Wanderlust Read online

  The rules of our race were simple. Explore at will, don’t interfere with the progress or history of a planet, and don’t kill. If a Wanderer broke any of these rules he or she would be hunted, captured, and brought before the powers that be to be tried and stripped of their ability to travel.

  Just the thought of being forced to stay in one place made me feel ill. I was born to explore. I couldn’t imagine being confined to one certain spot in space and time. Of course, glancing over at Skylar, if I had to be a prisoner somewhere, being trapped with her might be pretty nice.

  “I still need to find a job,” she said, her tongue darting out to lick at her ice cream as we entered the gates to the park. I couldn’t drag my eyes away from her, my imagination immediately fixated on other ideas of what she could do with that tongue.

  “Are you looking for something in particular?” I asked, trying to focus on the conversation.

  “No, not really. I just want something that will work around my school schedule and allow me free time to get plenty of painting done, too. I’m not picky.”

  Suddenly, I wished I could help her out somehow—make things easier on her. But how? It wasn’t like I could drop a basket of golden nuggets at her door. Then an idea totally struck me. “How’d you like to come work for me?” I blurted out.

  She stopped, turning to stare at me. “Doing what? I don’t know anything about being a research analyst.”

  I shrugged. “You could help me carry equipment when I’m out collecting data and enter it into the computer. It’s not that hard, really, and the pay is good. It will help me collect information faster, as well. What do you think?”

  “How much does it pay?”

  Briefly, I tried to analyze what might be a good wage, unsure of what would be the proper pay for something like that. “How about twenty dollars an hour?”

  “What?” She almost dropped her ice cream. “No way! That’s way too much!”

  Apparently I’d overshot. “I don’t think so. You’d be spending a lot of time with me, traveling to different locations. You need to be compensated for your time.”

  Shaking her head, she continued walking. “No, I can’t accept. I feel like you’d be overpaying me.”

  I liked knowing she was stubbornly honest. It meant I could trust her. It made me wonder if I could ever trust her with more. “How about fifteen dollars an hour, then?”

  “That still seems like a lot.”

  “Well, I’m the boss, so I get to choose. Take it or leave it. I can always hire someone else.” I added that last part just to goad her a bit.

  “I’ll take it,” she said with a smile, practically skipping toward a large fountain. “I’m so excited. I have a job now! Thank you so much!”

  “It’s my pleasure,” I replied, really meaning it. I couldn’t imagine anything better than being stuck with her for hours every day.

  “And you’re sure you can work around my classes?” Stopping beside the water, she looked hesitant, waiting for me to answer.

  “Positive. You just give me your schedule and I’ll plan around it.”

  A small squeal escaped her. “You’re so amazing!” Launching herself at me, she caught me off guard, causing me to step backward. The back of my knees hit the edge of the fountain and I lost my balance completely, sending both of us tumbling into the pool around the base.

  Sputtering as I sat up, I quickly grabbed Skylar, allowing her physical aura to flood my senses. “Are you okay?” I asked, searching her face.

  She poked her lip out in a pout. “I lost my ice cream.” Suddenly she burst out laughing and I couldn’t contain my grin.

  “Me, too. Sorry about that.”

  “Well, it was kind of my fault.”

  “That’s true.” I carefully extracted myself from her and stood, offering her my hand. “My house is on the next street over. What do you say to coming home with me? We can both clean up and I’ll dry your clothes. Maybe we can stream one of those movies you told me about while we wait. Unless you’d rather go home? I can walk you there, too.”

  There wasn’t a moment of hesitation. “I’m not ready for this night to be over, yet,” she replied. “I’m having fun.”

  “So, my place?” I grinned and she nodded.

  “Your place.”

  Stars above, if her words didn’t excite me to an all new level. She might not have been ready for the night to be over, but I simply hoped to survive it without pouncing on her. I wasn’t exactly sure what it was about her, but I liked her. I wanted her. And I intended to have her as soon as I possibly could, without scaring her away.

  I had a feeling we would be combustible together.

  Chapter Seven

  Skylar

  I didn’t know what I had expected, walking in behind him as we entered his apartment, but my first thought was that he definitely needed a little more color. Not that the black and white color scheme wasn’t awesome. In fact, it seemed to complement the bachelor pad feel. It simply made me want to paint him something as a surprise—something to add a little explosion of life amongst all the electronic gadgets he’d acquired.

  “It’s not much, but it’s home,” Ryder said, grinning as he closed the door behind me. “I’d give you a tour, but judging by the way you’re shivering, I’d say getting you out of those clothes is a greater priority.”

  Following behind him in silence, I didn’t want to add that when he made comments like that, innocent or not, my insides heated to where I didn’t feel cold at all.

  It also didn’t help when he flicked on the light, revealing the large king size bed in the center of his bedroom. While I wasn’t the girl who just threw herself at any guy, my mind was definitely wondering what it would be like to sprawl across the top, embraced in his arms while he kissed me.

  Kissing him was becoming more and more appealing as the night progressed. As much as it terrified me—the fear that he’d find me lacking or that I might have bad breath—my desire to feel his lips on mine was greater. It was the driving force behind my agreeing to come back to his place.

  “Excuse the mess,” he murmured, snatching a shirt and tossing it in the clothes hamper by his closet. “Clearly I wasn’t anticipating having a girl over.” I chuckled, loving the way the tips of his ears reddened.

  “You’re fine. You’ve seen my room and I haven’t even unpacked.”

  “Oh yeah, I kinda kidnapped you, didn’t I?”

  Smiling, I cast him a sidelong glance before looking about the room, taking in every detail. “Hey, you won’t hear any complaints from me. If you ask me, this has been the perfect evening.”

  His voice came from inside the walk-in closet. “Even with falling into the fountain? Trust me, that wasn’t one of my most suave moves.” Ryder’s hands were filled with clean clothes when he emerged. “I’m not sure whether these will fit you, but it’s better than nothing, right?”

  Eyeing the t-shirt and pajama bottoms, I hugged them to me without thinking. “Should I change in here?” I asked, biting on my bottom lip. While I wasn’t dripping water anymore, there was something decadent about getting naked where he slept.

  “You can. Or in the bathroom. That might be better so you can use the hair dryer.” He tugged gently on a strand of my damp hair. “I love the way you wore it, tonight. It’s a shame I messed up all your hard work.”

  My mouth dried and I swallowed nervously. It was insane the way he affected me. “Then you’re easily impressed.” I laughed, taking a step backward. With his fingers at my elbow, he walked me through his apartment to the bathroom. “I promise not to take too long.”

  “Take all the time you need. I’ll be out here whenever you’re ready,” he answered, pointing over his shoulder toward the living room.

  Escaping inside, I rested against the door, needing a moment to catch my breath. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this happening to me. As cliché as it sounded, Ryder had definitely turned out to be more than the knight-in-shining-armor I’d s
ilently dubbed him to be.

  The knock at the door made me jump, my heart racing inside my chest as I squeaked in surprise. “Hey, what was that movie, again?”

  “Ummm, there were two. Star Wars or Star Trek.” Quickly stripping out of my clothes, I grabbed the nearest towel to wipe up the residual moisture.

  There was a brief pause. “How do you feel about watching them both?”

  His comment made me burst into laughter. Holding the towel over my chest, I stuck my head out from the bathroom. Ryder obviously wasn’t expecting to see me, his eyes widening before lowering. Clutching the towel tighter, I grinned. “You really don’t know anything about them, do you? There are six movies with Star Wars and with Star Trek, you not only have the old movies and the new movies, but also T.V. episodes from the original and The Next Generation. We’d be here forever if you wanted to watch them all at once.”

  “I don’t have a problem with that.” There it was again—that flash of heated desire I’d seen throughout the evening.

  “Me, neither,” I whispered, brave enough to admit the truth out loud. As far as I was concerned, I didn’t want this night to end. “But, since we need to start somewhere, I’d say . . . Star Wars, first.”

  His gaze seemed to bore into me. “Perfect.”

  I didn’t wait. Closing the door, I quickly rubbed my hair, doing the best I could to dry it before slipping on his clothes. They were huge on me, drowning my small frame, but I didn’t care. Lifting the shirt to my nose, I inhaled deeply. I now smelled like him.

  Ryder rested against the back of his leather couch, his arms folded across his bare chest. He looked comfortable as he waited, the blue plaid pajama pants riding low on his hips. One look at the way his muscles flexed as he pushed himself up and approached me confirmed everything.

  It was positively a sin for him to ever wear a stich of clothing. Ever. His skin was flawless and tanned, and inwardly I thanked God for falling into the fountain.

  “You okay?” he asked, stalking toward me with all the grace of a lion zeroing in on its kill. Stalking was the only way to describe the way he moved—a sudden flutter filled my stomach more from exhilaration than fear. I was in no danger here, other than what would happen if we both acted on the sexual chemistry naturally building between us.

  “Yeah, I just have one problem.” All humor drained from his face as concern replaced it. Seeing he’d misunderstood me, I quickly added. “See.” Letting go of the bunched waistband of the pants I borrowed, they instantly dropped, pooling at my feet. “I’m thinking this is as good as it gets.”

  I reveled in the way he seemed to devour the sight of me standing there in his plain black shirt—the hem grazing just above my knee.

  “Somehow I’m sure I’ll manage,” he admitted, reaching out to touch me. An emotion flashed across his face that I couldn’t quite read; but whatever it was, it pulled him up short. Instead, Ryder gestured for me to join him in the living room. He did curl his arm around my waist, however. “You look beautiful,” he murmured into my ear.

  “Thank you.” I blushed, taking a seat. A groan escaped as I sank into the soft leather. If I never got up again, I’d be perfectly content. As he plunked down beside me, I couldn’t keep from smiling. This night just kept getting better and better.

  “I love the way your skin flushes when I say certain things. Makes talking with you interesting.” He chuckled.

  “How about we see if Star Wars is available for instant streaming, huh?” I fired back, leaning to grab the remote control resting on the glass-top coffee table.

  “I also like the way you evade certain topics. Something tells me you’re not used to being complimented.”

  “Not really,” I admitted. What I also wanted to add was that I wasn’t blushing because I was embarrassed. My skin heated because I liked them—greatly.

  With a serious expression, Ryder gently tipped my head with his finger beneath my chin. “Skylar, I know we’ve only just met, but you can trust me when I say I find you incredibly beautiful and tonight has been one of the best I’ve ever had. And that’s saying a lot. While I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, I’m not going to hide how I feel. You are extraordinary.”

  I didn’t know where it came from, only that the second the impulse struck, I acted on it. Holding his gaze, I leaned in, my lips connecting with his. My boldness surprised him, our mouths ever so slightly pressed together before I pulled back.

  The air around us stilled, the sound of my heart thudding loudly in my ears as I released the breath I’d been holding. “Sorry,” I softly uttered. “I couldn’t resist.”

  “Then I hope you forgive me, as well.” The tension between us was practically palpable.

  “For what?” I didn’t move a muscle, our faces still close enough that I could feel his subtle exhale across my skin.

  “This.” Cradling my cheek in his hand, his fingers threading through my loose hair, Ryder pulled me in for a kiss that would forever etch itself into my memory. It was one that melted my insides, scorching the blissful sensations deep within me.

  This first kiss completely obliterated every single one that preceded it. As I parted my lips, Ryder’s tongue touched mine, and I knew this was the beginning of something much, much bigger than anything I’d ever experienced. There would be no going back.

  Something awakened in me, that part of me that embraced risks. Whatever Ryder and I had just started might crash and burn tomorrow, but for tonight—for however long this lasted—I would savor this. As Ryder deepened the kiss, I took his response as a sign he agreed.

  Carefully maneuvering our bodies, Ryder lowered me back across the couch before stretching out over me. There were no words exchanged. He looked down at me as though he couldn’t believe I was real; and I wanted to tell him I felt the same. When my shirt hitched up, revealing more of my thigh, it was tempting to fix it, but I didn’t.

  Breathing almost seemed too dangerous right now, as I waited for what was coming next. The anticipation was building and I worried that with one wrong move, the spell would be broken.

  Ryder wasn’t afraid, though, his cocky grin curling the edges of his mouth as he feathered a soft kiss over my cheek. “I suddenly don’t feel like watching a movie. How about you?”

  My fingers clutched at his hips, like somehow they’d stop me from toppling over a deep precipice. “What movie?” I whispered back.

  His pop culture education could wait. As the first flicker of heat took over, his lips claimed mine, and my only thought was despite being safely cocooned in his arms, Ryder was about to show me the stars.

  Chapter Eight

  Ryder

  Soft. Her body felt so soft and pliant beneath mine as her lips parted, allowing my tongue to dip inside and stroke alongside hers, mimicking the motion of what I wanted to do when I penetrated the lower half of her body.

  I hadn’t intended for things to move this quickly with her, but she beckoned to me like the Sirens of Gault. It was as if I was bewitched, unable to control my own reactions to her.

  I didn’t want to control them. I wanted to lose myself inside her, over and over again—give it to her until there was nothing left to give. She made me burn with crazy need—a need like no other, and I wanted to explore every inch of her and find out why. And when I did find out why, I wanted to explore every inch of her, again.

  Fingertips slipped under the edge of my waistband, and her nails bit into my skin, eliciting a moan from me as I pressed my shaft against the apex of her legs, wishing our clothing could just disappear. A battle was raging inside myself, one part of me demanding to take her hard and fast, the other insisting that I go painfully slow and discover every part of her, bit by delicious bit.

  Being a Wanderer, I knew I’d give into the slower compulsion. It was in my nature to research slowly, learning everything I could about my subject. It patiently filled my thirst for knowledge. And when it came to Skylar, I wanted to know everything. She’d be given my complete and und
ivided attention. Sex was something I knew very well—it was the true universal language.

  Slipping lower, I kissed her chin briefly on my way to the sensitive skin of her throat, trailing my tongue lightly over it and smiling inwardly as her flesh prickled. Whatever this was between us, she felt it just as strongly as I did.

  Sliding my hand beneath the shirt of mine she was wearing, I let my hand drift to her bare breast, cupping its full round weight before teasing the nipple. It only took one touch for me to know they were completely real, not enhanced in any way.

  Humans weren’t the only race to practice body modification. I’d seen several cultures that deeply embraced it. In fact, many races were much more liberal in their implantations, completely changing their physical appearances.

  But not Skylar. She was the perfect, unadulterated specimen. Even down to her lovely red hair, she was all natural. I liked knowing she hadn’t tampered with her appearance, just to please others.

  She moaned and I pushed away from her, kneeling between her legs. “I want to take your shirt off,” I said, my voice husky with desire. Grabbing her hand, I pulled her into a sitting position and she lifted her arms, allowing me to remove it.

  In my haste to undress her, I hadn’t realized this one move would leave her completely naked—her underwear in the dryer with the rest of her clothing as well as the pants, which had fallen off earlier. Now, here she was, completely revealed to me in the soft light.

  She was gorgeous. Stunning. Perfect. I slowly guided her to lie back, but I didn’t follow. I couldn’t cover her up. Not yet. I needed to touch her, first.

  Slowly, I began stroking my fingers over her skin, caressing across every dip and valley. I dipped my fingertip into the hollow of her throat, ran my hands across the valley of her breasts, molding them before moving to her waist as I traveled toward the slight flare of her hips.