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

Sunday Snippet: Personal Involvement

April 29, 2018

I'm amazed we're at the end of April. I think because the weather has been so winter-like in Ohio, it doesn't feel like we should be four weeks away from summer vacation. Even yesterday, the chilly weather felt more like a warm winter day than spring. LOL

At least the ramp up to season-enders on television seems to be worth staying inside for. That said, I have to play catch-up. The lead up to the school musical took a lot of time this week along with several editing projects.

I'm almost finished with Blindspot's second season. I have one more DVD to watch. My only complaint would be how slippery Shepherd continues to be. I truly hope the takedown is worth watching and, you know, actually happens.

I'm catching some new to me episodes of Midsomer Murders and I'm excited to see what else Acorn TV has to offer. Also caught an episode of Chicago Fire and Chicago PD and enjoyed both. Nice to Casey move up the rank chain. Also great to have Antonio back at District 21.

I'm up to episode nine of Jessica Jones. So far, the second season has been a little slower than the first, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's given me time to really, really want to bitchslap Trish. I haven't decided how I feel about that yet. Usually it's Geri I want to smack really hard. LOL

Finally got to watch the musical episode of Riverdale. Watching Cheryl get her groove back? Excellent. I'm kind of on the fence about Hal and Alice. I had some investment in FP maybe finding some happy moments, you know? Archie and Fred being kind of on the same page made me happy, along with Betty and Veronica burying the hatchet. The ending though? Wow. Definitely some twisty shit.

I like Krypton. Seriously, the pacing is terrific so far with backstory being woven in with current plots moving forward. So far, so good. Also caught another episode of Ghost Squad and I'm a little on the fence with this one. The end of the episode threw me a little.

Endeavor is keeping my interest. I rather like seeing how Frost grew into his big shoes. Also started a subscription to BritBox and watched The Coroner. Really terrific first episode.

Today, I'm catching up on The Flash and hopefully Arrow. Also started Constantine: City of Demons. I'm gearing up for the character to be a regular on Legends next season.

That's it for television. Tonight's post is from Personal Involvement, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of writing a scene set around a disciplinary hearing.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Tarin Glade gets caught up in a nightmare when she's brought before a disciplinary council for her personal involvement with a student who failed basic flight. When Ellis Spector, the brother of the complainant, speaks on Tarin's behalf, it rocks the foundation of his family—especially since the commandant who brings the charges is Ellis's father.

And a sneaky peek…

Ephram threw up his hands. "I just don't understand what you see in that woman. She ruined our family." He paced back and forth in front of the fire.

Ellis sighed. "No Dad, she didn't. That woman saved it." Why couldn't his father see what Tarin had done? "If you want to hold someone responsible, look at Eddie. Then look at me and you." He waved his hand between them. "We let him breeze through life too much and never held him accountable." Pinning his dad with hard stare, Ellis dared the man to deny the facts on the ground. "I'm guilty and so are you. That woman, Tarin, has more honor than the three of us put together. She didn't back down, didn't take your shit, and didn't even tell the court Eddie broke up with her. All to save my family name." Which happened to be Ephram's, too. "She recognized Eddie's lack of commitment and did what she had to do. She might use unorthodox methods to teach, but she's got the courage to back it up. And I've got news for you, Dad. She's got the balls to match that courage." He snorted out a laugh. "Anyone who can stand up to you and come away unscathed definitely has a brass set." And Ellis would Tarin against his dad any day.

Ephram's lips thinned. "Well, you helped out a little there, didn't you?" His voice lacked its usual censure though.

Ellis nodded. "You're goddamned right I did. You had no business butting in and trying to strong arm her into playing it your way." He moved to stand beside his dad. "If you took two seconds to talk to her first, you'd have saved everyone from the fiasco of a tribunal. But you did what you always do—charge forward with your guns blazing—and it backfired this time." Ellis wouldn't even get into what Eddie had done, taking a page from Ephram's book and trying to stack the deck by dating Tarin.

Ephram sighed. "Yes, it did. There's a very good chance I'll never make admiral now." The elder Spector gazed into the flames.

So, not the point, Dad. But Ellis would fight that battle another day.

Ellis put a hand on his father's shoulder. "There's also a good chance if you stop being a horse's ass, you could. Get over it." Or go down in flames.

Ephram's record should speak for itself once the sting to his ego went away.

Ephram angled his head toward Ellis. "You really have it bad for her, don't you?" A hint of resignation crept into his tone.

Ellis only waited a beat before answering. "Yeah, I think I do." He slid his dad a sideways glance. "And I don't give a shit if you have a problem with it. She's the best woman I've ever met and I mean to let her know that as often and frequently as possible." And show her… in a myriad of different, hopefully erotic, ways.

Ellis waited for the inevitable lecture about picking the wrong woman and how horrible Eddie would treat Tarin.

It didn't come.

After a quiet moment, Ephram sighed. "Then I wish you luck. You're gonna need it, I think." He slapped Ellis on the back and chuckled.

Ellis flashed a smile and returned his gaze to the fire. His dad's unexpected seal of approval gave Ellis hope. But the toughest challenge lurked in the shadows.

Keeping Eddie from trashing everything.

This one is still in the beginning stages, but I love the dynamic between the Spector men. Family drama is so much fun. LOL

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Point of Distraction

Whew. What a week. We had prom catastrophes averted and a halfway decent Saturday for the big event. My daughter's dress needed some alterations and my wonderful aunt and my next door neighbor came through like the awesome women they are and got the dress in prom-worthy shape. I'm biased, but my girl looked lovely.

Even with all the crazypants running around, I got a lot of television watched. Finished the second "season" of Vixen and enjoyed the episode. Finished up the first season and started the second of Blindspot. I like the introduction of Jane's family and having more of her background in the mix. Not sure about the addition of the NSA character, but I'll hold off on judgment. Definitely interested in who the new mole in the FBI is. I have a feeling I know who it'll end up being and not sure I like it. LOL

Got an episode of Gotham in and, seriously, season four is kicking so much ass. It's twisty and turny and I love how many levels of crazy there are. I truly hope there's another season of the insanity.

I still have so many mixed feeling about this season of The Flash. I want to love it, I really do, but I'm just not there. We'll see if how things play out in the finale. Maybe it'll have the elusive element I'm looking for to turn things around.

Missed both Black Lightning and Riverdale this week so I'll have to play catch up. I'm looking forward to both.

Arrow rocked. It's nice to get the full backstory of a villain. That said, Felicity and Diggle could use some of that love. We know a few of the things that shaped both characters and that's terrific, but each could use some additional rounding out. Just saying.

Started a new-for-me series called Ghost Squad. The premiere episode hooked me and I'm definitely interested in catching the full first series. Also started Endeavor and I like it. Nothing beats a good BBC crime drama.

Last but not least, I started Syfy's Krypton. Loved the first episode. Here's hoping the momentum continues and I fall in love with this series!

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Point of Distraction, a sexy short that started with a prompt of trapped in an elevator. I changed it up a little to a holding tank instead of an elevator to keep things interesting.

Here's the mini-blurb:

When Nisa Bight is trapped inside a holding tank with Ives Vanderhouse, she reveals a little known secret—she hates confined spaces. Ives points out she's a pilot and cockpits are very cramped quarters, but his sound reasoning falls on deaf ears and Nisa starts to lose her grip. Ives gets inventive and finds several points of distraction to help Nisa deal.

And a sneaky peek…

Holy hell. The man kisses like sin might go out of style.

Nisa ended the embrace, blinking in confusion. "Why did you do that?" Definitely not a complaint, but, yeah, not an Ives thing to do either.

Ives backed away a little. "You were freaking out. Thought it would get your mind off—"

She pressed two fingers against his lips. "Sshh… yeah, I get it." Didn't need the reminder of why she'd been flipping her shit. "And… well… it worked." Man, oh, man, did it work.

Her blood thrummed in her veins and her nerve endings crackled with anticipation. Kind of like being in a cockpit.

Ives' lips curved in a sexy smirk. "It did? Good." He angled in for another lip-lock.

Nisa didn't draw away, but tilted her head to one side. "Do you really think this is a good idea?" His lips traveled along her jawline.

Ives rumbled against her ear. "What better way to keep you focused on something else?" He paused, drawing back a little. "Unless you don't—"

She stopped him with a quick back and forth of her head. "No, no. Definitely not a problem with wanting. Just getting my head around the idea." And liking the thoughts and images that came with sinking into the concept of Ives and her—together—in a steamy clinch.

He moved in again. "In that case…" His mouth hovered close to hers. "Let's pick up where we left off…" His lips caught hers and his tongue slid inside, exploring with exquisite thoroughness.

Nisa bit back a moan. How did she not know Ives could melt any thought of resistance with kisses that burned hotter than an inferno? Had she missed the scuttlebutt? Probably so.

His hands curved along her face, tilting her chin to deepen the embrace. The heat raised another notch. Nisa grasped his biceps, digging her fingers into his skin.

Images of getting him naked filled her mind and her palms moved to skim down his chest. She gripped the hem of his shirt and started to lift. Ives broke the lingering kiss.

He eased away from her, giving her a long, steady look, a hint of a question in his gaze. Nisa brushed the taut skin of his abdomen, waiting to see how he'd respond. Ives took one step back, relaxing his stance, then lifting his arms above his head.

Nisa grinned and quickly pushed his shirt up, over, and off. Her mouth watered. The man had a prime physique. No surprise, considering the work he did on the maintenance deck along with keeping fit for flying.

But, wow, being up close and personal with the muscles, ripples, and cut indentations? Nisa suppressed a shudder of desire. She wanted to trace every plane and valley with her tongue.

Ives reached out, tugging on her shirt. "Is this a mutual unveiling?" He dragged the edge of her hem up a few inches.

Nisa didn't wait for him; she stripped the garment off and tossed it aside. "Definitely mutual." To keep things fair, she discarded her bra too.

Ives let out a harsh breath. "Damn." A sexy tilt to his lips matched the appreciation in his gaze.

Nisa flashed a smile. "My first thought was 'wow'." She chuckled and boldly popped the button of his fatigues. "Wonder what my second one will be?" Inching the zipper down, she swallowed hard when his rigid shaft came into view.

Figured he opted to go commando. Her mind filled with erotic images. Smoky, steamy, sinful pictures of their bodies joined in sex.

She blinked and met his gaze. "Yeah, sorry, no thoughts, just sensory overload."

Ives skimmed his hands from her shoulders to her wrists, moving to dip his fingers into her waistband. "My turn." He unbuttoned her pants, lowered the zipper, and pushed them past her hips.

He caught her panties on the way down, letting the garments drop to her ankles. She quickly kicked the clothes aside, standing nude before him.

His cock swelled and pushed out from his fatigues. Ives shoved the fabric down, stepped out of the pile, and nudged it away. When he reached for her, Nisa didn't hesitate to mold her body to his.

Oh… she could get used to having the hard expanse of him up close and personal. Her hands explored wherever they could reach. His warm flesh gave under her fingertips and goose bumps rose when she skimmed her palms along his arms.

He didn't ignore her either. One hand cupped her nape, drawing her lips toward his. The other trailed over her shoulder and down her back to grasp her ass in a gentle grip.

Nisa flicked her tongue along the seam of his mouth and Ives groaned. His head dipped and he trailed nibbling kisses along the column of her throat. Nisa shivered, the flame of desire catching hold and growing hot.

She wanted him. Buried deep inside and his mouth gasping against her neck. Fanning the urgency then quenching her need.

Ives worked a line up to her ear. "You're incredible." He grasped her hips, trapping the long line of his cock between them.

The spark flared brighter and Nisa moaned, ready to throw any and all reservations to the side and jump Ives. Gossip be damned. Who would know if they hooked up or not?

Ives brought his hands up, cupped her face, and held her gaze. "Are you sure about this?"

Oh, hell, yes.

I'm having fun with this story. Hoping to add a twist here and there to make it really pop.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Poetry in Motion

Well, we had a semi-nice weekend. Today is rainy and chilly but Friday and most of Saturday was sunny and beautiful.

I got a lot of television watched this week. Dipped into CW Seed's Vixen and thoroughly enjoyed the first "season". I'm almost finished with Blindspot's first season and I'm looking forward to starting season two. Watched another episode of Chicago Fire and Chicago PD this week. Not sure how much I like seeing Hank defanged on Chicago PD but I'm in for the ride either way.

Legends of Tomorrow delivered an awesome season finale. I'm thrilled with where the characters ended up and having Constatine and Gary drop their little gift on the team made me laugh.

The Flash had a decent episode. I'm actually ready for the season to be over and Devoe to be defeated. Still need to catch up on Black Lightning. I'm hoping to find time this week to watch the episodes I've missed.

I did catch an episode of Riverdale and, yeah, talk about uncomfortable. No one is having an easy time of it right now. Definitely concerned about Cheryl. Her mother is a piece of work. Fred running for mayor… that's gonna be interesting. Just saying.

I got another episode of Gotham out of the way and things did not go where I thought they would. Sofia is a piece of work. I did love the overall theme of getting people back together. "Reunion" is a perfect title for the episode.

Arrow truly continues to amaze me. I'm saddened Oliver seems to be breaking ties with everyone so he can focus on the mission, but I'm also pretty interested in how the rest of the season plays out. I'll go out on a limb and say the councilman is on Diaz's payroll, too.

I'm almost finished with season two of Jessica Jones and I'm truly thrilled we'll have a season three. That said, I hope it's a little more cohesive. It's nice to have Jessica's backstory but I'd like to see her truly throw down with a villain. Just saying.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Poetry in Motion, a sexy short that started as a scene prompt from a writing community.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Ian Flannigan, a talented athlete, wants to take the crown on the planetary Sky Dawg circuit. But when he inadvertently causes the death of a competitor, he has to decide if he can keep it together enough to win, which won't be easy with the coach's daughter constantly pushing for him to lose control.

And a sneaky peek…

Ian threw the towel across the gym. "I think I'm done. After this season."

Well, that answered how heavily the guilt still weighed on him. Too much.

Wayne DuPres shouldn't have lost his life.

Her powerful attraction for Ian warred with her desire to kick his ass. She'd worked with the Bruce long enough to see what he saw. Buttloads of potential. But Ian's control freak persona doomed him. The man kept a tight lid on himself. Feared letting go. Took on way too much responsibility.

But to consider giving up? Oh, yeah, that pissed Reagan off.

She snorted. "You're an idiot."

He paused with his shirt halfway up to his head. "Excuse me?" Yanking the garment on, he planted his hands on his hips.

If only covering up ruined his appeal. It so didn't.

But she pushed on. "Do you have any idea how much wasted time and effort we've used on the investment in you?" She started pacing, trying to keep a lid on her anger, and think of a way to tell Ian his main problem. "Christ, Ian. You're not responsible for DuPres. Everyone who signs on the bottom line for this sport knows, knows, the risks." And if they didn't, they were too stupid to live anyway.

Ian threw a hand up. "It's not that simple, Reagan." He started a slow walk back and forth, keeping pace with her. "Yeah, we all get it's dangerous, but our choices on the course affect more than the win-loss column."

She rolled her eyes. "God, you're not responsible for the world, Ian. Why can't you see that?" No one blamed him, except him.

He stopped and faced her. "I do. And you've got a point. A big part of why I want to get out now has to do with Wayne's death." He glanced away and then back again. "Because every time we push the rules and boundaries, the potential to kill someone is there." He held her gaze, all but daring her to argue.

And she wouldn't, not on that particular topic. She'd never change his mind. She'd alter her tactics instead.

She made an angry choking sound. "You're too by the book to ever win a championship anyway." Pacing back and forth again, she went for broke. "You know why no one trash talks you? They know they don't have to." If he didn't react to that bold statement, she'd give up.

He frowned. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" His hands curled into fists.

Exactly what she wanted. "You think too much. You psych yourself out faster than any one of those goons out there could." Her voice lowered. "Shut your brain down and let it roll, Ian." Just once…

He grabbed her arm. "What? Like you?" Snorting, he shook his head. "You have no control, Reagan. How many skeds have you destroyed this season alone? And you don't even race." His brow quirked.

Wow, okay, way to put the focus on her instead of where it needed to be.

She flung her free arm out. "Who the hell cares? That's what we have the lane crews for." Pulling away, she put some distance between them. "They take care of the machines… we take care of winning." She widened her eyes… how could he not understand?

Ian sighed. "What do you want from me?"

She huffed out a breath. "A win, Ian. I want you to win like I know you can."

Frustrated and way too close to being pissed, Reagan turned and walked out of the gym.

I kind of enjoy writing scenes where the characters are at a fundamental cross purpose. Neither is wrong, but they're on opposite ends of the spectrum.

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

ML Skye