Read Online Rykhan (Book 1 of Mate Search Series) by J.A. Hornbuckle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J.A. Hornbuckle
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her palm to
his. She schooled her features at the moist touch of his skin on
hers.
Maybe he’s just as nervous as you are, she
scolded herself and dropped her hand back into her lap to wipe it
on her traitorously short skirt.
“I’m a homebody who enjoys model trains, just
about all sports and have two adorable cats.” Ted drummed his
fingers on the tabletop which was just a minor annoyance compared
to the sound of his tenor voice. “What about you?”
She hated to do it but both she and Pam had
decided that the best way for them to ‘cull the herd’ (so to speak)
was to ensure that they described themselves as the exact opposite
of what their potential partner relayed about their
interests.
“Wow, we couldn’t be more different!” Leah
tried to inject some enthusiasm into her voice and to stop mumbling
but it was an effort. “I like to go and do and try new things. I
don’t know about trains, but I’m not into sports.” She offered a
smile and hoped it only felt faked before adding, “And I’m horribly
allergic to cats.”
Ted’s smile faded and he wiggled in his seat
before casting an eye over his shoulder. “So no love at first sight
for us, huh?”
The smile that lit Leah’s face was one of the
true varieties and she shrugged. “Doesn’t seem like it. But we
still have five minutes left.”
“Ever been to one of these things before?” Ted
looked a lot better after he relaxed although he still wasn’t the
kind of man Leah would consider for herself.
“Nope. You?” She hoped they could fill the time
remaining with inane albeit socially acceptable chatter before he
moved on.
“Yeah,” he admitted with a rueful shake of his
head, causing the overhead lights to catch on his receding
hairline. “They’re okay, I guess. You get to meet a lot of new
people. And sometimes those people show up at some of the other
single events here in town.”
“There are other places for singles, too?” Her
interest piqued at the idea of other activities where unattached
men and women in the twenty-one to thirty-five age group got
together.
“Sure! They’re all over the valley.” The wink
accompanying his words had Leah shifting in her own chair. “You
need a tour guide, DeeDee?”
“Uhm, it’s Leah,” she corrected, while managing
not to roll her eyes at how quickly Ted had forgotten her name.
“Are they listed on the internet?”
He raised a hand and swished it through the
air. “Some are, some aren’t.” He dropped his voice both in volume
and in timbre as he leaned closer. “And some, Dana, are by
invitation only.”
‘Yuck’ her mind yelped and she quickly raised a
hand to her nose to prevent him from seeing how she’d involuntarily
scrunched it in derision at his obvious come-on. “Looks like I’ll
be doing some research!”
His mouth formed small moue of disappointment
but if that was Ted’s opening gambit when meeting a woman, Leah
figured he was going to be extremely frustrated by the time the
night had finished. The tinkling of a bell-sound saw him up and out
of his chair so fast that he had to rescue it from tumbling onto
its back before he quickly moved to Pam’s table.
Leah turned her head to glance at her friend
when the table underneath her forearms rocked, signaling her next
partner had arrived. Pasting on a small grin before looking at the
newest man, she had a fleeting thought, a prayer that Ted would be
the worst she would encounter.
However, she was wrong and knew it the second
the man started speaking.
“Damn. You’re tall,” he grumped with a frown.
“I can tell. Just by looking at how long your forearm is, I can
tell you’re close to six feet. I don’t date tall women.”
Momentarily nonplussed, she blinked before
replying. “Yes, I am. And I’m guessing by your reaction that you
aren’t.” Sure, it was a shitty response but Leah figured she had
nothing to lose. “So what do you want to do for the next six and a
half minutes?”
“Do you mind
his. She schooled her features at the moist touch of his skin on
hers.
Maybe he’s just as nervous as you are, she
scolded herself and dropped her hand back into her lap to wipe it
on her traitorously short skirt.
“I’m a homebody who enjoys model trains, just
about all sports and have two adorable cats.” Ted drummed his
fingers on the tabletop which was just a minor annoyance compared
to the sound of his tenor voice. “What about you?”
She hated to do it but both she and Pam had
decided that the best way for them to ‘cull the herd’ (so to speak)
was to ensure that they described themselves as the exact opposite
of what their potential partner relayed about their
interests.
“Wow, we couldn’t be more different!” Leah
tried to inject some enthusiasm into her voice and to stop mumbling
but it was an effort. “I like to go and do and try new things. I
don’t know about trains, but I’m not into sports.” She offered a
smile and hoped it only felt faked before adding, “And I’m horribly
allergic to cats.”
Ted’s smile faded and he wiggled in his seat
before casting an eye over his shoulder. “So no love at first sight
for us, huh?”
The smile that lit Leah’s face was one of the
true varieties and she shrugged. “Doesn’t seem like it. But we
still have five minutes left.”
“Ever been to one of these things before?” Ted
looked a lot better after he relaxed although he still wasn’t the
kind of man Leah would consider for herself.
“Nope. You?” She hoped they could fill the time
remaining with inane albeit socially acceptable chatter before he
moved on.
“Yeah,” he admitted with a rueful shake of his
head, causing the overhead lights to catch on his receding
hairline. “They’re okay, I guess. You get to meet a lot of new
people. And sometimes those people show up at some of the other
single events here in town.”
“There are other places for singles, too?” Her
interest piqued at the idea of other activities where unattached
men and women in the twenty-one to thirty-five age group got
together.
“Sure! They’re all over the valley.” The wink
accompanying his words had Leah shifting in her own chair. “You
need a tour guide, DeeDee?”
“Uhm, it’s Leah,” she corrected, while managing
not to roll her eyes at how quickly Ted had forgotten her name.
“Are they listed on the internet?”
He raised a hand and swished it through the
air. “Some are, some aren’t.” He dropped his voice both in volume
and in timbre as he leaned closer. “And some, Dana, are by
invitation only.”
‘Yuck’ her mind yelped and she quickly raised a
hand to her nose to prevent him from seeing how she’d involuntarily
scrunched it in derision at his obvious come-on. “Looks like I’ll
be doing some research!”
His mouth formed small moue of disappointment
but if that was Ted’s opening gambit when meeting a woman, Leah
figured he was going to be extremely frustrated by the time the
night had finished. The tinkling of a bell-sound saw him up and out
of his chair so fast that he had to rescue it from tumbling onto
its back before he quickly moved to Pam’s table.
Leah turned her head to glance at her friend
when the table underneath her forearms rocked, signaling her next
partner had arrived. Pasting on a small grin before looking at the
newest man, she had a fleeting thought, a prayer that Ted would be
the worst she would encounter.
However, she was wrong and knew it the second
the man started speaking.
“Damn. You’re tall,” he grumped with a frown.
“I can tell. Just by looking at how long your forearm is, I can
tell you’re close to six feet. I don’t date tall women.”
Momentarily nonplussed, she blinked before
replying. “Yes, I am. And I’m guessing by your reaction that you
aren’t.” Sure, it was a shitty response but Leah figured she had
nothing to lose. “So what do you want to do for the next six and a
half minutes?”
“Do you mind
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