Hacking His Code (Beguiling a Billionaire Book 7), page 6
Hunter
The table is set for five, to include: me, Arinessa, my parents, and Chet, a family friend. Although we’re eating in the informal dining room, it will probably feel like a museum exhibit to Ari, who, from what I can tell, has never finely dined.
My father is dressed well, as he always is for family meals. Which is kind of adorable considering the reason.
Before my mother entered the picture, he never left his computer lab and rarely dressed in more than lounging clothes. It was the bane of my grandfather, who struggled to get him to put on a well-fitted suit.
Then he met Ernestine Whitmore, a girl of gold and glam that brought out a side of him no one knew existed. From that day forward, he dressed in a way he thought would be worthy of a woman like Ernestine.
And even now, after so much time has passed, every time she enters the room, his eyes sparkle.
It may seem with how I’ve spent my bachelordom that I’d never want that for myself. But the truth is, I want it desperately.
For as far back as I can remember, I’ve wanted what my father has: to be an utterly devoted husband to a wife who never fails to charm.
But the women I date, if you could even call it that, are less than inspiring. Sure, they’re beautiful, many coming from families ripe with old money, but nothing is ever real with them. I’m not even sure they’re capable of genuine warmth and love, but they certainly are very good at guessing the number of carats in a diamond.
When the connection isn’t there, and the only thing tying you together is money, trust never develops.
It’s not that I can put all of the blame on the women for the lack of trust, not when the first thing I tell them is a lie. And by that, I mean my name.
Arinessa is the first woman I’ve ever introduced myself to as Hunter Davies outside of my family’s circle. I’m not entirely sure why I revealed myself, but something about her spoke to me, and my name just popped out before I could give it thought. Perhaps it was because she was wild and helpless just a moment before, or maybe it was because of how guilty I felt over her kidnapping.
Something about Ari has me all kinds of crazy in a way I can’t afford to be. Not now, anyway.
“Father,” I say curtly.
He nods, trying to keep a smile from creeping onto his lips.
I feel like an asshole, giving him false hope. I tell myself it’s necessary, but the truth is, this was all set up on a whim, and I never had a chance to think it through.
Father cocks a brow. “Your lady friend?”
“Arinessa will be down shortly.”
“Have you been enjoying your time with her?” he asks, trying to sound innocuous.
“I actually had her treated to a shopping spree and a spa day up in my suite.”
“Good man.” Father casts me a wink. “That’s how you keep a woman.”
I chuckle. “Father, with our family name and bank account, it’s not going to be too hard for me to keep a woman. It’s finding the right one that proves to be a challenge.”
Chet walks in, brazen as he ever is. He was my mother’s friend from before she’d met my father. They acted in a few films together, and after Lucy disappeared, he proved to be a good man, caring for my mother when others abandoned or exploited her.
“Rand, Hunter, nice to see you both this evening.” He sets an intricately wrapped package on the table. “I brought some desserts from Italy that I think you’re all going to love.”
“I hope you’ve brought enough for five.” Father looks to me with a wide grin. “Hunter here has invited a lady friend to join us.”
Chet’s brow lifts in surprise. “Well, congratulations are in order. I can’t wait to meet the lucky lady.”
“Give it a minute, and you’ll get your wish,” I reply back.
“How is Ernestine today?” he asks, his voice ripe with concern.
Chet, of all people, would know how hard today is for my mother, which is why he came out to see us.
Today is the day that everyone is aware of, but no one mentions—my mother’s and aunt’s birthday. We’re forbidden from truly celebrating it because of the emotions it conjures. Still, Chet makes it a point to be here for the hard days.
Growing up, he was something of a fun uncle, but he’s come by less and less over the years. He refuses to even entertain the idea of giving up his bachelorhood, though he’s no longer the Hollywood heartthrob he once was.
“Chet,” my mother says as she walks into the room. “How good it is to see you again. It’s been…how many months?”
Chet envelops her in a hug. “Several. Time just slips away from us, I guess.”
My mother is dressed in old Hollywood elegance, a silver dress dripping in sparkling embellishments. I can’t remember a time I’ve ever seen her look less than perfect, from her intricately laid golden hair to her impeccable clothing, always tailor fit.
My mother’s eyes turn to my father, flooding with love and devotion. I’ve never seen my mother look at another man the way she looks at my father, which is hilarious because she’s beautiful and he’s a complete nerd.
Father takes her hand into his, lightly kissing her knuckles.
“Your son has a surprise for you,” he says.
Mother turns to me. “Oh?”
Fuck…why didn’t I think this through?
Arinessa being a warm body will be enough to make my mother fall in love with her, as ridiculous as it sounds. She’ll see her as her best chance at securing not just a friend, but a grandchild, shower her with kind words and gifts, and then, at week’s end, I’ll have to tell her that Ari and I just didn’t work out. Not enough in common is what I’ll say. She’ll manage a tight smile. It’ll break my heart.
My mother’s eyes light up. “Why, hello?”
I look over my shoulder, and my breath leaves my chest.
At first, I don’t even recognize her with her hair perfectly set, the messy strands seemingly tamed. Her eyes are what draws my attention next, sultry mystery replacing wide-eyed innocence.
The dress she has on highlights her perfect hourglass figure, her thin waist giving way to the dramatic curve of her hips.
She’s not the woman I met just a couple hours earlier. Oh, no. She’s somehow captured the ethereal elegance of an angel and the salacious mystery of demoness. The kind you sell your soul to in the blink of an eye so you can grovel at her feet.
I hear my mother utter out some formality, but it’s lost on me as I drink in the dramatic curves Arienssa has on display. Shapely legs, round hips, generous breasts—a fucking playground for a man like myself. What I wouldn’t give to take her back upstairs, tear that dress off, and bury my cock as deep as it will go—
“Hunter?” my mother’s voice finally breaks through my overwhelming fantasy, and I realize that all eyes are on me.
“Do you care to make an introduction?” Mother says pointedly.
“Oh, yes. Of course. Mother, Father, Chet, this is Arinessa Sylvan,” I gesture to the brunette beauty that is now standing by my side. “Arinessa, this is my father, Rand; my mother, Ernestine; and my fun uncle Chet.”
The hopeful look in my mother’s eyes is not lost on me.
“What a pleasure,” Mother says. “And why might you be dining with us tonight?”
“Hunter has apparently grown quite close to the lovely lady,” Father interjects, wanting to be the one to tell her the good news.
Mother’s eyes grow round as her head snaps in his direction. “And you didn’t tell me?” A playful hand slaps his arm.
“It’s still new,” I cut in, “and we’re taking some time to get to know each other.”
“He’s taking a week off from work while she stays here,” Father adds.
Mother’s hands fly to her mouth. “What fun! We’ll do brunch and go shopping. I can’t wait to hear all about you: where you’re from, what you do, how many children you want.”
She just couldn’t help herself.
Arinessa’s eyes grow round, understandably confused by the forward questions.
“Maybe we should get started on dinner,” Chet comes in with a save. “I’m starving.”
And then it strikes me: Chet’s here because this is supposed to be one of my mother’s bad days, and yet, she’s genuinely smiling, ogling my ‘girlfriend’ in elation.
And fuck—I’m also ogling her in elation. Everyone’s looking at Arinessa as though she’s some piece of meat, all of us for different reasons.
We take our seats, my mother seating herself next to Arinessa, continuing the conversation without missing a beat, and honestly, I can’t be mad at how she’s compromising my ‘date’s’ time. She’s utterly charming. I knew my mother could work a room, but seeing her so jovial while doing so is like a drug to me.
It’s not that my mother was never happy when I was a child, but there was always an edge of sadness to her, and every once in a while, a black hole opened up, and her smiles became rare and strained.
Father loved her and did his best to bring her as much joy as possible, but the pain of losing a twin is great and lasting.
Once the meal is served, we dig in, Arinessa watching each of us before making any moves of her own, too afraid to even lift a fork without confirming its proper use.
If only she knew my mother wouldn’t care if she ate cereal with a fork. She’s just happy she’s here.
My father, well, there’s a fucking tear glistening in his eye. He’s looking over at Mother constantly, practically crying because she’s so damn carefree and happy.
I’m literally going to crush them.
Chet quietly eats his meal, a reticent look on his face. It’s not like him to be this sullen or without a jape. Occasionally, his lips form a tight smile before going back to his food.
Maybe he sees through the charade, knowing that it’s going to break my mother’s heart.
I’m such a shithead.
“Oh, honey, did you hear her say she’s majoring in computer science,” Mother tells Father.
“Loud and clear.”
Chet glances up at Ari, a peculiar look in his eyes.
“Maybe you could give her one of those internships you give out,” Mother says. “The paid ones.”
Before Father can utter a word, I cut in with, “Best not to mix business with pleasure.”
God, I wish I hadn’t used the word pleasure.
“Your company is one of the ones I had planned on applying to, but I’d like the same consideration afforded everyone else,” Arinessa says, casting me a glare.
“Of course!” Mother places a hand on Ari’s. “I’ll make sure Rand keeps an eye out for your application.”
It’s hard not to chuckle at how clueless my mother is regarding some things. I don’t even know if she realizes what nepotism is.
Chet sits back, blotting his lips with a napkin. “So, she’s a computer science major. How exactly did you two meet?”
My eyes draw to Ari’s as hers draw to mine.
“I was looking through scholarship applications for a board I’m on, and while she didn’t get the award, her essay was a cut better than the rest, and I asked to meet with her.”
“Oh, what was your essay on?” Mother asks.
“The ethical implications of using technology in criminal profiling,” she says without missing a beat, and I suspect it was the subject of a past paper.
“Wow,” Mother exclaims, “she’s so smart, and Hunter is so smart. Just think of how smart their—”
“You’re right, Ernestine,” Father cuts in. “They’re both brilliant and have their whole lives ahead of them.”
Thank God she was cut off before she started rambling about babies.
Arinessa does an amazing job of answering and deflecting questions, every bit as charming as my mother, who’s been classically trained.
After finishing off a few of Chet’s desserts, we get up to leave, my mother and Ari exchanging hugs.
As they say their goodbyes, Father pulls me aside and whispers into my ear, “I don’t know what you have to do to make this work, but I’ll leave you the damn company tomorrow if you can make it happen.”
I chuckle at his jape before realizing his tone lacks humor.
And suddenly, my life just got infinitely harder.
Arinessa
I turn to Hunter as soon as the door closes behind us. “What the hell was that?”
He inhales sharply, raking his long fingers through his shaggy hair. “That was my mother.”
“Did she like…up until this moment think that you were gay or something?”
He chuckles. “She’s just not used to me bringing women home. You’re the first.”
“She’s kind of awesome, in a weird warm kind of way. I never expected someone like her to be so inviting toward someone like me. I actually felt like she wanted me there.”
“Oh, trust me—she did.”
The way he looks at me makes my heart skip a beat. Those dark eyes of his have this way of looking not just at you, but into you.
Stop looking at him. You’re here to work, nothing more. He’s been treating you like a professional, and you need to do the same.
Except, professional doesn’t include bragging about our fake sex life.
“Why did you tell the girls that we ruined my dress by…ummm…”
His lips upturn into a smile. “What else would you have me say? That you were learning how to walk in high heels?”
“I wasn’t learning! I’ve just never tried ones so tall.”
“What I said was more believable.”
He’s right, and I need to drop this now. I need to stop looking at him, thinking about him, and even talking to him. This is about work.
There are three large boxes sitting on the table that weren’t there before. The cold case files, I assume, and I’m proven right when Hunter begins digging through them.
“Everything we have on the case is either in these boxes or in the computer. You can start whenever you’re ready.”
“That would be now.” I take a seat at the table, lifting the laptop screen and arranging the files next to me.
My heart sinks a little now that I’ve become acquainted with the Davies family. Before, this was just a cold case I’d watch documentaries on at 2 a.m. Now, the case is real, and I know the people at its center.
I hate that Ernestine suffered the loss of her twin, and I’m more invested in this job as a result.
The computer files are color-coded and in sync with the hard copies, arranged smartly by someone that knew what they were doing. Still, I check each to make sure they align.
I start with recreating the timeline in a way that allows for easier processing, which requires some good old fashion pencil work.
“Do you have a notebook I can write in?” I ask.
Hunter brings me a fancy leather-bound journal.
“Ummm…could it be a cheap Five-Star notebook? I don’t want to sound unappreciative, but in order to get ‘in the zone,’ I can’t be writing in that fancy thing.”
He shakes his head, chuckling. “I’ll have some brought up.”
“It’s going to take me a while to familiarize myself with the case. It might seem like I’m getting nothing done, but I’m just establishing the known pieces of the puzzle.”
Hunter nods. “Understood—oh, and keep the red files separate. Those are documents and items that were illegally obtained, and I want you to look at them last.”
“Got it.”
With the laptop, I recreate the timeline in corkboard fashion, every document being sorted, placed, and tagged accordingly. It feels like busywork, but I’m learning a lot as I go. Things I never realized about the case.”
Hunter plays a supporting role, answering every question, providing me the tools I request, and even going so far as to fetch me water when I’m thirsty. I like that he respects my work and treats me like a professional.
But if I’m being honest, there’s a part of me that wishes he saw me differently. The thought of what it would feel like to have his arms wrap around me as he bends to give me a kiss has played on my mind, ever distracting me, and his comment about having ‘a desperate desire to please’ hasn’t helped matters.
The only defense I have against it is getting lost in my work.
“How are you doing?” Hunter says, and I have to shake my head to vanquish him from my thoughts.
“Pretty good. Almost done with the setup.”
As much as I don’t like bragging, I have to admit, I’m pretty damn good at what I do. At the click of a button, my timeline comes to life, and with another click, I can decide how I want to view the data. It can be by way of written statements, locations, people, or any other variable I’ve input.
“You’re a lot quicker at this than I was,” Hunter says, pulling up a chair beside me, “and I wasn’t half as good at organizing.”
Him sitting so close to me sets me on edge. It’s not that he’s doing anything salacious; it’s that I want him to. His scent doesn’t help the matter any, a mixture of wood and sweat that tantalizes my senses.
Get your shit together, Ari.
The slim chance I have at remaining in school relies on me cracking this case, but how am I supposed to do that when I have a thick slice of sexy arrogance seated beside me?
Take a deep breath and show him what you got.
“Once a good base with searchable keywords is set up, everything becomes infinitely easier.” I pull up the file of the garbage man that came by the morning of Lucy’s disappearance. “Like this guy, Fred Durmont. When we pull him up, not only does it give us all his personal information, but it provides a timeline put together from the data collected, including his birth date, the year he graduated, and all the things he was doing around the time of the kidnapping. We knew all this before, but now it’s digestible and accessible at the click of a button.”
Hunter gives a slight nod. “Color me impressed.”
“I still have a few more things I need to add, but I’m almost done.”
“Don’t let me get in your way.”
Hours feel like minutes as I compile the cache of data, my fingers flying over the keyboard as I make my way through the files, and after four straight hours of nonstop work, I sit back and admire my accomplishment.
