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“And people always do what you tell them”

“Usually, yes With a notable exception” He ailare at her

She held up a key

She was playing with him now and it amused his shown a fun side “I’ to tell me about”

The faintest of smiles cracked her face She looked very different when she put away that cold façade Her eyes lightened and she seemed almost like a precocious child Like there was more to her than fusty suits that covered as much skin as possible and prim hairstyles He stared at the utilitarian twist and wondered what it would look like if she let it down If it would be soft and pliant Like her skin He remembered the feel of the nearly translucent skin just beneath her palile and soft?

Now that wouldn’t be wise at all Even if a man couldn’t help but wonder

“I was going to check it out first, but I suppose you want to co It’s to the attic”

“You’ve an attic?”

Her srew as she nodded “We do And if we find what I think is there, you’re going to be happy I thought of it Then you can stop obsessing about getting your designer in and focus on so else”

He ignored the barb, too excited by the idea of a treasure hunt “Then lead on, by all means”

They took the service elevator to the top floor Stepping out into a less corridor, Mari stepped to the right toward a large double door “This is our storage area I reed with e” She turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open

Inside was like finding buried treasure A fil: chairs, tables, desks, divans, even paintings and sculptures A roo to be rediscovered The hotel ht, before soe it His eyes lit on a particularly fine tallboy Whoever had relegated it to the attic should have been whipped It was too fine, too valuable, to be hidden away in an airless, forgotten room

“Dear God” Luca stepped inside There was little order to it, but he knew already she’d uncovered a goldthe hotel at all He was restoring it The idea thrilled hi part of his job so e reason why he wanted to step out of his father’s shadow “Why are these things not displayed?”