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: Getting Schooled

Geez, August has been a brutal month. The last week in particular. Not sure why, but I struggled hard, couldn't stay focused, and generally feel like I didn't get anything accomplished. Bleh.

Weirdly, the weather has been amazing. We need rain in a big way, but the temperatures were mild, which is a blessing. Actually had to break out a jacket and leggings because it got chilly at night.

Work projects are in a weird state of flux. I have a lot on my plate, and I hopped around multiple projects because of the aforementioned struggle to stay focused. I really hope I can get back on task this week.

I didn't get to watch the season two opener of Reacher, but I did make it through most of my regular shows. The first week of September is a chaos monster so I'm not sure if I'll get to make it through my regular slate of shows. Fingers crossed.

I did start the week with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and enjoyed the rewatch. Always fun when Phryne and company go on trips.

Caught another episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. I liked the mystery and my heart broke for Dom and Jean. But Jean was spot on with telling Dom he might not be ready to be a couple.

Watched the opening to season fourteen Death in Paradise. Still not sure if I'm down with the new guy. He might grow on me, and I do like how Naomi and Darlene hold their own with him.

Enjoyed another episode of Poirot. Very fun to see him solve the mystery while not leaving his apartment. And I do think he quite loves to put Hastings in horribly embarrassing positions.

Caught another episode of Elementary. I really like it when Joan and Sherlock team up to help their extended group. Detective Bell's dilemma being resolved ended up being a lot of fun.

Watched another episode of Batman Beyond. I didn't fully remember this one, so I enjoyed getting reacquainted with it.

The episode of Lower Decks I watched is hopefully a turning point. Mariner makes me absolutely bonkers, which I'm pretty sure is the whole point. Here's hoping she can dial it back about ten clicks and I can finally settle in and like the character.

I did almost make it through an episode of Peak Practice that I started a couple of weeks ago. Sam is headed for a very bad place, which makes sense since his run is almost finished. Hoping to get the rest of the episode watched this week.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Getting Schooled, a novella that features an enemies-to-lovers flavor.

Here's the miniblurb:

Tamsin and Ike are resident leaders at neighboring summer camps. Tamsin works with upper crust girls and Ike has underprivileged boys. When a grant program director suggests bridging the gap, neither is very excited by the prospect, but once they meet, both get schooled in by how well the kids get along.

And a snippety peek…

"Let me start by thanking both of you for your terrific presentations." The grant director, Allie Mayhew, met Tamsin's gaze then did the same for Ike. "You both put a lot of work into them and because of that … I'd like to offer a suggestion…" She got up and came around the small table she'd been sitting behind and propped her hip on the edge.

Tamsin held back a grimace. A suggestion lacked decisiveness. But Tamsin would listen with an open mind. She could do no less.

Allie folded her hands in front of her. "Why don't I split the funds between both camps?" Her eyebrows arched and a hopeful look crossed her face.

Tamsin bit her tongue to avoid a negative response. She slid Ike a sideways glance. Other than a balled-up fist, he showed no outward sign of thinking this idea sucked.

Tamsin tilted her head to one side. "How do you see your plan working? Will the funds be evenly distributed?" Half would be better than nothing but probably not enough to keep things afloat.

Ike added a query. "And how will the disbursement be handled? Do we submit requisitions or a budget, or will we be free to use the money at our discretion?" He pulled a legal pad out of his bag and flipped to a clean page.

Allie's head wobbled a little. "Well … both are good questions. And the answer is … I don't know yet." She pushed away from the table and walked back and forth. "I literally only thought of this possible solution." She stopped and faced them. "Let's start with pulling a budget together for each camp and assume the funds will be evenly divided between the two." She brightened. "If you can have something to me by the end of the day, I'll make sure to fast-track it on my end. My guess is we'll make a joint account because we can't actually disburse the amount into two separate accounts."

Tamsin stifled a growl of frustration and looked toward Ike. "Can you stick around?" As much as she didn't want to spend more time with Mr. Overgrown Juvenile Delinquent, she'd bite the bullet and get it over with. "Maybe we can hammer out the details and get Allie the information she needs." Not exactly the way Tamsin wanted to spend the rest of the day, but she'd do anything to help the owners.

Ike shrugged. "I'll need to make a quick call, but I can stay." He got his phone and stood, walking to the back of the room.

Tamsin focused on Allie. "We'll work on a budget and get it to you by day's end. Will email be okay?" She opened her laptop and pulled up a spreadsheet.

Allie gave a nod. "That'll be perfect." She leaned forward. "I wish I could do more. And I know this isn't the greatest solution, but hopefully, it'll keep both camps viable for the season."

Tamsin stopped just short of rolling her eyes. "We can definitely hope." Not much else they could do.

Ike returned. "I'm clear all afternoon." He tucked his phone back inside his pocket.

Allie smiled. "Excellent. I'll leave you two to crunch your numbers. Thank you for the amazing presentations." She gathered her purse and phone. "I'll look for your email later today." With a quick wave, she headed for the exit.

Tamsin waited until the door closed before she lobbied her first shot across his bow. "If I didn't promise to do everything I could to save Seneca, I'd be right behind Allie." She huffed out a breath. "But I did promise, and I plan to keep my word." She nodded toward her laptop. "Let's get busy." Not waiting for a response, she sat back down and clicked into her spreadsheet.

Having fun with this one. Ike and Tamsin have major assumptions about each other that aren't true, and the discovery process is a treat!

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Hot Water

Whew. Crazy-busy week. I spent much of the past seven days brainstorming a new business idea with one of my closest friends. We're close to making a decision about moving forward or not. I'll keep everyone posted.

Not a bad week for television. Got in more Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Decent episodes but I'm always thrown by Batman not being Kevin Conroy. Ah, well. That's how it goes.

Got a couple episodes of Constantine in. I'll have one more to watch to finish up the season. Also caught the first episode of Lexx. I remember the original run but didn't get to watch everything from start to finish. Looking forward to seeing the entire story.

Watched another episode of The Coroner. It fits in well with my other mystery shows. Got two episodes of Midsomer Murders and Endeavor in. I'm caught up as far as I can be with Endeavor. Have to wait for season five to become available for binge-watching.

Watched a Hallmark movie, The Art of Us. I had the pleasure of editing the wonderful book from Tule Publishing. The movie turned out really well.

Caught my military shows with one episode each. Band of Brothers and Strike Back. Also followed up with an episode of Chicago Fire.

Sense 8 had another terrific episode. I'm always blown away with the seamlessness of the cluster interactions. I can't wait to watch more of this show. Started The Dresden Files with the first episode. I enjoyed this show when it originally aired. I'm up to episode seven of Canal Road and the twisty turns keep on coming. I'm very invested in seeing how the show plays out with regards to Spencer's wife's death.

I started a classic series in black and white called Medic. There are only twelve episodes available on the app, but I'll see how the second one is before deciding to continue or not.

Finally started the second season of The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I so wish there had been more of this show. Things really jelled in season two.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Hot Water, a novella that started with a prompt and took a wild-hair turn into something completely different.

Here's the mini-blurb:

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…

Nate shook off the odd feeling of being brushed aside. Had he offended Demi?

He got up. "Nah. I've offered everyone a chance to use the cabin." Gathering up his paperwork, he filed it in the cabinet and went to meet the kitchen staff to discuss how they could help with the water situation.

He found Carol filling a huge stock pot with water.

She held up a hand. "Don't even bother. I'm filling the pots with cold water and I'll keep them on the stove on a low boil." She lifted the heavy pot with ease and carried it to the range. "Not like I haven't done this before." Her lips spread in a wide smile. "Glad Butch and Linda converted the stove to electric five years ago."

His first summer at the camp. "Such a big deal at the time." But a good decision.

Carol turned the burner on. "You were just a babe way back then." She laughed, obviously enjoying being able to rib him.

Nate shrugged. "Right out of high school with my first job away from home." Man, had he been green.

Carol flashed a smile. "And you loved every moment of being here." She started filling another pot.

Nate nodded. "I did. Still do." Except… he'd be graduating with his master's degree after the fall semester.

Which begged the question… what to do next?

Carol voiced the exact thought. "What're your plans? I'm assuming you won't be here next year." She handed him the pot when he held out a hand and started filling another one.

Nathan put the water on the stove and turned the burner on. "I'm interviewing for a few spots over the summer, the jobs contingent on graduation." He needed something full-time, otherwise, he'd love to return to the camp.

How much longer did Demi have for her degree?

Why the hell did he care?

Because she intrigued him. Her seeming lack of interest piqued his curiosity. In a very good way.

He still had the question in his mind when the counselors and campers gathered around the fire for spooky stories and gooey s'mores. A tailor-made opportunity presented itself when Mitzi got up to get more marshmallows, leaving the space beside Demi open. Nate took the spot, determined to find out more about the beautiful woman.

She quirked an eyebrow when he settled beside her. "Nate." She didn't say more and went back to watching the flames flicker and dance.

He nudged her with his shoulder. "How did the girls take the news?" Might as well open with a common thread.

Demi snorted. "As well as any preteen that loves to primp and pamper themselves would." She laughed. "So not completely well."

He chuckled. "Bart said the guys grumbled and complained, but decided to make a competition out of who gets done the fastest and still manages to get clean."

Demi wrinkled her nose. "And who determines the level of cleanliness?"

Nate shook his head. "I have no idea, but no doubt Bart will get stuck with the task." Nate definitely would not.

Demi only smiled and turned her attention back to the fire. Nathan frowned. What did he have to do to hold her attention?

He asked the question on his mind all day. "So, how much longer do you have to finish your degree?" Crappy transition, but maybe school would open her up.

Demi glanced in his direction, narrowing her gaze a little. "I'm starting my final year this fall. Why?" Her gaze clouded a little like she couldn't believe he'd want to know.

The idea didn't sit well with him. He never treated his counselors like they didn't matter. But she had wariness almost oozing from her pores. Because of him? The notion bothered him. A lot.

He folded his hands in his lap to avoid the urge to get closer to her. "Mainly curious. Your major is…" Aw, hell, why couldn't he remember? "Something with communications?" Geez, I'm an idiot.

Demi rolled her eyes. "Nate, really, you don't have to pretend to be interested. I'm an English major with a minor in communications." She turned her attention back to the fire.

Dammit. He actually wanted to know. And he'd remembered the communications part.

He tried again. "I'm not pretending. Why would you think I am?" He had a guess and could kick himself for it.

She sighed. "Look, I know how this usually goes. You pick someone or someones and lavish your attention on them, inviting them to your cabin for a hot fling that ends by the time our final paycheck clears for the season." Angling toward him a little, she met his gaze. "Let me be blunt. You're extremely attractive, but your role as the director—with your own private cabin—doesn't really interest me. Your previous liaisons kind of speak for themselves as to how this summer would play out." She got up and smoothed her shorts down. "I guess I should thank you for considering me but I'd rather not be in contention for the annual summer bed-partner spot." Turning away, she clapped her hands. "Girls, let's start getting things cleaned up."

Nate blew out a harsh breath. "Geez, she pretty much called it straight down the middle." Except he'd already decided to avoid the whole revolving bed status quo this year. "Figures I find someone that genuinely interests me and I screw up my chances before I even get out of the gate."

Which served him right. The irony kind of smacked him in the face and he laughed. Shot down in flames with scorched-earth precision, he had his work cut out for him.

And he planned to prove Demi wrong; show her his past didn't define his future.

Starting first thing tomorrow.

Heh. Nate got hoisted by his own petard. I love having him at a disadvantage.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Hot Water

Happy Easter to those who observe and celebrate. We're having some lovely weather in Ohio, which might only last twenty-four hours because—hello!—it's Ohio. LOL I'm still battling the flu… apparently I got the full two-week version. Yay, me.

That said, I did enjoy my week of new shows on television. The Walking Dead followed up the Carol / Maggie excellence with another terrific episode. I'm still not all that excited for Negan to show up, but eh, we'll see what happens when he does.

Gotham took a turn I didn't expect and I'm definitely interested in where things go from here. Nygma is one crafty, creepy dude. The Magicians continues to keep me intrigued. I truly love the dynamic between Penny and Quentin. The Lost Girl finale had me sobbing… again. I'm going to miss that show so much. Bitten twisted the spikes in a little deeper, but I loved the spin with making Rachel the one with powers instead of Rocco. Awesome to see Paige again.

The Flash made a reveal I didn't expect until the end of the season, so kudos for keeping me on my toes. Arrow took a turn I didn't exactly like, but I'm in for the long haul with Oliver and company. Looking forward to a new Legends episode this week.

Agents of SHIELD keeps getting better and better. I'm excited for the Most Wanted spin off. I love those characters.

The finale for Murdoch Mysteries proved excellent. I can't believe they keep coming up with great stuff after almost ten years. Here's to another terrific season whenever it premieres.

And that's the television update for this week.

Tonight's post is from Hot Water, a novella based on the prompt "Shower, visiting quarters or room, tiny towel". How can this one not be fun? LOL

Here's the mini-blurb:

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…

"As of today, we're instituting a time restriction for showers."

Demi Strange groaned, expecting the news but less than thrilled to hear the actual decision. Too many of the campers for the summer program were using an overabundance of hot water, which made costs rise and the minimal profit earned fall. For a group of tweens and teens, the need to take long, hot showers kind of amazed Demi. When she'd come to Camp Canawatchee during her summer breaks over ten years ago, a quick dousing to wash her hair and shave her legs sufficed. These kids treated bath time like a spa day.

Nathan Jordan, the head counselor and acting director, lifted his hands to muffle the complaints. "Look, it's not that bad. We're going to start with five minutes and if we get things under control, we'll increase the time." He glanced in Demi's direction and flashed a smile.

She ignored the little kick in her pulse rate and voiced a concern. "What about shaving?" Even she would have trouble getting finished in five minutes.

He frowned. "Most of the boys aren't shaving yet, but if they are, they can use the sink."

Demi rolled her eyes. "Well, most of the girls are and it's not fair to make them try to stand on one leg to get the job done. Not to mention, it's a liability if anyone happens to have balance issues." She shot the other female counselor a look. "Mitzi? Do you agree?"

Mitzi gave an emphatic nod. "Absolutely. Not asking for special treatment here, but ten minutes would be better."

Nathan heaved a sigh. "Fine. Girls get ten. But that's it." He moved around the table, handing out a notice to put up in the cabins. "We're installing timers and the hot water gets shut off when the limit is reached."

One of the male counselors, Frank, laughed. "I'll bet it only takes finishing one cold shower for everyone to fall in line."

Nathan lifted a shoulder. "They can have as much time as they want with cold water." His lips curved in a grin. "But I doubt anyone will take us up on that offer."

Demi took her notices and filed them in her organizer. She could already hear the outbursts she'd get from the girls. Nathan adjourned their meeting and wished everyone luck. Staying behind when the others left, Demi jotted a few ideas down to appease the monster attitudes she expected.

Nathan pulled out a chair and settled in next to her. "Sorry for the inconvenience this is going to cause everyone." He whipped out his ready smile.

Demi loved the way his lips curved and the corners crinkled when he grinned. But she fought the thrill of her imagination and calmed her racing heart. Carefully putting her pen into the slot of her organizer, she shut the book and gave him her full attention. Probably not her best move because she couldn't deny a serious attraction for the man. And she didn't want it to be a "thing".

She had more sense than that, right?

Who else thinks Demi's sense is going out the window on this one? LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin