Page 29 of Seducing Hope (The Hope Legacy)

I wink. “Then I have an excellent bodyguard with me.”

He raises his arms in a ‘what can I do?’ gesture. He’s wearing dark blue faded jeans and a deep red shirt.

I grin. “We match.”

He looks confused, so I wave a hand between my dress and his shirt. His shoulders relax a little. Downstairs, Aaden sits at the dining table, staring at his laptop.

“Looking at it won’t hurry it along; you can’t threaten it,” I tell him.

Aaden turns and smiles. “You look beautiful, Natia.”

Zee swivels on his heel and studies me. “What underwear are you wearing?”

“What the hell has that got to do with you?” I shoot back.

“I don’t remember that dress, so I don’t know what underwear you’re wearing.”

I wiggle my eyebrows. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“It’s an essential part of protecting you.”

“How?” This should be good.

“If you get kidnapped, I’ll be able to describe what you’re wearing. Or, if you need resuscitating, I’ll know if your bra opens from the front or the back, saving precious seconds.”

Shaking my head, I open the front door. “I’m not wearing a bra.”

He trips, and I can’t help but giggle.

Chapter Eleven

Natia

Tauruses enjoy beautiful music, heady conversation, and sensual hands on their bodies.

Music vibrates through my body, and my hips begin to sway. Zee and Aaden look decidedly uncomfortable—dancing isn’t their thing. I remind them that it’s a bar and that they do indeed sell alcohol.

Standing near the entrance on the higher level, which houses the bar, I scan the dance floor and find Nick with a petite brunette. I love to watch him dance, his movements fluid and expertly executed. The song finishes, and he places a chaste kiss on her forehead. I’m curious—does he have a girlfriend? I hope so. After a horrible breakup a few years ago, he lost his confidence. He spots me, and I rush down the stairs to meet him. We share a hug, then he holds me at arm’s length.

“You get more beautiful every time I see you,” he gushes.

I laugh. “Hi, Nick, how’ve you been?” I slide a glance at the petite girl, who’s now dancing with a group. She’s gorgeous, with shoulder-length chestnut hair, a curvy body, and olive skin. She has a heart-shaped face and deep brown eyes.

He grins, following my gaze. “I’m working on it.” He suddenly looks over my shoulder, and I turn around. Zee is standing right behind me, leveling Nick with a menacing stare.

I wave a hand between them. “Zee, this is Nick, my old dance partner.”

Nick offers Zee a hand. “Nice to meet you, Zee.”

Zee nods, glares at him for a few seconds, then stomps to the bar, finding a seat overlooking the dance floor with Aaden. Guess he’s still upset about me leaving the apartment.

“Don’t worry… he’s overprotective, that’s all,” I murmur, explaining Zee’s behavior.

Nick nods and changes the subject, putting a hand on my arm. “So… have you seen Dalton since you’ve been back?”

Ice fills my veins as the betrayal of my childhood sweetheart—and ex-fiancé—comes rushing back. He cheated on me with my best friend one month before I went to New York. His excuse was he “couldn’t do long distance relationships.” I understood, but cheating on me—with myfriend, no less—wasn’t the way to end our relationship. I deserved more respect. He was my best friend—we’d shared everything, and at the time, I was heartbroken. My life has moved on so much since then, my world expanding to encompass the supernatural one; stuffy Dalton with his prim ways would never have fit in it, which is maybe why I rarely think about him anymore.

“No, why?” I ask, trying not to sound too sharp.

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