Pauline_Njeri

Sienna Raye was born to be dangerous. A former intelligence asset trained to seduce, deceive, and destroy, she escaped the world that made her a weapon—until it came calling again.

When whispers of a covert project called Ember surface, Sienna finds herself hunted by enemies and haunted by the ghosts of her past. Torn between Nico, the charming rogue who knows her sins, and Colson, the hardened agent tasked with bringing her in, Sienna unearths a dark conspiracy tied to her bloodline.

But love in this world comes at a price, and betrayal wears the face of those closest to her. As secrets ignite and the truth burns, Sienna must decide: will she be consumed by the fire—or become the one who controls it?

Whispers of fire

Sienna locked the front door with shaky fingers. The envelope Cole found sat on the counter between them like a lit fuse. She hadn't touched it yet. Neither had he.

But the heat from earlier still pulsed under her skin—raw, unfinished.

"Ember," she said quietly. "What the hell does that mean?"

Cole didn't answer right away. He was watching her again, but this time the look was different—darker. Like he was trying to decide how much to reveal, how much to hide.

"I've seen that word before," he finally said. "Used like a name. In coded files. Surveillance logs. Government ops."

Her brow furrowed. "Why would someone drop that here?"

He stepped closer, close enough to steal her breath again. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

She crossed her arms, trying to ground herself, but it only pushed her chest up—and his eyes flicked there before returning to hers. Still focused. Still dangerous.

"You said you were just passing through," she murmured. "But now it feels like you came looking for something."

She hated how her knees went weak at that. How much she wanted him to kiss her again—to shove the mystery aside and lose herself in the heat.

This time, he kissed her with control, with intention. No crashing. No chaos. Just slow, melting fire. His mouth explored hers like he had all the time in the world, and it only made her crave more.

He lifted her onto the counter, stepped between her legs. His hands slid under her shirt, fingers tracing the lines of her waist, her spine, her ribs. She gasped against him when he found the edge of lace beneath her jeans.

"You're playing with fire," she whispered, shivering.

He smiled against her skin. "Then burn with me."

Clothes disappeared in fragments. Buttons undone, breathless curses shared, her back arching beneath his touch. He kissed every inch of her like a map he'd memorized before they ever met.

And when he slid inside her, she forgot the word Ember, the world outside, the shadows that followed him.

All she knew was him. His heat. Their fire.

After, they lay tangled on the floor behind the counter, limbs bare, hearts racing.

And just as sleep threatened to pull her under, he said softly—

Chapter 4: Past Shadows