funds into an account at the bank and withdraw
our WOW currency for spending money. When you leave, those transfers will be
tacked on to your final bill, to be paid in real money.”
Callie frowned as she
digested the well-thought-out scheme. “So there’s electricity at the bank?”
“Just in that one room.
The lines run underground to the main office at the way station where all the
records and transactions are kept. It’s also where all the profiles of the
guests are. The ID cards hold the key if we need to know something in case of
emergency.”
She moved to the display
in front of the window and ran her fingers over the delicate patterns of a
kite. The paper made a rustling sound beneath her touch.
She turned back to Rand. “You keep saying ‘we’ and ‘our’.”
“Do I? Slip of the
tongue. I come here so often I think of it as my home.” He gestured toward the
counter. “So, see anything you’d like?”
“Oh, I don’t think so.
At least not tonight. I need to get a feel for the place first.”
The bell above the door
jingled as they left the store and went back out into the night. Callie hugged
her bare arms against the cooling night air.
Ever alert, Rand hastened to take off his jacket and place it over her shoulders. When he did, he didn’t
bother to remove his arm. Instead, he pulled her to his side and walked with a
possessive arm around her shoulders.
The warmth from his body
heat permeated the jacket and settled on her arms and shoulders. She found it
so easy to snuggle in to him as they walked hip to hip. With each inhale, she
caught his scent from inside his jacket and smiled knowing it would stay with
her throughout the night.
Once again they reached
the end of a boardwalk, but this time there was no other walk ahead. They’d
reached the end of the street. Rand stopped and looked toward the sky.
“Have you ever seen
anything so beautiful, Callie? Stars like diamonds, a sky that goes on forever
until it dips to the horizon, air as fresh as the day the earth was born.”
Before she could answer,
the lone cry of a coyote sounded in the distance. “And wild animals looking for
a meal,” she said, shuddering.
He turned to face her.
In the darkness, she could only see the white of his shirt beneath the black
vest and the sparkle in his eyes as he placed his hands on her shoulders.
“That’s the call of the
wild, Callie. Animals looking for their mates. The lonesome cry lets the others
know he’s staked out his territory.”
She peered through the
darkness, trying to read his features. “Why is he so lonesome?”
His hand came up to
cradle her face. “Because he hasn’t found the right one to share his life with
yet. He’s searched hard all day and perfected his hunting skills, but when the
night rolls in, so does the loneliness.”
She felt his breath
close to her. Her lips quivered, anticipating his touch. “So, he howls at the
moon to vent his frustration?” she murmured.
His lips brushed across
hers like the flicker of a feather. “His frustrations, his desires, his needs.
He vents them all.” He rubbed the tip of her nose with his.
“And how will he know
when the right one comes along?”
“When the restlessness
ends.”
Rand slanted his mouth over hers. His mustache
tickled her nose as he explored the sensation of rough lips on smooth. Like a
bee drawn to honey, Callie reached up to circle his neck. The jacket slipped
from her shoulders, but the heat of his hands on her skin more than made up for
the chill.
The coyote’s cry
suddenly stilled. Rand slowly pulled his mouth from Callie’s and rubbed his
hands across her back.
She licked her lips,
tasting the heat still on them, his heat, and whispered, “Did the restlessness
end?”
He leaned his forehead
against hers and shook his head. “It’s only just begun.”
Chapter Four
Rand replaced his jacket on Callie’s beautifully
smooth shoulders and offered her his arm. He dared not draw her in
our WOW currency for spending money. When you leave, those transfers will be
tacked on to your final bill, to be paid in real money.”
Callie frowned as she
digested the well-thought-out scheme. “So there’s electricity at the bank?”
“Just in that one room.
The lines run underground to the main office at the way station where all the
records and transactions are kept. It’s also where all the profiles of the
guests are. The ID cards hold the key if we need to know something in case of
emergency.”
She moved to the display
in front of the window and ran her fingers over the delicate patterns of a
kite. The paper made a rustling sound beneath her touch.
She turned back to Rand. “You keep saying ‘we’ and ‘our’.”
“Do I? Slip of the
tongue. I come here so often I think of it as my home.” He gestured toward the
counter. “So, see anything you’d like?”
“Oh, I don’t think so.
At least not tonight. I need to get a feel for the place first.”
The bell above the door
jingled as they left the store and went back out into the night. Callie hugged
her bare arms against the cooling night air.
Ever alert, Rand hastened to take off his jacket and place it over her shoulders. When he did, he didn’t
bother to remove his arm. Instead, he pulled her to his side and walked with a
possessive arm around her shoulders.
The warmth from his body
heat permeated the jacket and settled on her arms and shoulders. She found it
so easy to snuggle in to him as they walked hip to hip. With each inhale, she
caught his scent from inside his jacket and smiled knowing it would stay with
her throughout the night.
Once again they reached
the end of a boardwalk, but this time there was no other walk ahead. They’d
reached the end of the street. Rand stopped and looked toward the sky.
“Have you ever seen
anything so beautiful, Callie? Stars like diamonds, a sky that goes on forever
until it dips to the horizon, air as fresh as the day the earth was born.”
Before she could answer,
the lone cry of a coyote sounded in the distance. “And wild animals looking for
a meal,” she said, shuddering.
He turned to face her.
In the darkness, she could only see the white of his shirt beneath the black
vest and the sparkle in his eyes as he placed his hands on her shoulders.
“That’s the call of the
wild, Callie. Animals looking for their mates. The lonesome cry lets the others
know he’s staked out his territory.”
She peered through the
darkness, trying to read his features. “Why is he so lonesome?”
His hand came up to
cradle her face. “Because he hasn’t found the right one to share his life with
yet. He’s searched hard all day and perfected his hunting skills, but when the
night rolls in, so does the loneliness.”
She felt his breath
close to her. Her lips quivered, anticipating his touch. “So, he howls at the
moon to vent his frustration?” she murmured.
His lips brushed across
hers like the flicker of a feather. “His frustrations, his desires, his needs.
He vents them all.” He rubbed the tip of her nose with his.
“And how will he know
when the right one comes along?”
“When the restlessness
ends.”
Rand slanted his mouth over hers. His mustache
tickled her nose as he explored the sensation of rough lips on smooth. Like a
bee drawn to honey, Callie reached up to circle his neck. The jacket slipped
from her shoulders, but the heat of his hands on her skin more than made up for
the chill.
The coyote’s cry
suddenly stilled. Rand slowly pulled his mouth from Callie’s and rubbed his
hands across her back.
She licked her lips,
tasting the heat still on them, his heat, and whispered, “Did the restlessness
end?”
He leaned his forehead
against hers and shook his head. “It’s only just begun.”
Chapter Four
Rand replaced his jacket on Callie’s beautifully
smooth shoulders and offered her his arm. He dared not draw her in
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