Sunday Snippet: A Thousand Reasons

Greetings!

Another great TV week. The 50^th anniversary of Doctor Who truly made my entire week. Sooooo nice to watch a show I love on BBC America and not get stuck with ninety-seven episodes of some Gordon Ramsay show and/or Top Gear. Don't get me wrong, both shows are okay, I'm just really tired of how often they're on during the day. The BBC has a HUGE library and I used to love watching all the various offerings before the network got overrun with a chef and three car enthusiasts. *sigh*

Anyway, Arrow delivered and provided several off the charts levels of awesome. Seriously, I live for Wednesdays. Let's see, Sons of Anarchy brought some good stuff to the table. Sometimes I think if certain people would shut up and other certain folks would sit down and have an actual conversation, things might go a whole lot easier. I may have a nice, long post on my TV blog—which rarely gets used—once the season is over.

I could go on but since it seems like next week is hiatus for the Turkey Day holiday, I'll save some reactions for that post.

Tonight's snippet is from A Thousand Reasons, a short story about an established couple who have an issue to work out.

Here's the tagline:

Dix Benson wants life to finally settle down after he passes the advocacy exam. But when Willow Gold decides to accept a job flying missions in a very hot zone, he can think of at least a thousand reasons it's a very bad idea. Convincing Willow will be the challenge.

And a sneaky peek…

The new opportunity had Willow excited. Something she really wanted to do. She loved consulting but hated the red tape and endless waiting for parliament to play its political games. She knew how important it had been for him to take a shot at the legal process… knew how much he loved it. Could he really hold her back from something she loved as much?

The question answered itself as the final sputtering gurgles indicated the coffee was finished brewing. Flying was her passion just as the law was now his. Willow needed to get back to what she did best… pull it out of the fire while the iron was still hot.

And he'd be right here waiting every time she came home.

All the frustration, hurt and anger dissolved while he poured two steaming mugs of the freshly brewed liquid. Picking them up, he made his way back up the stairs feeling a little sheepish at how quickly his reaction had pushed them into a full blown argument, complete with flying pillows and a slammed door, which was now cracked open. 

Glancing down the hallway, he noticed the bathroom mirror steamed up from a shower. With a mug in each hand, he used his foot to nudge the door open and swallowed hard. Willow stood making the bed… naked… except for a towel wrapped around her hair. Looking up, she caught the look on his face and straightened, gauging the atmosphere. She didn't say anything… didn't have to… knowing instinctively he wouldn't give her any more grief over her decision.

She moved around the bed, coming to a stop in front of Dix and she smiled as she took one of the mugs, closing her eyes when the aroma hit her. Bringing the cup to her lips, she watched him and blew across the surface before risking a long sip of the fortifying brew. He doubted it would be sexy to anyone else but him, but god, it made him hard. Lips quirking appreciatively, he took a bracing gulp from his own mug letting his eyes close in satisfaction.

When he opened them, Willow's lips were curved wickedly as she placed her mug on the dresser. Doing the same with Dix's, it freed his hands to cup her face… his fingertips working under the edge of the towel loosening it until it fell to the floor. He leaned in to kiss her as she hooked a finger in the waistband of his jeans, tugging him toward the bed, undoing the buttons of his fly on the way. Bumping up against the edge brought her breasts into contact with his chest and she moaned appreciatively, breaking the kiss. Dropping his hands, he helped her push his jeans out of the way. Unable to resist, he snagged her lips again.

Needless to say, a resolution should be coming soon. :D

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Star Chasers

November 17, 2013

Hello!

Gotta say, my television shows are eating my brain lately. I'm dying for Walking Dead tonight even though the Governor makes my skin crawl. I got caught up on Sleepy Hollow and totally love the dynamic of the entire show. Reminds me so much of the X-files. Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. is coming together pretty nicely. I'm enjoying the character dynamics. Sons of Anarchy keeps me on the edge of my seat and I so want to hate Gemma, but can't quite go across the line into loathing territory. But I would love to see her get some kind of comeuppance. We'll see what happens.

Again, Arrow and Tomorrow People had me glued to my screen on Wednesday. Arrow truly gets better each episode. Tomorrow People keeps me guessing and I hope it stays that way. I'm really excited to see where Haven ends up going and how they'll resolve the current storyline. I can't remember if this is the last season or not, but I'm almost hoping it isn't.

And hey, I'm currently enjoying a Firefly marathon on the Science Channel. I have much love for that show.

So… tonight's post. The snippet is from Star Chasers, which might end up becoming a series, but the sages are being giant pains and won't decide how much they're going to give me. Evil little trolls. LOL

Here's the tagline:

Marnie Ritoli, a kick ass mechanic for the premier team in the galaxy, is presented with a dilemma: choose a new mate or leave the Chasers. But Marnie knows Luce Carrington isn't dead, and she won't play second fiddle to anyone, so she does what she's best at and finds a loophole in the league rules, picking Luce's best friend… the person who backs her into a corner in the first place.

And the sneaky peek…

Marnie Ritoli tossed and turned. Her mind filled with images of Luce Carrington, friend, lover, the only man for her. His dark hair pulled back, eyes burning for her, mouth descending to steal a kiss. Not that he ever had to steal them. Marnie craved his lips covering hers, their tongues dueling for dominance until they fought for air.

She could almost feel the firm pressure of his mouth over hers, the way his hand always slid up to cup the back of her head, drawing her in and holding her close. Marnie wanted to taste his lips right now, even asleep, she hungered for them. For him.

Rolling to her side, she curled up against the pillow, a very poor substitute for Luce's powerful, solid frame. She wanted to wrap herself around him and drift off in the warmth of his arms. The fluffy pillow didn't offer the deep, rhythmic breathing that usually soothed her overly tired mind.

Then again, nothing did right now.

The annoying buzz from the bedside phone had her giving up all pretense of trying to sleep. She grabbed the handset and pushed herself upright.

"Yeah." Her voice sounded rough, but after 2 am, who cared?

"It's Win. I know it's late, but we gotta talk." His voice lowered. "Canteen, five minutes."

She didn't respond. Didn't have to. Win had already cut the call.

Rolling out of bed, she twisted her hair back and secured it with two pins. She knew, bone deep, whatever Win wanted to discuss couldn't be good. Dragging on a pair of pants, she buttoned the closure and reached for her vest.

The crew's name emblazoned on the back didn't bring the comfort it usually did, but putting it on gave her a boost of confidence. She hoped the mantle of protection remained after she met with Win. If she lost his support, she'd be out in the cold.

She jammed her feet in her shoes and looked at the empty spot in the bed. God, she missed Luce. He'd been gone way too long.

"Dammit, Luce. Where the hell are you?"

Striding across the room, she yanked the door open and started for the canteen.

Marnie won't enjoy her chat with Win, but she'll buy some time. For what? I can't actually say… spoilers.

LOL

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Spider's Webb (A Furlough 99 Novella)

Howdy!

Well, my week in television ended up being pretty damned awesome. Seriously, the Walking Dead kind of caught me off guard, but gotta give it to Rick. When he steps up, he sorta goes full tilt and gets it done. Not sure how I feel about the parting of ways, but I'm leaning towards it being a good thing.

Thoroughly enjoyed Castle, which is a nice change since I've been kind of 'meh' about this season. I love getting to see Rick and Kate together—that kind of never happens and it pisses me off—but the storylines either underwhelmed or made me scratch my head. Sons of Anarchy continues to rip the scabs off old wounds. I love having my smart Jax back. He's always at his best when he's not reacting to and working through shit like watching his best friend die. Very interested to see what side Tara's actions have him landing on. My hope is he'll stay smart, get the Irish out of the way, deal with the DA, and then let the emotional fallout hit. And good Christ, stay away from Gemma so she can't throw gasoline on the fire. *shakes head*

Arrow and The Tomorrow People just make my Wednesday the best day of the week. I can't say enough about Arrow at the moment, and anything I would say would contain spoilers, so *zips lips*. Haven twisted everything sideways again, but hit on a theory I had from the first episode. I kind of can't wait to see how the new wrinkle plays into the mythology. I have more thinky thoughts, but again… spoilers. LOL

So, that's my week in TV. Maybe I should get to the actual post, right? Tonight's snippet is from Spider's Webb, my next installment for Furlough 99. The story features Spider Smith from Finding Home. Spider is fun to write, but his female counterpart, Hailey is an absolute joy. Her voice is very strong and very insistent. LOL

Here's the tagline:

Spider Smith, techno geek extraordinaire, meets his match when Hailey Webb decides she needs his expertise. When her carefully planned escape from a life of crime goes awry, Spider wants to help, but with his team out on a fool's mission, Spider has to fight the battle on his own.

And a sneaky peek…

Hailey Webb let her fingers fly over the keyboards at a comp station, ignoring the four burly men standing behind her. Haj urged her to speed it up. Mal kept asking if she'd hacked in yet. And Dom informed her she'd better crack the system or their plans were fucked. Well, no shit. Taking the time to answer them would only slow her down.

One man remained silent. And he would be the one she worried about. Lou Bonera, their esteemed leader. An ex-enforcer, he tolerated Hailey for her hacking skills, but considered her expendable. Hell, he pretty much thought her only good for sucking his dick, taking his cock, or catering to his sexual whims. Within twenty minutes of meeting the guy, Hailey started referring to him as 'Boner' in her head. And she set him straight on their first encounter. She would not be his semen receptacle… but she would make him as bleeding rich as he wanted to be.

He didn't appreciate her point of view until she flashed her blade and promised to unman him the next time fell asleep. When she proved she could back up the promise of almost unlimited funds, he'd settled back and kept a watchful and sometimes leering eye on her.

Two years and she'd avoided any kind of physical entanglement with Boner. She found money and goods and hacked security systems to get the team in. They grabbed the bounty and split the profits—her share being considerably less than theirs. She could live with the cut. The men did the dangerous stuff. Hailey had the talent and know how. She also had money stashed in slush accounts all over the galaxy.

Lou finally broke his silence. "Come on, we don't got all day."

Fidgety and impatient never equaled a good combination with the crew she worked for.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm almost there. Give me ninety seconds." She prayed she had the time right. Thirty to finish working through the firewall into the vault control mainframe and sixty to lay the trail of kilobytes she hoped would be found on a timed delay.

Her life might just depend on it.

She'd been a master thief since the age of twelve. But at twenty-five, she'd taken a hard fall when her drop cord failed and she barely made her egress point before the ISP hit the scene. Hailey missed the thrill of getting in and out under the nose of authority, but the close call signaled her retirement—at least from the physical end of stealing. She had to keep her hacking skills current, hence the necessity of working with Bonero's team. She knew it would be dangerous, knew Lou to be ruthless, but lately he'd become sloppy, too. He'd left bodies behind on their last three jobs. Bodies that didn't need to be dead. Hailey always worked an op from the angle of no bloodshed unless absolutely unavoidable. And seriously… with the size of the men she worked with, a gloved fist to the face would render most opponents unconscious long enough for them to escape. Why chance leaving trace DNA? So much smarter to get in and out, leave nothing behind. The first two deaths she wrote off as shit luck of a coincidence. But the last heist… she knew, deep in her gut, Boner murdered one of the guards… simply because he could.

Hailey took it as her cue to get the hell out while she could. And she had a plan… a risky one… but she lived for risk. What she didn't live for? A trail corpses. She could totally do without dead bodies.

She hit the last keystroke, laying her plan into action. She'd picked the next target for the team with great care and deliberation.

Her crew's next stop?

Furlough 99.

Her last chance to get the hell out.

For a great introduction to Spider, please pick up Shyler: Finding Home on Amazon.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Security Risk

Hi!

YAY! Strike Back got a renewal even though it'll be the last season. I can live with one more ten episode run with Stonebridge and Scott. I'm torn between wanting to see them go out with a bang—Butch and Sundance style—and hoping like hell my two heroes find a way to be happy and live long lives. :D

And Arrow… holy crap. I can't even form coherent thoughts about last week's episode yet. Without getting too spoileriffic, I'm usually not keen on recasting a primary character, even if they've had almost zero screen time, but I'm definitely reserving judgment on this one. Mainly because I can't wait to see where they take the character and how they tie her into the DC 'verse. *rubs hands together gleefully*

Haven keeps impressing me and doesn't always do what I expect. If I haven't mentioned it before, I LOVE shows that keep me guessing. J

Anyway, time for the actual post. Tonight's snippet is from Security Risk, a short story where Izzy and Quinn have too much on their plate to act on their slow simmer attraction… or maybe not. LOL

Here's the tagline:

Quinn Kavanaugh and Izzy Nance, military intelligence experts, are tasked with keeping the peace during a planetary summit. But when they act on their attraction for each other, they have to check their feelings at the door or potentially become a security risk.

And a sneaky peek…

Quinn entered the Sit room and found Izzy sleeping away. He wanted to be pissed, but couldn't muster up the energy. Besides, she looked like the girl from their childhood when she slept like that. Head turned sideways on crisscrossed arms. How many times had he and Izaak come home to find her like that at the kitchen table?

She always tried to wait up for Izaak, and rarely managed.

Quinn pushed the nostalgia aside. If he didn't, he'd let Izzy wrap him around her finger and not accomplish what he needed—getting her to back off on Bergda Naimbi.

Quinn nudged her awake. "Hey, Iz. Nap time's over." She jerked and he stepped back in case she came up swinging.

As tired as they were, he wouldn't be surprised.

Izzy yawned and blinked, then gave her head a shake. "That was almost refreshing." She lifted her arms up and stretched out the kinks.

Quinn's lips quirked. Sarcasm meant she'd be ready to go again. A good thing since they had to several details to settle and he figured they'd get the hard one out of the way first.

He dove right in. "What's the deal with recommending the block on Delegate Niambi's wife?" He dropped down on the seat across from Izzy, noting the still tired lines around her eyes.

Izzy frowned. "She threw up a red flag. A great, big, shiny one." Izzy fished through the pile of papers on the table. "See, look at this." She pointed to a highlighted passage on a security report from at least a decade ago. "She got tagged with an extremist group and hauled in for questioning." She leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms, ready to do battle.

Quinn sighed. "Iz, it was at least ten years ago. And that group disbanded not long after the incident in question. Don't you think she might have changed?" He cocked his head from side to side, trying to work out the tension in his neck.

Izzy scoffed. "Not my job to know if she's turned over a new leaf. My job is to find security risks and eliminate them. That's what we do, Quinn."

"Not in this case." Quinn shook his head. "They're married, Iz. We can't block her."

Izzy snorted. "Yes. We can. We have the final say for who gets through the doors."

Quinn argued. "Uh uh. It'll cause too many problems if we ban her."

Izzy got mad. "I don't see how. If we say she can't be here… she can't be here."

Quinn sighed. "Izzy, did you read any of the books I gave you about the cultures we're dealing with?" He rose and crossed to the desk in the corner.

A guilty flush stained her cheeks. "No. I, uh, had other things to read."

Quinn rolled his eyes. "Yeah, like the latest issue of Guts and Guns." He rounded the desk and pulled down a book.

Izzy shrugged. "Yeah, well, I get more out of G&G than the pomp and etiquette stuff."

Quinn snorted and flipped to a page in the middle section of the huge protocol tome. "See, the Neophytes, once married, do not travel without their spouses. It's a cultural thing regarding the importance they put on the sanctity of matrimony."

Izzy flopped back against the cushioned seat. "Shit."

Quinn closed the book and returned it. "Yeah."

She straightened. "But what if she decides to off her dear beloved husband and blame it on another delegate. This would be the perfect opportunity for someone to try that."

Quinn sank down in his own chair. "Jeez. Your brain scares me." But she had him thinking.

She shrugged. "It shouldn't. You taught me most of what I know."

His lips quirked upward. "Not hardly. But you've got a point. We'll need to amp up the detail that covers Delegate Niambi."

~:~

Izzy didn't like his solution, but it would have to do. "Right. Major security risk protected by a lame ass document and protocol." She sighed. "I'll add another full contingent to them." That meant she'd have to pull a team from someone else, but if it kept anything from blowing up in their face, she'd do it.

Reaching forward she dragged a roster out from underneath the pile of papers on the table. "It's gonna be a problem, though." She flipped through the pages looking for a team she could spare. "Everyone is full up on the schedule." Izzy looked up. "If I have to go through this list one more time, I'll go cross-eyed." Her gaze scanned the names anyway.

Not a single unchecked ident slot. She'd have to redo the entire thing.

Throwing the file across the table, Izzy rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "God, my head hurts from this crap."

Quinn's hand grasped her shoulder. "Okay. Come on." He nudged her off the stool and tugged her toward the door. "Let's go for a stroll around the grounds."

Izzy snorted. "You mean the lovely and highly touted gardens that are cultivated by the fake sun?" She wrinkled her nose.

Quinn scowled. "Fake or not, it works. And it takes real water to grow all those plants." He pushed the door open. "And you have to admit, the Quad looks pretty damn good." He lifted a brow and held out his hand. "Coming?"

Izzy sighed. Anything would be better than looking at that stupid schedule.

"Yeah, yeah. Fine." She brushed past him and looked back over her shoulder. "And the Quad may look great, but it's a massive pain in the ass to keep secure."

Quinn shook his head. "Do you ever just enjoy something without thinking about it?" She opened her mouth and he held up his hand. "No. Don't answer. Just turn your brain off for five minutes, okay?" He made a quick turn and led her through the double glass doors. "Please."

Izzy rolled her eyes, but capitulated. "Your wish and all that."

The strangled sound he made could have been laughter or choking at the thought of her actually granting his every wish. She decided to not worry about it. Quinn knew better than to dream the possibility would ever happen.

Oh, Izzy, you'll be so surprised to find out how often Quinn dreams about you. :D

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Questionable Vision

October 27, 2013

Greetings!

Gah! What a week in television. Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D got interesting, Sons of Anarchy kicked several plots up a notch, Arrow continues to WOW me, Haven had a kick ass episode and Walking Dead still amazes and creeps me out all at the same time. J I already miss Strike Back, but hopefully a new season will be announced, if it hasn't been already.

Shifting gears, tonight's post if from Questionable Vision, which oddly ties into the game changing theme of my TV shows this week. Park goes through an experience that has him questioning everything he believes.

Here's the tagline:

Park Danielson doesn't want to fight anymore. Stuck in a warzone, he has one burning question: Why bother sticking around? Darby Young has the answer: He's not allowed to leave.

Here's the sneaky peek…

Park Danielson drifted in space, ensconced in the eject seat from the cockpit of his plane. His vision filled with nothing but a raging battle, silent explosions, and bursts of light—quite a show, watching the death dance unfold and it begged a single question in Park's mind. What was it all for? At one time, he thought he knew… but the events of the past few days were proving him wrong. Or maybe he'd just been living a lie and could only now face the fact. His list of regrets had been safely stored away since the day of the attacks, but they occupied space in the forefront of his mind now.

 Not like he hadn't added a few mistakes recently—he had—but he'd looked at the end of the world as something of a clean slate. A way to hold on to the basic principals of duty, honor, and leadership, forging ahead, while leaving behind things like regrets, recriminations, and failures.

 Witnessing the wanton destruction going on around him made Park realize he couldn't completely excuse himself from anything. He could shove it all to a dark corner and ignore it, but nothing ever went away. It wasn't how things worked.

 With each new flash of battle, an internal war raged within him. As the violence escalated in every direction he could see, Park couldn't hold back the feeling of despair that had been eating at him for days. The disappointment and dissatisfaction closed in on him as he drifted silently in the vast nothingness of space.

 Why?

 The word echoed in his mind, drowning everything else out. Why were they fighting? Why was it okay to assassinate a military officer… on anyone? Why did he agree to follow the order to do so? And why did he think, for however brief a period, that he could make a difference after the attacks? That he could walk away from his old life and begin anew?

 He couldn't.

 He couldn't change the mind of his father or the president. Hadn't even tried, really. And he agreed to follow orders because Darby asked and trusted him to have her back. Neither duty nor honor motivated him into saying yes. Loyalty did. Loyalty to Darby made him agree to do something not only illegal, but morally wrong. He couldn't claim to have never done anything that skirted the moral boundary… God, he had. But it left him with the sad knowledge that they truly fought for…

 Nothing.

 Park couldn't face it anymore… a future of never ending battles with the enemy while humanity slowly destroyed itself. Wouldn't it be better to let it all end? When he discovered the tear in his flight suit, the answer suddenly seemed very simple.

 Stop fighting. Let go. Concede the battle.

 He would die with regrets, about Darby, his father, every past mistake… but he wouldn't regret dying. The feeling of drowning in the macabre spectacle raging around him would soon fade and he'd finally find peace. Quiet for his soul. A place to rest.

 Park let everything go as he breathed his last breath… drifting toward that imagined haven. In his last moment, with the last beat of his heart, he truly accepted his readiness. When fate intervened and brought him back, the shock turned into something deeply profound.

 And he couldn't seem to come to grips with being alive. He felt all wrong—out of place and off kilter. And he didn't want to be there.

 When Darby said they should just be glad they both came back alive… he told her the truth.

 "That's just it, Darby. I didn't want to make it back alive."

~:~

Darby stopped breathing for a moment. "What do you mean… you didn't want to come back?" She couldn't have heard his words right.

The very concept of Park opting out hit her hard. They had so much left to do. So much left to explore. But first, they had to get the hell out of their own way.

Something neither she nor Park had been able to do. Yet. They always seemed to end up on opposite ends of the spectrum and had to build bridges to meet in the middle. If Park stopped meeting her halfway, her world might just crumble.

His gaze slid sideways. "It means what you think it does." He moved his eyes straight ahead again… to stare at the top of the bunk.

Darby got up. She needed to move, to think, to digest. "Wow." She paced back and forth. "I have no idea what to say to that." Her head couldn't process the idea of Park Danielson not being in her life anymore. By choice.

She whirled around. "Actually, I do. What. The hell. Park?" She paced again. "You're serious, aren't you?" She shook with reaction. Wanted to shake him for causing it.

God damn.

So, Park throws Darby for a loop and she doesn't like it one damn bit. :D

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Bucking Convention

October 20, 2013

Hello!

So… one of the things I love about The Walking Dead is how much it blows my mind and creeps me out in equal measure. LOL Seriously, the show has so many little nuances that always suck me in, and yet it tops itself weekly by grossing me out to the point of wanting to heave. :D

Let's see, what else? Strike Back season finale did NOT disappoint. I have one or two teeny quibbles, but I had a huge grin on my face with the final scene, so yeah, direct score for season three (or, well, four, if you count the way I do and consider the first series with Armitage and Lincoln as number one). I honestly hope there's another season to watch and enjoy.

Arrow also ranks right up there on my obsession list. I want to talk and write meta posts about how much I love it. I haven't been so obsessed with a show since the reboot of Battlestar Galactica. Sons of Anarchy comes close, but I sort of avoid the fandom circles for the show.

Anyway, tonight's post is from the follow up to last week's entry for Top Dog Pilots. Bucking Convention takes a look at Max and Maggie six months later.

Here's the tagline:

Max and Maggie survive Hell Week and start a relationship that works. Tragedy strikes Max's wingman and when Maggie shows up as the replacement, she discovers a very different Max. Not a good thing when he lives to fly.

And a sneaky peek…

Captain Maggie Harper blew out a deep breath, flipping the folder in her lap closed. She didn't want to read anymore details about the explosion that took the life of a fellow pilot. One she'd soon replace on the roster.

It sucked to step in when a comrade went down. Worse, when you were personally involved in the fallout.

And it didn't get any more personal for her.

She happened to be replacing Max Cutter's wingman.

Max.

Her heart tripped a little. It could have been Max's ship. The prayer of thanks she sent out might be rude, but so be it. Maggie wouldn't apologize for being happy or relieved Cutter didn't die in a freak accident.

They had a good thing going and she wanted to keep it that way.

Six months and no signs of slowing down.

Maggie smiled. Their interesting Hell Week interlude proved to be just the thing they needed to get through that particular bit of the insanity. But they'd stumbled a little afterwards. Danced around the idea of letting the sex remain a one time thing.

Okay, she danced around it. The fear of losing Max as a friend almost won out, regardless of the really great sex.

Almost.

Cutter convinced her otherwise, two weeks after completing the quals, on the night they both made captain.

When the pomp and ceremony ended, he grabbed her hand, led her outside, and practically ran back to his base apartment. He tugged her inside and immediately backed her up against the wall while kicking the door shut. She didn't have time to think or speak before his lips were on hers, creating a raging fire that she needed him to suppress.

That night clinched it for them, and so far, their relationship had been great.

Relationship.

Damn.

And it hit her again. She could've lost Max. And yeah, they were still new at the couple thing and trying to figure it all out… but it hurt to breathe when she thought about it.

If it hurt her to think about it, how did Cutter feel right now? Watching his wingman's ship explode? Maggie shuddered. Had to be the worst thing a pilot could witness… even though they all knew the risks.

Was she ready to deal with something like this?

Were they ready for it?

They'd be going from something quite casual—they each maintained their own place—to fairly domestic at warp speed.

She'd find out soon. The Pathos was within comm range, docking would be underway in less than three hours. She'd be face to face with Cutter again. And she'd give the relationship with him her all—because she was pretty sure she loved the guy. Maybe she'd suck at it and maybe she wouldn't.

Either way, Max would understand. No one knew her better.

She liked it that way.

And if her stomach clenched up a little? Had to be expected, right? New relationship. New orders. New CO.

New living arrangement.

But she'd handle all that like she always did.

Jump in with both feet and hit the ground running.

I have so much love for this couple. And they have one more story which I'll feature a little bit of next time.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Surviving the Trap

Hi!

So…. Walking Dead is back!! Arrow premiered!! The Tomorrow People is pretty awesome. Strike Back is one episode away from the finale and ripped my heart out Friday. And Sons of Anarchy is batshit crazy, which I totally love.

TV is good right now, people. So very good. Oddly, when I've got great stuff to engage my mind, I tend to write more prolifically. This is not a bad thing. LOL

This week's post is from the opening book to the Top Dog Pilots, Surviving the Trap. I'm hoping for a release in the next month or two. YAY!

Here's the tagline:

Take one week of extreme training, add in two top guns, and stir together with a healthy dose of unresolved sexual tension. The outcome is two pilots pushed to their limits and they need to find a way to get through their hellish experience and possibly into each other's arms.

And a sneaky peek…

While he waited for the deck crew to haul his plane to the hangar, he tried to remember the last time he'd been this tired. Closing his eyes, he smiled when the memory hit him. It had been when Maggie "Magpie" Harper dragged him on a cross-country trek to…where? He couldn't recall at the moment, but it had been the best and worst three days he'd ever experienced. The best because Maggie reminded Max of a firecracker waiting to explode, all bundled up in a highly attractive package. She always proved entertaining as hell. The worst because once she had her mind set on something, absolutely no one stopped her. They either went along for the ride or got mowed down, and Max refused to be left behind.

He'd learned that valuable lesson while they were still at the academy, during the first week no less. He quickly discovered tagging along with Maggie usually kept her out of trouble. She had a talent for leaping smack in the middle of something before scoping out all the details. If fact, they'd met when she'd jumped into the fray to cover his back.

He'd been celebrating with some mates. They'd made it through the first week of flight training. Max stayed behind to finish his beer after his fellow cadets had taken their leave. He didn't know how it happened, but a group of rowdy off-worlders decided he'd be their entertainment for the evening. Not one to back down from a fight but not wanting to be expelled for brawling, Max attempted to talk his way out of the situation.

Apparently, his efforts were more amusing than effective. Before he could extract himself, four guys had him cornered and worse yet, they called over a couple of friends. Max had just decided to screw the odds and go for the biggest of the bunch when it happened.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, turning in time to see a lone figure leap onto a table and use it to launch themselves at two of the burly men. To his surprise, they managed to take out both in one go but the landing couldn't be considered pretty. His rescuer crashed into the wall and bounced backwards to drop and hit the floor hard. Jumping up—holy hell, it was a woman—she said nothing when she put her back to his and edged him toward to exit. They left the stunned and disappointed group behind, making their way out of the bar with minimal fuss.

Standing outside in the cold air, he turned toward his mystery woman. "Thanks." Probably not an adequate response considering she'd just saved his ass, and didn't even know his name.

Shrugging, she accepted the gratitude. "Anytime." Then she winked at him before heading down the sidewalk.

Intrigued, Max quickly caught up with her. "Wait… why'd you jump in? You don't know me." A gross error he intended to rectify.

His new friend paused at the corner of an intersection and grinned. "You're military, right? Fleet Academy?" She cocked her head sideways, awaiting his answer.

Max stopped next to her, jerking in surprised acknowledgment. "Yeah… what gave it away?" Damn. She was good.

The woman laughed. "The hair. Every time." With casual grace, she propped herself against a lamp pole. "I grew up on military bases. Standard issue cuts haven't changed much over twenty years. And, I've spent the last week in a regulation ponytail myself." Scooping her hair back, she held it at her nape.

It didn't take away from her looks. The light from the lamp allowed Max to drink in the sight of her. Tall and lithe, she had long, blonde hair curling around her shoulders. Her eyes were her best feature though. They sparkled with humor and just a touch of wickedness. Max pretty much fell in love with her on the spot. And she was fleet, too. That meant he'd be seeing her around.

Sticking his hand out, he properly introduced himself. "Max Cutter. First year."

She stood and shook it, giving him a wide smile. "Maggie Harper. Same."

From that moment on, they had each other's backs. They'd ended up in the same flight class and became fast friends, hanging out, getting to know each other, and challenging the rest of the plebes to follow their lead while they crashed through the rigorous training, taking turns in the top two spots. His immediate infatuation tempered itself when he quickly realized Maggie didn't 'do' relationships. Nor did she sleep with people she considered friends, and she regarded him as the best one she had. Sometimes life kicked him in the face that way.

At least she acknowledged the sexual tension pinging back and forth under the surface between them. Her honesty about it pretty much became the only reason he'd been willing to suck it up and settle into a true friendship with her. He didn't have any regrets.

After hearing about some of her past experiences, he realized Maggie saw herself as a complex woman with what she considered enough baggage to fill an entire spaceport. While he didn't agree, he wouldn't be able to change her mind either. And he didn't lack for female companions. Pilot groupies were abundant in every port of call.

Pulled from his reverie by a deck hand popping the canopy of his plane, Max shook his head. Regardless of the lack of sleep, he really needed to stop zoning out and pay attention. Handing off his helmet, he climbed out of the cockpit and nodded wearily at the crewman before stumbling down the steps to the deck. Swaying on his feet, he headed for the ready room. If he were lucky, he'd be able to catch a brief nap before the next launch in—he checked his watch—about an hour.

I'm so excited for this one. Previously released, I've done a bit of an overhaul on the manuscript and it's ready to go. The second book is complete and the third is just about finished. And the entire series has been so much fun!!

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

ML Skye