Page 105 of The Agreement

As she stared at the silvery light that filtered through the room from the veranda’s doors, she could almost see him standing there. Roman. Her memory of him was fragmented—pulled from what she knew, not what she’d done. It was Karine who wanted him.

Obsessed over him.

Seduced him.

Katina was just there in the background, not living it, not really remembering it, either. Except, she couldn’t seem to shake off how he made Karine feel. A peculiar feeling. Like she didn’t need to run. Hide. Fight. Survive.

She could just be.

Karine liked the idea of just being.

Katina, not so much.

A knock on the bedroom door didn’t even earn her interest, as she assumed it was Masha. Katina blinked hard, trying to bring back Karine’s voice. Usually, she spoke like her, and responded to Karine’s name, too. That made it less confusing for the others around her. And oftentimes, she had ulterior motives for wanting people to believe she was someone else.

Except Leonid.

That was a different business. They both wanted the same thing, and in two more days—they would have it. The prick could fuck off to do whatever he wanted, then. As long as she got what was due, too.

A proper give and take.

However, instead of Masha, someone else opened and stood at the door. The looming shadow of his tall, broad-shouldered frame filled the doorway, and she knew who it was immediately.

Even though they hadn’t met before.

Technically.

“Karine?” Roman asked, stepping further into the room when she pushed up to her elbows. His voice came off deep, velvety smooth, and masculine, too. The concern still rang through.

Maybe she could understand why Karine liked to fantasize about the man. He was something to look at. She sat up, and stared at him blankly. Waiting, really, for him to figure out what she thought—after Karine’s last meltdown with him—should be obvious by now.

Karine was a lot of things.

People, sometimes.

Katee, yes.

Katina more often.

Herself with him.

Roman searched her eyes as Katina tilted her head to the side, and a smile curved the corner of her mouth. Realization settled over his face slow. She enjoyed watching it, honestly. He recognized her, or rather, he recognized who she wasn’t.

“Katina.”

The breath she let out was relief. There was something to be said about not having to pretend—it certainly made her goals easier to reach.

“And?” she asked back. Just as fast, Katina demanded, “Why are you here—where is Masha?”

Roman raked a hand through the short-trimmed, thick dark hair on his head. A tug started somewhere in the pit of her stomach when she considered what it would feel like to have his beard scratch the sensitive skin on the insides of her thighs while she rode his face.

She could see it now. His appeal. Why Karine was so possessed by him. Why Katee, even though she was just a girl, was so drawn to him, too. Pretty people attracted pretty people.

“Well?” she asked sharply when he said nothing.

Roman let out a hard breath followed by a clipped laugh. It sounded like disbelief. Just as fast, he shook it off to say, “We have to go. You’re coming with me—you’re not staying here.”

Katina almost laughed aloud at that. Who did he think he was—what did this man think he was doing, or going to do, save them? At the same time, she couldn’t help but be bemused at how careful he was not to show that her very obvious, new alter had took him off guard. That was hard to do.