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She’s silent for a beat, as if considering how honest she wants to be with a perfect stranger. “There’s too much unknown in the dark. You never know what, or who, is lurking just around the corner.”

“You say that like you have experience.”

“I do,” she whispers. “Too much.”

Silence falls over us, but it’s not as uncomfortable as it probably should be. Two strangers sitting in a dark room together in the middle of a strip club. Yeah, this should probably be way more awkward.

Ember’s eyes fall closed, and she takes a deep breath, settling further into the chair she’s curled up in. How long can I keep her in here before Lucas comes looking for her?

I asked him to have everyone on his payroll here tonight so I could plant the cameras and trackers in her apartment, but it never occurred to me he would put her to work like this. But I can’t show my hand too early, which means I can’t say shit about him putting her in this position.

“If you’re not a dancer and you don’t normally work here, why did your boss have you in the VIP area tonight?”

She shrugs, her eyes snapping open to search the darkness once more. “Your guess is as good as mine. Lucas is…he’s kind of a moron, but he never does anything without a reason. I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough what angle he’s working having me here.”

“What do you normally do for work?”

A smirk tips up her lips, and I can’t help but wonder if she’s forgotten that while she can’t see me, I have a perfect view of her. “I acquire things.”

I chuckle softly, too quiet for her to hear from the other side of the room. That’s the most eloquent way I’ve ever heard someone admit they’re a thief. “What kinds of things? I might be able to use your services.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t think so.” But she doesn’t bother answering my question. I suppose a good thief knows when to keep their mouth shut, especially when locked in a room with someone they don’t know.

“What do you do for work, Orion?”

My name on her lips steals a groan from my throat, and I reach down, palming my aching cock. He’s been patient these past months, watching from afar, having nothing but my hand to keep him company. But he’s getting impatient, the same way I am, and having her this close is making it hard to keep my distance.

“I’m an entrepreneur,” I tell her. Technically, not a lie, or at least not any more than her description of what she does for a living.

She sits up straighter, her shoulders pulling back. “What kind of businesses do you work with?”

“A little bit of this, a little bit of that,” I reply vaguely.

A laugh escapes her throat, but she doesn’t question me further, and for that I’m grateful. Giving her my name was risky enough, but my patience is beginning to falter.

I need to move up the timeline.

I need to make her mine because I don’t know how much longer I can remain a ghost in her life.

CHAPTER TEN

EMBER

It doesn’t make any sense, but somehow sitting in a dark room with a perfect stranger for an hour is the most at ease I’ve felt since my brother died.

There’s something almost soothing about Orion’s presence, which I know is batshit crazy seeing as there’s obviously a reason he stayed in the darkest corner of the room and only gave me his name and a very vague profession to go off.

And yet, when Lucas bangs on the door to tell me to go home, I’m disappointed.

If I weren’t already in therapy, I’d think I needed my head read.

“It was nice to meet you, Ember.” The way my name rolls off his tongue makes my stomach clench, and a wave of goose bumps races across my skin.

I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. Instead, I step into the hallway and move toward the VIP section, where I assume I’m supposed to be, but stop when one of the bouncers steps into my path.

“Boss wants to see you,” he grunts, and my stomach bottoms out. I don’t know if I can handle dealing with Lucas againtonight. Sure, the hour in a dark room with a faceless stranger was a nice reprieve, but I still feel entirely too raw.

I press my eyes closed, breathing in a steadying breath, before I turn on my heel and move down the hallway. I quickly step into the bathroom and check my makeup before dragging cool water up my bare arms to calm myself.