“I’d like your permission for something.”
“What’s that?” she replied, her eyes already heavily lidded with lust, love, and desire as they trailed over me.
“I’d like to make love to you fully—as my kind does—with nothing held back.”
Eyes widening a little, she stared at me, appearing slightly nervous. “What does that mean exactly?”
“It means you’ll get everything you’re hoping for—but better,” I replied with a chuckle. “Trust me when I say I will not harm you in anyway—not even when I take you. You will feel no pain, only pleasure. But what I’m really asking is for you to allow me to do it in my true form. I will not look—human.”
“Your appearance will change?”
I thought I detected a squeak in her voice and I chuckled.
“I’ll look the same as now—only with wings—and significantly more . . . glowy.”
“Oh.” She visibly relaxed. “Okay. I think I can handle that.”
Having never mated with another Wanderer, this would be first time I had sexual relations completely as my true self. I was used to concealing pieces of myself from other races—but not this time—not with Skylar; she would get every single part of me—all at once—in ways no one else ever had. It made me feel both excited and vulnerable, exposing myself in this manner, but I wanted her to know me, completely.
Drawing a hand down in a line across my body, my earthly attire tore and fell away, leaving me completely exposed to her view, my dark wings unfurled, stretching behind me and filling the air with their wide span. Skin taking on the luster I was born with, it made me appear to be lit from within—which I was. Every muscle inside me was clenched, taut, and ready for her.
Rising slightly off the ground, I let her really see me in my natural state for the first time, waiting for her to say something—anything—that would prove she could handle all this.
“Dear heaven, you’re magnificent,” she whispered, her hand moving to rest over her heart, and I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.
“Not nearly as magnificent as you,” I replied, meaning every word.
She shook her head. “If I ever had any doubt about you being an Angel, it’s gone now.”
“Wanderer,” I corrected. “If you’d ever seen an Angel, you’d know I pale greatly in comparison.”
“Well, then I don’t ever want to see one, because you’re the stuff of dreams.” I could hear the awe in her voice as I floated, hovering over her before reaching down, dragging my hand over her in the same fashion and making her clothing disappear, as well.
“There, that’s better,” I said, my gaze lingering over her. “This is how my dreams look.” Her skin flushed at my words. Floating lower, I settled my naked body against hers. “Last chance, Skylar, if we continue, we are bound for the rest of your life—the same as even your earthly marriage, but far greater. You will become my wife—my animus—my soul.”
Staring into her eyes, I saw no hint of hesitation. They were clear and the honesty in them was easy to read. “I am already yours.”
And that was my undoing. Clasping her in my arms, I kissed her passionately, releasing my blue glowing essence so it could seep into her skin, allowing her to feel everything that made me who I was.
She gasped, moaning with the intrusion, but didn’t pull away; instead accepting it. Dipping my tongue heavily between her lips, I groaned as I pushed my emotions further into her, until they were sunk inside her own. Now I could feel and experience everything exactly as she felt it, which doubled my own pleasure, as well as hers.
Breaking away from my mouth, she clawed into my shoulders with her fingers, her body arching beneath me, already begging for my final intrusion. It was all I could do to keep from plunging inside her, the force between us was building so quickly.
“Not yet, sweetheart. Not yet,” I gasped, rolling her over so her stomach was pressed against the bed and her naked back was exposed to me.
Brushing her hair away, I kissed her neck and she moaned, again. “Ryder.” Even hearing my name on her lips drove me crazy, sending me into overdrive. I wanted to take things nice and slow, but I couldn’t—reacting to her words by grinding my hips against her sweet round butt.
“You’re killing me, Skylar,” I ground out through clenched teeth. I wanted nothing more than to be inside her, completing the bond between us. I wanted it so badly it was painful.
Flipping her back over, my hands trailed over her breasts, pausing to tease them as I passed. She tossed her head from side to side. “Oh my gosh!” she panted. “Ryder, please. Please!” The sound dragged out as she begged me, her desperation ringing in my ears and heating me even more.
Grabbing her, I lifted her off the bed, kissing her as I flew to the far wall, pressing her body between the cold stones and me, suspended there, halfway up the surface. She wrapped her legs and arms around me, her limbs making contact with some of my feathers and I practically shouted in ecstasy, the sensation rippling through my entire body. The matter only escalated when she ground her wet, sweet, center against my pulsating erection, and I tossed my head back, all my muscles screaming at me for release.
I was done. I couldn’t wait any longer. There’d be time for slow later on.
“I can’t wait,” I apologized to her, even though I was fairly sure she was beyond caring at this point. “I need you, now.”
“Don’t stop.”
It was all I needed from her. Pushing away from the wall, I flew back to the bed and centered myself, projecting all the pleasure sensors I could from me into her as I broke through the barrier with one swift push. Immediately she cried out, her orgasm spasming around me as I drove heavily into her.
Like tendrils of light snaking through my body, I felt my soul become bound—locked to hers. She was mine. All mine.
I knew she felt it, too—everything was so extremely heightened between us. Lost in overwhelming sensation, I felt myself growing even harder signaling that I was close.
“Oh, oh! Ryder, oh, please,” her cries continued to echo off the walls of our personal sanctuary.
The tightening inside me coiled as tight as it could go, the pressure reaching extremes. “Ahhhhhh! Ahhhhhhhhhh!” I shouted, pumping my release heavily inside of her, containing both my seed and my essence. Her cries grew louder, joining my own shouts of release as we both experienced what the other was feeling.
Our bodies shook from the strain and I collapsed against her, pulling back on some of our shared essence so she could relax a little.
“That. Was. Incredible,” she stuttered out and I laughed, kissing her forehead and wiping away a damp strand of hair from her cheek. Her body was flushed and glowing almost as brightly as mine from our shared exchange, but I doubted she even noticed.
“You’re so beautiful,” I said, linking my fingers with hers and lifting them to my mouth. Slowly, I kissed the back of her hand, my eyes never leaving hers.
“Am I glowing?” she asked with a laugh. “Or is that just you rubbing off on me?”
Chuckling, I smiled. “You’re glowing. It’s the by-product of having a little Wanderer mixing inside you.”
“There is nothing ‘little’ about the Wanderer inside me,” she said, and I laughed.
“Glad to know you found me adequate,” I teased.
Shifting, she raised her head, pressing her mouth briefly against mine before dropping back into an exhausted heap against the bed. “You’re so much more than adequate. I don’t think there’s a word accurate enough to describe what you just did.”
“What we just did,” I corrected. “It wouldn’t have been nearly this much fun without you.”
Smiling, she ran her free hand through my hair. “I can feel it, you know—whatever happened to us. I can feel it tying us together.”
I nodded. “So can I; and I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever felt in my entire existence.” I belonged somewhere, now. I had a home and someone who loved me. The feel
ing was one of complete euphoria.
“I love you so much,” Skylar said, her eyes filling with the emotion she spoke of.
“I love you, too.” I kissed the back of her hand once more. “Thank you for the gift you’ve given me.”
“For some reason, I feel like I’m the one who’s been given the gift.” Her words filled my heart, letting me know how much she truly adored me. “Can we do it again?” she asked, catching me off guard and I couldn’t help the low rumble that escaped me.
“We can do it as many times as you want, but this time we are going to take it slow.”
Capturing her mouth, again, I began to deliver on my promise.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Skylar
I was on fire.
I was free falling.
I was drowning in a sea of indescribable pleasure and Ryder was responsible for it. Whether it was from the lingering caresses that sent trails of spiraling heat through every nerve in my body or the way his tongue traced light circles over my skin, thinking became impossible.
All there was—all I could focus on—was he and I, his body against mine—our souls breathing together, as one.
I’d always wondered what my first time would be like, what it would feel like to be so open and vulnerable with someone. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine this, however. It went beyond any fantasy I could’ve conjured and as Ryder began sweeping me back up in the magic of the moment with a kiss that stole my breath, I swore I could fly.
He may have the wings, a glorious sight I still couldn’t quite comprehend, but being with him had completely set me free. As crazy as that sounded, it was the only way to describe it.
I was in love with a Wanderer. And by giving him my heart, he’d opened my eyes to all the possibilities of the Universe. My head was no longer in the clouds. I was floating amongst the stars.
“You taste so sweet, Skylar,” Ryder murmured, his breath warm against my skin. Nestled into the plush bed he’d created, all my senses were tingling.
“I don’t think I can handle slow,” I moaned, my body arching into his as he continued kissing his way down over my shoulders to my breasts. Everything was so sensitive and alive.
Chuckling right before grazing his teeth over my hardened bud, he teased it until I thought I would scream. “You can and you will. I want to savor this, draw out every blissful ache.” Ryder was enjoying this and flashed me a wicked grin as he slowly sucked my nipple into his mouth, his fingers trailing lower until they stopped just above the apex of my thighs, provocatively.
I wanted him to touch me there, needed him to stop prolonging the torture he was inflicting. My body had become finely tuned to his every touch, like a beloved instrument being played by a master musician.
I couldn’t focus. “Please,” I begged, impatiently. When Ryder didn’t move, instead choosing that very second to blow across my nipple, I couldn’t wait a moment longer. Placing my hand over his, I guided him to the sweet spot that painfully, erotically, throbbed for attention. Whether it was from his ability to push his essence into me or simply my body awakening, having him there, between my legs, was the only thing that brought relief.
Ryder groaned, long and low. One finger slid inside me followed by a second, as his breath hitched. “Sweetheart, you feel incredible.” In slow, deliberate strokes, he moved his hand, his palm hitting the sensitive nub.
It was too much. It was not enough. Everything faded away as we locked gazes, him stroking me toward my climax.
“Ryder,” I panted, gripping the sheets beside me, hoping they would keep me from falling apart.
“Give in to me, sweetheart.” He smiled briefly, not missing a single beat as he leaned in and captured my mouth, his tongue penetrating my lips instantly. I did the only thing I knew how to, I let go of the bedding and clung to him, desperately. He would be my anchor, the one thing that kept me grounded.
Orgasm ripping through me, I screamed my release into his mouth. Ryder didn’t relent, stroking harder until I couldn’t bare it anymore. “Ryder, stop, please. I’m dying!”
I wasn’t dying, but there was no guarantee I was still conscious, either. In wanting to give me everything—pleasure, satisfaction, intoxicating gratification—Ryder had ensured there would never be anyone else but him. He would become my addiction, the one I craved above all else.
With just one touch, he’d branded me his, forever.
“I’m never going to get enough of watching you come apart beneath me.” Resting on his elbow, Ryder feathered soft kisses over my face. “Never going to get enough of you, period.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Swiping my thumb over his lips, I let out a contented sigh. “In fact, we should stay here forever. Away from the world, away from everything.”
“Our own little love nest, huh?” His eyes twinkled with humor.
“Or sex cave.” I grinned as restlessness began stirring inside me, again. “Would you think any less of me if I told you it’s my new favorite thing to do?” My face heated from my confession.
“Only if you don’t think it about me, because I feel the same way,” Ryder admitted.
“Good answer.” Pushing upward, his body rolled with mine, wings suddenly disappearing as he moved beneath me, and I spread my legs so I could straddle him. Ryder had shown me so much, introduced me to so many new experiences, but nothing compared to giving himself over to me completely.
Staring down at his impressive chest, his tanned skin peppered with light hair, he still seemed too good to be true. A giddy thrill pulsed through me, followed by the thought that he was now bound to me. We were in this together; and because of that, nothing would ever be the same.
“I want to try it this way.” Grinning, I was well aware of his erection between my legs. Rocking my hips forward, it felt glorious against my slick wetness, but I had other plans. Ryder knew it and with a careful move, we connected, his hard length filling me completely.
“Activate Palacia Fields,” Ryder whispered, his jaw clenched in concentration. The bedroom around us disappeared, the soft mattress that cradled us giving way to a blanket of lush green grass.
We were now outside and surrounded by flowers of every color, their sweet fragrance dancing in the air on a subtle breeze. That wasn’t what caused my eyes to widen in delight, however. Overhead, in the silky black sky, thousands upon thousands of stars shone—a literal canvas of sparkling diamonds.
“Oh, Ryder.” Tilting my head back, I cried, suddenly too overwhelmed by how majestic everything looked.
“That’s how I feel every time I see you. How I feel watching you now with the light of the heavens in your eyes.” Heat laced his words as his hips moved, pushing himself a little deeper inside me.
Love infused me, spilling outward until all I could do was respond. Words wouldn’t be enough to express just how much this meant to me, how his absolute dedication to pleasing me touched my heart, my mind, my soul.
“Thank you for giving me this,” I whispered, starting a slow and steady pace as my focus returned completely to him, enjoying the way my body accepted him. Each delicious movement sent waves of passion though me. Ryder’s gaze never left my face, his own emotions feeding into mine.
Hands gripping my hips, his fingers kneading into my flesh, he created a zing of electricity that blasted my nerve endings. A cry escaped me. It felt so good—he felt so good.
“That’s it, Skylar.” Ryder panted as I quickened the tempo, unable to keep myself from chasing the fiery release I knew was racing towards both of us.
He’d once confessed he felt that sex between us would be combustible—that once we’d crossed that line, a hunger unlike anything we’d ever experienced would scorch us—reducing us to ash before restoring us in a blistering explosion of fire.
I hadn’t believed him. I hadn’t known that sex could be this good, this incredible. I hadn’t understood what binding myself to a Wanderer had meant.
I did now.
Resting my hands against his chest, I could feel every inch of his erection pounding into me. In that moment, blinding clarity struck hard and fast—there would never be any regrets. I would always want to be with Ryder.
“I can’t . . . .” I uttered, struggling to catch my breath as the first wave swept in. My pace faltered, but he took over, his fingers digging into my skin.
Ryder all but glowed as he tensed beneath me. He was right there with me—about to drown in sensation. “Don’t fight it.”
It was everything I could do to hold on, to not fall forward, sizzling from the release that ricocheted through me. But it paled in comparison to watching Ryder’s orgasm hit, a look of agonizing pleasure flooding his eyes before he closed them and let go.
I’d made that happen—I’d given him that feeling, surrounded by the glory of his creation. I finally fell forward, capturing his lips for a kiss that would rival all others.
Once again, I was free falling, and I didn’t care. I knew where I was going to land and who would be there when I did. Giving my heart to Ryder hadn’t been a risk, at all. It had been inevitable—and there would be no going back.
As the blue glow from our lovemaking softly spread across our skin and the stars still twinkled above us, I knew I’d caught a glimpse of heaven.
***
Time didn’t seem to matter. There was no way of keeping track, unless I counted the different places Ryder had materialized around us, the beauty of his worlds always inspiring a fresh round of exploration. He was insatiable in his need for me, which didn’t scare me in the least. I now harbored that same hunger and over and over we became lost in each other.
“I could get used to this,” I murmured softly, my body draped languidly over his, feeling positively boneless.
“It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Ryder chuckled as his fingers brushed over my bare shoulder. I could hear his heartbeat, the constant thud lulling me into a dream-like state. “When I designed Palacia, it was with the hope that one day I would share it with you.”
Wanderlust Page 17
