Page 44 of Blake

“He’s in surgery now. They’re performing a triple heart bypass on him. We should hear more in a few hours.”

“Cool, look after her, man. I have a shitty feeling about all this.”

“Yeah, me too, Reid. Me too.”

Blake hung up feeling more confused than ever. He needed to start investigating but until Robert Paxton was out of surgery, they weren’t going anywhere. Maybe he could use the time to check out the dynamic between Clark, Albert, Henrietta, and Pete because there was definitely something going on there and he would get to the bottom of it.

Chapter Nineteen

Pax crawled across the bed in the room they had rented just a mile away from the hospital and felt the energy leave her body in a sigh. The long emotional day yesterday coupled with the long and nerve-wracking night had wiped her out. Flopping down still dressed, she face-planted on the pillow and used her toes to kick her heels to the floor with a clunk.

She felt the bed dip beside her and then Blake’s heat at her back and at her neck as he shifted her hair from her face. “You need to get out of those clothes, babe.”

“Too tired,” she replied with a muffled sleepy voice.

She heard the chuckle in his voice as he rubbed her back. “I know but you’ll rest easier without jeans on. Let me help you.”

Pax turned her head to face him and opened one eye to look at him. God, he really was gorgeous. He was the real deal and all hers for the taking. “Are you trying to get me naked?”

Blake laughed again his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Always, babe, but this time my intentions are to let you sleep when I do.”

Pax wished she had the energy for more, but she was dead on her feet. “Fine.”

She moved to sit up and Blake leaned in and kissed her softly. “Glad your dad’s holding his own, Gracie.”

“Me too.” Her voice was quiet as her mind replayed the last few hours like a film.

Dr Frackle, who it turned out was the head of surgery, had come to tell them her dad had survived the surgery and was being moved to the ICU. Her grandfather had stayed with them until the doctor came, typing away on his phone and ignoring everyone mostly. Her mother had burst into tears when they got the news behaving almost like a different person. Someone Pax didn’t recognise, and it irked her.

When they had left, Clark had been in the hallway using his phone while Pete glared at him from the door. She wondered why Clark hadn’t come into the relative’s room. He would have in the past. There were too many strands to untangle when her brain was shattered mush.

“Lift your arms,” Blake urged, and she lifted them and let him pull the cream blouse over her head. He then pushed her back and undid the snap of her jeans and pulled them down, stopping to kiss her belly as he did.

She couldn’t stop the shiver that coursed through her and the gruff sound he made in his throat made her panties wet. Pax closed her eyes wondering if he would continue his journey and found she was actually hoping he would, but he didn’t. The next thing she felt was soft fabric being pulled over her body and she knew it was his tee.

It smelled of his laundry soap and him. Pax sighed as he rolled her and pulled the covers out before settling her under them. “You forgot my bra,” she teased.

“I’m not a saint, Gracie,” he said as she heard him shuck his jeans, climbing in behind her and tugging her into his arms.

She allowed herself a smile as a feeling of contentment rushed through her. Moving back, she snuggled close with her back to his front. Blake’s heavy muscled arm draped across her middle as their legs tangled.

“Sleep, baby.”

“Okay.” Pax lay there for a few minutes letting Blake surround her, giving her the warmth her heart craved. Her feelings around her father were so fucked up. She thought her heart would break when she had seen him lying in the ICU with tubes everywhere. Only Blake at her back and his sold warmth had kept her from losing her feet. She wondered what she would have done without him there supporting her.

One thing she did know was that more was going on than she knew, and she had to find it out, regardless of what the answers might cost her. She couldn’t live her life not knowing anymore and she wouldn’t allow Blake to live under a cloud as she was. If she wanted to build a life with him as she thought he was suggesting, then she needed this over once and for all.

Pax woke feeling more energised than she had in days. Looking at the clock she saw it was one in the afternoon. She reached back and found the bed behind her cold. Blake had obviously been up for a while.

She sat up and swung her legs out of bed, his tee hitting her mid-thigh. She padded to the bathroom and took a quick shower tying her hair up in a bun to keep it dry. She didn’t have time to wash and blow it out so she would go for the messy look again today. Blake seemed to like it that way. Blake seems to like it all ways. She grinned to herself and rushed getting dressed in yesterday’s clothes although she had clean underwear in her oversized bag thank goodness.

The bruises were barely visible now, so she lightened her make-up just using some tinted moisturiser and mascara with a slick of blush on her cheeks. She left her lips bare knowing—or rather hoping—Blake would kiss the gloss off anyway. She couldn’t hear him in the other room, but she sensed him. It was as if she could feel the vibrations from him coming through the walls. She laughed at her fanciful thoughts silently and made sure everything was packed with nothing left behind. She doubted they would come back here. This had just been a place to allow them to get some sleep.

Crossing to the door, she opened it and saw him working on his laptop which he must have collected from the car earlier.

His head came up and those beautiful blue eyes moved over her with heat before settling on her face with a smile. “Morning, beautiful.”

“Afternoon more like,” she said as she slid her arms around his neck from behind and leaned in for a kiss which he happily obliged. It was a warm hungry kiss that hinted at so much more.