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It’s the middle of the night, the moon high in the sky, providing soft light through the otherwise dark penthouse.

As carefully as I can manage, I slip out of his warm embrace and miss it immediately. I’ve been touch-starved my whole life. I thought if the time ever came that I would have someone around who would want to hold me, that I’d get over it very quickly and want my space. But that’s the exact opposite of what I want right now, even if it’s my only choice.

I look around for where he stashed the sandals he pulled off my feet when he sat me down on the couch and find them by the elevator.

The bag of my belongings is still sitting in the middle of the dining table alongside my purse, and I move toward them first. All my worldly possessions are in those bags, and I’m not going anywhere without them.

I flick another look over my shoulder at Orion still on the couch, his arm thrown over his head, and a soft snore filling the otherwise quiet space.

A pang of guilt shoots through my chest at leaving in the middle of the night like this. I don’t even know where I’m going to go. To Lucas, maybe? I’m sure he’ll tack some extra money on to my debt, but at least Orion will be free of my baggage.

I’m not so naïve to think he’s not going to look for me. A man like Orion is used to getting exactly what he wants, and for some reason, that’s me. But I refuse to put him in danger because of me.

The threat was written on the wall, literally. Whoever broke in knew he spent the night with me. They knew I slept with him, and that means they could go after him next.

No. I can’t allow that.

With fortified resolve, I move to the elevator and quietly strap my sandals in place before pressing the call button, but nothing happens.

No banging and whirring, no light above the doors. Nothing.

“You need the code to call the elevator at night,” a groggy voice comes from behind me, and I just about jump out of my skin as I turn around so quickly my head spins.

Orion stands a few feet away, his dark eyes assessing me with a mixture of hurt and irritation. Apparently, I didn’t think this through quite as well as I thought I had.

Of course, a man like him doesn’t make the elevator that opens straight into his living room accessible to just anyone.

That makes a lot of sense, but it didn’t occur to my sleepy and panic-ridden mind.

Fuck. What am I going to do now?

Without missing a beat, Orion crosses the room until he’s right in front of me, and I’m forced to tilt my head back to look into his dark gaze.

“Were you going to run from me, Little Flame?” He drops his face until his lips are just a breath from mine. “Because you should know I really fucking love to chase.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

ORION

It’s in Ember’s nature to run.

It’s what she’s been doing her whole life.

And I can’t say I blame her. Today was a shit show of epic proportions. She left her apartment thinking the hardest thing she was going to do all day was to try to convince my stubborn ass that things couldn’t work out between us. Then she was chased down by thugs in a van, and her apartment was trashed.

Killian is working on tracking down whoever is responsible for both stunts, but that leaves me to wrangle the woman who is trying to escape.

She stares at me, her lips parted in surprise, but I don’t miss the blush that moves over her cheeks and down her neck.

Yeah, my girl likes the idea of being chased.

Me too, baby. Me too.

But that’s a thought for later. First, I need to make sure she’s safe and ensure she’s not going to continue trying to escape.

I don’t want to frighten her, but I will if it means keeping her here with me.

Before she can think to move, I drop my shoulder and toss her over it, eliciting a startled yelp from her throat.