Blakeshire (Insight #9)(78)

Much to my surprise, that massive closet in my room harbored clothes of Drake’s, too. I hadn’t noticed them because they were behind one of the dividers the room was laced with. He slid on dark pants that had to have been pajama bottoms and a white tank top.

I opted for PJs, too, settling into a pair of white cotton shorts and a black tank top.

“Hungry now?” he asked me as he pulled the strings on his pants tight.

“Are we going to make that trip in our pajamas?” I quipped.

“Girl’s gotta eat,” he said with a wink as he pushed his dark hair out of his eyes.

He clasped my hand and pulled me from the closet. He hesitated on the rug and leaned down. When he stood up again, he handed me my locket. I had forgotten that I had lost it hours ago. “Don’t want to lose that,” he said, raising one brow.

I pulled it over my neck as we made our way to the door. I was seriously considering going back for one of those gowns in my closet; I was sure the way I was dressed would be grounds for execution in this world, even if I was with the future king of this damned place.

He pulled me to a set of double doors to the left of the hall, and behind them was the most elaborate kitchen I had ever seen. All the appliances were twice the normal size and made of stainless steel. Dark stone made up the counter tops, and bouquets of flowers were arranged on the table and in the nooks of the kitchen.

“What are you hungry for?” he asked as he let go of my hand and made his way to the refrigerator. I raised my hand to my stomach to question if I really was hungry.

“It’s late so something light.” I pursed my lips. “Dessert, maybe?”

“Sundaes it is,” he said as he started to pull out tubs of ice cream, chocolate sauce, and cherries.

“Why didn’t you eat at dinner? Were you just being spiteful?” I asked him as I climbed up on one of the black leather bar stools that had a high enough back that you would have thought it was just a tall chair.

“I never eat what they give me,” he said with a playful smirk. “Never have.”

“Ever?”

He didn’t answer for a second as he sculpted our sundaes. “It was my father’s paranoia, I guess. He brought my mother and me food every day, or least what we needed to make our food. He didn’t trust Donalt’s cooks.” He shrugged. “Suppose I still have that notion. Besides…” he said as he put a massive bowl of ice cream in front of me. “I like to cook. Tastes better that way.”

“You blow my mind.”

He grinned as he sat down next to me. “In a good way?”

“Yeah…” I toyed with my spoon. “How was your afternoon—early evening?”

“Not as inviting as my morning and early afternoon,” he said as he winked at me and took a massive bite of his ice cream.

“What time is it?”

“Here? Maybe midnight.”

“No way.”

He blushed for no reason. I couldn’t understand why, and when I looked into his mind all I saw was our day together.

“I’m not tired. I must be on a ‘sleep for two days, stay up for two nights’ routine.”

He pointed his spoon at me. “We are going to have to break you of that. That was the longest day of my life.”

“Doubt that,” I said as I glanced at him. Before, when I had danced in his memories, I had seen many days where he lived in peril.

He playfully glared at me as he took another bite of his ice cream.

“Did we make anyone mad when we left dinner?”

He shrugged. “There were some huffs and puffs.” He furrowed his brow. “Did someone near you do something to you?”

I felt my stomach tighten up right about then. “That was Britain. The boy sitting next to me.”

The room grew frigid instantly. “The Britain?” he seethed as he dropped his spoon.

“Thought you knew.”

“You thought I knew that your ex was sitting next to you at my dinner table!” he fumed. His anger wasn’t directed at me, but at Britain. “Why is he here?”

“He claims that he is working for Xavier. That he is supposed to kill me.”

Drake pushed his chair back and went to charge through the door. I extended my leg to block him. “No.”

“No, what?” he said with a tone that was laced with rage and jealousy.

“No, you are not going to let him steal you from me. This is our moment. Our world. You run off to fight him, and he knows you are not next to me.”

“What did he do to make Aden leave like that?” Those eyes of his were cold, dark, and fierce.

I said nothing.

“Madison Marie.”

“He touched my knee a few times—but listen,” I said, reaching for his arm as I felt him go to move again. “Aden already put him in his place. I mean, hell, before that I almost sliced his neck in two with a blade. He wants us to be wrapped up in his presence. I don’t care. He is not worth the energy.”

“You held a knife to him?” Those eyes of his blazed through me.

“It was in The Realm.”

“He attacked you there?”

“He followed us.”

“What were you doing?”

“Trying to figure out where that dream came from.”