Well, hello there 😀
Whaaa? Where has July gone?? Man, the days have been flying like crazy but I said I'd post at least one more little teaser for Chasing Earth and I do strive to be a gal of my word, so, here it be!
Just touched base with my editor, and we're still on track for end of August (Haaa-lelujah!) Lol. This will be the first time writing on a "deadline" for me and I'm so pleased with how well things are coming along :D And that it looks like I'll be able to give poor Tori and Aderus the timely HEA they deserve.
Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments and encouragement you guys💗. Honestly, it's what keeps those fires burning 😘
Okay, let's get to the good part. Enjoy!
P.S. As before, this is unedited 😮
Chasing Earth Teaser...
“I’m sorry, I just can’t get over your new peepers.” Liv marveled from the vid screen.
Tori had virtually collapsed into bed as soon as she reached her quarters. You’d think she had enough sleep being comatose for three days straight but when the adrenaline had worn off, after the scans aboard their ship, she’d been exhausted. No doubt her body was still trying to recuperate from, you know, being altered on a molecular level. She’d called Liv as soon as she woke.
“Yeah. I know.” She replied, her fingers brushing her temples. “I’m still not used to them either. Freaks me out every time I look in the mirror.”
Thank Gaia she could talk to Liv about it- her best friend was all she had to turn to for some much-needed reassurance right now. Putting in a good word had apparently helped push Liv’s request and she consequently had clearance few others did; though Tori was sure the woman's impressive credentials had more to do with it.
“Gotta get me a pair.” Her friend’s lips twitched tellingly. “How did you say it happened again? Accidental contamination?”
Tori adjusted herself in her chair. Liv knew her too well, sensed something much bigger was at play, but she still wasn’t allowed to disclose those exact details and Tori doubted Liv guessed at just how “big”. “That’s what I said.” She replied evenly, knowing full well they were being monitored and wishing her friend were here, so she could punch her in the arm. Then maybe have a good cry and turn to her for a hug.
Tori frowned, turning inward. The concept never bothered her very much before, but now…. Perhaps because they’d blatantly deceived her, though really, everyone aboard just accepted almost constant vid surveillance. It was still wrong what they’d done, she thought with a spark of anger, thinking of Wells and her superiors. Then her stomach dropped as she thought of the pints of synth blood she’d taken. Did they know about that too? Did they suspect something? If so, Wells hadn’t said anything, and Tori was more determined than ever to keep it from them. That every interaction between her and Aderus would be tainted with the knowledge they were being studied like science experiments… Well, she was a science experiment, to be fair. That started her brain down an all-too-familiar path since she’d regained consciousness.
“Don’t. Stop thinking about it.” Liv said from the screen, concern lighting her hazel eyes. “You can’t let yourself obsess over the possibilities, bad or otherwise. You’ll go crazy.” Her friend repeated from earlier. “Right now, everything is good and that’s all that matters. That’s reality; not the other stuff.”
“You’re right.” Tori forced a smile. Liv always made her feel better, put things in perspective. It was pretty much what she did for a living so made sense she’d be good at it. When Tori had first called, just talking about what happened had gotten her pretty upset but Liv had calmed her down. She’d been worried too, of course, but what was there to do?
It is what it is, kid. As her Dad used to say.
“And you got the sexiest pair of peepers in history from the deal, so, win-win.” Liv added. Tori’s strained chuckle was interrupted by the door chime and she looked back over her shoulder.
“Jeez, they never do leave you alone, do they?” She heard Liv say disapprovingly.
“Not for very long, no.” Tori sighed. It was probably one of the technicians coming to “check in”. A.k.a., collect another sample. The regular poking and prodding was growing old quick, but they couldn’t fit her with an insta-mod due to Henry.
“It’s the vampires. I’ll talk to you later.” She said, turning to Liv.
“K, love you.” The screen went black as Liv disconnected and Tori pulled herself from the chair. The chime sounded again.
“Alright, alright.” She grumped. “Come in!”
Tori wasn’t prepared for who stood facing her when the doors parted. Sharp golden eyes found her own like a punch to the gut. She hadn’t bothered to check the feed, had just assumed…
“Hey.” She said, a little breathless. He was alone too, another shocker. Well, other than the standard escorts in the background. True to form, Aderus didn’t respond to her greeting; the concept was apparently foreign and pointless to them.
“Um, is everything alright? What are you doing here?”
“You are rested?” His deep dual voice rolled down her spine like a caress. Tori tried hard to ignore it.
“Yes. I just woke up not too long ago and was talking to my friend on a vid call.”
She watched his nostrils flare and flatten. It was several moments before Tori realized they were just standing there, her gawking, lips parted.
“Sorry. Do you want to come in, or…? Oh, okay then.” She said, quickly stepping aside as he strode lithely into her suite. The guards gave a brief nod and retreated down the corridor. Tori swallowed. They’d had sex- twice, for Gaia’s sake. Now she was suddenly nervous over having him alone in her quarters?
But this felt different, she realized. They were truly alone. Well, except for the vid feeds (freaking pervs). But there had always been other Askari or humans close by, or the chance of being walked in on. The fact the guards had retreated told her this was different. And that Aderus had initiated it. She was stunned and… impressed?
The doors closed, and Tori turned. Her alien lover was currently- there was no other word for it- sniffing about the room. Oh-kay.
“Uh, can I get you anything? Water, or?” When he continued to ignore her, Tori huffed. “Aderus, why are you here?” It was best to be direct with them, she’d learned. And though she was annoyed with how he was acting, her naïve, romantic brain jumped for joy. Maybe it was a personal call, maybe he worried over her, maybe he was interested in exploring human relationships.
Suddenly, he was in front of her- she would never get over how fluidly they moved- and she wet her lips, eyes level with his broad chest.
“They’re watching.” She murmured, her breath catching as she felt the heat from his body and her gaze fixed on his tresses. Tori had to fight the urge to touch them, knowing they felt like thick ropes covered in silk...
Tori had virtually collapsed into bed as soon as she reached her quarters. You’d think she had enough sleep being comatose for three days straight but when the adrenaline had worn off, after the scans aboard their ship, she’d been exhausted. No doubt her body was still trying to recuperate from, you know, being altered on a molecular level. She’d called Liv as soon as she woke.
“Yeah. I know.” She replied, her fingers brushing her temples. “I’m still not used to them either. Freaks me out every time I look in the mirror.”
Thank Gaia she could talk to Liv about it- her best friend was all she had to turn to for some much-needed reassurance right now. Putting in a good word had apparently helped push Liv’s request and she consequently had clearance few others did; though Tori was sure the woman's impressive credentials had more to do with it.
“Gotta get me a pair.” Her friend’s lips twitched tellingly. “How did you say it happened again? Accidental contamination?”
Tori adjusted herself in her chair. Liv knew her too well, sensed something much bigger was at play, but she still wasn’t allowed to disclose those exact details and Tori doubted Liv guessed at just how “big”. “That’s what I said.” She replied evenly, knowing full well they were being monitored and wishing her friend were here, so she could punch her in the arm. Then maybe have a good cry and turn to her for a hug.
Tori frowned, turning inward. The concept never bothered her very much before, but now…. Perhaps because they’d blatantly deceived her, though really, everyone aboard just accepted almost constant vid surveillance. It was still wrong what they’d done, she thought with a spark of anger, thinking of Wells and her superiors. Then her stomach dropped as she thought of the pints of synth blood she’d taken. Did they know about that too? Did they suspect something? If so, Wells hadn’t said anything, and Tori was more determined than ever to keep it from them. That every interaction between her and Aderus would be tainted with the knowledge they were being studied like science experiments… Well, she was a science experiment, to be fair. That started her brain down an all-too-familiar path since she’d regained consciousness.
“Don’t. Stop thinking about it.” Liv said from the screen, concern lighting her hazel eyes. “You can’t let yourself obsess over the possibilities, bad or otherwise. You’ll go crazy.” Her friend repeated from earlier. “Right now, everything is good and that’s all that matters. That’s reality; not the other stuff.”
“You’re right.” Tori forced a smile. Liv always made her feel better, put things in perspective. It was pretty much what she did for a living so made sense she’d be good at it. When Tori had first called, just talking about what happened had gotten her pretty upset but Liv had calmed her down. She’d been worried too, of course, but what was there to do?
It is what it is, kid. As her Dad used to say.
“And you got the sexiest pair of peepers in history from the deal, so, win-win.” Liv added. Tori’s strained chuckle was interrupted by the door chime and she looked back over her shoulder.
“Jeez, they never do leave you alone, do they?” She heard Liv say disapprovingly.
“Not for very long, no.” Tori sighed. It was probably one of the technicians coming to “check in”. A.k.a., collect another sample. The regular poking and prodding was growing old quick, but they couldn’t fit her with an insta-mod due to Henry.
“It’s the vampires. I’ll talk to you later.” She said, turning to Liv.
“K, love you.” The screen went black as Liv disconnected and Tori pulled herself from the chair. The chime sounded again.
“Alright, alright.” She grumped. “Come in!”
Tori wasn’t prepared for who stood facing her when the doors parted. Sharp golden eyes found her own like a punch to the gut. She hadn’t bothered to check the feed, had just assumed…
“Hey.” She said, a little breathless. He was alone too, another shocker. Well, other than the standard escorts in the background. True to form, Aderus didn’t respond to her greeting; the concept was apparently foreign and pointless to them.
“Um, is everything alright? What are you doing here?”
“You are rested?” His deep dual voice rolled down her spine like a caress. Tori tried hard to ignore it.
“Yes. I just woke up not too long ago and was talking to my friend on a vid call.”
She watched his nostrils flare and flatten. It was several moments before Tori realized they were just standing there, her gawking, lips parted.
“Sorry. Do you want to come in, or…? Oh, okay then.” She said, quickly stepping aside as he strode lithely into her suite. The guards gave a brief nod and retreated down the corridor. Tori swallowed. They’d had sex- twice, for Gaia’s sake. Now she was suddenly nervous over having him alone in her quarters?
But this felt different, she realized. They were truly alone. Well, except for the vid feeds (freaking pervs). But there had always been other Askari or humans close by, or the chance of being walked in on. The fact the guards had retreated told her this was different. And that Aderus had initiated it. She was stunned and… impressed?
The doors closed, and Tori turned. Her alien lover was currently- there was no other word for it- sniffing about the room. Oh-kay.
“Uh, can I get you anything? Water, or?” When he continued to ignore her, Tori huffed. “Aderus, why are you here?” It was best to be direct with them, she’d learned. And though she was annoyed with how he was acting, her naïve, romantic brain jumped for joy. Maybe it was a personal call, maybe he worried over her, maybe he was interested in exploring human relationships.
Suddenly, he was in front of her- she would never get over how fluidly they moved- and she wet her lips, eyes level with his broad chest.
“They’re watching.” She murmured, her breath catching as she felt the heat from his body and her gaze fixed on his tresses. Tori had to fight the urge to touch them, knowing they felt like thick ropes covered in silk...
Chasing Earth by J.M. Link
Copyright 2018, J.M. Link
All rights reserved.
