Sunday Snippet: Ties Don't Bind

Time to wrap up 2024 and send it on its happy way. For me, it's been a year of ups and downs and sometimes the downs packed a punch. That said, I try to focus on the ups and pull that energy into my realm.

Wild weather, per usual. We had sixty degrees yesterday, so my husband went golfing. He's been down with a nasty cold and wanted / needed the fresh air and exercise. Today it's raining and dreary outside.

Finished up a section of a developmental edit I've been working on. So excited to have it done, because we're almost to the finish line on this story. One more chunk of chapters then a full read through and we'll be ready to go.

A semi-decent week of viewing even with the holiday thrown in this week. I still need to pick a new show to watch on one of my streamers and I finished another show and will need to replace it also.

Started season three of Elementary. I'm not sure how I feel about Harsh Joan or New Watson working with Sherlock. Also feel a bit off by Gregson's backhanded bitchslap to Sherlock. I do love that Sherlock is seeing consequences for his actions, even if they were to preserve his sobriety. Season three could prove to be interesting.

I finished The Batman series and thoroughly enjoyed the rewatch. I feel like there's at least one episode I missed, but maybe I'm remembering a different series.

Caught another episode of Classic Rugrats and didn't remember either of the vignettes. Loved the babies thinking they were helping and the grown-ups getting locked in the playpen.

Enjoyed another episode of Mr. and Mrs. Murder. I think I have two more episodes left in this series. It's a fun show and I'm glad I watched from the beginning.

Finished up the second season of London Kills and I'm excited to start season three. The weaving of the plot lines is something I really like about this series. Looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Caught another episode of Death in Paradise. Really interested to see what happens with JP. I love his character and I'll be sad to see him go, if he does.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Ties Don't Bind, a sexy short that brings a couple back together after big life changes.

Here's the miniblurb:

Gemma Neal, a soldier, shares a past with Tripp Macintosh and wants to reconnect with her former friend and lover. But when Tripp gets elected to a parliament position, trading fatigues for a suit and tie, she's not sure how to proceed … a foreign concept for the take-charge lieutenant.

And a sneaky peek…

Gemma smiled. Catching Tripp off guard happened to be one of her favorite pastimes. With their separate locations, she couldn’t indulge as often as she'd like anymore.

She gave him a questioning glance. "What's it look like I'm doing, Tripp?" Her fingers edged along the waistband of her pants then pushed them down so she could step out of them.

Turning, she walked toward the bed wearing nothing but his tie. She glanced back at Tripp, almost laughing at the stunned look on his face.

Sitting on the edge of the mattress, she cocked her head sideways. "You gonna join me or stand there with your mouth hanging open?"

Tripp moved fast. His pants hit the floor, and he crossed the deck in three strides. Lifting her up, he tumbled them both to the soft surface, kissing her on the way down.

His lips, her teeth, and his tongue were used to soothe, nip, and lave, fanning the flames. His hands smoothed over her skin, teasing, stroking, plying her with ease. Her fingers dug into his flesh, grasping, straining, seeking. Limbs entangled, her body fit easily with his, moving in sync like a finely tuned machine.

With her hips raised, she took him in deep and gasped his name. Gah! She'd missed him so much. Moving against her and in her, Tripp moaned in unison to his thrusts. Her head thrashing on the pillow, Gemma let the tension build until she couldn't stand it anymore. Holding his gaze, she licked her lips then raised her head to mesh her mouth with his. Her breasts tingled from the contact with his chest, and it sent her flying over the edge … with Tripp careening right behind her.

Collapsing back into the pillows, she fought to catch her breath. She wondered how it could be possible to feel exhilarated and lethargic at the same time. When Tripp landed with an exhausted thud beside her, a look of sated contentment on his face, she figured it was. Turning, she molded herself to him, hands stroking over his skin, relishing the tactile connection.

His hand came up to cup her head, fingers stroking through her hair. The rapid beat of his heart against her cheek became a soothing balm. Eyes drifting closed, she let the sound lull her into slumber.

I enjoy exploring reunions after breakup and Gemma and Tripp have been fun to write.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Ties Don't Bind

As someone with family and friends who have served or are serving in the military, I'd like to thank all of our service members for their courage, sacrifices, and efforts. Thank you.

It's been a rough week with two difficult manuscripts and the end of daylight savings. Seriously, I've been all out of sorts and my internal clock hasn't caught up yet. LOL

I didn't get a lot of television in this week—see above for why—but I did stay current on usual shows. The Last Ship killed off another of my faves, which means I'm trying to prepare for a high body count in the finale. A box of tissues and alcohol might be involved. Just saying.

Arrow kicked some butt. I'm kind of liking the flash forward stuff, especially because the flashbacks are a thing of the past for the most part. I'll give kudos to Stephen, Emily, and Katie because I think they're doing some stellar work. The rest of the cast is on point also. Riverdale's Midnight Club episode rocked. The more batshit this show gets the more I seem to enjoy it. And it's definitely over the top.

Legends of Tomorrow keeps delivering great episodes. I'm always excited to see who's going to interact with whom. The constantly changing dynamic of the cast is so much fun.

I did catch an episode of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and, honestly, I love this show. It's going to go down as one of my favorite viewing experiences. I also caught an episode of Classic Who and finished up an episode of Midsomer Murders.

That's it on the television front. Tonight's post is from Ties Don't Bind, a sexy short that will hopefully feature in a new magazine that might launch early next year. Fingers crossed.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Gemma Neal, a soldier, shares a past with Tripp Macintosh and wants to reconnect with her former friend and lover. But when Tripp gets elected to a parliament position, trading fatigues for a suit and tie, she's not sure how to proceed… a foreign concept for the take-charge lieutenant.

And a sneaky peek…

Gemma Neal entered Tripp Macintosh's quarters, her mind noting the difference between her ship and his. Privacy ranked as the biggest bonus, but she'd trade it for being able to see him more often. She missed him. More than she thought she would.

"Flying escort is something we used to do together."

Now she flew for him as a newly elected member of parliament.

She never thought he'd leave the unit… or her. Not that she didn't deserve it. She'd told him it would be the only way they'd ever be together. And when he'd left? She'd said she wouldn't be with a man who'd mustered out.

"Geez, I'm such a bitch sometimes."

Of course, Tripp left anyway. He wouldn't be led by his dick.

And damned if she didn't respect the hell out of him for that reason.

Her fingers trailed over the personal belongings he'd taken with him. The items on proud display invoked memories. "Wow, it's like wading through the past." Each piece represented a stage his life. And hers.

They'd spent so many years together.

The honors cords hanging from his mirror—their graduation from the military academy.

The wings sitting on his bureau—the nightmare of flight qualifications and getting their first posts.

A patch from each ship and base, many the same as her collection, took her on a stroll down memory lane of their building friendship and random hookups.

"Man… we had some seriously good times."

She came to a framed photo and picked it up. "Oh, Tripp." Her breath caught in her throat.

The image captured them together, her sitting in a cockpit with Tripp on the ladder, their gazes locked in a shared moment of intimacy. They were always on the same wavelength when it came to flying. Their wires got crossed when it came to the personal stuff.

Okay, mostly hers did. Tripp never waffled back and forth.

She moved on to the desk where his new life spread out in the form of files, notes from the delegation sessions, and his formal representative sash. She'd listened to his rebuttals today. Everything he said made so much sense. As much as she hated to admit it, he belonged in government.

But being there meant leaving her behind.

She shook her head. "No, dumbass, trying to bed him while drunk—after you kicked him aside—is why you're not high on his list right now." Stupid move when she truly wanted to reconnect with him.

She took a chance coming aboard, hoping to get a few minutes with him. Her instinct to turn and leave got trumped by her need to see him. Maybe find a way to forge a new, different relationship.

She snorted. "Right. Because I'm so good with change." But for Tripp, for a potential future, she'd sure as hell put her grown-up panties on.

Oh, Gemma, it's hard to face the past and the future at the same time. LOL I love this little story so much.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippets: Ties Don't Bind

Hi

Not much new in TV this week, so finishing up from last week's new episodes. The Walking Dead is my on the fence show. Some weeks I love it, some weeks I'm very 'meh'. Last week was definitely a 'meh' week, but the new episode tonight is pretty good, but the Governor just doesn't excite me all that much.

Sleepy Hollow continues to make me happy. It's so crazy insane I can't not like it. This week's Arrow and Sons of Anarchy have me ready to get through Monday so I can watch new stuff. J I also quite enjoyed Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. I'm not nearly as disappointed as a lot of fans are, but I'm a long time believer in setting up story arcs for bigger payoffs later.

That's it for this week. Should have some great reactions for my next post.

Tonight's snippet is from Ties Don't Bind, a futuristic, speculative romance featuring longtime friends who finally have a chance to become more.

Here's the tagline:

Gemma Neal, a solider, shares a past with Tripp Macintosh and wants to reconnect with her former friend and lover. But when Tripp gets elected to a parliament position, trading fatigues for a suit and tie, she's not sure how to proceed… a foreign concept for the take charge lieutenant.

And here's a sneaky peek…

Tripp entered his quarters after grabbing a hot shower to find Gemma asleep in the chair by the bed. Dressed in fatigues and—he had to be seeing things—wearing his tie. A quick shake of his head confirmed that she really did have his tie around her neck, with the knot resting against the swell of her breasts.

He crossed the room and securing his towel with one hand, stooped down to wake her up.

"Gemma." He nudged her gently. "Hey… wake up."

She came awake slowly, blinking sleepy eyes open. "Hey, Tripp." Sitting up she glanced around, confused, before she realized she was in his quarters. "Damn… I fell asleep. How long does a shower take anyway?"

Tripp snorted. "Depends on how many times you get stopped on the way there and back." Standing, he crossed the room to open the wardrobe and grab some pants and a shirt. "Being half naked does nothing to slow down the wheels of government."

Quickly dressing, he kept up the flow of conversation. "What's up? You doing okay?" He turned back and snagged some socks out of a drawer. "And what's with the tie?"

Stretching when he asked, Gemma glanced down. "What?" Then she grinned. "Oh, nothing. It was lying on the bed and I wondered what it felt like to have a noose around your neck all the time now." Standing, she crossed over to where Tripp stood. "It's not nearly as restricting as I thought it would be."

His hair still damp and mussed from the shower, she reached up and smoothed it back from his face. "For some reason I assumed wearing it would make me feel all starched and pressed, but it doesn't." Dropping her hands, she loosened the knot and let it fall to below her breasts. "In fact, it makes me feel a little bit wicked." Grabbing the edge of her shirt, she lifted it up over her head, somehow leaving the tie behind when she tossed the garment on the bed.

Tripp's eyes narrowed. He'd wondered why she sought him out, but didn't know what to expect. Stripping her shirt off, typical Gemma, but not typical them. Not lately. Not for a long time. Why would Gemma want to…

He leaned forward, trying to get a look at her eyes. "Gemma… what are you doing?" She didn't look drunk… or anything like that. A relief. The last time she initiated something between them she'd been half off her ass wasted. Always hard to tell with her, too. She rarely acted intoxicated. Never had the telltale signs.

She didn't have any now. In fact…

She looked damn good.

Tripp might actually have thirty minutes of unoccupied time he can spend with Gemma, too. Wonder what they'll get up to. LOL

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

ML Skye