Sunday Snippet: Stone Cold Sober

Happy Halloween to those who observe. We had our trick or treat last night and it was nice to be outside with semi-decent weather to enjoy fall. For me, it was wonderful to take a break from some renovation in the bathroom. I'm not twenty-five anymore and I'm definitely feeling that right now. LOL

Not a bad week for television, I started with another episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries and quite enjoyed it. I love the quirkiness of the characters and the cases. Such a great show.

Watched a two-part Silent Witness and I vaguely remembered this one. It's odd how a season from a decade or so ago holds up so well. What goes around comes around.

Caught two arcs of Classic Who, which brings me close to the end of season twenty. Pretty sure the Master is going to show up again around the final arc.

Enjoyed two episodes of The Muppet Show. Liza Minnelli and Phyllis George were the guest stars.

Finished up season six of Prime Suspect. I'll be starting the final season this week. I'm not sure what I'll move on to after this series but I'll find something.

Watched two episodes of Roswell: The Final Verdict. I kind of like the use of AI truth detection they're using to determine whether witness accounts about the crash are true or not. Interesting viewing.

Caught another episode of Peak Practice. I'm coming up on the last few episodes of season five and I'm still enjoying the series. Slowly but surely making my way to season twelve with one of my favorite actors in an early role.

Got some great information from MasterClass with Brandon McMillan. I'll be coming back to this lesson in the near future.

Started the new-to-me series Glitch and got rather hooked on the first episode. My sibling highly recommended this one and I look forward to discussing it with him.

Watched Pop Profile: Demi Lovato and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm not overly familiar with her career and the profile was interesting to follow along.

Caught another episode of Star Trek: Discovery. Things are definitely heating up and I can't decide if I'm really down with what's going on with Ash or if I need to shake my head over it. Either way, I'm so invested in what happens I can't wait for the next episode.

Great Chicago Med episode with Halsted, Rhodes, and Reese learning some lessons. I always find the episode names interesting and I love how they almost always end up fitting the theme.

Watched another Midsomer Murders episode and thoroughly enjoyed it. After twenty-two seasons that's saying something. I have one more episode of this season then, hopefully, a new season in the near future.

That's pretty much it for this week's viewing update. Tonight's post is from Stone-Cold Sober, a novella where the heroine meets her hero at a terrible time.

Here's the mini-blurb:

When Tansy Jons meets West Tamesin, they have an instant connection, but she's dating one of his oldest friends. A drunken evening and almost hook-up with West has Tansy examining what she feels as soon as she's stone-cold sober.

And a snippety peek…

West stood at the bar, chatting with the bartender Reuben Chidwell, a former classmate from high school. "I'll have another." He nodded toward the glass.

Reuben smirked. "Sure you only want soda water?"

West bobbed his head. "Yeah. Had way too much last night."

The door opened and West glanced up and locked gazes with David. A kick of guilt hit his stomach but West kept his didn't look away. David charged forward and West braced for confrontation, ready to take whatever David dished out.

He didn't have to wait long. David drew his arm back and smashed his fist into West's face. His head snapped back and pain bloomed along his jawline and inside his mouth where the tender inner skin of his cheek met with hard, unyielding teeth.

Reuben leaned across the bar. "Damn, Matthews. You can walk your ass right back out of here, if you're gonna start shit."

West waved off the bartender. "It's all right, Reuben. He's done." He arched a brow and rubbed his jaw. "What the hell, man?" As if he didn't know.

David gave West a level stare. "Don't even. You know exactly what the hell." He leaned in close. "But if you need clarification, let's say I know how to keep my dick in my pants." His voice dropped lower. "Something you seem to struggle with."

West took a drink to ease the burn along the inside of his cheek. "Okay. For the record, my dick never left my pants." Not that it didn't want to…

David visibly relaxed, his ruffled feathers soothed. "Good to hear. Still a dick move."

West grunted. "It was and I'm sorry. Won't happen again." He shook his head. "We've been friends too long for me to wreck what you and Tansy have."

David snorted. "Had. Tansy and I are over." He turned and leaned against the bar. "You've piqued her interest enough that she ended things with me." His shoulders slumped and he sighed. Stunned, West signaled to Reuben to pour David a beer.

If West had to be honest, he'd admit to being intrigued by Tansy's move.

He set that thought aside and nodded toward the mug on the counter. "Look, again, I'm sorry. Beer's on me."

David grabbed the brew and took a long, slow drink.

West's phone pinged and he fished it out of his pocket.

A text from Tansy. "I found a place." She included the address and asked when he could meet.

West showed David the message. "In the interest of full disclosure, I'm don't want to hide anything from you."

David lifted his chin. "Appreciate the gesture, man, but not necessary."

West huffed out a breath. "You know that's not how it works. You're my best friend. Even if you two aren't together anymore, I'm not moving in on her."

David laughed. "Dude, you might not have a choice. Just saying." He finished his beer and set the mug on the bar. "By the way, rumor has it a position is open at the sheriff's office. You might want to check it out." He pushed away from the counter.

West arched a brow. "Thanks for the heads-up." He caught David's arm. "You and me? We okay?" He wouldn't stick around if they weren't.

David shrugged. "We will be. And I'm serious when I say don't close yourself off." He met West's gaze. "I don't know if Tansy and I would've worked out long-term. Gretchen still takes up space in my head sometimes and I think Tansy got that clue before I did." He lifted his chin and headed for the door.

West stared after him not quite sure what to do with the admission or the advice.

I love how this story is coming together. Meeting the right person at the wrong time is a favorite trope of mine.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Steamed Up

It's so weird we're almost to the end of the month. One more October Sunday after this one. Had a decent work week and made a lot of progress on my cleaning project.

Also had a solid viewing week. Started with The Muppet Show and ended up getting four episodes watched. Beverley Sills, Kenny Rogers, Lola Falana, and Dizzy Gillespie were the guest stars.

Watched Prime Suspect and finished up season five and started season six. Six is proving to be very interesting. I can't remember how it ends up playing out but I'll find out this week.

Caught two episodes of Peak Practice and liked both. Sometimes the bickering between the partners gets a little wearing but I do like this mix.

Ended up watching two episodes of MasterClass with Brandon McMillan. I like this guy and I'm getting some good tips on how to work with my doggos.

Finished up Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Man. "Summer" and "Fall" hit me in the feels in a really big way. At some point, I want to rewatch the four episodes and do a recap on my fictional universe blogs. I can honestly say the revival had everything I would've wanted and only a few things I didn't. Which means I'm left with a feeling of completeness. This isn't to say I wouldn't welcome another year in the life that would pick up at the present time. That could be a lot of fun.

I enjoyed two musician spotlights. Dolly Parton: Queen of Country turned out to be an enjoyable look at the amazing woman and her long career. Pop Profiles: Christina Aguilara shed some facts about her career that I didn't know. As a casual fan, I found it interesting.

Watched an episode of Star Trek: Discovery and loved the mirror universe. Those kinds of episodes always make me happy. I'm looking forward to the next installment so I can find out how things play out.

Caught two episodes of Chicago Med. The second one ended up blowing me away. Understated but really strong performances all around. I love this show.

Weirdly enough, I watched an episode of Midsomer Murders and it featured scarecrows. I say weirdly because the final episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries had a scarecrow feature also. Anyway, nice to see Winter get some backstory and lovely to see Betty again.

Finished up the second episode of Silent Witness. I vaguely remember this one and enjoyed getting caught up in the cases again. Looking forward to starting the next two-parter.

Caught another four-episode arc of Classic Who. Nice to see the brigadier again. Interesting episode with a potential new companion in the mix.

Finished up UFOs over Earth. This one focused on mass sightings in Mexico. I'll be starting a new series this week and I think it's going to be about Roswell.

Last but not least, I watched two more episodes of Classic Rugrats. The first season had some great standalone episodes and two were in the set I watched. The second season of the new version is streaming now but I'm waiting until all episodes are available before diving in.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Steamed Up, a novella that has the main characters working closely together after a big breakup.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Raina Forbes and Huck Holloway are forced to work together after a spectacular breakup. Their close-quarters job situation has sparks flying between the former couple, and shaky new relationships are tested with Huck's going down in flames. And contrary to popular opinion, Huck doesn't always play nice when he truly wants something … or someone.

And a snippety peek…

Huck did a quick search for Raina. Charter Company, the group that got their clients to and from the arena, scheduled a conference call regarding the upcoming show.

Huck caught sight of his counterpart, standing outside the training area talking to Manny. When the man leaned in and whispered something to Raina then followed up by putting his hand on her ass, Huck finally figured out Raina's second point—the one she ended up not wanting to discuss.

Probably a good thing. A spike of green envy struck him hard and his hands curled into fists. And he needed to get the hell over it. He shouldn't be jealous.

They'd broken up. For a reason. As Raina had reminded him earlier.

"But, geez, Manny?"

The guy acted like a goon—or worse—a mini-Hector. But the trainer didn't have Hector's savvy and would never be able to pull off the fetes Hector put together. No way.

Huck unclenched his fists. "Whatever." He had a job to do and he would work with Raina to accomplish whatever Hector deemed necessary.

Her words echoed through his mind. What are you gonna do if Hector wants you to walk around showing skin to sell merchandise?

Hector would try to push Huck on that topic. His gut all but confirmed the thought. With the show sold out and scheduled for the day after tomorrow, Huck couldn't refuse whatever Hector had planned.

His mouth twisted. "I'll do what I have to." Even if it meant showing skin.

But if things got too tense, Huck would move the fuck on. He loved the work, loved the field, but he could transfer his skill set to something else. He'd built enough contacts. He could find the next niche the wealthy and privileged were ready to sink their teeth and cash into.

And maybe have less of a headache.

He strode toward Raina, ignoring Manny's presence. "We've got a conference call with the Charter Company. You coming?"

She gave him a hard look. "Yeah, I'll be there in five." Her eyebrow arched, daring him to press her buttons.

He smirked and did exactly that. "Call starts in three. I'm not waiting." Giving her and Manny a mock salute, he turned and walked away.

This story pushes the envelope a little more than normal for me but I do like how things are coming together. Raina and Huck have some hurdles to jump and I can't wait to see where they land.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: St. Patrick's Day Seduction

Wow. The month is half over already. October is flying by. Not complaining because I'm super busy with work projects and that makes me happy. I'm also making steady progress on the whole clean and organize project.

Had a solid week of television viewing again. I watched two lessons of Master Class with Brandon McMillan. I got more valuable insight in dog behavior and I hope I can translate that to working with my doggos.

Caught two episodes of Gilmore Girls: Year in the Life. Winter and spring were each enjoyable. I didn't know how they'd handle Richard's death, but I like what they did. I'm very curious how summer is going to play out, especially with Loralie's therapy deal.

Enjoyed two specials about Cher. Artist to Icon and Life in the Spotlight both had great footage and details. I remember watching Sonny and Cher and her solo show on television when I was a kid. I sometimes miss that type of variety show. I'm so not into the idols and voice-type shows.

Watched another episode of Star Trek: Discovery. I thoroughly enjoy how the plotlines are playing out. I have to admit I really didn't think they'd go where they went with the Tyler storyline but I love that they did. Took me back to Farscape a little bit.

Caught two episodes of Chicago Med and liked both. Rhodes keeps growing on me and I like how he stumbles every once in a while. I need to go back and do a crossover watch at some point also.

Thoroughly enjoyed an episode of Midsommer Murders. Old school in so many ways with being trapped on an island and having the case be about tabletop gaming. All in all, an excellent episode.

Finished up the second part of Silent Witness and started a new two-parter. Great to have Leo back in the morgue and out on cases. I also remembered how much I love Nikki and Harry's bantery conversations.

Started season twenty of Classic Who and, hello, Tegan's back. I watched two four-episode arcs and actually loved both. The second arc brought the Maya back and I'd forgotten they did that sometimes in the original series.

Began a new series with UFOs Over Earth. The first two episodes were fun. Fayetteville and Bucks County were the areas MUFON investigated. I've seen bit and pieces about both sightings but got some new information about each. Always enjoy when that happens.

Watched two episodes of The Muppet Show. Dudley Moore and Arlo Guthrie were the guest stars. I'm enjoying season four so far.

Started the fifth season of Prime Suspect and I'm pretty sure I remember how this one plays out. I love how fallible Jane is and watching that unfold on screen.

Got another episode of Peak Practice watched. This one ended up being a lot calmer than the last one. I'm really enjoying the trio of partners.

Watched two episodes of Classic Rugrats. The first season has so many great moments and I love revisiting them.

Also got in another episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries and finished up season four. I'll be starting season five this week. I still truly love this show so much. I miss Jared a little but I think he might be in at least one more episode and I'm hoping to actually get to meet Roxy at some point.

That's pretty much it for the weekly television update. Tonight's post is from St. Patrick's Day Seduction, an Organic Nature short.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Eppie Collins and Vin Derbish survive a visit from Eppie's nefarious ex and she's ready to try something new with Vin—something she's never done before. Eppie takes some time to prepare then sets the stage for the romantic encounter—where else but in the chic shed Vin made for her.

And a snippety peek…

Vin entered the house to find Eppie dishing up pasta into two bowls. The aroma of her homemade Alfredo sauce wafted into his nostrils. He hung his quilted flannel on the peg by the door and crossed into the kitchen.

Stopping at the sink, he quickly washed up and helped carry the crusty bread and salad toward the table. "Smells divine…" His voice drifted off when he caught sight of what else Eppie had placed at the far end of the tablecloth. "What's all this?" The evening just got more interesting.

Eppie pulled her seat out and settled down. "Our after-dinner treat." Spooning some salad out, she nodded toward the array of items. "The massage oil is amazing. I can't wait to use it on you."

Vin cracked a smile. "I get to return the favor, right?" He loved the sounds she made when he worked the kinks from her muscles.

Eppie grinned. "Oh, definitely. Then we'll have a stimulating warm-up with the vibe and sleeve." She broke the bread in half and placed each piece on their respective napkins.

Vin's gaze lingered on the plugs. Of course, he recognized what they were for and Eppie had mentioned adding anal sex to their repertoire. He'd banked on having a little more time.

Eppie speared some salad onto her fork and lifted her chin. "You went quiet. Did I jump the gun?" She didn't have to specify what she meant.

She read him like a book.

He stabbed at the lettuce and shook his head. "No. Nothing like that." He shoveled the greens into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully for a few moments. "I'm game to try anything with you. You know that." But … he didn't want to make the experience anything less than amazing.

Eppie's lips curved. "You are." She finished off her salad and started on the pasta. "What're your concerns?"

Vin picked up the bread and broke a piece off. "My previous experience … well, it had room for improvement."

Eppie's head bobbed up and down. "Okay, let's keep the communication lines open and honest. I mean, I'm not even sure this idea will be viable, but I'd love to try." She met his gaze. "And I hope you'll help me each step of the way."

Vin grasped her hand. "Absolutely. I think that'll help me, too. The first time I had no prior warning and I definitely suffered some performance anxiety." Of course, Sheri enjoyed springing stuff on him to see if she could throw him off balance.

Eppie cocked her head. "We'll make sure there aren't any surprises. Approach this as new ground for both of us." She squeezed his fingers. "I'm definitely not trying to rush either of us."

Vin leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. "Then I'm all-in." He couldn't wait for their after-dinner treat.

Eppie and Vin are so much fun to write even when they get a little serious about things. I like having them talk about their pasts without letting the history define them.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Spring Chickens

October is starting out really well and I hope it's a sign of things to come. My work projects have picked up again and I'm so happy! I'm also making progress on the great clean out again. I've also taken to spending fifteen to thirty minutes before I go to bed reading something that interests me. I've got a ton of new research books and I love digging into them.

Pretty decent week for television viewing. I watched four episodes of The Muppet Show. The guest stars were Shields and Yarnell, Dyan Cannon, Victor Borge, and Linda Lavin. Pretty good episodes all in all.

Caught two episodes of Prime Suspect, which finished out season four. So far, the episodes are standing up and I like revisiting them.

Watched two episodes of Peak Practice. Will said good-bye and headed for Bristol and the newly formed trio is finding their footing. The second episode ended up being quite dramatic with explosions and emergencies all around.

Enjoyed the second lesson of Master Class with Brandon McMillan. He focused on variables that make dogs unique. I already have some good information based on the two types of dogs I have.

Caught Making the Witcher and liked diving deep into how everything gets put together behind the scenes. I'll probably be starting a new show this week.

Enjoyed Artist to Icon: Madonna. She came onto the music scene in my early adulthood and I've always enjoyed her music. Nice to see some new information about her long and storied career.

Watched another episode of Classic Rugrats. As usual, I get sucked right back into the past when my oldest was a tiny baby and watching the show with my husband in the evenings.

Caught an episode of Chicago Med and thoroughly enjoyed it. I like how the relationships and friendships work on the show and even when the characters make me angry, I can see where they're coming from.

Loved the latest episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries. Breen's discomfort whenever he tangled with the abrasive Trudy proved valid even if she ended up not quite fitting the mold most, including me, cast her in.

Watched the first part of Silent Witness. I remember this one but not how it turned out. I'm always interested when the characters end up on opposite sides of a case. Looking forward to seeing how this one plays out again.

Enjoyed Classic Who's finale arc of season nineteen. Looks like Teegan won't be returning for the twentieth season, leaving the Doctor with one companion. Should start the new season this week.

Finished out the season of UFO Conspiracies. I'll be starting a new UFO show this week and I'm kind of hoping it will be a good one.

That's pretty much it for this week. Tonight's post is from Spring Chickens, an Organic Nature short for the Easter holiday.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A four-day weekend over the Easter holiday puts Vin Derbish in the mood for some alone time with Eppie Collins. A family emergency sees Eppie taking in her niece and nephew, which gives Eppie and Vin some perspective on parenthood.

And a snippety peek…

Vin turned the shower on and let the water warm up. "Gonna join me?" He stepped into the oversized stall they'd finished late yesterday.

Eppie dropped her shorts and yanked her shirt over her head. "Absolutely. I've been looking forward to this all day." She eased in front of him, ducking her head under the spray.

Vin grabbed the shampoo and worked it into her tresses. He loved making her wild with a scalp massage.

Eppie gave a low moan. "You've got magic fingers." She rinsed the suds out and took her turn with some body wash, soaping up Vin's shoulders, back, and torso.

When she moved down to grasp his erection, he nudged her up against the wall. "Uh-uh. Not yet. It's my turn…" He started with her breasts, grinning when the tips pebbled under his fingers.

He moved up to her shoulders then skimmed his palms over her back. Reaching lower, he cupped her ass and pulled her flush against him. She grasped his biceps and flexed her hips.

Shuffling to one side, he got them under the spray to rinse off. Eppie braced her shoulders against the wall and Vin caught her legs, wrapping them around his waist. Cutting the water down to a trickle, Eppie rocked her hips.

Vin slid forward, entering her with a smooth thrust. "Ah, Ep, wet and ready." He never tired of her warm sheath surrounding his cock.

She gave another low moan. "Been thinking about this all day." Her hands grasped his shoulders and she moved back and forth over his length.

Her tight core milked his dick and his thighs flexed, driving harder and deeper. Eppie gasped and ground her clit against his groin. He gripped her butt, pulling her closer.

Her fingers dug into his skin. "Getting close, Vin. Just a little bit more."

He moved one hand forward and rubbed his thumb over her clit. The added friction sent her over the edge and she shuddered, her back arching away from the wall. Vin hauled her against his chest and pumped upward, toppling into the well of pleasure. He put one hand out to keep his balance and Eppie turned the water back up to full flow.

A quick rinse off and Vin snagged a fluffy towel and wrapped it around her shoulders. He grabbed a second one and folded it over his hips then gave his head a quick shake.

Eppie sputtered. "Hey, stop it. You're getting me all wet again." Her lips twitched and she dashed past him. "Might be cute if you were a dog … but you're not." She exited into the bedroom and riffled through her bag for fresh clothes.

Vin followed her out. "You know you think it's sexy when I give my head a good shake and let it dry where it falls." He shrugged into a T-shirt.

Eppie didn't respond and Vin turned to find out why.

She held her phone to her ear and when she met his gaze, she frowned. "Dani left a voice mail. Something's wrong with Ken. I need to call her back." She finished dressing and went out to the main room to speak to her sister.

Vin got everything together and zipped up the bags … just in case they had to make a quick getaway to head back home.

Eppie poked her head into the bedroom. "Ken thinks he's got a kidney stone and Dani needed to take him to the ED. She dropped the kids off at my house and Lily is going to keep an eye on them until we can get there. You don't mind, do you?"

He held up their overnight cases. "Nope. Got everything packed and ready."

Eppie quickly updated Dani then cut the call. She crossed the floor and put her arms around him. "Thank you. You're the absolute best."

Vin cracked a smile. "I aim to please." And he always would.

Eppie and Vin are going to get a crash course in family togetherness and playing the Easter bunny for kids.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin 

Sunday Snippet: Sparkle and Boom

Welcome, October. It's been a week with a lot of ups and downs. Work went well and I got a bunch of projects close to being finished. My middle kid needed some help navigating a challenging week of appointments and mild setbacks with health care.

Not a bad week of television either. I caught two episodes of Prime Suspect. Finished up season three and started season four. Four begins single episodes and I'm looking forward to diving in.

Watched two episodes of Peak Practice. Both were pretty interesting and I like where season five is going.

Finished up Master Class with LeVar Burton and started a new course with Brandon McMillan about training dogs.

Completed Inside the Episodes: The Witcher and I'm looking forward to season two so much right now. To tide myself over, I'm going to watch the making of the series next.

Enjoyed watching Adele: Homecoming. I loved getting some insight into how she got her start and how she creates her music.

Started watching Classic Rugrats with the first episode about Tommy's birthday. I'll look forward to getting back into this show for the sheer nostalgia.

Watched two episodes of Chicago Med. Both ended up making me emotional and all teary-eyed. I love this show!

Enjoyed another The Brokenwood Mysteries. Poor Mike being out of commission made an interesting dynamic change.

Started season thirteen of Silent Witness and vaguely remember the episode. The insurance adjuster woman is the reason. Her obnoxiousness rubbed me wrong the first time around also. I mean I literally want to slap her, she's that annoying.

Also began a new episode of Blue Heelers. This one should prove to be interesting and I have a feeling helicopter parents will be the reason.

Caught a two-part arc of Classic Who. Actually enjoyed it for the most part, even the hints about a possible return of the Master.

Watched another episode of UFO Conspiracies. This one had a focus on cold-climate sightings. A neat spin on the usual fare.

Got two more episodes of The Muppet Show in with John Denver and Crystal Gayle as the guest stars. Season four is officially underway.

Caught another episode of Star Trek: Discovery. A lot going on in this one and I liked getting some additional insight into the second in command. I don't have all the names down yet.

Enjoyed an episode of Artist to Icon. This one featured Whitney Houston and I learned a few things I didn't know about her career. I'll probably stick to musicians for this series.

Finally, I caught an episode of Midsommer Murders. Hannah Waddington guest-starred and the episode ended up being such a good one.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Sparkle and Boom, an Organic Nature short for July.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Eppie Collins and Vin Derbish head back to the city for another fireworks extravaganza. Maj comes through with comping the VIP suite again, but right before the thrilling show, the couple is interrupted by the last minute arrival of the registered occupant, much to Maj's dismay.

And a snippety peek…

Vin pulled into the parking garage and headed for the VIP section. "Uh, Ep … looks like Maj is here to greet us this time." He pulled into a slot and cut the engine.

Eppie let out a slow breath. "Maybe not a good thing. She looks upset." Popping the door, Eppie slid out and greeted her friend.

Vin followed but paused when a sleek limo glided to a stop by the elevator. A sinking realization hit and ended up confirmed when Maj pasted a smile on her face and moved to welcome the passenger. Eppie made her way to Vin's side and motioned for him to hold up.

A tall man exited the limo and smiled before taking Maj's hand. "Maj! It's wonderful to see you. Dare I hope this means you've decided to spend the holiday with me?"

Ah, he's very interested in her.

Vin pitched his voice low. "Should we leave? He's only got eyes for Maj right now."

Eppie shook her head. "Not yet. Wanna stay for moral support." She turned to face Vin. "Apparently, he called an hour ago after his flight got diverted. Kind of put Maj on the spot."

Vin nodded. "I figured something like that happened."

Maj's face reddened. "Wilkes, you know I'm working." She extracted her hand from his. "But I'm always flattered when you ask." She worried her lower lip with her teeth. "I've made a bit of a blunder and I wanted to explain in person." Glancing toward Eppie and Vin, she continued. "Prior to your call, I had your suite booked, but everything is ready for you."

Wilkes turned and acknowledged Eppie and Vin.

Maj made the introductions. "Wilkes Osbourne, this is Eppie Collins and Vin Derbish. Eppie is one of my best friends from college."

Vin shook Wilkes's outstretched palm. "Nice to meet you."

Wilkes gave a nod. "Same. And I've just ruined your holiday plans, haven't I?"

Eppie shook her head. "Not at all. We don't have anything specific in mind other than watching the fireworks show."

Wilkes slid his gaze toward Maj. "That's tonight, isn't it?" When Maj affirmed, he glanced back to Vin and Eppie. "Well, why don't you plan to stay? My suite has plenty of room." His lips quirked. "And if you're there, Maj might be willing to join us after she's finished with her shift."

Eppie hesitated. "We couldn't impose." She directed her attention to Maj. "It would be terrific to catch up though."

Vin bit back a chuckle. His supposed non-matchmaking better half couldn't quite help herself … especially when opportunity all but fell in her lap.

Maj's face lit up. "Yes, it would." She met Wilkes's gaze. "You're sure you don't mind?"

He huffed out a breath. "I'm more than sure. Especially if it means I can spend time with you." He retrieved his luggage from the driver and sent him on his way. "Shall we head up?"

Vin got their bags from the Jeep and he and Eppie followed Maj and Wilkes to the elevator. Maj and Wilkes took turns trying not to stare at each other. Eppie rocked back on her heels with a huge grin. Vin's lips curved when the lift started upward. I have a feeling sparks will be flying from more than the fireworks.

I love writing the little peeks into Eppie and Vin's life and having them back in the city is so much fun.

 

That's it for this week. Happy Reading!

Skylin