Page 17 of Seducing Hope (The Hope Legacy)

I’m leaning over the table involved in the discussion when Archan reaches for his glass of water, brushing his hand against mine. I flush and lose concentration mid-sentence, but manage to continue to make eye contact with Edward. Edward’s brows knit together, then his expression changes as he studies the rest of my body. Excellent, now he thinks I’m interested in him. I kick Archan under the table, and he grunts quietly, not expecting it. Great, he’s reduced me to childish behavior.

The meeting wraps up at 4 p.m., and we agree to meet at ten tomorrow morning to begin SWOT analysis (get me with the lingo). Archan stands at the door, thanking each person for coming.

As Aaden packs his laptop away, Edward makes his way over. Smiling, he holds out his hand. “Miss Waterford, it was lovely to meet you. I hope you don’t mind me questioning you. It wasn’t to be rude—I’m genuinely interested.”

Shaking his hand, I give him a friendly smile. “No problem, Edward. Please call me Natia.” Archan’s head snaps toward me. I resist the urge to smirk. I don’t know what the score is in this competition, but I need to remember we’re here to find the missing people and figure out what Archan is. I’m supposed to gain his attention subtly, in a formal way. He turned the original plan on its head the second he invited me to—more liketrickedme into—breakfast this morning. The second I met him, my false persona of “polite society Natia” fell away. His arrogance grates on me, but I think I have more chance of getting closer to him this way. He’s used to being bowed down to, and he seems intrigued to have someone push back. That is, until he’s had enough and pushes me off the roof.

Wishing Edward farewell, I head out with Aaden in front of me and Zee behind, doing his bodyguard thing, I suppose. I shake Archan’s hand.

“Thank you, Archan, it was… interesting to meet you.”

He smirks. “And you, Miss Waterford. See you tomorrow.”

“The meeting starts in the boardroom at 10 a.m.?”

His smirk turns into a wide grin. “Indeed, it does.”

Chapter Six

Archan

Unknown origin.

Zac’s intel showed the girl had studied at a prestigious dance school. Her tutors talked about her dedication, energy, innovation, and her excellent form. On graduating, she earned a place with a famous company in New York and had a promising future. One month later, she left and changed her career direction, joining her uncle’s security company.

I watched her step out of the elevator into the oasis I had created. She was nervous, but her body language didn’t betray her. She held herself with a quiet confidence, rare at her age. Her eyes continuously scanned the area, looking for threats.

She didn’t realize she was about to meet the biggest threat she had ever faced.

Her sun-kissed, smooth skin shone in the light, and her long legs were accentuated by the heels she wore. Her dress showed her perfect curves—I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She has natural caramel-blonde hair, which I itched to pull free of its conservative arrangement and let the long curls I’d seen from her photos cascade over her breasts.

Standing behind her, I made sure to put her off balance. The shock of my being close unnoticed was evident in the infinitesimal jolt her body gave. Her hand twitched, as if reaching for a weapon—interesting. She studied the garden, soaking in the smallest details and surprising me with her assessment; most people droll on about the pool and the “greenness” of the garden. She caressed a flower like it was a rare diamond. Then her raw and exposed answer of why she danced startled me into silence; I’m curious how she would look, lost to her body’s movement, which shrinks the world to become a second heartbeat thundering only in her chest. Her passion for dance makes her decision to abandon it even more confusing.

Her sparkling turquoise eyes examined me with calculated curiosity. I wondered if they would change color with emotion. I’d smiled to myself—time to find out.

Taking her hand in mine, I’d let my power drift over her skin, a little stronger than intended. My power seemed to be pulled to her. She managed to hold herself still. However, her eyes deepened to a captivating azure. Coconuts and sunshine drifted on a slight breeze. But her natural scent is the untamed wildness of an approaching storm with the freshness of the earth after the rain.

She shocked me, having done her homework about the merger; she still needs guidance, which she may not accept. She was stubborn and seemed to delight in challenging me. Nobody has done that in a long time. In thirty minutes, she managed to awaken my body and mind, which has become numb in a world saturated with sensation. She didn’t realize she had set a game in motion, one that will end with her being mine.

I felt her probing my aura. She wouldn’t see anything—humans can’t. Her mind was fascinating, though. She had strong shields, blocking her thoughts and aura. To add extra layers to her shields, she sang. It was most amusing. And singing about taking off her clothes was certainly distracting. To break her shields, I’ll need to overwhelm her with emotions.

I watched her hips sway toward the elevator. She seems unaware of her own natural sensuality. Natia is definitely a puzzle—one I intend to unravel. If anything, she will break the monotony that plagues my long existence.

It has taken a long time for us to reach this point—we are closing in, and Michael has strong leads on our target. The fate of the world is in our hands, and it must go our way. There is no other option.

Zac enters my office, smiling. “Three left to go,” he says, referring to the number of places left for us to search.

I stare out of the window at the storm clouds rolling in from the sea. “What about Mary?” I ask him.

“Her disappearance has been reported to the local police. They haven’t linked anything to us. They’re still treating the missing people as separate cases.”

“Good. We don’t need any more complications.”

“Speaking of complications, what did you find out about Miss Waterford?”

“You need to assess her. I can’t get a read on her thoughts or her aura.”

Zac frowns as he folds himself into the chair opposite me. “Her aura?”

---