Chapter one:

I couldn't open my eyes. No, not couldn't, I didn't want to. I, Wanda, the soul didn't want to, I thought. There was just me in here. No Pet and no human interjecting their thoughts into my every day.

I could hear Ian's breathing not far from where I was. I tried to stretch out my ears just so I could pinpoint his location in the room. The bed underneath me moved with the weight of another person, I knew it was Ian. I tried out my other senses, still not wanting Ian to know that I was awake yet. I felt a hand graze my right arm, up and down, producing goose bumps in its wake. Ian's movements caused a wave of his sent over my nose, the smell of dusty sand and sweet cactus. It was incredible. He was incredible. I smiled at just the mere thought of him, my cheeks glowing at the memory of his touch.

Ian chuckled somewhere above my head. "I know you're awake Wanda. You can stop faking." I felt his lips on my forehead.

I blinked my eyes open to meet his gorgeous blue ones. My stomach flipped. If only he knew what he did to me. I diverted my gaze quickly; trying to avoid the crimson that I know would be coloring my cheeks.

"Ian," I breathed noticing we weren't in the hospital wing anymore. We were in his room. Our room. I corrected myself. "How did I get here?"

I could hear him smile, "I moved you." He said shrugging. "Doc kept poking at you while you were sleeping; I got tired of it, and decided that you would rest better in here then down there. So I moved you."

"Poking at me?" I asked my forehead crinkling up in the confusion.

"Just checking your reflexes, making sure you're in working order." He almost whispered smoothing out my forehead with his large hand, kissing the top of my head.

I reached my arms out and wiggled my fingers, "Am I in working order?" I asked worriedly looking up at him.

Ian literally jumped at the chance to touch me. "Well let's see for ourselves, shall we?" He knelt at the foot of the bed pulling my bare feet in his hands. He counted each one of my toes, massaging the soles of my feet as he did. My eyes rolled back into my head at the fire that he was starting inside of this small body. "Well those are working," He concluded kissing the inside of each of my ankles. His hands moved up the back of my calves, I reveled in the feeling of his rough hands against this new smooth skin. I watched as his hands went under my knees and pulled me toward him. He bent each of my legs, testing them. "Those look good to me." His hands kept moving only lingering at the waist band of my shorts for too short a time. He moved to my sides, across my rib cage and under my arms.

Ian pulled me up into his lap, bending my arms and lacing my fingers with his. My eyes never left his. He kissed me softly and as soon as I responded, he spoke, lips still touching mine, "This works." I nodded pushing my lips harder on to his. He moaned into my mouth, pulling away from me at the same time. "I never thought I'd be able to do that again."

He took my face in his hands to look at me, pushing my now blonde locks behind my ears. All I could do was smile at him. I didn't know what to say to soothe the pain that I could see behind the pools of heaven he called eyes. I loved him. So much that it hurt my chest thinking about it. The thought of leaving him now pained me in a way that I have never felt before. I placed my hand on his chest and could feel his heart beating rapidly, waiting for me to speak.

I ducked my head, blushing at my embarrassment. I couldn't speak. I couldn't find my voice. "Are you sure you're okay being here? With me?"

My head popped up quickly to meet his eyes at the insecurities in his voice. "Of course I do. I never want to be anywhere without you." In the darkness of the room I swear he was glowing.

Ian's lips crashed on to mine and it was as if my heart exploded. The fire that raced through my veins was inconceivable. My legs instinctually wrapped around his waist, my arms around his neck, effectively making sure there was no space between our bodies. His lips trailed down my jaw to let me breath, but I just pulled his face back to mine and colliding them back to their rightful place. I didn't want to breathe if it meant his lips weren't on mine.

Ian hissed as he pulled my shoulders back, I didn't even feel his hands move from my back, the fire still there long after his hands weren't. His fingers traced my lips, while his forehead pressed against me, my hands stilled over his heart. My favorite part of his body. I opened my eyes to see his staring back. I giggled when I felt his heart beat faster.

He raised his eyebrows searching mine for an answer. My cheeks burned, "Your heart." I answered.

"It started beating faster when I looked at you." And then a thought occurred to me. Pet and I had never experienced something like this feeling before. Not even when I was in Melanie's body feeling her love for Jared. "Is this what love feels like?"

My face must have been bright pink in the moonlight. Ian smiled sweetly taking my face in his hands kissing me softly. "Yes," he whispered. "This is what love feels like."

I nodded, trying to hold back the tears that rimmed my eyes. When one escaped Ian kissed the spot where it landed. "Good." I whispered back, my throat choking with emotion.

I was so overwhelmed, my body unconsciously whining with all the stress. "Okay," Ian moved so fast I didn't even realize what was happening till it was too late. He had placed me back on the bed and was again kneeling on the floor beside me. "I'm going to let you sleep a little more and I'll be back with breakfast. Deal?" I must have been pouting because Ian kissed me taking my bottom lip in between his teeth biting down slightly. This man made me completely speechless. "I'm sorry," he said bowing his head, when he looked up he was beaming, just barely looking apologetic. "I couldn't help myself."

And again my cheeks burnt with his admission. I covered my face with my hands trying to mask my embarrassment. Ian chuckled lightly.

"I love this new blushing thing." He teased.

I tried my hardest to glare at him, "I don't. It's embarrassing and completely gives away my emotions."

"Well, I hope it never goes away." He took one last longing look at me and quickly headed for the door.

"Ian!" I shouted, effectively turning him around to look at my raised arms. As if with no second thought he took two large steps and was back in my arms. I put my hands on each of his cheeks and kissed him as if it was the last time I would ever get to taste him on my lips. Pure animalistic hunger. I pulled away panting. "Please don't ever leave me again without saying a proper goodbye."

Ian smiled so widely that I thought his face would crack just from the intensity of the movement. "I love you more than life itself my little Wanderer."