Sunday Snippet: Pregnant Pause

Apparently, the week before last ended up being bizarre not only because Mercury is in retrograde but two other planets are squaring up. I'm kind of glad I made it through the insanity. The past week had some challenges but things finally started coming together and smoothed out. Whew.

My youngest kiddo returned from Alaska where she had a great time. She graduated high school last year and she and my dad finally got to take a trip this summer. They had great weather and got to do a ton of fun sightseeing events.

Had a slightly slower than usual television viewing experience. I started out with a new episode of No Offence. Viv had quite the revelation at the end of the episode and I'm interested to see where things go from here.

Enjoyed another episode of Silent Witness. This one has some quirky undertones and I'm interested in the second part to see how everything plays out.

Caught another episode of Blue Heelers and started a new one. Since my new washing machine arrived, I've been catching up on laundry and getting some quality time in on my Australian show.

Watched a full arc of Classic Who. For some reason, I thought they only needed to find four pieces of the key, but it's actually six. Should be interesting to see how the final three play out.

Enjoyed another episode of UFOs: The Lost Evidence. This one focused on UFO tech, which I find fascinating. The theories that come out of the woodwork regarding why and how the technology is used always makes me smile.

Caught two more episodes of The Muppet Show. Guest stars were Madeline Kahn and George Burns. Both were shows I didn't remember.

Watched a great episode of The Hardy Boys. Things are starting to come together and I'm really interested in where things will end up. I'm ready for the tall guy to get served. Just saying.

Enjoyed a new episode of Peak Practice. I have a feeling the next one will have a tragedy but I rather liked the new doctor they introduced. Looking forward to more from him.

Caught another Master Class on graphic design. This one focused on life as a working designer. I didn't think I'd get much out of that lesson, but I actually did. Even if I don't want to pursue graphic design as a career, the concept of what's important in the career you choose provided some good information.

Finally, I'm watching another episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. This is set around Thanksgiving and there are some great character reveals. I like this show but I'm not champing at the bit to get to the next one … yet. This episode does have an awesome guest star in Michael Hogan and I'm happy to see him in the mix. Reminds me to send positive vibes out and hope his recovery is going well.

That's pretty much it for television and life updates. Tonight's post is from Pregnant Pause, a novella that puts my main characters in a tricky situation after they can't keep their hands off each other.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nora Dunne and Logan Rider are wildly attracted to each other and doing a stint in a remote location for a research project. When sexual tension gets in the way of the work, their decision to act on the magnetic pull leads to unexpected consequences.

And a snippety peek…

Nora Dunne waited by the big snow cat ready to take her to a remote outpost. "Come on … it's cold out here." Would be even colder at the two-man base.

The crunch of snow under boots drew her attention and she peeked around the side of the big rig. Oh, shit. The person approaching shouldn't be coming this way. Logan Rider isn't scheduled for this stint.

Shouldn't matter, but Nora expected Brad Harsdale—a nice, safe middle-aged professor taking a sabbatical from teaching for a year. He wanted to write and publish about his experience. And he'd leave Nora alone to conduct her studies in peace.

Logan stopped in front of her, a backpack hoisted over one shoulder. "Hi, Nora. Professor Harsdale had a family emergency and I got shuffled into his spot." He let the pack slide down and gently dropped it to the snowy ground. "Hope you don't mind."

Mind? Oh, she totally did. Too bad she couldn't really voice her opinion. They'd be leaving in less than ten minutes.

She lifted a shoulder. "Not like we have an option." She sounded bitchy, but his arrival threw her off kilter.

He frowned but didn't reply. Just as well. Making small talk would only make her sound even crankier.

Because Logan checked all her boxes. Seriously hot, seriously smart, and seriously her type. She didn't need the complication of being wildly attracted to the person she'd be spending the next several months with.

Pasting a smile on her face, she stuck out her gloved hand. "Let's plan to make the best of our new circumstances." She'd at least try.

Logan grinned and clasped her palm. "Deal." He reached for his backpack. "We'll muddle along famously."

Nora had more than a little doubt. His charming smile kicked her heart against her ribs. He had distraction written all over him.

That's my problem, not his.

She gave a nod. "I'm sure we'll manage."

She really hoped so.

I love how much Nora hates the idea of being alone with Logan because she knows herself so well.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Pregnant Pause

That raging upper respiratory ick from last week is still going strong. I'll be very happy to see the end of this one. But… it made for a good week of television. And my daughter's seventeenth birthday ended up being pretty great.

I started the second episode of Endeavour's fifth season. I truly love this show and I'm enjoying the guest stars also. Caught another episode of The Sarah Conner Chronicles too. I seriously miss that show.

I went ahead and watched the first episode of Roswell, New Mexico. I'm intrigued and it should be fun to watch the reboot and the classic show at the same time. I hope.

Caught a few episodes of Classic Who this week while catching up on dishes and laundry. Also got to watch another episode of Birds of Prey. It's back on the CW Seed app.

I'm almost done with the first season of Pensacola Wings of Gold. I'll probably watch the first few eps of season two and decide from there if I'm going to continue. Caught another episode of Lexx, too.

Watched Gotham's second episode and, man, this show. It really found its footing and embraced the crazy. I'm going to miss it a lot.

Finished the week out with Strike Back and Chicago Fire. Gracie is fast becoming a favorite of mine. She's an amazing character. Also really great to see some character bonding on Chicago Fire.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Pregnant Pause, a novella that started with the two-word prompt of "I'm pregnant". I loved the challenge of writing a story based around those two words.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nora Dunne and Logan Rider are wildly attracted to each other and doing a stint in a remote location for a research project. When sexual tension gets in the way of the work, their decision to act on the magnetic pull leads to unexpected consequences.

And a snippety peek…

Fight or fuck?

Logan would choose the latter, of course. But no way did he want to witness what Nora would do if she ended up regretting a sexual encounter. And he had no trouble picturing her melting down once the fun and games were over and the cold reality of having to share the same location with no one but them hit her square between the eyes.

Stepping back, he grasped her hands. "Key word. We." He resisted the urge to haul her close and screw any consequences. "Obviously, there's a thread of something here." Motioning back and forth between them emphasized his point. "But, also obviously, we have to live in each other's pockets for the next three to six months." He paused, not quite sure how to finish his train of thought.

Nora cut through the bullshit. "And if the sex sucks or we're not on the same page if it doesn't, it's gonna be a miserable nightmare." She nodded. "Not a fun possibility."

He snorted. "Right. And it's not like we have the option to leave if things get awkward." Subzero temperatures wouldn't necessarily cool off a hot temper.

Nora inclined her chin. "You make a fair point. Let me counter it with this." She moved closer, her handing lifting so she could trail a finger down his chest. "How much work do you think we'll get done if we're spending a lot of time focused on what might be instead of on our research?" She paused at his waistband, toying with the button.

His dick hardened and Logan didn't fight his reaction. "Not as much as we should." When her fingers popped the button, he gave in to his carnal impulse and crushed her mouth under his again.

Whatever happened next only mattered in terms of which room they used. His would be closer but hers had better heating. He really, really wanted to see her naked and gasping for him.

Nora solved the issue. "Yours first, then mine."

Good thing they hadn't started the timed experiments yet.

I'm excited to see where this one ends up going. Nora and Logan are kind of doing things backwards and that's fun to write.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Pregnant Pause

Okay, Gotham, you have my attention. I'm now very interested in Bruce Wayne and what's going on with him. Also loved the whole Fish / Penguin interaction. Not sure how I feel about the reporter, Vanessa Vale, yet. I'm not really down with a major triangle but I might be jumping the gun. The whole Ivy thing is also in the I'm-not-sure-about-this corner. Looking forward to Monday!

Agents of SHIELD didn't have a bad premiere. I'm still a week behind. Ended up with a nasty cold / respiratory ick and missed the episode Tuesday.

Van Helsing is still kind of "meh". I'll see if the next few episodes get better and bring the various threads together.

MacGyver is still not too bad. I'll keep watching and see if ends up going too cheesy for my tastes.

Rewatch fare remained with Miss Fisher. I started a fandom bullet journal and hope to jot down my favorite moments from the series. I've been using it to help keep track of what I like and don't like about all my shows.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Pregnant Pause, a novella that started with the prompt, "I'm pregnant" and took off from there. One of the primary themes is doing everything backwards. Fun!

Here's the mini-blurb:

Nora Dunne and Logan Rider are wildly attracted to each other and doing a stint in a remote location for a research project. When sexual tension gets in the way of the work, their decision to act on the magnetic pull leads to unexpected consequences.

And a snippety peek…

Logan popped his head into the lab. "Stir fry or breakfast for dinner?" His fingers drummed a rapid staccato beat on the jamb.

Nora closed her eyes. She couldn't take much more. Three days into their program and the guy would not get out of her head. Now he invaded her workspace. Gah!

She whirled around. "Would you stop with the constant questions?" Gathering her notes, she stomped across the room and flopped down on the couch.

Logan's eyes went wide. "Whoa." He entered the lab and braced his hands on his hips. "This is the first time I've said jack to you all day." His eyes darkened with anger. "You asked for space and I gave you plenty of room. Excuse the fuck out of me if I thought you'd like some input on dinner." He made a disgusted sound, turned, and started for the door.

Nora sighed. Crap. She could be a raving bitch sometimes. But Logan had stayed out of her way today. Not his fault her thoughts kept landing on him all the time.

Rising, she followed him out of the lab. "Logan. Hold up." She fell into step beside him. "Look, I'm sorry. Still trying get my feet under me and snapping at you isn't going to help." They entered the kitchen. "I'm down with doing breakfast for dinner. I've been told I make kick ass pancakes—"

Logan cupped her face in his hands and slanted his mouth over hers. Nora swallowed her startled gasp and responded to the kiss. His lips left a heated trail along her jawline and his thumbs tilted her chin, giving him access to her throat. Nora moaned, a shiver of desire sliding down her spine. God, so much better than she imagined.

Logan's heated embrace moved back up and she met him, her tongue flicking against his.

He groaned and finally released her. "Sorry. I'm sorry." He moved away, putting a healthy amount of space between them.

Nora dragged air into her lungs. "Sorry you kissed me or sorry you stopped?" She scrambled to figure out how to deal with the simmering want and need he'd unleashed.

Logan shot her a glance. "Right now? Both." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "You've been snarking and snapping since we got here. I've been thinking about nothing but you." He stopped speaking, staring at the floor.

Well… how interesting.

Nora crossed the space between them, waiting until he met her gaze. "The whole reason I've been off balance is because I can't get you out of my head." Her lips curved. "Which means we've got a bit of a problem here, Logan." Reaching out, she grabbed his hips. "And the big question is… what are we going to do about it?"

I'll give you one guess as to what they're going to do about their mutual attraction. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Pregnant Pause

Hi,

I'm going to bore everyone with all my Strike Back talk, but holy hell, the hits keep coming. Poor Scott can't catch a break. I do have one wild hair theory of what I want for him at the end of the show's run, but I'll keep mum so I don't jinx it. :D

Speaking of jinxes, in Pregnant Pause, Nora and Logan sort of jinx themselves when they can't keep their hands off each other and their protection fails. They're in a very remote location and the area makes their situation rather interesting.

Here's the tagline:

Nora Dunne and Logan Rider are wildly attracted to each other and doing a stint in a remote location for a research project. When sexual tension gets in the way of the work, their decision to act on the magnetic pull leads to unexpected consequences.

And a snippety peek…

Logan stopped cross-checking his samples. "You're what?" He couldn't have heard her right.

Nora repeated her announcement. "I'm pregnant—as in knocked up, bun in the oven." She shuddered. "You know, with child."

Logan carefully set his work aside and made his way to her station. "But…" He almost asked how, but hell, he knew how. "God. From one time?"

Her lips turned up in a sneer. "Yep." She shot her gaze sideways. "You've got some pretty potent sperm there, Logan."

He sank down beside her. "Shit." His shoulders slumped. "What are we gonna do?"

She raised a brow. "We?"

He corrected. "Sorry. What are you gonna do?"

Her jaw tightened and a muscle ticked in her cheek. Dammit, he had no idea how to handle the news let alone her. Could she maybe cut him some slack?

He blew out a hard breath, and tried again. "What do you want to do?"

Nora shook her head. "I have no idea."

He shot up and paced. "Well, hell, Nora. That helps so much." He stopped. "Look, I'm sorry. I honestly don't have a clue how to respond here, but let me be clear…" He sat down again. "Whatever I can do, I'll do. Whatever you decide, I'll support. If you need help, ask. If you wanna shove my head up my ass, fine, I don't blame you, but don't try it." His hand covered hers. "I mean we're basically stuck here and you're going to need someone to help out no matter what you decide. I'm your guy."

She rolled her eyes. "Obviously."

His shoulders slumped. Did she have to do the quippy comeback thing all the time?

Nora turned her palm up and laced their fingers together. "I'm sorry. I get snarky when I'm off balance and, well, is it too early to blame hormones?"

He chuckled, but said nothing.

She squeezed his hand. "Thank you. For not freaking out or losing your mind." Her head lowered to his shoulder. "And I appreciate everything you said. We've got some time to make decisions." She emphasized the 'we' part. "Give me a day to get my head on semi-straight and we'll sit down and figure everything out, okay?"

He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Yeah, okay." He loosened his grip and stood. "Let me give you some space, alone time, whatever you want to call it. I'll finish up the checks and get the data catalogued."

Nora's lips quirked. "And then you can try to wrap your head around everything, too, once you've finished." She got up and pushed the work bench under her lab table. "I think I'll go see what's available in the food locker and make some dinner."

Logan kept his mouth from dropping open and nodded. Nora? Volunteering to cook? Maybe she did have some crazy hormonal thing going on already.

Laughing, he went back to his work area, grabbed a sample, and put the slide under the microscope.

I'm not completely sure where Nora and Logan will end up or how they're work out their unexpected glitch, but I'm patiently waiting on the sages to whisper in my ear. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin