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“Yeah, Kline, be nice.” Tyler handed her a pink glittery bag and grinned. “Enjoy, and have a good night.”

Blake pulled her away before she could say thanks again, and she winced at the pain in her feet.

“Blake, I can’t walk that fast. I think I have blisters.”

He stopped and knelt, dropping her prizes next to him. He lifted the hem of her skirt up and examined her feet. Whatever he saw, it wasn’t good, if his curse was any indication.

Before she could blink, he was on his feet and picked her up in his arms, bags, shoes, and all, and carried her through the lobby of the hotel.

“Put me down! I just need to walk slower, that’s all.”

“It’s easier if I carry you. Then you’ll have no pain at all.”

“Except the pain in your back. I’m too heavy for you to carry.”

He paused long enough to give her a hard kiss on the lips that would have had her toes curling if they didn’t hurt so bad.

When he pulled away, he scoffed, “Please, I can curl two of you. Now, shut up, lay your head on my shoulder, and just enjoy the ride.”

She did as he ordered with a small smile. “If you trip and drop me, I’ll sue.”

“I’m petrified.”

Chapter Twenty-One

BLAKE PULLED INTO her apartment complex twenty minutes later and put his car in park. The drive from the Hilton to her place had taken just under twenty minutes, and he could tell by the expression on her face that she was tired.

He hopped out and went around to her side to open her door. She already had her feet out and on the ground when he growled at her.

“There might be glass on the ground. Just hang tight.”

Gathering her up, he carried her up the walkway toward her apartment, waiting patiently for her to unlock it.

He didn’t ask to come in, just strode over the threshold and sat her on the couch.

“Where’s your first-aid kit?” he asked.

“Why?” she asked.

He gave her a sardonic look. “Because I am going to doctor up those feet before I take off.”

“You don’t have to do that—”

“I know, but I want to. So where?”

She sighed, settling back on the couch. “Under the bathroom sink. Around the corner on the right.”

Blake made his way down the hallway, taking in the simple, homey feel to her apartment. The furniture was well worn and comfortable looking; maybe something that had been handed down or that she’d picked up at a thrift store. Pictures covered the walls, and three large bookshelves crossed the opposite wall.

He walked into the bathroom and grabbed the first-aid kit. Her towels were hung over the bar neatly, except for one that had been dropped right outside the shower.

For some reason, that out-of-place towel made him smile.

He came back out into the living room and sat down next to her. “Where’s your puppy?”

“He’s with my parents for the night. I’m still potty training him, and I hate to leave him alone too long.”

“That’s nice of them to watch him. Are you close?”