B.A. Tortuga's Blog, page 88
December 24, 2012
Frosty Fiction, Day 24: Gilead and Rian
“Do you celebrate the solstice, mate?” Rian balanced on his forearms, legs slowly lifting.
“Hmm? Yule?” Gilead watched him, lying on a mat on the floor, looking huge and shaggy even in human form. “I suppose I do.”
“How? Do you have a tree? Egg nog?”
“We have all the trees you could ask for.” Gilead rolled to his back, kicking his feet up in happy baby pose.
“Very nice. Should we get presents?”
“For who?” Gilead laughed, which told Rian his mate was teasing. “I got you something already. Daniel helped me.”
“Oh, good. I have something for you too.” Bedding. Lots of bedding. Gilead loved bedding.
“Then we will open presents together!” Gilead switched around to down dog, easy as pie.
“I can’t wait.” He slid down to plow.
Gilead watched him, nose quivering. Then his big mate did something that looked like dolphin, ending up nose to nose with him. “I could distract you.”
“I like distraction.” He licked at Gilead’s lips.
“Me, too! Can we do yoga together naked?”
“Of course.” He eased himself down. “You want to start now?”
“I do!” Gilead kissed him lightly. “Presents can wait for Yule.”
He pounced his mate, biting playfully before bounding off. “Come catch me!”
Gilead’s paws thundered on the floor behind him, that big body hurtling along after him. He grinned. When Gilead caught him he would get all the gifts he ever needed.
Which wouldn’t keep him from opening a Yuletide present. Rian couldn’t wait to see what an alpha old-forest wolf and a dragon thought was appropriate.
***
Gilead and Rian live in Cereus: Opening
Merry Christmas Eve, y'all!
Much love,
BA
December 23, 2012
Frosty Fiction, Day 23: Packer, Adrian and Calleigh from What She Wants
Five stockings.
He looked at his mantle, nodded. One gold sequined. Two cowboy boots. Two, tiny pink stockings with soft fuzzy tops, baby dolls peeking out of the tops.
Five stockings all filled to bursting.
Five.
Packer chuckled. Not bad, not bad at all.
***
Short and sweet.
Merry Christmas Eve eve, y'all.
Much love,
BA
December 22, 2012
What I Worked on this Week
Frosty Fiction, Day 22: Sara and Cal
“Cal, he’s heading for the tree again.” Sara reached for Jonah’s heel from her place on the floor, where she was wrapping presents to mail to Mom and Poppy.
“I got him, darlin’.” Her cowboy leaned down, scooped the baby up and nuzzled his neck. “You gonna run track, boy?”
“Crawl track, maybe.” She winked over, put a bow on the package that held a signed copy of her last book. “He’s never going to walk.”
She wasn’t complaining. She had enough to keep up with without her boy being a sprinter.
Cal chuckled. “Maybe he’ll be a roper. Team ropers never walk anywhere.”
“Like my son is going to be a rodeo cowboy.”
“Hey, now. There’s way more money in it than there used to be.” Cal’s blue eyes twinkled at her.
“Uh-huh. No.” God, he was beautiful. “He’s asleep again.”
“Well, there you go.” Cal bounced the baby a little “You need any help there. darlin’?”
“Always. You want me to put him down or do you have it?”
“I got it.” Cal had gotten past his fear that he would break the baby remarkably fast.
“Love you, Cowboy,” she called after him, watching that Wrangler butt go.
“Hold that thought, darlin’,” she heard, low and soft. “I got something you can unwrap.”
“Promises, promises.”
Merry Christmas to her.
***
Sara and Cal live at Sara's Cowboy and their sequel is featured every month in my blog. :D
Please comment for a chance to win backlist and Happy Saturday!
Much love,
BA
December 21, 2012
Frosty Fiction, Day 21: Gen and Dale
Salty fish and noodles.
Oh, Gen called them baccala’ and spaghetti a la something, but they sure didn’t look like Christmas. The noodles he could handle. He just wasn’t so sure about the fish. Christmas in Italy might be more than he could swallow.
“You look very nervous for a man at a feast, tesoro,” Gen said, hand sliding on his back.
“Oh, just a little homesick is all. This is very different.”
Very.
“Mmm. I imagine so. It is all traditional.” Gen had a few thousand relatives, all of them very sweet but loud and emotional and hungry. “I have something just for you. Not to share.
“Well, I should hope so, honey.” He waggled his eyebrows, looking Gen up and down.
Gen laughed, which drew a few looks from the people starting to edge toward the food. Gen took his hand, leading him out of the big formal dining room. He was living in a villa, for god’s sake.
Him. Goofy redneck him.
How fucking cool was this?
Gen kissed him gently, bringing him back to the moment, which had resolved itself into a table for two.
“Gen?” A table just for them?
“Mmm. Yes. We can join the others in a bit, but I wanted you to have something traditional for you, as well. I talked with your old roommate.”
There were two covered platters, and Gen waved him toward them. He headed over and the smell of home hit him. He tugged the lids off and, praise the Lord, there was a pile of tamales and what looked like sliced brisket with onions, pickles and sauce.
“Oh, Gen. Gen, did Santa talk to you?”
“Perhaps.” Those dark eyes shone with love, Gen smiling for him. “Buon Natale, tesoro. Are you happy?”
“Merry Christmas, honey.” He grabbed his lover, took a long, hard kiss. “Who on earth wouldn’t be happy if they were me? I got my heart, right here.”
Even if there was salted fish and spaghetti for Christmas dinner. They got tamales to share.
***
Buon Natale, y'all. ;-)
(Dale and Gen are from Private Dances, btw. Comment for a chance to win books.)
Much love,
BA
December 20, 2012
Frosty Fiction, Day 20: Wend, Canyon and Riana
“Canyon?” Riana came to him, long white hair like a cloud around her, face like a little worried thundercloud. “The women say that I have to make the Pack a Christmas. I’ve never done a Christmas for anyone. I don’t know how.”
“Oh.” Canyon bit back a grin. “I guess not. I can help with that.”
“Okay. You tell me and I will make it.” His fierce, frowning girl, working so hard to be the alpha female, to make things right. He adored her.
“Well, first we need Wend. He’s the domestic one, yeah?”
She nodded, arms wrapped around herself as she turned, heading back toward their home, tension written in every line of her body.
“Hey.” He snagged her, pulling her back against his chest. “Guess what?”
“What?” It meant so much, that she never even tensed, just cuddled in.
“Christmas can be easy. You just need a lot of love in your heart.”
“I have a lot of love in my mates. I want you to be pleased.”
Wend appeared out of the shadows. coming to them like he’d been called. “Is something wrong?”
Canyon chuckled. “Not at all, sweet boy. Let’s go in, make hot chocolate, and plan our holiday.”
“I’d love that.” His sweet mate beamed, coming to nuzzle and nibble their lady until she eased, smiled, nodded.
“It will be okay?” she asked.
“It will be perfect.” No matter what.
Canyon would bite anyone who said different.
***
Riana, Wend and Canyon are from Opening the Cage. :D
Comment for a chance to win a backlist ebook, y'all.
Much love,
BA
December 19, 2012
Frosty Fiction, Day 19: Remy and Griffin
“Ooo, douce! Where you been? You been hunting nummy Christmas treats without me?” Remy looked over at his tall, fine, hot as all get out lover. “I done decorated the tree.”
Griff smiled, fangs against lower lip. “Now, would I do that. sweet?”
“Don’ make me bite on you now.” He licked his lips, moving forward. “You get something sweet and nummy?”
“I got something spicy. Want a taste?”
“I do.” The lights on the tree -- all purply and fine -- made Griff’s skin glow. The way Griff offered that long, pale throat was enough to make Remy feel like he was glowing, too.
“Douce. You like the best of all things -- Santa, presents, lights.”
He murmured the words just before his fangs sank in, and the only lights he knew where the ones in his own head.
***
Remy and Griff were featured in Long, Black Cadillac.
Y'all know the drill by now, right? Comment to win!
Much love,
BA
December 18, 2012
Frosty Fiction, Day 18: Max and Morgan
“Sugar?” Max looked at the house, wide-eyed. “Did a Pier One explode in Oklahoma City?”
“What? No. Possibly UPS truck, the guy was a little peeved when he was bringing in all the boxes.” Morgan looked tickled as a pig in shit.
“Uh-huh. Did you buy... Santa?”
“Oh, no. He’s still ensconced in the North Pole. I think. I could look it up on Amazon...”
“That looks like the weird little penguin from the commercial.” He pointed out a sparkly bird on a cupcake.
“Uh-huh. I love him. I named him Charlie. It’s a thing.”
Max grinned. Morgan had a lot of things that were a thing. It was one of his most endearing qualities. “Well, I like the shiny stuff on the bull horns.”
“You’ll like the new sheets, too.” Oh, there was evil in them there eyes.
“Will I?”
“Oh, yes. The website called it Pinup Cowpokes.”
That grin made him a lot of promises.
***
Max and Morgan's story is called Oil and Water. :D
Comment for a chance to win one of my backlist titles. :D
Much love, y'all.
BA
December 17, 2012
Frosty Fiction, Day 17: Addie and Bodie
Bodie hummed, trimming stray branches off the Christmas tree. He and Addie had compromised; he’d got his live tree, Addie had made sure it was a potted tree they could plant later.
He could hear his girl, singing in the kitchen, the sound sweet and a little silly as she rattled pans and measuring cups. She had this idea about making cookies to hang on the tree. Bodie wanted to string popcorn, too.
He grinned, then removed one of the pups from the toe of his sock. “That hurts, now.”
The silly little border collie grunted and attacked again. He thought that one was... He lifted it. Girl two. Right side moon.
“Are you abusing my puppies?”
“They’re abusing my socks.” He held up the puppy when Addie peeked in at him. “Which one is this?”
“That’s my baby girl!” She squeeked and clapped and that fuzzy baby went crazy, barking and wagging. “And where’s that wee baby boy?”
“You don’t have him?” Uh-oh. Loose puppies did bad shit.
“I thought they were both in there with you...”
“Crap.” He handed her the girl pup and went looking.
He found the little shit, sleeping in his towel, curled up in a tiny ball. Oh, damn. “If this is what it’s like to have kids, we’re gonna have to work harder.”
Her little hand landed on his butt with a smack. “You got a mouse in your pocket, cowboy?”
“Hey! He’s your dog.” He winked, then bent to kiss her.
“And you’re my cowboy. Put them in the laundry room, lover. I want to make something more fun than cookies.”
Oh. Hello. Bodie did love how straightforward his girl was. “Yes, ma’am.”
This time that hand didn’t swat. No, that was a promise, sure as shit.
“Such a good cowboy. I have such a present for you.”
“I like presents.” He did. Better than cotton candy.
***
Addie and Bodie are from Mr. Unlucky, releasing in January from Resplendence. :D
Much love, y'all.
BA
December 16, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday, from Hammer and Tongs
Please, he thought, please, Asa, go. Go. All he would need was a few quick, hard strokes.
Asa turned, eyes meeting his head on, and oh. Oh, Lord help him, that look burned him.
As caught as a rabbit by a snake, Virgil simply stood, stared, the world itself come to a stop.
***
Cowboys. Indians. Desert. Bondage. Spanking. Old West. It's an experiment.
Much love, y'all.
BA
