Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 67092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
“Sure,” he said. “I want to know how they color the water and keep the different streams separate.”
“I think there’s some kind of fountain at the top.” Kara waved one slim hand vaguely. “Honestly, I haven’t been here since I was a kid—it’s mostly a place to bring toddlers so they can play in the sand and the water.”
“Well, I’m going to the top.” Raak gave her a challenging look. “When I see something I’m interested in, I go for it. You want to come with me?”
“How?” A frown creased her pretty features. Damn, she really was a beauty, he couldn’t help thinking. He didn’t usually bother with females who seemed like they would want a long-term commitment. After all—he literally didn’t have a soul to commit with and anyway, he didn’t like feeling tied down. But there was something about this little Kindred female—not that she was actually extremely little, like most of the human women were, he thought musingly.
Kara had curves and height to go with them—Raak liked that. He didn’t see how the other Kindred males could want to mate with such tiny, fragile-looking females. He much preferred someone like Kara with a bit of meat on her bones.
“I said, how are you going to get up there?” she said, breaking his train of thought.
“Climb, of course—how else?” Raak said reasonably. He measured the miniature mountain with his eyes. “Looks like there are plenty of hand and foot-holds. I should be fine.” He grinned at her. “So, you want to come?”
“It’s twenty meters up,” she protested. “I can’t climb that far—I’m not a monkey!”
“Don’t know what that is,” Raak answered. “But you don’t have to do any climbing, just hold on to me.” He motioned to her. “Come on…jump on my back.”
She eyed him uncertainly.
“I don’t know…”
“Oh come on, baby girl,” he urged her. “Live a little. Didn’t you ever look up there when you were little and wish you could see the very top?”
He could see he had her there. Kara was a curious girl, even if she tried to pretend she was all prim and proper. Raak was certain she had a spirit of adventure in her somewhere and he wanted to unlock it and set her free.
“Come on,” he urged again.
“I…there’s no way I could hold on to you,” she protested feebly, as though looking for an excuse. “Your uniform shirt is too slippery.”
If she thought that would stop him from taking her to the top, she was wrong, Raak thought. Quickly, he unbuttoned and let the heavy, silky fabric fall in a shimmering silvery heap on the ground.
“Never liked those damn uniform shirts they make us wear aboard the Mother Ship anyway,” he muttered, flexing his arms and enjoying the light breeze swirling around his bare chest. He kicked off his boots too. “Easier to climb barefoot,” he explained when she looked at him questioningly. “Now come on, baby girl—let’s go.”
Kara looked slightly dazed but she at last agreed to climb on his back and wrap her arms securely around his neck and her legs around his waist. He liked to feel her weight on his back and the warm press of her body against his. Damn if the hot little female wasn’t giving him a hard-on!
Down, boy, he told himself. It’s going to be fuckin’ hard to scale a mountain if your wood gets in the way.
“I don’t see how you can climb this way,” Kara said in his ear. “I’m not exactly tiny like so many of the Earth girls that get called to the Mother Ship.”
“I know—that’s one of the things I like about you,” Raak told her. “Along with those sexy little fangs. Now, hold on.”
Before she could protest any further, he grabbed for the first outcropping on the side of the artificial volcano and started pulling them up.
Kara couldn’t believe she was doing this.
I ought to be at work right now, she thought as she clung like a spider monkey to the big Unbondable’s back and watched as he pulled them steadily higher up the side of Rainbow Mountain. I should be dealing with that new project I just got assigned—not playing hooky like a kid skipping school.
But there was just something about the big Y’lyn Kindred she couldn’t resist or ignore. He was persuasive for one thing—maybe because he seemed to know things about her she kept hidden, even from herself. She really had always wanted to go to the top of Rainbow Mountain and see inside the crater at the top as a kid. Also, it was nice to feel accepted for who she was instead of being shunned for it.
And also, Raak is damned sexy and you’re attracted to him—admit it, whispered a little voice in the back of her head.
Well, yes that was true, Kara reluctantly admitted. Being this close to him, she could smell his warm, spicy, masculine scent much better. Was that his bonding scent? Probably not, she decided, since he had no soul and couldn’t bond to anyone. Goddess, they were getting high up here!