Unclaimed

Chapter Thirty

I chugged the rest of my beer as I stood. "Thanks, George. This big brother thing might just work for me." I skirted the crowd and slipped through the back door. I listened for a second as I took my shoes off, trying to locate where Grady was in the house. He could hear me wherever I was. He'd said he was tuned in to me, like he found my frequency on the radio dial. Maybe if I listened hard enough I could - Gotcha. Whoa! That worked.

I tried to tiptoe to the office so I wouldn't disturb what he was doing, but if he could really hear me as well as I'd just heard him, he would've heard me the second I walked into the house. I stood outside the door to his office, trying to use all of my senses to see what else I could perceive of him from a distance.

The first thing I got was his scent. I could almost see the wafts of sandalwood sneaking under the doors. I inhaled him deep into my chest, and then I felt the tug in the bottom of my belly that told me to run to him. I fought the urge, and then I felt him under my skin. He was blanketed in stress, so when I reached out through the connection to him, I was too. I closed my eyes and listened. His heart was beating a little faster than normal.

I couldn't resist the draw of him anymore, and pushed the door open just enough I could poke my head in.

"Hey!" he whispered as a smile broke through the stress on his face. "I thought they'd keep you distracted a little longer."

I stepped in and pushed the door shut behind me. With my back to it, I twisted the lock and stepped closer. "I couldn't talk to Peter, so we came back."

Concern worked its way across his face. "Why couldn't you? What happened?"

I perched on the edge of his desk. "I'm not sure. We got there and I just felt like I shouldn't. So we turned around."

He left his seat to stand in front of me and put his hands on my hips. "Did you at least enjoy the party?"

"I had four beers, spent the last couple hours talking with George." I watched him closely for a reaction. I wasn't sure I should tell him what he'd told me. I was still trying to listen in to his body and see if I could do with him what he could do with me.

One of his eyebrows raised slightly. He was curious, amused maybe. "Just George?"

"Yeah. They kept talking about being my brothers and George seemed to be the most aloof one. I figured I should probably make friends with him first. I think if I get him on my side, the others will follow."

He laughed heartily. "They're already on your side, baby. They've been dying to meet you."

"George said they all used to stay here with you."

He nodded without hesitation, which is the response I was hoping for. "They did. They're staying in a couple other houses for now while you get settled in here. They wouldn't have let us have a moment alone if they'd been here." He pushed a strand of hair behind my ear and rubbed this thumb along my cheekbone. "We have enough trouble as it is."

"That's definitely true!"

His eyes squinted for just long enough for me to see it, but not long enough for me to be certain of it. "Something's up with you. What happened?"

"I can do the thing, like you do," I said softly, avoiding his question. "I found your frequency or whatever. I listened for you when I came in and I could hear you in here, just breathing. I can do it now."

"That's good! So now tell me what happened."

My heart skipped a beat, and I knew he noticed it because I heard his repeat it. "George told me some things, but I'm not sure they make sense. I made him tell me. I promised to keep him out of trouble." I begged him with my eyes to agree he wouldn't hurt George for telling me.