Petra aged 27, tells PEOPLE, “We’re very much in love.”

Nemcova and Blunt, 32, who showed a united front when they hit L.A.’s Hyde Lounge together hand-in-hand last week, met in December 2005 and started dating early this year.

Rumors circulated recently that they’d split – with some even speculating that Nemcova had hooked up with hip-hop mogul and fellow activist Russell Simmons.

But Nemcova says, “We never got separated. There was some stuff going on in the press, but it didn’t come from a right source – obviously.”

(A rep for Simmons told PEOPLE early this month, “Petra and Russell work on a lot of charitable initiatives together. They’re just friends.”)

Blunt will appear in Nemcova’s upcoming charity book project, Colors of Love, which will feature photos of firefighters, doctors and others, including such celebrities as Bruce Willis, Lance Armstrong and Eva Mendes, all talking about the charities they support.

“It’s about inspiring people to get involved in different causes and different charities,” Nemcova says of the book.
People