Page 13 of Seducing Hope (The Hope Legacy)

Aaden rakes his hands over his face, and he lets out a tired sigh. “You’ve got to be kidding me… I’ll handle it.” With that, he storms out.

I walk into the closet with my clothes slung over my arm, ready to be hung up. I stall as clothes for all occasions greet me, including smart and casual outfits, fabulous cocktail dresses, and the necessary business wear.

What has me frozen is the coordinating underwear hanging with each outfit. My jaw drops open—underwear?Underwear?

Aaden and Zee come running into the closet. Zee whistles, focusing his attention on the underwear.

Spinning around and turning Shaggy up in my head, I repeat the mantra, “I must not kill my bodyguard.”

“What the hell are you doing in here?”

Aaden blushes. “Erm… you were shouting ‘underwear’ at the top of your voice…”

I rub my hand over my face. I couldn’t even differentiate between voicing my thoughts and internalizing them. Herding them out of the bedroom, I mutter, “I’m tired.”

“We need to go over the strategy for tomorrow’s meeting,” Aaden pipes up before I shut the door.

“Can we do it in the morning?”

He sighs. “Set your alarm for 5 a.m. We have a lot of prep to do.”

I groan as Aaden closes the door. Collapsing sideways on the oversized bed fully clothed, I fall asleep within minutes.

***

Waking at 4 a.m. in the star position I’d fallen asleep in, I climb between the sheets and roll on my side, trying to reach for that last hour of sleep. At 4:20, I give up and drag myself to the bathroom, stripping my clothes off as I go. Eyes barely open, I turn on the large walk-in shower, big enough for… well, more than two. Who needs that? I get the two people… but more? Sounds complicated.

Switching on the soft glow of the ceiling lights designed to resemble the stars at night, I undo my braid. My hair touches my hips. Maybe Uncle Charlie has a point. I shrug. Priorities.

Rifling through the contents of my bag, I locate my toothbrush. Digging deeper for the toothpaste, I groan when I can’t find it. Glancing around the bathroom, I spot my favorite shampoo, conditioner, and body wash perched on the vanity unit.

I smile—bless my grandfather for his thoughtfulness. We hadn’t spent much time together after my grandmother died of a sudden heart attack. I coped by throwing myself into my studies, taking extra classes, attending more rehearsals, and exhausting myself so I couldn’t think of anything but work—effectively abandoning by family. My grandfather’s heart broke, and I wasn’t there to help him pick up the pieces. I was selfish, hardening my own heart against the pain. Even now, five years later, his aura holds remnants of his overwhelming grief, as does mine. We avoid the subject, and I try to avoid the guilt, shoving it away when it comes knocking.

Smelling like coconut and citrus, I step out of the shower and wrap a huge, soft, white towel around my hair then pull on a fluffy robe. I pad down the stairs; it’s 4:45 a.m. I’m hoping I have fifteen minutes before the guys wake and start bombarding me with information.

No such luck.

The wall-length fire is lit, bathing the room in a soft light. Both men sit on a sofa with coffee cups in hand, Aaden’s laptop open, and various documents strewn across the table.

I ignore them. Coffeethenstrategy. No… coffeeismy strategy. I snicker at my own joke. Zee and Aaden turn to me.

“What, I can’t find something funny?” They shake their heads in unison, probably correctly concluding I’m a little crazy, made worse by the early hour and lack of caffeine.

Nursing my coffee, I sit on the opposite sofa.

Aaden pushes a plate piled with various Danish pastries toward me. “Sleep okay?”

I nod but ignore the food. “What’s the plan?”

Aaden hands me a few documents to read. “It’s a preliminary meeting—should be straightforward.”

“As for Reinheart, it’s time to dig deep for the Waterford charm and make nice,” Zee adds.

I nod. “I’ll find something to talk to him about and take a read of his aura.”

“Lauren describes him as an arrogant ass. Be prepared, and try not to let the stronger parts of your personality out,” Zee continues.

I raise my eyebrows. “Are you insinuating I can’t play nice?”

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