Sunday Snippet: Meet Me by the Mistletoe

The shortest month went by really fast. I can't believe we're headed for March again. It's been such a weird year and I'm actually kind of blown away that it feels like the last twelve months have flown by yet also seemed to last a decade. Seriously.

Had a somewhat busy work week and didn't get a lot of television watched. But I got a few things viewed. Started with Silent Witness and finished up the first episode of season nine.

I actually got two arcs of Classic Who watched. I think I'm almost finished with season thirteen. I like this season. There have been some interesting episodes and I love Elisabeth Sladen a lot.

Caught an episode of Peak Practice. I had to do some downloading with the IMDBTV app to get back into this one. That's what happens when I take a longish break.

As usual, I caught my mystery shows on Ovation and some Classic Perry Mason. Also caught a binge marathon of Hawaii Five-0. I'm hoping to see the last two seasons at some point.

That's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from Meet Me by the Mistletoe, a follow up to Merry and Bright, featuring Presley, Frazier, and Gunnar a year later.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Presley Griffith wants to create one more new holiday tradition with her men, Gunnar Stewart and Frazier Boyle, and celebrate their one-year anniversary with style. With hectic schedules revolving around the hospital, fire station and police department, she's not sure she can pull it off. A cryptic message to meet her by the mistletoe at a secluded bed and breakfast brings both men calling with bells on.

And a snippety peek…

Gunnar Stewart had serious doubts about Presley getting a tattoo, but the idea made him grin. "She's been going on and on about getting one." He wouldn't mind unveiling the artwork for Christmas, especially if it involved a hot romp in bed with Fraz.

He exited the precinct house and slid behind the wheel of his personal vehicle. He'd just started the engine when a text pinged. Quickly checking the ID, he opened the message.

"Dismissed class early. Wanna meet at the jewelers?"

Gunnar grinned and typed a quick response. "Hell, yeah. See you in ten." He and Frazier designed a trio of rings and planned to surprise Presley for the holiday.

He put the car in gear and drove out of the lot, anticipation filling him. He'd had the best year of his life, which kind of blew his mind. Who knew sharing a bed with his best friend and the woman of his dreams would become a check-off on his life-goal list?

Turning down the street, he started toward the jewelry shop. "A kid growing up in the system finally finds a family. Can't get much better." At least not for him.

Gunnar's optimism battled with the terrible shit he dealt with on a daily basis. Having Frazier and Presley in his life made things better. Being intimately involved with both actually helped keep him from getting burned out.

He let out a laugh. "Never thought anyone would do that." Mainly because he tended to be a loner.

But Frazier didn't let Gunnar get away with being aloof. Fraz's big family meant the guy didn't know the meaning of keeping his nose out of someone's business. Not that Gunnar cared. When he needed a place to crash, Fraz opened his door and invited Gunnar in … then offered to share the lease.

Then they met Presley and both had the hots for her. The friendly rivalry made spending time at the hospital a lot more pleasant. She'd kept them at arm's length until last Christmas when everything changed and they ended up not making her choose between them.

Instead, they shared her bed and her life.

Pulling into the parking lot, he cut the engine. "And it's better than good." He got out and met Frazier at the entrance of the shop.

I love this trio. The sages are whispering about a New Year's story for this group and I'm excited to see what they come up with.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Lucky Seven

What a week. I spent a lot of time texting family and friends in Texas to make sure they were making it through their worst deep freeze ever. Even my brother, who lived in Ohio for most of his life, had a tough time. He's in the Dallas area and, so far, has had two pipes burst. Here's hoping that's the worst of the damage.

Television ended up being pretty light this week. I caught another episode of No Offence, which I'm enjoying a lot.

Also finished up the final episode of Silent Witness for season eight. I'll be moving on to season nine this week.

I've heard some good things about Riverdale, so I should probably finish up what I have to watch and get started on the new season.

Weirdly, the sages have been feeding me a ton of new story ideas, which I love, but I also have a massive amount of WIPs that need to be finished. I need to have a sit-down chat with those pesky imps.

Tonight's post is from Lucky Seven, a novella where the characters turn a one-night stand into something more.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Daisy and Shae work for the same company and they end up overindulging at a corporate casino night, waking up next to each other the following morning. What starts as an awkward one-night stand turns into something neither expects or is really looking for.

And a snippety peek…

Shae stood outside Daisy's townhouse questioning his sanity. "What the hell am I doing here?" Aside from holding two bags of Asian cuisine.

A dim memory from their college days planted the idea to stop by his favorite shop and get a variety of dishes. Maybe that small amount of knowledge, the whole sort of knowing her prior to working with her, had him intrigued. He couldn't figure out why else he couldn't seem to stop thinking about her.

He used his elbow to push the doorbell and startled in surprise when she immediately opened the door.

She reached out dragged him inside, casting a quick glance back and forth before shutting the neighborhood out and turning to face him. "Thought you might stand out there all night." She took the bags and motioned for him to follow her.

He trailed behind her, taking in the quirky décor. A mix of modern industrial with a few rustic touches and pops of color—what his mom would dub eclectic style. Comfort came to mind when she led him into her living room and set the takeout on a low-slung table.

She settled onto a large floor pillow and swept her arm over its match, indicating he should take a seat. He did, a little off-kilter but determined to mind his manners.

Which meant keeping his hands to himself.

Once he got situated, she met his gaze. "What did you bring?"

He opened the bags. "The variety sampler from Cheng's." He started taking out the boxes and popping them open.

She sucked in a breath then tilted her head to one side. "Did you know Cheng's is my favorite?" Taking the napkins and chopsticks out, she set them in the middle of the table.

Shae shrugged. "Honestly, no. But I had a vague recollection of being in the dorm common room and you oohing and ahhing over something from that Asian fusion place on campus." His lips twitched because Daisy got super-excited about stuff back then and didn't curb her enthusiasm.

Her eyes went wide. "I can't believe you even noticed." She grinned. "But I'm glad you did." She picked up a box and divided it between two plates.

He got a kick of satisfaction for choosing wisely then wanted to kick himself. There's nothing great or amazing about having a memory. Then again, why did it matter. She asked him to bring dinner so he brought it. His reason for being there had nothing to do with food.

But, he actually enjoyed reminiscing about their alma mater and some of the things they had in common, even if they experienced them at different times. They'd had the same professors for two of their classes and both had been amazing. The one class they had together their junior year had the worst professor on campus.

And … as usual, she didn't waste time diving into the topic at hand once they had their meals more or less finished.

Twirling some lo mein onto the chopsticks, she started the ball rolling. "So … this"—she motioned between them—"whatever it is between us? I'm done fighting it." She slurped the food from the utensils.

His heartbeat kicked up a notch. "As in what? You want a relationship?" He'd considered the idea and found it didn't freak him out as much as he'd thought.

She made a garbled choking sound. "What? No. No, no, no." She shook her head. "That's a horrible idea."

Mildly insulted, he pushed for clarity. "Then what, exactly, do you see happening here?" How did they not fight the attraction without being a couple?

She set the chopsticks down and met his gaze. "Sex, hooking up, whatever you want to call it. But that's it." She ticked off a list. "No dates, no strings, no public displays, and absolutely no discussing this with others or at the office." Her gaze narrowed. "Deal?"

He blinked. "Um, I think I've got it all straight." A perverse need to push at her boundaries hit him. "Do we talk at all when we're not, you know, fucking like rabbits?" His tone sounded pissier than he meant it to, but, geez.

She grinned and gave him a nod. "Sure. Maybe even stream a movie or binge-watch some television while we're recharging so to speak."

Something bitter churned in his gut but the image of her writhing beneath him wouldn't leave his brain. His head wanted to renegotiate but his dick wanted to snap up the offer.

He thrust his palm forward. "Deal."

Looked like his dick decided to do the talking tonight.

I love Shae knowing on an instinctual level that Daisy's deal won't be as easy as she thinks. Daisy's trying hard not to get in too deep, but Shae's already there.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Lonely Heart Mountain

Happy Valentine's to those who celebrate. We're supposed to get blasted with more snow but I definitely won't gripe about it because I have family and friends in Texas that will no doubt have it so much worse.

Semi-busy week again with a new work project. Things are picking up a little and I'm grateful and happy to have work still coming in.

I started a new episode of Blue Heelers and have a feeling it's going to be an interesting one. I love getting slice of life glimpses into the town and how it operates.

I finished up the first part of Silent Witness's last two episodes of season eight. I'll be starting the second part this week. Then it's off to season nine.

Caught another episode of No Offence and I'm still liking the show. I'm not a big comedy fan, which is probably evident in my weekly recaps, but I will give dramedies a shot. Glad I stuck with this one.

New seasons are starting of shows I normally watch but I'm so far behind. I haven't been in the mood or the right headspace to really absorb some of them. Maybe I'll get there during the blizzard that's supposed to be headed our way.

I also caught my usual fare of mystery shows this week, but that's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from Lonely Heart Mountain, a novella that will hopefully be ready for Valentine's Day 2022.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Author Hettie Blackwell returns home to care for her ailing mother, because her two brothers aren't up to the task. But when Hettie bumps into Winslow Whittaker—the hot new sheriff—she's got more trouble, especially when her younger brother lands in county jail on Valentine's Day.

And a snippety peek…

Winslow Whittaker melted back into the shadows of the trees. The Blackwell woman—he'd had the distinct displeasure of an introduction to her brother already—dragged Hank to her SUV with sheer strength of will. He had to give her credit—she had science to getting her bigger sibling inside.

She hooked her fingers into his belt loops and hefted him upright, throwing his torso onto the seat. Then she crossed to the other side, opened the door and dragged him inside. She left him facedown, came back around, folded his legs upward, then strapped him in—with bungee cords no less.

Win chuckled. "Guess she's done this a time or two." He moved along the edge of the trees, staying back.

He mainly wanted to make sure the bikers didn't harass her anymore and to make sure she got headed home okay. He almost started forward again when she rested her head in her hands on the steering wheel. When she straightened, she looked tired, pissed, and unhappy.

She absolutely fascinated him.

After she started her engine, she began backing out of the line of parked vehicles. Win hung back—only to make sure she got started off the hill. Or so he kept telling himself.

She crept forward then braked and backed up a little. The passenger window rolled down and she stared in his general direction. The inky darkness wouldn't let her see him, but she obviously sensed his presence.

She leaned forward, raising her voice above the music playing. "Hey, Mr. Helpful, come on out where I can see you." She waited only until he emerged from the shadows again before letting him have it. "Next time, and there will be one, you might wanna buy tickets for the Blackwell behaving badly show." Her voice wobbled with frustration and anger.

He had no idea if either or both were directed at him, but he walked steadily toward her vehicle. "Look, I respectfully kept my distance and let you handle your own. But I didn't want to take the chance Bands might get twitchy and cause trouble. Not something you need more of right now." And something he didn't need at the moment either but he couldn't share that information with her.

She cocked her head. "Are you for real? Why would you give two shits about my dumbass brother or me?"

His mouth curved. "Just my nature." He waited a beat. "And I'd love to spend some time with you, if you can make it back here in the next day or so." He pushed his luck with the invitation, but what the hell … she intrigued him.

She shook her head. "Don't hold your breath." Her gaze slid to the prone figure of her brother then back to Win. "But I'll think about it." She eased off the brake and started down the hill.

Winslow followed her progress with his gaze until he couldn't see her taillights anymore.

Letting out a slow breath, he shook his head. "Damn, she's something else." He turned and started back toward the concert area. "Gotta talk to Tim and get the lowdown on the Blackwell woman."

A very interesting start to my tenure in Coshocton County.

I'm not sure where this story will end up being located, but the outdoor concert is based on one that happened for several years in my hometown.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Little Black Book

So far, February has been cold and snowy in Ohio. Not a complaint or anything. It's been a while since we've had snow that stuck around for longer than a day or two.

Had a fairly busy work week but I did manage to get a couple of shows watched. I started with the last two episodes of Queens of Mystery and also caught the behind the scenes and easter egg specials. I'm looking forward to another season of this show if they decide to go ahead.

I started another episode of Silent Witness and should finish it up over the next day or so. This two-parter will round out the eighth season and I'll start nine in the near future.

Caught the first episode of a new-to-me series, No Offence. Set in Manchester, I really liked the first episode. It's a bit of a dramedy which isn't usually my cuppa but I'll give this one a solid shot.

Also got another episode of Blue Heelers almost finished. This had a fun crop circle thing going on to offset a tragedy. The only thing left is the reveal of who committed a murder.

Caught my usual Ovation mysteries also. And I found a channel that's showing Poltergeist: The Legacy, which I loved when it originally aired. I really miss old-school Syfy channel sometimes. The current incarnation annoys me to the point I can't really watch it anymore. I think the freak of the week movies really ruined the entire channel for me.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Little Black Book, a sexy short that has a fun game of cat and mouse with my main characters.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Kalyn Miles is footloose and fancy free and likes it that way. She does what and who she wishes. Her current object of desire is Sid Mortimer, but he'll have nothing to do with her—especially since she wants to add him to her little black book.

And a snippety peek…

Sid hid his surprise. She'd caved sooner than he expected.

He propped his arms on the edge of the bar. "Here's what we're going to do … I'm going to finish my drink and you're going to go take this…" He slid a glass of papaya juice in her direction. "And two pain relievers. Then you're going to get some ice for your head and wait for me to come to your room." He used his best seductive tone.

She gave a nod then blinked and her brow furrowed. "Why am I taking pain meds and getting ice?"

Sid snorted. "I can see the headache pounding behind your eyes." She'd had a rough night, obviously.

She scoffed. "No, you can't." She cocked her head to one side, slowly. "Can you?"

Sid shrugged. "Okay, not literally. But you do have one." Anyone with eyes could see her pain.

Kalyn took the glass with papaya juice. "How do you know?"

Sid angled to the side, keeping one arm on the bar. "You're squinting in the shade and you have slow, careful movements."

Kalyn's eyes widened. "Wow, you're good."

He appreciated the opening she'd given him. "You have no idea … but you will." His voice lowered. "Soon."

Passion flared in her eyes even with the headache. And, of course, his dick got hard in response. Thankfully, his shorts were on the baggy side.

She blew out a quick breath. "Damn."

He hid his grin behind his drink.

Kalyn fanned her face. "Yeah, okay, I'm walking away now." She glanced back over her shoulder. "Don't take too long."

Sid lifted his chin, acknowledging the request. He resisted the urge to follow immediately. Geez, her ass looked terrific. The sexy sway of her sarong-covered hips drew his gaze until she entered the hotel.

The bartender nudged Sid's elbow. "Dude, you're a lucky man." He let out a low whistle.

Sid's lips curved. "I will be…" For a while.

I've got three months to convince Kalyn we'd be fantastic together.

This is such a fun story to write! Sid and Kalyn have some good vibes and Sid definitely wants to see where they go.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin