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Her mom nodded and stepped up, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I left your father at home, worrying, so I’m going to go and update him, unless you want me to come with you?”
“I’ll go with her,” Blake said before she could reply, draping an arm around her shoulders that Rose promptly shrugged off as her mom cupped Blake’s face like he was some kind of savior.
“You don’t need to do that,” Rose tried, and Blake gave her his best smug smile.
“We should stick together, right, roomie? Why don’t you take Maia to Callum’s, Officer, and I’ll drive with Rose toThe Hartand wait for you there.”
Dread sank like a lead weight inside her as Rose’s nose wrinkled. It was going to be a long night.
* * *
Rose reluctantly followedBlake to the underground parking beneath his estate and froze at the threshold. The night’s events were too recent for her to just brush off as fear burned in her throat, alleviating only when a warm hand engulfed hers.
Blake didn’t say a word, just pulled her gently through the entrance and paused before an Audi that was as sleek as him but Rose grimaced when she gazed at the inside. “You covered yourItalianleather seats with a blanket?”
Blake smirked. “I take it you’ve never had sex in a car.” Rose just blinked at him in stunned silence. Blake leaned in close and tugged the end of her thick blonde curl teasingly. “Leather sticks.”
She groaned in response. “You are so gross. You think I’m going to get in your sex-car and sit on your dirty sex-blankets? Pig.”
Blake shook with silent laughter as he stood, still holding open the door. “I never said I’d had sex inthiscar. One can never be too prepared.” He blinked his big blue eyes innocently at her and suddenly the inviting way he held open the door shifted in meaning. Rose’s panic faded completely as she huffed but stepped inside and settled into the plush interior, slightly cool from having the car door open for so long. Blake strode around the car to the driver's seat and climbed in, settling himself behind the wheel expertly.
“You ready? All belted in?” he asked, turning to face her and his eyes rested on her chest for slightly longer than was necessary to make sure her belt was on. “Excellent. You might have to direct me when we get close. I haven’t actually been toThe Hartbefore.”
Rose nodded absently, tension reforming and making her jaw ache as she thought about the mess waiting for her in the suite.
“I like Maia, you know,” Blake said suddenly and Rose blinked, relaxing her grip on the edge of the seat. “She had some good ideas the other day.”
“She’s brilliant,” Rose murmured absently. “She does interior design, events, and fashion too.”
Blakes eyebrows rose slightly. “Impressive.”
“Yes, she is.”
He gave her a sly grin. “I might steal her from you.”
“She only freelances for me, and I’m sure she’d find that completely agreeable.”
Blake nodded thoughtfully as silence settled again. “Noted.”
The drive toThe Hartwas fast and the flashing blue lights made her eyes fill unexpectedly with tears that she quickly blinked away when they arrived. Still, Blake’s voice seemed softer than usual when he spoke next.
“You ready?”
“Of course,” she said, throwing open her door and glaring at him over the roof of the car, “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Blake opted to roll his eyes, his nice-guy threshold clearly having been maxed out as Rose swept ahead of them and through the doors to her hotel.
“I told the cop–”
“That sounds like a you-problem,” she said, eyes roving the entrance hall as she searched for a familiar face with no success. She supposed it was a miracle that the press wasn’t already here. “You.” Rose pointed to a fresh-faced cop who stood up a little straighter as she beckoned him over. “Escort me upstairs to my room.”
The cop nodded, shooting Blake a curious look as they walked over to the elevator and headed to the top floor where they found Louis, Noah, and a host of cops all pouring over every inch of the corridor and room. Dusting for fingerprints, bagging up stray items they felt were important, photographing the writing on the TV, and Rose felt like the eye at the center of a storm. Calm amidst the chaos, still even though she wanted to scream.
“Jesus,” Blake swore, and she shot him a raised eyebrow.
Louis spotted them at that moment and hurried over with Noah in tow. “Oh god, Rose. I’m so glad you’re okay. I tried to make them wait for you–”
“It’s okay, Louis. You did the best you could, I’m sure. Who’s in charge here?” Rose asked loudly and then turned her gaze to the large man with lightly graying hair as he walked over to them.
