Outbound by aftrnoondlight

Official Description:

Two beautiful souls humbly traveling life’s lonely path, until fate suddenly shows her hand. Will Edward and Bella surrender willingly… A tender, romantic tale of love and life in the clouds.

Word Count: 43,404

The other night on twitter, I sent out a request for something awesome to read and this is one of the stories that were recommended to me. I don’t know why I hadn’t read it before because I’ve loved everything else by afternoondlight, but I’m glad I finally read it.

Outbound begins with flight attendant Bella having a few drinks in Edward’s bar. Things quickly escalate with them. It’s hot, and I love it:

“You’re kind of… adorable.”

“Adorable isn’t exactly one night stand material,” I said quietly, biting my lip. Feather light touches eased down by the back of his slightly trembling hand.

“Is that what this is?”

“I don’t… I don’t know what this is. But fuck, I want you to touch me, Edward,” I breathed, he gasped quietly, wide eyed. “It’s all I’ve thought of for the past four and half hours… and I don’t usually do this sort of thing… but god I want to feel you.”

What develops between the two of them is so much more than your typical one-night stand relationship. Even when they can’t define what they are, there’s no question that they’re something, everything.

Melting, I pinned her against the bedroom door, hands over head. “I’m sick… and gross. And… fuck you feel good.” Smiling, breathing along heated, honeyed skin, I skimmed down her neck, light lips taunting. “And you’re here and you brought soup… How was your flight?”

“Horrible… it was horrible. Fuck, I missed you…”

“Yeah, tell me…” She teased and twisted, reactively swiveling towards.

“So fucking much…” Peppering truth with wet, open mouth kisses at her throat, and lower… buttons fell open.

“I have germs…”

“No more fever… I won’t kiss your mouth…” I worked lower, an irresistible decent. The lavender… Like a goddamn aphrodisiac. Caressing, rolling one pink, taut nipple, I licked, swirling and sucking the other… the sweetest fucking skin.

“Edward… ” Hands released, slipping, tugging through my hair. Warmth, open and exposed, I tasted, dipping my tongue in her navel. Steady hands pushed, pale pink pajama pants down and further, my cock hard, denim tight.

This is a quick read and so, so good. Definitely don’t miss it.

Here’s what we had to say back in the day:

Before I get started with my review of Outbound by the incredibly talented duo of jarkin33 and phoebes.promise, otherwise known as aftrnoondlight, we’re going to do an exercise. Come on, it’ll be fun, I promise. Okay, now I want you to read the following sentences and then close your eyes. Everyone ready?

• Feathering fingers through newly tousled layers, I licked chilled lips from the brisk autumn evening.
• With each pass, I’d quietly breathe her in.
• You’re a hot, glowing mess, Isabella.
• He searched, smiling, seemingly lost, my knees weakened.
• The very last button opened, gaze never parting, my fingers sliding up her smooth stomach, teasing soft swells.
• A wink, a wave, I breathed deep through the still strong and delicious swirl of butterflies.

Okay, now tell me you if you’ve ever read anything like that before? Words that you can see like watching a picture come to life in a tray of developing solution. Words that you can feel, like a warm blanket that you can curl up in, soft against your skin. Words that you can hear … like a mere whisper in your ear.

When Kassiah asked me if I would review Outbound, I swear I clapped and jumped up and down like a crazed teeny bopper. I have to admit, I’m a bit biased when it comes to these two seeing as how they wrote the incredible Beneath the Undertow, a story that has moved me like no other. Needless to say, when I found out they were writing a new story, I was giddy beyond belief. Once I got past the second sentence, I realized Outbound was going to be like nothing I expected … and a million, billion times better.

Edward owns a restaurant. Bella’s a flight attendant. They meet one night when Bella walks into Breeze to join some friends for a night of dinner and drinks, a well-earned night on the town while she gets over the end of a relationship. Bella in her bumbling, stuttering, blushing, adorable, and totally natural self does her best to just enjoy the evening. Of course who happens to catch her eye, but the man himself. Only this Edward is … almost too much. All cocky and flirty, one button too many undone, platinum watch wearing, yet vulnerable and real Edward. The chemistry between these two leaps, like Superman scaling tall buildings in a single bound, leaps, off the computer screen at you.

Besides an obvious and quickly sated physical connection, the emotional connection is even deeper and more profound. Edward’s dealing with heart-wrenching family issues … his beloved sister, Rose, is dying from cancer, so he flies from Chicago to New York City on the weekends to visit her … a flight that just so happens to be Bella’s route. Bella’s dealing with family problems of her own. She takes care of her niece, Makenna, or Mak as she prefers to be called, while her sister, Emily, traipses across the world doing good deed’s for others. Bella and Mak live with their Aunt Mary who, I kid you not, is the best original character I’ve EVER come across.

Outbound is a love story at its core, but interwoven with all that, it’s a story of family, of forgiveness, and of hope. aftrnoondlight’s words will warm your heart, even when they make you cry. They will make you hot and bothered and they will make you laugh. As I tell these two gifted and beautiful authors every week when I review their much-awaited chapter, their words make my heart happy.

I guarantee they’ll make yours as well.

Read Outbound, now, and get swept away like the rest of us.