Excerpt from What We Become by Arturo Perez-Reverte, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

It did not seem like a question. She had clearly been watching him before dinner, when he was dancing with the young Brazilian girls. Max looked suitably shocked.

"Old? For heaven's sake. How can you say such a thing?"

She continued studying him quizzically. Or perhaps with amusement.

"What's your name?"

"Max."

"Very well, Max. Go ahead, guess my age."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Please."

He had quickly collected himself, for he never lost his composure in front of a woman. She had a broad, dazzling smile, which he contemplated with feigned concentration.

"Fifteen."

She gave a loud, vivacious laugh. A healthy laugh.

"Correct," she nodded, playing along good-naturedly. "However did you guess?"

"I have a talent for that sort of thing."

She nodded, her expression half-mocking, half-pleased, or perhaps she was admiring the way he continued to lead her around the floor, amid the other couples, without their conversation distracting him from the music and the dance steps.

"And not just that," she said, rather mysteriously.

Max searched her eyes for any added nuance in her comment, but once again they were staring blankly over his right shoulder. At that moment, the bolero came to an end. They separated, still facing each other as the orchestra prepared to launch into the next number. Max glanced again at the splendid pearls. For a moment he thought she had caught him in the act.

"That's sufficient," she said suddenly. "Thank you."

Excerpted from What We Become by Arturo Perez-Reverte. Copyright © 2016 by Arturo Perez-Reverte. Excerpted by permission of Atria Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.