December 9, 2018
Ugh. The saying when it rains it pours definitely applied to me this week. All three of our vehicles ended up needing something crucial and important RFN. Luckily, one of our local car dealers is a friend and he let us borrow a car. Yes, I said borrow. Saving the expense of renting a car helped a lot! Then… I ended up with a nasty cold. The kind where I literally couldn't be more than an arm's length away from a box of tissues because my nose wouldn't stop running, my eyes wouldn't stop watering, and I coughed and / or sneezed every few minutes. Thankfully, I’m at the stage where my voice is gone and my throat is a little scratchy, but otherwise, I'm tissue-free. Whew!
I'm so behind on my regular television shows. Arrow is probably my favorite and I'm at least two episodes behind. I'm hoping to catch up this weekend.
I did get to watch Penny Dreadful and I'm one episode away from the end of the first season. I kind of like the jagged direction this show takes sometimes.
Wynonna Earp continues to be a favorite. The "Undo It" episode ended up being way better than I expected. This show is so good.
Watched another episode of The Dresden Files and I think I'm close to being at the end of the one season we got. So much promise for this show.
Started a new season of Underbelly: Razor. 1920s Australia is a great setting.
And that's pretty much it for television this week. Between dealing with all the car drama and the cold symptoms, my brain took a vacation. LOL
Tonight's post is from A Nice Gesture, a sexy short that started with a writing community prompt and spun into a full story.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Marah Timm and Teague McCallister work at Humpberry Farms for their summer break. Marah is prickly and standoffish, but Teague recognizes the lonely soul in need of a nice gesture.
And a snippety peek…
Marah pretty much soaked one corner of Teague's shirt. She had no idea how they got to her sofa, but when Teague handed her a tissue, she accepted it with gratitude. Who knew a nice, simple gesture would open the floodgates?
She wiped her face. "I'm sorry. That's been a long time coming, I guess." Right, a lifetime.
Teague tucked her against his side. "I hope it helped. I take it it's been a while since anyone celebrated your birthday with you?"
What to tell him? Maybe the truth, the whole ugly, sad bit of it.
No, not tonight. Not on her birthday. Not when she had a hot guy in her cabin. Happy birthday to me.
She shrugged. "It's been a long time for a lot of things." Shifting her position, she angled around to straddle his lap.
His eyes widened in surprise then narrowed. "What's going on, Marah?"
She hummed low in her throat. "I'm thinking it's time to unwrap a really terrific present." Her mouth hit his with a hot kiss and, holy it's-been-too-long , the man could melt wax with his lips.
Teague responded, thrusting his tongue past her teeth and cupping her ass. She wanted more… everything… and why weren't they naked yet?
Breaking the kiss, she planned to rectify having too many clothes between them. She yanked her shirt up and off then swooped back in to continue the lip-lock.
Teague cut the embrace short, leaning back to hold her gaze. He didn't look angry but he didn't give off eager vibes either.
Mortified, Marah slid off his lap and fished around for her shirt. "Shit. You're not into this. I should've known." What a perfect endcap to a crappy week.
Teague snagged her hand. "Whoa. First, I'm definitely into this." He guided her palm to the hard ridge pushing against his cargo shorts. "But I'm not into taking advantage when you're in a… vulnerable place."
Her mouth dropped open. "Are you serious right now?" Did he think she didn't know her mind?
Did she, though? She didn't care. She wanted what she wanted.
Him.
Hard and naked. Preferably for the night.
He blew out a harsh breath. "Trust me. I rarely turn down an offer from a gorgeous woman." He shook his head.
She backed away. "Then why start now?" Maybe she should have given him the whole sad story of her effed up family woes.
He got up and came to stand behind her. "As much as I'd love to be your birthday treat, I meant what I said. I want to get to know you. As great as the sex would be… and it would be off the charts… it's not all I'm looking for here."
How am I supposed to respond to that? "What are you looking for?" Oddly, she almost feared his answer.
Because if he said he wanted a friend, she'd punch him. Really hard.
He tilted his head to one side and moved to face her. "Honestly… I'm not completely sure." His hand cupped her chin. "A beginning maybe?" His head straightened and he leaned in. "And more of this."
His lips caught hers and, oh, wow, a promise for so much more lingered when he finally eased away.
She grabbed his hand when he started for the door. "Teague… um, thank you." She met his gaze and held it. "Would you like to meet for lunch tomorrow?" She wanted the getting to know each thing too.
He flashed a smile. "Appleman's?" The farm's cute, retro diner.
She grinned. "Sounds terrific. One o'clock?" She'd be able to get a full pour of candles completed by then.
Teague gave a nod and exited her cabin. The space suddenly seemed dismal without him. Turning toward the small kitchen, she gathered the dishes and filled the sink.
Sticking her hands in the sudsy water, she smiled again. "I can't believe he made me dinner for my birthday." So not what she expected from a guy like Teague.
That would teach her to judge a man by appearance alone.
An epiphany washed over her. Son of a bitch. That's exactly what my family does. The ingrained and learned habit held her in thrall.
But no more. It's past time I truly start walking my own path. Way past.
Starting now, buoyed by Teague's nice gesture.
This story ended up going somewhere I didn't expect. I'm pretty happy with how Teague and Marah are navigating things.
That's it for this week. Happy reading!
Skylin
