Bonded

Chapter 22

Greyson entered his apartment just as the final rays of the sun faded from the sky. He carried Rebecca into his bedroom and laid her in the middle of his bed before slipping in next to her. The change in position was enough to wake Rebecca from unconsciousness.

"Grey?" The room was dark.

"Shhhh, it's alright. You're alright." Greyson tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

Rebecca tried to concentrate on Greyson's face, but she was so tired everything kept slipping in and out of focus.

"Greys, it's so quiet." Something was different. Something had happened. She couldn't quite remember what. She could barely hold onto a single thought for more than a fraction of a second.

"I know, my love." He wasn't sure what she meant but didn't think she was up to explaining right now. Greyson laid on his side and stared down at his mate. She looked completely relaxed. Whatever Imara had done earlier seemed to calm her down from whatever it was that happened on the plane. Before he was aware that he made the decision to kiss her, his lips were on hers. His body leaned into hers. His hand slid over her hip and settled on the small of her back. He used the position to pull her closer to him. He poured all his love into the kiss and he felt her respond in his arms. She kissed him back with equal passion. He missed her. He missed this. He missed the smell of her, the taste of her, the feel of her skin. He missed everything about her. He wasn't sure how he survived the last six months without her. She really was his world. The fact that she was sick now and it was entirely his fault was a shame he was going to have to live with for the rest of his life. He would work every single day for the rest of his life to make it up to her. Maybe, in time she would forgive him. He didn't think he would ever be able to forgive himself.

Before he let himself get too carried away, Greyson broke the kiss. Rebecca blinked up at him. Her green eyes were clouded with sleep.

"How about we get you into something more comfortable?" He scooted himself off the bed. Once his feet were on the floor, he took one of Rebecca's hands in each of his to help her up to a sitting position. She moved to him without complaint. She felt warm, safe, and loved. She was still having trouble holding onto her thoughts, but for some reason, it didn't seem to bother her. It seemed right to be here. To be with Greyson. She wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet. Mostly, she wanted to enjoy him. She had missed him. He pulled her to the side of the bed, her feet dangling down the side of the mattress. Greyson placed her left hand in her lap, before bringing her right hand up his lips. He gently kissed her knuckles. He turned her hand over and kissed the pad of each finger and her palm before unbuttoning the cuff of her blouse. He returned her hand to her lap, before he repeated the process with her left hand. Having completed that task, Greyson brushed a hair from her forehead. Rebecca closed her eyes at the feeling of his skin against hers. Greyson placed a loving kiss on her forehead before sliding his hand up her arm and around her shoulder to the back of her neck. He fumbled for a few moments with the small, delicate button there. Once he freed the button, reached down to untuck the blouse from her skirt. Feeling the silk of her blouse slide against her skin, Rebecca placed a hand on Greyson's to stop him.

"Grey..." She was suddenly very shy in front of him.

He leaned down and put his lips next to her ear. His five o'clock shadow gently grazed her cheek.

"It's nothing I haven't seen, touched and tasted before." She could hear the smile in his voice. He enjoyed her sudden shyness. A blush bloomed across Rebecca's cheeks, but she removed her hand from his, freeing him to continue. Greyson lifted her shirt up and over her head before laying it on the bed. He pulled Rebecca off the bed to stand in front of him. Embarrassed, she buried her face into his chest. Smiling at her behavior, Greyson grabbed her hips and pulled her body flush against his. His hand followed the natural curve of her hips around to the small of her back. Carefully, he undid the clasp and gently tugged down the zipper of her skirt. With one hand on each hip, he carefully separated their bodies to let the skirt fall to the floor.

Rebecca kept her eyes trained on the floor. She still couldn't think straight. A warm fog had completely covered her brain and she couldn't think through it. Being here with Greyson, feeling his hands on her skin felt right. It felt natural, but there was something she was missing. Something she couldn't remember. Something important, she just needed to remember. She just needed the fog to clear for long enough for her to think straight.

Her search for answers was interrupted by Greyson tilting her chin up to look at him.

"I've missed you." He couldn't help but smile at the bright blush that colored her cheeks.

He pulled the black t-shirt he was wearing up and over his head before he slipped it over her smaller frame. Rebecca automatically pushed her arms through the holes and settled the cotton fabric over her body. The shirt brought with it Greyson's smell. It filled her lungs and had her eyes closing in contentment.

"Mmmmm, it smells like you."

Greyson smiled at her comment. "I know. Being surrounded by my scent should help you sleep. Now, let's get you back into bed."

He could tell she was barely awake. She probably thought she was dreaming. He guided her back to the bed and let her climb in. Before joining her, he stripped off his jeans and replaced them with a pair of basketball shorts. He decided to remain topless so that there was plenty of his exposed skin to make contact with Rebecca. He crawled into the bed and Rebecca curled herself up on his chest. Her fingers traced over the tattoo that she hadn't noticed before. She let the sound of his heart beating and the soft rush of air as he breathed in and out take over her senses. If the fog wouldn't let her think she would surrender to it. She would float in it. She would wrap herself in its warmth and drift along. It wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep.

Greyson loved feeling the weight of his mate on his chest. Her head rested over his heart and her dainty hand laid on his stomach. He wished he could simply enjoy the feeling. He wished that their reunion wasn't spoiled by illness and mystery. He still wasn't sure exactly what happened in the hangar with Imara. As hard as he tried over the last ten years to fit in, to become a real part of the pack, he would always be an outsider. There would always be terms, rituals, moments in history that he didn't know. He would always be the one to ask for clarification. The one that needs things spelled out for him. Normally, he just accepted this as the way it was. He accepted that he would always be the student with a wide array of teachers. The feeling of being an interloper wouldn't bother him so much this time if it wasn't for the woman in his arms. If he was ignorant of some fact or law, he would accept the consequences, but if his ignorance brought harm to his mate? That is something that he could not allow. He needed to talk to Imara. He needed answers. He couldn't leave Rebecca for long enough to go make himself a cup of coffee, let alone convince Imara to see him and explain. The entire situation was beginning to piss him off.

"Greyson, you're thinking too loud."

The sound of her voice startled him out of his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Kama-Love, I thought you had fallen asleep."

"I was, but you weren't." Her voice was thick with sleep.

Greyson nudged her slightly so she would roll on to her opposite side. He curled around her, spooning her. He smiled at having her in his arms again. The fact that her satin covered ass was nestled in his crotch, was only slightly distracting. He was far more worried about making sure that she felt safe and protected in his arms.

"How about we both get some sleep?" He pulled her as close to him as possible before they both slipped off to sleep.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>