Sunday Snippet: Domino Effect

May is shaping up to be a weird month. I'm feeling kind of rushed but at the same time like I'm bogged down in mud. I think that's a sign that big change is coming and I'm not always as go with the flow as I'd like to be. We'll see what the summer brings.

Work projects are in a good place. I finished up a proofread and only have a few random changes to check. Also moved a copy edit off my plate. I'm continuing work on a design proofread and started a manuscript proofread over the weekend. I have a client call this week on a memoir and a developmental edit I'm returning to after a bit of a break. All in all, shaping up to be a busy week.

Hoping to put in some work on my sorely neglected website to get things moving on one of the side hustles I've been working on for a long time. I'm putting this in writing as a motivator!

Had a really good viewing week. I got through my full slate of shows and got one of my back-burner ones in also.

Started out with finishing up Foyle's War and thoroughly enjoyed the episode. I'm not sure I actually got to see this one during my original run through.

Also caught another episode of Brokenwood Mysteries. Ended up really enjoying this one also. Very fun to see some previous characters return.

Watched an episode of Silent Witness and I love that Jack is considering teaching. That could end up being fun to watch. Also love his interactions with Kat.

Enjoyed an episode of Poirot. Poor Hastings has had a run of bad luck with his investments. Very fun to see Poirot not enjoy his health retreat until the mystery starts.

Elementary had another great episode. Season five has been very enjoyable with the cast gelling in a great way. Loved the guy getting his comeuppance because he couldn't resist leaving the country for a hockey match.

Watched another episode of Young Justice and I ended up really enjoying how the team worked together even while completely blowing their original mission.

Caught the season four premier of Star Trek: Lower Decks and enjoyed every moment. Fun to see the growth of the characters and also fun to see so many callbacks to other Trek shows.

Hit an episode of Peak Practice and enjoyed it. Really felt for Alex and Carrie. And I also really loved Will changing his mind about the case with the sisters. Then again, if he'd listened to Alex in the first place he wouldn't have had to.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Domino Effect, a novella that pulls a couple together after splitting them apart by circumstances.

Here's the miniblurb:

Every action Frank and Katya take pushes a reaction out of the other. And like dominos, one barrier crashes into the next until nothing is left but a tangle of emotions they have to deal with.

And a sneaky peek…

"Geez, what the hell possessed me to leave everything I knew behind?"

Following her head, instead of her heart. Katya hoped she didn't live to regret it.

Hell, she hoped she survived, period.

Less than ten hours back on the stupid planet she used to call home and she'd started to wonder if she'd taken on a fool's mission.

Less angry and more rational, Katya now had the gift of hindsight. "The president completely manipulated things to get me on board." Right … not that it took much.

Katya's issues with impulse control weren't exactly a secret. Nor were her problems with her father, the admiral. The president certainly used both to her advantage.

And currently, Katya had time to ponder the fallout when she returned. "Might be better off sticking around and not going back." Then again, her former home didn't exactly offer welcoming conditions.

At least she had the cover of a murky darkness. "If only I knew where to go." She hadn't been around this area for over two decades and only had fuzzy memories of a single school field trip to act as a guide.

Creeping close to one of the walkways, she crouched down and scoped out the location. She could stay here under the outcropping of concrete and wait for first light. She didn't want to draw too much attention trying to figure out which relic site she needed access to.

Settling against a large, round pillar, she heaved a sigh. "Why did I agree to do this insane op again?" Aside from the smoothly put request from the president?

Frank. Right.

Friend. Foe. Adversary.

Love of my life.

But she'd never be the love of his. Royally screwed up any chance of that. Which had kinda been the goal … until she realized just how much she truly wanted him.

She could've had him. Reached right out and grabbed hold, but she let him slip through her fingers.

Why, why, why did she always push him beyond the limit? And why, oh good stars above, why had she fallen into bed with Banacek?

She snorted. "Too much booze and fantasizing about Frank."

The man terrified her. Not in a physical kind of way. But in the she could get so wrapped up in him she'd lose herself kind of deal.

She'd already started to get lost, caught up in the wait and wonder, when she took the wrong turn. Not seeing or talking to Frank for two full days had her completely on edge and convinced he regretted the incredible night they spent together. He'd had time to think it through and decided they made a mistake. Why else would he disappear on her?

She'd talked herself into believing the worst, something she excelled at, and chose to drown her disappointment with some very good scotch. A buttload of shots later, Rich Banecek made a move and she let him. Didn't matter that she woke up completely skeeved out, the deed done and over with.

And Banecek wasted zero time sharing the information.

Took Frank less than a day to hear about it and track her down. And holy hell, pissed off didn't describe his state of mind. He'd grabbed her arm, dragged her to a storage locker and let loose.

Gave her a verbal tongue lashing to put his physical one to shame. She listened, let him vent, each punctuated word slicing deep. He always wielded words with surgical precision.

When he finally finished spewing venom, she turned and faced him. "We had one night together. You didn't say anything about making it more. You said we'd talk about it later." She lifted a brow. "Later came and went, Frank. Where the hell were you?"

His jaw dropped. "Wait. Let me get this straight. I don't make an immediate declaration, so you screw the next available guy?" He shook his head.

Katya shrugged. "Believe what you want. That's not how it happened." Although it sure looked that way.

Frank crossed his arms across his chest. "How did it happen, Katya? Exactly."

She turned away again. "Look. I haven't seen you for four days. I assumed you convinced yourself we'd made a mistake." Or remembered his stupid rule about not screwing the admiral's daughter.

Frank nearly choked on his words. "I've been a little busy."

And yean, she knew that. If he didn't get pulled into a meeting with command, he got tapped to sit in with government.

He made a frustrated sound and whirled away from her. "You can't wait longer than ninety-six hours to see where things go?" His voice rose and he paced around, trying to keep his anger in check.

She said nothing. What could she say? No way in hell would she admit she'd been drunk off her ass because she hadn't seen or heard from him. Or that she'd screwed the first hot guy she'd found to drive him from her mind.

Frank's already low opinion would be worse.

He spun around and faced her. "I can't win with you. You did say you don't want some man to stake a claim, right?" He didn't wait for an answer. "What you really mean is you don't want anything more than a quick fuck." He leveled his gaze on her. "Guess I ruined that one for you, too." He shot her a disgusted look and walked out.

Katya flinched when the hatch slammed closed. Ouch. That last comment hurt. Because they'd done the wham-bam-this-sex-had-to-happen-now thing the first time. They couldn't help it; they were so hot for each other. But that coupling only took the edge off. The rest of the night etched itself so far inside Katya's brain, she'd never forget it, in fact, she'd put it on autoplay to relive every moment. She wanted to remember the incredible sex. Didn't want to ever forget the connection, regardless of what Frank thought.

She shook her head. Half a galaxy away and he still took up space in her brain. She couldn’t stop thinking about him and the too brief interlude before she'd left. She continued to replay every conversation. But the one on constant rewind would have to be when Frank nailed her to the wall and cut her open. He tore through her bravado and laid to waste her carefully constructed façade.

But he didn't know it. She had too much pride to tell him, to admit her mistake or own the truth of his words.

Because Frank threw everything she'd ever said back in her face. And he'd had every right. She'd fucked up any chance they might have had … because she hadn't believed he could really, truly want her.

But she'd been wrong. So, so wrong. Now she had to survive and make her way back to him. Even if he hated her.

Hunching down, she draped her flight jacket over her chest. "I'm a glutton for punishment, but maybe there's a chance we figure this shit out." Hopefully, he'd understand why she left.

If not, well, she'd find the patience she needed to change his mind. She would do whatever it took to make him see the reasons. And … she would get them back on track or die trying.

Kind of a long snippet this week. I love Katya's internal monologue here.

 

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

ML Skye