Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

R eed woke up in a bed he didn't recognize with the most delicious scent filling his nose. He rubbed his cheek against whatever it was he lay on, and the scent intensified, making him moan happily.

Of course that was when two needs made themselves known. His belly rumbled, hunger gnawing at him. He'd had a lot of exercise last night.

And he had to pee.

A big hand slid down his back to land on his ass. "Mmm. The bathroom is just through there."

"Thank you." He dropped a kiss on Tyler's chin. Reed couldn't believe he was here. This was his life right now, being with this amazing bear.

"You have the perfect ass, little bear."

He blushed, and he would have bounced if he hadn't had to pee so bad.

So he hopped up instead, letting himself sway on the way. Not enough to make things get worse…

Tyler's warm chuckle slid up and down his spine, and he could feel the admiration in Tyler's gaze, he thought. The hum between them was so obvious, so clear. He'd heard of such things but had never experienced it.

He did his business, and then he washed up, smoothing his wild hair.

Should he brush his teeth with his finger? Maybe he would. How awkward. That was the worst thing about not planning to spend the night…

"There are extra toothbrushes in a caddy under the sink. They think of everything around here."

Was it weird that Tyler seemed to know what he was thinking? Maybe he was just obvious or he'd been in there long enough to make Tyler think he was looking.

Or maybe Tyler was that into him, that focused. That much his. It could happen.

He hugged himself, then bent to grab a toothbrush. The minty toothpaste was definitely Tyler's. He shook his ass while he brushed, then glanced in the mirror to see Tyler watching him, a soft smile in his sleepy eyes.

As soon as he was finished, he dove back into the bed, snuggling in Tyler's arms as they both slid under the sheets.

"Feel better, sweet one?"

"I do." He tilted his head, begging a kiss.

Tyler gave it to him, tongue tangling with his and somehow managing not to taste like morning. Then again, that could just be the toothpaste.

It didn't matter. It was his, and he craved it.

"Oh, I like waking up with you."

"I feel the same way. I might have dreamed it a few times since we met. This is even better than my dreams."

Reed flushed with pleasure. "You? You dreamed about me?"

"Mmmhmm. Eating honeybuns. Trust me. It was good." Tyler's grin made his cheeks heat even more.

"Oh, you made my cheeks hot, and I wanted to— It was good I had to go to work or I'd have embarrassed himself."

"No. Nothing to be embarrassed about. I wanted you. I want you again." Tyler kissed him, and he relaxed. It was impossible to stay tense when someone said things like that. Tyler's admiration was like a balm to his soul, and Reed reveled in it a little. A lot.

He rested against Tyler's cheek, listening to the big bear breathe. "Tell me about your home?"

He wanted to be able to imagine it.

"It's way up in the mountains. Started out as an A-frame, and I built on. You'd love the hot tub."

"A hot tub? Neat!" He lived in an efficiency apartment close to work. He couldn't take Tyler there. "Do you have a fireplace?"

"I do. I have two plus a wood stove in the sunroom. My cousin Shane is handy."

"That's amazing. My folks' house has a huge hearth. They love it."

"Do they? Tell me about them." Tyler cradled him close.

"My mom loves to cook and work in her little greenhouse. Dad is a forest ranger, and he is totally well-suited to it."

"That sounds great. My folks travel a lot. They're having fun these days. And they have a cabin up by me where they literally hibernate part of the winter."

"Wow. I've never been able to do that. It sounds kind of fun." The idea of snuggling up with Tyler and sleeping the days away sounded amazing. And bears lost weight during hibernation, so he could just lie there and get skinnier.

Maybe that was why he was so fat. Maybe James would give him time off to be svelte.

He giggled, and Tyler smiled at him. "I like that sound. It's happy and good."

Yeah, that didn't surprise him; he'd never been happier.

Tyler bent to kiss his smile. Nothing hard or heavy. Just a sweet touch of lips on lips.

They breathed together, nice and slow.

It was a little like hibernating had to be. Soft. Sweet. Relaxing.

One day he'd remember how to do this again.

"Shhh. Stop thinking so much and breathe with me." Tyler just held him close and stroked his skin, a deep hum coming from his chest. Not a purr. Nothing so feline as that. But a soothing sound that made his eyelids heavy and his head droop.

It was the best type of magic, like pulling on a warm cloak in the dead of winter.

"That's it," Tyler whispered. "We still have plenty of time to be together and not worry about the world for a little while."

"Okay." He could agree with that. It wasn't true, because his boss would kill him, but it was a fine thing to feel.

Tyler pinched his butt. "No thinking."

He jumped, holding onto Tyler's shoulders. "Okay, okay! What should we do then?"

"Breathe. In and out. This is important—to be still together."

"It is?" He hadn't heard that, but he was willing to believe it. Tyler seemed to have this firm belief.

"Yes. This quietness inside us is special."

"Deep, like a frozen river."

"Exactly. But not completely still. Not at all. It's growing all the time." Tyler beamed at him, obviously pleased. "You get it. Perfect. I love that you understand."

He wasn't the person that immediately understood these sorts of things though.

Tyler made it seem easy. It was as if he heard the man thinking sometimes. They were connected. He had no doubt.

Too bad sometime soon Tyler would go back to Colorado and he would go back to climbing the ladder at the agency, and…

Stop it. Breathe. Here and now. Tyler deserved that.

"That's good." Tyler shared breath with him again, nose against his. Those big hands held his hips loosely, and he settled, not feeling the need to wiggle or move restlessly. It was a wonderful sensation. Reed loved it.

He could get used to it in fact, and he refused to think of the implications of that. He just let the thought go after he noted it. Like yoga.

Tyler's eyes were huge, deep, holding him like nothing else ever had. Was this it? His mate? His own bear?

He had no idea. What on earth would he do if Tyler was?

He'd cope. He wanted this. Right here, right now.

Tyler hummed as if he'd heard that, and pulled him closer.

"Oh, bear. Thank you." He felt so right.

"I love being here with you, sweet. I really do."

And Tyler was right. They might not have all the time in the world, but they had enough this weekend to really enjoy each other.

He pressed their foreheads together, staring into Tyler's eyes, and he sank in deep, falling so hard.

He had a feeling Tyler would be there to catch him.