Sunday Snippet: Nothing but the Truth

Well, The Last Ship finally dropped another death on me. And of course it's someone I did like. That said, they weren't in my no kill zone so I'm bracing for impact this week. LOL I still think the president is a potential bad buy. There's just some slightly slimy about him, in my opinion.

Killjoys had a terrific episode. I seriously love having everyone show up, even if only briefly. I'm kind of thrilled Fancy didn't end up dying last season, and I realize this isn't the first time we've seen him, but I like watching him in action.

Dark Matter definitely has my interest. I did worry after the "meh" first episode, but since then, they've hit on all cylinders. Loving the interaction between Five and everyone else. I also can't wait to see what happens with the android.

Busy week kept me from sinking back into Strike Back, but I did watch more Babylon 5. One of my favorite things about season two is how things start coming together. Random bits that didn't seem to be important become so. I love that!

That's all for television this week. Tonight's post is from Nothing but the Truth, a novella built around a prompt of writing a story about telling the whole truth.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lexa Chan and Quint Maximoff work the seedy underworld of supernatural bounty hunting. Lexa's got a tough as nails reputation and she competes with Quint's larger than life persona. The Halfway, a bar catering to supernatural and mortal beings, is neutral ground where Lexa and Quint form an interesting relationship.

And a preview snippet…

Quint's lips curved. "You're looking a little lost, Lexa." He strode to the sofa and sat down. "But, I get it. Without the mantle of protection my reputation provides, I have no idea what to do with myself." Jerking his head toward the chair, he invited her to sit. "But sometimes wearing the persona like a cloak gets old. At least for me, it does." He eyed the bottle and frowned.

He should have snagged it before he sat. She had him off his game.

Lexa bit back a grin and grabbed the spirits. "Me, too. I'm just not sure what you want here." She crossed the floor and plopped down onto the chair. "Or what I want. But sitting at the bar, going through the same old performances, isn't it." Resting the alcohol on her knee, she nodded so Quint knew to share whenever he wanted.

He didn't take the offering… yet. "Agreed. How about we start with saying what we discuss here, stays here." He quirked a brow.

Lexa flashed a smile and relaxed a little more. "I can get behind that." Lifting the decanter by the neck she held it out to him.

Quint took a swig and passed it back to her. She followed suit.

A measure of silence stretched between them. Not uncomfortable, more cautious. Quint didn't have many friends and didn't know how to do intimate conversation.

He settled down a little further on the cushions. "Do you sleep at night?" His curiousity demanded to know if she struggled the way he did.

Lexa lifted a shoulder. "Usually." She waited a beat. "Sometimes with one eye open."

Okay, sounded familiar. Except with him… he always slept with one eye open.

Quint met her gaze. "And when you can't do that, you end up here." He kept his voice neutral, but truly wondered how she dealt with the nasty stuff on a regular basis.

Not that he didn't buy her answer. But he worked the streets same as she did. The danger followed him everywhere, too.

Lexa's eyes widened in surprise. "Most of the time, I land here. But I have a couple other places I can crash if necessary." Placing the bottle on the floor, she leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Your turn. What brought you to The Halfway tonight?"

Shit. Even if they left everything within these four walls, he didn't want to talk about why he'd sought the sanctuary of the bar. The reason a little too fresh and not enough space to process yet.

But she'd been honest with him and he didn't want to lay a line of bullshit her way.

He shifted his position on the sofa. "Can I take a pass on answering that one and get a new question?" Trust didn't come easy and Lexa hadn't earned the full disclosure card yet.

She tilted her head to one side, studying him a moment. A myriad of reactions marred her features, but she recovered quickly.

Straightening, she glanced away. "Yeah, I feel that." A haunted look entered her gaze when she met his again, but she gave him a cheeky smile. "Let's start with something a little more fun. Boxers or briefs?" Her lips twitched.

Quint barked out a laugh. "Neither. I go commando." Silly, he could do.

Lexa quirked an eyebrow. "So…" Her gaze strayed to his torso and groin. "You're not wearing…"

He lifted his chin. "Yep. Bare-assed naked under the pants." Waiting for her reaction, he bit his cheek to keep from laughing again.

Lexa blew out a breath. "Well, hell. That's not distracting or anything." A flush stained her cheeks and she picked up the bottle, downing a healthy gulp.

Quint lifted a brow. "Distracting? How?"

Lexa snorted. "If I have to elaborate, we've got a problem." A sexy laugh rumbled from her throat. "Let's say my active imagination is kicking into high gear and leave it at that."

Quint's eyes went wide and the atmosphere became charged.

This one may end up as part of a series featuring other characters / couples. Love how it's coming together so far.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye