Page 68 of While He Breathes

“If the penthouse doesn’t feel like home to you, we should move. I want you to have somewhere that you’ll feel like it’s yours as much as it is mine.”

She opens her mouth and then snaps it closed again, like she can’t quite believe what she’s hearing. “But this isyourhome!”

I nod. “It is. But I want to live somewhere that feels like it’sours.”

A frown etches into her brow, and I ache to reach for her, but I can’t solve everything by pulling her into my arms.

I wanted an equal. I wanted a queen. And now I have to treat Ember like both of those things, even when it goes against my instincts.

“Can I think about it?” she asks. “I haven’t lived in a house since I was in foster care. I don’t know if I’d like to be out of the city center.”

“Take all the time you need, Little Flame.”

She looks back to her computer before her eyes trail back up to meet mine. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“What’s your long game? What do you want in the long run? Do you want to hold on to the reins of the drug business forever?Do you want to keep your legitimate businesses running? What is it you want in the long run?”

It only takes me a moment to respond, even though I know she’s not ready for my answer. “I want a life with you. However that looks. I could give Killian the keys to the kingdom tomorrow, and I wouldn’t give a fuck as long as I had you by my side. I want to get a ring on your finger and maybe have some kids, if you are open to that kind of thing. I want to show you the world and make you feel every day like you made the right choice by giving me a chance.”

Her lips part in surprise, emotions swirling in her deep blue eyes, but she doesn’t get a chance to respond before my phone vibrates at the same time as her computer pings.

We both look away before snapping back up to meet each other’s eyes again.

“We need to go.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

ORION

Itap at the steering wheel, unable to stay still as we wait for the right moment to infiltrate the building.

We’ve been sitting here for over an hour, and Ember has told me to stop fidgeting no less than ten times, but I can’t help it.

Killing Lucas feels like a full-circle moment for us.

Once he’s out of the picture, Ember will be safe, and I’ll do the one thing that I promised myself I would never do.

I’ll give her a choice.

It’s the last thing I want to do, but I realized something this afternoon as I asked her about her hopes and dreams.

I realized I want to be one of those things. I don’t want to force her down the aisle. I don’t want to make her love me.

I want her to choose to do those things, and I just have to hope that when all is said and done, she’ll be able to see how great we could be together, and how much I’ll love her every single day.

Weirdly enough, the confession I was worried would send her running seems to have softened her even more toward me, and I feel almost confident that she’s going to choose to stay.

Almost.

Ember is anything but predictable.

“Orion, seriously. You need to stop. You’re making me anxious.”

“You can distract me if you want.” I raise a brow suggestively and earn myself a soft laugh.

God, I’ll never get enough of her smile. It lights up my cold, dead heart in a way I never thought was possible.