Lib Novel Page 71
Sayeda paused for a moment, her head tilted. “No, Morocco’s not home.”
“Where were you born?”
“Nosy, nosy.”
“I like learning about you, and I haven’t been able to figure out your accent. Either you were born in the U.S. and spent time here, or the other way around.”
“Your Brazilian accent isn’t that thick, either,” she noted. “Not as thick as I would expect.”
“Brazil is very large. Even the people from São Paulo don’t have the same accents as us from Rio.”
She sighed.
He waited.
“I was born in Virginia. Happy?”
“Quite.”
A smile stretched the fabric tighter against her face. “Have you ever been to the U.S.?”
“Several times.”
“On business?”
“Yes. I would accompany higher-ups as protection. Sometimes, I went there to find former members in hiding.”
“To kill them.”
“Yes. Is that okay?”
“To tell me?” She nodded. “Of course. Don’t forget, I knew who you were before you got here.”
It appeared to be the truth—he didn’t sense any obvious discomfort in her voice or through her body language. Then, he wondered if years passed without them seeing each other, whether he would recognize her face if he ever saw it uncovered. She wasn’t the only person in the world with brown skin and eyes that made him think of summer transitioning to autumn. Still, she could one day walk past him, and he would miss his chance to reach out and touch her.
“So, what are the people like in Brazil?” she asked. “Do they all look like you?”
If she’d noticed his mental departure from their conversation, she didn’t show it.
“Honestly, you look like you could be Brazilian,” he said. “It’s more diverse than I think many people realize.”
“But we don’t look alike.”
“And I don’t look like every Brazilian.”
“No?” Their eyes briefly met. “Then maybe that’s why fate brought me here. Because my looks could appeal to you. Adrían Delgano, do I make you think of home?”
He scanned the side of her face, settling in, accepting that if he didn’t want to look away, he wouldn’t. “You don’t only make me think of home,” he said. “You make me wish for it.”
Trevor glanced in the rearview mirror. “Um, quick question, mate. Sayeda’s still a virgin, right? You two spend considerable time together.”
“Me and Adrían also spend a lot of time together,” Hannah argued. “What point are you trying to make?”
“Think you just explained the point I’m trying to make.”
“For one, Trev,” Hannah faced him, knee bent, “Adrían and I aren’t hooking up. Plus, Sayeda…she’s not like us. She’s a good girl.”
Adrían smiled.