Page 19 of Mate for the Space Cowboy (Match Made in Space #3)

Romi

Fury, my favorite horse, snorts before lowering his head. He’s stunning with his shimmery golden coat.

I look up at him. “You are proud, aren’t you?” I tease. He snorts again, and I stroke my hand along the side of his neck.

The horses here are like Earth horses, but they can fly. Like the aliens here, they have descended from a combination of species. The people here are descendants of cowboys from Earth who traveled through the galaxy centuries ago. The offspring they created is stronger and healthier than humans and the original aliens.

The horses the cowboys brought with them mated with horses native to this planet that were dying out at the time. Now, these beautiful creatures are here. I feel lucky to have a job where I help care for them and train them. On Earth, I was basically a slave. I worked in the stables there as well. Even though I was tired all the time, I loved my job.

On this new planet, I have much more freedom with my job and am treated with respect. I feel goose bumps rise on my skin and a little tug in my chest. I think I know who’s close by, but I’m not sure, and I’m almost afraid to turn around. Not out of genuine fear but because this feeling is so unsettling. My skin starts to feel hot.

“Romi,” a male voice says, the sound sizzling through my body and making my belly feel funny and liquid inside.

I turn, lifting my chin. I’ve seen this man before. I know his name is Thorne, and he is part of the royal security team and an elite spy. I’ve gathered that information from my friends. He has the golden eyes all the alien cowboys have here and gorgeous bronze skin that shimmers under this planet’s sun.

My heart beats faster like hooves pounding on the ground inside my body. My breath is shallow, and my knees feel wobbly.

“Hi,” I say, my voice breathless.

He takes a step closer, and I see his tail twitch behind him. I feel an unfamiliar liquid sensation between my thighs. Thorne’s eyes narrow as he takes another step closer, and I can hardly breathe as I stare up at him. For a human woman, I am tall. But these alien cowboys tower over me, and it makes me feel vulnerable in a way I don’t like.

I have fought for all of my life to simply stay alive on Earth. That familiar survival instinct is still there, rearing its presence. “I’m Thorne,” he says. “You are Romi.” He pauses, his intent golden gaze sweeping over me. “And you are mine.”

The finality in his tone is startling. I stare at him, feeling my lips part as those pounding hooves gather force inside my chest.

“I am?” My voice sounds distant and unfamiliar to me, breathy and uncertain.

Thorne nods as he takes yet another step closer. I fear I might legit swoon. Swooning is not a thing I do. I grew up hating men. Men on Earth are cruel. It’s a little strange and unsettling to watch how women are worshipped here, to watch friends of mine fall deeply in love.

Thorne lifts his hand, palming my cheek. His thumb traces along my jaw, the calloused surface of it sending sparks over my skin. He drags it across my lip. I can feel a visceral pull to step closer. I have never wanted someone’s touch. Ever. Much less a man’s.

Right now, this very second, I want his mouth on mine. I want him to mark me.

Just then, I hear another voice. Startled, I jump back. When I look over my shoulder, I see the prince and princess, Asher and Jane, approaching. Thorne appears entirely unaffected by their presence. He steps back. “Can I have a moment alone with Romi?” he asks the prince.

Asher looks toward Jane, and I see the questions swirling in his gaze. I still find it so strange that he defers to her. Jane, who is also my friend and who I care for deeply, narrows her eyes at Thorne before looking toward me.

“Would you like a moment with Thorne?” she asks. “He has told the prince he would like you as a mate.”

My heart is still pounding at a frenetic gallop in my chest. When I look up at Thorne, I know that this man is meant to be my mate. I look back at Jane and swallow through my nervousness. “Okay,” I say.

Thorne reaches for my hand, his big palm engulfing mine. He leads me down the breezeway in the barn and into a small room where we keep equipment and supplies. I walk on wobbly knees as the door clicks shut behind us.

Thorne has not released my hand, and he turns to face me. I bump into him. His arm slides around my waist to steady me. His body is hard and strong, and I feel so small beside him. His eyes bore into mine as he moves, nudging me backward until my hips bump a table.

Without even asking, he lifts me and slides my hips on it. “I’m going to kiss you now,” he states. “Is that okay?”

I want it more than anything, but I can’t speak, so I nod. Following an unsteady breath, his mouth is on mine. His kisses are slow and sensual, and I feel like I’m melting inside. I’m relieved that I’m sitting on this table. Otherwise, I know I’d collapse.

I feel him dragging my dress up around my hips. He steps back, and all I can do is look up at him. He reaches for my hand and places it over the front of his breeches. I feel the heat of his hard shaft pulsing underneath my touch.

“I want you. We will have to wait, but first, I will give you a taste,” he says.

I don’t even know what he means just now, but I want it. He reaches around my waist, his palm splaying at the base of my spine. He nudges my hips forward until my legs dangle. He cups his palm between my thighs, right where I feel an unfamiliar ache and a heaviness that I’ve never experienced.

He teases his fingers over the fabric there as he asks, “Have you had a man before?”

I shake my head. In a blink, he has pushed my panties out of the way and is teasing his fingers between my thighs where I’m dripping wet. All I know is that this feels so good. So, so good.

I want something to fill me, but he doesn’t give me that except for once when he presses two fingers inside just as he teases his thumb over a swollen place. A sense of pleasure explodes through me, and I hear myself calling his name.

He shocks me even further as he withdraws his fingers and swiftly unbuttons his breeches. “Watch,” he tells me.

I look down to see white liquid rolling out at the tip of his length. He smears his fingers over the top of it before lifting them to my mouth. I suck my arousal and his off his fingers, hearing myself moan at the tangy, salty flavor.

His eyes are dark. “We will mate in a week,” he declares.

I stare up at him as his lips descend to mine again. I hear myself letting out a little sigh into our kiss. All I know is I need more, and waiting for it feels like forever.

When he lifts his head, he asks, “Will you be mine?”

Thank you for reading Hunter & Melody’s story - I hope you loved it!