I’m seconds away from calling Killian to initiate a search party when I hear her soft laugh coming from my office.
I close the distance quickly, but pause in the doorway as I observe her from the shadows.
She has her hair pulled up in a short ponytail, her face bare of any makeup, and all she’s wearing is one of my T-shirts.
Knowing she has an entire closet of her own clothes but still reached for something of mine has pride beating in my chest.
“Max, I’m not telling you that!” She giggles, all the stress I’m accustomed to seeing on her face gone.
Jealousy slams into me at the same time relief does. Why can’t I make her feel as carefree as her friend does? How is that another man can make her look so relaxed when she only ever looks stressed when I’m around?
“Oh my god, Max.” She covers her face with her hand. “No, his cock is not pierced. Okay?”
I swallow my own laugh as I observe her and how calm she looks in my space. She’s curled up in the corner of the couch I keep in here but rarely use. The one I was imagining her sitting on last night while I worked.
Somehow, I doubt I’d get much done if I had the option to stare at Ember, but it was a nice fantasy, and one I intend on trialing.
She’ll need to decide what she wants to do now that she’s back in LA without the pressure of her debt to Lucas hanging over her head. If she still wants to work as a thief, I’ll support her, and there’s plenty I could have her do for our businesses if that’s the route she wants to go down.
But if she wants to leave that behind and go to school, or help with the drug business, or sit at home and watch movies and trashy reality television, I’ll support her.
The world is her oyster.
“Jesus Christ.” She laughs, her head falling back against the back of the couch. “I promise you’ll be the first person I tell if Orion decides to apologize by tattooing my name on his dick, okay? You’ve been reading too many romance books.”
I shake my head, my smile growing at the intensity of her blush. I might be jealous as hell about their relationship, but I’m grateful to Max. Ember needs someone in her corner who will fight for her while also making her laugh without judgment or false pretenses.
Deciding I’ve been a voyeur for long enough, I push the door open, and her eyes fly up to meet mine. She drags her gaze down my bare chest, and her blush deepens, only making me chuckle.
“I gotta go, Max. Give Darius my love,” she says quickly before huffing out an amused but irritated sigh. “Yes, I promise.Okay. I love you. Bye!” She hangs up the phone and drops it on the cushion beside her.
“Good morning, Little Flame,” I say, closing the distance between us. “You weren’t in bed when I woke up.”
Her eyes widen the closer I get, but she has nowhere to go. Nowhere to run.
Not this time.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
EMBER
Does he have to look so fucking hot first thing in the morning?
The man has a six-pack so defined I’m not sure it’s not photoshopped, and the V that dips at his hips, disappearing into the too low hanging gray sweats he pulled on…Lord, have mercy.
“I needed to check in with Max,” I tell him quickly. “You promised I’d call every twelve hours.”
He nods. “I did.” His body dips, and he lifts me easily.
I wrap my legs around his waist instinctively, my arms coming around his neck as his hands settle on my bare ass.
Why exactly did I not put panties on when I climbed out of bed?
“I was worried,” he admits.
“Oh.” My mouth drops open in surprise. I’m not sure why exactly, but it never occurred to me that a man like Orion, or the Hunter, could be worried.
Obviously, it’s a natural human emotion, but he seems so…invincible. Worry just feels below him somehow.
