HBWnovel Chapter 34: Rumours starting to spread?!
Chapter 34: Rumours starting to spread?!
Rose slowly drifted awake, blinking against tiny rays of early morning sun filtering between the dark curtains. It was odd because her curtains were never up, must have been the handwork of someone that slept in her room last night.
The sun ray in particular was even the reason she had awaken to begin with.
She stretched languidly, skin gliding against smooth satin sheets. The pleasant soreness in her muscles conjured memories of last night's passionate exertions, bringing a coy smile to her lips. She reached over, seeking Blake's warmth, but found only vacant bedlinens.
She lifted up onto her elbows, scanning for any sign of him. Had it all been an intoxicating dream? But then she spotted the rumpled imprint on the other pillow and heard the faint sound of the shower running, she could even smell him within the vicinity too.
Rose allowed herself to collapse back amongst the blankets, relief flooding through her.
So much had happened in such a short span of time between them. Months spent reinforcing guarded boundaries as boss and subordinate had crumbled spectacularly just yesterday evening.
Now in the revealing light of day, did she regret crossing that precipice with Blake? Would it jeopardize their working rapport or her ironclad control? Oddly, she felt only rightness - as if this shift was inevitable.
The bathroom door opened, steam billowing out as Blake emerged with a towel slung enticingly low around his hips. Beads of water accentuated every muscular ridge of his torso. He caught her admiring gaze and grinned.
"Well good morning, beautiful. I thought I wore you out thoroughly enough last night that you might sleep past sunrise."
He crossed and sprawled casually atop the displaced bedsheets as Rose sat up, securing the silken robe that had been discarded on the floor against her bare skin. She arched one flawless brow.
"It's barely 7am, hardly sunrise. And just so you know, I only require minimal sleep regardless of my...activities," she purred.
Blake barked out an amused laugh. "Duly noted for future reference." He reached out to brush back a stray wave of her chestnut hair, eyes softening. "How are you feeling though, truly? After everything last night brought us?" He searched her face, needing to know where they stood.
Rose gave him a feline smile.
"Wonderfully well-rested, if you must know. And marvelously satisfied by recent...developments." She emphasized the last word by tracing one sharp nail along the ridge of his collarbone, enjoying his flushed response.
"Well I live to service your satisfaction, m'lady," Blake rumbled suggestively. Then his expression shifted, all teasing gone. "But in seriousness...I meant what I said last night, Rose. I want to be fully yours, rules and formalities be damned. If you'll have me,"
Rose held his bright gaze, her breath catching at the open vulnerability and trust she found there reflecting back. Here fully on display was the depth of caring between them built steadily over months of intimate partnership - now blossomed into passion. She considered her answer carefully.
"If we do this...it will mean significant changes for how I lead my company. Board members, shareholders, competitors could all seek to undermine my authority if any perceived 'distractions' come to light," she said frankly.
"I've worked my entire life building an empire that demands respect."
Blake squeezed her hand gently. "You worry about that now? Anyways, you should know I would never ask you to compromise that, Rose. But we've kept our private affairs discreet already, haven't we?" He winked playfully and she granted him a wry smile in acknowledgement.
"I'm prepared for the complications this brings," Blake continued seriously. "The question is...what do you want?" He lifted her hand to his lips in unconscious callback to that intimate moment, igniting the fuse.
Rose shivered, from arousal and perhaps a little fear. Beause she realized with perfect clarity what she wanted - him, fully and without reservation. She had denied and sublimated her desires for too long out of pride and principle. The years of restraint crumbled to ash under the smoldering need now plainly evidenced in Blake's unflinching gaze.
"It's highly unprofessional," Rose insisted through clenched teeth, even as she unconsciously leaned into his steadying touch.
"I can't have the Board questioning if I'm going soft or my focus straying from fiduciary duties."
Blake sighed, turning her to face him. His strong hands cupped her jawline as his thumbs gently stroked her sharp cheekbones. Like always, his carefree confidence and touch eased her rattled state.
"Rose, look at me. You are the most brilliantly ruthless corporate mastermind I have ever met," He started, Rose immediately turned to him, eyebrows arched as she stared at him in the eye.
"No one is going to threaten your spot at the top just because you accidentally showed your sweet side once or twice." His tone brooked no argument.
"Perhaps..." Rose sighed, only partially convinced but clinging to his reassurances.
Blake tilted her chin up firmly.
"Hey. I love you, ice queen tendencies and all. We can handle any storm that stirs up. But you have to stop being so hard on yourself,"
Rose froze, pulse roaring in her ears. Love? In years of building callouses against harsh realities that stripped lesser individuals to the bone...somehow this man had gently stripped her instead to the woman she used to dream of being.
Too overwhelmed by the revelation, she simply collapsed forward into his sturdy chest. Blake seemed to understand, wrapping her in the safety of his strong embrace. He asked nothing of her but this - keep letting him hold the softer pieces she still struggled to trust wouldn't cut her in the world's sharp edges.
Later that night, Blake nuzzled against Rose's neck as she typed rapidly on her tablet from the comfort of plush bedsheets. Probably answering the hundreds of late emails crowding her inbox, he thought with a yawn. He did not envy her workload. As he began drifting off, Rose's voice brought him blearily around.
"Did you happen to meet with legal this week for the merger contracts I asked you to get signatures on? I forgot earlier,"
Blake blinked, trying to clear his hazy mind. "Um yes, of course. I took the paperwork directly to Hoffstead myself since he's been so difficult to nail down. Although..." He trailed off with a puzzled look.
Rose lowered her tablet, instantly focused. "Although what, Blake?"
"Well, when his assistant led me into Hoffstead's office, he greeted me strangely. Almost with an air of condescension. I didn't think much of it at the time but looking back..." Worry creased Blake's handsome face. "You don't think someone said something to him?"
Rose slowly set down her equipment, lips thinning into a grim line. The only people who could possibly have key information about her private affairs were right here within Shelley's executive sphere. Which meant if rumors were indeed circulating, it signaled something far more ominous than office gossip...
Betrayal.
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