Sunday Snippet: Strategic Wagers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That's pretty much it for this week's life update. Tonight's post is from Strategic Wagers, a sexy short that brings a couple together over a series of bets.

Here's the miniblurb:

Onyx West and Lev Thorogood, friends and fellow crewmates, have the best kind of friendly rivalry. But when Onyx decides she can best Lev at a game of strategy, something he rarely loses, she pulls out all the stops to win.

And a sneaky peek…

"Dialing it back and taking some time. A novel concept." Onyx flopped back on her rack and swung her legs inside the berth. "And one I've got almost zero experience with." She pulled the curtain so she could focus on her thoughts.

Onyx didn't quite know what to make of Lev Thorogood. He had all the right moves. Great pilot. Incredible physique. Strong in the brains department.

And he appeared to have a solid interest in her. The last bit completely threw her. She had crap-all luck with guys. Her winning streaks only lasted at the card table. Men never took the time to figure her out.

She rolled over onto her stomach and pushed the pillow under her chin. "Instead, guys go for the fast lay and hot sex." She could live with that … hell, she obliged them more often than not.

But why didn't they ever try for more? Just because she didn't dump her life story out or put her personal life on display didn't mean she had no worth.

Some day she'd meet someone who'd want to listen and take the time to get to know her. The real her. Not the one hidden behind bravado. Onyx kept people at arm's length until she thought they could be trusted. It didn't always work to her advantage. She got labeled with tags like bitch and ball buster on a regular basis.

The thing about Lev… "He doesn't get pissed when I play counterpoint to his point." Nope … he'd study her for a few moments then ask why.

Or … if it happened to be a hot-button topic, he'd walk away until they had time to speak with cooler heads. She respected the hell out of him for that.

She sighed. "But he never makes a move." Sexual tension pinged back and forth between them, but he kept his hands to himself.

Onyx snorted. "I can't decide if it pleases or insults me." She leaned toward pleased.

But how long would her patience last? She'd have to wait and see when it went up against slow progress and taking some time. But maybe … the dialing it back thing would be worth the wait. She wanted someone to take an interest in her … and Lev certainly seemed to be willing to dig deeper instead of only scratching the surface.

The funny part? The one thing she didn't plan on when she found a guy who might put some effort into knowing her? Her being the one that wanted to move things along at a faster pace.

I'm having a lot of fun with this one. Onyx and Lev are well-matched but very different.

 

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

ML Skye