Page 63 of While He Breathes

Strong hands wrap around my wrists and pull my hands away from my face until I’m forced to meet his amused gaze. “No hiding, Ember. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s natural.”

“It may be natural, but that doesn’t mean it’s not mortifying!”

He chuckles and drops my wrists, moving over to inspect the items before plucking one of the pairs of panties off the ground. “These look good.” He tests the elastic around the waist and legs, giving it an approving nod as if he’s an expert on how to determine comfortable underwear.

He drops into a crouch in front of me and taps my left leg, forcing me to lift it so he can help feed my foot through the leg hole. He repeats the same process on the other side, and within seconds, he has them up and in place.

“How does that feel?”

“Good,” I murmur. I’m actually surprised by how soft and comfortable they are, but this is already embarrassing enough without my critiquing the panties.

He smiles and guides me into the bedroom. He sits me on the edge of the bed before disappearing into his closet, and just like he did this morning, he reappears with one of his shirts in his hands. Without hesitation, he helps me into it and steps back, considering what else I could possibly need.

“Why don’t you get into bed, and I’ll get some things from the kitchen?”

“You don’t need to do that,” I tell him.

“No, but I want to. When will you get it, Ember? Taking care of you is my privilege, and I’ll take any opportunity you give me to do just that.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

ORION

The microwave beeps, and I look down at the things I have laid out on the counter.

Two different kinds of painkillers, a selection of bite-sized chocolates, and her laptop.

I’ve never needed a television in the bedroom, and it’s not something I’ve ever thought about getting, but if this is how Ember’s periods are, I might have to change my stance on that.

I want her to have every comfort she could possibly need when she’s in this much pain, and having a TV in the bedroom seems like a small price to pay to ensure that.

For now, she can watch something on her laptop, and when she’s feeling better, I’ll move her onto the couch where she can ride out however many days her period might last.

I know the basics, but from what I understand, no two women have the same cycle, which makes it really fucking hard to know what to do when you have a woman in your home for the first time.

I shake myself off and carry an armful of stuff into the bedroom where Ember’s curled up in the middle of the bed, her eyes pressed closed as she writhes around in pain.

Is this normal?

Maybe I should call a doctor, if for no other reason than my own peace of mind.

I carefully drop the items onto the bed and slip the heat pack beneath the blankets, resting it over the place her hands are clutching.

Her body visibly relaxes, which allows some of the tension to bleed from my body.

Seeing her in pain does things to me I can’t quite comprehend, and if we ever decide to have kids, I’m not totally sure how I’m going to survive seeing her in that much agony.

I shake off the thought because I’ve barely got her to stop trying to run away from me. I think we’re a long way off having a conversation about kids.

“How’s that feel, Little Flame?” I ask softly.

“Better,” she mumbles against the pillow.

“I have some pain meds here. Which one would you prefer?” I hold the options up, and she takes the Tylenol, quickly taking two tablets without water.

She laughs at the look of horror on my face and snuggles into the blankets. “If I can deep throat your dick, some tablets without water really aren’t an issue.”

A startled laugh bursts out of me, and the soft smile on her lips makes me consider curling up with her instead of doing the mountain of work I’ve been ignoring.