Page 21 of Seducing Hope (The Hope Legacy)

Furrowing my brows, I try to think of a plan to get me near his computer.

“Uh oh, I can see the cogs in her brain turning,” laughs Zee. I smack him over the head again, and he laughs harder. Ugh, he’s impossible.

Two loud raps on the door echo in the room; Zee tenses and jumps up, and I put a hand on his arm. “It’s the food.”

He stalks over to the door, peeks through the privacy hole, and asks for the password—only a select number of staff know it. I changed it on our arrival.

“Bunnyhops,” the voice through the door mumbles. Zee quirks an eyebrow at me, and I nod, trying not to laugh at his expression.

My mouth waters at the delicious, rich smell of lasagna. Sitting with my legs crossed at the ankles in the middle of one of the curved sofas, I balance my plate in between my knees and scrape the top layer of crispy cheese to the side to eat first. My stomach rumbles in pleasure as I scoop up the spicy tomato sauce that Alessandro’s is famous for. I moan as the complex taste explodes on my tongue. Finally, I tuck into the soft pasta. The great thing about lasagna? I can repeat this two more times. It’s like having three meals.

I mull over how to get to Archan’s computer. By the time I’m on my last layer, I have an idea, and I look up—only to find an amused Aaden and Zee staring at me.

“What?” I glance at my boobs, checking they aren’t cradling any lasagna bits. Nope, all clean. I return my gaze to the guys, puzzled.

Zee studies my plate. “Why do you eat like that?”

“Like what?”

He nods toward the remnants of my food again. “You know, in layers?”

I push the final bed of pasta to one side. “Eating in layers is like eating the individual parts of the food. I can taste each one carefully, plus it makes my food last longer.”

“Isn’t the point to eat the ingredients together?” Aaden asks. “They pay top chefs to find flavors that complement each other.”

“They do all go together, in the end!” I quip. “Enough about my superior eating habits; I have an idea for how to access Archan’s computer.”

I outline my ingenious plan. They agree it’s good, but Zee’s uncomfortable about leaving me alone with Archan again. I think he feels he’s failing as a bodyguard. I remind him of my kill count this year, and he huffs—I take pride in knowing mine is higher than his.

Chapter Eight

Natia

A Taurus will always find things out; they might not say anything right away, but they can put two and two together.

We enter Reinheart and Hunter at nine the following morning, and Barbie immediately rushes forward. Honestly, I can’t remember her real name; if she hadn’t lived up to her stereotype, maybe I would have made an effort.

“Good morning, Miss Waterford. You’re early for the meeting. I’ll check if the room is ready.” She points to a white, tufted, leather sofa situated under an enormous abstract canvas in tones of gray. “Please take a seat. Would you like some coffee?”

I smile—now I’m offered coffee? “That’s okay, I have a breakfast meeting with Mr. Reinheart at nine.” I glance at my watch. “Oh, I’m a little late.”

Barbie stares at her handheld tablet, and her fingers tap on it quickly. A line appears between her brows. “I can’t see anything scheduled. Let me check with Mr. Reinheart.”

“Of course, go ahead.” I cross my fingers. My plan hinges on Reinheart’s willingness to play this game. Sitting between Zee and Aaden on the sofa, I take a deep breath. Aaden offers me a reassuring smile, and Zee remains stoic, as any good bodyguard should do.

I look at Barbie, who’s leaning over the ultra-modern glass reception desk for the phone. “Fake or real?”

Aaden looks between me and Zee. “What’s real?”

“Fake,” answers Zee, understanding my question.

“Agreed… How can you tell?” I ask Zee, while Aaden just stares at us, bewildered.

“The shape—real ones aren’t shaped like cantaloupes; they’re more like pears.” He tips his head to the side. “Also, there’s too much volume on the top. How would you know?”

“Weight ratio. Skinny women rarely have naturally large breasts. Also, while she’s only in her twenties, gravity should have begun taking course by now.”

“Oh, b-boobs,” Aaden stammers, blushing.

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