The Barrier Between (Collector Series # 2) (38 page)

He was back to ignoring me, staring at the trees
waving outside the window. I was fine with it. I couldn’t deal with
his effect on me when he got too near. The best plan would be to
stay away from each other completely, except the room was the size
of a closet. It was hard to stay out of each other’s way. And with
neither of us talking, the painful silence in the room boiled under
the ceiling, swelling the ever-growing awkwardness between us.

We both kept busy with our tasks: him staring out the
window and me searching for a top to wear after my shower. Since I
only had four, including the one I was wearing, this undertaking
didn’t last as long as I wanted.

I kept my back to him, his presence throbbed behind
me, tickling every nerve. Coating me like a blanket till it
smothered me, forcing me to move. I swallowed, my throat patchy and
dry, and I moved around the bed, heading for the small fridge. At
the same time he stood up from the chair.

Wham
.

Our bodies collided, knocking me back. He grabbed my
waist, pulling me into him as he steadied me. My hands clutched his
forearms. The instant his body was against mine, all fight and
stubbornness dissolved along with my willpower.

Let go and step away,
I told myself, but my
muscles did not listen. We stood there. His fingers rolled tightly
around the top of my pants, digging into my sides. He leaned
forward, and I felt his breath filter over my lips. Under my lashes
I could see his lids were hooded, his lips parted.

My lungs faltered, yearning and desire overriding all
thoughts. My eyes shut as his mouth grazed my ear.

Then he jerked back, my eyes burst open as he moved
quickly around me. His expression stony and distant. He ripped open
the dresser, grabbing clean clothes.

I couldn’t help but watch him, every muscle tensed
and strained his shirt.

A frustrated noise gurgled from his mouth, and he
leaned over the dresser, his eyes squeezed shut. He slammed the
dresser into the wall, and then pivoted on his heels and marched
for the door, almost running into Croygen.

“What’s your problem?” Croygen watched Ryker as he
slammed past him and proceeded down the hall. Ten seconds later a
door slammed so loud it shook the building. Croygen closed the room
door behind him. “What did you do to him?”

“Nothing.”

“That kind of nothing leads to jacking off in the
shower by yourself.” Croygen smirked. “Not that I would know
anything about it.”

“Sure,” I replied while walking to the fridge. I
yanked two bottles out and threw one to Croygen.

“Thanks.” He twisted off the lid.

I did the same and gulped more than half before
taking a breath. “I was thirsty... and now I’m hungry.” I rubbed my
belly.

“Yes. Food. Fantastic idea,” a voice came from the
bed.

Croygen set down his boots, pulling them back on his
feet. “Why don’t I go out and get some? We’re probably all
exhausted and want to stay in tonight. I’ll go get us hamburgers at
Pipi’s. Kind of sick of Peruvian right now,” he rambled, getting
into his long velvet coat.

“What are you doing?” I asked. Croygen never did
anything nice.

“Getting dinner.” He grabbed the handle.

“You don’t get dinner.”

“No, but I’m not actually buying it, am I?” He winked
and went out the door. I was tempted to follow him. What was he up
to?
You have disappeared a lot lately
. Amara’s words came
back to me. I was out the door and down the stairs before I gave
myself time to think. What was he doing, and where was he going
when he left? He’d been too nice to me since I came back. His
manner had changed toward me. The question was: why?

The breeze blasted against my face as I stepped
outside, dry leaves crackled into tiny pieces, getting dust into my
eyes. I glanced down the street. Croygen was nowhere in sight.
Dammit. His magic of blending made it impossible to follow or spy
on him.

A gust ran over me. It was a warm wind, but my arms
still prickled with goose bumps. Intuition tugged at my gut.
Something was off. I glanced down the street again in the direction
of the restaurant where Croygen supposedly went. I wanted to go
there and check for myself, but something kept my feet planted on
the porch.

Between two buildings far down the walkway, the two
little girls wearing my clothes from earlier were standing and
talking to someone. They stood side by side, shaking their heads.
The person they were conversing with was just out of my sight line,
hidden by the buildings. It was mostly likely their parent or a
friend, but I couldn’t shake the unease running up my spine. I
rubbed my arms and went back inside.

You should never doubt your instinct.

Ever.

I climbed out of the shower, wrapping a towel around
me. The cold water did nothing to wash away the earlier feeling of
Ryker’s body pressed into mine. Even the memory thumped my heart. I
wanted him. Along with hot, unrelenting sex. Only a couple weeks
ago he had given me an open invitation to join him in the shower,
and I didn’t go because I was too scared to follow him. I should
have never let the opportunity go by. Fear was such a controlling
emotion and held you back from doing things you really wanted. Now
it was too late.

Stupid
,
Zoey
.

Wind gushed past my ears. The room tipped.

Holy shit.

When I opened my eyes, I was in a bathroom, but no
longer my own. Ryker’s bare ass was pointing my way through the
clear curtain.
Jump back, Zoey
. My body ignored my brain as
I watched the soap glide down his back.

He stirred a hunger in me I could not deny, but one I
could no longer act on. Desire overwhelmed me, gripped my muscles,
and pooled below my stomach.

He turned, looking over his shoulder, and saw me
standing there. Watching him. He did not react, only stared back at
me, our eyes locking. Water dripped in trails down his form,
curving over every muscle before falling to the floor of the
tub.

Suddenly I became aware of the small towel wrapped
around my torso. It would be so easy. One tug and the towel would
be on the ground... along with my resistance. Time stopped. Neither
of us moved. The only sound was the infiltration of water pouring
from the spout. And my heart thumping in my chest. If I moved, it
would probably be to him. The fantasy of joining him in the shower,
our bodies intertwined, clenched my lungs. He licked the water off
his lips, his eyes not leaving mine.

“Ryker?” A knock tapped at the door, Amara’s voice
permeated from the other side of the door, causing me to jump. “You
want me to come and join you?” Her tone was thick with innuendo.
“Remember the time in Bruges when we broke the shower door?”

The stab of pain fought with the fear of her finding
me in here. His eyes still drew me in, and I knew he saw the pain
flash across my face before I could hide it. Emotion changed his
features, but I couldn’t make out what they meant.

I breathed deeply, shut my eyes, and imagined my own
bathroom. The room vanished before me, then my feet were on my own
tiled floor. The sink took my weight as I fell back onto it,
shaking and holding my head.
Not embarrassing at all
. He
probably figured I purposely went to him, hoping for a little side
action. Looks like Amara had the same thought.

A few seconds later I heard the door to our room
slam, and Amara stomped in, grumbling. A choked laugh hiccupped
from my heart, filled with relief and sadness.

I wanted to be upset, but I couldn’t. He was doing
the right thing by keeping us at arm’s length. He was respecting my
decision. I simply didn’t want him to.

From the bathroom window, a gush of air whistled
through, blowing my wet hair off my shoulders. The lights overhead
flickered then went out. Shadows grew around me in different
variations of gray.

“Are you kidding me?” Amara spouted angrily in the
next room. “Are we back in Seattle?”

“Does it look or feel like Seattle, Medusa?” Sprig
replied.

“I wasn’t talking to you, baboon.”

“Oh, are your imaginary friends conversing with you
again? I’ve heard crazy chicks who don’t eat enough damage their
brains and start hearing voices.”

I sighed, knowing I should get out there before
things got ugly. I got dressed and ran into the next room when I
heard their voices rise higher.

“Hey,” I yelled before I even got the bathroom door
fully open. The sight in front of me had me biting on my lip to not
laugh. Sprig stood on top of the television, stretched to his
maximum height, his fists balled in the air. Amara stood in front
of him, one hand on her hip; the other hand poked at his chest.
They stared at me like they had been caught with their hands in the
cookie jar. “Both of you stop it now.”

“She started it!”

“This little shit started it!”

“Oh. My. God.” I threw up my arms. “Really? How old
are we?” My mother voice kicked in. “Sprig, you go out and see if
you can find Croygen. He’s supposed to be getting us dinner.”

“But... but why do I have to go? It’s yucky out
there,” Sprig whined. “She was the one—”

“Sprig! Now!” I pointed to the window.

He folded his arms, stuck his tongue out at me.
“Fine,” he snapped and hopped out the window, disappearing into the
darkening evening. The open window blew the curtains toward the
ceiling. I lowered them enough to break the wind, but still allow
Sprig through.

“That thing is not natural.” Amara shook her head. I
peered over my shoulder at her, my lids half-mast in a glare.
“What? It isn’t.”

I took in a deep breath, trying to keep myself from
throwing her out the window after Sprig. I went over to the drawer
I knew held candles, remembering the previous time the lights went
out. It was the last time Ryker and I were together. Scenes of raw,
passionate sex on the table, against the dresser, and on the bed
came into my head. I instantly shoved them back and grabbed the
last two candles, lighting them.

The room felt suffocating. I was about to lose it
being in the room alone with Ryker’s girlfriend, where I had done
things with him I had never imagined possible. Ryker’s entrance
into the room only caused more tension to constrict my shoulders.
Amara brightened, forgetting her agitation with Sprig and me. The
candlelight turned her smile into a sexy expression as she watched
him move across the room, putting his dirty clothes in our laundry
bag.

Please, Sprig, Croygen, come back
. The three
of us in a room together was torture.

“Croygen went out to get dinner,” I spurted out,
wanting to fill the empty gap in the conversation.

Ryker’s eyebrows went up. “Croygen went to get
dinner?”

“Yeah.” Neither of us could look at the other. “About
an hour ago.”

Ryker snorted, then his jaw crunched together. “Like
I trust...” Ryker’s words tapered off as the door swung open, and
Croygen walked in with an armful of takeaway boxes. Sprig rode on
his shoulder, chirping excitedly.

“Dinner by candlelight. How romantic.” He strolled
into the room.

Holy shit. He really did get us food.

Ryker stood there with a bewildered expression on his
face, which didn’t go unnoticed by Croygen. “What? You didn’t think
I was coming back, did you?”

“Not with food.” Ryker’s voice held an icy tone.

“Where’s the trust?”

“Not with you.”

The moment Croygen set the bag down, Sprig’s head was
inside, grabbing for the closest item.

“Hold on.” I pulled him back, but he batted at my
hands.

“Need. Food.
Bhean
. Now.” He wiggled, and I
had to grab him with two hands.

Ryker stepped up, taking my place in handing out the
burgers.

“Ryker...” I sighed and re-gripped the squirmy
monkey.

Without another word, Ryker handed me a couple of
fries, which I immediately stuffed into Sprig’s mouth. His
struggles died away, his muscles relaxing under my hand. His eyes
rolled back as he chewed on the fries. After handing everyone their
containers of food, Ryker grabbed the bear full of honey and
squirted a glob inside the top lid of my container, then divided my
fries between the sides. I plopped Sprig on the table, near his
share of the food.

He moved to scoop the honey with his hands. “No.” I
pointed at the fries. “You use those to dip in the honey, not your
fingers.”

“But
Bhean
...”

I tilted my head. He immediately picked up a fry and
gingerly dipped it in the honey, watching me the whole time. I knew
as soon as I turned my back he would go back in with his hands.

Ryker grabbed Sprig’s wrist with his two fingers and
pushed the monkey’s hand into the puddle of sticky concoction. My
mouth fell open, and I slowly turned my head toward Ryker. The
corner of his mouth hitched in a grin. “You knew it was going to
happen anyway.”