Free BLAKE: Captive to the Dark by Alaska Angelini Page A

here?”
    “You.”
    “That’s right. And who’s taking care of you?”
    She smiled and eased up. “You are, Blake.”
    “Exactly. I told you I’d be here.” Luckily I was, this time. “Food.” I shook the bag. “It’s not the good stuff. Damn news crews are outside. Forgot who I was up here with.”
    What sounded like a laugh mixed with sadness filled the room while I pulled up the chair next to her bed.
    “Thank God you didn’t compare me to her. She doesn’t exist anymore. Will never exist again. I’m afraid this is the only person who’s left.” She instantly put her head down.
    I took the food out of the bag and placed it on her lap. “Nope. You’re not going to start going downhill now. Push all that negativity away. I happen to like this Kaitlyn, very much, and the other one you speak of doesn’t even interest me. Now , eat.”
    While she studied me, I pretended not to notice. We ate in silence as the TV played the weather in the background . Only when I finished, did I turn back to her. “What is that?” I pointed at the burger that was still three quarters of the way whole.
    “I can’t eat another bite. I tried, but I’m already full. Truthfully, I’m not feeling so well. I ate too many fries.”
    “Well, that’s not good. We’re going to have to get you something healthy and build you back up again. What do you say? You ready to start in the morning?”
    At her nod , I took her trash and moved it to the wastebasket at the far corner of the room. “Now, scoot over. I’m exhausted and I want to lay down by you. You okay with that?” Was she okay? Questions were not my cup of tea. If she were mine, I would have flat out told her. She would lay with me and let me hold her until I decided otherwise.
    Kaitlyn took a drink of the soda and placed it on the table next to the bed. “I think I’d sleep better if you were here with me.”
    “It’s agreed then.” I kicked off my shoes and grabbed the extra blanket folded just past her feet. The nurses weren’t going to enjoy working around me if they came in, but I wasn’t going anywhere. Come eight, when visiting hours were over and I didn’t leave, they’d just have to deal with it. Not that I thought they minded. Kaitlyn had been adamant that I stay from the beginning and they seemed to understand. It felt right being her protector. Yes. I liked that a lot.
    “If you snore and wake me up, I’m kicking you off the bed.” She smiled as I turned off the light and climbed in next to her.
    The mattress was hard underneath me, but I was so tired I didn’t care. Hell, I’d slept outside more times than I could count. This was luxury. “If I snore, I’ll let you. But , if you snore…” I smiled while she snuggled closer.
    “You’ll do what?” Fascination tinted with sexuality had me pausing. Flirting? Why, yes, she was.
    “Snore and you’ll see.”
    She smiled and reached over me, hitting the button on the rail of the bed to turn off the TV. The softness of her breasts pushed against my chest and my eyes closed at the need to pull her into me and take her right there. The little tease. She had no idea what she was messing with.
    “Maybe I’ll get lucky and find out.” The whispering against my ear had my hand snapping to the back of her neck, making her stay there.
    “Don’t play with fire, Kaitlyn. You don’t know what you’re asking for. You can’t handle it.”
    Teeth pulled at my earlobe and my grip tightened. 
    “You’re not allowed to tell me what I can handle, Blake. Not yet.”
    I pulled her head back to stare into her dim face. The lights from outside shined through the opened blinds casting a light glow in the room. Damn, she was gorgeous. “That’s where you’re wrong, baby. If I decide to have you, your opinion is of little consequence. I’ll do whatever the fuck I want with your body and there will be no stopping me. You will belong to me always, or until I tell you otherwise. Your best bet is to