Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.
Let me in, Chapter 2 – By Carol Pedroso
Cade was getting frustrated. He wanted to get to know Louis but the little witch always seemed to disappear before he could talk to him.
***
He sighed as he hung up the phone.
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Washed Right Out: Five Short Rinses by Sarah Hayes
1.
The color of the frosting was the same as Karen’s hair: pastel green. Both even had swirls running through them.
“Mmm, mint.” Samantha took a big lick off the wooden spoon she’d managed to dip into the bowl while Karen’s back was turned. “It tastes so… non-artificial.”
“That’s the magic of mint extract, babe.” She stood back to examine her work. “Only the color’s fake.”
“Shoulda made two.”
“I’m sure he won’t eat the whole cake. You’ll get at least one slice.”
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Rattletrap #29 by Tali Spencer
Ussim cornered the human female as she left the feeding chamber. His links gave him a name for her, Aberdeen Plank, but he did not use it.
“You and I must talk.” He kept his voice low. Other humans emerged from the room. Other than casting wary looks at him as he crowded their crewmate to the wall, they did not move to interfere. That in itself was interesting.
“I wipe down floors.” It was, he surmised, her way of saying she possessed no useful knowledge.
“My environment room needs wiping.”
He took her by one meaty forearm and propelled her down the corridor.
Fortitude: Part Thirteen by Cia Nordwell
“We made it out!” Teddy said.
I clapped a hand over his mouth and whispered in his ear, “Not so loud.”
Teddy nodded, and I slowly moved my hand off his face.
“Loud bad.” Wildman glared at us. I gave him a narrow-eyed look in return. Did he think we were just going to forget his ability to talk? Go back to thinking he was a simple feral creature who was barely surviving?
“Don’t start that. We know you can talk.”
“Not here,” he hissed. Clouds finally hid the moon from view, hiding the terrain around the city in shadow.
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Boys of Belsmeade: Chapter 26 by Kazy Reed
Of course there was a huge snow storm the night we had to fly to Italy. I clutched the armrest, eyes screwed shut, praying the small private jet would make it Rome.
Aramis poked my ribs. “You can relax, you know. Even if we did crash, you’d walk away.”
“Across the fucking ocean?” I snapped. “Just shut up and let me worry.”
He shrugged and closed his eyes, trying to get some rest before we landed. I couldn’t sleep, so I attempted to eavesdrop on Aristes, the Count, and their guard planning on how they would breach Fumaro’s defenses at his villa.
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Love Across Time: Chapter 34 by Jim Dunaway
“Wait a minute. Duncan just said that we can send the three of us back to before we went to the club. Why can’t we do that instead of sending them all the way back to their own time?” Ryan wanted to know.
“We could do that, but what if their condition doesn’t improve? I’m sorry, Ryan, but I believe their best chance is to go back to their own time.”
“This is their time now!” Ryan spat angrily.
Adrienne sat down next to him and took his hands in hers.
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Storm Touched by Shelly Schulz
Her full lips curved upward into a warm, gentle smile. Her hands were warm as they clasped my own, pulling me across the bed, closer to her, moving from the shadows the fringes of the delicate light that emanated from the transport gem. “I’ve come to take you away.”
“I can’t leave. Travel by the Touched is expressly forbidden.” I couldn’t find my voice, that all that came past my lips was a hoarse whisper. “They will kill you,” and make me watch, was left unsaid.
We all know the rules, they’re burned into our psyche at a young age.
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In Enemy Hands: #4 by M.A. Church
Adlar jerked Varo to him until they were practically nose-to-nose. “Indeed you are not things, but you are now owned. That’s not going to change, so I suggest you adapt. At least we know what the word ‘no’ means, which your race does not. Now sit. We have a few things to do before we leave. I don’t think I need to tell you that escape is impossible, but if you feel the need to test the collar, please do.”
Adlar released Varo and stalked off. Varo glared after him. Who was Adlar to get peeved at his question?
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Dream Kiss by Elyzabeth M. VaLey
“He just kissed you?”
Abigail stared at her over the rim of her wine glass. If she opened her eyes any wider they would disappear underneath her bangs. Glinda took a sip of her margarita, savoring the taste. Slowly, she set her glass back down. Abigail hadn’t even blinked. Glinda smiled.
“Relax, Abi.”
“Relax? Relax?” She waved her arms in the air. “You are asking me to relax? I’m surprised you’re not hyperventilating. After all, you’ve been pinning for him for months… unless—“
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A Shaman’s Gift: Part 7 by Johayan
Kevyl adjusted the furs on his bed. He had woken from another nightmare
about the impending handfasting with Maikyl. Two weeks had passed since
the envoys had been sent out with the news of the impending handfasting.
Each night since, Kevyl’s sleep had been interrupted by nightmares of
mistakes made during the ceremony, mistaken quotes during the feast
causing wars, and other things that anyone would recognize as ‘cold
feet’ or ‘jitters’.
Looking out the window, he saw the horizon starting to lighten and let
out a sigh as he got up and dressed for the day.
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Don’t Look Back #29 (6.2) by Julie Lynn Hayes
Marshall thought dinner would never end.
It felt like everyone they knew in Burnham—which was practically the whole town—had decided to eat at Milly’s that night. And every one of them had something they needed to say, a story they had to tell, or a question that just had to be asked.
The situation was exacerbated by random pulses shooting through his ass when Lee touched the remote, which he’d brought with him. Of course, Marshall could have told him to stop that and Lee would have, no questions asked. But Marshall wasn’t about to do that. It was torture, sure, but of the most exquisite kind. And Marshall knew if he endured it, then his reward would be all the sweeter for having done so.
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Thorn grinned, pulling his horse closer to Kenneth’s and leaning over to kiss him, a quick peck on the lips. Kenneth grinned as he headed toward the stalls, his cheeks a russet pink the way they always were when Thorn kissed him.
Thorn watched his lover navigate through the crowds, a small smile on his face. Today had gone well so far. Kenneth’s words made him think about his years here at the college, and about all the projects he had worked on.
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Wednesday Briefs 