There's still that hint of teasing there, but Mathias considers what he might have to hide, taking a mental catalogue of things he's already told Veronica and, worse, the things she's already seen. Until Mexico, his life had been relatively normal, if privileged, and she already knows that.

It's hard to think of something he would hide from the woman who has seen him crying over his brother's body.

"I did try to steal a painting from a student art exhibit once," he concedes after a moment, his smile returning. "In my defense, it was very nice and I was only fifteen and a girl asked me to."