Whooo, je l’ai dit et je ne peux pas vous dire à quel point cela fait du bien. Après avoir attendu des années la sortie du prochain livre de la série Dominion, j’ai finalement renoncé à l’éditeur et pris les choses en main. Je veux dire, après tout, ces livres sont la fierté et la joie de Talon. Sans oublier qu’ils nous tiennent tellement à cœur que nous avons établi une famille de lecteurs en France ; comment pourrions-nous vous laisser en plan de la sorte ?
C’est donc avec une grande joie que je vous annonce la sortie de Prise de Contrôle de Trofim: La Serie des Freres du Dominion Édition Française
MM / Romance érotique / Drame Trenton Leos a toujours été connu par beaucoup comme le Dominus, l’homme à qui s’adresser pour trouver le match D/s parfait. Cependant, Trenton et ses frères sont sur le point de découvrir que lui et leur style de vie sont devenus la cible d’un nettoyage politique. Une opération louche avec des poches très profondes fait surface lorsque Trenton est invité à enquêter sur un sombre secret qui menace l’avenir du jeune frère de Pyotr, Trofim Laszkovi et de son amante, Shay Wilks. ~ * ~ Trofim Laszkovi n’oubliera jamais comment il s’est senti bien d’être dans les bras de Shay Wilks il y a cinq ans. Mais le père de Shay a clairement fait comprendre, par des menaces difficiles à ignorer, que la famille de Trofim en paierait le prix s’il ne s’éloignait pas de Shay. Avec l’aide d’un ami, Trofim a donc changé de carrière, ce qui l’a éloigné d’un océan de sa famille – et de son cœur. Même maintenant, après être rentré chez lui il y a seulement un an, auprès de la famille qui lui manquait, Trofim n’avait pas osé se permettre de regarder dans la direction de Shay. ~ * ~ Shay Wilks a fait tout ce qu’il a pu pour garder à distance les plans de son père à son égard et protéger son stage de médecin de la ruine par le même homme. Tout cela dans l’espoir que le seul homme que Shay ait jamais aimé lui revienne un jour. Aujourd’hui, cinq ans plus tard, Shay a enfin une nouvelle chance d’être avec Trofim. Si seulement il peut convaincre Trofim qu’ils sont mieux ensemble que séparés et se libérer de l’emprise brutale de son père à temps avant que Shay ne perde Trofim à nouveau – pour de bon. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
LA SERIE DES FRERES DU DOMINION
Devenir Son Esclave – (partie 1 & 2) Dominer l’Heritiere Un Havre pour Cliff Attirance Brutale Prise de Contrôle de Trofim
Anglais:
WE’RE LIMELIGHTING IN THE FRENCH PRESS ONCE AGAIN !!
Whooo, I said it and I cant tell you how great that feels. After waiting YEARS for the next book in the Dominion series to come out, I finally gave up on the publisher and took matters in my own hands. I mean, after all, these books are Talon’s pride and joy. Not to leave out that it means so much to us, that we’ve established a reader family in France; how could we leave you stranded this way.
So it is with great joy to announce the release of Taking Over Trofim !
Understanding the power of writing tension is essential to creating engaging and captivating stories. Tension, when used effectively, can make a story come alive, and can be used to build suspense, create conflict, and develop character arcs. By learning how to utilize tension in their writing, fiction writers can ensure that their stories are entertaining and memorable. In this blog post, we will discuss the different ways to increase tension between characters in your fiction writing.
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WHAT IS TENSION?
Tension can come from a number of elements, be it a conflict of interest or a race against time. but in most cases, it reflects the obstacle your characters must overcome in order to evolve and or reach their goals or destination. As an author, you have an endless abundance of life situations to help you build tension into your story structure for maximum writing improvement.
WHY IS TENSION IMPORTANT?
Simply put, life doesn’t come easy. So, neither should your character’s life.
Your story’s arc relies on your character overcoming obstacles in order to persevere. Thus, the greater the challenge, the more involved your readers are likely to become.
Higher stakes mean page-turner your readers. Tension is one of the most effective tools for writing improvement. It acts as a kind of emotional scaffolding around your story structure and gives it dimension and depth. Through tension, you can show the complexity of your characters and let them grow and change through their experiences.
Tension can also be used as a catalyst for conflict between characters. As a writer, you can create tension by having characters that have different goals and opinions butting heads. This will create an atmosphere where disagreements and misunderstandings between them will arise naturally, and they can either be solved or lead to further conflict that drives your plot forward. You can also add tension by creating an atmosphere of uncertainty or danger that can drive characters into difficult situations that must be resolved for them to continue with their journey. A powerful way to increase tension is by adding elements such as ticking clocks and limited resources that require quick decision-making from the characters and create a sense of urgency and immediacy in their decisions and actions.
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WAYS TO CREATE TENSION:
The first step is to know what your character’s goals are. What do they want most in life? What heroics must they accomplish? Once you have that figured out, now ask, “What is the worst thing that could happen to get in the way?”
Introducing obstacles will help to heighten the stakes and create tension in your writing. Incorporating this into story structure can be a powerful writing improvement tool – creating obstacles for your characters gives them something difficult to overcome and for readers it creates a suspenseful atmosphere and a gripping story arc. Ask yourself how these obstacles create tension and how these conflicts can be solved – these conflicts should drive and influence each other within the story and increase the tension between characters. Keep adding scenes that expand on these conflicts and ensure readers become more invested as the story progresses. A great writing improvement tip would be to look at how experienced writers set up their stories – from there, learn how to introduce twists and setbacks into stories as this will be a great tool for building tension between characters. To make this even more effective, look at how far apart each event should be spaced – if it’s too close then readers won’t experience enough time to feel suspense and tension building.
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TIPS TO INCREASE TENSION:
So have you discovered what the worst thing could be? Good, now double down. Yes, that’s what I said; come up with a problem then make it twice as bad. Or create a chain reaction of things going wrong.
This is a great way to not only increase tension, but also to show how a single decision can lead to increasingly dire consequences. It also helps to provide structure for your story and keeps it progressing forward. If you find yourself stuck for ideas, try looking for writing improvement opportunities by asking yourself questions such as: “What is the next logical consequence of my characters’ decisions?” or “What would happen if someone made the wrong decision?” By brainstorming these possibilities by constantly asking, “What else could possibly go wrong?” and exploring multiple avenues, you can find ways to further increase tension and take your story to the next level.
Additionally, look for ways to build tension into your story structure. Use suspenseful chapter endings and cliffhangers to leave your readers hanging, and sprinkle clues and foreshadowing throughout your story to ensure they are always on the edge of their seats. Keeping the reader guessing and weaving tension through your story structure will leave them wanting more!
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EXAMPLES OF TENSION IN ACTION:
In my book, TIME: Wounds All Heal from the Teddy Bear Collection, Channing Maroussas is a journalist who traveled into a war-torn middle east to follow a story of corruption. Chris Sayer, an agent within the CIA’s black ops, is sent after him to silence him, but on a personal level he wants to save him. It also may be his only chance to let him know he loves him.
For Channing, learning of Chris’s love is a dream he never expected to come true but couldn’t have come at a worse time. He’s hot on the trail of corruption and he isn’t about to let Chris drag him back until he has the proof he needs to break the story, even if it means ISIS taking his head off for it.
Tension starter: Channing travels into a war zone.
Tension builds up: CIA sends Chris after him.
Tension conflict of interest: Chris is in love with Channing.
Tension level up: Channing won’t leave until he has what he came for.
Tension life in dyers: Enemies capture and threaten Channing’s life.
Resolution: Chris’s extraction order is now a rescue mission.
The above formula creates some dramatic ‘edge of your seat’ reading.
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Let’s look at another example:
Let’s say your character, “Streven, is a highly skilled mountain climber and has been hired by the town of Andonsborough to climb and retrieve a rare energy crystal found only on top of their sacred mountain which has the power to heal. Along the climb, Streven encounters a yeti and out of fear runs but becomes wounded. His wounds so severe he can neither finish the climb nor return down the mountain. His only hope is to be rescued.”
So far, the tension is only mild. So now, let’s up the tension.
“Eivindur has been watching through the telescope for days, knowing Streven should have reached the summit by now. So why hasn’t he set his flag up to signal him? Only one possible reason and that is his friend is in danger. So that afternoon he sets out to rescue Streven. However, a snowstorm rolls in, making it difficult to see and perilously sends Eivindur’s snowmobile off a ledge and tumbles down.
Streven saw the crash. Though injured, the crash isn’t far, and he just might be able to make it to the snowmobile and his friend Eivindur. But the storm is getting worse and time for them both is running out.”
To increase tension even further and give the story structure, you can add an additional obstacle like a rival team who is also looking for the same rare energy crystal. This adds an element of competition as each team tries to get to the summit first and gain the energy crystal’s power before anyone else does. Moreover, writing improvement could involve having unexpected twists such as if the yeti offers some help with the healing process or if the rival team discovers something about the crystal’s power that nobody else knows about.
These elements will help build suspense and create anticipation throughout the story, pushing characters to strive harder against seemingly insurmountable odds in order to reach their goals and be successful in obtaining the crystal’s power.
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So there you have it, tensions is an important structural part of your story, so don’t leave it out. Have fun with it and don’t be shy about leveling up on the trouble your characters can get into. Your readers will thank you for the adventure.
Let us know how this article has helped you by leaving a comment below and HAPPY WRITING!!
Real tips to help get you into that elusive habit of making productive word counts.
I can’t count how many How-To articles I’ve read over the years, alleging tips to get out of the writer’s block ditch, or increasing your word count into something resembling productive. Why, I even bought a book boasting on how to write 20,000 words a week. That’s 2 hours of my life I will never get back. (I’m a slow reader).
Recently, a short article crossed my path with the glamourous lure on how to write 100,000k words a month. So being the sucker that I am, I stopped by to read it. And it went about like this, me-me-me blah-blah-blah, sit down, and write until you reach 100,000 words.
Wait, what? Are you f’ing kidding me? This guy’s article was seriously all that. Just sit and write until you reach that goal? (another 5 minutes of my life I can’t get back)
Pfft… sing it with me… “IF ONLY IT WERE THAT SIMPLE.”
But we know it isn’t. Even if you’re not in a rut, a 100,000words is some hella word count goal and I personally only know of maybe two authors who might hit close to that. But how does one get out of the rut, or simply increase their personal word count, if you feel you’re a bit on the sluggish side? They never tell you how to get those crusty rusty wheels turning to start with.
Truth be told, the biggest roadblock towards those mega word counts, or any at all, is that life gets in the way.
So, I am here to help. No, I can’t make life go away and leave you alone, but I’ve been there (hence all the reading and looking for the crystal ball of sage word count manna and wisdom). And in this article, I am going to guide you with tried and true, easy steps that actually work to get you jump started and on your way.
FIRST STEP:Contract with Life
We of the ‘Able-to-ignore-chores-like-no-other-in-order-to-write’ Clan have to take a step back to acknowledge that Life throws spectacular curve balls. Thus forth, our first step is to have a contract agreeing with Life that sometimes its gonna get in the way. There is no way to dodge it 24/7, but, Oh Boy, wouldn’t that be great? Well, aside from ignoring the basket of unfolded clothes, it’s just not gonna go away. So, you have a contract acknowledging its gonna happen.
Now, you’re probably wondering what the heck am I rambling on about and should you click out now before you lose any more personal time. But hold off a second, and hear me out. I really do encourage you to set this bizarre contract up for yourself because then you can free yourself to set realistic goals that are able to flex when needed and in this, the following steps will help you reach your goals even when Life upholds its end of the contract.
So, let’s get started….
STEP TWO: Setting your Goal.
Instead of saying, “I’m going to write every day.” Set the goal for “I’m going to write 4 out of 7 or 5 out of 7 days.” This way, anything you do over your initial 4 or 5 goal days is bonus time that you get to reward yourself for.
So, let’s say you accomplished to stick to your writing the first two days but then on day three you discover dragons are eating you out of house and home; the Happy-Ever-After love of your life has discovered your secret stash of Salted Lemon Icing Almonds and has since transformed into a Sofa Nome you suspected he truly was. On top of that, Little Miss Unicorn Sparkles has punctured a tire on the car on the day you had a doctor’s appointment.
Are you going to write today? Its not looking promising. But it’s okay. Why? Because you have a contract with Life forewarning you it was going to get in the way at some point. So, no surprises there.
Besides you’ve already gotten two days of writing in and still have five days remaining to complete the other two writing days of your goal. Hip— Hip— Hooray!! You’re ahead of the game!!!
Now grab your sword or witch’s broom and go after that dreadful Sofa Nome, there still may be some of your magic almonds left.
Getting those Life tossing road blocks into non combative perspective is going to be a game changer for your approach. No more fearing of falling behind the goal as you’re always going to be ahead— lighting the stress load A LOT. And let’s be honest, its so much easier to write when you’re not stressed about writing.
But Tarian? How do I write a 100,000 words a month?
Well, Love, you don’t. and don’t let anybody make you feel small, thinking they do. It’s click bait. Very, very, very few authors write that much and do so consistently. But you can set realistic goals and meet them successfully. Start small and build up. Be the Superstar in your world!
STEP THREE:Get a writing buddy.
If you have a bestie author friend, be it living close by or just online— perfect. Recruit them for writing sessions, commonly called ‘sprints’. Share this newfound Life contract wisdom on writing in this journey to get you into a new and prospering writing habit so the two of you flex with each other. I started doing sprints with my bestie Author Layla Dorine roughly a year ago, but we really put the pedal to the metal about six months ago, and wow, we’re quite proud of the goals we’ve reached. She managed to get books, she’d recently gotten the rights back, reviewed and reformatted for re-release. As well as finished a new book project with two new ones in the works. Me, I was all over the place scattered across fifteen different works in progress, but then managed to get one close enough I could focus on it and yes, by gosh, after three years of nothing, I finished one of my Teddy Bear Collection books, Shagging the Dead, and have since gotten it off for editing before Christmas.
But how? How did you get that rusty wheel going? I know, I know. I’m getting to that part—
STEP FOUR: Luring your characters to talk.
Forget waiting on Motivation to show up, he’s not. He’s just a bitch so toss his number out. Step four is actually all about doing the time. Don’t worry about a word count goal just yet. The goal is to get a habit going of putting in the time. For starters, sit down where its comfortable. First few days are all about reacquainting yourself with your characters. Yes, we are going to start with something you already have going. Blow the dust off and let’s start reading— from the top. MARK YOUR WORD COUNT! Just write it down or text it to your sprint partner and begin. Edit, if you see it, add or rewrite, as you go. Its inevitable. So let it happen. Ask your character, we’ll call him Bob from here on:
“Where are you going with this Bob?”
“Say Bob, you want to make the moves on that person or what?”
“What would happen if that bridge over there were to collapse all of a sudden? Were you on it? Or did it happen mere seconds after your crossed or did you not go when you felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand up? Weren’t you supposed to rescue someone?”
“Bob… what did you do?” **stares at the exploded bridge**
“Are you gonna eat that?”
Asking Bob random questions is a great fire starter; Bob won’t be able to resist mansplaining. Maybe not right away but usually within a day or two when first getting started. This is a tried-and-true magic spell. I don’t know how or why it works, just know that it does. I asked the Universe once, what would the story look like if one of my characters had Down Syndrome, and five days later it came back with, “Oh, it’ll look like this—” and within the month I finished the book Big Spoon & Teddy Bear. Sometimes it’s a whole story, a plot, a scene, or a characteristic or reason. But ask and they will answer.
In the meantime, feel free to switch out to do some research on how to do fireworks the correct way. Maybe throw in some first aid as well. Read another article on improving your writing craft.
Don’t be surprised if Bob picks this time to interrupt you to tell you all about his plot to sky scribe a marriage proposal off the bridge just as… we’ll call him Peter, would be crossing said bridge on his way home from work, and well— Bob needs airline tickets for Greece.
If Bob and Peter aren’t talking to you, don’t give into their tantrum. You can also use this time to work on creating promo posters or cover art for the future project. You can also do nothing and stare at the words. Just remember to blink every so often. Eat magic almonds and watch funny videos while lying to your sprinting partner that your character is running a picket line of protest across the desk and have taken the keyboard has hostage for attempting to cross the line. (not really but do joke about it. Jokes about what you are doing in your sprints are encouraged) You can, however, watch videos or surf Pinterest for inspiration for Bob’s pyro mishap.
STEP FIVE: Level Up.
There is no need to set a time line for your goal’s upgrade. The success is in the zero pressure. Trust me on this one.
When you have reached the point when you are writing more than fucking off in the name of research, then level up your goal to write a 1000 words each sprinting day. There’s no dead line for this. Took Layla and I both a good tumbling rolling jiggly two months before we were being honest about our 1000 words a day (every time) on our 5 out of 7-day schedule. Again, I cannot highlight the zero-pressure clause here enough, here as well. As some days I had only 700 words, but the next day I threw down 2000. So long as you average out to where your goal is, it’s a win. Make sure you give props for that!
What’s super cool about that 1000 words routine though is once you’ve reached it and staying pretty consistent, it has a funny way of morphing into the next level on its own for a goal of a chapter a day.
Did you just yank back on your leash? No, no, no— come on— you can do this. Remember that zero pressure deal, I keep mentioning? That’s right, because that chapter a day doesn’t have to be a freshly churned out batch of new words. It can be a chapter edited— A rewrite— a fluff and tuck— and yes, it can be a bunch of new words— or words salad, depending on your typing skills. Mine’s atrocious; on top of being severely dyslexic. I get notes from my editors all the time, “I don’t know what this means.” To which I respond, “Me needer.” And yes, I am certain I missed seem typos in here, there is only so much suffering my editors are willing to endure from me. I’m on my own in here. HAHAHA
But keep it up and you’ll find yourself actually putting away a full new chapter with editing per sprint day. Tomorrow you can go back and add in your foreshadowing as to where Bob found the faulty explosives.
CREATURE COMFORTS
In addition to the zero-pressure approach to reaching your writing habit goals, comfort is everything. Because if you’re not comfortable, you’ll find yourself getting up and walking about, wandering the house for nothing because you don’t know why you got up in the first place. But this strange phenomenon does have a tendency to happen and will persist if you don’t make your writing spot as comfy as possible.
Set sprint blocks at 45min (you can go the full hour once you’re in a habit of staying put but start with a set time with a built-in break period). Hell, half the time Layla and I don’t break anymore “I’m on a roll lets jump right in.” “Okay, awesome see you next hour.” And off we go for typically 3 sprints before taking a break because one of the werewolves needs to go potty and the tea pot is empty.
Take breaks between sprints for bathroom run— frig raids— shouting at dragons to “get to their liar and don’t come out until dawn!”— Stretch— blow bubbles (other blowing activity, not recommended, you only have 15 minutes break time here)— scribble naughty letters on paper then fold into paper planes and send out the window of your NY high-rise apartment for random strangers to find; do whatever you need or tickles your fancy so long you return to writing station at top of the hour to begin your next sprint.
Probably don’t have to tell you this one but its part of the list. SONG LIST. You have options here, get some great soundtrack music that fits the action or Bob’s mood. Or Bob’s favorite song he sings off key to Peter. If you can’t find music to fit the book’s theme or mood, I recommend trying one of those Concentration/Programming collaborations tunes used by coding whizzes. It’s often a rhythmic beat to keep pace, no drastic changes to tempo that would interrupt flow. Type in ‘coding music’ on Youtube and find one you like. Here are links to two of my all-time favorites, finding I can write on almost any project to these: Concentration / Programming Music 0000 (Part 0) and A Soundtrack for the Apocalypse – Dark Dystopian Music
Get a pair of headsets, even if the Loch Ness creatures aren’t lurking about today, headsets have this magical ability to tune the rest of the world out so its just you and Bob. So, invest in some comfortable noise canceling head phones or ear buds, then exercise your inner cat spirit. Ignore everyone. (sprinting partner excluded)
Comfortable chair. I cannot stress this enough! Your butt cheeks are going numb for a reason. Gets some padding under you.
Writing station options. Sometimes you just need to change it up. If its an editing day, relocate from the desk to the Barco lounger and kick your feet up. Coffee shops are pure metal boxes of unnecessary noise to me, but I know an author who hits the café every Sunday for writing joy days. So, to each their own. But have 2 or 3 spots committed to your writing so you can unkink from the desk chair every so often.
Keep your favorite beverage in stock.
Don’t write Hungry. You’ll just do a bunch of staring-at-screen-fucking-off-foolery. Next thing you know you’ve created three new folders on Pinterest and watched 5 episodes of Dr Pimple Popper. Go eat, then sit down for sprinting. Or better yet, bring it to the sprint.
Report in with your sprinting partner. Even if you’re going to play hooky that day, be there for them in chat support. They’ll do the same for you when she swears the cat ate her keyboard and the gremlins hid Bob and she’s still waiting for the ransom demands. **smh (that’s what you get for claiming a unicorn flattened your tire)
Never forget your prenuptials with Life and remind yourself, You’re already ahead of the game. Then make a Facebook post about the video journey you had when you were supposed to be sprinting. Just own it.
Go back to editing. The main rule to writing is to write now, edit later. When Bob and Peter are talking and stroking it up bur the keys up. But when they clam up and mudder not a single word in your head. Go back to edit. You’ll always end up adding and tweaking your story as you go, which may very well lead you right into the next scene you were looking for. Tweaking leads to vanquishing writer’s block. All in all, it’s been another productive day.
Oh, and last but not least, if Bob and Peter still won’t talk, there is nothing keeping you from jumping ship to go play with Luke and Pedro in another WIP. Always follow the voices.
okay I lied about that being the last: for those wondering about the magic almonds. Skinnydipped Lemon Bliss Almonds are the yummiest things I’ve ever pretended were healthy. But Do Not come at me if you fail to exhibit any self control by eating the entire bag in one sitting. I don’t have any restraint against these cursed magic almonds either.
I don’t want to make any waves here, but Marcus Scriven was just arrested, and he ordered his ‘thief’ to drive the car home and behave until he returns. I don’t see this turning out so well… bwahahahah
The day is so close, you can just feel the tingle all the way down there… can’t you? And just in case you need a little boost to get the excitement going. It’s April 1st and this is no fool’s day post!! As promised, the cover reveal for Touching Vida~Vince and a hefty sized teaser!
TOUCHING VIDA~VINCE
The Dominion of Brothers Series book 7
Talon P.S.
Vince sat quietly in the patient room in the rear of the emergency room, waiting for his own x-ray results— and his ride. The flying object that attacked him had turned out to be the door handle from the bathroom stall door breaking off when Darko assaulted it.
Vince’s hand floated up to the fresh bandage covering the stitches just above his brow where it’d hit. He tapped it lightly, but even the cautious touch made him flinch.
He fidgeted on the ER bed, legs dangling over the side, folding his hands together as he worked to keep his emotions in check. No doubt he would crumple when Dane got there, but he had no one to comfort him until then.
They’d wound up here because Darko had needed x-rays on his hand, and because Dane insisted that Vince be checked out as well. But as soon as Darko was medically cleared, Vince convinced him to leave before Dane arrived. Purposely encouraged Darko to head home. There was no intelligence in facing Dane Masters while he was in full rage. Darko had been reluctant, but finally obliged. One fight a night was enough, and so Vince waited alone in the small examining room of the hospital.
There was a soft knock then the door opened. Vince jumped to his feet, half expecting it to be Dane storming in, but he was relieved to find it was only the doctor, his nose down as he either plucked or entered info into the digital pad he carried with him.
“So? Am I going to live?” Vince did his best to lighten his own mood.
The doctor hardly glanced up, but was quickly doing a double take, then froze in mid-step with a slight slack-jaw expression. It was enough to make Vince uncomfortable.
“Didn’t think it would take this long to get my x-ray results, so it must be bad news for me, huh?” Vince joked, growing more self-conscious in front of the doctor staring at him in wonder.
The doctor glanced at his pad, slid his finger over it a few times before responding, “Oh, this does look bad.” The doctor shook his head. “Might have to keep you overnight so I can—” A minute pause, then he rattled his head. “So, we can study you further,” he finished, emphasizing the interjected pronoun correction. It was almost cute.
The correction didn’t go unnoticed and if it weren’t for that, the suggestion might have worried Vince, but he caught the jest and managed a real smile. “That serious, huh?”
The doctor looked at him with a gleam in his eyes, as if he liked what he saw. In fact, Vince could easily have fooled himself into believing the man had affection in his eyes. A nice fantasy to wish for. But surely it was just the joke trying to escape and made the man’s eyes laugh. Hopefully not at him.
The doctor caved and shook his head in disagreement, letting out a mild chuckle. “No. I’m teasing. You’ve a slight bruise, around the cut. As you know, we put five stitches in to close it up with some tape which should hold with minimal scaring. Be sure to leave them in place for at least five to six days to prevent reopening. Your x-rays showed no signs of fracture. And, based on your exam on admission, as well as your ImPACT clinical score, there appears to be no presence of concussion. But I’d prefer you didn’t drive yourself home. Have you a ride?”
Vince grimaced and gave a slight nod. He did, but Dane had been at work at Club Pain when he called and most likely— involved. Vince had also stalled before calling to be sure Darko could be released before the wrath arrived. “Yes, my brother is coming.”
“Doctor?” a nurse called from the nearby station.
The doctor glanced out of the curtain divider, toward the corridor, then back, watching with a deflated expression as Vince sank back down onto the narrow hospital bed. “Excuse me a moment.”
Vince nodded, but his mental state was already running away from him. He pulled his coat tighter around him, feeling chilled, or perhaps just overly conscious. He was, after all, in a dress, and a hospital wasn’t exactly the ideal atmosphere where he knew how to pull the look off. The night had been so perfect, too, then it somehow got upended into a pathetic state of being alone and old, and achy in a cold hospital.
“Vida?”
Vince snapped alert, surprised the doctor had returned, standing over him, his face blushing with some unexpected expression.
Dr. Pavle Laszkovi wondered if he’d said something wrong, considering the way the slender man snapped around as he did. “It is Vida, isn’t it? That’s what is in your medical file.” He pointed to the tablet in his hand for emphasis. The face, worried over with emotions still didn’t diminish the angelic allure. Because Pavle remembered that face when it was flourishing under the heavy adoration of a brother. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“Yes,” Vince interrupted, “well, used to—” He paused a moment, looking uncertain. “Yes. That’s me.” He shivered.
Pavle could see he wasn’t comfortable, and he fumbled for anything to say. “Are you cold?”
“A little, I guess.”
“Well, you’re free to go.” Though the curt suggestion didn’t seem to make the worry go away, and he felt as though he was part of the cause. He also didn’t want him to go right then. “If your ride isn’t here yet, maybe I could offer you something to help warm you up.”
“Excuse me?” A tired face blinked at him.
“I wanted to offer—” Pavle fidgeted. “I, uh, I make a pretty good tea— helps calm the nerves. I wanted to offer— I mean—” he stalled, wiping across his lips as if trying to erase all the stuttering thoughts he was about to spit out and try again. He set the tablet down on the counter, then stuffed his hands into his pockets, unable to tuck away the sheepish smile that came over him. “This is embarrassing,” Pavle admitted. He shook his head and immediately made the correction. “I wanted to offer—” He shifted on his feet. He almost had to laugh at himself over it, because the androgynous man made him feel like a ridiculous insecure school kid attempting to ask for his first date. “What I mean to say is— I make a pretty good tea. It helps calm the nerves— my nerves especially,” he joked. “It might also help warm you up. I mean—” He shifted again, the embarrassment still apparent, unshakable. “Would you join me for some tea? I’m overdue for a break. I’d like your company.” He fidgeted some more because now he’d just worded it in a way that could be misconstrued as unprofessional conduct. Great, but there was no refuting he had a crush on this allusive angel. “While we wait for your brother, that is,” he quickly added, if for no other reason but to assure Vida he meant no funny business. Because no fool would risk misplaced ideas when there was a brother on the way, right? Good God, he couldn’t remember being this foolish, even in high school. But then again, he had still been living in Serbia at the time, and he wasn’t allowed to pursue any crushes as a boy in their home country.
He was certain Vida was going to laugh at him. It was nuts, he knew. But he couldn’t take his eyes off him.
“I would love some tea.”
Just then, one of the staff assistants poked her head into the room. “Miss Masters, your ride is here.”
“Oh, okay, thank you,” Vince replied then blushed before the doctor. “Thank you for the offer, maybe another time.” He tried to offer an apologetic smile, but he was so tired he was certain he failed at it. And he really did want to go home.
The doctor smiled at him and nodded. “Of course. Remember to rest for a few days, and no twirling, ballroom dancing for at least a week. Doctor’s orders.”
“Thank you.”
As Vince slipped out of the emergency room, he couldn’t help but chance a glimpse over his shoulder, and there the doctor was— watching as he left as though sorry to see him go. I wonder what his hands feel like?
*NOTE: for those who are wondering where Vince’s story starts and ends: It picks up right behind where Becoming His Slave ended, and spans over the entire series so far, tying up what some readers may have perceived as opened-ended stray parts and/or sets these issues up for further inclusion of the series. It then ends directly in the same shooting scene as Right One 4 Diesel ended.
Marcus Scriven’s book, Seducing His Thief book 8, picks up in the same scene where these two left you , and goes forward. We’re hoping to have Marcus’s book ready for release by the end of this year, but his book has also shown its going to be larger than expected. (upward around the size of Right One 4 Diesel), so it’s gonna be a doozy and well worth this long wait. ❤
TPS PUBLISHING 