Sunday Snippet: How to Tell Off the Boss

Can't believe we're in the final few days of the year. I can't say 2025 has been stellar, but it has been interesting. I'm looking forward to a new year.

Our weather is still wild. Our low for today is going to be about four degrees higher than the high for tomorrow. We're currently at fifty-eight degrees for our high and we'll plummet to twenty-nine. The high for tomorrow? Twenty-five. Seriously.

Slower work week with the holiday out of offices. I finished up a copy edit and started a new proofread that won't be due until the first week of January. Also got started on a developmental edit of a five or six book series. Continued work on the memoir and making good progress with the author. This is such a great story.

Had a pretty good viewing week. I got a couple of holiday special episodes in and that made me happy. I have one more I'm looking forward to this week.

Started again with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. I'm getting closer to the end with a handful of episodes left. I'm thoroughly enjoying the rewatch.

Caught the holiday special episodes of Madam Blanc Mysteries. At first, I didn't realize it was a two-parter and had to impatiently wait for the second half. Excellent episodes! I love the holiday specials.

Watched part two of Silent Witness and honestly didn't expect the twists and turns. I'm enjoying the newest team member. She's going to be a great addition to the Lylle.

Enjoyed another episode of Poirot. I kind of like it when Poirot is under the weather. He's such a cranky dude but also hilariously funny.

Caught another episode of Elementary and, wow, Joan could be headed for some serious trouble with Moreland. I have a sneaky suspicion Sherlock knows exactly what's going on and I'm interested to see if I'm right.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond and remembered it on my original run through. Good episode.

Enjoyed another episode of Lower Decks. So fun when lore from all the other Trek incarnations pops up and play a big role in the episode.

Caught the holiday episode of Beyond Paradise and loved seeing Commissioner Patterson! Also very happy to see Humphrey and Martha tie the knot. The rest of the background story ended up being super emotional and I love this episode a lot.

I did skip Foyle's War but should finish up the episode this week. Looking forward to watching the rest of the show.

That's it for the life update. Tonight's post is from How to Tell Off the Boss, a novella featuring a fun couple that get together while playing a game of cat and mouse with their boss.

Here's the miniblurb:

Orin Murdoch's boss, the newly installed VP of sales, is driving him insane with new promotions that just don't work. Edda Case, an upstart marketing whiz, takes Orin in hand and teaches him how to tell off the boss with style and how to win Edda's heart in the process.

And a snippety peek…

Orin took a moment to commit the vision of Edda, naked in his bed, to memory.

Leaning in, he caught her mouth with his. She slipped her tongue past his lips and amped up the heat of the kiss. She tasted a little sweet with some tart mixed in … just like her personality. He loved having her here.

And he wanted to blow her mind.

Ghosting his palm along her side and down over her hip, he sought the apex of her thighs. Sliding his fingers along her folds, he discovered her wet and ready. He definitely didn't need any extra stimulation. His dick ached with the need to be buried inside her.

Easing away, he moved his mouth up to her ear. "Top or bottom?" He inserted two fingers into her slick passage.

Edda moaned. "Don't care. Just want you. Deep." Her hips bucked against his hand.

Orin decided to change things up. "In that case…" He turned her away from him, keeping his fingers close to her clit. "I say we spoon." Pulling her thigh over his hip, he lined up and thrust forward.

Edda made a low hum of satisfaction. "Ahh. Good choice." Her butt bumped against his groin, drawing him deeper inside.

He used his free hand to cup a breast, which drew a hiss of response from Edda. Brushing his thumb over the taut nipple, he also rubbed the bundle of nerves at her core. Edda angled her head back and pressed kissed along his jawline.

He flexed his hips, thrusting forward and drawing back. Edda's hand fisted in his sheet and her breath came in short gasps. She rolled her pelvis, seeking more friction. He complied and pressed his fingers against her clit and amped up the speed.

Edda shuddered, her internal muscles gripping him. The hot, slick heat surrounding him pulled him over the edge and he came right behind her. Stars exploded in his brain and a groan escaped from deep in his chest.

Being with her topped anything he imagined.

Slowly coming down from the high of great sex, he nuzzled her throat. She reached around and grasped his hip, her hand sliding back to hold on to his ass. Another shudder rippled through her and goosebumps covered her skin.

He gently withdrew and rolled to his side to get rid of the condom in his bedside trash can. Edda turned and spooned up against his back, her lips ghosting along his shoulder. When her angled around, she burrowed into his side and rested her chin on his chest.

She traced circles on his skin. "Gotta admit … that kind of blew my mind." Her gaze met his.

Orin flashed a smile. "That's sorta what I was going for." He grabbed the light throw at the end of the bed and draped it over them.

Edda snuggled closer. "Now I'm definitely sleepy."

Orin brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. "I'll wake you early so you can get home to change." He set an alarm on his phone.

Edda gave him a tired smile. "Thanks." Her head popped up. "I really don't like the fact you're going to take a hit over the campaign."

Orin nodded. "I don't either. But we have some threads to pull. I think I can put Linna off a little longer."

Edda grunted and settled in beside him again.

Orin held her close, enjoying her in bed next to him.

I'm having so much fun writing this couple. Orin has a side he rarely lets anyone see and Edda brings it out without even trying.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Hot Water

Happy Solstice season! I did start to get in the spirit last week and I'm kind of feeling better about things in general. We're very low-key for holiday celebrations anyway. The good news is because I finally got some shopping done, I had to do a cleanout of my space, which is a very good thing. Got those urges started again and I also did more clearing and decluttering in other areas. Yay!

Ohio is still trying to figure out what it wants to do with the weather. We got a little more snow and a bunch of rain then plummeting temps. Thankfully, we also had a ton of wind before the drop, so we didn't have icy conditions. Whew!

Had a decent work week. I finished up some last-minute changes on a proofread, completed a copy edit, and had a client meeting over Zoom. I'm getting into some deep edits on the memoir and getting ready to start a new proofread and developmental edit over the holiday break.

I had an okay viewing week. I didn't make it through the bulk of my shows, but I'm kind of needing a brief break. I'm changing things up a little for the holiday season.

I did start over with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and enjoyed the rewatch. There aren't many episodes left before I'll be moving on to a new show.

I also got a partial episode of Foyle's War in. Since this season's episodes run a little longer, I might break them up into two parts. The Americans have finally arrived in England and it's going about as good as can be expected … which isn't great.

I started a new season of Silent Witness and part one ended up being very interesting. I really wish we got a little more info on where the other characters ended up going. Jack's niece in particular. The new head of the Lylle is kind of different and I like that. And it's always good to see Sean Pertwee show up in any show.

Watched another episode of Poirot and enjoyed the intrigue. Also fun to see super young actors that have gone on to starring roles in their own series. In a weird twist of fate, the actor playing Japp had a guest starring role in the episode of Foyle's War.

Also did a minimarathon of the holiday episodes of Death in Paradise. Both featured Neville. I might dive back into the new inspector's episode this week.

I also plan to watch Madame Blanc's holiday special this week. Stay tuned for more on that one.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Hot Water, a novella that brings a couple together over the lack of hot water.

Here's the miniblurb:

When Demi Strange and Nathan Jordan work together at a summer camp, things get heated. The campers use up the water ration, leaving Demi to borrow Nathan's shower and it lands her in more than hot water.

And a snippety peek…

Demi spent the night reliving the lip-lock with Nate. "For a short kiss … it packed a punch." Which didn't really surprise her.

He hadn't earned his reputation based off nothing.

By morning, she waffled between jumping in with both feet and holding back a little to test the waters. She smirked because he'd offered the use of his shower and didn't that fit the theme running in her head and heart right now? What did she want?

Heading for the craft shack, she let her imagination run wild. "I want a chance at something great." But if they only had a fling, would it hurt to have a spectacular memory if they didn't pursue a full relationship?

She weighed the idea in her heart because her brain kept dancing a jig in favor of whatever happened.

Entering the craft shack, she found Nate sitting at a table with popsicle sticks and chenille stems. He held two of the sticks down while one of the boys glued green fuzzy stems to them. Nate glanced up and sent her a wide smile.

Demi grinned and strolled over to the table. "What're you making, Jones?"

The kid didn't look up from his creation. "A monster. It's going to be green and yellow with big red eyes and a black tail." He spread another line of glue on two more sticks.

Nate scrunched his face up. "Are you going for scary or cute?"

Jones shrugged. "I'm going for whatever it wants to be." He lifted his gaze to Nate. "You gotta trust the process, you know?" He added another stick placed vertically and squeezed more glue out.

Nate laughed. "Sage words. Trust the process." He wiped his hands on a wet rag. "You good here? I wanna go check out the others."

Jones bobbed his head. "Yeah. Thanks for getting me started." Grabbing several more stems and sticks, he kept on creating.

Nate got up and met Demi on the other side of the table. "It's fun to see what they come up with when they don't have a kit or instructions to follow." He nodded toward the tables in the back. "Let's see what everyone else is doing."

Demi fell into step beside him and they did a quick tour around the room. By the time they finished, two other counselors came back from their break and took over supervision. Nate grabbed two bottles of water and headed out the back exit.

He settled on a bench behind the building and twisted off the cap of his water. Demi sat beside him and followed suit. Once they'd drained the liquid, they stashed the bottles in the recycling bin.

Nate kicked back, leaning against the siding. "Would I be an ass to assume you came to find me?" His brows arched.

Demi shook her head. "I could say yes, but I did come to find you. So, no." Her lips quirked.

Nate's face lit up. "Okay. Good. That's good." He chuckled. "I'm making this weird, and I don't want to." He lifted one shoulder. "I'm not usually this awkward."

Oddly touched, Demi grabbed his hand. "Awkward isn't bad if it's an honest thing." She laced their fingers together. "It's actually kind of nice." Did that make her sound stupid?

Nate shifted his position and draped an arm around her shoulders. "Nice. I like that." He tilted her chin up. "I want to kiss you again. Is that okay?"

Instead of answering, she meshed her lips with his. A groan escaped him when she slid her tongue past his teeth and took the embrace deeper. Her fingers inched under his camp polo shirt and brushed along his abdomen.

Nate hauled her close, urging her to straddle his thighs. She complied and … holy wow … his arousal became very evident. She moaned against his mouth, and he brought his hands up to cup her breasts through her T-shirt.

Her nipples responded, perking up when his thumbs brushed over them. She rocked against his hard-on, tingling awareness coursing through her veins. She wanted to get closer, but an insistent vibration in her back pocket pulled her back to reality.

Easing away from Nate, she dragged her phone out and silenced the alarm notification.

Resting her forehead against his, she apologized. "Terrible timing. I have to head back to get the girls from their swimming session." She brushed her lips over his again.

Nate huffed out a breath. "Right. Yeah. You shouldn't make them wait." He let go of her hips and let her slide off his lap.

She met his gaze. "This…" Waving between them, she smiled. "Was kind of amazing." Turning, she glanced back. "See you later."

She fanned herself on the way to meet with her girls. Hopefully, she'd cool down before she gathered them for their afternoon hike. If not, a cold shower might not be a bad thing later.

I'm having a lot of fun with this one. I love Nate and Demi and the vibe they have.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: The Hot Not Date

Yeesh. We're already halfway through the month and I have barely scratched the surface on holiday stuff. In all fairness, I'm not really feeling it this year. There's just too much terrible going on from mass shootings to the kidnapping of people off the streets. Good will toward man doesn't seem to be a thing anymore … unless it's a specific type of man.

Ohio is super cold and snowy right now. We got about six inches last night and the temperature plummeted down to single digits. It's in the teens at the moment. Won't last long. We're supposed to be in the mid-fifties by Thursday. Seriously.

Work projects are moving along. I'm finishing up a proofread and working on a copy edit. I have another new project getting ready to start soon and another copy edit coming next week. I also have the memoir that I'm reviewing as the author makes changes.

I got a few of my regular shows watched this week. I'm still in a blah place and haven't been able to dedicate the time to viewing. I did get a good bit of my mountain of laundry completed, which is a huge accomplishment. I have a new hanging rack I want to get set up but can't until I get the backlog of clothes cleared.

I did finish up Foyle's War and will be starting a new season this week. The next one only has two episodes, which means they might be a little longer. If that's the case, I might be breaking the episodes into two chunks.

I also got the season finale of Beyond Paradise in. I wanted to get it watched before the holiday special and I got it done. Really hope there's some good stuff around the corner for Esther and Archie. My fingers are crossed. Also … Martha and Humphrey are really great foster parents. It hurts my heart every time they send one of their fosters back.

In an odd twist, I caught a holiday episode of Poirot. Thoroughly enjoyed the mystery even without Hastings and Miss Lemon or Inspector Japp. Gotta say the Egyptian prince being a complete prat ended up being fun to watch. I would not have blamed Poirot if he lost his calm and thwacked that guy on the head.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from The Hot Not Date, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the miniblurb:

When Keefer meets Bryce, she's on a date with Mark and Keefer is bummed she's already taken. But things aren't exactly as they seem and by the end of the night, Keefer discovers his insta-crush may not be one-sided.

And a snippety peek…

Bryce Cannon checked her reflection in the full-length mirror. "Not bad. At least Mark will have something pretty to look at during dinner." Not that Mark cared how she looked.

Her best friend might not even notice she'd put in some extra effort for their dinner date. But she had to try … he'd been moping for close to a month post breakup. Not that she blamed him. His super-steady since high school girlfriend accepted a job in another state then gently suggested she and Mark should call it quits.

Bryce pursed her lips after swiping some tinted lip balm on. "Eight years down the drain. Damn." Her heart went out to Mark.

She didn't know how to feel about Alisha cutting ties with Mark. Bryce had been friendly with Alisha … how could she not be when her oldest friend on the planet had fallen hard for the other woman. But Bryce hadn't been able to really process the about face yet.

A quiet knock sounded on the bedroom door. "Bryce? You decent?"

She stashed the lipstick in her purse and opened the door. "No, but you love that about me." Her lips curved in a smile.

Mark rolled his eyes then stepped back and blinked. "Wow. What's the occasion?" He gave her a slow once-over. "You look amazing."

She did a spin. "Yeah? Thanks." She could always count on him to give an honest opinion.

One of the many things she loved about him. He never tried to feed her bullshit. She could not say the same for some of their other friends.

Mark tilted his head to one side. "Seriously. What's the occasion?" He straightened. "Wait. You did this for me, right? What's your plan?" He started heading for the front door.

Bryce followed, turning off the light in her living room. "No plan. Just a fun not date to remind you you still have game." But he maybe needed a refresh on the rules.

Mark's eyebrows arched. "In other words, you're gonna play wingman." He pushed the door open and held it for her.

Bryce laughed. "More like sports trainer. You know, the person to help you get back on the field." She slid into his trusty Honda.

Mark got in and started the car. "Bry?" He turned to face her. "Thanks."

Her mouth curved. "You're welcome. Now … where are we going?" She put her seatbelt on.

Mark gave her a wide smile. "Duncan's on the Square. Jack said they've got the best burgers in town right now." He backed out of his parking space.

She hadn't been there yet. "Excellent choice. Let's go."

I think this one is going to be a lot of fun. Banter is one of my favorite things to write.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Hot Action

Well, the first week of December is in the books, and it ended up being super busy for me. I had a follow-up appointment with my primary care doctor, and we went over the results from the colonoscopy. While everything looks okay, I have to go back for another scan in six months. Um … yay? Bleh. I also have several moles we're going to remove in January and my blood pressure is still a little high so I'm starting meds for that. All in all, a productive appointment.

I'm not juggling as many work projects, but I have a tricky copyedit that I need to do some research on and a proofread that's due next week. I also have reading to do for the developmental edit of the memoir. I also have two more projects waiting in the wings. I like the idea of having a strong end to the year.

I did not get much viewed this week. I've been in a bit of a slump and just needed a break. I did do some binge watching of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, My Life Is Murder, and I got a bit more the of Foyle's War episode watched.

Other than that, I had adulting to do like check insurance coverage for the procedures I need to have and paying bills. I hate how much time that stuff eats up.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Hot Action, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the miniblurb:

Hans and Sylvia are working together during a summer program and sparks fly. They don't act on the attraction—neither can commit to anything serious because both still have another year of college at different universities. But when Sylvia hears her name coming from the shower area, she can't resist finding out why, and her discovery makes for some hot action with Hans.

And a snippety peek…

Hans stepped out of the main hall and caught sight of Sylvia Ramone filling a gallon jug with water at the pump beside the community mess area.

He let out a low whistle. "Damn. I'll be dreaming of her for the next ten weeks." He'd been mildly obsessed with her since their preliminary training sessions over Zoom.

The summer program, entering its third year, had twenty counselors for approximately one hundred kids per week. Hans finally got lucky and ended up getting a spot on the employee roster. He'd tried last year but couldn't make the initial training … the timing didn't work.

His lips quirked. "Kinda okay with that now." His gaze tracked Sylvia when she headed back toward one of the trailers.

She'd impressed the hell out of him with her questions and comments during their Zoom session and then during the orientation. Shame on him for doubting. He should know looks didn't equal intelligence or lack thereof.

Dragging his phone out, he opened the note app and looked up his trailer number. "Figures I'm at the opposite end from Sylvia." Probably just as well … he didn't have any business thinking about hooking up with anyone.

Especially someone who went to college in the northern part of the state when he had class almost four hours south. He'd tried the long-distance relationship thing before. Didn't exactly work out well. For him.

He grabbed his gear and started toward the far end of the line of housing. Sylvia ducked out of her trailer again, carrying a towel and a backpack. She sent a wide smile his way.

He nodded. "Getting settled in?"

She lifted her chin. "Trying to. They just posted the shower schedule, and I need to get in there before I miss my window." Laughing lightly, she nudged him with her shoulder. "Don't worry. You have two hours before it's time for the guys."

He grunted. "Schedule thing won't last long. Not once the kids arrive." They'd grab them when they had time.

Sylvia chuckled. "I know, right?" She paused outside the building. "I give it maybe three days." With a quick wave, she entered.

Hans tried not to stare after her … and failed. She hit every one of the boxes on his wish list.

Biting back a groan, he headed for the place he'd call home for the next ten weeks.

It's gonna be a major challenge to not think of her getting naked right now.

This one is just getting started, but I love Hans and Sylvia. They're going to do things a little backward and I'm excited to see where they end up.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin