Page 134 of Seducing Hope (The Hope Legacy)

My eyes drift back to the sky. “A plan for humanity born out of chaos. A map for our salvation, one that God gave us the instant he breathed life into mankind. A billion souls waiting to be born, looked over by a billion souls who have already lived, and a universe out of our reach, not because we don’t have the technology, but because we don’t have enough faith; yet, only the darkness reveals such magnificence.”

He holds the ropes, steadying the swing, and follows my gaze. His breath mists in the cold, giving the illusion of clouds passing over the stars.

“Who are you, Natia?”

I blink. “You’ve just answered your own question.”

“You see beauty where others have become numb and ignorant to it. You find pleasures in the small things other people miss altogether. How you see the world is unique… You don’t think like anybody I’ve ever met.” He reaches down and traces the curve of my jaw. “The storm that lives inside you consumes and dominates me, Natia.”

I pull my body up straight, and he wraps his jacket over my shoulders; it smells like him, making me sink deeper into it. He steps in front of me.

“Take me home, Archan.”

He glances over his shoulder toward the guest house. “Lead the way.”

I shake my head. “Not mine—yours.”

“Natia,” he warns.

“Don’t you dare tell me no. I want to make stupid decisions and lose control for once. I need the oblivion only you can create, to drown in the sensations only you can make me feel. I want the darkness only you can make me crave. Make me forget—just for tonight.”

He hooks a hand under my knees and one behind my back, swinging me against his chest. “That, I can do.”

Chapter Forty-One

Natia

A heartbroken Taurus will build a cage around their heart. You have to be special to reopen it.

“You can put me down,” I squeak. He stares at my feet. Oh yeah, shoes. He carries me around the outside of the house to the front. Zac leans against a sleek gray Aston Martin Valkyrie, holding my purse. He throws the keys to Archan and opens the passenger door, as Archan places me in the warm, soft leather seat and drops my purse into my hands. He shuts the door and says a few quick words to Zac. Curious, I try to lip read, but to no avail. The door next to me thumps shut as Archan’s body fills the car.

“Zac was your date?” I quip.

He laughs. “More like my wing man.”

I lean my head back against the seat and let out a breath, which mists up the glass. I draw an angel. He glances at me then stares at the window with an unreadable expression. “Sorry, do you get annoyed at people who draw things on their windows?”

“It’s fine. Why an angel?”

“It’s Christmas, why not?” I retort, drawing a cartoon devil. “There, I’ve restored balance.”

As we drive, he asks, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“What?”

His hands tighten on the steering wheel. “Dalton, the dick who dared to lay a hand on you.”

“No, he isn’t worth the air you and I breathe. He can’t hurt me… I was just embarrassed.”

We’re speeding along the interstate, as Archan expertly weaves in between the cars. I peer at him. “In a rush?”

“Making sure you don’t have enough time to change your mind.”

“And if I did?” I tease.

Reaching over, he glides his hand up my dress to rest on my inner thigh. My heart skips a few beats then beats faster as my blood heats.

“I would… persuade you,” he replies. He leaves his hand on my thigh, his thumb rubbing small possessive circles on my skin.

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