Page 36 of While She Sleeps

I pause at her door and check the cameras to make sure she’s already in bed and find her exactly where I expected. She’s curled around one of her pillows, her eyes closed, and a soft snore fills the speaker.

I unlock the door and slip inside before shutting it softly behind me.

Moving quietly across the apartment, I pause in her bedroom doorway and take in the sight before me.

Sleep seems to be the only time my girl gets any peace, and even then, it’s usually short-lived. Nightmares plague her dreams, her subconscious tearing her apart as she rests.

Usually, I relegate myself to the chair in the corner. The dim streetlight misses that part of the room, so if she were to wake up, she’s not as likely to see me. But tonight I can’t force myself to the corner. Tonight I’m desperate to be close to her.

I shuck my jacket and shoes, keeping them near the door in case I have to make a quick exit before rounding the side of the bed she’s curled up on.

Dropping into a crouch, I brush the short brown locks from her face, and a foreign feeling settles in my chest. I spent so many years avoiding genuine human connection that I’m not quite sure what to do with the feeling of contentment that my little flame brings out in me.

A soft moan slips from between her perfect lips, and I smirk.

“What are you dreaming about, my sweet Ember?” I murmur so softly I barely hear my own words.

Another moan comes seconds after the first, and I have little doubt about what’s plaguing her dreams tonight. For once, it’s not nightmares, but instead, pleasure.

I consider my options for long seconds. I should sit in the chair in the corner and watch as this plays out, or better yet, I should leave.

But I can’t drag myself away from her.

Carefully, I pull the thin sheet from her body and suck in a breath at what she’s wearing beneath. A satin night dress clings to her body, accentuating each of her perfect curves until my cock twitches in protest at being locked away.

I swallow the rumble that tries to escape my throat and continue my exploration of her soft body. Usually, she sleeps in an old T-shirt or a ratty pair of pajamas, and I can’t help but wonder why she chose the thin black material tonight.

Once the sheet no longer covers her, I start working on the pillow she’s clutching to her chest. The thing has seen better days, but she holds onto it like it’s the most precious thing in the world. Ever so slowly, I tug one arm, and then the other until her grip releases, and I can slip it from her hold.

I deposit it on the other side of the bed and stop to take her in as she rolls to her back.

Fuck. How did I get so lucky to find this woman?

Out of the millions of people in Los Angeles and billions around the world, I found my queen just a few miles from my own home.

Ember’s head rolls to the side, baring her neck to me, and I lean in, pressing my lips to the soft column. I breathe in her intoxicating scent and press my eyes closed, reveling in her perfection.

“You have no idea how much power you hold, Little Flame.” I press gentle kisses along her jaw as my hand skims along the silky fabric covering her. As desperate as I am to tear the flimsy material off her and soak her in, I want her awake the first time I see her naked.

I want her to see how utterly obsessed I am with every single inch of her body, even the parts she wants to hide from the world.

Forcing my lips from her delectable skin, I keep a close eye on her face as my fingers descend toward the place between her legs where I’m aching to bury my face.

Not tonight. But soon.

I push the fabric up her thighs, uncovering her scars, and a part of me settles when I realize there are no new cuts. It’snot that I don’t understand her need to control her own pain, because I do. It’s that I can’t stand the idea of my queen being in any pain at all, physical or emotional.

Her panty clad pussy calls to me, and I shuffle across the floor quietly until I’m level with her hips. I push them to the side and immediately give in to the need to run my fingers through her sex.

I barely catch the growl that tries to escape when I find her wet and wanting.

Fuck.

Even in her sleep, she’s ready for me.

I press my eyes closed to allow myself a moment to get a hold of my resolve before gently exploring her softness.

The scent of her arousal surrounds us as I press softly on her clit.

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