34. Ember
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
EMBER
T here’s a thrill that comes with finding information that someone was trying to hide, and I can’t help but feel on top of the world at how impressed Orion and Killian were with my skills.
When I got to Las Vegas, I was short on jobs and had too much time on my hands to think about the man who ruined my life, so I started honing my skills with the computer.
I’m not a hacker, and I never will be, but I’m a whole lot more useful than I used to be, and in a pinch, I could probably do just enough hacking to get by.
Not that I want to test that theory.
When we got back to the penthouse, Orion steered me back into the office and set me up on the couch before going to his desk to do his own work, this time sans vibrator.
Probably for the best. I started feeling a little under the weather on the drive home, and while I’d like to think it’s because of the information overload I’ve had dumped on me today, I don’t think that’s it.
I’m flicking between social media pages when a cramp in my lower belly makes me gasp, and I press my eyes closed to breathe through the pain.
Fuck.
This is what I was afraid of.
“You okay, Little Flame?” Orion asks, his attention solely on me, despite how focused he’s been since we came in here.
I nod, plastering a smile on my face. “Yep. I’m just feeling a little tired. I might go lie down for a bit.”
“You can nap there, if you want,” he offers, but I can tell it’s more of a request.
I shake my head. “I think I need a bed.” I carefully stand and cross the room, dropping a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you later.”
Before I can step out of his grasp, he wraps his hands around my hips and pulls me back until I’m standing between his spread thighs, staring down at him.
“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” His brows tug together with concern.
I force a smile to my lips and rest my palm on his cheek. “I promise, I’m okay. Just tired.”
Orion considers me for another moment before nodding. “Okay. I’ll come check on you in a little while.”
I nod and quickly move to the bedroom, closing the door over to give myself the illusion of privacy. The last thing I need right now is for him to barge in, threatening to punish me. As much fun as that sounds, it’s not something I can handle right this second.
I step into the bathroom and rummage through the cupboard, looking for tampons, but come up empty.
Well, fuck.
I press my eyes closed and breathe through another cramp.
My birth control normally does a pretty good job of stopping my period, and it’s a godsend because I’ve always struggled with the pain they bring. But in times of high stress, not even all those artificial hormones can stop my body from doing its thing.
Making a quick decision to take a shower, I turn the water on as hot as it will go and undress, trying not to focus on the too expensive underwear that is now ruined. Between Orion’s cum and my blood, there’s probably not much hope of them being salvaged.
I step under the water and groan as the warmth seeps into my body. I didn’t realize how badly I needed this.
I started feeling a bit off after we left the warehouse, but tried to ignore it. However, in this case, ignorance was not bliss.
Carefully, I lower myself to the tiles, leaning my back against the wall as the water cascades down my body, soothing some of the cramping, but it’s a short-term fix.
I rest my head against the wall, breathing through the pain and cursing myself out for not making an appointment to see the doctor now that I have money in my account.
For years, I did just about anything to avoid having to go to the doctor, knowing Travis and I couldn’t afford it, but I’ve been meaning to make an appointment for a while to get a checkup.
The doctor that put in my IUD said some women just have rough periods, and others have other things going on that need to be investigated further, and I’ve always just kind of assumed I was in the first group of women. But it wouldn’t hurt to get checked to make sure.
“Ember?” Orion calls from the bedroom door, and I don’t bother responding. He’ll figure out where I am when he hears the water running in here.
The bathroom door swings open, and his eyes move over the space with an edge of panic that makes my heart ache. In all the times I’ve thought about the night I tried to take my own life, I’ve rarely considered how it must have been for Orion to find me like that.
I only remember snippets of him as he begged me to hold on, to not give up, to stay with him. The panic in his voice as he spoke to Killian. How desperately he held on when the doctors told him they needed to take me into surgery.
Those memories must haunt him, and my heart pangs with regret.
I poke my head around the edge of the glass, meeting his worried eyes. “I’m in here.”
His brows furrow as he steps closer, and then he spots the panties I’ve balled up beside the dress, and understanding fills his features. “Are you in pain?”
I nod. “Yeah. The hot water is helping.”
He crouches beside the shower and takes me in. “What do you need?”
“Tampons. Or pads. Or literally anything that will stop me from bleeding everywhere.”
He stands without a word and walks out into the bedroom, appearing after a minute with an armful of feminine products, which he dumps a few feet from the shower.
My eyes widen as I take in the three different types of tampons, day and night pads, a period cup, and four different styles of period underwear.
“I got you everything because I didn’t know what you would want. Your old apartment didn’t have much in the way of this kind of thing, so I didn’t want to guess wrong.”
A soft smile tugs at the corners of my lips, and the way my heart flips in my chest should worry me. But it doesn’t. The way Orion cares for me is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, and I’m not going to pretend I don’t love it.
Who wouldn’t want a billionaire falling all over himself to look after their every need?
“Thank you,” I murmur.
He reaches into the shower, fully clothed and uncaring as his suit gets wet, and flicks the water off before scooping me up off the floor.
“Orion, what are you doing?” I screech.
“I’m going to get you dry and comfortable, and then I’m going to get the painkillers and heat pack from the kitchen,” he explains, depositing me beside the sink.
He doesn’t savor drying me the way he did this morning, instead making quick work of it before he eyes the pile of period products he brought in. “Which one do you want?”
Heat hits my cheeks, and I bury my head in my hands. This is way more mortifying than I expected it to be.
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.”