Sunday Snippet: Violating Space

Whew! Welcome to December. I had a crazy week of trying to find a working stove… okay, a stove with a working oven. It's funny. We get a new furnace and literally two days later, our oven takes a flying leap. The good news is, I didn't have to cook for the US Thanksgiving and we found a new stove.

Television took a back seat to both work and shopping for kitchen appliances. I did get the Murdoch Mysteries episode finished up and enjoyed it a lot.

I also caught a binge-watch of the Green Hornet. I love the vibe of that show. The movie vibe? Not so much.

Then… I fell down the Gilmore Girls rabbit hole and got sucked into a marathon that's still going on. I'd forgotten how much I really liked this show… even when the characters sometimes drove me bonkers.

I will say it's a great show to watch when insomnia strikes. And, man, the insomnia has been a right pain in my ass this past week. Actually, it's been longer than the week, but it really kicked in on Monday and hasn't backed off yet.

That's pretty much it for the mundane real-life stuff this week. Tonight's post is from Violating Space, a sexy short that started with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Reese Claymore has it bad for Eric Matthews but they work in the same department and can't really get together. Doesn't mean Reese can't express her interest—to the point of driving Eric a little insane over it. He decides to prove a point and invades her personal space, but his plan goes awry when he can't resist acting on his crazy impulse.

And a snippety peek…

Reese unlocked her door and left a trail of clothes from her living room to the bathroom and on into her bedroom. "God… it feels so good to be out of my work getup." Not that she didn't love to dress up.

But a lot could be said for a pair of really comfortable yoga pants, a tank top, and flip-flops.

She heated up a premade dinner and settled in to binge watch the latest must-see series on her favorite streaming channel. A quiet night in ended up being her normal routine, even if she often gave the impression of being a club-going diva.

Flipping through the options on her screen, she chuckled. "Wonder what Eric thinks I do in the evenings." Probably not at all what he envisioned.

Geez, the man took up a lot of space in her head. And why not? He worked hard, didn't make outrageous demands, and had a brain that never stopped.

She found the show she wanted and started the episode. "Why do I find intelligence so damn hot?" Not that Eric didn't have good looks to back everything else up.

Boy, oh, boy did he have some looks. He dressed to impress in suits that she'd swear he had tailored, or at the very least had altered to fit well. They showed off a prime physique—broad shoulders, nipped in waist, and sculpted butt. His ties were fun but not garish. And his choice in foot wear rarely missed.

Stuffing a forkful of pasta into her mouth, she shook her head. "I'd pay to see what he looks like in something athletic." Maybe she should check out the gym on the fourth floor.

She snorted. Right. Tempting fate wouldn't be a good idea.

Which annoyed her to no end. The unwritten rule, stressed by the human resources people, of not getting involved with anyone in the office sucked big ones. In all honesty, Reese got it. Hell, her sophomore year of college, she'd been burned by a coworker at the coffee shop she had a part-time job in. Six months of hot sex and fun times but when it ended, because he had a girl back home, he'd made sure to have a chat with the manager about how much he needed the job when the new semester started and how uncomfortable it would be to work with a former hookup.

Reese rolled her eyes. "Like I didn't need a job too. And I didn't fuck up orders, clock out early, and show up late all the time either." Not that her work ethic mattered.

She didn't get called back.

Pausing the show, she got up, rinsed her dishes, and poured a glass of wine. "I'm stupid to even think about Eric as anything other than a coworker." But he starred in her fantasy dreams anyway.

And not as a possible hookup either.

He had top bill as a potential love interest.

I'm so screwed.

I'm having a lot of fun with this story. I love workplace romances and Eric and Reese are fun people.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin