Page 52 of While He Breathes

With more care than I expect from a man like him, he wipes away every drop of water before wrapping a fresh towel around me and working on my hair next, all the while he’s dripping.

Once he’s satisfied that I’m dry and has my hair wrapped up in another towel, he finally dries himself and wraps it around his waist before guiding me into the bedroom.

He walks into his closet, emerging after a few seconds with another pair of sweatpants and a black T-shirt.

He removes the towel from around me and drops the shirt over my head, helping me feed my arms through the holes before tugging the pants onto himself.

There’s something about him caring for me like this that’s doing shit to my brain chemistry, and I don’t know how I feel about it.

Once we’re both dressed, he picks up a hairbrush I hadn’t noticed, removes the towel, and guides me back into the kitchen, where a box of Cap’n Crunch has miraculously appeared.

God, I hope he didn’t send Killian for that errand. Something tells me he wouldn’t take too kindly to being sent to buy his boss’s girlfriend cereal.

Orion lifts me into one of the stools before pulling a bowl from the cupboard, pouring cereal into the bowl and milk in after it.

He slides it across the counter and hands me a spoon.

“Thank you,” I say softly, struck by how much the simple task impacts me.

It shouldn’t feel this good to have someone care for me like this.

Or maybe it should, and I just don’t realize it because no one ever has before.

“You’re welcome, Little Flame.” Orion rounds the counter and comes to stand behind me, carefully brushing out my hair until it’s smooth and free of knots.

Despite how unfamiliar the scene is, I eat my favorite cereal and allow him to do whatever he wants.

Growing up, we could rarely afford brand-name products. Hell, we could rarely afford food at all, but the few times Travis managed to steal us groceries, he always made sure to get me a box of Cap’n Crunch.

I remember when I was seven or eight, I would have just a few pieces each day because I didn’t know when the next time I would have it was.

It’s hard to imagine that was my life, and now I’m in a penthouse with a billionaire as a…boyfriend, I guess.

I don’t really know what to call Orion because boyfriend seems like such an insignificant word when it comes to the complicated feelings I have for the man, but it’s the only one that fits right now.

“You’re not going to eat?” I ask.

“I don’t normally have breakfast.”

“Not even coffee?”

He chuckles. “Sometimes. But I feel plenty energized after a certain someone worked her magic with her pretty mouth.”

Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I shovel another spoonful of sugar into my mouth to save myself from having to respond.

God, this man’s mouth is so filthy, I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it.

“What would you like to do today?” he asks.

My brows tug together in confusion. “I just assumed you’d work, and I would wait for you to finish, seeing as you’ve said I can’t leave.”

He wraps his fingers around my chin and turns my head, forcing me to look up into his dark eyes. “You’re not a prisoner here, Ember. But it’s not safe for you on your own until we’ve dealt with Lucas.”

“Oh.”

“The slimy bastard is doing a valiant job of hiding wherever it is weasels like him hide, but now I don’t have my resources split between finding you and finding him. It shouldn’t be long before we’ve taken care of that problem.”

I drag my bottom lip between my teeth and consider him. “Two things. One, I could probably help you find him…If youwanted. I know him better than you do, and I have a lot of experience weeding people out. And two, you said if I was good, I’d get to come.”