Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Lover's Day #MFRWAuthors #MFRWHooks

Welcome to Book Hooks, the weekly smorgasbord sampler hosted by the MFRW Authors Blog.

Readers: get hooked and reel in some great books. Authors are sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I wanted to share a series of excerpts from Lover's Day, my upcoming release from Fireborn Publishing. Over the next few weeks, I'll post a few pivotal scenes between Maxie and Nate.

This week, we meet Nate.

Book Tagline: On Lover's Day, an exchange of favors puts Maxie and Nate back on the right track.

~*~

Nate Northampton couldn't believe his rotten luck. His four on a quad had been trumped by Maxie Yearn's full ride. He pulled the most incredible hand he'd had in years and his best friend, otherwise known as the new bane of his existence, topped it.

Seriously, how did she do it?

Maxie had a nasty habit of always ending his hot streaks. Until she'd entered the game, he'd been up over everyone. At least he'd achieved his main goal of letting off steam. And then some. The fact that Maxie now had every last bit of his bounty couldn't take his accomplishment away.

He watched her scoop up her winnings, accept a round of congratulations, and down a freshly poured shot. Nate decided to take his leave before she started crowing about coming out on top. With as much as they'd had to drink, the innuendo wouldn't stop if it got started. And sexy banter could take them places they didn't need to go.

They didn't have Martin—has it really been almost a year since we lost him—to keep them on the straight and narrow anymore.

He'd learned his lesson a long time ago. Never get started with Maxie if Martin didn't have his back. Too bad Nate hadn't remembered the other important bit—never, ever bet against Bombshell… no matter how great the cards in his hand.

The woman had more good fortune at wagers than anyone he'd ever met. Whatever looked out for her in the universe did a damn fine job. Nate almost wished she didn't have a butt load of skill to back up the rest.

He'd almost escaped to the hatch when Maxie cleared her throat to get his attention. "Hey Slapshot… you still have to pay up."

Available February 13

~*~

Brand Blurb: Sexy Short—complete stories sized just right for a satisfying read

Book Blurb: Maxie Yearns is a woman on a mission who wants things with Nate Northampton to go back to normal. Without Martin Comico to act as their buffer, they struggle to find their footing again, but with Lover's Day fast approaching and a lucky draw at the card table, Maxie has just the plan to test the waters with Nate.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

Reel in more great books! Visit the other participating authors.

Sunday Snippet: Lover's Lament

I'm so happy The Flash and Arrow are back! Also, Gotham and Sleepy Hollow had great returns. As always, Banshee threw me for a sideways spin, bringing something random in from last season to kick the story and plot forward in a totally new way. Gotta say I'm pretty thrilled the topic of who Hood is or is not is being raised. I'm so damned curious about his past, which I rather hope ties into the military heist plot thread. We'll know if I'm right in about seven more episodes. J

Caught up with The Librarians and would not be disappointed if that one gets another season. It's such a fun show! Also loving the news of an X-Files revival. I'm almost through season six of my rewatch so the information comes at a timely moment. J

Tonight's post is from Lover's Lament, a novella where my main characters have had enough of everyone and everything.

Here's the tagline:

Taryn Untied and Holmes Selari, two soldiers under a constant stream of pressure, start making mistakes due to lack of any kind of down time. Their superior officer finally orders them to take R&R on the Lover's Lament and promises to conveniently forget their location if anything else goes wrong. Thirty-six hours of alone time should clear up their cranky attitudes

And a sneaky peek…

Colonel Waybright stepped out of the briefing room and bellowed. "Untied, Selari, get your asses in here right now." He jabbed his arm into the space he just vacated.

Taryn rolled her eyes, but complied with the order, heading for the ready room. Obnoxious son of a bitch better have a damned good reason for busting up her gripe session. She'd worked up a good head of anger and needed an outlet or she might explode.

Holmes glared in the chief's direction, grabbed a towel and wiped the grease from his hands. "We'll pick this back up when I'm through with the XO." He stalked away, ignoring the chief's blatant middle finger response.

She fell into step beside Holmes. "Pretty brave of the chief. You gonna have him tagged for insubordination?" She ducked through the doorway first and slumped down into the second seat of the back row.

Holmes dropped down beside her. "I don't know. Depends on whether he gets his shit together and has a full set of tools when we're done here." He propped a foot on the back of the chair in the row ahead of him.

Waybright entered and slammed the hatch shut. "You two are out of control." He strode to the front of the room. "I'm not gonna shout. Move up here or report to the brig." Moving behind the podium, he sent a blistering glance in their direction before grabbing a clipboard from the shelf.

Taryn heaved a sigh and shoved Holmes's foot out of her way. "Both options suck, but I'm not in the mood for the lumpy cots in the brig." She brushed past Holmes, walked to the first row and saw front and center.

Holmes followed behind, taking a seat in the second set of chairs. He again propped his foot up on the backrest next to Taryn. Waybright rested his forearms on the podium, leaned forward, and stared down his nose.

When the XO remained quiet for another full minute, she shook her head, fighting off a wave of fatigue. "Colonel, with all due respect, if you don't start talking in the next five seconds, I can't guarantee I'll be awake to hear what you say." A yawn tried to claw its way up from her lungs, but she swallowed hard and forced it down.

Holmes snorted. "I won't last three seconds." He put his foot down and sat up, draping his arms over the back of Taryn's seat.

The XO straightened. "You two think you're tired, don't you? You feel all pissed off and cranky because you can't catch a break." He grabbed the clipboard and stepped down off the dais. "Well, guess what? The fourteen hours days coupled with maintenance shifts aren't gonna end any time soon. But you two…" He glanced at the chart in his hand. "Haven't had any downtime in what? Thirty-six days?" His gaze left the clipboard and landed on the pilots. "Why is that?"

Taryn almost choked on the angry bile ready to overflow. "You're kidding, right?" She got up and paced back and forth in front of the colonel. "Every goddamned time I pull R&R some major clusterfuck happens and I'm on standby, pass revoked." Her head jerked toward Holmes. "Same goes for him." Her hands fisted. "And you know this, Colonel, because you're usually the one who does the revoking." She shot Holmes a sideways glance. "Do you believe this guy?"

Holmes settled back again and crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, yeah. I believe it." He quirked an eyebrow. "Why are we here, Colonel? Because if you only brought us in here to remind us how much R and R we haven't had, I don't have time to listen. I've got two downed planes and a deck chief who's being a pain in my ass."

Waybright nodded. "Oh, I know, Selari. Believe me, I know." He strode back to the podium and grabbed a big pile of papers. "But I have something of a different version here." He waved the pages. "This entire stack is dedicated to complaints about you two and your piss poor attitudes." Tossing the grievances in the air, he smacked his hand on the podium. "It's gonna stop now."

Taryn lost her cool. "Is that an order, Colonel?" She didn't wait for a response. "Fine. Whatever. Consider me chastised and ready to paint a big, fake smile on my face." Turning, she started toward the hatch. "If that's all, I've got a checklist to oversee."

Waybright followed on her heels. "You're not dismissed yet, Lieutenant. Sit your ass down."

Taryn is in take no prisoners mode. Not even her XO is safe from her wrath.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flip.

Sunday Snippet: The Lottery

I love it when characters creep me out on television shows. The marine colonel on Banshee is a total madman and takes the mantle of crazypants from the Red Bone leader Chayton Littlestone. Gotta say, he lost points this past week, but I won't get into why in this venue. I may have to dust off my Universes Altered blog and go to town on this season. LOL

Other television news… eh, not much until this upcoming week. Looking forward to new episodes of Arrow and The Flash. Hoping for some great stuff from Gotham and Sleepy Hollow, too.

Lastly, come on February. I need Bitten and The Walking Dead back on my screen. :D

Tonight's post is from The Lottery, a novella where a devastating illness turns the lives of my hero and heroine upside down.

Here's the tagline:

A devastating illness tears through a space colony and repopulation is paramount for continued survival. Veronica Fine and Garrett Delroy think they'll be exempt from the lottery, which will match up prime candidates for procreation, but word comes down all members of the colony have to participate, even members of the military. When they're matched up, both suspect some behind the scenes maneuvering from the planetary leader.

And a sneaky peek…

Veronica stepped under the hot spray of water, happy to have the head to herself. Eight hours in a cockpit sucked huge hairy ones. Squirting some cleanser on her washcloth, she started lathering up, washing the thin layer of sweat from her skin.

She moaned with pleasure. "Ah… feels so much better." She poured shampoo in her hand, ready to wash her hair.

"Lieutenant Fine?" A voice called from the locker area. "I have an urgent communiqué from the chancellor."

Veronica growled. "Dammit, I'm in the shower, can you give five freaking minutes?" She dug her fingers in her scalp and quickly got a good head of suds. "I don't appreciate being accosted while I'm scrubbing down." She stepped under the stinging spray and rinsed the shampoo out.

So much for enjoying a nice, long experience.

Twisting the knobs to off, she grabbed a towel and exited the stall, drying off with quick, efficient movements.

A young petty officer paced back and forth in the changing room. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant. My orders were to track you down no matter where you were."

Veronica frowned. She couldn't remember doing anything to piss off her superior officers lately. What the hell happened?

She strode into the changing area with the damp terrycloth wrapped around her. "Okay, Petty Officer, what's the urgent message?" A cold water drop dripped from the end of her hair to her shoulder and she shivered.

The petty officer handed her a crisp white envelope, not the usual battered manila color from the intership memos.

She opened her mouth to ask where the communiqué came from, but the petty officer dashed out the door before she could speak.

She shivered again, but not from the cold. "Well, that can't be a good sign." Turning the envelope over, she read her name in blocked letters. "Okay then… might as well see what's going on." Breaking the seal, she lifted the flap and pulled out an official announcement.

Veronica Fine, Lieutenant of the Colonial Guard, you have been chosen by random drawing to participate in the repopulation of the Genesis Colony. You are hereby ordered, upon the command of Chancellor Lydia Adams, to report to the Genetic Census Bureau within twenty-four hours to be paired with a favorable match. Failure to do so will result in the loss of your rank, privileges, and result in a mandatory sentence of servitude to be determined by Chancellor Adams and the Council of Twelve.

Veronica sank down to the nearest bench. Stunned disbelief warred with a building anger. She read the missive again, her jaw clenching against the churning fury swirling in her gut. Rising, she shed the towel, crumpled the orders, and tossed the ball in the trash bin.

She quickly pulled on her fatigues. "No goddamn way. There's gotta be a mistake." Shoving her feet into her shoes, she stormed out into the corridor, heading for the commandant's office. "And I will find out how I got called up."

This one is going to be a total blast to finish. Shenanigans are most definitely afoot.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flip.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Losing the Light

So… the new season of Banshee started and blew my mind with the first episode. I have no idea why I'm so drawn to the show, but it never fails to push just a little further than I think it will. The opening scene equaled sheer perfection.

The Librarians is still making me smile and I’m getting ready to start Miss Fisher's Mysteries on Netflix this week. I've heard super awesome things about the series and can't wait to get into a new to me show.

OH! The CW also renewed ALL their fall dramas and I read the showrunners for The Flash and Arrow plan a once a year crossover for the two shows. WOOHOO!! Seriously happy for that news.

Bitten starts next month on Space and my unblocker app and Chromecast is going to be busy each week while I stream the episodes multiple times from the website. (Then watch again when Syfy airs them. :D)

And that's enough about TV, right?

Tonight's post is from Losing the Light, a novella of love lost to an ultimatum and dealing with the reunion of the main characters.

Here's the tagline:

Walker Garrett always does the right thing—except when it comes to Barret Danks. Barret never listens when she doesn't want to hear what's said, but Walker's ultimatum has her accepting a post on a newly terraformed planet. With him in the air and her on the ground, working out their issues doesn't seem likely… until Walker gets a call to meet with Barret's boss.

And a sneaky peek… (A little longer than usual)

Walker rarely went down below. He had zero desire to run into Barret. But he couldn't refuse a meeting with Laura… and of course, she wanted it under the cover of darkness. The unrest continued brewing and she wouldn't risk drawing the military into the fray. His unwavering support of her during the election process the only reason she'd even make the call.

Rounding a corner, he stopped and listened carefully. Muffled sobs came from up ahead. He didn't want to stumble onto anything domestic, but he couldn't ignore the sound either… his route would take him directly past the area. Shit. Moving quietly, Walker got up close to the makeshift checkpoint, eased his head around the side of the building for a quick look, and blinked with surprise. A small child, probably four or five, huddled close to the entrance, her head bent forward to rest on her knees. She hiccupped with tears, but remained fairly quiet.

He didn't want to scare her, hell, he didn't want to deal with her, but he couldn't leave her alone out in the dark. Why would she be by alone? Where were her parents?

He feared scaring her so he backed up and shuffled his feet on the gravel, making his presence known. Her head shot up and she peered around, her gaze landing on Walker.

He approached with caution, hands in his pockets. "Hello, are you okay?" He stopped at the base of the raised platform.

Shaky and frightened for a moment, she tilted her head to one side before a big smile crossed her lips. "I know you. You're the man who flies in the sky, aren't you?" She nodded. "We had pictures of the pilots who protected us on our journey here."

Walker frowned. Her words were news to him, but it broke the ice and made his life easier. A small amount of trust should help him find out where she belonged.

He crouched down, bringing him to her eye level. "Yes. My name is Walker. And who are you?"

She glanced away. "It's okay to tell you my name, isn't it? Because I know who you are?" She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment.

Walker moved up and sat on the edge of the dais. "I think it'll be okay. I can't help you if I don't know your name."

She brightened. "I'm Elsie." She stuck out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Walker."

Her action charmed him and he grasped her small palm, shaking it. "I'm glad to meet you, Elsie. Now, did you get lost? Are you hurt?" With zero clue how to deal with a small child, he hoped he asked the right questions.

She shook her head back and forth. "I know where I am and I'm just fine. My flashlight quit working and we live in the back end of the camp." She pointed in the direction of the tent village. "The lights didn't reach our section and I’m not supposed to walk around in the dark."

Walker bit back a chuckle. Smart girl.

She continued. "I sat and waited under the big light so my parents can find me." Her lower lip quivered. "But I missed dinner and they'll be really mad, because I should have changed the batteries in the light." She glanced away. "My mom told me to do it yesterday and I forgot." A loud rumble came from her tummy.

Walker had a sandwich in his pack. He got up and retrieved it from beside the building then settled beside Elsie and gave her the food.

She unwrapped the ham and cheese and tore it in half. "Thank you. But you should have some, too." She handed one half to Walker.

He grinned. "Thank you, Elsie."

She smiled and bit into the bread.

Walker ate his portion then dug out a bottle of water. He unscrewed the lid and gave it to Elsie.

While she drank, he asked. "Do you want to go home?"

She frowned. "I don't know which tent belongs to my family in the dark." Her voice wobbled.

Walker reassured her. "I'll bet we can find someone who knows where you live. Why don't I walk with you?"

A wide grin spread across her face. "You'll come with me?" She got up and brushed off her leggings. "Maybe I won't miss my bedtime and my mom and dad can still read me a story." She grabbed his hand and started for the steps.

When they reached the bottom, three people approached, a man and two women. Elsie ran forward to be swept up by her dad. She chattered away, apologizing and telling him everything she'd done, down to eating half of Walker's sandwich. The women continued forward and Walker came face to face with Barret.

She stopped short, but the other woman rushed up to Walker. "Goodness, thank you so much for being here. We were so worried about Elsie." She grabbed his hands. "I'm Linda. Butch and I were beside ourselves until Barret came along."

Walker shot a glance in her direction.

She shrugged. "I'm on civilian watch duty. A favor for my boss." She went back to a stony silence.

Great. Her boss. The woman Walker got the call to meet.

He inclined his chin. "I was on my way to meet her when I stumbled across Elsie."

Barret's eyes narrowed. "I wasn't aware she called you. Did she say why?" Her shoulders squared, angry tension making them stiffen.

He shook his head. "No. Just asked me to come down after sunset." Not his problem Laura didn't fill Barret in.

The awkward meeting set his teeth on edge, but Walker tried for the kid's sake not to be an ass. Butch approached and shifted Elsie to one hip.

He stuck out his hand. "We're so grateful you found her. Thank you." He pumped Walker's palm up and down. "Especially for sharing your food and water. She's had nothing since lunch today."

Barret snorted. "Yeah, that's Walker. Always does the right thing."

Walker gave her a tight smile. "Not always. I miss the mark sometimes." With her.

He turned to Butch. "It's no problem. You've got a great little girl there."

I'm loving the awkward interaction and can't wait to write more.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flip.

ML Skye

Smokin' Hot—Book Girlfriend Celebrity Lookalike: An Idyllic Affair

Welcome to the Hot for Friday blog hop!

Readers: Enjoy posts from authors with fun weekly tasks or a cool question.

Authors: Get in on the fun and join here.

We already got to know our book boyfriend celebrity lookalike. For this week's entry, we get to cast our book girlfriend celebrity lookalike.

FUN!!!

As mentioned in my boyfriend casting post, I almost always have an actor or actress serve as inspiration when I'm writing. It's great to have visual imagery as a point of reference when creating characters.

I'd love to share my vision of loveliness for An Idyllic Affair, available now from Ellipses Press, Ltd.

So… without further ado…

Please meet the truly gorgeous inspiration for Linnea Jensen.

Katee Sackhoff

Katee's work embodies the traits I've given Linnea. Her characters tend to be snarky and no-nonsense. She first came to my attention as the character of Starbuck when I got sucked into Battlestar Galactica. Like her costar, Jamie Bamber, the woman has chemistry with everyone and everything. Not hard to cast her as the inspiration for Linnea.

Book Tagline: Escape to Insula Ara, an island sanctuary that provides refuge… but it comes with a price.

Linnea moved slowly, her steps dragging when time seemed to slow down. "Care to tell me where the hell we're going? It doesn't even look like it's in this galaxy."

Geoff raised a single eyebrow. "It's not. That's the beauty of it."

She felt like the deck dropped out from under her. "Captain. Geoff… where, exactly, are you taking us?"

He directed his gaze back to the holograph. "Old Earth."

If she'd started floating in suspended animation, she wouldn't have been surprised.

She couldn't have heard him right.

Old Earth?

Well, hell. Did he really think they could find sanctuary on some crazy island that might or might not exist? The one he loved to tell stories about?

Everything stopped for a second then snapped back to real time.

Linnea didn't know if the queasy feeling in her stomach came from the jump or finding out they'd left the galaxy.

Both, she decided.

"Captain, are you sure this is a good idea?" Linnea slid her gaze toward the man, making sure to keep one eye on the monitor in front of her.

Geoff raised an eyebrow in question. "You doubt me, XO?" He picked up his excited pacing, striding back and forth across the command deck of the Charming Lady.

Linnea snorted. They wouldn't be sanctioned smugglers if any of the crew doubted him. "It's not about that. Facts are facts. I never doubt them."

And Geoff knew it. He'd chosen her as his executive officer and second-in-command for that very reason.

"I do, however, question myth and legend… and that's all you've got." She sometimes envied the fact he only needed those.

~*~

Available on Amazon

~*~

Series Blurb: Legend tells of a mysterious island called Sanctuary, inhabited by people who have been to hell and back—and lived to tell the tale.

It goes on to say, that if someone needs help, if they are truly without hope, island will come to them in their darkest hour and help them find the way.

But the assistance comes with a price. Their heart and soul may be lost to the island in the process.

Book Blurb: Privateers by trade, Geoff MacLeod and Linnea Jensen find sanctuary on Insula Ara, a mysterious island full of wonder and a tinge of darkness. When Geoff and Linnea embark on a quest to retrieve a badly needed part for their ship, they find their deep attraction for each other hard to resist, and under the spell of the island, they have to tread carefully or succumb to the swirling undercurrents.

~*~

Thank you for stopping by.

Please feel free to stop by my website

And don't forget to enjoy the other Hot for Friday posts!

Sunday Snippet: Lockdown

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone is getting a great start to the new year. I kind of love this time. It's almost like a period of renewal. I jot down goals or revisit past ones to see my progress. Last year, I got more accomplished than I realized, which makes me excited for 2015.

On the television front, I finally sat down and watched Ascension and I’m sooooo glad I did! If Syfy gives a green light to make it a series, I'll be a happy camper. I also took some time and got started on The Librarians and I'm charmed by the show. It's a little campy and ridiculous, but I don't care. It's fun, lighthearted, and reminds me a lot of Warehouse 13, which I loved.

Looking forward to the return of my regular viewing treats and the start of the new seasons for Banshee and Bitten.

Tonight's post is from Lockdown, a sexy short where my hero and heroine get to resolve their attraction in a twisty kind of way.

Here's the tagline:

Tod Langkowski and Mitzi Stahl are trapped when a power outage aboard their ship locks them in the training area. The commander and his CAG have a unique opportunity to examine their relationship—and where it should go—with zero interruptions.

And a sneaky peek…

Mitzi lit the candles Tod dug out of a locked equipment bin. "How'd these get in an equipment compartment?" She left several alone, in case they were needed later.

Tod shrugged. "My best guess? This gym doubles as a secret meeting place for hook-ups." He snorted. "It's the perfect spot. Rarely used, harder to get to, and well away from the living quarters so less chance of being spotted by the watchdogs."

Mitzi chuckled. "All the reasons I come here to workout. I like this space because I can go full on without worrying I'll take someone out." She settled onto a weight bench, dragging her feet up and tucking them under her thighs.

Tod leaned against the padded section of the bulkhead. "Good thing you like it here. We're stuck. For at least a full shift." He glanced at his watch. "Depending on when the power comes back on, we could be here a full day. We're in a nonessential area."

Mitzi disagreed. "You're the commander. They'll come looking for you."

Tod nodded. "Yep. And when they find out I'm just fine and dandy, they'll focus their attention on getting things back in order." He shot Mitzi a sideways glance. "It's why I have an XO." One who could run the ship in her sleep and not miss a beat.

Mitzi rolled her eyes. "They'll blow the doors to get you out and keep her away from CIC." She shifted position, unlacing a shoe, kicking it off to land on the deck.

Tod grunted. "Your issues with the XO aren't matched by anyone else. Everyone else likes her." Okay, not everyone, but most of the crew got along just fine with his executive officer.

Mitzi shuddered. "Why? Belina Moore is an obnoxious bitch." She untied the other shoe and slipped her foot from it.

Tod lifted a brow. "You really can't see it, can you?" He moved to his left, ready to dodge her footwear, if necessary.

Mitzi cocked her head to one side. "See what?" She dropped the trainer to the deck beside the other one.

Tod relaxed. "How much alike you two are. I swear it's why you don't like her." Not that Mitzi would ever admit any similarity to Belinda.

Mitzi made a garbled choking sound. "No, the reason I don't like her is because she sticks her big beak nose into my business." She paused a moment. "And I mean personal, not professional."

Didn't sound like Belinda. She shied away from nosing around in the crew's off-log life.

Tod wanted some clarity. "How so?"

Mitzi shot him a sideways glance. "By warning me off you for starters." She tucked her feet back under her thighs.

Wait. What?

Tod straightened. "She did what?" He'd give his XO some leeway, but not much.

Mitzi nodded. "Yeah. Told me to keep my distance, unless I wanted to ruin your career." She adopted his second in command's accent. "You're the big commander now and I’m just the lowly CAG. Frat regs are there for a reason."

He kept his shock in check. Belinda overstepped her authority, by a long shot.

Tod's mouth thinned. "She had no business saying anything. It's not like we've ever given anyone cause to think there's more going on than there is." Or had they?

He often let Mitzi get away with using a casual kind of shorthand when speaking to him. But he'd known Mitzi for a very long time and they'd worked together for years. She always respected the rank, even if her strong opinions sometimes indicated otherwise. And yes, a powerful attraction existed, but to this point, they danced around the pull they felt.

Mitzi laughed. "Geez, Tod. You're kidding, right? Everyone. And I mean everyone—from your XO to the lowly airman who brings you your coffee every morning—thinks we're already sleeping together." She kicked her feet out and stood up. "How can you not know that?"

Tod sputtered. "Because it's not true." He waited a beat. "Yet." He shoved away from the bulkhead and took a step toward her. "But… if the entire ship thinks we're getting it on, maybe we should prove their theory correct."

A note of disbelief crept into Mitzi's voice. "Tod… you're not really thinking we should hook-up, right? You're just making a point." She moved back, sidestepping the bench, but bumping up against the bulkhead.

Tod advanced, moving closer. "Oh, I'm making a point, all right. Why deny ourselves, Mitz?" He reached forward, grasping her hips. "We're locked in a room, all alone, and we've been fighting what appears to be a losing battle." He cupped her face. "Tell me why we shouldn't act on what we feel and I'll walk away right now."

Her mouth opened and her eyes went wide. She blinked and swallowed hard. Having her at a loss for words would've made him smile, if the subject didn't suddenly mean the entire universe.

Shaking her head a little, Mitzi finally responded. "Honestly, Tod, I can't think of one damn reason, and if you even think of walking away, I'll kick your ass." She fisted her hand in his t-shirt and lifted her chin.

He took the hint, meshing his lips with hers and groaned when her tongue slid past his teeth. Leave it to Mitzi to take things from tentative to totally happening in no time flat.

Really having fun with this one. Tod and Mitzi have an energy that's fun to dive into.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flip.

ML Skye