Wanderlust Read online

  Her pulse rate skyrocketed; beating out in a staccato so strong I could see it pulsating beneath the surface. Desire flooded through her, hard and fast, racing in trails beneath my touch, and I knew exactly where that heat was pooling, preparing her to receive me into her body.

  My fingers followed that path, pausing at the small manicured patch of hair at the apex of her thighs. I slipped one finger lower, dipping into that hot well of heat and she groaned.

  “I love that you’re already wet and ready for me. You know I want to be right here, don’t you? I want to lose myself inside you.”

  Nodding, she swallowed hard. “I want that, too,” she whispered, her words barely audible.

  “But first, I’m going to kiss, lick, and suck on every single part of your beautiful body.” Immediately I bent over her, determined to follow through on my promise. Kissing her mouth once more, I slipped my lips to the side trailing them over her cheek, dipping to her ear, slightly nipping her earlobe. Traveling over her neck, I placed soft kisses against her warm skin, continuing my downward path until I reached her breasts.

  Moaning, she arched beneath me as I took her into my mouth, tasting her there. My blood roared and I was hyperaware of the intense throbbing of my own body. I wished, in that moment, I could release my true essence, letting her skin absorb the power that lay inside me; but I knew I couldn’t. It would reveal my secret—not to mention it would send her sensory levels into overload. I could, however, let some of it go into her during orgasm, when heightened sensations from both our bodies would help to mask some of the effects. It would give me the opportunity to touch her soul—to make love to her in the most intimate of ways.

  If I were lucky, maybe someday, in the future, I’d be able to work up to a place where I could give her everything. Until then, I’d just have to be satisfied with a mostly physical mating.

  Skylar’s fingers dug into my shoulders and she moaned, again, and I switched from one breast to the other, continuing my lavish treatment. I slid my hand lower, over her hip and down the outside of her thigh, before moving up the inside and sinking a finger into her. She cried out, panting and bucking against me.

  By the stars she was tight, pulsating and squeezing around my finger as I stroked her. I couldn’t even imagine what it would feel like to put my erection in there and be squeezed like that.

  I groaned. Eons of sex and I was going to explode just thinking about it. What was happening to me?

  “Your body is amazing,” I whispered against her skin. “I can’t get enough of it.”

  “I think you’re the amazing one,” she replied shortly.

  I moved lower, dragging my tongue across her abdomen, before shifting my position and licking between her legs.

  “What . . . .” Her voice trailed off as another moan escaped her and her fingers sunk into my hair, tangling. Bucking her hips, her thighs clenched my head.

  “Relax, Skylar.” I pulled away slightly so she could calm down and she released her hold. She looked so beautiful staring down at me, her breasts rising and falling as her chest heaved with each breath, her skin flushed with delicious color. I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to be inside her right now.

  Pushing my pants down, I exposed myself, watching as her eyes went wide.

  “You’re huge,” she said, looking a little panicked. “I don’t think you’re going to fit.”

  I chuckled, leaning over her and pressing the head of my penis to her opening. “It’ll fit. I promise.”

  Her eyes locked with mine. “Please, be gentle. Go slow. This is my first time.”

  Surprise filled me, her words bringing me up short. “What?” My body was trembling with the need for release, but this changed everything.

  “I . . . I’m a virgin. I’ve never done this before.”

  Gritting my teeth, regret flooded through me and I immediately pushed away from her. “I can’t do this.” I pulled my pants back up.

  “Why not?” she asked, her voice trembling and tears welled in her eyes. “I want to.”

  Giving a wry laugh, I dragged a hand through my hair. “Trust me. I want to as well, but we can’t. Your first time should be special.”

  It was an outright lie. I could make right now special for her, but she didn’t understand what she was asking me to do. The rules regarding my race were different. Yes, I could mate with any race I chose; but if I took a virgin, I would be bound to her for the rest of her life. She would be mine, neither of us able to lie with anyone else without causing extreme problems. What if she didn’t want me for that long? What if life took us in different directions? We’d both be miserable. It was for precisely this reason I’d never lain with a virgin before.

  I’d jumped the gun with Skylar, literally, running into her on accident and not having the opportunity to check her out beforehand. I couldn’t mate with her, though. Not without her knowing the truth. It would be unfair. But, the idea of walking away from her made me feel like it would be easier to rip out my own soul and destroy it.

  I didn’t want to lose her—not yet. She spoke to me . . . on more than just a physical level. I wanted to get to know her better. However, I knew one thing for certain. If this was her first real sexual experience, I couldn’t leave her hanging this way.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” I said, lightly running my fingertips over her and sending a small empathic wave of comfort into her. “I’ve screwed this all up. Instead of taking things slow, like I intended, I let things get out of control. I would’ve never done that had I known you were inexperienced.”

  “I don’t mind. Really. I was just as wanton as you were.”

  “And I love your responsiveness; but I’m not going to let your first time be on a couch. We can wait. There are other ways to bring pleasure to each other in the meantime, though.”

  Slipping my fingers inside her once again, I did release some of my extra sensory power. If she was a virgin, she’d have nothing else to compare it to. Immediately, I could sense everything about her and I groaned as she cried out, almost losing myself with the contact. Stroking her quickly, I watched as she arched, her orgasm sending pulsating waves back into me, hitting me harder than I’d ever felt before—and it wasn’t even a fraction of a connection.

  Cursing, I came in my pants as shot after shot pumped from me, matching her waves of pleasure. I retracted my powers, overwhelmed by the connection between us, but continued to stroke until she slowly came back down to earth. Pulling my fingers from her, I stared at her in amazement, knowing I hadn’t even been inside her and she’d just given me the best orgasm of my life.

  “You’re so beautiful,” I panted, bending and placing a kiss against her bare stomach. “Thank you.”

  “For what?” she said breathlessly, laughing slightly. “I had all the fun.”

  Laughing wryly, I placed another kiss against her stomach. “Believe me when I say I had plenty of fun. I’m going to need to take a shower. Care to join me?”

  Standing, I held out my hand to her and she slipped hers in mine. Guiding her in front of me, my eyes travelled over the backside of her gorgeous body, noticing a scar at the base of her spine. I briefly wondered what it was from before my gaze continued downward, resting on her beautiful pert bottom. A billion thoughts were running through my head, but one in particular stood out.

  A virgin—who was still a virgin I might add—had just made me explode like no other female had.

  What the hell was happening?

  Chapter Nine

  Skylar

  The smell of freshly brewed coffee was the first thing that greeted me as I opened my eyes, stretching out in Ryder’s bed. Although the bed sheets were tangled about my torso, I’d slept the deepest I had in ages.

  It had nothing to do with the incredible mattress that seemed to cushion my body perfectly and more with the mind-blowing night I’d spent with Ryder. I’d bury my face into the pillow if I could, remembering the exquisite things he’d done with his mouth
, but that would require moving.

  True to his word, we hadn’t gone all the way together, but he’d definitely explored every inch of me, leaving no patch of skin untouched, kissing everywhere. It was a little daunting that he was so experienced—his sexual prowess still leaving an imprint of tingles across my sensitive flesh—my heart began to race just thinking about it.

  I believed him when he murmured deliriously in my ear that last night had been different for him, more intense, more sensual than any other. I didn’t have anything to measure it against, but that was okay.

  I liked knowing that this was unchartered territory for us both. It made it special. It gave me something to daydream about as I’d already began anticipating what fully giving myself over to him would feel like. If it was anything like the hours we’d spent wrapped in each other’s arms, touching and tasting one another, it might just send me careening into sensation overload. I had barely survived the gift he’d so willingly given me last night.

  That was something that set him apart from other guys I’d dated in the past. Usually, it was all about what they could get, what kind of gratification they could enjoy before moving on to the next conquest.

  Ryder had proven he found pleasure in seeing to mine. That eased any reservations I’d had about moving too fast, making it easier to simply live in the moment while drowning in the hungry kisses and strokes we’d shared.

  Just thinking about it spread a warm flush of desire over my skin. If he wanted to spend the day in bed, I’d have a hard time refusing.

  “Wake up, sleepyhead.” As if he knew I was quietly musing over his extraordinary talents, Ryder’s voice floated in from the other room. “I have enough food in here to feed an army.”

  My stomach growled in response. Making out—and other stuff—with a gorgeous guy definitely did wonders for an appetite. “Coming!” I hollered back.

  Searching around the bedroom floor for something to wear, realization struck me that my clothes were in the dryer and the t-shirt I’d been sporting had been tossed somewhere in the living room after Ryder had peeled it off me. As brazen as I’d felt last night, I wasn’t brave enough to simply walk out to greet him naked. Dragging the sheet from the bed, I quickly wrapped it around me.

  “Ahhh, there you are, beautiful.” Ryder’s smile broke across his face and his eyes lit up at my appearance. “A few seconds more and I was going to see if you needed some incentive.”

  Suddenly I wished I’d been a little slower. I could only imagine what his motivational skills involved. “I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”

  “Next time?” There was no mistaking the hopeful tone in his question.

  “Absolutely. You sure do know how to treat your guests.” My comment was a mixture of awe over the way he’d made my body ache, in a good way, and the impressive spread of food he’d arranged for breakfast.

  “I believe in a very ‘hands on’ approach.” Crossing the room, he gathered me in his arms, burying his head in the crook of my neck, his lips feathering soft kisses there. “If I recall correctly, you approve of my methods, as well.”

  I was tempted to release the knot of my makeshift clothing and drop the sheet to the floor, murmuring that I might need a refresher course because somehow, after sleeping, the details were somewhat murky. “You know you’re amazing,” I teased, instead.

  “True, but it’s always nice hearing it declared. In fact, I’ve made it my new mission to find every possible way to improve said techniques. Think you’d be okay with that?” He playfully bantered back. When he flashed me a mischievous grin, I knew he’d have no problem backing up his words—his promise.

  Suddenly the room became a lot hotter. Regardless of the topic, it seemed our conversations were always ripe with an underlying sexual chemistry that fanned both our desires. “How about we eat first, and play later?” Slipping out of his embrace, my gaze zeroed in on a steaming cup of coffee resting on the bar. “I can’t believe you did all this for me.” Gingerly picking up a cut strawberry, I groaned as the fruit’s tart juice filled my mouth. Ryder moaned behind me, for an entirely different reason.

  “I wanted to make sure your first morning in Arista was perfect,” he admitted, pulling out the counter barstool for me to sit on. “I couldn’t have you chomping on a bowl of cereal, could I?”

  I burst into laughter, earning a curious look from him. “I just realized I’ve moved all this way and I didn’t even spend my first night in my own bed—or even in my own apartment!”

  “Any regrets?”

  Placing another strawberry between my lips, I smiled before taking it into my mouth, quickly chewing and swallowing. “None. It was amazing.” I stammered as I struggled to hold his heated gaze. “You were amazing.” And damned if my face didn’t flush, again.

  “Then I won’t apologize for keeping you here with me. I can honestly say my bed has never looked so good as it did with you in it.”

  One day I might learn to be immune to his compliments, but I doubted it. I choked as I swallowed my next mouthful. “Soooo,” I drawled, keen to change the subject to safer topics. “You mentioned cereal. Want to hear a funny story about yours truly?”

  Handing me an empty plate, Ryder began filling his own with the different breakfast items he’d prepared. “Eat while you tell me.”

  “Well, I used to have an intense love affair with cereal, the sugary the better. If my mom didn’t insist I balance out my meals with healthier, more nutritional foods, my entire diet would’ve consisted of Lucky Charms and Cocoa Pebbles. Even my dad would joke about our family singlehandedly supplying the company’s wages and that maybe he should invest in stock. It wasn’t unusual for anyone to come into my room and find me snacking on it. Dry, or with milk, cereal and I were in it together for the long haul.” Taking a knife, I quickly cut a bagel in half, liberally spreading some cream cheese on one of the pieces.

  “Something tells me you don’t feel the same way anymore.” Ryder chuckled, pointing to the unopened box of Fruit Loops.

  “I blame zombies,” I declared, sadly shaking my head.

  That surprised him. “Zombies?”

  “Yep, one moment I was enjoying a bowl of yummy chocolaty goodness while watching a zombie movie and next, all I could think was how the mushed texture against my tongue could be what brains felt like to eat.” I smiled innocently as my response made him choke on his mouthful. “Needless to say, I was heartbroken. That was the day cereal and I broke up. It was tragic. In fact, just the sight of that box makes me teary.” I couldn’t help but wink as I pretended to brush away a fake tear. “So, there you have it. I guess it’s not as funny as I thought.” With a deadpan expression, I managed to last a few seconds before erupting into a fit of laughter.

  “You’re serious, aren’t you?” Ryder asked, wide eyed, his body shaking slightly as he joined in.

  “Deadly. I don’t know about you, but human brains aren’t exactly high on my list of things to eat. Sure, they might be rich in vitamins, or protein, or whatever.” I shrugged as I took another bite from my bagel. “But the squick factor is too great.”

  “Squick factor?”

  “Yeah, the squick factor. It’s the reaction you have to something that completely grosses you out. It makes you inwardly cringe and openly gag, no matter how hard you try to hide it.”

  “Hmmm, that’s a term I’ve never heard before. Squick. I’ll have to try and use it sometime, today.”

  “How about now?” I grinned, slipping off the stool, and carefully walking around the counter to pour myself another cup of hot coffee. Somehow I managed to avoid tripping over the fabric gathered at my feet, keeping the sheet securely in place. Once I had the mug filled, I turned to Ryder. “Repeat after me. Coffee makes me squick.”

  My instruction made his brow furrow, dimming the humor in his eyes. “It does? I thought you loved it.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I do, silly. I meant you. Coffee makes you squick.” When he didn’t instantly reply, I winked
over the rim of my cup. “You forget I’m an artist, Ryder. It’s my job to pay attention to my surroundings, to people, to watch. I knew the second you took that first mouthful in my kitchen, that you hated it. I kept waiting for you to stop, but you didn’t.”

  He groaned loudly, knowing he was caught. “I know. You seemed to enjoy it so much that I wanted to see what brought you so much pleasure.”

  “Hey, it’s an acquired taste. My sister, Chrissy, loathes the stuff. She’d rather drink battery acid than a mere drop. Me? It’s like the elixir of life.” To prove my point, I sighed happily as I took another careful sip.

  “Then let me be honest. Coffee makes me squick. It is the most vile creation in the Universe.” Slumping in his seat, Ryder seemed relieved to finally openly admit his secret.

  “Wow, don’t you be hating on my coffee there, Mister. I’ll have you know it’s the perfect way to begin the morning,” I scolded, pointing my finger at him.

  “Really?” A smoldering heat filled his gaze as his lips curled into a smile. “I’d like to contest that declaration. I can think of other things that would make your beloved drink pale in comparison.”

  Standing, I knew what he was going to do before he moved. “Don’t. You. Dare.” I giggled, sticking my hand out to keep him at arm’s length. It was all for nothing, however, because the instant he touched me, I lowered my defense, willing to submit to whatever he had planned.

  “Oh, I dare. You’ve issued a challenge. One I fully intend to meet.” Flashing me a smile that told me there was no way coffee stood a chance, Ryder took my mug and set it back on the counter and then threw me over his shoulder, carrying me toward his bedroom.

  Challenge or not, there’d be no losers.

  In the hours that followed, we were both winners.

  ***

  So much for spending the day unpacking, I grinned after finally making it home. Ryder had been exceptionally thorough in his convincing. So much so that by the end, he even had me declaring that coffee should be banned, its consumption punishable by hours of intoxicating torture.