Page 25 of Chasing Hope

Hope shook her head and dropped her hands to her sides. As much as that peeved her, she was forced to accept the truth. She ought to thank him. That would be the right thing to do. Swallowing her pride, Hope glanced up at his handsome face. God, the man was so beautiful. A shiver ran up her spine at the dark mystery of his eyes. He grinned at her and Hope stared at his alluring dimples.

Life was so not fair.

‘You didn’t mention you were invited to this party.’

“Because I wasn’t,’ He shrugged his strong shoulders.

‘You mean to say you gatecrashed?’ Hope jaw-dropped in utter disbelief.

‘Being a celebrity has its advantages,’ he said nonchalantly.

A mistimed laugh escaped Hope’s lips. ‘You’re shitting me. I never knew I would live to see the day when Ethan Jacob broke a rule. I’m sure you don’t even piss in the shower.’ His face reddened and Hope barked an inappropriate laugh. Several curious faces turned to look at them. Ethan gave a polite smile to a few passersby.

‘I saw the invitation on your desk and I had a gut feeling you’d be here for all the wrong reasons. And God help me I tried to stay out of your business but I somehow knew you’d land yourself in a soup. You have a knack for that sort of shit. So, here I am.’ He shrugged. ‘Besides, it was a rookie move to come here without backup.’ His face morphed into an “I’m always right” expression.

‘I’m here with my friends. We—’ A dark arrogant brow lifted at her. Comprehending her blunder she snapped her mouth shut. Truthfully, it irked her that he was right – again. His dimples provoked her. Her pride refused to support the fact that she needed him. ‘You know what, I’m on a mission and I don’t want to stay in this dump a second longer than necessary. If you want to tag along, then that's your prerogative.’ Her sharp eyes made a high-speed survey of their surroundings. Something attracted her attention and her eyes sparked in excitement. ‘I have a brilliant idea. Follow me.’ Brushing off his impatient grunt, Hope forged ahead with purposeful strides.

Chapter Fifteen

‘Is this your definition of a brilliant idea?’ Ethan hissed as Hope ignored him and tugged open another drawer looking for evidence against Himesh.

‘You are not the boss of me,’ Hope snapped.

One angled eyebrow defied her. The light brown hue in her eyes darkened with irritation. Their staring competition went on for a couple more minutes. He knew Hope all too well to know she wouldn't be the first one to back down. Finally, Ethan grunted and restlessly padded along the carpeted floor of Himesh’s office.

‘How are you this rebellious?’ He navigated his way past the massive glass desk and stood beside the liquor cabinet.

‘Practice.’ Hope lifted her stubborn chin as if he had praised her. She wrenched her gaze from him and ducked. ‘The interior of this office is as tacky as the man himself,’ Hope said from underneath the desk.

Ethan had to acknowledge that Himesh had a terrible taste when it came to… well, the man had an atrocious taste, period. Ethan shook his head as he eyed the pinkish-purple wallpaper with golden stripes. Shocking pink satin frills swirled together in a chaotic style to form the floor-length drapes. Ethan’s eyes wandered around the room and his brows knitted in a frown. He had no fucking clue how the man worked amidst so much bling. The glass cabinets held over a dozen gold photo frames with Himesh and his friends, most of whom were women. One particular woman featured in the majority of the pictures. It was the same woman who had made it to the gossip news. Not one frame held a photograph of him and his wife. Go figure. As a matter of fact, Ethan hadn’t spotted her at the party either. Music hummed in the hallway and the sounds of laughter floated in the distance. They had bypassed the throng of people and canvassedHimesh’sentire ground floor. Fortunately, they didn’t have to search too hard; the office was tucked away at the back on the same floor.

Annoyed that he was wasting his time here while he could be out there saving lives, Ethan made another attempt to coax Hope. ‘Hope, this is a sheer waste of time. Himesh may seem like a fool, but trust me, that is all just an act.’

‘The swine may be smart but I’m onto him like a fly on shit.’ Hope slapped her forehead at the pathetic comparison. She had the bad habit of spouting stuff without playing it in her head first. Her black heels pierced the carpet as she scurried to the front cabinet. She clearly had no intention of getting out till she had scanned every inch of this ridiculous office. Ethan sighed and rubbed a hand over his fatigued face. There was no reasoning with Hope. And he knew that better than anyone else. When she had her mind fixated on something she would go after it like a hysterical horse with side blinders. While Hope scrutinised Himesh’s office, Ethan kept a watchful eye at the entrance.

‘Eww!’ Hope screeched and yanked her hand out of the drawer. ‘I touched something sticky and slimy. Please don’t tell me it is what I think it is,’ she pleaded, her eyes wide with fright. She jumped up and down shaking her hand as if wishing for it to fall off. Spinning around in circles she frantically searched the room. From the corner of her eyes she spotted some hand sanitizer and nearly finished half the bottle in an attempt to eradicate the sickening sensation.

Ethan’s mouth spread into a fox-like grin. ‘Well, it was your “brilliant idea” to dig into the pervert’s drawers,’ he air-quoted. He sealed his lips tight. However, her expression was so comical that he couldn't contain himself. ‘Well, I told you so.’ His cheeks dented and he lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. Hope’s eyes narrowed and colour rushed up her neck. Ethan sucked in a jerky breath. Fuck, she looked stunning. Covered from head to toe in a black floor-length dress. Her short, lustrous hair fell in subtle waves, grazing her glowing cheeks. The smooth fabric of her dress caressed her shapely curves. Ethan imagined he had the same expression on his face like Phoenix had had when he first saw the collie. His heart clenched at the sight she presented. He darted a quick glance at the rise and fall of her breasts. She was pure sex in heels. She had the allure worthy to tempt a monk into breaking his vows. Right now, she made him crave things that were long forgotten. His eyes bolted up and crashed with her incandescent ones.

‘I’ve never seen you this glammed up before. Giving yourGame of Thronest-shirt a day off?’

Dumbass. Is that how you deliver a compliment?Ethan cursed himself for his lack of finesse.

Hope's face flushed and her pink-coated lips parted in a huge grin. Ethan’s heart clenched and desire thumped hard and heavy in his groin. His dick gave an inappropriate jerk. The knucklehead had no public etiquette.

‘You think I look pretty?’ A mischievous glint danced in her eyes. Ethan’s tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. It was such a rare sight to see her with her guard down when in his company. Otherwise, she was constantly spitting fire at him. Taking possession of her gaze Ethan drifted towards her. Mellow musical notes streamed into the room. As he neared her the enticing scent of roses hung in the air. On a subtle whiff Ethan permitted himself the luxury of soaking in her elusive perfume. Not allowing himself time to think, Ethan raised his hand, grazing his knuckles along the softness of her cheek.

‘Hope, you look heartbreakingly beautiful.’ Hope’s eyes went round in surprise. Ethan swallowed, the temptation to bury his face in the curve of her neck both tantalising and tormenting. Flirting with her while in the shadows felt easy and natural. However, considering these strange feelings coursing through him, he wasn’t sure he should act upon the allure of her seduction. What sort of a man would he be if he misled her in more ways than one? Guilt kicked him in the balls. Ethan dragged in a breath filled with her forbidden scent before slowly backing away.

Hope blinked, her dazed expression conveying her shock. Desperate to stop himself from reaching and kissing her senseless, Ethan tore his gaze away from her and anchored it on the colourful overhead crystal chandelier. Each crystal lamp burnt bright enough to cause someone a seizure. Another cabinet door slammed shut and Ethan blinked to clear his vision. Hope was back at it as if a minute ago nothing had transpired between them. Ethan drew in a long breath. That was for the best.

‘Honestly, Hope, if there’s even a sliver of a chance that you find something—’

‘I found something.’

A strange tension gripped his shoulders as Hope pulled out a thick brown binder. An eerie silence enveloped them. Her hands shook as if the binder weighed a tonne. Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths as she placed the binder on the glass tabletop. She lifted her head and Ethan's heart failed at the void in the depths of her eyes.

‘Ethan… please tell me this is not what I think it is,’ Hope’s voice whispered in dread. Ethan’s pulse froze. In all probability it was the same binder thatHimeshhad held back at his warehouse.

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