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ChapterSeven
Rose found her way back to her seat on trembling legs. Excellent sex didn’t make up for Blake inciting the press… but it certainly helped.
“So darling, I feel like we’ve barely spoken since you got home. You didn’t tell me before, how was New York?” Annabel DuLoe wasted no time, peppering Rose with questions as soon as her ass hit the chair again.
“Busy.”
Her mother pouted. “Now darling, I hope you’re not still angry with me because of our conversation the other day.”
Rose gave an un-ladylike snort as her eyes followed Blake’s tight ass as he joined Maia and Cal at the bar. She turned back to the two schemers looking at her with big eyes. “Yes, I’m still annoyed with you both. Stop,” she fixed her stare on her mother, “meddling around in my love life. I’m perfectly capable of finding my own dates, thank you very much.”
Her mother gave a little disdainful sniff. “Oh yes? What, like poor Tom?”
“Who?”
“You see! Hopeless! Poor thing sat at the bar for over half an hour hoping you would come back the other night.”
Blake sat down in the seat beside her in an elegant sprawl. “You talking about the guy she turned up with a few days ago?” He let out a short laugh and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have had the balls to make you come in the bathroom.”
Rose gave him a scowl and repressed the shiver his warm breath elicited as it ghosted over the sensitive spot below her ear.
“Rose?” Ally, one of the waitresses atThe Hummingbirdcalled, and Rose looked up, still in a slight daze, all her nerve endings alight at Blake’s proximity. “This was just delivered for you.”
Ally handed over a thick, cream envelope and Rose’s interest was piqued. She carefully slid one long manicured nail under the flap and tugged it open, eyebrows rising at the card inside. It looked like the same material as the note Maia had left her when she’d come back from Paris, except the heart on the front was cracked in two.
“Writing me more love letters?” Rose joked and Maia frowned as she settled into her seat again.
“What?”
Rose snorted. “Okay, okay. I’ll play along.”
Maia was doing her best to act confused and Rose grinned again, though it faded fast when she read the inside of the card, the table’s chatter fading away rapidly.
What doyou call someone who fucks their enemy? Whore? Hypocrite? I thought you were better than this.
Rose looked up in shock,her heart having dropped all the way to her stomach. Someone had seen her and Blake together. But how? Her eyes roved around the restaurant, searching for someone who didn’t belong – but what if it was someone close to her who had sent the message?
She looked back at Maia, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice as she closed the note and clenched it hard in her hands. “You really didn’t send me this?”
Her friend looked up, dark eyes meeting Rose’s. “No, what is it?”
“And you didn’t leave me the other note on Thursday?” Oh god. The note that had been leftin her suite. How had they gotten in? Who were they? What could they possibly want?
“I got back into town on Friday, remember? I didn’t leave you any notes.”
Rose’s mouth suddenly felt dry. She’d just assumed that Maia had been in town but staying with Thierre, but if Maia hadn’t got back until Friday evening and Rose had received the first note the night before… It had been waiting for her. So who had access to the suite and left it for her? The most logical answer was that it had to be a staff member. Nobody else had access. Except her mother and, by extension, Grace. Which also meant… Blake.
“Mom, did you leave me a note a couple of nights ago?” Her voice had risen in panic and she could feel a cold sweat starting up.
“No, sweetheart. Why?”
Rose pushed away from the table, breathing hard as she stared down at them. “It wasn’tanyof you?”
“Darling, what is this about?” Annabel asked as a round of shaking heads looked at Rose with pinched eyes and pursed lips. Her eyes flicked to Blake and found his face just as concerned as everyone else’s, but could she trust it? Because of courseBlakeknew that they’d slept together and that she hated his guts. Most people assumed because their families got along that they did too. Only someone close to her would know that… or someone who had been watching her. None of this added up. She couldn’t rule anything out yet.
She gave them all a shaky smile. “Nothing.” She could get to the bottom of this herself, no need to panic anyone over a stupid note the paparazzi had probably sent. What if they were watching her now? Enjoying her meltdown? Rose wouldn’t let anyone see her tremble. Blake’s hand rested on her leg as he peered up at her, blue eyes warm and serious, but she looked away and slid her leg out of his reach, clenching her jaw as she forced her shoulders to appear relaxed. One thing was for sure, until she knew if he was behind this, she couldn’t sleep with Blake again. Not that she would have wanted to anyway. “Nothing,” Rose repeated with a laugh as she regained control of her breathing and sat back down. “Just a prank. What were you talking about?”
The attention shifted off of her and Rose pretended she couldn’t feel Blake’s questioning gaze burning into her face.
