Sunday Snippet: On the Bench

July 27, 2014

It's SDCC weekend! I love how much my Twitter and Facebook feeds explode with fun and exciting information about my favorite shows and movies. So many great pictures, quotes, and rapid-fire reports to sink into and devour—a new trailer for what to expect on the rest of Defiance, a teaser for Arrow season three, reports about The Avengers: Age of Utron, and tons of cosplay pictures, which I love to see.

And SDCC kind of launches the countdown for Dragon Con in September. I've never had the opportunity to attend, but I have so many online friends who go, I'm lucky enough to pretty much experience the whole thing vicariously through them.

Tonight's post is from, On the Bench, a short story set in an ultimate fighting / mixed martial arts scene.

Here's the tagline:

Peyton Bice comes of age around the mixed marital arts sporting events and her past comes calling in the form of her father's former star fighter, now a leading trainer. Rookie Cliff Westfordson offers a shoulder to lean on, but Peyton fears getting tangled up with the newest recruit on her dad's roster.

And a snippety peek…

Cliff entered the darkened gym and found Peyton slumped against the back wall, her knees drawn up to her chest with her chin, her forehead resting on top. He had no idea where her thoughts might be, no clue how she felt, but he wouldn't want to be alone after severely injuring another fighter.

He quietly walked over and settled down on the bench perpendicular to the wall. He reclined back with his legs on either side of the cushioned seat. He angled his head toward her, wondering if she might have fallen asleep. He wouldn't blame her. The emotional toll from the last month could've finally caught up with her.

She lifted her head and gave him a level stare.

He met her gaze head on. "I'll listen, if and when you're ready to talk, Peyton." He glanced away. "About anything." Even Roman 'the Dick' Capps.

She snorted. "You sure about that?" She rolled up to her feet, the dim light casting a shadow over her already blackened eye. "You might want to be careful about making promises to a jealous bitch of a shrew."

Roman's words had cut deep, but she didn't have to use Cliff as a target.

He straightened his head and gazed up at the ceiling. "Only one person thinks you're a bitch, Peyton, and he's not here."

She moved forward, glancing down. "No, he's sitting vigil in the hospital, but you're playing shrink, trying to get inside my head." She huffed out a harsh breath. "Trust me, Cliff. You won't score any points by figuring me out. And it won't help you move up on the roster."

He shook his head. "Right, should have known you'd leap to a stupid conclusion." He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes, shutting her out.

He'd never get anything right with her.

Peyton crossed the room and exited.

Cliff stayed, running the fight through his head again, knowing deep in his gut, Peyton hadn't inflicted all the damage. Carmella had entered the cage favoring her right side and Peyton always went for the left with a cross jab. He'd bet his contract someone else had laid a beat down on Carmella before the fight.

But he'd never prove his hunch.

The door cracked open and Peyton entered, crossing the floor with soft footfalls. She paused by the bench, gazing steadily in his direction for several long moments. Cliff met her stare but kept his mouth shut.

Peyton straddled him on the bench, her butt resting atop his thighs. "Look, I appreciate the offer. I do."  She shrugged. "But I'm sorry. I just can't." She waited a beat. "Yet. I need to process everything."

Cliff studied her, wanting to push and force the issue, but he nodded. "It's a standing kind of deal." He'd honor her wish… for now.

Peyton won't wait too long to open up, but she's got other things on her mind first.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: No Words

Do any of my readers watch Defiance? I'm totally loving the new season. The tagline of Tick, Tick, Tick seems to fit the way the episodes have been going. I'm looking forward to when everything blows up and comes to a head.

Dominion and The Last Ship are also on my must view schedule. I kind of like finding new shows in the summer to sink my teeth into. I'm also rewatching the original La Femme Nikita series from the 90s. I love that show! Oh, and Peacekeeper Wars! So much good TV right now.

Tonight's post is from No Words, a short story where my main characters have a great synchronization and find words aren't always necessary to communicate.

Here's the tagline:

Colby Mass and Webster Bishop are soldiers in an elite unit and usually go full tilt into action. But when they find unexpected down time, they discover solitude can be craved, sought, and given, sometimes in unanticipated ways.

And a snippety peek…

Webster entered the rec area and plopped down beside Colby. She glanced up from her doodling, wondering if she'd have to make small talk.

Webster nodded. "Hey." He didn't say anything else, only leaned his head against the wall, staring up at the ceiling.

Colby kind of loved him in that moment. He so rarely spoke to fill in quiet. She went back to her lame drawing, adding some texture to the picture. She cocked her head, decided she didn't like the image and scribbled crazy circles all over the paper.

Her stomach growled and she glanced toward the clock. No wonder. Almost nine hours since she'd eaten a meal.

Webster straightened and angled his head in her direction. "You wanna—"

She grinned. "Yeah. Thirty minutes until close." She crumpled up the page and tossed it in the trash can before rising from the chair.

Webster stood, waving his arm toward the door. "After you."

Colby strode forward, exiting the rec area. She chuckled quietly. In less than ten words, she'd gained a dinner partner and didn't have to dine alone. And the best part? If she ended up not wanting to chat over the meal, Webster wouldn't take issue. He'd be as content as she to consume their food in companionable silence.

He might actually be the perfect man.

I kind of love writing with stark dialog. There's a challenge in getting the point across without a need for lots of back and forth.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: A Nice Gesture

Greetings!

Whew. I'm coming off a really long week but I did have time to watch Defiance and Dominion. And if all goes well, I'll be watching The Last Ship tonight.

Tonight's post is from A Nice Gesture, a short story where something nice makes all the difference in the world.

Here's the tagline:

Marah Timm and Teague McCallister work at Humpberry Farms for their summer break. Marah is prickly and standoffish, but Teague recognizes the lonely soul in need of a nice gesture.

And a snippety peek…

Marah entered the small cabin and stopped short. A complete dinner sat atop the table, steam still wafting from the dishes. She glanced around, making certain she'd entered the correct house. Her jacket hung on the peg shelf by the door and her knitting basket rested beside the rocking chair.

Her mouth gaped open. "Who the hell would cook me dinner?"

A throat cleared behind her and Teague hovered outside the door.

Marah's eyes widened. "You? You did this?" She looked around the small space. "Why?"

Teague smiled, a sad one. "Because everyone deserves something special on their birthday… even if they don't want it."

Oddly touched, Marah glanced over her shoulder again. "Um, thanks."

Teague nodded and stepped away from the door.

Marah hurried over, reached out, and grabbed his hand. "Stay. Please. I'd like the company and couldn't eat everything by myself anyway." She tugged him forward, into the cabin.

Teague cocked his head to the side. "You're sure?"

Marah chuckled. She didn't blame him for being confused. She had been a raving madwoman all week.

She pulled out a chair. "Yeah. I swear I won't try to poison the food while we eat."

Teague laughed and made his way around the table, settling in across from her. "In that case, I'll be happy to join you."

Yes… there's a story behind the poisoning the food comment she makes. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading.

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Next Year, Same Time

Hi!

I hope everyone who celebrates the 4^th had a safe and happy one filled with lots of fireworks!

Some great TV even with the holiday week. Defiance keeps getting better… and darker, which I love bunches. Dominion also keeps me coming back. I'm not quite sure I have everything down but I like to be kept guessing. Forgot to mention The Last Ship… loving it. I have a thing for shows with ships and combine it with a mutated virus, I'm totally there.

Tonight's post is from, Next Year, Same Time, a novella with a little suspense to start things off.

Here's the tagline:

Lita Vonn is a book store owner who gets caught up in a bank robbery and makes a connection with the negotiator, Saber Reyes. Saber questions her desire to get together and offers an alternative suggestion—next year, same time, they'll meet at the coffee shop across the street.

And a snippety preview…

Lita kept drumming out words, hoping like hell the negotiator had figured out her tactic.

Barnaby swung around, glaring in her direction. "You're making too much goddamned noise. Stop it."

Lita snapped at him. "You're holding a fucking gun on me and you're strapped with explosives. Excuse me if I'm a little freaked out and shaky right now." She paused, mid-sentence.

The guy responded. "Are you trying to be a smart ass?" He waved the sidearm back and forth.

Lita quieted her tone. "No, I'm stating a simple fact. You're gonna have to cut me some slack here."

He tilted his head, studying her for a few moments. "Yeah, okay, but watch that smart mouth. I'm in charge here."

Lita breathed a sigh of relief.

Saber quietly asked, "Everything okay in there?"

Lita answered. "Yes, it's fine. We're all still okay." She quickly tapped out a new message. He's pacing back and forth, getting impatient.

Saber replied. "I understand. We're working to get everything in place."

Something in his tone gave Lita confidence he'd been following her covert dialog.

Chuck snapped out a question. "What's taking so long? I want that document."

Saber spoke, calm and rational. "The ETA is approximately fifteen minutes." He paused, then continued. "Lita, can you have everyone ready?"

A quick burst of what sounded like static echoed over the line, but Lita got the coded message.

Barnaby squawked. "Ready for what? Nobody goes anywhere until I have what I want."

Saber agreed. "Yes, we're aware. I'd like Lita to prepare everyone for when the exchange takes place. Is that okay?"

Chuck gave a jerky nod, going back to silent mode.

Lita relayed his non-verbal response. "Mr. Barnaby is in agreement." A little more quietly, she added. "I'll have everyone ready."

Saber replied. "Thank you. Fourteen minutes, Lita. Hang in there. Keep me posted, all right?"

She fought the urge to smile. "Okay." Her fingers went back to work, pinpointing Barnaby's location along the outside wall.

So far, I'm having loads of fun writing this one. And I know I say that a lot. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin 

Celebrate Your Freedom to Live, Love, & Read—Freedom Hop

Let freedom ring!

Welcome to the Freedom Hop, a great sampling of authors sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

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How wonderful is it to have the independence to choose how we live our lives, who we love, and what we read?

I'm lucky enough to have always had the choice and I've used my liberty to do what I love… write about hot romances between men and women, edit for authors who write about all kinds of love—from best friends who become lovers to same sex couples and relationships that include multiple partners, and read all of the above with voracious abandon.

When writing as Skylin O'Thomas, I tend to focus on contemporary romance, sometimes filled with those little relationship moments, but I also love to add a little adventure. There's something fun about weaving in tension with suspense or a perilous situation. It's also a joy to create adventure by adding a good bit of humor.

My latest release, Busted in Bubbles, is a short, sexy romp with witty banter and a man who's not afraid to own a tub of bubbles. If anyone is an X-Files fan, the idea behind the story came from an episode where Assistant Director Walter Skinner had no qualms admitting to soaking in a big bubble bath.

My hero, Rayne, sets the scene with loads of the sudsy froth—and champagne—then waits for Emsley to arrive. Needless to say, he convinces her to join him for some bath time fun.

The book was so much fun to write and I'm giving a digital copy away for this blog hop. Please leave a comment for your entry and tell me how you celebrate your freedom to live, love and read.

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Book Tagline: Is there anything better than a bath time romp with a hot man? Emsley Bourne wants to find out.

~*~

With a smug smile, she crossed the living area and started up the spiral staircase to the loft. About five steps up, she froze, carefully listening and hearing water sloshing in the bathroom. Shit. Rayne must've skipped the fancy-pants dinner. Okay, could she still pull off her traditional short sheeting of his bed and still leave him none the wiser?

She pondered, considering her skill level against the chance he might discover her presence. Should she risk it?

Yeah. She loved a good challenge.

She started up the next step and stopped again. Wait… bath? What the hell? Curiosity ate its way through her intention of getting in and out. Rayne couldn't possibly be soaking in a tub. Hell. Yeah, he could… and he might have company. The thought bothered her… even if it shouldn't. She might find the combination of looks and brains a heady mixture, but it didn't give her any claim to his affections.

She hesitated. Indecision warred in her brain. She had zero desire to become a voyeur if Rayne had brought someone along for this trip and they'd decided to get kinky in the tub. She weighed her options. The possibility of finding him with some woman wrapped around him would be like a kick in the teeth, but… 

Screw it. She made her way back down the steps, tip-toeing to the bathroom door.

She had to know if the do-it-all security expert liked to soak in a tub. Peeking around the corner, she bit her cheek to keep from laughing out loud. Sure as shit, Rayne McKinnon sat up to his shoulders in frothy bubbles. An open bottle of bubbly, nestled in a bucket of ice, sat beside the tub, a glass filled with the golden liquid held in one of Rayne's hands, dangling outside. His head rested on the rolled edge of the tub, eyes closed, his fingers lazily tilting the glass back and forth.

Available on Amazon

Leave a comment to be entered to win a digital copy!

Let me know what freedoms you enjoy and please include an email address.

(Drawing to occur on July 7, 2014)

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Blurb: Rayne McKinnon sells a lucrative security-consulting job and it's time to move on to his next objective: adding a partner. He wants Emsley Bourne, personally and professionally, and puts a plan in motion to achieve his goal. She only has to follow through with her usual tradition.

Emsley lives for the next thrill, in business and life. She's got a unique skill set and uses it to gain access to Rayne's cabin to follow through on her standard short-sheeting escapade. Imagine her surprise when she discovers Rayne soaking in a tub full of bubbles. Busted, she can either flee the scene—or join Rayne for some bath time fun.

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Please stop by my website

 Celebrate with more fireworks! Visit the other participating authors.