Jaron travels to another dimension to rescue Velmar, a good friend and fellow rebel. While sneaking through the Cretzian fortress Jaron encounters another captive, a feisty human female. Nikki offers to help Jaron rescue Velmar but only if they agree to return her to Earth.
Jaron accepts Nikki’s condition, but isn’t sure he’ll be able to let her go. She intrigues and arouses him in a way he has never experienced before. Though he senses deception in Nikki, he is also convinced that she’s his soulmate. Is she an innocent victim of their mutual enemy or a cleverly planted spy? Jaron must determine if the female he is falling in love with is friend or foe and convince her to accept his claim all while fighting a contentious civil war.
Copyright © 2020 Cyndi Friberg
They stepped into the tunnel, activating the first section of overhead lights. The lights turned off and on automatically as they strolled along the tunnel.
“Holy cow. Are we…” Her jaw dropped and her hand slipped from his as she turned in a slow circle. “We’re inside a freaking lake, aren’t we?”
A school of fish glided by, swishing around the curve of the tunnel. “The village is called Lake Walker for this very reason.” She tilted her head this way and that as water creatures of every size and variety flowed around them. “You can see a lot more in the day, but I didn’t want you to miss out entirely.”
“I thought the sunlight made you sick?” She dragged her attention away from their surroundings and looked at him.
“It does, very. But water is a natural sunblock. At this depth, I could remain in the light for several hours. Needless to say, the tunnels are very popular. My people love to take advantage of the rare environment where they can be surrounded by sunlight and not suffer.”
“That must be really hard. I can’t imagine having to hide from the sun.”
He shrugged and slipped his hand back into hers. The simple touch was comforting, yet exciting in a way that baffled him. He had never been this stimulated by such a simple touch. He cleared his throat and focused on her comment. “I’ve never known anything else. It’s hard to miss something you never had. I was raised in Riverside which is completely underground. Children are particularly susceptible, so I was a teenager before I ever went aboveground. It terrified me at first. I felt as if my body would fly apart. It was overwhelming.”
“And I hated to be indoors.” A wistful note crept into her tone. “I spent my entire childhood on a bike or in our backyard. Even now, if there’s no one in the shop I go outside so I can feel the breeze on my skin and the sun on my face.”
“Lake Walker Village is one of the few settlements where you will still have that.” He heard the inference in his words and cringed. Every time he looked at her he pictured her sharing his life, but he knew her perspective was very different. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” He looked down and was pleasantly surprised by her soft smile.
“I’m pretty sure you know I’m attracted to you, but the timing for any sort of romance is horrible.”
“I’m aware, but it doesn’t change the way I feel about you.” He waited for her to pull her hand from his. Again, she surprised him.
“I don’t have casual affairs, Jaron. If we’re going to explore what we’re feeling, it would have to mean something significant to you. If a serious relationship isn’t what you’re looking for, then—”
He pressed his free hand against the side of her face and covered her mouth with his. He had wanted to kiss her for so long it was all he could do not to devour her. Instead, he brushed his lips against her and savored her evocative scent.
“My feelings for you are anything but casual.” He spoke the words softly without lifting his mouth from hers. Then he carefully slipped his emotions into her mind.
She pulled her hand out of his, but wrapped her arms around his back. Her lips parted and she rocked to the balls of her feet so their mouths were better aligned.
Thrilled by the invitation, Jaron took the kiss deeper. He caressed his way into her mouth then stroked her tongue with his. She responded immediately, easily matching the passion of his kiss. Her taste spread through his mouth as her scent sank deeper into his lungs. Mate. Every molecule of his being echoed the word. He was kissing his mate. Desire erupted like an inferno dragging a groan from his throat. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her tighter against his body.
Her urgency escalated right along with his. She bent one of her legs, hooking her heel around the back of his thigh. The heat of her core sank into his leg and he moaned into her open mouth.
“We have to stop.” But he went right on kissing her.