Grayson

Chapter Nine

A few hours later Callie and Grayson found themselves alone in Grayson's hotel room. The sun was setting and the lamps they had lighted cast a glow in the room and cast shadows on the walls. Instead of the romance that most newly reunited couples would be enjoying Callie and Grayson were standing toe to toe having a battle of wills and Grayson was quickly losing.

"You need rest!" Callie said putting her finger in his chest.

"I am fine, Callie." Grayson replied though he really wasn't. He was in a hell of a lot of pain and he was feeling a lot of guilt over leaving Callie alone after hearing from her friends about all the hell she'd been through the last five years.

"No you're not! You almost bled to death yesterday, Gray, and you need to rest." Grayson sighed. "Now get in that bed and get some sleep."

"Do you realize that you are the only person in the world that I have ever let boss me around?" he asked as he stretched his long frame down on the too short bed. Callie laughed when she saw that his booted feet hung several inches off the end.

She walked over and pulled his boots off earning a deep rumbling chuckle from him as he looked at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked. She sat his boots at the foot of the bed.

"I am making sure you're comfortable." she replied. Grayson held his left arm out and motioned for her to come to him.

"I'd be more comfortable if you would lay down here with me." he said cursing at the way his heart was beating out of his chest at the thought of her in his bed. He had been dreaming for as long as he could remember of holding her in his arms. Making love to her and falling asleep with her head on his chest. He knew the making love part wasn't going to happen tonight since he was in so much pain he could barely move but he could hold her in his arms and he could fall asleep with her head on his chest.

"Gray…" she whispered uncertainly and she saw that familiar grin that made his handsome face look boyish and the familiar rise of his amused left eyebrow.

"I just want to hold you while I sleep, Callie." he assured her. Callie bit her lip and Grayson's eyes were immediately drawn to her perfect white teeth pressing against her plump pink bottom lip. Callie felt like her body was on fire as she blew out the lamps in the room, pulled off her boots and climbed into the bed.

Her heart had never beaten as fast as it was currently beating as she stretched out on her side and pressed herself against him, laying her head on his chest. She heard the familiar sound of his heartbeat. She knew its rhythms and beats because she had listened to it the whole time he'd been unconscious at the docs.

Grayson wrapped his arm around her and traced patterns on her arm with his fingers. Holding her in his arms like this felt better than he had ever imagined it would. It was almost enough to make him forget about the pain in his shoulder.

"Gray, didn't doc Mason give you anything for pain?" Callie asked gently.

"I'm not in pain." Grayson lied and he could practically 'hear' her eyes rolling.

"Yes you are." she countered and she felt his chest vibrate as he chuckled. "Didn't he give you anything?"

"He offered but I refused." Grayson replied moving his hand up to her light blond hair and wrapping it around his fingers. It felt like silk against the roughness of his hand.

"Why would you…." Callie stopped talking when the answer to her question popped into her mind. She knew why he had refused the laudanum.

"You fool headed stubborn man." she scolded, raising up on her elbow so she could look at his face. "You refused it because of me didn't you?" Grayson refused to meet her gaze as he laid there and remained silent giving Callie all the answer she needed.