Page 44 of While He Breathes

“So you think I should stick it out and try to make it work?”

“I think you should do whatever feels right to you. But you need to let yourself consider that Orion might be that thing, even with all the things he’s done in the past.”

I sigh and rest my head back against the headboard I was chained to not too long ago. “Thank you. For everything.”

“We’ll always have your back, sweetness. You know that. And we’ll always be available to hear about all the filthy things he’s doing to you.”

A startled laugh escapes my throat. “Be careful what you wish for.”

“I knew he had to be a kinky fucker,” Darius says.

“You can say that again,” I scoff, shifting slightly to ease the ache between my thighs.

God, I want to come so badly.

I don’t think I’ve ever been this needy, and although I could take matters into my own hands, there’s a part of me that’s desperate to follow Orion’s rules.

“Have fun, babe. And don’t do anything we wouldn’t do.”

He ends the call before I can make a snarky remark about that not taking much off the table, but instead carefully shuffle down the bed until my head rests on the pillow.

I allow the hopeless tears to fall until I can’t stop myself from falling into a restless slumber.

Alone.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

ORION

Watching her from the shadows feels oddly reminiscent of when I used to break into her apartment to watch her sleep.

Except now she’s in my bed, and I could be wrapped around her with my cock inside her right now.

I stayed away for as long as I could manage.

I did some work, much to Killian’s surprise.

I took some calls I’ve been avoiding.

And I even spent some time dismantling Lucas’s business from the inside.

But the tug in my chest to have her in my line of sight got the better of me.

Not that she was ever really out of sight. I had the camera feed for the bedroom running on my laptop so I could make sure she didn’t take matters into her own hands.

I wouldn’t have blamed her, given the way I took off, but to her credit, she kept her hands off her pussy and the plug firmly pressed inside her.

It’s already been seated for too long, and I shouldn’t have walked away from her like that. But I needed to give us both something I loathe. Space.

It goes against every instinct I have to be away from Ember, especially after months of not being able to find her, but I was too close to losing control, and that would have made her run from me.

I cross the room and crawl up onto the mattress, dragging the sheet down Ember’s bare body.

Such a good girl, going to bed naked.

Unless things have changed during her months in Las Vegas, sleeping bare isn’t usual for her, which means she purposely left herself open for me.

“Orion?” she murmurs.