Page 10 of Tempt My Heart

Rose DuLoe. Otherwise known as Cincinnati's most eligible bachelorette, at least until semi-recently when she'd become engaged to David Blake... Christopher's best friend.

God. This was the last thing she needed right now. Another living, breathing reminder of everything she'd come here to escape—because the wedding in question Jared wanted her to leak details of? Rose's. And from everything Ali had seen in the press for the past year, Rose was not a person to mess with. After a stalker had targeted her last fall, the press and the cops had been next to useless, putting both Rose and David’s lives at stake—the string of people Rose was actively suing was impressive to say the least.

Even makeup-free, Rose was gorgeous in a way that seemed out of reach. Though Ali supposed it was easier to look that good when you had an almost unlimited amount of money to work with.

A tall black woman walked by her side, her riot of dark curls barely being restrained by an orange headscarf that made the rich hue of her skin seem to glow.

"Shit," Jesse muttered when she saw where Ali's gaze had gone. "Should we leave?"

It was true that the relaxation and calm she'd managed to find in the pool had washed away as quickly as it had settled in. "We don't have to—"

"I'm getting pruney anyway," Freya said, her full lips lifted in a soft smile and Ali again wondered how she'd got so lucky to have friends like these.

"I was ready to go as soon as we got here," Jesse quipped and they laughed as they waded out of the pool and over to their towels. They passed Rose and her friend with a smile and Ali tried not to groan when Rose called out a greeting to Freya, making them all halt and turn to see her.

“I thought that was you! How’re things?” Rose’s smile lit up her face and even Jesse looked a little dazed to be on the receiving end of it. “Have you met Maia? She works in design atHorizons.”

“Oh!” Jesse exclaimed and Ali jumped. “I thought I recognised you. Jesse,” she said, holding out a hand and shaking Maia’s enthusiastically. “I’ve done a little work forHorizonsmyself.”

“Jesse Cleaver?” the other woman crowed and Ali watched, bemused, as the two of them fangirled over each other.

“It’s good to see you,” Freya said, but her smile was polite—political almost. Most likely because Rose was a friend of Freya’s family and things in her world could be… complicated. “I heard your dad’s doing much better.”

Rose’s smile dimmed slightly and she blinked, her brown eyes becoming a little far away as she nodded. “Yeah, he’s slowing down a little now and making more time for himself.”

“Glad to hear it.”

Ali had no idea what had happened to Rose’s dad, and didn’t want to draw attention to herself by asking. Besides, she could probably look it up and find the answer in the tabloids.

Jesse and Maia had just finished making plans for a dinner date and Ali was relieved to be leaving without having to exchange any words or pleasantries with Rose DuLoe until her voice called out sharply and Ali froze.

“What thehellis wrong with you!”

Oh god.Was Rose talking to her? How had she found out what Jared wanted Ali to do?

Ali turned and Freya cursed as a flash of light made her warm skin look pale.

“As if you haven’t done enough!” Rose’s voice was rich with anger even as it climbed in pitch. The woman at her side, Maia, looked more worried by the second, her hand settling on Rose’s arm as a ripple of unease slid over their small group. Standing under the trees behind them was a woman clad in a towel and flip flops, wielding her phone like a weapon as she snapped several photos of them talking. Paparazzi.Shit.

How they had managed to get in the spa was anyone’s guess, but Ali knew someone’s head was going to roll for this.Sanctumhad a strict policy about cell phones or any recording devices outside of the changing room. The fact that this woman had violated that rule, thatsafety, was a big deal for the high-profile members that frequented the supposedly-safe space. How could anyone relax knowing someone might be recording their most private moments?

Ali’s stomach roiled as her own anger joined Rose’s. Was the panic that now seemed to be tearing through Rose what Ali would soon be dealing with too? If she didn’t help Jared and he released that video, causing a scandal for the company and for Christopher, would this be her life? Hounded by the press until she was as on edge as Rose clearly looked at that moment? Ali had never imagined that Rose could look anything except cool and collected, but there was true terror on her face that made Ali feel sick.

The fact that they thought they could do this, photograph them this way and invade their personal space further by hurling questions at the heir to the DuLoe empire while she was just trying to relax was beyond unacceptable. It was a shocking glimpse into what Rose must have been going through all her life, but more so since the attack on her and David and the media fervor since their wedding had been announced.

Any hesitation Ali might have felt was overrun by anger as the paparazzo woman dared to come closer, her black hair whipping Jesse in the face as she darted between the women to get the best shot possible of Rose. Maybe it was the way the woman knocked into Jesse and nearly sent Freya sprawling, or maybe it was pent-up frustration towards a certain paparazzo in her own life, but Ali found herself gripping the dark-haired woman’s shoulder tightly. The phone in the woman’s grip was set to record and Ali’s jaw clenched with disgust at the lengths these people would go to, the entitlement they must have felt to crash their way into people’s lives like this. She snatched the device with her free hand and the photographer cried out in shock and maybe anger as she tried to wrangle it away from the death-grip Ali had on it. Ali elbowed her away and launched the phone out and into the pool.

Gasps sounded on all sides behind her but Ali didn’t care, could only feel a smug satisfaction as she watched the phone sink beneath the surface. The paparazzo had gone limp, her face pale, and she didn’t even resist as two burly security guards finally arrived and escorted her away with a hand on each of her arms.

“Ali,” Freya gasped as she stumbled towards her and clamped onto her shoulders. “That was—”

“So badass,” Jesse chipped in, the piercing under her lip glinting in the light as she grinned. “I almost wish I had that on camera.” They shot her incredulous looks and her lips quirked up. “What? Too soon?”

Rose was shaking, though Ali never would have known it if not for the faint rippling of her blonde hair like she stood in a non-existent breeze. Maia wrapped an arm around her shoulders and that seemed to help. Ali turned away before Rose could try and say anything to her. She just wanted to leave. Sure, she’d taken down one paparazzo but she wasn’t the hero here—not if she went along with Jared’s plans.

Relief washed over her as Freya and Jesse steered her towards the exit without Rose calling them back to talk, or sympathize, or, even worse, thank her.

Anything she said to her would have felt like lies—how could you make small talk with someone you might have to screw over? Rose and Blake had been terrorized by the press enough last year, drawing alotof attention to the company. Jared posed a danger to the reputation ofHorizons, as well as to the couple’s peace of mind. Unfortunately, the saying that all press was good press wasn’t always accurate—especially when there are concerned members of the board breathing down your neck.

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