Ah.
And to your left you can see Exhibit A — the classic emotionally unavailable man.
“Okay,” I chirped back.
Sasha’s hand tightened slightly at my waist, in a silent warning.
Kyrill’s eyes narrowed as he stuffed another smoke between his lips. “You ask too many questions.”
“I’ve been told that. Frequently.”
There was a pause while we sized each other up.
“You are really not afraid,” he observed.
It wasn’t a question.
“No.”
He studied me like he was trying to figure out if it was stupidity or something else.
Smoke poured out of his mouth as he spoke. “You should be.”
“Of you?”
“Yes.”
I tilted my head. “Are you goingto hurt me?”
“No.”
“Then I think we’re fine.”
Sasha exhaled quietly behind me, like he had been waiting to see how this would play out. Kyrill looked at me for another second. Then he shook his head slightly, almost to himself.
“You are problem,” he muttered.
“I’ve also been told that.”
This time, the corner of his mouth twitched.
“Again,” he said, nodding toward the target.
I smiled. “Yes, sir.”
He rolled his eyes but he didn’t correct me.
We stayed until it was dark, the heat easing off and the air cooling down enough to breathe properly. By the end, my aim was still questionable, but it was an improvement on catastrophic.
Kyrill leaned against one of the posts and lit a cigarette. The glow briefly illuminated the sharp angles of his face.
Sasha stood beside me, his arm brushing mine, solid and steady.
I glanced toward Kyrill. “So … Are you always like this, or is this a special occasion thing?”
He exhaled smoke slowly. “Like what.”
“Tall, terrifying, and deeply judgmental.” I made a circular motion with my hand.