Free The Sweetest Things by Nikki Winter Page B

kiss.”
    “Because of a bet I lost.”
    “We’ve spent every Valentine’s Day together since we were just learning how to ride bikes without training wheels.”
    “Because you were best friends with my brother.”
    “You’ve stolen several jerseys and hats and hoodies from me.”
    “I like the cologne you wear.”
    “When I was away I called you more than I did Pops.”
    “Because you wanted to lament about the struggles of being the progeny of the great Ivan Vetrov.”
    “We’re living together.”
    Harper snorted. “Only because your constant whining about either renting or place or staying with Owen would’ve irked me.”
    “We slept together... a lot.”
    “I’m still not convinced that really happened. I’m thinking Jedi mind tricks were implemented.”
    “We’re out on a date.”
    “See explanation A.”
    “And every time another man looks at you, I contemplate how soon I can have their head off their body.”
    “Because you’re nutters.” Harper finally turned around to face him. “All your facts and examples prove nothing.”
    “They prove everything .” He leaned into her until she was practically bent backwards over the game. “You wanna explain to me why it’s so hard for you to accept what’s right in front of your face?”
    “Because it’s too soon!”
    Konstantine frowned. “Twenty-odd years in the making is too soon to you?”
    “Yes.”
    “That makes no sense.”
    “You’ve had time to get used to the idea of this.” She waved a hand between the two of them. “I haven’t.”
    He looked off over her shoulder. “What I’m not understanding is why it seems so foreign to you.”
    “What if something happens, Koz?”
    His gaze found hers again. “Like?”
    “Like us stepping into the relationship role and we hurt each other? What if the novelty of being with me finally wears thin? What if you realize we should’ve stayed the way we were, wondering about the possibility but never touching on it because it’s too much of a risk for—”
    “Me to hurt you?” he finished.
    Her silence was answer enough.
    Konstantine slowly nodded. “Ah, I get it now.” Taking a step back, he shoved his hands into his pockets. “You think I don’t have feelings too, that I wasn’t scared as shit from the moment my plane touched down in New York again and I decided I was going to go for something I’ve been fantasizing about for what felt like my whole life.”
    “That’s not what I’m saying.”
    “It is,” he argued. “You don’t trust me enough to believe I’d rather lose my right fucking hand than hurt you.”
    Harper tugged at her hair. “I’m saying I don’t want to argue with you about semantics. I just want to be able to think without feeling like I’m putting us in a weird place because I’m having a human reaction to a foreign situation.”
    He shrugged. “Cool. No fighting.”
    She stared up at him, and he knew she could see right past his bullshit. “You’re angry.”
    “I’m not.”
    “Koz—”
    “Here.” He took out another roll of quarters and placed them in her hand. “You play a few more games, and I’m gonna get something to drink, okay?”
    Harper looked as though she wanted to say something, but whatever it was, she held it back...just like she did with everything between them. Nodding, she said, “Okay.”
    With a deep breath, he turned and walked away, frustrated as shit and in serious need of a shot.

Ten
     
     
    She felt like the biggest bitch ever . Konstantine’s cold shoulder was nota fun place to be, and yet she was resting on it for the rest of their date. Every response from him consisted of one word. There wasn’t any more teasing. There were no more smiles, no more trying to discreetly cop a feel. It didn’t take long before Harper was ready to go home. She’d rather be in her room and away from him than near him and feel like everything she said or did was just making things worse.
    He helped her into his rental without