“So you see?” Lake brushed away one of my tears. “Although a part of me misses the solitude of my cottage, a bigger part wants nothing more than to be here with you. Watchingyouin the kitchen as you bake, beaming at a tray of cupcakes fresh from the oven, flour dusting your cheek. Hearing you hum to yourself as you make coffee.” He brought me closer, slipping one arm around me and still holding my hand with the other, almost like we were caught in a dance. “I’ve made new memories here with you. Ones I never want to let go of.”
“Do you think you’ll ever see this as your home?” I asked, throat tight.
He softly smiled. “I already do.”
We kissed then, mouths softly meeting as our hearts beat to the same rhythm. And when he swayed from side to side, taking me with him, I smiled against his lips as we danced to that sweet melody only he and I could hear.
***
“My cheek is wet.” I wiped at it. “Why is my cheek wet?”
“Because Kuya licked you.” He pounced on me and purred as he snuggled closer. And yep, he planted more slobbery kisses on my face. “Kuya is so happy Evan is safe.”
Sir Noah had brought Kuya to visit that afternoon, the first time I’d seen either of them since my capture. With Prince Sawyer being the target, it put Kuya at risk too, so he’d been on lockdown right along with him. He still was, kind of, but with Sir Noah as his escort, he’d been allowed to see me.
“The prince sends his regards,” Noah said. “He wished to accompany us today but the king forbade it. He asked me to give you this.” The knight withdrew a folded letter and handed it to me.
Kuya snatched it from my hand—with his teeth—and scampered away, stealing a strawberry cupcake off the counter on his way out of the kitchen.
I laughed. Some things never changed.
“Are you hungry?” I asked Noah. “We just ate dinner, but there’s leftovers.”
“No, thank you,” he said, posture straight and hands behind his back. His gaze, however, flickered to the counter that not only had cupcakes but cookies too. Including his favorite flavor.
I exaggerated a sigh. “Look at all these sweets. You know, it would be a shame for these sugar cookies to go to waste.” I picked one up and waved it in front of his face. “Can you hear it, Sir Noah? It’s saying, ‘Eat me. Don’t let me go in the trash.’”
The knight then did what I’d never seen him do before. He broke into a wide smile, flashing his pearly whites, and accepted the cookie. “I suppose one couldn’t hurt. Saving it from the cold fate of being in the trash is a noble cause.”
I snorted. “Exactly. Oh! Will you take some to Prince Sawyer for me?” I asked, already hunting for a basket to send them in.
“Of course,” he responded with his mouth full. “It would lift his spirits.”
“How is Lady Alina? Is she still at the castle?” I wrapped up an assortment of cookies and placed them in the basket. Yes, I was being nosy. Sue me.
“Unfortunately, the lady was forced to return home,” Noah answered. By his tone, it didn’t sound like he thought it was very unfortunate at all. That made me smile. He clearly cared for Sawyer beyond his duties as a knight and wanted him to be safeandhappy. “The baron felt it was an unnecessary risk to keep his daughter at the castle with the current situation, so she was sent away in a carriage days ago.”
“Will she come back for the ball?”
“That’s yet to be determined.” Noah finished the cookie and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before putting it behind him again, returning to his formal stance.
“What about the announcement of their engagement?”
He kept a stoic expression, though his lips twitched just a fraction. “I’m merely a knight and not privy to certain details of the prince’s personal life; however, I’d assume the announcement will be postponed for the time being. At least until the threat is better dealt with.”
“Damn,” I said. “Such a pity.”
It was the one good thing to come from all of this. It had bought Prince Sawyer more time before his engagement became official.
After Kuya and Sir Noah left, I found Briar and Maddox in the dining room playing cards. Lake sat a few chairs down from them and watched. But him even being in the same vicinity as them caused little prickles of happiness in my chest.
“The cat had this in his mouth,” Lake said, handing me the letter. “There’s some drool on the edges.”
“And strawberry frosting,” I said, seeing it smudged in the shape of fingerprints. “It’s a good thing he’s adorable.”
I sat beside Lake and unfolded the letter, revealing super fancy handwriting. The pages smelled nice too, like fresh air and lavender.
Evan,
