Sunday Snippet: Event Horizon

Happy holidays to all who celebrate. My post is a little later than usual but the lead-up to Christmas morning exhausted me and I took a nice, long winter's nap today. LOL

I overloaded on holiday-themed shows this week and loved every moment. I'll be continuing through probably New Year's Eve. So much great television.

This week included all the Arrow and The Flash holiday episodes. Eureka, Haven, and Warehouse 13. I worked Roswell and The District in along with animated episodes from Rugrats, Batman, and Justice League. Dropped into single episode fare with Buffy, Supernatural, The Librarians, Leverage and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. I'm sure I'll have a few more before I finally go to bed. I can't wait!

Tonight's post is from Event Horizon, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt of "create a story or scene around a civilian transport on the way to a ceremony". I decided to have a military bigwig retire.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Casey meets Oliver on a transport flight to celebrate his dad's retirement. They hit it off, but Casey has a big secret… she's the reason Oliver's brother didn't pass the flight test and she doesn't want the old man to find out.

And a sneaky peek…

Oliver observed the gorgeous flight instructor seated next to him. Casey Black kind of blew him away. Anyone who went toe-to-toe with his dad and came out on top deserved some serious study.

And he didn't care if he got caught.

She intrigued him. She'd sparked his interest when he heard the story about what went down when his dad barged into her classroom. Meeting her in person only intensified his desire to get to know her. Orwen couldn't say enough good things about her, even after he'd failed to qualify as a pilot.

She glanced up from her reading device. "You're staring." An eyebrow shot up in question.

Oliver inclined his head. "Yeah, sorry. I'm not trying to be obnoxious. I can't quite get a handle on you." He flashed a smile, hoping she didn't take offense.

Setting the device aside, she tilted her head to one side. "Regarding what?" Confusion clouded her gaze.

Oliver chuckled. "We've got a lot in common." He leaned forward and angled his head toward her. "I mean you've got a solid reputation as an instructor and I'm a pilot. We've got loads of stuff to talk about." At least they should.

Casey's lips quirked. "You want to talk shop? Really?" She shook her head. "Sorry, I'm on a weekend pass. Work is a distant memory at the moment."

Oliver laughed. "Fair enough. Let's talk about the invitation to my dad's retirement bash. Were you surprised to get one?"

Casey studied him a moment. "Honestly? Yes." She crossed her arms over her chest.

Hmmm. Closed off and a little defensive. Oliver resisted the urge to press for the reason why.

Instead, he stayed in a safe zone. "You shouldn't be. Not many people have the courage and temerity to stand up to Orin Stephas. But you did. Several times." He settled back against the seat cushion. "I'd love to the story." Or at least her version.

He already had his family's renditions.

Truly enjoy writing this one. I always love adding family elements into relationships.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Escape on Equinox

December 18, 2016

Only one week until the merriest day! We still have to decorate our tree, but we always wait until about a week before the holiday. Should be done by this evening.

The Great Holiday Show Binge Watch Extravaganza continued this past week. I finished up NCIS, moved on to NCIS: LA and NCIS: New Orleans. Then followed with MASH. Last night I started the X-Files.

Teen Wolf had a great episode. The season feels a little choppy but I'm enjoying. The Librarians and MacGyver had good episodes. Enjoyed the holiday-themed flavor on MacGyver.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Escape on Equinox, part of the Capital City Seasons series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Jim Hodges, an elite officer in a specialized tactical unit, finally meets a woman with a sweet disposition and a naughty sense of humor. But when she's taken hostage and his team is called in, he's determined to make sure a quick resolution takes place, which won't be easy because he's ordered to step aside and let his fellow members handle everything.

And a sneaky peek…

Pre-dawn, the sun barely starting to come up, had to be the best time in the world for sex. Jim Hodges woke up to warm lips wrapped around his cock. His accompanying grin turned to a groan when Roz's tongue swirled around the hard shaft. The woman created serious magic with her mouth.

His hands fisted in her hair, tugging gently. Roz released his erection and angled around to meet his gaze, brow lifted.

Jim loved the way her hair fell forward. "Um… not that I don't appreciate the wake up call, but I want way more than that sweet mouth of yours."

Roz gave him a sexy smile and flicked her tongue over the tip of his dick. "Just getting you warmed up." Her head dipped down and her lips brushed over his hip bone. "Primed and ready so to speak." She licked a trail over the taut skin of his torso.

Jim hooked his hands under her shoulders and hauled her forward to straddle his hips. "I'm definitely ready." He cupped her breasts, relished the heavy feeling in his hands.

Roz rocked her hips, wet and hot, but Jim wanted to tease a little more. Roz had two hours before she had to be out the door for work. He planned to draw things out and keep the pace nice and leisurely.

Roz had different ideas. She had no desire to wait. Leaning down, she caught his lips, lifted her hips, and sank over his hard length. Jim grasped her thighs and raised his ass, thrusting deeper. Sometimes changing a plan on the fly paid off with spectacular results.

Roz broke the kiss and tossed her head back, shuddering with pleasure. "Ah, god. I love it when you do that." Her hips rocked against his groin.

Jim hissed out a breath. The heat and warmth of her surrounding him took his breath away.

He lifted his head, running his lips over her smooth skin. "You're hot and wet this morning. Feels good." His chin rubbed against her breast, the stubble raising goose bumps.

Roz moaned low in her throat. "Mmm. More." She pushed him back, planting her hands on his chest.

Jim obliged, skimming his fingers along her sides to cup her breasts. He rolled his thumbs over the taut nipples. Roz got more slick and wet, and kicked up the pace, riding him with ease.

Hoping to focus on finishing up this manuscript and releasing sometime in 2017. I love this series and need to get it back on track.

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

ML Skye

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire… #HappyHolidaysHop

A Perfect Time to Read a Book

Sponsored by Nicki J. Markus | Asta Idonea

Welcome to the Happy Holidays Hop

When Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, it's the perfect time to curl up and read a great book!

Please enjoy the holiday cheer and consider picking up some fabulous reading material.

~*~

~*~

What makes your holiday happy? A ton of gifts under the tree? Spending time with family? The holiday tunes? Lots of fluffy, white stuff falling from the sky?

For me, spending the season with family and friends makes my holiday happy. I also love wrapping presents and making fun treats to share with others. I started a new tradition this year that I've dubbed the Great Holiday Show Binge Watch Extravaganza. I have a bunch of holiday-themed television shows ready to stream to fill my days with lots of cheer.

I also love to write and read holiday themed romance. When writing as ML Skye, I tend to focus on science fiction or speculative romance, imagining a future where couples have the same issues of contemporary times, but find love in a different galaxy or another planet. They also celebrate the season, albeit in a slightly different way.

My holiday releases, Season's Bright Star and Midwinter Crises, feature law enforcement scenarios around the merry season.

The first is set on a space station and the duo has to go undercover to bring in a wanted criminal. Their alter egos are the design team for the huge holiday display on station. Courtney and Gib have very different upbringings and some of their traditions helped shape who they are. In Courtney's case, letting go of the not so wonderful customs could free her to pursue a terrific new path with Gib.

The second is all about racing a ticking clock. A madman holds the city hostage and a former couple has to work together to bring him down before he blows the grid. Jess and Murph are consummate professionals, but each fight hard not to let their emotions cloud their judgment. Being thrust together means they'll have to face each other and maybe figure out a way to move forward.

I had so much fun writing the books and both are on sale through the end of the year. If either of the excerpts strikes your fancy, please consider picking up the full copy.

~*~

Spirit's Bright Star

Book Tagline: On Space Station Gamma, Courtney and Gib discover love while working undercover during the holiday season.

Courtney Caine paced back and forth in the small interview room of Outpost Five, Space Station Gamma's security hub. The ass chewing she'd just received still burned and the man who caused it offered zero help. And the new assignment to fix their screw up sucked balls.

She stopped and whirled around. "Dammit, Gib, how the hell can we pull this whole 'get the station ready for every damned holiday ever' thing McCall wants?" Warren, the head of security, had to be out of his mind.

No, more like pissed off and looking to make two of his undercover agents pay the price.

Her fellow ass-chewee, Gib Gallagher, tilted his handsome head to one side and pondered her question. Courtney wished the guy didn't look good enough to eat. Tall, built, and rough around the edges, the exact type she tended to go for. And a prime candidate for the security forces, which put him out of her reach. She avoided workplace relationships like the Tanthiac plague—who needed the awkward vibes after it inevitably ended?

Gib snapped his fingers. "I've got it. We could arrive under the guise of a brilliant omnisexual designer with his overworked and harried assistant in tow."

She frowned. "You couldn't pass for an omnisexual. No way."

Gib scoffed. "I'll have you know if a hot dude or smokin' alien asked me for sex, I'd totally consider it."

And if she asked? Yeah, he'd absolutely entertain the idea. Alas, she would never broach the topic.

Couldn't. Even if she wanted to.

Courtney rolled her eyes. "Really? What kind of guy would you be attracted to?"

He answered. "Someone buff, tough, and rough. Oh… and tall. Maybe with dark hair." He waggled his eyebrows.

She snorted. "You moron, you just described yourself. That's not omnisexual. Hell, I don't think there's a name for wanting to screw yourself." She shook her head. "I don't even want to know what kind of alien you'd be into. Probably a thick-skinned, scaly Scathian,"

He wrinkled his nose. "No way. Their scales would chafe too badly and the slime green coloring kinda skeeves me out. Now the blue-toned Caprisians are another story—wait… you think I’m buff?" He waited a beat. "Of course you do. That's how we landed in this mess in the first place."

Damn. The. Man. She would not take full responsibility.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Uh uh. You're not laying the blame on me. How do you figure it's my fault?"

He smirked. "You shouldn't have been checking out my ass. We wouldn't have lost Beno if you were focused on the job." His brow arched, daring her to counter.

Available on Amazon

~*~

Book Blurb: Courtney Caine and Gib Gallagher incur the head of security's wrath. The top man for Space Station Gamma punishes his two best shadow operatives by putting them in charge of all the decorations for the upcoming holiday season, and they have to pull off creating the glitz and glamor without blowing their covers.

~*~

~*~

Midwinter Crises

Book Tagline: When a madman wants to blow up the city during the Midwinter holiday, it's just another day on the job for Ben and Jess.

Jess shrugged. "It's part of the job." She handed off her weapon and signed the transfer of arms form.

Then she focused her attention on Murph. "I'm actually impressed you pulled the save outta your ass." And he had pulled it from somewhere… the expected order to take the guy out never came. And it usually did if more than four hours went by.

Jess sat on the edge of the bumper. "How'd you do it? Most Altereds don't respond to reason and logic." Unless maybe it had a warped aspect to it.

Murph flashed a smile. "Honestly? It's a waiting game." She must've shown her confusion because he clarified. "We got here right before the guy hit his high, when he was at his most violent. The trick was to ride it out with him until he came down enough to see the error of his ways."

Doubly impressed now, she had to shake her head. "So you put yourself on the hot seat. Interesting." She let her gaze peruse him, traveling from his feet upward to his face. "You don't look like you have a death wish."

Ben chuckled in response. "I don't. Trust me." He pivoted around, stepped closer to her. "Unless it would convince you to have dinner with me?" Lowered so only she could hear, his voice sent sexy shivers down her spine.

Jess made sure she kept her jaw from dropping. Still clad in full riot gear and this too handsome for his own good guy wanted to have dinner with her?

A guy who didn't wilt under pressure, put himself in the line of fire and still maintained a clean, crisp and dare she think it—fresh—appearance in ninety degree heat had to have something wrong with him.

Maybe he went for chicks in black? Or women who carried powerful weapons on the job.

And maybe she should just respond to his offer already.

Shrugging, she accepted his invitation. "Dinner's good." She had a way to discover if Murph was as unflappable as he appeared. "But only if I get to pick the place." She stood up and flipped open one of the pockets on her vest.

Available on Amazon

~*~

Book Blurb: Mixing the holidays with a guy who wants to blow up the city is just another day on the job for Ben Murphy and Jessa Muldoon.

Seeing each other in a tense situation six months after breaking up is not.

Please stop by my website

Spread some holiday cheer! Visit the other participating authors.

Makin' a List and Checkin' It Twice—Naughty or Nice? #MistletoeHop

Sponsored by Romance Beckons

Grab your mistletoe and pucker up!

Welcome to the Mistletoe Hop, a fabulous sampling of authors sharing short excerpts from their work and answering the question of whether they've been…

NAUGHTY OR NICE

Readers: Please enjoy the steamy snippets and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link. Enter by leaving a comment for a chance to receive a free copy.

~*~

Have I been naughty or nice?

Honestly? I'm all about the balance.

So, the answer to the question is… Both!

Seriously, it costs nothing to be nice and, hey, showing kindness feels good. Whether giving one of my daughter's fellow golfers a lift to practice so their parents don't have to leave work early or providing supplies to a local animal shelter or food pantry, being generous with my time or giving to a cause near to my heart refills my emotional piggy bank.

Even small gestures have big impact.

Then again, being naughty—which never equates to being mean—can be so much fun. Sharing an innuendo-filled joke to make someone smile—or snort soda out their nose—is a hoot. Picking the perfect gag gift for siblings before they get yours… totally cool. Letting loose and straying from the tried and true gives life a little oomph and boosts my horizons.

Which pays off in huge ways.

~*~

Being naughty and nice might confuse the jolly, fat man, but it makes for some great romance. When writing as ML Skye, I tend to focus on science fiction or speculative romance, imagining a future where couples have the same issues of contemporary times, but find love in a different galaxy or on another planet. They also celebrate the season, albeit in a slightly different way.

Combining some naughty sexual tension with a nice dose of holiday cheer is what I love to do. I have two holiday releases with this terrific combination.

Spirit's Bright Star, features a duo who have to go undercover to bring in a wanted criminal and their alter egos are the design team for the huge holiday display on a space station. Courtney and Gib have very different upbringings and some of their traditions helped shape who they are. In Courtney's case, letting go of the not so wonderful customs could free her to pursue a terrific new path with Gib.

Midwinter Crises has a former couple in peril who have to work together to thwart a madman holding their city hostage. Jess is a sharpshooter who can't get distracted by reminiscing about her recent breakup with Murph. Murph is a consummate negotiator who can't afford to lose focus, but remember their last holiday season together makes it hard. The crisis kicks up feelings neither wants to examine, but also puts their differences into perspective.

I had so much fun writing the books and I'm giving a digital copy of your choice away for this blog hop.

Excerpts for both books are below. Please enjoy!

~*~

Spirit's Bright Star

Book Tagline: On Space Station Gamma, Courtney and Gib discover love while working undercover during the holiday season.

~*~

Courtney Caine paced back and forth in the small interview room of Outpost Five, Space Station Gamma's security hub. The ass chewing she'd just received still burned and the man who caused it offered zero help. And the new assignment to fix their screw up sucked balls.

She stopped and whirled around. "Dammit, Gib, how the hell can we pull this whole 'get the station ready for every damned holiday ever' thing McCall wants?" Warren, the head of security, had to be out of his mind.

No, more like pissed off and looking to make two of his undercover agents pay the price.

Her fellow ass-chewee, Gib Gallagher, tilted his handsome head to one side and pondered her question. Courtney wished the guy didn't look good enough to eat. Tall, built, and rough around the edges, the exact type she tended to go for. And a prime candidate for the security forces, which put him out of her reach. She avoided workplace relationships like the Tanthiac plague—who needed the awkward vibes after it inevitably ended?

Gib snapped his fingers. "I've got it. We could arrive under the guise of a brilliant omnisexual designer with his overworked and harried assistant in tow."

She frowned. "You couldn't pass for an omnisexual. No way."

Gib scoffed. "I'll have you know if a hot dude or smokin' alien asked me for sex, I'd totally consider it."

And if she asked? Yeah, he'd absolutely entertain the idea. Alas, she would never broach the topic.

Couldn't. Even if she wanted to.

Courtney rolled her eyes. "Really? What kind of guy would you be attracted to?"

He answered. "Someone buff, tough, and rough. Oh… and tall. Maybe with dark hair." He waggled his eyebrows.

She snorted. "You moron, you just described yourself. That's not omnisexual. Hell, I don't think there's a name for wanting to screw yourself." She shook her head. "I don't even want to know what kind of alien you'd be into. Probably a thick-skinned, scaly Scathian,"

He wrinkled his nose. "No way. Their scales would chafe too badly and the slime green coloring kinda skeeves me out. Now the blue-toned Caprisians are another story—wait… you think I’m buff?" He waited a beat. "Of course you do. That's how we landed in this mess in the first place."

Damn. The. Man. She would not take full responsibility.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Uh uh. You're not laying the blame on me. How do you figure it's my fault?"

He smirked. "You shouldn't have been checking out my ass. We wouldn't have lost Beno if you were focused on the job." His brow arched, daring her to counter.

Available on Amazon

~*~

Book Blurb: Courtney Caine and Gib Gallagher incur the head of security's wrath. The top man for Space Station Gamma punishes his two best shadow operatives by putting them in charge of all the decorations for the upcoming holiday season, and they have to pull off creating the glitz and glamor without blowing their covers.

~*~

~*~

Midwinter Crises: Capital City Seasons Book One

Book Tagline: When a madman wants to blow up the city during the Midwinter holiday, it's just another day on the job for Ben and Jess.

Capital City.

Where no one knew anyone's name… especially during the Midwinter holidays.

Everyone went about their self-prescribed traditions—too busy to care about anything more than spending money and finding the next 'perfect' item so it could be crossed off a way too long list.

But somehow, not even the sheer volume of credits exchanged from Discovery Day to Midwinter's Eve managed to quell the number of embittered and downtrodden who picked this time of year to go off the deep end or make a stand for their cause.

And someone had to deal with them… diffuse the situation, garner a peaceful outcome. If not, things could get very ugly.

The 'someone' people called? Ben Murphy. A top negotiator, his proven ability and track record made him the go-to person when wanting to avoid bloodshed.

Because why would anyone want that to go along with their holiday cheer?

A lone man held the city hostage, his metaphorical fist ready to destroy the main power grid. A person might wonder how he'd managed to position himself to do it. That would, no doubt, be addressed in the slew of after action reports turned in once the crisis had been averted. Heads would roll. Jobs would be lost. And none of those issues mattered now that the guy had taken control of the central power facility.

What did matter?

Resolution.

Hopefully quick, painless, and peaceful. No one wanted to watch the city grind to a screeching halt during the most profitable quarter of the year. Not that Murph cared much about that aspect, especially when the joy of the season usually got lost in the shuffle of the crowds.

In fact, the holiday cheer being piped through the sound system of his private transport grated on Murph's last nerve. He tuned it out and focused on the view from the window, looking out over the expanse of Capital City. As of now, everything remained bright, shiny and lit up… and Murph loved the sight.

He should… he'd grown up with it. He might not have seen much of it lately—his self-imposed exile from the city and Jessa Muldoon prevented it—but he would always appreciate the sight.

For better or worse, Ben Murphy had come home.

Available on Amazon

~*~

Book Blurb: Mixing the holidays with a guy who wants to blow up the city is just another day on the job for Ben Murphy and Jessa Muldoon.

Capital City teems with tourists, shoppers, and anyone else who can cram their way into the limits for the Midwinter celebration. The entire holiday will go to hell in a hand basket if Ben can't negotiate a peaceful resolution with the man holding the city hostage. If he fails, sharpshooter Jess will step in and take the guy out.

Not exactly the post-breakup reunion scenario Ben has in mind for seeing Jess… but he'll take it. He let work split them up once, now it has a chance to bring them together. Ben will take the opportunity and run with it.

~*~

~*~

Please leave a comment for your entry and share whether you top the naughty or nice list and which holiday themed book strikes your fancy.

Please stop by my website

Find out who else has been naughty or nice! Visit the other participating authors.

Sunday Snippet: Drink Me

December 11, 2016

Is the holiday season in full swing at your house? It's definitely rockin' at mine. LOL

Holiday shows were something of a theme this week. The Flash and Arrow had their Christmas shows and I thoroughly enjoyed.

Teen Wolf is creeping me out with the riders. I kind of love the blend of old and new but really need to see some Stiles on my screen. Agents of SHIELD threw a total twisty twist in at the end of their episode. Can't wait for the hiatus to be over to see what's going to happen next.

The Librarians continues to make me happy. Also love The Talking Dead, especially when I skip the episode of The Walking Dead. I'm just not at all interested in Neegan and his machinations.

Legends of Tomorrow introduced the Legion of Doom and that makes me happy. Having Merlyn and company pop up now and again should keep things very interesting.

MacGyver also makes me happy. I love the reboot of Jack's character more than I can say.

The Great Holiday Binge Watch continues. I've made it through the complete Whoverse and look forward to the new special on Christmas Day. Started on NCIS and have the first two holiday episodes watched.

Also caught up on Murdoch Mysteries. I'm loving this season so much!

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Drink Me, a free companion read to be released with One Hot Mess.

Here's the mini-blurb:

A bottle of alcohol takes on the role of perpetrator in a couple's romp filled weekend. Both would swear the damn thing dared them to drink every last drop.

And a sneaky peek…

Vin followed Eva into the Starlight Lounge. He shamelessly enjoyed the way her hips swayed and her ass moved under the sweet confection she called a dress. Thanked the universe when she found a stool to sit on. Any longer and the stroll would've become damned uncomfortable.

The super-hot woman under the sexy athlete messed with his brain.

He eased onto the stool next to hers. She'd picked a good spot, on the shorter edge of the U-shaped bar, only one vacant seat at the corner edge. Taking his hat off, Van set it on top of the backless chair, then shrugged out of his overcoat.

Eva's lips curved in a smirk. "Bet you're glad to be out of that heavy thing."

Van folded the woolen fabric and tucked it under his hat. "Actually, yeah. It does." He shot her a quick smile. "Probably as good as getting out of those heels will feel."

Eva grimaced. "You're not wrong. Jeez, how do women wear these things all the time?" She stuck her leg out and angled her foot back and forth.

The bartender ambled over, his gaze giving Eva an appreciative once-over. Vin's eyes narrowed and the guy quick-checked his flirtation at the door. Vin blinked. The dude probably thought they were a couple—so not the case—and Vin had no reason to be jealous. Right?

The sharp-dressed tender pulled two glasses off the shelf with a flourish and placed them before Vin and Eva. "Name's Mac. I'll be serving until close." He glanced at the bottle-filled display behind him. "What can I get you two?"

Eva didn't hesitate. "Vodka. Nothing else." She flicked her gaze toward Vin. "You?"

He nodded. "Sounds about right."

Mac snagged a bottle and poured two shots. "Good choice." He left the bottle on the counter. "Let me know if you need anything else." Turning, he moved on down to serve a trio of female competitors.

Eva lifted her glass. "To changing opinions."

Vin laughed, appreciating her humor. "To having them changed." He tapped the edge of her drink and downed the clear, but potent, liquid.

I truly love writing Vin and Eva. They're fun and a little crazy.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Down and Dirty

December 4, 2016

Tis the season! The final month of the year filled with joy, happiness, and insanely crazy schedules. LOL

I'm working on a little something I hope to share throughout the month, with the idea dependent upon how many hours I have left over during the day.

Television this week had the best almost full week crossover in the DC universe. Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow went up against the dominators and came out on top. Pretty great stuff!

The Librarians had a fun episode. I like it when Jenkins and Eve have adventures. The Walking Dead's Tara-centric episode ended up being pretty terrific, too.

Gotham got interesting with the introduction of Selena's mother and Gordon landing in another hot mess. Of course, Barbara and company teaming up with Nygma can only be a good thing.

Agents of SHIELD took a twisty turn having Mac inhabited by the fiery vengeance seeker for a brief period. I'm liking where everything is headed.

For fun, I started what I’m calling my Great Holiday Show Binge Watch. I started out with all the holiday episodes of JAG then dove into the Doctor Who Christmas specials. I'm up to "The End of Time" when David Tennant hands over the TARDIS to Matt Smith. Hoping to finish out the Whoverse episodes and maybe start on NCIS next.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Down and Dirty, a sexy short that should end up being a free companion read for the full-length novel, Follow Me.

Here's the mini-blurb:

The tale behind how a certain pool gets started that put Sloan and Molly in the hot seat. And how Specialist Neve Campbell thought she might have caught them in the act.

And a sneaky peek…

The nearly empty flight deck sounded oddly quiet on third watch. Only the deck chief, Keegan Douglas, and Specialist Neve Carlyle remained, handling some routine maintenance reports and cleaning up. The chief sat on a stool at one of the workstations, catching up on the paperwork. Specialist Carlyle cleaned up around the perimeter of the flight deck with her push broom, every once in a while she'd stop to spray down a workstation and wipe it clean. Neither the Chief nor Neve paid much attention to the two pilots in a darkened corner of the deck where a mangled bird needed extensive repairs.

Finishing up a workstation, Specialist Carlyle took a moment before she started sweeping again. Resting her chin on the handle of the broom, she stared dreamily, her mind flitting back to an earlier incident after the first dog CAP.

Phoenix—Lieutenant Molly Ryan—came in hot and landed hard. The CAG—Captain Sloan MacNeill—read her his riot act. Not that Neve blamed him. The lieutenant pulled a daredevil maneuver against the captain's orders and cut it too close. If the CAG hadn't jumped her shit, the chief would have. The space carrier's planes were his babies and he got very protective—and extremely grouchy—when pilots decided to play rough with them.

Neve stumbled onto the scene on her way back from the mess. If she'd known what would go down, she'd have brought popcorn. Keegan… Chief Douglas… hovered close to the action, which drew Neve's attention right away. The chief rarely stood still on the deck. He preferred a constant state of motion, the better to put out fires with a quick response. Neve stopped and followed his line of sight to the CAG and his top pilot.

Her breath caught in her throat. It usually did when the captain and lieutenant got within five feet of each other. Even when they argued—sometimes a daily occurrence—something, chemistry maybe, oozed back and forth. Sloan and Molly had a history and baggage with each other, but the depth of feeling, always there, defined their friendship. Lieutenant Ryan pushed MacNeill's buttons, but everyone knew she respected him. That helped smooth the way when he took over as CAG.

It really saved the day when Captain MacNeill had to get in the lieutenant's face. Molly often stood toe to toe and argued with him, but she held the key to his acceptance among the other pilots and crew. The fact Molly approved of him meant everyone else did. And the current turmoil made it vitally important. The pilots were the front line defense, protecting the fleet and providing safe passage. Neve wouldn't hesitate to admit she appreciated having them around. Being on the run and having them as backup made her take extra special care with her duties. Even something as mundane as cleaning up the flight deck.

Neve worked her way around the hangar and edged closer to the bent plane, but she hadn't made it far enough to see who lingered there. Besides, the darkened corner could wait a few minutes for the swipe of her broom. Maybe she'd get lucky and they'd leave before she reached it. She hoped none of the nuggets decided to try the chief’s patience by sneaking in a quickie on the flight deck.

It would not go over well. Just last week he'd caught two newbie crewmen all hot and heavy in one of the transports. Her ears still rang from the scathing lecture he'd delivered. Neve wondered if maybe he'd been listening to the CAG and picking up pointers. Captain MacNeill blasted Lieutenant Ryan not long ago for disobeying a direct order. Neve would totally deny it, but watching them go a round always made her a little hot under the collar.

And why wouldn't it? The air between the captain and lieutenant literally crackled. Neve took a moment, letting the scene play out in her head.

Sorry, but I'm stopping here. Stay tuned for the free download when and if I finally get Follow Me polished up and ready to go.

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

ML Skye