Page 73 of Wicked Embers

“You’re still wet,” she purrs, dragging the towel over my length with deliberate slowness.

“Leigh,” I choke out, my voice raw.

She drops the towel completely, her fingers replacing it. I suck in a sharp breath as she runs a fingertip over the head of my cock, spreading the bead of pre-cum that’s already leaking out.

“Fuck,” I growl again, watching her intently. Her gaze is dark with curiosity, desire, and something deeper—like she’s trying to memorize every part of me.

Her lips part, and she takes me into her mouth. The heat of her tongue, the softness of her lips—it’s too much, and I nearly come undone right there.

“Jesus, Leigh,” I groan, my hands tangling in her hair. “You’re going to make me lose control.”

She hums softly, the vibrations shooting through me like lightning. I guide her gently, letting her take as much of me as she can. Her mouth works me over, slow and sweet, until I’m on the edge of breaking.

“Stop,” I order hoarsely, pulling her up and into my arms. “I’m not coming in your mouth tonight, ptichka.”

Her lips are swollen, her eyes glazed, and she looks so fucking gorgeous that I can’t hold back anymore. I lift her, her legs wrapping around my waist as I carry her to the bed and lay her down gently. She looks up at me, dazed but beautiful, and I know one thing for certain.

This woman is mine—no matter what secrets lie between us, no matter what dark truths the journals or her memories may hold.

As I slide between her thighs and claim her again, there’s only one thought in my mind:

Nothing will take her from me.

Chapter 27

RADOMIR

The buzzing of my phone drags me out of sleep, its insistent hum slicing through the quiet. I groan, rolling onto my side, fumbling for the device as it skitters across the nightstand. Viktor’s name flashes on the screen.

“Someone had better have fucking died,” I mutter, voice rough and cold.

Viktor doesn’t waste time. “Olive’s throat’s been slit. I also sent you a message earlier—no body was found in the cabin Sabrina turned to ashes.”

His words snap through me like a gunshot, jolting me upright. My chest goes tight.No body?

Leigh shifts beside me, turning onto her back with a soft sigh, oblivious to the storm swirling inside me. The sheet slips down, baring the delicate curve of her breast. My cock twitches in response, but I grit my teeth and force myself to look away.

Pulling the sheet back over her, I pause. I don’t want to wake her. I lean over, pressing a kiss to her temple, my lips lingering longer than they should.

“I’ll be back soon, my love,” I murmur.

The words tumble out before I can stop them, leaving a strange heaviness in my chest.My love?The phrase rings in my mind, but there’s no time to unpack it. I swing my legs off the bed, dragging myself into focus.

“Who killed Olive?” I demand, my voice clipped as I clutch the phone.

“We don’t know,” Viktor replies. “The dungeon wing’s feed was cut for ten minutes. When I got here, the guards were already dead—gunshots to the head.”

My blood chills.Someone bypassed my security. My fucking security.

“Get Gunner on it. I’ll be there in ten minutes,” I snap.

“Understood.”

The line goes dead. I stare at the phone, my mind a relentless churn of thoughts. Someone is playing a dangerous game—taunting me, sending a message. They’ve proven they can move freely within my organization, slip past my defenses, and leave chaos in their wake. They’re showing me I won’t see it coming until it’s too late.

Beside me, Leigh stirs, curling deeper into the sheets. The soft lines of her face, the gentle rise and fall of her chest—it does something to me, something fierce and unsettling.

She sleeps peacefully, oblivious to the fire creeping closer to her doorstep. And I know, deep in my gut, that my mother was right. Whoever’s coming for me doesn’t just want my empire.

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