Page 11 of ReBOrB

Reb refused to think about what would happen to Cammy if something kept him from returning to her. For some reason, that thought made the links still. The throbbing and constant vibration stopped. As if the bands realized their motion could put him in danger.

Taking another deep breath of Cammy’s sweet, addictive scent, Reb tried to decide if the mating links’ actions were interesting… or creepy?

He didn’t worry about it for long. Instead, he tumbled into sleep.

Chapter Seven

ReBOrB

He woke to moonlight, and a warm body pressed into his side. Reb closed his eyes and pulled that body closer. Cuddling her against him, the deep breath of her sweet, floral…

Reb stilled. His eyes flew open, and he looked down to find Cameron. She buried her face in his chest, her bare arm snugged at his waist. Holding tight. Thank all the gods that he’d kept the robe on last night. The material covered his body so the bands couldn’t reach her.

Cameron had kicked off the robe she used as a blanket. Besides having her arm around his waist, she also had one… very bare leg tossed over the inside of his thigh. It pressed him into the mattress. Holding his body captive.

But it wasn’t all Cammy’s fault. He had wrapped an arm around her waist. The robe had ridden up his body during the night and his upper leg was now draped over the lower third of her body. His pants kept her flesh from touching his. But he had her well and truly trapped against him.

She didn’t seem to mind.

Waking up like this was heaven and hell. He couldn’t touch her. Shouldn’t touch her. No matter how much he yearned to claim her as his mate, he couldn’t do it yet. She’d been injured—and the pain her sister went through when his brother’s mating bands claimed his woman—might be too much for Cammy. He couldn’t take that risk.

Reb didn’t have any pain medicine. Or the help of the Father and all his brothers. They were alone on this section of the planet, without many resources. The fear inside him grew.

Very slowly, Reb inched his way out of her arms. He slid to the edge of the mattress and then stood. The temperature had dropped during the night. Which is probably why the female had snuggled so close. She sought his body heat.

Even he didn’t believe those thoughts. Carefully, he covered her with her robe and the thin blanket. He looked down at her, wondering if she was warm enough. When she tightened her hold on her coverings, Reb quickly pulled his robe over his head and spread it over her. It would be easier for him to move without it.

Quickly he put on his shoes, checked the monitor to ensure there was no humanoid presence near the hover, and then opened the weapons closet beside the door. He chose a small stun gun. Something powerful enough to protect him from any of the creatures on this planet. He also removed two small knives. One he left on the floor, just inside the hover door. The other he took with him.

Reb closed the hover behind him. He placed rocks on the ground in a pattern that would ensure he found the hover again and knew exactly where to stand and how to place his hand on the plate that would grant him access.

He planned a trial run to the yama fields. Wanting to get fruit to leave for Cammy as he promised before they slept. Just in case she woke before he returned.

As he started toward the field, he paid attention to his surroundings. The larger moon reflected enough light from Viant’s sun that he could see more detail. Everything was still colored in shades of gray, but the trees weren’t just shadowed blobs. He could make out the branches and even the shape of the leaves.

Within moments he reached the yama vines and picked two handfuls of fruit. Then turned and made it back to the hover without any issues. Easily opening the door, he put the fruit beside the knife he’d left on the floor and moved toward the bed.

Cammy remained asleep.

Reb watched her for a moment, filling his lungs with her scent, and his mind with the picture of her in this bed. “I’ll be back soon,” he whispered. The promise was more for himself than it was for Cammy. He needed to program her handprint into the hover’s security. Until he returned, she was a prisoner.

Spinning around, he left the ship and silently shut the door.

Cameron

The bright sunlight forced Cammy to open her eyes.

Buried in a mound of robes and a thin blanket, she was still cold. She pushed her hand across the mattress and it was freezing. Which told her that Reb had left their bed quite a while ago.

Their bed.

Pressing her lips together, Cammy still couldn’t suppress the smile. At some point last night, she woke up thirsty and realized that she and Reb had wrapped their limbs around each other. Their body tangled together, each of them holding tight.

And she’d loved every second.

Cam had stayed awake as long as she could. She ignored her thirst and concentrated on the man in her arms. He made her feel good. Safe. Cared for. He didn’t seem to mind her bald head. And just looking at him caused her pulse to trip. Reb was so very handsome. Even with the robe covering his muscular body. She remembered what it looked like when he showed up at the hospital. All that light blue skin and dark hair.

She told herself that she didn’t want to get involved. But her body had other ideas.

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