Love Without Boundaries (13 page)

The Prequel to the Mate Search Sci-Fi Romance Series

by

J. A. Hornbuckle

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Published by J.A. Hornbuckle

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Copyright ©2014 by J.A. Hornbuckle

License Notes

This portion of the eBook contained herein is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.
 
This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people.
 
If you would like to share this novel with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.
 
If you’re reading this eBook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please buy an additional copy for each recipient.

No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information story and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of J.A. Hornbuckle or her authorized representatives.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction and is not a reflection or representation of any person living or dead.
 
Any similarity is one of pure coincidence.

Although, if you recognize yourself in any character represented, maybe we need to talk.

Dedication

To my two Michelles, both Eidem and Howard, that told me I could.

And to my Bob, who believed in me.

-Begin Transmission-

To:
 
Quest Council

From:
 
Bronsyn Llent, Quest Commander

The Mission:
 
To travel to small blue planet, to seek and secure females in order to mate and repopulate our dying worlds.

The Timeframe:
 
One half of Earth’s rotation around its Sun.

Resources Available:
 
Earth’s worldwide web (also known as the Internet)

Conclusion to Date:
 
Original plan too simplistic in not anticipating the independent minds and lifestyles of human females.
 
Most complications experienced seem to result from this unforeseen circumstance.
 
New strategy needed to ensure success.

-End Transmission-

As Leah pushed the key into the lock of her door, she turned and gave a small smile to the man standing patiently behind her.
 
Rykhan always walked her to her door at the end of one of their dates so there was no reason for her hands to tremble or stomach to dip as she twisted the key and entered her apartment.
 
But she knew her reaction was one of anticipation, at the now threadbare hope that the man would finally,
finally
take the next step and kiss her.

And she was of
a mind that if he didn’t take the initiative and just damn well do
it then she could pretty much figure he only wanted to be friends.
 
Friends that went out to dinner or the movie occasionally.
 
Even though on each and every one of their five previous dates, they’d had a lot of fun together.
 
More fun than expected, in Leah’s opinion.
 
And while their chemistry had taken them from stilted strangers to friends-that-hugged, Leah wanted more.
 
Needed
more from the gorgeous man she’d met at one of the local casinos at a speed-dating event.

She stepped into the tiny foyer of her apartment and turned to fully face him.
 
“I had a great time, Rykhan.
 
Thank you.”

“As did I,” he rumbled, his light almost Caribbean blue eyes twinkling as his face shone with his killer smile.
 
“It is always wonderful being with you.”

She felt her eyebrows move up sharply at his words.
 
He always told her how much fun he’d had in their previous times together but that was the first time he used a word like ‘wonderful’.
 
And to hear him say it, especially in the same sentence while referring to her, made her knees weak.
 
“T-thanks,” was all she managed to stammer out.
 
The truth of it was, up until that moment she was sure she was a lot more into him than vice-versa.

She wanted to ask him in, but since he’d turned her down the other four times she’d offered (it was only on their first date that she hadn’t done so), she didn’t want to feel the pain of rejection when he declined yet again.
 
Though she was tempted to, just to fill the silence between them.

“Are you available on Wednesday night, Leah?
 
I have heard there is a place where people can play miniature golf which sounds like something I would like to try.”
 
His voice had always been deep, which she found extremely attractive, but it was his foreign accent that caught on certain consonants which shifted it into the realm of damn sexy.

“Sure,” she replied, unable to keep the disappointment out of her voice.
 
“Just give me a call…”

He stepped forward, his broad shoulders filling the doorway.
 
His eyebrows had drawn together as his smile faded.
 
“What is wrong?
 
Did I not word that correctly?”

“Wrong?”
 
Leah tried a small laugh that sounded
fake
even to her ears.
 
“No, you said that perfectly.”
 
There had been instances where Rykhan had gotten tangled in his English words but his speech had improved a lot since they’d been going out.
 
Something he said was a direct result of her help.

His eyes did a slow roam over her face as he moved even closer.
 
“You do not seem happy with my suggestion for our next outing.”

She heard a door across the hall open and without thinking, snagged the folded cuff of his shirt that rested on his forearm, dragging him the rest of the way inside before closing the door and twisting the dead bolt.
 
Sometimes living in an apartment complex was like living in a fishbowl and Leah liked to keep her private life under wraps.

Turning back to where he stood in front of the foyer’s closet door, she took a deep breath.
 
Maybe it was time to put it out there.
 
They’d met at a singles event so they both knew the other was looking to connect with someone.
 
But with his lack of moves and zero interest in engaging in anything of the physical intimacy variety, Leah felt it was time to put her cards on the table.

She leaned, pressing her back against the front door as she looked at him.
 
God, he was stunning.
 
Tall.
 
So tall that he towered over her five-foot, ten-inch stature.
 
Tall enough that she could comfortably wear heels when she was with him.
 
Long, sun-streaked brown hair that fell in waves to his shoulders.
 
To his broad,
muscled
shoulders.
 
And even though she’d never actually seen his chest, it had been pressed against her enough times in their brief hugs that Leah knew Rykhan worked out, since both it and his abs
were
comprised of amazing hills and valleys.

He was going to be a hard act to follow.
 
But Leah was willing to cut her losses and move on.

Because everything within her wanted to be so much more to him than just a
friend
.

As her mind swirled with all those thoughts as well as the knowledge that she wasn’t what he was looking for, her mouth blurted, “Why haven’t you ever tried to kiss me?”
 

She immediately clapped a hand over her traitorous lips and saw he looked as shocked as she felt by her abrupt question.

“Kiss you?” His voice was only a whisper in the air between them.

“Yeah.
 
Sorry, that just kind of slipped out,” Leah muttered, looking down at the floor, mortified to her core.
 
And as if to add insult to injury, she felt the sharp heat of her blush as it crept up her face.

There were a couple of beats of silence before he spoke again.
 
“You want me to kiss you, Leah?”

She dragged her eyes back up to his because she needed to see his reaction to her oh-so-honest but embarrassing gaff.
 
His face held a look of amazed confusion.

‘You certainly put your foot in it this time.’
 
And she thought her mind was overstating the obvious.
 
So she simply nodded in reply.

“I thought hu…
ah,
American females liked things to go slowly when they dated.”
 
He swallowed deeply and Leah watched his throat as it moved through the motion.
 
Even his damn neck was sexy!
  
“And a kiss, this early in our relationship, would be considered appropriate?”

She could only nod again as everything in her body started squealing ‘yes, a thousand times
yes
!’
 
From his question, she deduced he
hadn’t
regulated her to the position of side-kick, just someone to go out with until he found a woman prettier and more enjoyable.
 
That he had been taking it slowly, unsure of her American customs—things so different from what he knew or had experience with back in his home country.

With a look of quiet determination, Rykhan took a small step forward and placed his hands on the door, on either side of Leah’s head, leaning in until their faces were just inches apart.
 
“Then I will be more than happy as well as honored to kiss you, my Leah,” he breathed and she watched as he tilted his chin downward, their eyes caught in an unblinking stare.

He filled her vision as she lifted her face to his, silently offering her lips as her pounding heart began to resound in every cell of her body.
 
The first press of his lips against hers was simple, almost innocent as he glided his mouth over hers.
 
It was a kiss that was inquisitive and she canted her head to allow him better access.

But it was his low groan that gave Leah the courage to move her hands from his waist to his back and brought their bodies closer together.
 
An action he seemed to be in favor of, if the way he moved his hands to pull her away from the door and against his chest was any indication.

And gave her the courage to use her tongue to lightly trace the seam of his mouth, which gained her another moan that seemed to come from his very toes.
 
So she continued the move, adding more pressure with each sweep in a silent plea for him to let her inside.

When Rykhan finally parted his lips, Leah wasted no time darting inside, her whole body thrilling when she felt the first touch of his tongue against hers.
 
His body stilled at that initial contact and she wondered if she’d gone too far.

‘In for a penny…’
she thought as she used her lips to suckle his, curling around in a hot, wet caress before moving to stroke as she tantalized and tasted.
 
And for a very few seconds, she wondered if he was going to respond or simply allow her to take the lead.
 
He seemed hesitant and a bit unsure for a moment before he gripped her even tighter, angling his head before he joined in with more enthusiasm than she’d ever seen him display.

His mouth commanded as his tongue plundered, causing Leah to arch her breasts against him.
 
Her body was on fire with the way he was tormenting her lips in a kiss that was no longer simple.
 
But just as she was thinking of taking him and his hot mouth into the bedroom, she felt a hot slice of sharp pain slice against her bicep.
 
A band of burn which had agonizingly wrapped itself around her arm and she yanked herself away from him, bumping the back of her head against the door in the process.

“Ouch!” She yelped through lips that felt swollen as she grabbed the area that was still throbbing even though the pain was quickly ebbing.

“Did I hurt you?” Leah heard him ask and she snapped her eyes back up at him.
 
Of all the times for it to have happened!

“No, it wasn’t you.
 
I just…it felt like…” Her mind was still whirling from their mouth-play and she struggled to find the words to explain why she’d so abruptly disconnected from him.
 
“My arm felt like something burned me.
 
Almost like a brand or something.”

Using his eyes to ask permission, Rykhan pried her hand away so he could see her skin.
 
His fingers traced over the same spot she’d felt the sting, even pulling her arm away from her body in order to trail the underneath side.
 
And Leah felt a skittering of goose-bumps follow in his touch’s wake.

“Can you see anything?” she asked, studying his face.
 
All that she’d seen on her skin had been the slight red mark from where she’d grabbed at it.

His eyes were somber and thoughtful but Leah had a weird sense that he was holding himself in check.
 
“Have you ever experienced that kind of pain before?
 
In any other place on your body?” he queried, completely ignoring the question she’d asked him.

“No,” Leah sighed.
 
She wanted to get back to what they’d been doing before her body interrupted them.
 
But even she had to admit the mood was broken.
 
“I’ve never had that happen before.”

“Good.”
 
His strong arms stole around her again and maybe it was because she couldn’t see his expression, she was aware of the bemused tone in his one worded growl.
 
Placing a casual quick kiss on her forehead, his hands dropped away and he stepped back.
 
“I should be going.
 
I will call you tomorrow and we can arrange a time to go miniature golfing.”

Telling
herself
it was for the best, Leah let him out the door.
 
“Goodnight, Rykhan.”

With one hand on the railing, he turned back to me with a small smile.
 
“Goodnight, Leah.
 
Sleep well.”

And with that, our sixth date was over.

*.*.*.*.*

 
Rykhan had to fight his body on the way to his truck parked in the visitor’s section of Leah’s apartment complex.
 
To battle against both his elation and the need to race back to his residence so he could inform the other warriors, those who had also been chosen for Quest, of what had transpired between him and Leah that evening.

Not that he was anxious to tell of the kiss they’d shared, although it had been more than amazing.
 
He’d seen it performed on the vids and had even seen other human couples share in the mouth-on-mouth movement which showed and signified their affection for one another.
 
And that, he admitted, had been even better in the actual experience than he’d imagined.
 
So deeply arousing that he’d temporarily gotten lost in it, in the feel of her, and the sensations that had shot through him at their mouth’s joining.
 
Electrifying and inciting him in a way that found his tailpor throbbing and demanding release.