Page 36 of In Too Deep

“Some of us make time for hobbies and taking care of ourselves,” he said blandly and set his coffee down on the side. “This is going to be your home now too for at least the foreseeable future. If you want milk, take it. Mi casa…”

Blake had an annoying affinity of knowing exactly what she was thinking, which she hated. When he wanted to be, Blake could be unreadable.

“Thank you,” she said stiffly, knowing it wasn’t a hospitality she would ever be comfortable taking advantage of and he seemed to recognize that too.

“I mean it, princess. What’s mine is yours, in sickness and in health, right?” The grin on his face said he was teasing, but the demanding pressure of his eyes told another story. Rose waved him off and sipped at her coffee.

“How about a tour?” she said instead.

“Now that’s more like it.” He winked, and she rolled her eyes.

* * *

Things had gone surprisingly smoothlywith the press. Rose and Blake had done a joint interview via video call with a reporter for theCincinnati Times,and she’d been taken aback at how well they worked together on camera. Where Rose could occasionally be cold or closed-off about her personal life, Blake gave them just enough charm and implication that they ate it up without him really saying anything of importance so Rose still felt comfortable. Of course, it was a little harder to explain the photos of what could only be described as a ‘passionate’ kiss, and in all honesty, Rose thought they were being polite. It was downright pornographic. Her hands were fisted in Blake’s hair and his hands had landed on her ass, and she didn’t evenrememberthat happening, but there it was. Immortalized in film. God, her mother was likely having a field day with this.

It was easy to forget how much she and Blake had in common, especially when it came to handling the press, but he deflected the questions surrounding their supposed engagement like a pro. Neither confirming nor denying, just in case Meredith got ideas in her head, but simply taking a page out of the red-head’s book by saying, “Do you see a ring?”

It would probably drive the public rabid, but that was okay. The majority of the interview had been about the stalker and break-in, though of course they couldn’t say too much about an ongoing investigation.

By the time they’d finished in the evening, Rose was in sore need of some water and some sleep. Except, when Blake had finally shown her to the guest room she’d picked out earlier, her brain wouldn’t shut off.

The bed was plush. She practically sank into the mattress, glad to be off her aching feet, and the covers were so puffy that they almost tickled her nose when they were tucked up under her chin. Everything smelt fresh and clean, like lilacs and detergent, but it was all too unfamiliar. She’d already gotten out of bed once to turn on the light for her ensuite and pull the door to, letting a faint glow illuminate the room. But every time she neared sleep, her eyes would fly open and she’d wake with a gasp, half expecting to find someone leaning over her or watching her as a dark shadow against the light from the bathroom.

It had been over an hour since she’d said goodnight to Blake and climbed into bed. He was a fairly attentive host, making sure her room was stocked with towels and giving her a spare shirt to sleep in until Cara could drop off the things Rose had asked for. But no matter how comfortable the bed was or how safe she knew she was supposed to be here, she couldn’t stop picturing the carnage in the suite, the slashed pillows, the angry slant of theWswiped onto the TV in red.

Rose rolled over, stopped, and stared. There was an odd shape by the window. In her mind she saw the curtain in the suite flutter, saw the shadowy form move, and continued to stare at the curtains in her new room. They were heavy, built to keep out the light, and she knew it was her mind playing tricks on her. There was nobody there.

Moving fast, Rose rolled over and reached for the hanging chord for the lamp on her bedside table, yanking it on and then spinning back to stare at the curtains, exhaling when nothing moved.

For a moment, she just lay there panting, staring up at the ceiling with the dim light bathing the cream and seafoam room yellow. Was she just supposed to carry on like this until the cops caught this guy? Maybe it was time to refill her least favorite prescription, at the very least so she could sleep at night.

But for now…

Rose sat up slowly and swung her legs out of bed. Blake’s shirt was large on her but still only came to mid-thigh because of her height, and she tugged at it self-consciously as she stared at the door to her room with her heart pounding. It was ridiculous. She felt like a kid that had gotten out of bed and was waiting for her parents to catch her.

Blake had told herwhat’s mine is yoursand she’d decided that actually, she did want to take advantage of that fact but perhaps not in the way that he (or even she, if she was being honest) had expected. There was no way she was going to be able to sleep in here while she felt the press of imaginary eyes on her skin, saw the devastation of her home in her mind, and imagined much worse fates than what they’d been dealt if the elevator doors hadn’t closed in time.

Rose knew when to swallow her pride, when to give in, and that time was now. She needed not to think, needed to feel safe, and for whatever reason, Blake seemed to give her that.

Decision made, she slowly twisted the doorknob and padded out into the hall, wincing as each step pulled at her still-healing feet. Blake’s bedroom door sat one down from hers, the door ajar, and Rose tried to breathe slowly as she approached and nudged it open further.

The lamp was on, identical to the one Rose had in her room, and the light bathed Blake’s body gold. Small freckles and moles marked his back and drew her eyes until she felt dizzy just from looking at the taut muscles rippling there. David Blake was always in control and if she had to guess, that was probably why it felt so safe for hernotto be when she was with him. Even though it terrified her.

She closed the door behind her with a thump and Blake turned to her with a jolt of surprise, eyes darkening as he saw her stood in nothing but his t-shirt.

“Princess,” he said, and his voice was so low it made her toes curl. “What are you doing out of bed?”

Rose swallowed, knowing that her approaching him changed everything and nothing at the same time. “I need you.”

His eyebrows furrowed and his previously sleepy gaze sharpened as he took a step towards her. “What is it?”

“I can’t sleep,” she whispered and then cleared her throat. “This changes nothing. Okay? I still don’t like you, and you still don’t like me. But tonight, I just… can’t be alone.” Blake’s eyes hadn’t left hers, like he was holding perfectly still until he knew exactly what she was offering. Rose willed her hands to remain steady as she grasped the ends of his t-shirt and pulled it up and over her head, letting it drop to the floor, and an aching satisfaction started to build inside her as she watched Blake swallow hard.

“Distraction?” he asked finally, looking his fill as she stood bare in front of him, and she half-nodded, half-shrugged.

“Pleasure,” she breathed, and a smirk formed on his mouth as he moved another step closer.

“That, I definitely can do.” Blake paused and dragged his eyes up from her bare legs to her face. “Who’s in control here, princess? You or me?”

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