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.
Don’t Look Back #31 (6.4) by Julie Lynn Hayes
Dinner was an unqualified success. Marshall prided himself on his ability to grill any piece of meat to perfection. So rare, it practically mooed, just the way they liked it. But then he’d had a great teacher, hadn’t he?
Everything he knew, he’d learned from Lee.
Afterward, Marshall cleaned the kitchen, rinsed the dishes and set them into the dishwasher, eyeballing everything to make sure it was clean before turning out the light. Lee was kicked back in the family room, a bottle of ale in hand. Marshall carried in his own and took a seat on the couch, but jumped up almost immediately and set the bottle on the end table. He paced into the bedroom. The bed was made, everything was straight. The lube sat out, on his side of the bed. Nothing to be done there.
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Love Across Time: Chapter 35 by Jim Dunaway
Ryan cast a nervous glance at Troy. “It’s okay,” Ethan reassured them. “He knows everything. You can talk in front of him.”
Ryan took in a deep breath and let it out slowly This is not going to be easy. I don’t know how either of them will react to the news. “Okay. What I have to tell you won’t be easy for the two of you to hear. From your point of view, nothing I’m going to tell you has happened yet.” He raised his hand to forestall any questions.
Storm Touched by Shelly Schulz
The breeze tugged and played with my hair, and I breathed deep the scent of the evergreen trees. I wanted to warp myself up in the sunshine and grass and imprint the feeling of warmth and green in my skin. Another deep breath that caught in my throat, a hiccupy sob as tears fell, the sadness of not knowing this simple joy for so long in my life. I sat on the cool stump the feeling of wood worn smooth from the elements under my fingers grounding me as I gave in to the tears.
“That feeling doesn’t go away.”
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Boys of Belsmeade: Chapter 28 by Kazy Reed
The ride to the town near Fumaro’s estate was quiet. Everyone was worrying about what might happen if we ran into more resistance than the count had anticipated. I sat in Aramis’ lap, terrified that we’d get there and storm the house, only to find my father’s lifeless corpse buried in the cellar.
I shivered and Aramis rubbed my back. “He’ll be okay, El. Please don’t worry.”
“But everyone else,” I said. “What if anyone of your clan dies? It’s all my fault. I don’t think I can cope with that.”
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I expected the small community center in Pine Creek, Colorado, to be abuzz with activity. After all, this was search headquarters for town resident and bar owner, Adrian Sommers, who was missing and presumed dead. Rumors circulated that Adrian had been murdered, but why?
This was my first trip back to the hill-billy town since I graduated high school eight years ago. I didn’t want to be here, but Adrian—Ad to me—was the big brother I never had. He looked after me whenever my dad went on a bender. Or when my old man decided my only purpose…
Rattletrap #31 by Tali Spencer
“Well, that’s not a secret.” Jedd knew Ussim spied on every movement he made.
At Full Speed #2 by Chris T. Kat
After watching Bruce weave his car into traffic, Jake released a sharp breath. He thumped his head against the backrest of his seat, waiting for his racing heart to calm down. There was also his raging hard-on he had to take into consideration—he couldn’t drive with his erection pressing painfully into the fabric and, more importantly, the zipper.
His heart-rate decelerated to a normal pattern after a while. If he could only say the same for his cock. His fucking, treacherous cock that had brought him more trouble than he liked to think about.
What exactly had Bruce meant with his remark ‘I’ll deal with you’? Thatcould mean a lot of things. Maybe he wanted to talk to Jake. Now that would be a very rational and adult-like thing; very Bruce-like too. Jake allowed himself to replay the scene in his mind—Bruce’s raspy voice, his wink and utter self-confidence. No, talking wouldn’t be on Bruce’s agenda.
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Bittersweet Love 2 by Elyzabeth M. VaLey
Out of the corner of his eye, Noah watched Raven leave. He hadn’t missed the pain in her face as she watched him dance with Alejandra. He forced his lips into a smile as the woman in his arms tried to catch his attention by snaking her artificial nails across the back of his neck.
“Please, Alejandra, don’t do that.”
“What? This?” She repeated the annoying move causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand. He hated this woman’s touch. She knew nothing about him. Nothing. She only knew what had worked for others in his place.
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Fortitude: Part Fifteen by Cia Nordwell
“It’s a fact of life, Will.”
“Not the life you should have,” I said. I’d escaped following in my father’s footsteps by nature of my birth, the very thing that trapped Teddy in his life. Apprenticeship within the family was a poor system. It failed to allow for any individuality.
But individuality was seldom a trait celebrated in the city. Duty, familial honor, strict adherence to tradition… all prized above following one’s dreams or personal ambitions.
Including Teddy’s desire to tell the tales I’d been so lucky to hear since were small boys. “Come on. We have things to do.”
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In Enemy Hands: #4.3 by M.A. Church
The first scan finished. The light blinked, and a readout appeared on a monitor. Then the light blinked off, only to reappear as blue. Starting at the top of Varo’s head, the beam slowly made its way down his body, stopping to check repairs made to broken ribs, then later to a broken wrist.
A small beep sounded, and the beam continued its journey. Adlar studied the results on the monitor. He was relieved the broken bones had mended properly, and Varo was healthy.
“It’s a gods bedamned rock,” Varo snarled at Adlar through the glass of the chamber.
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The gift was perfect.
George had put a lot of doubts into Thorn’s mind. He wasn’t betraying his people. He wasn’t selling himself out. Becoming an Enforcer didn’t mean those things, not logically. But when faced with George’s anger, it was hard to remember that.
But the little automata—sure, it wasn’t perfectly made. It was a toy meant for children, an experiment into a steam engine that had clearly not panned out. But it was perfect. Kenneth had meant it as a gift to remember their first meeting, and it was that. But it was more, too.
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Wednesday Briefs 