I blink, it’s gone.
Shaking off the weird feeling, I turn to Valentin. Muttering, “It’s too late to turn back now,” I walk to him.
The corner of his mouth lifts. “That’s the spirit.”
We walk quickly to the train station. I look around, trying to take everything in. Not surprisingly, the world is different when I’m not being monitored every second of the day.
Valentin presses some sort of card and walks through a door. It closes quickly after him. I look at the small door that he has walked through and tilt my head. “Uh, Valentin?”
“Yeah?”
“How…how do I go through this?”
His eyes widen. “You’re kidding right?”
“Um…” I blush. I know how weird I must look to him.
But I have never used public transportation in my life. It is always a limo, or a plane, or something. It isn’t like I think I am too good for it or anything, no, definitely not. It is just that Mom and Dad would never let me go by myself.
“You’ve never been on a train before?”
“Well…”
An older woman walks through the pass besides me, glancing at me. “Are you all right sweetheart? Do you need some money?”
Valentin laughs from across me. “She’s all right. She’s just never used a train before.”
I glare at him.
The woman, gray hair in a tight bun, looks at me wide-eyed. “Hm?” She looks confused. And no wonder why. We are in New York City. Someone who doesn’t use the train is probably an alien to the locals.
I open my mouth to reply, but Valentin answers, looking completely serious. “Oh, yes. She came from Iraq this past week. Barely speaks any English.”
“Iraq?” Her face twists strangely.
I have to turn away to keep from laughing. Valentin catches my eyes and I see his green eyes twinkling.
I turn to the woman and nod with the best whatever accent I can get. “Back home…no…no train…you have little money…me no have any.”
What the…What was that, Cat?
I don’t know!
I bite my lip to contain my laughter.
“You’re Muslim?”
I don’t notice anything off about her question. “Uh-huh!”
She huffs and glares at me. I have no idea why until I hear her mutter, “Fucking Muslims.”
“Excuse me?” I say, wide eyed.
She snarls. “Go back to your country.” With that, she storms off.
My jaw falls to the floor. Before I can speak, she’s gone.
I turn to Valentin. “Did she just…did she just say what I think she did?”
Valentin shakes his head, his lips pursed into a grim line. “Let it go, Kitten. Some people are—”
“No! She has no business talking to anyone like that!”
“Kitten—”
I am furious for some reason. Beyond angry. My jaw ticks and I look at Valentin, determined. “Give me your pass.”
His eyes narrow. “Kitten…”
“I said, give. Me. The freaking. Pass.”
He passes it over the door quickly. I press it where there’s a metal box. There’s a beep and the small door opens. I walk through it. “That was so rude.”
Valentin sighs, running a hand through his hair. “You just realized it now?”
I blink up at him. “What?”
“People have been Islamophobic in this country since 2001, Kitten. It’s the same in Russia and it’s the same in America. Getting mad isn’t going to change it. Come on, I can hear the train coming.”
I nod. “Just give me a sec.” I run up to a food stand and rummage in my bag for a couple of bucks. Handing it to the man behind the counter I point to a cup of iced coffee. “One, please.”
“Sure, ma’am.”
He hands me one. I turn to Valentin, a grin spreading over my face. I run to the stairs. “Come on, we’re going to miss it.”
Valentin jogs up beside me, up the stairs that are leading to the platform. “I feel like you’re up to something.”
I smirk, and wink at him, adrenaline filling me with anticipation of what I’m about to do. “I may seem innocent, but I’m pretty bad once you get to know me. Maybe you should leave before I get you into trouble.”
I hear him cough out a laugh. “You? Bad? Kitten, if you are bad, then I am Lucifer’s son.”
Just as we reach the top of the stairs, the train slides to a stop. The crowd steps forward, getting ready to go in. I can see the woman a couple of doors away, clutching her bag.
I turn to Valentin and grab him by his shoulders. “Walk up to her and distract her away from her purse.”
“Kitten, what—”
I get on my tip toe and press my palm against his mouth. His eyes widen. I bite my lip and shake my head. I repeat the same thing he had said to me before, “Stop talking so much.” I can feel his jaw tighten under my hand. He grips my arm tightly.
I jump back. “Whoa! Okay, okay, I was joking.” I put my hands up in surrender. “Sorry, sorry, no need to get mad.” I look at him then at the doors. “Can you please do it before the doors close? Please?”
&n
bsp; He looks at the iced coffee in my hands and then at the woman. Everything clicks into place because he chuckles. “All right.” I turn to go.
“For a kiss.”
I spin around. “What?”
He shrugs. “A kiss.”
The doors open and people start walking through. I know if I don’t do it now, I am going to lose my chance.
I look at the woman, then the doors, then at Valentin. I sigh, frustrated. “Fine, fine. Just go!”
He jogs up the woman and I quickly follow him, hiding behind him. He is taller and bigger than me so it isn’t hard. He taps her on the shoulder and flashes her a smile. It doesn’t seem to register to her that he’s the guy that she met a couple of minutes ago. I don’t know what he says to her but she smiles and starts talking to him enthusiastically.
I lift open the cup of the iced coffee. Then slowly maneuvering behind them, I bend down quickly. There’s a smile dancing on Valentin’s lips as he nods, as if interested in what she’s saying. Quickly, I dump the coffee into her purse, zip it, and stand up.
The door to the train opens and in my hurry to get in, I trip. I lean in front of Valentin’s body. One of his hands wraps around my waist, keeping me from falling. “Easy there, Kitten.”
I hear a gasp from behind us, and I have no idea if it’s the woman or if she’s realized what has happened to her beautiful leather purse yet.
We drop on the seats in the next section of the train, me laughing and Valentin watching me with a wide smile.
I turn to Valentin. “That. Was. Awesome!”
He chuckles. “Didn’t know you had it in you.”
I grin, flipping my hair with a smug look. “Well.”
I sober up a little. “How can someone be so mean to people they don’t even know?”
“Like, how?” I shake my head. “I can’t even wrap my head around it, you know? How can people be so mean?”
Valentin just watches me.
I fidget in my seat. “What?”
“You’re a very sheltered person, Kitten. But you’re also good.”
I blink up at him, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Really?” Now that is a compliment I could take. More than anything, I love being known for something other than my name, or being a girl, or looking pretty, or whatever.
