Sunday Snippet: King's Ransom

Can't believe June is almost over. This year is flying by so quickly. Or maybe it's just so much is out of control it seems that way.

Great week of work. I'm finishing up two big projects and hopefully setting up the groundwork for more. I'd love to find some balance between big jobs and smaller ones.

Had a decent week for viewing. We had some weather roll through, and I took the precaution of not starting anything when we might lose power.

I started a new two-parter of Silent Witness. Kind of an interesting premise and I'm not completely sure where this one is going. I like that.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise, and it's one I hadn't seen yet. I do love watching the series in chronological order.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with "Final Cut," which is one of my very favorite episodes. There's a lot going on in this one and it's all amazing.

Finished the second season of Only Murders in the Building and, holy hell, I loved how it ended! Can't wait for season three!

Also managed to catch another episode of Classic Rugrats. It brought back some memories because my kiddos wanted to try flan because of this one.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from King's Ransom, a novella that dips back into the Blatant Affair universe.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Scientist Livvie King needs protection—she possesses a rare book that people will kill for. Nab Ransom is assigned to transport her safely to a secure destination and he's got a big problem—he shouldn't be falling for the woman he's supposed to guard with his life.

And a snippety peek…

Livvie King curled her fingers into her palms. "It's too weird. Having three near misses. I'm not accident prone at all." She couldn't ignore the bizarre, life-threatening events around her anymore. "And that's why I came to you, Mr. Cruz." If a private security company couldn't keep her safe, no one could.

Victor Cruz lifted his chin. "My company specializes in protection, prevention, and often apprehension. We'll be able to keep you safe." He arched his eyebrows. "You said you're a scientist? Are you sure you're not being targeted for something work-related?" His tone skeptical, he tilted his head to one side.

Livvie sighed. "I can't be one hundred percent sure, but I don't do top-secret work and the, uh, accidents started happening after I inherited my grandmother's book of recipes." She patted her messenger bag. "It's going to sound strange, but her distillery caters to a lucrative clientele. Several attempts have already been made to purchase her formulas, but I don't want to sell them. It's her legacy to me." She met Victor's gaze. "And I can't leave my job yet, so pulling up stakes and moving won't be happening for at least a year or two. That's why I have the book with me." In hindsight, probably a big mistake.

Victor did a slow nod. "Okay, we'll assume the book is the target and they'll go through you to get it." He picked up his phone. "I'm texting one of my operatives. We'll do an introduction then talk specifics for getting you home." Placing the device back on the desk, he focused on his computer. "I'm printing a standard contract and we'll add addendums as needed until you're happy with the package."

A rapid series of knocks sounded on the door behind her, and Victor called for the person to enter.

Livvie turned and bit back a gasp. The man entering took her breath away. Tall, but not towering, he had broad shoulders, defined biceps, and a tapered waist. Wearing a pair of dark blue fatigues and a grey Henley with the Cruz logo, he lifted his chin in greeting and flashed a brief smile.

Then he focused on his boss. "You have a client you wanted me to meet?"

Victor rose and came around his desk. "Yeah. Nab, this is Livvie King." He swept his hand toward her. "Livvie, this is Nab Ransom, one of my top operatives. He'll make sure you get home in one piece." He indicated Nab should take a seat.

Livvie shook her head. Nope. This wouldn't work at all. Her goal of not drawing any undue attention to herself could only fail on epic proportions if she had to travel with a mega-hot man in tow.

She made a sound of protest. "Don't you have someone less, well, attractive? I mean I'm trying to be incognito and this one will…" She made an all-encompassing motion with her hand. "Draw a lot of attention." Geez, did she really just say that?

Nab blinked. "You want someone else because you think I'm too good-looking?" He slid his gaze toward Victor. "That's a first."

Victor grunted. "That it is. But you heard the client. I'll find someone else for this detail." A frown marred his face, but he grabbed his phone again.

Nab lifted his chin. "No problem, boss. I don't mind the downtime. Lets me dive back into my X-Files rewatch." He met Livvie's gaze. "Nice to meet you, Ms. King." He started for the door.

Livvie's mouth dropped open. This hot-ass man is an X-Files fan? She would've never believed it if she hadn't heard it from his lips.

Livvie jumped to her feet. "Wait!" She glanced toward Victor. "I've changed my mind. I'd be grateful for Mr. Ransom's protection." She couldn't go wrong with a guy who loved Mulder and Scully.

I'm not quite sure where this story is going yet but I love these characters. There might be some shenanigans with my couple from Blatant Affair.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Blatant Affair

Welcome to November! We're almost finished with 2017 and I'm honestly looking forward to a new year. It's been a rough ten months so far.

Excellent television viewing this week. The Flash had a great episode. It's always fun to see Cisco on the hot seat. Really enjoyed his storyline. Also interested in seeing where things go with Joe and becoming a father again.

Legends of Tomorrow didn't have a terrible episode. The homage to ET maybe went a little overboard but still fun.

Riverdale was sort of on the fence for me… until I got a wild hair theory about who the black hood is and now I have to stay tuned to see if I'm right. I'm honestly fairly disappointed with the addition of Hiram to the fold. He made a better villain working from the shadows.

Arrow continues to amaze me. I love the way roles continue to be mixed up and everything is fluid. That keeps me glued to the screen.

Got caught up on Gotham and watched this week's episode. I won't be disappointed to see the end of Professor Pyg but at least the plot is moving forward and I'm down with that.

Having fun watching holiday movies on the Hallmark channels. There's usually something on one of them that catches my interest.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Blatant Affair, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of creating a story featuring blatant fraternization.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Valley Cruz and Flynn Boatman fall for each other and don't hide their feelings. But when company policy dictates they can't be together, they'll start a blatant affair no matter the consequences.

And a snippety peek…

Flynn stuck the tip of the needle into his skin and pulled the thread through the gash on his arm. "I hate getting wounded in the field." He'd learned tending to the injuries on his own saved time and effort.

Why hit up an emergency department or urgent care facility when he could do the stitching up?

The bad part? He didn't like the actual poking around on himself. To cope, he sent his brain down memory lane, envisioning Valley's hips sashaying out the door. Ms. Fitzhugh had quite the presence. And, damn, the woman made a solid impression.

He finished up the second stitch. "Wonder what she looks like out of those trashy clothes?" His lips curved when he pictured her naked. "Okay… with normal clothes on." Probably shouldn't get in the habit of imagining his coworkers wearing nothing but skin.

But the idea kept his mind off the next three stitches. He tied off the final one and split the thread with his teeth. Gathering his supplies, he put everything neatly back in his case. After zipping it up, he stood and placed the bag in his locker.

"You know there's an infirmary two corridors over, right?"

His lips twitched. Where was she five minutes ago? He shut the door and turned to find Valley propped against the door jamb. Clad in navy cargo pants that hugged her curves, her fitted t-shirt skimmed the waistline. Without the fake cleavage, her proportions were damn near perfect. She'd scrubbed the overdone makeup from her face and pulled her previously teased hair back into a sleek ponytail. All in all, the transformation made her even more appealing.

He leaned a shoulder against the metal framing. "An infirmary? They must not have covered the location in the new guy welcome package." She rewarded him with a sexy smirk.

She pushed away from the wall and came over to examine his handiwork. "Hmm. Not bad." Her gaze met his. "You've got some field training then?"

Leading questions to get answers? An expression of interest, maybe?

He lifted a shoulder. "I might. A little scratch like this doesn't need a lot of attention."

Valley quirked an eyebrow. "I count a half-dozen stitches. That's more than a scratch." She folded her arms over her chest. "New guy jokes aside, you should at least let Doc Savage give you a quick once-over. There's no telling where that knife has been or what Bright used it for. And Victor pays the good doctor to make sure his operatives stay in top form."

She had a valid point. Pissing off his new boss by not following protocol would be stupid. Not to mention keep him on the newbie list in Valley's eyes.

He gave a quick nod. "Right. Heading two corridors over then." He made to move past her.

Her hand caught his uninjured bicep. "You don't have a weird aversion to doctors, do you?" A quick flash showed her teeth in a smile.

Flynn held her gaze longer than necessary. "Why? You wanna come hold my hand if I do?"

Valley chuckled. "Good one. Keep that up and you'll fit right in around here." She gave him a nudge with her shoulder. "Get going. I promise you'll be just fine."

Pleased he'd made her laugh, Flynn cracked a wide grin. "I'll take your word for it." He turned when he got to the door. "Maybe he'll give me something to get rid of the new guy smell." He left the room to the sound of Valley's laughter.

This one is very fun. I like the idea of having a couple who pretty much puts how they feel out there for everyone to see.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Blatant Affair

July 26, 2015

Okay, I forgot to mention Strike Back last week. I seriously want the female antagonist to die a slow, painful death. It can happen anytime now. LOL

The Dread Doctors on Teen Wolf are creeping me out. Something tells me Peter is going to be involved, which is actually quite okay with me. He makes a good villain.

Defiance had a great episode. I really love the smaller personal beats paired with the big, somewhat sweeping arcs this season. Great stuff. Killjoys is heating up, too. Can't wait to see next week's episode. And Dark Matter did the impossible by adding a layer of emotional nuance to Three. I'm surprised and thrilled. LOL

The Last Ship took a turn I totally didn't expect and I love it. I enjoy how the new characters are being worked in without taking a lot away from the established ones. And, seriously, Tex rules. Just saying.

Tonight's post is from Blatant Affair, a novella where my main characters throw caution to the wind and do what they want.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Valley Cruz and Flynn Boatman fall for each other and don't hide their feelings. But when company policy dictates they can't be together, they'll start a blatant affair no matter the consequences.

And a snippety peek…

Valley Cruz stood behind the counter of the low-rent, no-tell motel, filing her nails. She cracked her gum and met the gaze of the man leaning on the gouged wood surface. Impatient, obnoxious, and oh, so hot with his military haircut, day old scruff, and raspy voice.

His gloved fist pounded hit the slab, sending dust and who knew what else wafting out around it. "Is Manny Bright registered here or not?" He edged closer, getting an eyeful of her bountiful cleavage.

Amazing what push-up bras could create. Paired with tank two sized too small and a crocheted over shirt, she couldn't believe her boobs hadn't popped out of the lingerie yet. Valley made a show of setting the nail file aside and crossing the tiny cubicle to get the cash book. She hiked up her already super short skirt and slid up onto the wobbly stool.

Flipping the book open, she blew a bubble and cracked her gum again. "Bright, you said?" She ran a black painted nail, a skull and crossbones affixed on the tip, down the ledger. "Sorry, dude. Nobody by the name of Bright paid for a room." She peered up through her heavily mascared lashes. "Can you describe the guy?"

Mr. Hot-bod heaved a sigh. "He's five-ten, stringy brown hair, and covered with freckles." His brow rose. "Anyone with that description check in?"

Valley's lips curved in a wide smile. "Yeah, yeah. That guy's in room 2F." She leaned forward, ignoring how the action put her breasts on display again. "And he not alone, if you get my meaning." Her voice dropped to a quiet whisper. "He took a tenner up there with him."

Hot-bod frowned. "A tenner?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, one of the sex walkers who'll suck his dick for ten bucks." She snorted. "You're not from around here, are you?"

He lifted a shoulder. "Not really, no. Thanks for the information." He dropped a twenty on the counter and started up the stairs.

Valley bit back a laugh, tucking the bill inside her bra. She should've just given the guy the intel and then taken her post at the bottom of the steps to act as back-up. Sliding off the stool, she kicked the chunky Mary Jane wedges off and lost almost four inches. The damned things weighed a freaking ton.

Exiting the tiny alcove, she crossed the floor on stockinged feet and flattened against the wall, ready for anything or… nothing. She never knew which. But she wouldn't be sorry to leave the Ramshackle Arms behind. Her old man better be ready to shell out a nice bonus for making her work this gig.

Straining to hear the action upstairs, she caught the sound of Hot-bod knocking on the door. He used a soft rap, no doubt muted by his gloves. Speaking with a timid tone, he asked if Manny's room had any extra towels. The door opened and a scuffle ensued.

Valley braced for action. An ear-piercing shriek preceded a muffled curse and running footsteps grew louder as they neared Valley's location. She slipped back a little further, hoping to remain unseen.

"You'll have to do better than that, asshole. I won't go down without a fight." Bright started down the steps, a long blade clutched in his hand.

Blood poured from his nose and dripped off the end of the gleaming steel. Valley did a quick assessment. Hot-bod got a solid punch in, but Manny retaliated with his knife. The tenner spouted curses and threats about wanting more cash for the blood-sport.

Valley rolled her eyes and waited for her moment. When Bright got to the second to last step, she flung a leg out, catching him on the shins. He went sprawling to the floor, face-planting on the scuffed surface.

Valley moved fast, jamming her knee into his kidney. "Stay down, Bright." She withdrew her weapon and nudged him between the shoulder blades.

The handsome operative followed, a nasty gash on his bicep.

He stepped up, ready to secure Manny. "Flynn Boatman. Who the hell are you?" Tightening the tether strips, he hauled Bright up off the floor.

Valley picked the blade up. "Valley Fitzhugh. I've been UC for a month, gathering intel on our lower life form here." She bagged the knife. "Also here for back-up, which is probably a good thing." Her lips curved in a smile.

Flynn lifted a shoulder. "Yeah, much appreciated." His gaze swept over her in a slow perusal, his eyes narrowing.

Valley lifted a brow. "Something bothering you?" The study had her senses on high alert.

Flynn shook his head. "No, not really. Just wondering where you had the side arm stashed." He jerked Manny toward the door where the pick-up team waited to take him back to base for interrogation.

Valley couldn't resist a cheeky answer. "You'll have to wait for the answer to that question." She liked the flash of interest he shot her way.

Going behind the counter, she grabbed a gauze pad she had tucked in her purse then handed it to Flynn.

He tilted his head to one side. "Oh yeah? How long is this waiting period?" He pressed the dressing to his bicep, staunching the flow of blood.

Valley grinned and hitched the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "Until the new guy smell wears off you." Coming back out to the main floor, she nodded toward his injury. "You'd better get that looked at. I see some stitches in your near future." Grabbing the evidence bag, she gave him a jaunty wave and left the building.

She hadn't enjoyed working at the Ramshackle, but meeting her dad's new operative made the less than stellar experience worth it. She couldn't wait to discover more about the new man on Victor Cruz's payroll.

I can't wait to see more sparks fly when Flynn and Valley meet again.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Blatant Affair

Just finished watching Blood and Chrome and switched over to Skyfall while I wait on the encore of The Walking Dead. So much good stuff to watch!

Tonight's post is from a just started manuscript that kind of popped into my head from a prompt left in one of my writer's groups. I love it when one sentence or hell, even a couple of words, can spawn an entire scene. Anything that nudges the sages when they're being stingy with words is a big bonus. LOL

Blatant Affair centers on a couple who really shouldn't be together due to their work situation. It's frowned upon and they fight their attraction for as long as they can. Up and down, back and forth, until they finally say 'screw it' we're going to be together. I have a feeling it's going to be very fun to write. :D

Here's a tagline:

Valley Cruz and Flynn Boatman fall for each other and don't hide their feelings. But when company policy dictates they can't be together, they'll start a blatant affair no matter the consequences.

And here's a snippety peek…

"Give me a reason, Valley. Because I'm this close to saying fuck it all and walking out the door." Flynn tossed his towel aside and reached for his clothes.

Valley grabbed hold of his arms, leaned in and kissed him, hard, on the mouth. "Is that a good enough reason?"

The shower area went silent. She'd just upped the stakes in a very big way. Naked or not, Flynn didn't care who witnessed his next move.

He cupped Valley's face and tilted her head back, his thumbs caressing her cheeks. "You'd better be certain. We start this, there's no going back."

Her lips curved in a wry smile. "Flynn, you're standing naked in the men's showers and I just kissed you in front of everyone. I'm pretty damned sure the blatant display speaks for itself." She swung her gaze around the space. "Give us the room, people. And pick your jaws up on the way out."

Valley makes her move in a big way and Flynn gets to play catch up. It doesn't take him long. LOL

That's all for this week. Happy Reading!

Skylin