Sunday Snippet: Underneath

Once again, Ohio weather is all over the place. But at least it hasn't been sweltering hot. Had setbacks with our cars. Mine is still not quite ready. The new engine computer the garage ordered didn't work so they got another one. Hopefully this week. My husband had a deer literally jump on top of his CR-V, shattering the windshield, knocking the rearview mirror off, and sending the driver's side mirror clear over to the passenger side floor. It even dented the top of the car up to the sunroof. I'm pretty sure it's a total loss. Luckily my husband is okay, aside from having a ton of glass all over him. He found glass all the way in the back of the vehicle.

Really busy work week. I finished up a copy edit and continued work on a developmental edit. Also started a new project that's not quite a developmental edit, but it is cleaning up a lot of formatting in a manuscript to get it ready for a copy edit, which a colleague is going to do. Had an exchange with a new author and hope to work with her in the future.

Semi-decent week of viewing. I didn't quite make a full round, mainly because I spent a lot of time on the phone trying to get the insurance sorted and line up a rental until we know for sure what's going on with the CR-V.

I did get an episode of My Life Is Murder in and thoroughly enjoyed it. Lots of twists and turns in this one. Once again, Madison stole the show. Also really cool to have indigenous representation for the storyline. And … more hints about Alexa's family. Here's hoping we'll see more of them.

I think I watched the finale of Signora Volpe, and it might have set up a future episode featuring Sylvia's ex. That would be a lot of fun. So awesome to see her niece again and getting to know her dad. Isabelle ended up stealing this episode. Going to watch the behind-the-scenes stuff next.

Finished up Best in Paradise with the first of the two-parter that set up Florance's exit. It was a great episode and very bittersweet as the actress mentioned when she introduced the episode.

Also caught another Death in Paradise and enjoyed the mystery. It's also fun to see Jack trying to move on from the loss of his wife. The awkward but awesome communication with Anna is lovely to watch.

Started an episode of Elementary but need to finish it this week. Too many distractions to get all the way through the show. It looks like a good one though.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Underneath, a novella that takes an established couple on a journey to face their truths.

Here's the miniblurb:

When Riley West and Hampton Bennett are trapped underneath a building, they have plenty of time to resolve the argument they had before work, which means they have to face the underlying issues of trying to combine their professional and personal life.

And a snippety peek…

Reeves West pushed back against Hampton Bennett's groin. "Ah, yeah. Right there." Her fingers curled into her palms against the tile of the shower.

Water sluiced over her shoulders and down her back before trailing off where her ass met Hampton's hips. He picked up the pace, going deep on each thrust. Reeves edged closer to the brink, the hard spray adding to the heady thrum of almost-there bliss.

Hampton gripped her waist with one hand and slid the other up to cup a breast. The roll of his thumb over her nipple sent her flying over the edge. She shuddered and gasped, the orgasm washing over her in pleasurable waves.

Hampton's hot breath fanned against her ear. "I'm right behind you…" His thighs flexed one more time before he came with his head resting on her shoulder.

She reached up to turn the water off and his lips ghosted over the column of her throat. Not much beat hot sex before work. But … if he kept nuzzling her, they'd be very late because she could go for another round.

Grabbing one of the towels hanging over the enclosed stall, she handed it to Hampton then snagged the other one for herself.

After wiping her face off, she turned and caught Hampton's lips in a quick, hard kiss. "Best way to start the day, yeah?" Draping the towel over her shoulders, she popped the door open and stepped out onto the fluffy mat.

Hampton's lips curved. "Not gonna hear me complain." He dried off quickly then eased around her to hang his towel on the rack.

Reeves did the same. "And we've got just enough time to get dressed, grab some coffee, and head out." She followed Hampton into his bedroom and rifled through her duffel bag for underclothes and socks.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she donned the undergarments then got up to get into her uniform. With her shirt halfway buttoned up, she slid her feet into her shoes then headed for the kitchen to pour two travel mugs of java. Two sugars for Hampton and one sugar and a splash of creamer for her.

Hampton came in behind her, pulling a pack of muffins from his fridge. "When do you want to move in?" He put one muffin on the counter and peeled the wrapper off the other.

Reeves stiffened. "Not sure. Right before work isn't the best time to talk about it…" She'd rather not discuss moving in at all. "But I promise we will. Soon." Needing a change of subject, she nodded toward the schedule. "We got any newbies on shift today?" She hoped like hell that would be the end of the living arrangement conversation.

Hampton wouldn't be dissuaded. "Seriously, Reeves. When do you want to move in. Or find a place together?" He took the mug she handed him and swallowed a large gulp.

Reeves bit her tongue and did a quick five count. "Look. I don't know. But we will have a discussion. Soon." Right after she figured out if she could risk her hard-won freedom again.

Hampton called bullshit. "You've said that the last three times. How are you defining soon?" He added more coffee to their mugs.

Reeves fought a flash of anger and tried for humor. "Um … sometime before we both die." Her stomach growled and she bit into her muffin, hoping she didn't end up choking on it.

Hampton arched his brows. "You're not serious, are you?" His head cocked and his jaw twitched.

She hated how they'd gone from blissed out to dug in. How did she explain her absolute fear she'd be left holding the bag if things went south between them? Why couldn't Hampton be cool with sharing a bed but not a living space? What did she have to do to make it clear she loved spending time with him but shied away from making a full commitment? Maybe she should tell Hampton about her ex and the shattered pieces he left her life in when he fucked off into the sunset without her. She would … eventually. But she couldn't do it today.

Instead, she shrugged. "The vibe isn't right to talk about moving in yet." Meeting his gaze, she made sure hers didn't waver.

Hampton huffed out a breath. "Guess that's that then." He grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone then scooped up his mug and headed for the door.

Reeves closed her eyes. "Gonna be a long drive to the station house today…"

I just started this one and I'm so excited to see how these two resolve their issues.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Underfoot

As usual, we're having bizarre weather. Got hot again then a stormfront moved through and now we're back down to the sixties. I'm not complaining about the cooler temperatures or anything, but I'd rather stick with one range for longer than a week.

 

Still loaded up with work projects and I'm making solid progress on all of them. Sometimes it's like spinning plates and trying to keep them all going at the same rate, but I love the variety of the stuff I'm working on right now.

 

Not a bad week for viewing television. I did the taking a break from wall-to-wall words thing again and got pretty much a full round of shows in this week.

 

Started off with Best in Paradise and enjoyed the rewatch of "Dark Memories." I have one more episode left for this series then I'll be switching over to Beyond Paradise. I'm looking forward to starting that one.

 

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise with the ninth season premiere. I think this is Jack's last season and the new guy takes over for the next one. Enjoyed the episode a lot.

 

Watched another episode of Elementary and enjoyed it. Not a huge Moriarity fan, but I like the layers and back and forth between Holmes and Watson with Moriarity.

 

Finished up the third season of The Batman and I'm getting ready to start the fourth. I honestly can't remember if I ended up liking the fourth season or not.

 

Also caught an episode of Classic Rugrats and the three vignettes were ones I don't remember seeing before so nice to have something new to me.

 

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Underfoot, a novella that brings a couple together during a raging snowstorm.

 

Here's the miniblurb:

 

Nona Rack, a footloose artist and Jane of all trades, breaks down beside reclusive author West Wentworth's house at two am during a blinding snowstorm. The cranky writer lets her stay, even though she's underfoot, and before he knows it, he's discovered a new muse.

 

And a snippety peek…

West's stomach growled. "Better eat something." He stretched the kinks out of his arms and neck.

He went in search of food, opened the fridge and found thawed ground sirloin. Damn. He'd forgotten he planned to make some burgers. Maybe he'd do a burger and bacon salad instead. Then he remembered he had a houseguest. He'd better see what she'd like.

He didn't find Nona anywhere in the house. "Surely she's not still in the garage…" He opened the door off the kitchen and stopped short. "What the hell?" Did he walk through a portal to another universe?

The haphazard, jumbled mess that normally greeted him had disappeared. Instead, neat rows and piles lined the floor and shelves. What a difference from the uncontrolled clutter.

Nona popped up from behind his dad's old vehicle. "Hi ... um..." Her cheeks bloomed with color. "Sorry?" She had an armful of items and placed them in the box on the trunk. "I kind of got started and couldn't stop." She dusted her hands off over the box.

He took in her appearance. An old pair of his jeans, one of his thermal shirts. She'd tied a knot at her hip to keep the shirt from catching on anything. A smudge of oil on her cheek made her look like a kid. Okay … not really. The black streak made her look hot, which unnerved him.

I'm old enough to know better. Of course I'm attracted to her. I haven't been out in months.

His gaze scanned the space—if not neatly organized then at least less chaotic. How long had he been writing? She'd made a huge dent in the otherwise unmanageable mountain of madness that always overwhelmed him.

She dusted off her hands and eased around the car, coming to a stop in front of him. "I found lots of parts, but no plugs yet. But I couldn't think with all the ... uh ... well..." Her voice trailed off and her gaze swept the area.

He cut in. "Sheer and utter chaos?" His dad loved to save everything.

She shook her head. "I think disorganization fits better. There's a lot of great vintage stuff in here." She paused a moment. "I needed to create a little order. A blank canvas, so to speak."

He nodded. "Or a blank page. I get it." Hard to concentrate or do anything with everything scattered about.

She shot him a smile. "Right. And like I said, once I got started, I couldn't stop."

He considered the amount of work she'd done. "Uh, thank you. I've been putting a good clean out off." He grimaced. "Deadlines." His gaze met hers. "You've saved me a headache." A huge one.

She shrugged. "It's the least I can do. You're letting me crash here, after all." She tilted her head. "Did you need something?"

He blinked, trying to remember why he'd come out, then his stomach growled. "Oh, uh, dinner. It's after six." He ducked back into the kitchen, making sure she followed. "Thought I'd fry up some ground sirloin and bacon and make a salad. Are you hungry?"

I'm having a lot of fun bringing West out of his crankypants mood. Nona is good for doing that.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Under the Influence (a South of the Border novella)

Hello, September. Here's hoping you're not as maniacal as August. I'd love for the weather to make up its mind and hold for a while. I don't imagine that will actually happen.

Had a lovely day off to travel to the Hocking Hills area to meet up with my cousins on my mom's side of the family. We're hoping to make it an annual event. I couldn't take the whole weekend, but it was so much fun to spend time with them. Bonus points for being close enough to my daughter's location for grad school that I could take some of the things she forgot.

Still insanely busy with work and I'm happy for the new projects coming my way. Also kind of thrilled they're all a bit different so it's not the same thing for each manuscript.

Had an okay week of viewing. I got to watch a few things when I needed a break from wall-to-wall words. Sometimes it's nice to have a minivacation to reset my brain.

Caught an episode of The Batman and enjoyed it. It's a two-parter so I'm hoping to watch the second half this week.

Enjoyed an episode of Classic Rugrats. I don't really remember this one, but the later seasons of the show weren't watched quite as many times as the earlier ones.

Got an episode of My Life Is Murder watched and loved it. Again, Madison really stole the show. And the wink-wink-nod to Xena at the end was fun and awesome.

Started an episode of Signora Volpe and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens when Sylvia's undercover assignment is discovered.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Under the Influence, a South of the Border novella.

Here's the miniblurb:

When her father dies, Lilith Jans inherits a piece of hotly sought after property in Mexico. She also unknowingly takes on an unpaid debt, which puts her life in danger. Hayden Knoxville makes her an offer she wants to refuse but can't—sell to him and he'll deal with the men coming to collect payment.

And a snippety peek…

Hayden Knoxville entered the cantina and spotted his friends right away.

Lars stood up and waved Hayden over. "Knoxville, how was the trip down?" He settled back down at the table and motioned for the server to bring another beer.

Hayden grunted. "Not bad. Been a while since I've crossed the border." At least into Mexico.

Vail lifted his chin. "How long has it been? Three years now?"

Hayden gave a nod. "There about. Heard you two have been busy." The scuttlebutt proved interesting, and he wondered how accurate the information could be.

He only picked up bits and pieces from a friend of a friend who had some kind of pull with covert operations. His former colleagues got out of the business and settled with—from the sound of things—two incredible women. When the trio video conferenced about Hayden making the trip down to Mexico, they didn't waste any time on small talk. But both men seemed … less haunted.

Hayden wanted what they had. And he might have the means to make it happen.

Lars kicked his chair back on two legs. "Decide anything on the problem we talked about?" Right to the issue at hand, a very Lars move.

Hayden took a long swallow of the beer the server placed in front of him before answering. "I'm willing to help but … instead of working short-term, why not consider long-term?" He'd given the situation a lot of thought and had what he hoped would be a perfect solution.

Lars arched a brow. "What do you have in mind?"

Hayden rolled a shoulder. "I'll buy her out. If she sells to me, half her headache is gone." And he had the means to make a sizeable offer.

Vail frowned. "What if she doesn't want to sell?"

Hayden snorted. "She'd be stupid not to. I absorb her old man's debts, meaning I deal with any potential fallout or blow back." And maybe take down one last asshole before closing the book on this chapter of his life.

Lars planted his forearms on the table. "Why? I mean, do you have some strange hankering to move your life down here?"

Hayden pondered how to answer. "Move anywhere, actually. I'm tired of chasing the next job." And pushing his luck.

Vail picked up the thread of conversation. "Does this have anything to do with getting shot last year?"

Hayden sighed. "Hell, I don't know. I always figured gunshot wounds and wicked-looking scars from a knife blade were part of the fun." Right up until the injuries started outweighing the positive aspects of the job.

Lars grimaced. "Sure … until they're not." He rubbed at his side, no doubt remembering his last close call.

Hayden grunted. "Exactly. I've been doing this long enough to know I've got a few good years left before age and wear and tear take too much of a toll. I wanna get out before I'm too tired or injured to do so." And starting over with a couple of friends nearby had merit.

Vail huffed out a breath. "Or too dead."

Hayden cocked his head. "That, too. Besides, when you two dropped out, it became a wake-up call." He fixed his gaze on his friends. "Got any regrets?"

Both answered in unison. "No."

Hayden gave a nod. "Didn't think so. I've got a tidy sum saved up and it's kind of nice to think about not living out of a jump bag and crawling in and out hot spots all the time." He spoke several languages, knew his way around boats and bars … why not put his acquired knowledge to work as more than a hired gun?

Lars spread his hands out. "Look, Vail and I have a good reason not to live the life anymore."

Hayden lifted his chin. "Yeah, two super-hot women to keep you in line."

Vail huffed out a breath and finished his beer. "You don't have anyone. You'll be tying yourself to business you may not even like. What are you going to do if you get bored?"

Hayden gazed out the window, soaking in the landscape. "Easy, I'll go surfing, or diving, or hiking somewhere." He drained his mug and set it on the table. "I've got this round." He got up to pay the tab … but overheard his friends' commentary.

Vail rocked back on the chair. "Guess he's got it all figured out."

Lars gave a nod. "Yep. Until something—or someone—throws him a curve."

Hayden didn't blame them for their doubts. But he had a skill set they didn't know about. "I'm damned good at shifting on the fly." He could totally do this.

This is a fun series and I'm enjoying bringing previous characters back to help the new ones.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

 

Skylin 

Sunday Snippet: Under the Impression

Another crazy week with record low temperatures for August. I'm talking wear a jacket because it dipped into the low forties at night. This week we're supposed to be back up in the mid to high nineties. Weather is wild.

Seriously jammed with work projects right now and I love being busy. I'm at the point where I'd love to have another four hours added to each day, so I don't feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. Also had to figure out a few things for my daughter's grad school, like how to drop a class and add a new one before the semester starts, which is Monday. As mentioned last week, she was in Ontario Canada for a theater festival and didn't have a lot of downtime. The good news is, she's set to go. Yay!

I didn't have a lot of viewing time this week. The verdict on my car is still out and that's been hovering in the back of my mind and distracting me. My work projects also need my full attention.

I did get to watch an episode of Elementary and ended up enjoying it. I skipped the one that I struggled to get through. I'd rather have forward momentum than get stuck and drop the show.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Under the Impression, a novella where the characters come together once they get past some false impressions.

Here's the miniblurb:

Gris Ravenswood, owner of the hot night spot, Impressions, has it bad for his lead bartender, Kari Dans, but she's in a casual relationship with a semi-pro golfer. When Kari imbibes too much at an after party and puts the moves on Gris, he thinks he's finally got a chance … until Kari receives a text and runs off to be with the guy who always leaves her behind.

And a snippety peek…

Kari wiped the bar down on Friday night. "Man, busy week." The steady growth thrilled her.

Gris had turned Impressions into a happening spot. The Thursday night crowd almost matched Friday's. He'd taken her suggestion to add a dart league and it turned out to be a hit with the customers. And brought patrons in on a night that used to be hit or miss.

Her lips curved. "Gris should join one of the teams." The man had skill.

She'd arrived just after he had the boards installed and he'd taken a trial run. He had excellent form … not that she actually knew much about what amounted to good form. What she did know? His biceps were amazing. And his forearms. And, quite frankly, his ass.

She blinked and shook her head. "Geez, Kari, chill." Okay, she found the man very attractive.

But she tried to steer clear of workplace romances. Besides, she had a guy she enjoyed a lot. Even if Gris seemed to find Bernie lacking. The crack about what her boyfriend did on the weekends came from nowhere. Then again, she really didn't know what Bernie did Friday through Sunday. She assumed he played practice rounds to prep for his tournaments during the week. Didn't matter. She didn't mind only seeing him two or sometimes three days a week.

She liked being casually committed and staying monogamous. She enjoyed doing her own thing without having to clear her schedule to accommodate anyone else. Not that she wouldn't if she ever fell hard for the right guy. Maybe that would be Bernie, but they definitely weren't there yet.

She rinsed the cleaning cloth and hung it on the rack to dry. Grabbing her inventory checklist, she scanned through the items and marked what the bartender would need for the opening shift tomorrow. After removing the list, she thought about taking it into Gris's office—the light showing through the crack of the door showed he hadn't left yet.

She shook her head. "Nah. I'll leave it on the bar in case he had one of the bar backs handle the restocking." Too many visual images of her boss were still running through her mind.

Putting her jacket on, she headed for the rear exit and her car. Two more days and she'd Bernie again…

She couldn't wait.

Right?

I like having a heroine who thinks she has it all together but learns the hard way she doesn't.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

 

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Unacceptable Behavior

Whew! What a week. It's been something of a wild ride. My daughter starts graduate school in Athens the week of August 25, and we're still trying to figure out her financial aid. She's headed to Ontario Canada this week for a theater festival, which is what she'll be getting her master's degree in. My work inbox is overflowing! I'm so grateful for all the new projects but also a little daunted by how much I have stacked up and waiting for me to get to. My car also has an issue that we're hoping is not the computer. I'll know more on Monday. Ugh!

I didn't get much done on the viewing front. Too many things needed my focus elsewhere. Between the phone calls for school and car problems, my brain turned to mush. Bleh.

I did get an episode of Best in Paradise in. I enjoyed it again. It's fun to have the introductions from the cast members.

I also got to watch the closing episode of Death in Paradise season eight. A very interesting and twisty episode with a really cool gesture at the end from the commissioner.

And I also finished up the main draft of a holiday manuscript I've been working on for, geez, almost a year. The sages finally cooperated and threw a bunch of ideas out. I'm so happy about that.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Unacceptable Behavior, a novella that brings friends from high school together after going in different directions after graduation.

Here's the miniblurb:

Blain Donahue wants to buy into a fight club and decides to invest when he meets the main attraction, Roxane Kewes. He's known her a long time—since high school where she constantly got in trouble—and thinks it's great she's found an outlet for her unacceptable behavior.

And a snippety peek…

Roxane yawned and poured coffee into two mugs. "Hope he likes it black." She carried the cups into the bedroom.

Blain sat on the edge of the mattress, sorting through his clothes. He'd put his boxers on, but the rest of his uncovered body gave her more than enough to ogle … which she did before he glanced up to see her.

He stood and gave her a long look. "Where do you see this going? I mean is this going somewhere or just a nice interlude to eliminate sexual tension." His brows arched.

Roxane handed him a mug. "I'm not averse to going long-term, but twenty-four hours is a little soon to make declarations." She blew across the top of her brew and took a bracing gulp.

More to avoid making a declaration, because she really, really liked him. She kind of got how her mom always leapt before she thought too hard, though. Roxane could easily jump wherever Blain wanted her to go. And … she didn't want to think too hard about what that meant.

Blain took a long sip of coffee. "I don't disagree." He set the mug aside. "From our conversation last night, I assume we will be working together." His hands slid up under the long T-shirt she wore.

Roxane grinned. "I'll let Andy know later this morning." She ran her fingers along the waistband of his boxers. "You'll be a good fit at Fight Night." Tugging him to her bed, she worked his underwear down. "I think we'll do amazing things together." She kissed him before he stripped her shirt off.

Placing a knee between her thighs, Blain hauled her close and toppled them onto the mattress. "Amazing and unacceptable things, right?" His mouth ghosted over her shoulder, sending molten lust through her veins.

Roxane hooked a leg around his hip, drawing him closer. "It's like you live in my head." She lifted her hips, grinding against his hard length.

Blain didn't make her wait. He thrust forward, sliding deep and filling her. His lips met hers and she lost the ability to think … with the exception of finding anything unacceptable with him absolutely perfect.

This story is so much fun. There might be a twist or two but nothing too angsty.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Ugly Drunk

August is being very mercurial. Instead of sweltering hot temps, which we did have last week, we've got—I'm not kidding—almost fall-like weather. I had to put a jacket on last night to take the dogs out. Granted, it was still sixty degrees, but we had a strong breeze blowing and it was chilly. Please note, I'm not complaining. But … does this mean Ohio will have blazing hot temperatures in October? Probably.

Super-busy work week again. Finished up the mystery manuscript copy edit. Started a proofread of a memoir on a prominent thoroughbred racing family. I still have two other memoirs in the wings, one of which should start this week. I also have a romance to copy edit. I love being busy!

But … that means I didn't have a lot of time for viewing television. I did, however, find out one of my favorite actors has a new movie coming out in September and might have watched the trailer two or three (okay, more like twelve) times. I'm excited because this movie will totally be my shit and I now have something to look forward to in a month or so.

I finished up the My Life Is Murder episode I started last week. Again, a fun episode where Madison got to shine. I love this cast so much.

I also started the new series of Signora Volpe. This is another series I thoroughly enjoy. Emilia Fox is iconic for her role in Silent Witness and it's so lovely to see her doing something new and fresh and very unlike Nikki.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Ugly Drunk, a novella that brings a couple together over a loss.

Here's the miniblurb:

Pippa Rice is a problem solver and when she takes a job at a local watering hole, her natural skill defuses quite a few tricky situations. Too bad she can't quite figure out how to fix her boss, Wood Finnian. The guy has more baggage than an airport, but Pippa isn't one to give up on people, ever.

And a snippety peek…

Holy shit. She could get so lost in his embrace she'd forget her own name. The sweep of powerful want and need almost took her breath away.

When they had their first make-out session, Wood didn't really go deep, even though the kisses were packed with heat. This time he did. Except … his emotions were all open and raw, and they informed everything he did at the moment. How much of Wood's onslaught on her lips tangled up in his grief?

Dammit.

She hated to do this, but … she tore her mouth from his then stepped back. "Wait. Slow down." She dragged air into her lungs. "Slow down." She spoke to her heart as much as she did to him.

He backed away and held up his hands. "Sorry. Got carried away. Seem to do that with you." His mouth curved with a wry twist.

She nodded. "Yeah. Same." She fanned her face. "I'd love to jump right in, but like I said … you have the power to break me. I need to be sure." And she couldn't be … not so close to Ward's death.

Wood reached out for her. "I don't want to break you, Pip. I want to build something." He snorted. "Which probably sounds stupid coming from me, considering my penchant for destruction." His thumb brushed over her kiss-stung lower lip.

She shook her head. "No. It doesn't sound stupid. But … is it the loss that makes you say you want to build something? Are you looking for a replacement?" Because she couldn't be that for him.

Wood opened his mouth then checked himself. "Honestly? I don't think so, but I can't be one hundred percent right now." His brows furrowed.

Pippa smiled. "Good answer. I would've called bullshit if you said anything else." She grasped his hips and tugged him forward.

Wood rested his forehead against hers. "Where does that leave us?" His voice rasped against her ear.

Pippa rolled a shoulder. "Right now? It leaves us with a chance." A solid one, she hoped.

Excited to see where this one goes. So far, it's on track, but the sages often throw me curve balls.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin 

Sunday Snippet: Twenty-Four-Hour Pass

Man, July felt like a decade but it actually kind of flew by. August is off to a running start and it's hot temperature-wise, which is the norm for rural central Ohio. We've had some big storms move through, too.

My inbox is jammed with work projects and that makes me happy! I'm working on a mystery for a copy edit. I have a developmental edit on a memoir. There's a possible copy edit of another memoir in the wings and some research for another author. I also sent the next set of chapters on a developmental edit to the author for review. I love being busy.

I didn't get a lot watched this week. I started an episode of My Life Is Murder but have to finish it. I also haven't been able to get back to the episode of Elementary I started two weeks ago. I don't know … I'm not as into this episode and I'm struggling to finish it. Maybe I should skip to the next one.

I did have a fairly good week of writing, which also limits my screentime. I got a big scene written for one of my WIPs and a few smaller ones for a couple of other works in progress. All in all a good week!

That's it for the life update. Tonight's post is from Twenty-Four-Hour Pass, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the miniblurb:

Teegan Alexander and Fyffe Campbell rarely work in the same location. When an event puts them in the same city at the same time, they take advantage of the situation and use a twenty-four-hour pass for a long overdue reunion.

And a snippety peek…

Teegan Alexander's phone vibrated with an incoming text. "Crap. This better not be a message saying my flight's delayed." She'd been in the air more than out for five days.

She moved to the side of the wide causeway and glanced at the screen. She smiled wide. A text from Fyffe Campbell. Is he working the conference with the mayors from the nation's biggest cities?

Swiping the icon, she quickly read the message. "Hey Teeg. I've got 24 hours after the Boston conference before I have to report to an undisclosed location for another job. I'd love to hook up if you have time."

Luckily, she did. She also had a one-day window before she had to fly out for her next assignment. More than she often got during the busy summer months when security firms were in high demand for both outdoor events and inside venues.

Filled with anticipation, she sent a quick reply. "Hell yes. We'll figure out the details after the briefing in Boston." She added a heart-eyes emoji.

Twenty-four hours with Fyffe.

More than two months had gone by since she'd last seen him. Fyffe usually ran a shadow team if a credible threat came in, and they'd received one about the Boston conference. She shouldn't be surprised he got the call to work the summit meeting, even if the mayors were only supposed to talk about green energy benefits. Some rando had a burr up their ass about conspiracy theories and wanted to stop the progress. Who thinks saving the planet is a bad idea?

Teegan grabbed the handle of her roll-on suitcase and headed for her gate. "Twenty-four hours with Fyffe." She couldn't wait.

Even though they worked for the same private security firm, they often went in opposite directions. Hired in at the same time five years ago, they went through a rigorous training program and became fast friends … with benefits. Two years later, they were exclusive, even if they spent a lot of time apart.

She missed him. His killer smile. His wit. And … mmm … the hard body that made her drool.

The conference next week gave her time to primp a little. She could do a spa afternoon at the hotel, get a haircut, and generally make herself gorgeous to blow Fyffe's mind.

Getting in line to board the plane, she opened the hotel app and started scrolling to make plans.

Literally just started this one and I'm excited to see where the characters take me.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin