Sunday Snippet: Violating Space

It's been a wild week of big letdowns in my area of the universe. I'm not sure where things will land but I have decided to launch my side project sooner than expected. More details to follow in a separate blog post.

I started a new work project and picked up with one that's been on the back burner. I also tentatively scheduled three new projects for November. Here's hoping they all pan out.

Had a pretty good week of viewing. I got most of my current slate of shows watched. But … I also got distracted by *waves at everything going on right now*.

I caught an episode of The Batman and rather enjoyed the Green Lantern guest spot. Also enjoyed having one of Batman's rogues nose his way into the storyline.

Watched another episode of Classic Rugrats and it was the Rugrat's Kwanzaa. I'll have to find the other Rugrats holiday episodes and get ready to rewatch.

Enjoyed another episode of Mr. and Mrs. Murder. It featured a behind-the-scenes look at a theater show, which is fun for me because my daughter majored in theater for undergrad.

Caught the first season finale of London Kills and, wow, some twisty-twists and big turns happened. Looking forward to a behind-the-scenes special this week.

Watched the season ten opener of Death in Paradise. I'm still annoyed by DI Parker and sad to see Ruby no longer with the team. Thrilled to bits to have Florance back. Looking forward to seeing more.

Started a new two-part Silent Witness. Terrific guest stars in this episode. I'm very interested in seeing where this case goes.

Enjoyed most of an Elementary episode. I'll get it finished up today and start over with a new run of my current episodes.

That's pretty much it for this week's life update. Tonight's post is from Violating Space, a novella that puts romance in the workplace.

Here's the miniblurb:

Reese Claymore has it bad for Eric Matthews, but they work in the same department and can't really get together. Doesn't mean Reese can't express her interest—to the point of driving Eric a little insane over it. He decides to prove a point and invades her personal space, but his plan goes awry when he can't resist acting on his crazy impulse.

And a snippety peek…

What just happened? Surely not Eric's lips on hers. Or his tongue in her mouth. And a lip-lock so delicious she wanted to put it on a takeout menu and place a standing order.

Until reality set in.

She willed her brain to solidify from the pile of mush it turned into. Scrambling to gather the rest of the papers, she fought to get her breathing under control. Who knew he could kiss like that?

Actually, she'd had a damned good idea. Deep down, her gut said the man would be an amazing kisser.

Eric handed her a stack of pages. "Er, sorry. That got a little out of hand." He rose to his feet and offered a hand to Reese.

She let out a slow breath and clasped his fingers. "I know." Her gaze met his. "But I liked it." She started for the door but turned. "I know it's a bad idea … but meet me after work?" Her skin tingled from the contact with his palm.

He nodded. She grabbed a sticky note and scribbled her address. He took the colorful sheet and tucked it into his shirt pocket.

Reese left and didn't say another word. Didn't specify a time he should arrive or plan what they'd do. But seriously? How could she talk with her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth? She'd bet her next paycheck she wouldn't be able to focus on anything but the way Eric's eyes went dark and smoky when she asked to see him later. She wanted whatever his gaze promised.

She should probably question her sanity. Getting involved might be an emotional minefield. Yet … she savored the thrill and couldn't wait for the end of the workday to roll around.

Dropping the copied files off to a thankfully empty office, she headed for her desk to start counting the minutes until she could call it a day.

Lots of fun writing tension with these two. I can't wait to dive further in to their attraction.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

 

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Violating Space

Very intense and bizarre weather this past week. We had a significant warm up, which melted a lot of the snow. Then we had a ton of rain followed by high water and flooding. To top it off, the temperatures dropped again into the teens and twenties and we got more icy rain and snow. Seriously, it's crazy.

Had a very busy work week with projects landing in my inbox. I'm happy to have the work flowing and keeping me busy. Oddly, my writing time is shorter but I'm getting a lot done.

Had a solid week of television viewing. Introduced a couple of additional shows and I'll be adding a new one next week.

Caught two episodes of Snoopy in Space: The Search for Life and finished up the first season. I'll start season two this week.

Started a new two-part Queens of Mystery and rather enjoyed the episode. I love the aunts and I'm starting to really enjoy the secondary characters. Matilda is such a great character even if she frustrates me sometimes.

Finished up the second half of Silent Witness's opening for season sixteen. Started a new two-parter and enjoyed it.

Watched three episodes of Classic Who. I should finish the arc up this week and move on to the next one.

Caught two more episodes of The Alaska Triangle. I have so much fun watching this show. I really love the haunted places and mysterious forces vignettes.

Enjoyed two episodes of The Muppets. The show has really grown on me even if it'll never replace the original in my mind.

Watched two more episodes of Harrow. I'm quite enamored with this show and I hope things play out the way I'm expecting them to. There's a twist I didn't quite expect and I love it and it also makes me think things will fall where I think they're going to. I can't wait to find out.

Caught another episode of Peak Practice and even though I knew what to expect, the death did not play the way I thought it would. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing yet.

Enjoyed two more MasterClass lessons with Es Devlin. She discussed scale and architecture along with storytelling with light. The light lesson fascinated me. I'm a sucker for well-lit—not to be confused with brightly lit—settings. I'm glad I dropped into this class.

Watched two episodes of Paranoid. I'm quite taken with this show. I love the intrigue and mystery and the dynamic of the forming relationships. I think this one might end up with something of a gotcha and I'm quietly waiting with anticipation to see if I'm right.

Caught two episodes of Classic Rugrats. One of my favorites, "Meet the Carmichaels," gave me some happy joy for the week. This show fills me with so much nostalgia.

Finished up season three of Chicago Med and started season four. A lot went down on the three finale. I'm still trying to wrap my head around where everyone currently is in the opening of four.

I watched the last available episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries. I have two behind-the-scenes specials to watch and then I'll have to impatiently wait for anything new.

Finished up an older episode of Blue Heelers. I'll be adding more of these to my weekly lineup. Looking forward to getting back into this one.

Also caught another episode of Star Trek: Discovery. Man, this series really brings a great cast of characters together. I'm never bored and I'm glad I'm watching the second season right now because I'm getting to know Pike at the best possible time with the new Trek arriving soon. I can't wait.

That's pretty much it for this week's viewing update. Tonight's post is from Violating Space, a sexy short about a workplace romance where the characters shouldn't be tempting fate.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Reese Claymore has it bad for Eric Matthews but they work in the same department and can't really get together. Doesn't mean Reese can't express her interest—to the point of driving Eric a little insane over it. He decides to prove a point and invades her personal space, but his plan goes awry when he can't resist acting on his crazy impulse.

And a snippety peek…

Eric's opportunity for someday arrived forty-eight hours later. He needed a dozen copies of a new proposal and made his way to the copy room. The whirr of the machine in use met his ears before he popped the door open.

Collated pages slid out fresh from the feed and Reese stood at the machine—sorting reports as they spit out of the unit. When he stepped into the space, she glanced over her shoulder, a quick smile on her lips. Her eyes went wide then got a sultry gleam when she noticed him.

Turning back, she greeted him. "Hey there."

Eric pushed the door closed and moved to stand behind her, getting closer than he should. If he wanted to prove a point, he'd have to get a little up close and personal. The files stopped printing out and Reese gathered up the remaining few, stacking the pages on her pile. Eric held fast and didn't move.

Reese turned and smacked into Eric, dropping the reports to the floor. "Ack. Crap." She stopped down to start gathering them.

Eric helped her pick them up, staying in her space. The light scent of something sexy hit his nostrils. Mmm. He liked the aroma.

She paused and rocked back on her heels. "What are you doing?" Her head tilted to one side.

He held her gaze. "Violating your space to make a point." No reason to not be honest.

Her brows rose. "What would that be?" Her breath rasped out.

Heh. He liked turning the tables. "You know what the point is, Reese." He leaned in when her lips parted; his mouth hovering less than a breath away from hers. "Set a match to flame and someday you'll get burned."

She exhaled slowly. "Ahh. Care to demonstrate?"

Instinct pushed him forward and he caught her lips, slipping his tongue between them, sinking into the embrace. Reese moaned, deepening the kiss, and Eric lost the ability to think. Until voices in the hall had her scrambling away from him with a gasp.

Shit. Making out with a coworker in the copy room. Eric ran his hand through his hair. What the hell am I thinking?

Eric got more than he expected when Reece challenged him and I think he quite liked it.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin 

Sunday Snippet: Violating Space

Whew! Welcome to December. I had a crazy week of trying to find a working stove… okay, a stove with a working oven. It's funny. We get a new furnace and literally two days later, our oven takes a flying leap. The good news is, I didn't have to cook for the US Thanksgiving and we found a new stove.

Television took a back seat to both work and shopping for kitchen appliances. I did get the Murdoch Mysteries episode finished up and enjoyed it a lot.

I also caught a binge-watch of the Green Hornet. I love the vibe of that show. The movie vibe? Not so much.

Then… I fell down the Gilmore Girls rabbit hole and got sucked into a marathon that's still going on. I'd forgotten how much I really liked this show… even when the characters sometimes drove me bonkers.

I will say it's a great show to watch when insomnia strikes. And, man, the insomnia has been a right pain in my ass this past week. Actually, it's been longer than the week, but it really kicked in on Monday and hasn't backed off yet.

That's pretty much it for the mundane real-life stuff this week. Tonight's post is from Violating Space, a sexy short that started with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Reese Claymore has it bad for Eric Matthews but they work in the same department and can't really get together. Doesn't mean Reese can't express her interest—to the point of driving Eric a little insane over it. He decides to prove a point and invades her personal space, but his plan goes awry when he can't resist acting on his crazy impulse.

And a snippety peek…

Reese unlocked her door and left a trail of clothes from her living room to the bathroom and on into her bedroom. "God… it feels so good to be out of my work getup." Not that she didn't love to dress up.

But a lot could be said for a pair of really comfortable yoga pants, a tank top, and flip-flops.

She heated up a premade dinner and settled in to binge watch the latest must-see series on her favorite streaming channel. A quiet night in ended up being her normal routine, even if she often gave the impression of being a club-going diva.

Flipping through the options on her screen, she chuckled. "Wonder what Eric thinks I do in the evenings." Probably not at all what he envisioned.

Geez, the man took up a lot of space in her head. And why not? He worked hard, didn't make outrageous demands, and had a brain that never stopped.

She found the show she wanted and started the episode. "Why do I find intelligence so damn hot?" Not that Eric didn't have good looks to back everything else up.

Boy, oh, boy did he have some looks. He dressed to impress in suits that she'd swear he had tailored, or at the very least had altered to fit well. They showed off a prime physique—broad shoulders, nipped in waist, and sculpted butt. His ties were fun but not garish. And his choice in foot wear rarely missed.

Stuffing a forkful of pasta into her mouth, she shook her head. "I'd pay to see what he looks like in something athletic." Maybe she should check out the gym on the fourth floor.

She snorted. Right. Tempting fate wouldn't be a good idea.

Which annoyed her to no end. The unwritten rule, stressed by the human resources people, of not getting involved with anyone in the office sucked big ones. In all honesty, Reese got it. Hell, her sophomore year of college, she'd been burned by a coworker at the coffee shop she had a part-time job in. Six months of hot sex and fun times but when it ended, because he had a girl back home, he'd made sure to have a chat with the manager about how much he needed the job when the new semester started and how uncomfortable it would be to work with a former hookup.

Reese rolled her eyes. "Like I didn't need a job too. And I didn't fuck up orders, clock out early, and show up late all the time either." Not that her work ethic mattered.

She didn't get called back.

Pausing the show, she got up, rinsed her dishes, and poured a glass of wine. "I'm stupid to even think about Eric as anything other than a coworker." But he starred in her fantasy dreams anyway.

And not as a possible hookup either.

He had top bill as a potential love interest.

I'm so screwed.

I'm having a lot of fun with this story. I love workplace romances and Eric and Reese are fun people.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Violating Space

Had a terrific weekend with great weather for my middle kid's graduation party. My boys were super easy. They're pretty much no muss, no fuss guys. My daughter, on the other hand, will be a sophomore and I think I'm going to start planning her party next week. LOL She's very much a social whirl and gets involved in tons of activities. I might need to rent a venue for hers. LOL

Gotham's finale rocked. I'm so glad the show seemed to find its footing in the third season. I'm pretty much thrilled with all the storylines and where they're leading into for the next season.

Friday brought some much-needed excitement back to my television screen. The double premiere of Dark Matter kept me glued to the screen. Then the follow-up with the Wynonna Earp premiere had me staying put. I'm so happy to have the shows back and can't wait to see where everything goes. Killjoys is up this week and I'm impatiently awaiting its return.

As mentioned last week, I'm just not into this season of Doctor Who. I wish I could sink into the storylines like I've been able to in the past, but I'm struggling. A lot. Very disappointing.

Orphan Black, by comparison, had a kickass return. The clones kicked Saturday night into high gear and I don't anticipate anything less than a wild and reckless ride. My one and only hope is I don't lose any of my favorites. But I'm not holding my breath on that one.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Violating Space, a sexy short that started with the writing comm prompt of "violating personal space". I took the premise and decided to make this a coworkers who become more romance.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Reese Claymore has it bad for Eric Matthews but they work in the same department and can't really get together. Doesn't mean Reese can't express her interest—to the point of driving Eric a little insane over it. He decides to prove a point and invades her personal space, but his plan goes awry when he can't resist acting on his crazy impulse.

And a snippety peek…

Eric waited until the door clicked shut, thoroughly enjoying the view while distracted. "I hate that woman sometimes." He shifted sideways, attempting to adjust the hard-on in his pants.

Reese did the sexy siren thing on purpose, especially after the memo went out about fraternization. She understood the company policy as well as he did. And, okay, he often thumbed his nose at stupid rules for the sake of convention but… job security didn't exist anymore.

That said, her suggestive display seemed to only be for his benefit and never failed to inject some much needed diversion into his day, even if he got sidetracked from work. One of these days he'd push back just to see her reaction.

And maybe find out if she had an actual interest in more than light flirting and being a pain in the ass.

He snorted. "I'd bet she's a wildcat in bed." He had no idea why. Not really.

Her laugh had sexy undertones and did incredible things to his blood flow. Her confidence showed in her work, her attire, and her demeanor. Eric loved a woman who had her shit together and didn't make apologies for it. His preference for curves and dark hair only kicked the attraction up to a higher notch. She definitely had a lush body that should fit nicely against his, and her brunette curls fell to her shoulders. Reese tended to wear it in a different style each day. Today's was a sleek twist with face-framing wisps.

Opening the top file on his desk, his lips curved in a smile. "Just wait, Reese. I can give as good as I get. Maybe even throw you off your game." Leaning back, he pulled the folder forward and got down to business.

I'm excited to see how this story unfolds. I like the forbidden aspect of two people coming together when there could be consequences.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Violating Space

Ugh. I've hit the nasty cold wall and did not bounce back. Bleh. I can happily say it's the first really icky cold I've had this winter.

Anyway, on to fun stuff. The third episode of Bitten rocked. I'm looking forward to seeing how different the elements play out from the books. So far, I love the changes. The Flash and Arrow each turned in solid episodes. Have to wait until mid-March for a new episode of The Flash, which is probably a good thing. I'm probably in the minority, but I actually want a lot less Iris. She's not my favorite character.

Tonight's post is from Violating Space, a sexy short where two coworkers act on a hot attraction.

Here's the tagline:

Reese Claymore has it bad for Eric Matthews but they work in the same department and can't really get together. Doesn't mean Reese can't express her interest—to the point of driving Eric a little insane over it. He decides to prove a point and invades her personal space, but his plan goes awry when he can't resist acting on his crazy impulse.

And snippety peek…

Reese loved to tease Eric. Shuffling the folders, she knocked briskly on his door and entered the office, walking with a slight added sway to her hips. She fixed a wide smile on her face.

Eric glanced up from his monitor and blinked, his gaze taking in the flirty peep toe heels, the A-line black skirt, and the iridescent blue blouse.

Keeping the grin on her face, she waved the files. "I have the cases you wanted to see." She finished crossing the floor and stopped in front of his desk.

Eric's lips curved. "Thank you. I truly appreciate you dropping them by."

She set the folders on the desk, leaning forward just enough to show a nice view of her cleavage. Sure enough, Eric's gaze dropped then snapped back up to hers.

She smirked. "No problem, Eric. I had to pull the Anderson file anyway." She straightened. "Anything else you need? I'll be back in the file room after lunch."

Eric narrowed his eyes, but answered. "Uh, no. I'll be all afternoon going over these." He tilted his head to one side. "But if you're looking for work, I'm sure I can find some."

Reese laughed. "I've got plenty to keep me busy. Just thought I'd offer since I've got two more to find later." She turned and started for the door. "Always happy to help you out, Eric."

He gave her a long, considering glance. "Right. I think you like to mess with my head more than help out."

Reese chuckled but didn't respond. Because she did enjoy pushing his buttons.

Reese is a hoot to write. And this one is a fun little story. J

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin