When I get back to the table, I stick the note under Max’s half-full drink. “Shall we go? Or should we wait until they come back to the table?” Just as I ask that I feel a hand on my waist. Spinning, I find Sean smiling at me.
“Are you off?” he asks, looking between me and Declan. Declan slides out of the booth and sticks out his hand for him.
“Yeah, Harlow and I have a long drive home tomorrow, and we don't want to start too late. Holden’s being released in the morning, so we need to get back to see him.” Sean grabs Declan’s hand, shaking it with a frown on his face. “Horrible thing that’s happening to you, Harlow. I’m so sorry. If you ever need any help, please call me. You can get my number from Dec.”
“Yeah, thanks. That’s kind of you.” I smile at him as he squeezes past and sits down. “Can you see that my friend Max gets my note?”
“Where did she get to?”
“She’s on the dance floor with the other two.” Declan nods in the direction of all the people, and Sean grimaces.
“Well, it doesn't look like they're causing too much chaos, but I’ll stay and keep an eye on them.”
“Much appreciated. I’m glad you got all those issues ironed out and are back on track for filming. Just know you can call me at any time to talk. Would it be alright if Harlow got a tour of the castle tomorrow before we head home? I know she usually likes her buildings more abandoned than that one, but I’m pretty sure she'd get a kick out of it.”
My mouth drops open in shock.Who is this man? Be still my beating heart. Talk about racking up brownie points. I look to Sean, eager to see what he has to say.
He smiles, an indulgent look on his face. “Of course she can. We’re shooting outside tomorrow, so feel free to wander at your leisure.”
Declan thanks him, and I echo mine enthusiastically before he puts his hand on my back, guiding me to the exit.
We pass the waitress on the way out, and I can't resist one last dig. “Time for round two,” I tell her with a cheeky wink that makes her red in the face. Declan snorts as we step out into the cool night air.
The temperature has dropped quite considerably, sending a shiver down my spine. “Wow, it got cold,” I complain, and Declan immediately grabs me by the hand and tows me down the street.
“Well, come on then. Let's hurry. You can have a warm shower when we get back to our room.”
Hello, what?
“Did you sayourroom?” I ask, stumbling slightly to keep up with him. He notices and slows down, but he doesn’t meet my eyes.
“Yeah, there was only one left, and I didn't think you’d mind sharing?” I almost run straight into him when he stops unexpectedly, finally making eye contact as he raises a brow. “But if it’s a problem, we can go back and wait for Maxine to finish with Cayden and Jarred.”
I’m at that stage of my inebriation where I’ve gone from having fun to being just plain tired, and the thought of going back in there and dealing with the passive aggressive waitress then wading through that crowd of people to find my friend has me shivering, andnotwith desire.
Shaking my head, I push him in the direction of our hotel. ”God no. You better not snore,” I warn.
When we get to our room, I find out he’d gotten a few essentials together while I was with Max. Both of us have toothbrushes, and there’s clean underwear as well. He also has a pair of pajama pants to sleep in, and it looks like I’ve got the matching shirt. “Sorry. It’s not much, but it’s all they could come up with on short notice.” He looks a little sheepish, but drunk me decides he’s earned a kiss on the cheek as I pass him on my way to the bathroom, change of clothes in hand.
A little while after the warm shower he promised, I exit the bathroom, steam billowing out in front of me, to find Declan on the phone once more. It looks like he’s on FaceTime with Nana.
“I’m really worried about that one,” I can hear him say.
Nana’s voice comes through clearly when she asks, “What do you want to do?” A plaintive mewling sounds in the background.Ah, the kittens.
I move a little closer and look over his shoulder. “Hi, Nana.”
She smiles at me even though she looks tired for the first time since I arrived. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that the woman is not a machine. All this worrying about her family must be getting to her.I’m going to try to convince Poppy to take her away.A vacation from all the craziness and a convenient way to keep them out of the line of fire. “Hello, dear, is Declan treating you right?”
“He’s being the perfect gentleman,” I assure her.
Nana being Nana, she frowns slightly and mutters what I think is “That's a shame.”Hilarious. Maybe Poppy needs to make that a romantic getaway.
“Nana, can you point the phone at the kitten Declan is worried about for me?”
The screen wobbles as Nana does what I ask, and when the screen stops moving, I can see Princess feeding three little kittens. There’s a fourth one off to the side, looking listless. “Nana, can you grab a bit of the kitten’s skin at the nape of the neck and pull it away from its body? I want to test it for dehydration.”
Her face lights up. “You told him you’re a vet? He must be behaving if you’re letting him get to know you.”
