Sunday Snippet: Rumpled and Worn

Seriously, the back and forth of warm then frigid weather is the one thing I hate about March. My sinuses rebel in a big way and it's never pretty. LOL

The Walking Dead had a great episode last week. Nice to see Rick and Michonne working together. Rosita on the warpath is also pretty great to watch.

The Flash is speeding along to the reveal of the big bad and I have a sneaky feeling I'm not going to like who it ends up being. We'll see what happens.

Legends of Tomorrow finally brought Rip back from the edge of evil… or did they? It's never one hundred percent certain with this group. Looks like a great episode coming up.

Arrow had the week off and I missed my Wednesday night fare. I'm not a huge fan of these stupid three-week hiatuses. Just show the damn episodes already.

Riverdale also had a great episode. This series is fast becoming my number two show. I loved getting some background about Fred and FP. That said, if Fred had a band in high school, why was he pretty much unable to connect with Archie about his music? Little things and details like this can make or break a show for me. Here's hoping there's some improvement there. I love sneaky Betty. Cheryl's right about Betty betting a terrible liar, but she's got some game with her clueless parents. On a side note, the seeds being planted for a messy situation with Betty, Jughead, and Archie make me happy. I'd like to see a little more Dark Betty emerge.

I finished up Jessica Jones and ended up loving how things played out. As hard as it is for my brain to wrap around David Tennant playing a raging asshole, I gotta give him kudos for being completely creepy. Started a rewatch of one of my favorite Australian series, City Homicide. I love that show. Also need to catch up on X Company and Murdoch Mysteries.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Rumpled and Worn, a sexy short based on the prompt of retelling a fairy tale.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lindie Lands strikes a deal with the Rumpleman—keep her crazy stalker at bay and she'll hand over the first man she falls for. But when she finally finds a lasting love with Cole Darrington, she's not willing to give him up and together they outsmart the Rumpleman.

And a preview snippet…

"Geez, how stupid can he possibly be?"

Lindie jammed her hands in her pockets and huddled under the awning of an apartment building to avoid the downpour raging from the sky. The little man, who went only by Rumpleman of all things, promised to keep her stalker at bay—for a price.

Lindie snorted and braced against the gusty wind. "Who in their right mind doesn't want cold, hard cash?" The little guy apparently.

He didn't want money. Or valuables. Or anything else remotely normal.

"Nope. He wants me hand over the man I actually fall for." She barked out a laugh. "Like that'll ever happen." She'd sworn off anything more than a one-night stand.

Her track record sucked big, huge hairy balls; the stalker being the last in a long line of horrible choices for male companionship.

Flipping her collar up, she turned to brave the rain and head up the street. After ducking into three different alcoves, she let out a frustrated growl and shrugged out of her jacket and draped it over her head. Keeping her chin down, she started forward again… only to smack directly into an immovable object.

"Oof!" Peering out from her makeshift umbrella, her gaze landed on a wall of solid muscle, the t-shirt clinging across the expanse of chest and biceps dripping with raindrops screamed masculine vibes.

Doing a slow travel upward, she met a warm, brown stare in a face no less handsome from the rivulets of water sliding over the skin. Short hair, spiked from the drenching downpour, stood out in all directions. An eyebrow quirked, a glint of humor lighting the chocolate irises. One side of his sensual lips lifted in a half-smile.

He placed a steadying hand on her elbow. Lindie blinked to avoid gaping at the man. His touch sent a fissure of awareness through her nerve endings and a dull throb started in the palm of her right hand. The one she'd sealed the deal to keep her stalker at bay with.

Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back, the jacket dropping to the sodden sidewalk. "Oh, no way." She found the guy inhumanly attractive, but that didn't mean she'd actually "fallen" for him.

Not here. Not now. Not within an hour of making a too-good-to-be-true bargain.

The man's smile disappeared. "I'm sorry." He thrust his palm forward. "Cole Darrington." He clasped her wet hand in his. "I don't normally go around almost knocking women off their feet." The sexy grin returned. "Wasn't paying attention with trying to get out of this rain." His chin lifted up a notch. "Looks like you had the right idea." Referring to the jacket, doing its best to soak up the streaming mini-river on the sidewalk.

She reluctantly extricated her hand from his. "Lindie Lands." She dropped down and picked up the coat, giving it a good shake before standing again. "Not that it helped much." A nervous chuckle escaped before she could stop it.

She had to look ridiculous. Runny makeup, drowned-rat hair, and a thin blouse over a lightweight camisole that did nothing to hide her pebbled nipples. Thankfully, his were showing through the fabric stretched across and clinging to the glorious torso.

He nodded toward the building. "I live here. The least I can do is offer a towel and a warm place to wait out this downpour." He moved to open the door then paused. "I promise I'm not an ax murderer and you can leave your name with the little, old lady who lives next door." He leaned toward Lindie. "She's always baking me stuff. Cookies, cupcakes, pies, you name it. She'll be happy to act as a pseudo-chaperone." He pulled the heavy slab forward, revealing a small lobby with an elevator and a set of wooden stairs at the end.

Lindie shivered, a combination of the chilly wind and reaction to the hot man offering refuge. The ache in her palm reminded her of the noxious, little man and her promise to him. She only hesitated a moment, her curiosity and the ping of attraction between them getting the better of her.

She ducked past him into the apartment building. "Why not? I need to meet this grandmotherly type who bakes you goodies." She could get dry, eat some sweet confections, spend time with a hot guy, and leave it at that, right?

At worst, she might end a six-month dry spell and scratch an itch with a one-night stand.

But no way would she actually fall for Cole Darrington.

No way.

Lindie better watch out. The Rumpleman has lots of tricks up his sleeve.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye