Sunday Snippet: X Marks the Spot

AHHHHH! Season finale for The Walking Dead tonight and I'm excited and actually a little frightened. Last week's ending kind of hurt, right?

Let's see… what else from this fairly big week of TV? The Flash messing with the timeline proved kind of interesting. I have to wonder if maybe Wells didn't get split, or possibly has an evil twin wandering around. Not sure how I feel about the idea, but I could probably get behind it. Arrow blew my mind again. So in love with this show. I won't get into too much detail, but every actor is pretty much spot on and giving their all. I LOVE it.

Bitten also brought the goods. Watching Greyston Holt go really creepy as Sean Rogerson's Alestair proved to be great. Nice bit of acting there. I have one small quibble. For all the times the witches have claimed to know everything, they sure get shit wrong an awful lot. Frankly, I expect more from Ruth, but I also like the huge changes in storyline deviating from the books, so… yeah, there's that. I'm just not sure I like how they come across as so uninformed, yet give off the vibe they know it all. But hey, I love Paige and Nick, so hopefully the witches can stick around. :D

And, that's it for TV this week.

Tonight's post is from X Marks the Spot, a sexy romp about a resort catering to my couple's carnal cravings.

Here's the tagline:

Nydia Vreeland takes her boyfriend, Declan Morris, on an adult adventure vacation where sexy fun and games ensue. Their final game is a treasure hunt where 'X' marks the spot and the winner gets to choose the evening's pleasure. The way Nydia figures things, there's no way she can lose.

And a snippety peek…

Nydia Vreeland clicked the 'chat' button and waited for a response. The nervous flutter in her belly amped up her excitement. If she could book the weekend she wanted, she and Declan would be one step closer to their dream vacation.

Filled with sun, sand, and lots of intimate moments…

Where anything goes.

A video window opened on her monitor and an incredibly handsome face greeted her. "X Marks the Spot Private Island Resort, catering to couples with carnal cravings. You've reached our video chat booking service. How can I help you today?"

She pressed the reply button and her webcam kicked on. Nydia fought the urge to smooth down her hair. She looked more than fine, even makeup free.

She smiled. "I'd like to schedule a weekend retreat. Can you provide your first available opening?"

The gentleman grinned. "From your registration details, I'm assuming you're Nydia Vreeland?"

She nodded. "Yes." She gave him a waggly-fingered wave.

His lips twitched. "I'm Grant and I'll be happy to help you get situated. Our first available opening is three weeks from now. Will that date work for you?"

She gave him a wide smile. "Yes, it will. Perfectly." Declan had the next month off and her plans would fall into place exactly how she'd wanted. "I'm going to finalize the deposit and look forward to your island escape." She clicked through the prompts on her screen. "That should do it."

Grant glanced away then back again. "Yes, all set. While I have you on chat, do you have any questions?"

Nydia bit back a laugh. She had a zillion, but would only ask one.

She met Grant's gaze. "Will you be listed in the private section of the website?" She'd lay money he always got that particular query.

He chuckled. "As a matter of fact, I am. Once you log in with your secure password, you'll find me and a dozen other attendants along with our profiles and special services. We'll have ten other couples on the island the same weekend, but our staff is very good at accommodating everyone." He gave her a slow once over. "I'll look forward to meeting you and—" He did a quick scan of her registration again. "Mr. Declan Morris."

Nydia's imagination went a little wild and she suppressed a shudder. "We'll do the same, and we'll see you in three weeks."

Grant signed off. "Thank you for booking with X Marks the Spot."

The video chat window closed automatically and Nydia's webcam showed her flushed face and dreamy expression before it also shut down.

Grabbing her phone, she scrolled to Declan's number and swiped her finger over the call icon.

He answered on the second ring. "Hey, babe. What's up?" The thumping bass in the background dulled to a low throb and she pictured him kicking the door to his office shut.

She couldn't keep a giddy tone from her voice. "X Marks the Spot, Dec. We're booked in for three weeks from today." Her breath whooshed out. "You, me, and as many fantasies as we can come up with."

He laughed. "Hot damn, Nydia. Give me twenty minutes to finish up here and tell Brad he's got the reins for the next four weeks and I'll be on my way home."

Nydia got up and walked into their bedroom. "In that case, I'll be naked and waiting when you get here."

Declan groaned. "Make that ten minutes."

Nydia grinned and ended the call.

Dylan and Nydia are a blast to write. I love couples who like to be adventurous and bold.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Smokin' Hot—Hot Kiss: Busted in Bubbles

Welcome to the Hot for Friday blog hop!

Readers: Enjoy posts from authors with fun weekly tasks or a cool question.

Authors: Get in on the fun and join here.

Greetings!

This week we're tasked with sharing a hot kiss, whether it's slow, eager, passionate, a kiss can be many things. *sigh* Check out the smokin' smooches and enjoy! :D

For my feature, I'm posting a scene from a current release, Busted in Bubbles, a sexy short with some bath time fun.

For a little background, here's the book tagline:

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

Bring on the steamy smooches…

"Someone has to keep you on your toes, Ems. The whole short sheeting of my bed is fun and all, but come on… it's been a year." He leaned forward a little, his mouth hovering an inch from hers. "I think it's time to play something else, don't you?"

Emsley fought back a shudder. God, his voice sounded like good Scotch. Smooth, with just a touch of bite to it.

Her tongue flicked out, wetting her lower lip. "Something more grown up maybe?" She straddled his thighs and scooted forward until her hips were flush with his groin, his thick erection pressing against her. "I could go for that… if you're really game."

Rayne moved fast, capturing her lips in a very hot kiss. Emsley groaned low in her throat and gave herself over to the onslaught of sensory overload. His tongue swept inside her mouth and she responded, wrapping her arms around him, one hand traveling up to the back of his head, her fingers raking through his dark hair. The other slid down his back, drawing him closer. She wanted to feel his skin against hers. Craved the contact like an addict.

A first for her. She rarely felt a consuming need for sex. Then again, she'd had a thing for Rayne since the day they bumped into each other at his first conference three years ago. She'd gotten to know him, not well, but enough to know he found her attractive.

~*~

Available on Amazon

~*~

Book 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.

~*~

Thank you for stopping by.

Please feel free to drop by my website

And don't forget to enjoy the other Hot for Friday posts!

Sunday Snippet: Winning Hand

Holy crap. The ending for Bitten's latest episode is going to make waiting for the new one very difficult. I'm dying to see the last three episodes.

The Flash and Arrow also have me on the hot seat, impatiently awaiting the next showing. The Flash kind of messed with my mind and I really hope there's not a huge misstep coming up that's going to disappoint me. Arrow, on the other hand, can usually do no wrong, so the whole deal with Palmer and his meddling has me a little less concerned. I am a little twisted up over Lance falling back into Camp Opposition, but I have a feeling that's not going to last long. *fingers crossed*. I'm also wary over the fate of one of my faves. It's a gut thing and I hope I'm wrong… we'll see.

The Walking Dead season is almost over and I gotta say, this has been one of my favorites. It's so different from what we've had and I love it. Very sad about the loss of one of the new characters, but loved to see Eugene step up in a big way. Very curious about Gabriel and what's going on with him.

Enough television. Tonight's post is from Winning Hand, a sexy short where the outcome of a card game leaves the two participants with the winning hand.

Here's the tagline:

A night of poker takes a sexy turn when Hahn Canedy ups the ante and wagers a night of hot sex as his tithe. Tawni Capps can't resist calling the bet—either way she'll have the winning hand.

And a snippety peek…

Tawni smirked. "Come on, Hahn. Dream big and up the ante." She shrugged. "Or call. I wanna see what you've got."

He quirked a brow. "I've already won the big pot, tonight. Can't dream much bigger than that, you know." He fanned the cards in his hand, marveling at his lucky draw.

She chuckled. "Duly noted. But we're playing not playing for money right now. It's down to you and me so get on with the game." Her feet landed in the vacate chair to her right. "I don't have all night."

Of course she didn't. Probably had at least one meet-up planned and would end up closing down one of her favorite dive bars. Just once, he'd like her to stick around after poker night instead of flitting off to meet 'the girls'. Or worse, some random guy who would scratch the itch he wanted to relieve. They teased and flirted, but never moved beyond banter filled exchanges. For whatever reason, neither wanted to make the first foray into something more.

History and past experience sucked balls.

Maybe if he put his cards on the table, metaphorically speaking, and tested the waters…

Yeah, he'd go all in.

Straightening the hand, he laid it face down on the table and leaned in. "Okay, I want a hot night of sex if I win." His voice lowered. "One night. That's it."

Tawni's eyes went wide and she blinked before tilting her head to one side. "I'm sorry. Did you just say you're wagering sex?" Her head jerked back and forth. "No way. Uh uh. Not gonna happen." She gave one more emphatic negative shake. "No."

He settled against the back of the chair. "Hey, you told me to dream big. That's my ante." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Call or fold 'em."

Gotta love a great tension filled challenge, right? LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading.

Skylin

Smokin' Hot—Hot Encounter: Down in Mexico

Welcome to the Hot for Friday blog hop!

Readers: Enjoy posts from authors with fun weekly tasks or a cool question.

Authors: Get in on the fun and join here.

Greetings!

This week we're tasked with sharing a hot encounter, whether it's the first time or one of many others between the characters. Awesome! Kick off the spring season with a nice steamy treat. :D

For my feature, I'm posting a scene from a current release, Down in Mexico, book one of the South of the Border series.

For a little background, here are the taglines:

Series: Mix a little danger with hot romance.

Book: Boy meets and falls for girl. Girl 'dies' in a fiery explosion. Five years later, they meet again.

Bring on the hot stuff…

Not bothering to unfasten the buttons, he yanked his shirt over his head just as her mouth closed over him. He let the shirt fly, bringing his hands down to tangle in her hair. God her mouth was sweet. Too sweet.

Her tongue flicked and swirled and it felt incredibly good. He'd go off way too soon if she kept at it. Reaching down, he hooked his arms under her shoulders and dragged her up. Her breasts brushed up along his chest and it sent a delicious shiver through her.

Lars cupped her ass and Kier grinded against him. Her lips traveled across his chest and up to meet his mouth. Their tongues danced, he kicked out of his pants, and unzipped the skirt she wore. Letting it go, gravity did the rest. She stepped out and he slid his fingers under the waistband of her panties and teased around the edges. She took over, pushing the lingerie down past her hips. He picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist and met her mouth with his lips.

He got lost in the kiss until her silky wetness against the tip of his cock made him want to be buried inside her. He carried Kiernan into the house, lips never leaving her skin, and deposited her on the wicker sectional. Bending down, he ran his fingers up and down her folds then inserted one. His head dipped lower and he flattened his tongue against her clit. Kier's hands shot to his head, drawing him in closer as her hips bucked up to meet his mouth.

He added another finger and turned his hand to flutter them against her internal nerves. It sent Kier over the edge. She twisted and thrashed through her orgasm and ended up satisfied but not spent.

She sat up and pushed him back. Straddled his thighs and teased him, sliding back and forth over his cock, her wet juices flowing, making it slick. Lifted her pelvis and sank down, so slowly he wanted to die.

~*~

Available on Amazon

~*~

Book Blurb: Blurb: Kiernan Darby spends five long years playing dead. It's a life in limbo, but it lets Lars Rademacher do his job and eliminate the members of a lethal crime syndicate, Kiernan's former employers.

After discovering she's alive and well, Lars tracks Kiernan down in Mexico. Their reunion is sweet… until he reveals a pesky detail he conveniently forgot to mention.

Kiernan isn't completely safe. In fact, Lars is using her as bait to catch the last member of the espionage organization.

Series Blurb: Sun, sand, and danger. International intrigue mixes with steamy romance to create hot situations—South of the Border.

~*~

Thank you for stopping by.

Please feel free to drop by my website

And don't forget to enjoy the other Hot for Friday posts!

Sunday Snippet: Wind It Up

Ugh. A full week later and I'm still moving files and cleaning up the older computers. Then again, several editing deadlines crept up on me and I got hit with a couple of scenes for two WIPs, so yeah, not going to complain. LOL I also had to take an online course and finished it up today. YAY!

Banshee had a great finale! Without spoiling too much, I'm glad to see the end of one particular character, sad to see the end of one, and very intrigued about the fate of a few others, including Hood. I can't wait for the next season!

Happy to say The Walking Dead didn't lose anyone important last week. We'll see if the streak continues tonight.

Still waiting on the return of The Flash and Arrow, back this week. WooHoo! Getting a few glimpses of Strike Back and Orphan Black, which can't get here soon enough. Found out the US premiere date for Bitten, April 17, if memory serves. The latest episode ended up being way better than I expected. Looking forward to next week's.

I think that's it for TV news. Tonight's post is from Wind It Up, a ménage novella where past and present mix to make a lovely future.

Here's the tagline:

Garner Mason enlists in the military and leaves Rae Manilow behind—breaking her heart. Rae meets Sheriff Felix Reynolds and falls hard, settling down with him in his mountain cabin. When Garner rolls into town intent on making amends with Rae, she's trapped between two men she deeply loves and can't see a way out of her predicament.

And a snippety peek…

Garner Mason cupped Rae Manilow's cheek. "I have to do this, Rae. You know I have to do something." He brushed his thumb over lower lip. "I'm twenty-two and the next time I get sucked into something stupid, it won't be county lock-up. I'll be headed for the state pen." He rested his forehead against hers.

Rae wanted to cry. "Dammit, Garner, why can't you ever say no to your friends?" But she already knew the answer.

Garner had no other safety net. How did he refuse the very people who helped him when no one else would? He didn't. Ever.

She eased away. "When do you leave?" Basic, then whatever other special training before a permanent base assignment. "How much time do we have?"

His gaze filled with sadness. "Less than twenty-four hours. I catch my ride tomorrow night at six." He grabbed her hands. "I'm sorry, Rae. I don't know what else to do."

She squeezed his fingers, the need to reassure him outweighing the pain in her heart. "Well, let's make the most of our final hours together then, okay?" She led him to her bedroom, pausing outside the door. "I wish I could hit fast-forward and be done with school. Then I could meet up with you after you're done with training." She entered the room, tugging him in behind her.

Garner jerked his head back and forth. "No way. Not that I don't want you, because I do, but your dad would flay me alive if I took his daughter away from Rock Falls. He already hates you being less than sixty miles away for college." He followed her to the bed and settled on the mattress beside her. "He's gonna throw a party when he finds out I'm gone."

Rae wanted to disagree, but her dad barely tolerated Garner. George Manilow might just toss some confetti when she broke the news about Garner's enlistment. Then he'd break out the tissues and give her space to cry her eyes out before offering up some sage-sounding advice about moving on to better stock.

Stupid man. But one she loved as much as she loved Garner.

She shook her head and shoved thoughts of her dad away. "Yeah, well, maybe he will, but let's forget about him for now and focus on us." She turned toward him, leaning in close. "Make this a night for just you and me." Her mouth hovered a breath away from his.

Garner's lips curved. "We can definitely do that." He slanted his lips over hers, pouring nothing but love into the kiss.

Rae gave in, pushing everything else aside. So easy to do with Garner. The guy could make her forget her name when he wanted to.

Remember Boys II Men? I had the whole "It's so Hard to Say Goodbye" song playing on loop in my head when I wrote this. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading.

Skylin

Smokin' Hot—Hot and Bothered: Creative Ink

Welcome to the Hot for Friday blog hop!

Readers: Enjoy posts from authors with fun weekly tasks or a cool question.

Authors: Get in on the fun and join here.

Greetings!

This week we're tasked with sharing a scene with sexual tension to leave us hot and bothered. Nice! Especially if you live in a cold climate… like Ohio in March. Seriously, I have to remind myself I was wearing shorts and flip flops in October sometimes. LOL

For my feature, I'm posting a scene from book one of my Black Unicorn series, Creative Ink.

For a little background, here are the series and book taglines:

Black Unicorn Comics—collective genius or creative madness—follow the adventures of Brian, Lucy and their friends and decide.

Brian and Lucy are on the verge of mainstream success—watch it happen in Creative Ink.

Bring on the tension…

Chelle trapped her prey by the water cooler. "Brian, how about lunch?" She lifted a hand and smoothed away a non-existent speck of lint from the well-defined chest of her quarry. "We can go over the new promo for Xavier." She added the flirty eyelash thing she liked to whip out on him.

Lucy gritted her teeth and her monitor flashed again.

::She shoots…::

Brian stepped back and shook his head. "Not today, Chelle." He lifted his blue gaze and leveled it directly at Lucy. "I've got plans for lunch."

::Oh snap! Someone's gonna score and it ain't Miss Thang. You go, girl!::

Lucy bit back a laugh, but couldn't suppress the delicious little shiver Brian's words caused.

::Think about it. You live five minutes away. Lovely day… a lot you can do in an hour::

Lucy shook her head and keyed a quick reply. ::Shut up::

Zapf grinned while he typed his next missive. ::Aww, come on. You know he's hot for it. Give him some, babes::

::Shut. Up::

::Plenty of time for wild monkey sex. Just saying::

Brian sidestepped Chelle and slowly made his way toward Lucy's desk.

::Zapf!::

Brian's eyes did a slow once over, making Lucy hot and leaving no doubt what he wanted to feast on during lunch.

Blip

::Wild::

Blip

::Monkey::

Blip

::Sex::

Brian stopped at the edge of her desk and lifted a brow.

Her fingers furiously typed out a message.

::Taking a long lunch, Z Man. Later::

She closed the window, grabbed her bag, and practically ran out the door with Brian.

~*~

Available on Amazon

~*~

Book Blurb: Lucy and Brian—creative rivals and romantic partners—are pushing the boundaries of their work and stepping into the realm of indie success. They're challenged with keeping their relationship strong and hot when leading their friends up the ladder.

Series Blurb: Black Unicorn Comics is on the cusp of huge indie success. Brian Wells and Lucy Sanderson are the driving force behind the accomplishment. Friendly rivals and romantic partners, they push each other to do great work. Surrounded by a close knit group of co-workers, the ups and downs play out on a daily basis.

Brian's ex works in the office and his best friend owns the press. Lucy's brother lives next door and has the major hots for the ex-girlfriend. A competitor wants to buy the company and convention season is just around the corner.

Brian and Lucy act as the calm in the crazy storm of creativity and keep their relationship burning hot—usually in spite of the antics going on around them. They follow where the muse leads and it's worked out successfully so far.

~*~

Thank you for stopping by.

Please feel free to drop by my website

And don't forget to enjoy the other Hot for Friday posts!

Sunday Snippet: Weathering the Storm

Whew. Can I say transferring data from old computers to new computers is a pain in the waz? It seriously is. Gah.

Anyway, moving files didn't stop me from watching my appointment television. Gotham is keeping me interested. Banshee, with only one episode left, has me hanging on the edge of my seat. Bitten keeps improving on the books. And I don't mean it's better or anything, but I like the changes so I don't always know what's coming next. And finally, The Walking Dead is actually kind of riveting lately. I absolutely love the almost scaled back tension and how it's building to hopefully something big.

Patiently waiting for Strike Back to return and Orphan Black very soon now. Need to watch the first two seasons again just to ramp up.

Tonight's post is from Weathering the Storm, a sexy short where my couple gets to spend some quality time snowed in by the weather.

Here's the tagline:

Gabby Carns and Tim Appleby live in a remote, mountainous region. When the weather report warns of massive snow fall, the couple prepares for the coming blizzard. But instead of being fearful, they're looking forward to the alone time—nothing brings out the steamy romance like a plunge in the temperature.

And a snippety peek…

Gabby Carns stood elbow deep in dishwater, scrubbing a roasting pan. The dishwasher ran quietly beside her, but she preferred hand washing the big items.

"A huge storm is moving in, folks. Predictions of anywhere from thirty-six to sixty inches of the white stuff. Better hunker down and brace for the worst."

Gabby smiled. The news report didn't fill her with concern. Instead, she shook the suds off her hands and ducked her head out of the kitchen.

Tim Appleby glanced up from poring over his new furniture design. "Sounds like a bad one." He rolled up the drafts and tucked them away.

Gabby grinned. "I know. Can't wait." Tim gave her a sexy wink and she turned back to the roaster, rinsing it off, and placing it in the drainer.

Tim switched off the news. "Think I'll go get started chopping some extra wood." He shrugged into a quilted flannel and sat down to put his boots on.

Gabby pulled the stopper and let the water out of the sink. "I'll check our supplies and make a trip down to town." She dried her hands and opened the notepad app on her phone.

She paused and met Tim's gaze. The tension stretched between them and a delicious shiver slid down Gabby's spine.

She loved a good snowstorm.

This one has the potential to slide into novella length if Tim and Gabby decide they're really enjoying the blizzard. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading.

Skylin

Smokin' Hot—Hot and Swoon-Worthy: Down in Mexico

Welcome to the Hot for Friday blog hop!

Readers: Enjoy posts from authors with fun weekly tasks or a cool question.

Authors: Get in on the fun and join here.

Whew! Considering it's the beginning of March in Ohio and we've got snow on the ground, hot and swoon-worthy reading is welcome indeed.

This week we're tasked with posting a piece of dialog where our hero gets to take center stage and deliver a swoon-worthy line to the heroine. I can't wait to read some smooth moves from our heroes.

For my feature, I'm posting one of my favorite bits from a current release, Down in Mexico, book one of the South of the Border Series.

For a little background, here are the series and book taglines:

Mix a little danger with hot romance.

Boy meets and falls for girl. Girl 'dies' in a fiery explosion. Five years later, they meet again.

And the swoon-worthy dialog…

"Wow." She cocked her head sideways, shooting a playful glance his way. "I'm not sure you've got the right skill set to work with me."

He gave her an affronted look. "You're kidding, right?" His fingers started working on her calf muscles. "I'm handy to have around."

She quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm great at heavy lifting. I'm also methodical, organized, and very good at finding things." He brushed his fingers down her shins and started on her feet again.

Kier laughed. "You're hired." She nudged his ribs with her foot. "You had me at heavy lifting."

He smiled. "When do I start?"

~*~

Who would turn down those skills, right? LOL

Available on Amazon

~*~

Series Blurb: Sun, sand, and danger. International intrigue mixes with steamy romance to create hot situations—South of the Border.

Book Blurb: Kiernan Darby spends five long years playing dead. It's a life in limbo, but it lets Lars Rademacher do his job and eliminate the members of a lethal crime syndicate, Kiernan's former employers.

After discovering she's alive and well, Lars tracks Kiernan down in Mexico. Their reunion is sweet… until he reveals a pesky detail he conveniently forgot to mention.

Kiernan isn't completely safe. In fact, Lars is using her as bait to catch the last member of the espionage organization.

~*~

Thank you for stopping by.

Please feel free to drop by my website

And don't forget to enjoy the other Hot for Friday posts!

Sunday Snippet: Voices Carry

Well, hello, March. Thank you for dumping like seven inches of snow on me. :D

Seriously, I have to remember I was wearing flip flops and shorts in October so I don't get all crazy about having snow in March. LOL

Some great TV this week. I'm rather sad I have to wait almost a whole month for new The Flash and Arrow episodes. Oh well, teaches me the value of patience, right? Banshee and Bitten had great episodes. So happy for a satisfying end to one of the characters on Banshee, which tied in nicely with the satisfying end to one of the characters on Bitten last week. Yes, I have a bloodthirsty streak sometimes. :D

To counter the death toll, let's see if The Walking Dead manages to keep everyone alive again this week. LOL

Tonight's post is from Voices Carry, a novella with some suspenseful twists and turns.

Here's the tagline:

Summer Blaine is a struggling artist who always listens to Detective Fitch Falconer's tales of triumphs and woes when he drops by the diner she works in to make ends meet. When she gets a chance to display her art, she invites Fitch to the gallery to see her true passion. Unfortunately, a ghost from her past tries to get in the way and it's up to Fitch to keep find out who wants her dead.

And a snippety peek…

Detective Fitch Falconer headed down the back steps of the precinct house, ready to call his day over and done. He hit the cracked, tiled floor at the bottom of the stairs and started for the exit. A shrill whistle stopped him in his tracks. His ingrained response to Commissioner Paul Graydon's attention getter never failed to give Fitch pause, especially since hadn't been doing anything to get in trouble, unlike his teenage years when Graydon first used the high pitched signal. Sometimes working for his godfather sucked balls.

Graydon slapped Fitch on the back. "Fitch, my boy, the wife is very excited about that new artist you mentioned at dinner last month." The superior officer shoved the door open and held it for Fitch.

He ducked through with a smile. "Sounds like I'm back in her good graces then. She didn't appreciate my quick refusal to take her newest assistant out on the town." Laura Graydon wanted to see Fitch happily settled with a nice woman who would take care of him.

Fitch didn't want a nice woman to do his bidding. He wanted an equal. Someone to share the ups and downs of life—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Right now, he had a great friend whose talent needed an outlet, a nurturing hand to direct the way. Fitch hoped Laura's influence would lay the groundwork for a career boosting nudge.

Commissioner Graydon chuckled. "You never fall very far, you know that." He nodded toward the east intersection. "You headed over to the Red Shoe?"

Fitch grinned. "Absolutely. Almost every night." He started toward the end of the block.

Graydon called out. "Decompress, Fitch. We'll crack the case soon."

Fitch raised a hand. The reminder of the triple homicide growing colder by the day gave him heartburn. He crossed the street and turned left, strolling along the sidewalk. For five blessed minutes he'd forgotten about the families counting on him to bring them justice.

Decompress. Right. Stopping in front of the Red Shoe Diner, Fitch heaved a sigh. No way in hell.

But at least he could have a good meal and some terrific company for an hour or two.

I'm having fun with this one. It's got a little bit of a darker thread going through, but still has lots of humor.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin