Your Fierce Love (The Bennett Family #7)(38)

I don't get the chance to finish my conversation with Blake at all because after Landon and Valentina leave, my phone rings. I don't have it on me, but it's somewhere in the living room. Excusing myself from the group, I follow the sound. Why can't I ever remember where I put my stuff? Eventually, I find my phone on top of a shelf. That's right, I put it up there so it would be out of the kids' reach. Glancing at the screen, I recognize the number of the head of the technical team at the studio. This can't be good.

"Hi, George!" I greet, putting my phone to my ear and stepping into a side corridor. There's too much noise in the living room.

"Sorry to bother you on the weekend, but we have a situation."

"I figured. What's wrong?"

"One of the sets just collapsed."

"What? Please tell me it's not the one we need from Monday to Wednesday."

"That's the one."

Groaning, I press my forehead against the wall. "Have you tried Quentin?"

"Yes. He's in Toronto, taking the next flight, but he said to call you in anyway. Between you and me, I don't think he can handle this. He'll have a meltdown when he sees the damage."

"Yeah."

I run a number of scenarios in my mind, even though deep down I know George is right. If this doesn't get fixed this weekend, we'll delay the production by two days, and then we'll be in a precarious financial situation. No, this has to be fixed before Monday, which means spending the night at the studio and all day tomorrow. 

It means no more weekend, no more Blake. Damn, and I was really looking forward to riling him up some more. That jealous streak of his is simply delicious. There is so much untapped teasing potential there. Heat flares within me just thinking about it, especially because teasing him brings up another streak-the bossy one-and that one is, if possible, even more alluring. This is my punishment for being a naughty woman. But when duty calls, it calls.

"I'll be at the studio in two hours," I assure George. After clicking off, I head straight to my bedroom and pack my bag, looking longingly at the connecting door.

"What are you doing?" Summer's voice startles me from the doorway. I explain the situation at the studio quickly, and then it dawns on me that I didn't come here by car. Fantastic.

"Oh, you can take my car. I'll just ride back with whomever."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you."

Thank heavens her car is automatic, because I can't drive a stick to save my life. Bag ready, I return to the living room with Summer. The Bennetts are a little flummoxed with my abrupt departure-one Bennett in particular-and I say my goodbyes quickly.

"I'll walk you to the car," Blake says as I head out the front door.

"You don't have to."

"I'll walk you," he repeats, his voice stronger, and I bite back a sigh. I like bossy Blake. Truth be told, I like every version of him. He's simply gotten under my skin.

Ever the gentleman, he loads my bag in the trunk.

"I wish you didn't have to go." His honesty is so disarming I can't help responding in kind.

"So do I."

He closes the distance to me, raising his hand to touch my cheek, my neck. God, it feels so good to be touched by him. I'm in danger of forgetting why I must leave; such is his power. Wisely, I step back a little. Hmm...this isn't helping as much as I thought it would.

"Yeah?"

"You think I'd rather spend my night and Sunday working than with you?"

He offers me a smile and kisses my forehead, which is not what I was expecting.

"What?"

"We're back at forehead kissing?" I inquire. He laughs throatily.

"No, but if I kiss you-" He emphasizes the word "kiss" by dragging his thumb across my lower lip. "-I can promise you won't make it to the studio in time."

"Oh! Okay."

His voice is pure seduction, and combined with the pressure of his thumb on my mouth, my body tightens, my nipples peaking under my bra. This man has the most dangerous effect on me. He seems to realize what he's doing to me and drops his hand, opening the car door for me. Thank heavens for small mercies.

"See you tomorrow evening, then."

***

I don't see Blake on Sunday because the mayhem at the studio continues. At noon, it appears everything is sorted out, so we all go home. But I barely have time to nap for a few hours before George informs me the set foundation caved in completely, and we're back to square one. The entire technical team plus Quentin and I spend the night at the studio, and all of Monday. The set isn't salvageable.

We need to rebuild its big parts, which will take the entire week. Since we can't pause shooting for that long, Quentin and I arranged for shooting to temporarily move to another of the studio's sets, which is now empty because that show is on break.