Sunday Snippet: Pushing Buttons

The school year is officially over and now the summer fun begins. My daughter leaves for Disney next week to perform with the band and choir at the theme park. She's been organized and semi-packed for almost a full week already. I have no idea where she got that gene… it definitely didn't come from me.

Not a bad week for television. I caught another episode of Endeavor, which I thoroughly enjoy. Ended up with two episodes of Midsomer Murders. I'm winding down the last series or so of John Nettles's tenure.

Caught two episodes of Constantine. Again, I'm enjoying the high levels of quality snark bandied about by John. And I like how his inner demons weigh even heavier than the actual demons he has to thwart. Truly excellent fare.

Getting closer to the season finale of Gotham. Jerome's brand of crazy reaching out beyond the grave to completely encompass Jeremiah is great entertainment. And I truly do love how the other evolving villains continue to percolate their plans behind the scenes.

Chicago Fire and Blindspot are still holding my interest. I am still a little iffy on the whole Roman plan, but I'm invested enough that I want to find out what his actual master plan is.

Caught a few more episodes of Classic Who and should finish up the Dalek storyline soon. Also caught the second episode of Sense 8 and I'm pretty much hooked. I definitely want to find out what the hell is going on with this group.

The Flash season finale ended up being better than I hoped. That said, there could have been about five fewer episodes in this season and the story would have unfolded better. Riverdale threw a blindside or two into their finale and I'm there for whatever happens next. Hopefully it'll be Hiram's head on a pike parading through town. Just saying.

Krypton continues to make me happy. I kind of enjoy the intrigue and seeing how the alliances are constantly shifting because the ground keeps fluctuating under everyone's feet. Very interested in seeing where next season goes… if there is a next season.

Part one of Ghost Squad's season finale ended up being pretty terrific. I do wish there was more information on how the big boss lady gets her cases. I'll honestly not be surprised if she isn't as dirty as the cops she's trying to bring down. We'll see how that plays out.

Started a new to me show on the Roku Channel app. Archangel, I think, originally aired as TV movie, but it's billed as a three episode season. The first show ended up being pretty terrific. I also caught another episode of The Sarah Conner Chronicles on Crackle.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Pushing Buttons, a novella that started with a two-word prompt of "I see".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Chet Vondallson hates complications—integrating two crews when a space cruiser goes down sits at the bottom of his list of fun things to do. Parson Browd, one of Chet's top pilots—and his lover—likes to push his buttons and get a reaction, something Chet knows but finds hard to resist.

And a sneaky peek…

Parson came off her patrol flight caught between dread—she hadn't quite worked off the urge to punch Cyrus in the face—and excitement—her active imagination came up with lots of kinky ideas for Chet. Thankfully, Stingray didn't make an appearance on the hangar deck or in any of the corridors leading to quarters a deck below. A long, hot shower would definitely improve her mood.

Entering the head, she stripped off her flight suit and tossed it into the laundry bin. Yanking her locker open, she grabbed her shower kit and a fluffy towel then made her way to the stalls. She adjusted the water temperature until it got steamy then stepped under the hot spray.

Oddly, she didn't have any competition for space. "Kinda nice to have the whole place to myself." Only one thing would make the shower better.

Chet.

A low whistled tune greeted her ears over the downpour of water. She turned around in time to catch the man himself strolling in her direction. His erection jutted out, ready for action.

Parson tossed the washcloth, which Chet caught with ease.

He crowded into the stall, reaching for the military-issue soap. "Shall I scrub your back?" He lathered up the terrycloth and waggled his eyebrows.

Parson hummed a response. "Rather you start with the front." She backed under the water, letting it sluice over her body.

Chet flashed a sly grin. "Your wish and all that…" He drew the washcloth over her shoulder and along her collarbone, letting the suds trail down to her belly and below.

Parson sighed, basking in bliss. "If you're granting wishes, you could be really nice and let me—"

Chet cut her off. "Nope. You're not going after Stingray." He worked his way over to her other shoulder and dropped the cloth to the tiled floor. "He's going to have to follow the chain of command and make his complaint." His palms smoothed over her skin, dipping down to cup her breasts.

Yeah, okay. Cyrus had no place in the shower with them. Frank could handle his bitchy officer on his own.

She met Chet's gaze and fisted his erection. "Right. Shutting up now." She tugged him closer, bracing her shoulders on the cool tile behind her.

Chet's head lowered, his mouth hovering over hers. "Good. Your mouth is better used in other ways." His lips caught hers in a kiss rivaling the hot water in temperature.

Parson shoved everything else out of her mind. Lucky for Chet, one of the kinky fantasies she conjured involved steamy sex in the shower.

Parson and Chet will have some fun pushing each other's buttons and Cyrus will unwittingly help along the way.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Promise to Keep

A great week with a busy schedule. The end of the school year is always jammed up with concerts, graduation parties, and last-minute final projects. Never boring.

Good week in television. Watched a little more Classic Who with The Daleks: The Dead Planet and The Survivors. Also caught another episode of Midsomer Murders. Watched the second episode of Constantine and, honestly, I'm enjoying the show. Definitely a good thing to get a better feel for the character since he'll be on Legends this fall.

Gotham continues to be a super-great pleasure to watch. I'm almost caught up and can't wait to see how this season ends. I'm a little on the fence about R'as, but we'll see what happens.

Watched Chicago Fire and Chicago PD. I'm still loving Chicago Fire. Chicago PD not so much. The whole Woods going after Hank thing is too contrived and using one of Hank's people as a mole has been done. Also, the never heard of before sister is too damned convenient. Right now… I'm done. I'll catch up on marathons later. Blindspot, however, is holding my interest. Even if I'm kind of "meh" on Roman being the new instigator, I love the team's new interactions.

The Flash is almost over for the season and I'm ready. DeVoe is becoming my least favorite villain of all time. I'm ready for them to move on and get someone new to be the bad guy. In contrast, Arrow's season finale ended up being one of my favorite episodes. I'm a little bummed Diaz got away. Seriously, I wanted him to either die in a fire or end up behind bars.

Started a new-to-me show on Netflix with Sense8. I'd started this a long time ago and finally finished watching the first episode. I'm now hooked and can't wait to follow the series. I also caught the next to last episode of Riverdale's second season. The reveal of the Black Hood was incredible. Cheryl and Betty teaming up made me happy. I'm ready for Hiram to get what's coming to him in a big way. I'm curious about who the hell attacked Archie and Fred and having a sneaking suspicion Hiram's dirty handprints will be all over that deal. FP carrying Jughead broke my heart. I'm so ready to watch the finale now!!

Caught another episode of Krypton and, holy hell, the maneuvering and shifting allegiances is kind of fun to watch. I'm excited to see how the rest of the season goes.

Started The Batman season three and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Also caught another episode of Ghost Squad and still enjoy how fine a line Amy has to walk to get to the truth of corruption. Her interaction with Pete is also a lot of fun to watch. On tap for today is another episode of Endeavor and probably some additional Classic Who.

Whew! That wraps up television for this week. Tonight's post is from Promise to Keep, a novella that might not end up seeing the light of day. The ending isn't altogether happy.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Two elite marines try to forge a relationship during a time of war. But when a worse than usual dangerous situation ups the ante, a promise is made and must be kept, regardless of the personal toll. After all, the marine motto is anytime, anyplace, always ready.

And a sneaky peek…

A laid-up Makepeace hated the fact Doc Certifiable decided to keep him overnight for observation.

Hell… not first time he’d been shot. Probably wouldn’t be the last, either.

He had a wounded leg! Not like the bullet hit vital organs or anything. Stupid fucking doctors, ordering a marine to bedrest, dammit. A marine. The proud. The strong. The kick-ass elite.

Mathison nodded briskly toward Illiana when the medic exited the alcove assigned to Daniel Makepeace. Jillian waited until Layne rounded the corner then pulled the curtain around for privacy—a bit of a risk… but she thought it worth the trouble.

She’d want a fellow grunt to do the same for her. Nobody liked being out of commission.

Checking the closure of the curtain, Mathison turned to meet the hopeful gaze of Makepeace. She almost laughed, but stopped herself, not wanting to draw any undue attention from the staff.

Nodding his head, he greeted his visitor. “Gunny.” He quirked a brow, probably hoping his counterpart didn't just come to wish him well.

Mathison rolled her eyes at his inside joke. Because their ranks were the same he’d started referring to her as "Gunny" whenever he bumped into her on their downtime until it developed into a kind of "thing" with them. Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Makepeace might be from Pegasus and might be typically rough and ready but he had a wicked sense of humor. And Mathison liked that in a man… this one in particular.

Not missing a beat, she followed with her usual response. “Gunny.” Glancing around to make sure they were well and truly alone, she pulled out the bottle of home brew she’d stashed in her fatigues.

With a smirk, she held it up, shaking it a little to show the jar was full. “Thought maybe you could use a drink.” Placing the container on the bedside table, she carefully unscrewed the lid.

Groaning in appreciation, Makepeace's head hit the propped up pillow. “Thank the gods.” He licked his lips before grinning ruefully. “R & R sure went to shit.” Now that was an understatement… he’d lost men… but at least he’d pulled Carnage's ass out of the fire. As a pilot, her skill went unmatched. As a ranking officer in an unforeseen hostage situation, well, not really her fault things didn't go to plan.

Mathison smiled sadly. Marines were never really "off duty" as the situation on the Mary Jarvis proved.

And they’d lost enough people. She’d bet her next pay grade that clawed at him more than the leg did.

Shooting a glance his way, she commiserated. “Yeah. Heard that.” Sliding the bottle in front of him, she watched him swallow at least five times before stopping. Her kind of man.

It took a second to recover from the liquid burn in his throat, but as soon as he could speak, he rasped. “Much appreciated.” Handing the jar over, he grinned when she raised it in mock toast then knocked back a healthy portion herself. His kind of woman? She hoped so.

Nodding at the chair beside the bed, Makepeace asked, “Keep a guy company?” He looked like he'd love to get to know her better. And maybe he hated to drink alone.

Jillian pondered the invite for all of two seconds. What the hell? She didn’t have any place she had to be.

Winking, she decided to run with it. Turning the chair around, she dropped down on it and leaned her arms on the backrest. “Thought you’d never ask.”

A weird place to advance a friendship into something deeper, but she could roll with the idea.

The dynamic between Dan and Jillian is fun to write. I like these characters so much.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Powering Down

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Whether you have offspring, fur babies, or play a surrogate parent role for someone, you're awesome!

My weekly television roundup is kind of jammed with goodness. I caught two episodes of Krypton and I'm completely sold on this show. I'm hoping it gets another season.

Also caught two episodes of Endeavor. Finished up the first series and started the second. I rather enjoy this show and really like the actor in the lead role of Endeavor Morse.

My DVDs this week were movies. Blackhat and Red Dawn. I didn't finish Red Dawn but I'll catch it at another time. For me, the original Red Dawn is going to be hard to top.

Finished up the first arc of Classic Who with "An Unearthly Child". I also started "The Daleks" and watched about half of the first episode. Over on CW Seed, I started the live action version of Constantine and enjoyed the first episode. I'm hoping to get through the whole season before new episodes of Legends of Tomorrow begin.

I still love Gotham. The totally batshit craziness brings me a ton of joy with each episode. I'm so happy this show truly found its footing and delivers great viewing with each new week.

Also caught some additional season six episodes of Chicago Fire and another from season five of Chicago PD. I'm a little miffed they're making a mole of one of my fave characters but I'll see how it all plays out. I truly hate Woods though. Just saying.

Arrow and The Flash both had great episodes. I like seeing the two couples work through their roadblocks. That said, I honestly can't wait to see both villains go down. I'm pretty much done with being patient.

Riverdale brought more crazy and I'm still an episode behind. I do like how much tension simmers below the surface and how quickly alliances have to be made and discarded. Kudos to Mark Consuelos. He makes me totally hate Hiram. I also have a small suspicion about who fired the shots at the mayoral debate but I'll refrain from saying… in case I'm completely off my guess. LOL

I got another episode of Blindspot in and, well, I'm trying to figure out Roman's goal. I really don't want him to be another Shepherd so here's hoping that's not the direction they're going in.

Quick mention for Ghost Squad. Caught two more episodes and seriously enjoy the hell out of this show. The emotional toll is interesting to watch and the slow erosion of trust in anything also packs a punch. Great stuff.

Brief shout out for The Sarah Conner Chronicles. Rewatched the pilot episode and, damn, I forgot how awesome that was.

Last but not least… some thoughts on Jessica Jones. I finished the second season and honestly hate Trish with the passion of a thousand burning suns. I have no idea where they'll take her if the show has a third season, but off a tall building in Manhattan wouldn't bother me one damn bit. If they can redeem her, I'd be on board, but I'm honestly not all that interested in seeing a redemption arc for her. I hate her that much right now. I do hope Malcolm and Jessica end up back on good terms and I was happy to see Jessica stop by to see Oscar and the kid. I'd welcome a third season if we get one.

And that's it for my jam-packed week in television. Tonight's post is from Powering Down, a sexy short that started with a writing community prompt of write a story set after an enemy attack where the ship starts randomly losing power and your main characters get trapped in a dark room… alone. I jumped on this one. LOL

Here's the mini-blurb:

A little enforced downtime leads to a small power struggle between Nicia Bowen and Jett Vanatta. Nicia isn't thrilled when Jett picks someone else to be his second in command, but once Jett explains his reason—they're too close—she can't argue the point. Instead she decides to accept his excuse and get even more personally involved.

And a sneaky peek…

Oh, holy shit. Jett's kisses should be marked as hazardous to my sanity.

Nicia moaned low in her throat. Jett's tongue slid past her lower lip and interrupted her brain's ability to do more than respond to the wicked things his mouth did to hers. Her hands worked his shirt up, her fingers grazing over his spine. Jett inched his thumbs under her tank top and stroked the skin along her ribs. Nicia shuddered and a ball of need settled low in her belly.

She eased away from him, tugging his t-shirt up and over his head. Holding his gaze, she did the same with hers. His eyes flared and darkened with purpose. Reaching out, he dipped his fingers under her waistband and, when she didn't resist, he slipped the workout pants down past her hips. Nicia gave a quick shake and the garment fell to the floor. She stepped out of the pile and moved toward Jett, but he backed away with a jerk of his head.

She paused and arched an eyebrow. "Second thoughts?" She'd scream if he did.

He snorted. "Hell, no." He shoved his pants down and kicked them to the side. "But if you get anywhere near my dick right now, I can't guarantee the outcome." For emphasis, he pointed to his hard length, jutting outward from his groin.

Nicia's lips curved with satisfaction. "Point made." She sauntered forward. "That said… we've been dancing around this for so long, I'm thinking slow is out of the question." Holding his gaze, she draped her arms over his shoulders. "And I'm perfectly okay with that." Fast, hard, and awesome sounded pretty damn good at the moment.

Jett grasped her hips and slid his hands down to cup her ass. "Good to know." He urged her to wrap her legs around his waist, his cock wedged between them.

Carrying her to the closest flat surface—a weight bench in the corner—he sat down with her straddling his thighs. Oh… oh, oh, oh, the hard length of his shaft belonged at the apex of her legs. The exquisite hardness nudged at her clit and craved the feel of Jett being buried deep inside her.

His hands dropped to her waist, lifting her up and over his erection. She braced her palms on his shoulder and waited for him to meet her gaze before she began a sexy, slow descent. Yeah, she wanted hard and fast, but couldn't resist savoring each inch sinking between her folds until fully seated.

She hummed low in her throat. "Ahhh, Jett. You're a perfect fit." Not too big, but filling her completely.

Jett huffed out a breath. "Understatement, Neece." He cupped her ass, urging her to rock her hips.

She complied, planting her knees on the cushioned surface for leverage. Jett's lips ghosted over the column of her throat and she picked up the pace a little. The raspy sounds coming from her were almost foreign. She rarely got turned on the point of being breathless.

But Jett excited, thrilled, and challenged Nicia. The sting of not being made second in command soothed by the promise of something much more rewarding. Even if they couldn't go public and risk their careers, they'd have a damn good time digging into a relationship as more than friends.

More than friends.

The idea caught fire and pushed her closer to the edge.

She rocked harder, trying to bring Jett along for the ride. "I'm close, Jett. Come with me?" Her internal muscles tightened around his cock, a sure sign of her approaching orgasm.

Jett grasped her thighs, meeting her motion with an upward flex of his hips. "Oh, Neecy, I'm there. Let go and come for me." He slid his hands up, his thumbs working over her clit.

Nicia shattered, the wave of bliss washing over her with intensity. She gasped out a breath and moaned her release.

Jett hummed with satisfaction. "That's it. Ah… yeah." His eyes closed and he groaned. "I'm right… right behind you." His ass lifted off the bench and he shuddered beneath her, his torso rippling when he came.

He stilled, a happy smile ghosting across his face. Nicia collapsed against him, her head tucked under his chin. She'd crossed a lot of lines, made a habit of bucking the military machine… but never with a higher risk than sex with Jett and never with such spectacular results.

His arms came around her and he brushed his lips over her temple. "I can safely say being with you surpassed any and all expectations I might have had." His fingertips traced circles on her back.

Nicia smiled and snuggled closer. "Totally agree." She eased away from him to meet his gaze. "We'll be doing this again, right?" Her voice stayed steady even if a lot rode on his answer.

Jett's lips quirked in a half-smile. "I think we'd better… just make sure this isn't a fluke."

Nicia laughed. She feared an awkward vibe might develop, but with Jett cracking a joke, they'd be just fine.

And not losing him mattered more than it should.

I'm excited to finish this one up and hopefully feature it soon.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Power Play

Hello, May! I'm having a momentary freak-out because we're a month away from June, which means half the year is almost gone. Seriously, time goes fast sometimes. Jeez.

Busy week for television. I caught the third episode of Krypton and, yeah, I'm hooked. I love this show. Also caught another episode of Ghost Squad and enjoyed it more than the second one. Started watching episodes of Classic Who too. My Roku is working overtime right now. LOL

Tuesday's viewing included Endeavor, more Classic Who, Midsomer Murders, and the CW Seed original Freedom Fighters: The Ray, A Hero Rises. I also caught up on an episode of Gotham and seriously… I've said it before but season four is kicking so much ass. This show is rising on my list of favorites and entering the top tier. It's awesome.

Wednesday ended up being a little light on viewing. I caught The Flash a little late because I missed it Tuesday. Not a bad episode. That said, I kind of don't care at all about how DeVoe arrived at his batshit crazy decision to "enlighten" the rest of the world. Thankfully there aren't many more episodes to get through. Just saying. Also caught an episode of Chicago Fire and Jessica Jones. At this point, I'm totally done with Trish. Season three will have a long way to go if they want me to ever like that character again.

On Thursday, I caught Arrow in real time and ended up loving the episode. The twisty turns were terrific and I'm truly thrilled Oliver and Rene arrived at a better place. Watched two episodes of Blindspot and almost finished the second season.

Friday included the last episode of Blindspot's second season and an episode of Chicago PD. I'm so excited to start season three of Blindspot and can't wait to see what happened to get Jane in Nepal and covered in bioluminescent tattoos.

Saturday's viewing included the first episode of Blindspot's season three. Getting the team back together with a completely new dynamic is great. I'm very interested in what the hell Roman is doing. I also caught episode twelve of Jessica Jones. No, I haven't changed my mind about Trish. I'm still really pissed off at her. I did rather like the intimate takedown Jeri pulled. That was actually kind of brilliant. Finally, I started to get caught up on Riverdale.

Whew. What a week! Tonight's post is from Power Play, a novella featuring an over-the-top admiral who ends up bringing the main characters together with her machinations to keep them apart.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Hailey March, a dedicated officer, receives a plum assignment she's wanted for a long time. But when she has to give orders to Rab McKee, she must ignore their long friendship, which is impossible because she needs him on her side.

And a sneaky peek…

Hailey didn't tell him anything he didn't already know or hadn't dealt with before. Didn't stop him from feeling like she'd gone over to the enemy, which might be stupid, but he'd feel like she had anyway. He'd thought they were working toward something but her abrupt change in attitude had his head spinning.

He couldn't let her off the hook. "Life's rough, huh?" If she didn't start coughing up some logical reasoning soon, he'd be done. As far as he was concerned she was on her own.

Oh… he pushed his luck. Rab would get on board one way or another. She wanted him on her team dammit.

Standing up, Hailey faced him across the table. "Look. Kidwell was rough on you. I get that." He only flicked a glance at her like she completely missed the point and Hailey realized what the problem was. "I'm not Kidwell, Rab. I can't do this alone."

Rab crossed his arms in front of him. "Really? Since when?"

He said it sarcastically but really wanted to know the answer. This might just be the Hailey he knew.

She didn't hesitate when she answered. She leaned forward, inches away from his face. "Since I came back home."

And it was true. Since coming back from the Caprice, even with the bumpy start, she realized she didn't need to do it all… alone.

Those words changed everything for Rab. Holding her gaze, he saw the honesty in her eyes. She had come home… to him. And ever since, the bond between them had grown, become stronger and solidified into… something… more than friendship.

He reacted to her admission by closing the gap between them. "Why didn't you say so?" Then his lips caught hers in a tentative kiss that quickly turned heated when Hailey fisted her hand in his shirt, pulling him deeper into the embrace.

This one is getting a little unwieldy. That said, I love writing Hailey and Rab. Just need to keep them focused and not let them get lost in a ton of backstory. LOL

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

ML Skye