Bex Dane's Blog - Posts Tagged "bex-dane"

This is the first draft so it'll likely change, but I thought this interaction with Vander and Magnum showed how close they are. Spoilers ahead:

Magnum
"Y'all didn't have to come on a Sunday morning. I was planning on bringing her down this afternoon and into headquarters on Monday."
Vander leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and leveled his gaze on me. "Let's say I called you on Tuesday and asked you to look into my brother's crypto dealings." I'd forgotten that I had called him Tuesday after the engagement dinner. "Then let's say that Friday afternoon, I call you to tell you my brother's missing, and I got a mysterious tail on me." I did that too on Friday after the wedding ceremony. "On Saturday morning, I'm asking you to look into a notorious drug kingpin while I have Talon install a security system in a random bakery." Wren looked up at me when he said kingpin and the fear was back in her eyes. "Early Sunday, I'm requesting you send someone to meet the cops after an explosion in said bakery while asking for safe house access for an unknown woman. You telling me wouldn't get in a car at sunrise and make the two hour drive to see if I needed backup?"
I grinned and sat back on the couch, knees spread wide. "I'd probably have been on your ass on Tuesday asking what the fuck your brother was up to."
Everyone chuckled at that because Vander and his brothers owned the company so I'd be checking on one of my own bosses. "Right. Sorry I'm late. What the fuck is your brother up to?" Vander asked sardonically.

Brandy is spilling the beans to the newcomer, Wren, over breakfast.
"Steel's real name is Itee Nivikanguak." She proceeded to share even though I'd just met Steel.
"Are you supposed to be telling me this?"
She shrugged. "He's from Alaska," as if that explained anything.
"I bet he has some interesting stories to tell." He had a scar on his face too, not as prominent as Vander's big V but more recent and just a gash on his cheek.
"Oh, you should talk to Celeste. She is so badass. Her real name is Misha. She's from Russia originally but Vander met her when Steel was being held hostage in Colombia."
Steel leaned down with his handsome face and whispered in her ear. "Babe, chill on the stories and real names for now."
Her eyes got all dreamy and she squeezed his hand. "Okay." She turned to me and winked. "Later then."

Mag and Wren still haven't done the deed, but they spend a lot of time together in bed for some reason.
Spoilers ahead...

I lay down next to her. "There's a myriad of reasons I'm not going to kiss you or be anywhere near you without underwear."
She smiled and grinned up at me. "And what are those, great wizard?" God, she was cute as fuck when she was sleepy.
"You're married to my brother."
"Pfffttt." She waved her hand in the air.
"Knight Security has a rule we can't fuck married women."
Her eyes popped fully open. "Really? Why?"
"Holdover from the military. KS doesn't adopt a lot of the military rules, but that one the brothers decided to keep. Have to ask them why, but I've seen some ugly brawls go down when another man's wife is involved."
"What do they do if you break it?"
"I don't know. Probably a fine or you get fired. I ain't gonna find out. The money's too good to blow it on a rule like that. Besides, I don't fuck married women or virgins."
She laughed. "Well, I'm both."
I groaned and rolled away from her. "That you are. Goodnight, my little rebel."
"I'm not a rebel."
"Sure you're not."

"Thank you for being my fake husband. It was fun. In the end, it was real though. I truly love you."

Magnum's book tentatively called True Anchor coming soon to Kindle Unlimited. Early chapters coming soon on Substack and Patreon.

Sneak peek at Chapter 1 of Magnum's book - tentatively called "True Anchor"
First draft is done, watch for the pre-order coming soon.

Chapter 1 The Happy Couple
Magnum
An engagement party. This was my brother's pretense for calling me here to this restaurant in Chinatown, Los Angeles.
The text simply said he was getting married and he wanted me to come to the party.
Well, here I was.
Where the hell was he?
Put my job on hold for him to drive up here for him. He'd better show.
The Golden Dragon restaurant wasn't very busy. Only a few tables full of mostly old men, smelled like grease and smoke. The hostess was cute though and looking me up and down. A black girl in a tight little red silk dress, tits high, sexy necklace dropping down between them. My type. Might as well work my magic on her while I was waiting for Gavin to show up, maybe take her out later, rock her world.
I walked up to her podium where she had a book with the tables listed. "Just one tonight?" Her mouth dropped open when she saw me.
Yeah, babe. I get that a lot.
I caught her gaze and held it. "No. I'm waiting for my party."
She snapped her mouth closed, popped out a hip, and plastered on a vixen smile. "What's your name, honey? I'll let you know when they get here." Her voice was much higher and sweeter now.
"Beaumont."
She bent forward and scribbled down Bomount.
Excellent. Also my type. Can't spell for shit.
Her lips smacked like she was suddenly chewing gum. "You like dim sum?" Oh yeah, totally my type. Too easy. Maybe my trip up to LA wasn't such a waste of time.
"Is that what you're servin'?" I stepped forward and got in her space, towering over her tiny wooden podium.
She slowly raised her head and breathed out a long sigh. "I'm offerin' whatever you're takin'."
Way too easy. "What time you get off?"
"I'm off at nine."
I nodded but didn't promise her nothing. I had no idea where I'd be three hours from now, and I was already getting tired of her after just a few words. But she looked like a good fuck so maybe I'd find a way to be back here when she got off. Maybe not.
She was eye-fucking me the whole time I was waiting for my brother. He finally showed.
Or at least it looked like him. He'd cleaned up. Short hair, suit with a bow tie, clean shoes.
I was laughing as he walked closer. "What the hell happened to you, man?" We hugged and I patted him on the back. I'd never seen him in anything other than oversized jerseys and pants hanging off his ass. His hair was always long or braided and he never shaved.
"A man can't look nice?"
"You look completely fucking different."
"A good woman will do that."
He moved aside and I saw her. His woman. Short, hair pulled back, a black and white argyle sweater with a white dress shirt underneath, small string of pearls beneath the sharp points of the collar, black slacks with a crease in the front, white socks, and shiny loafers.
"This is Wren." Gavin looked so fucking proud of his girl. She looked barely legal, sweet and innocent, and completely not his type at all. "This is my big brother Antoinne." His smile and voice dripped with smarmy sarcasm.
"Magnum." I corrected him but he knew what he was doing.
"Right."
We'd had our fights over the years, but I was still his blood. I was the only blood he had, so he'd better not be disrespecting me in front of this "girl." She was clearly in over her head with a criminal like Gavin. What was her angle? What could she possibly want from him? Dude was broke and as soulless as me.
"Sylvie and Julian coming?" I asked my brother, ignoring Wren's outstretched hand.
"No. Too short notice." He glanced down at my snub of his girl's hand and frowned at it.
He didn't invite the other siblings? Only me?
"Any of your friends coming?"
"Nope."
"Her family?"
She looked away, and he wrapped an arm over her shoulders.
"No," he said with a tone telling me to back off.
"So I'm the guest of honor at your engagement party?"
He'd duped me? Pretended it was a family gathering and it was just me. I hated being duped. I hated being lied to. Everyone was a fucking liar. Was it so hard to just be honest and tell the truth?
"Wren is the guest of honor. I wanted you to meet her. Now stop being an ass and say hello to her."
"Hello," I quipped and turned back to the hostess.
She'd been eagerly watching the whole exchange. Her smile faltered when she saw my scowl, but she recovered.
"Table for three," I said.
"Sure thing, handsome. Follow me."
She walked out into the main dining room, swinging her hips as she headed toward the crowded center where most of the patrons were sitting.
"That one." I pointed to an empty table in the corner by a ground-level patio. Privacy with an exit if I needed it. I had my personal service weapon concealed in my pocket if anything went down.
We took seats and the hostess left the menus. "Your server will be with you shortly." She sashayed away with her little attitude in check.
Wren reached for her napkin and opened it in a practiced way before placing it in her lap. She was fancy. High society. Again. What the hell did she want with Gavin? "You pregnant?" I asked her.
Her eyes bugged out at the same time Gavin called my name. "Mag!"
"Is she pregnant? Tell me the truth."
"No. Alright? Now chill. I want us to be a family."
Ouch. Fuck. Gavin nailed a blow right through the heart. We didn't have much, but we always had each other. I always told him I was his family, his only blood brother besides Julian. He wanted to bring this girl into the Beaumont Clan, and she deserved a fair chance from me.
"Fine. What do you do, Wren?" I rested my forearms on the table and tried to relax my very tense fingers that would not uncurl.
"I work at a bakery."
"A bakery? Like birthday cakes and shit?" Gavin brought a sweet, fancy girl who sold fucking cookies to join our family? Our fucked up dysfunctional non-existent white trash psychotic slightly illicit family?
"More like Asian treats. Sticky buns and specialty breads. What do you do?"
"I blow shit up." It was true. My pants still had debris on them from the distraction discharge we set off during a hostage rescue earlier in the day.
"Oh, do you work for the studios?"
It took me a second to process her meaning. I'd forgotten we were so close to Hollywood and the movie industry. I knew a few former team guys who worked in the movies, but, nah, not me. I liked the real stuff. No cosplay for me.
"Mag was a Navy SEAL," Gavin blurted out loudly. "Retired before the pension kicked in for some unknown reason."
"Jesus, Gav." He knew he wasn't supposed to talk about the details of my military service.
He leaned in toward me and used a fake quiet voice that everyone could totally hear. "I'm marrying her. She's gonna find out."
I looked to the ceiling. God help me get through this.
"Now, he's a private commando for hire," he said confidently to Wren.
"That's enough." I growled. He was pushing too many boundaries all at once. My fists clenched, and I was very close to punching my brother in the face at his own engagement party.
Luckily, a waiter appeared and Gavin ordered like a pimp, a bottle of merlot and a full spread including lobster noodles and Peking duck. Then he asked what their best liquor for toasting was and asked for a round of top-shelf Baijiu.
Wren watched him the whole time with adoring eyes. What a fucking faker she was. There was no way she found Gavin's little display of recklessly ordering too much food attractive.
The chow was good and we ate silently. Wren wasn't a chatty bird. At least she had that going for her. Gavin was still a gabber like he always was, telling stories about us as kids, most of them untrue.
We didn't have fun times. We were too poor, too busy trying to survive. We had a trauma bond, but that didn't translate well to a girl wearing pearls and loafers, so he embellished. The guy lied as easy as he breathed.
She smiled and nodded at his tall tales, dabbing the duck sauce from the corners of her lips. Was this girl just gullible as hell? She didn't doubt anything Gavin said? The dude was a poor street thug from the bayou, not the fucking highballer he was pretending to be.
"What do you like to do for fun, Wren?" I asked her.
"Oh, I guess I like to feed the birds."
"I hate fucking birds."
She frowned and turned back to her plate.
By the time dinner was over, I'd had enough of their little show. "Let's talk outside."
"I was going to do a toast." He lifted the small but expensive glass of booze he'd ordered.
"After we talk." I stood up and made it clear with my eyes he would be following me.
"Alright. I'll be right back, sweetheart." He pressed a chaste kiss on her cheek and I wanted to vomit. I'd only seen Gavin fucking whores on couches, ass naked in the air. Never seen him even kiss a girl anywhere near her face.
This whole evening was a huge farce.

Clocking in at 66K, Magnum's first draft is done! I struggle with first drafts because there are so many ways the story could go, but now it's set. Mag and Wren are so entirely awesome, and this is the first fake relationship book I've ever written. It's also my first Black male lead and my first Asian female lead. Lots of firsts!
After this: second draft. This is where I'm at my best. I love to kick it up a notch, add the emotion and the body language. Add all the Easter eggs that are hidden until the end, and it's just a good time for me to linger with my characters and really slash their hearts out before I put them back together again.
Second draft should take about a month and then some time for editing and ARCs. I should have it out on Amazon by this summer.
So excited to share it with all my readers.

I walked up to her podium where she had a book with a map of the tables. "Just one tonight?" Her mouth dropped open when she saw me.
Yeah, babe. I get that a lot.
I caught her gaze and held it. "No. I'm waiting for my party."
She snapped her mouth closed, popped out a hip, and plastered on a vixen smile. "What's your name, honey? I'll let you know when they get here." Her voice was much higher and sweeter now.
"Beaumont."
She bent forward and scribbled down Bomount.
Excellent. Also my type. Can't spell for shit.
Her lips smacked like she was suddenly chewing gum. "You like dim sum?" Oh yeah, totally my type. Too easy. Maybe my trip up to LA wasn't such a waste of time.
"Is that what you're servin'?" I stepped forward and got in her space, towering over her tiny wooden podium.
She slowly raised her head and breathed out a long sigh. "I'm offerin' whatever you're takin'."
Way too easy. "What time you get off?"
"I'm off at nine." She smacked her imaginary gum harder.
I nodded but didn't promise her nothing. I had no idea where I'd be three hours from now, and I was already getting tired of her after just a few words. But she looked like a good fuck so maybe I'd find a way to be back here when she got off. Maybe not.

Spoilers for Mag's book

"Fine. Do women… Like when you were sleepy you said something so funny." She giggled again and my whole body got tight.
"I don't remember what I said. Why you laughin'?"
"Do you really have sex with women in their back hole?" She sputtered and giggled again.
Jesus. "Dear God, help me." I growled and fisted my hands at my side. I wanted to grab her and tickle her to death. So sweet. So innocent. "I don't want to be the one that tells you that."
"Who else is gonna tell me?"
"Google."
"I don't want to look it up. I want to know about you, specifically. I mean I know people do that, but like do all the girls you're with, they just let you do that whenever you want? Like even if you're sleeping and you wake up, you can just take what you want?"
Wren needed to stop talking or we were never getting to sleep. How the fuck did I answer her very honest question? I chewed my lips trying to ignore my raging boner and find a way to answer her that wouldn't scar her for life.
"First of all, I don't sleep with any women. I'm gone before that happens."
"Gone?"
"But if I did want to do that to someone, and she'd made it clear she's open to it." God, this was difficult to talk about with her. "Yeah, I'd take it."
She gasped and I heard her squirming around on her side of the bed. My dick was rock hard again at even the thought of taking her that way. I rolled on my stomach to press it into the mattress. Hopefully, she was gasping and writhing in disgust and this topic would never come up again.
"How would she make it clear?" she asked quietly.
I groaned into the pillow for a long time and she started giggling again. "The right answer is you have a nice long talk about it and get consent and prepare for it and all that. The truth is, she feels my dick there and she don't tilt her hips away, it's a sign. I test it out with my fingers, she still doesn't flinch, maybe she moans a little…"
Wren let out a stifled mewl that I felt in my balls.
"That answer your curiosity?"
"Yes," she said shortly with a high pitch.
"Now, go to sleep."
"Okay," she quipped.
Shit. Maybe she shouldn't have asked questions like that if she wasn't prepared for the answer. It took me an hour of thinking about spoiled rations and rotten corpses before my boner waned and I finally caught some shuteye.

They have removed the edit buttons for the blog so here's an updated version of this excerpt from Mag's book.
(removing edit buttons is a huge pet peeve of mine). The blog has disappeared from Amazon and is not under a tab on the mobile version but whatever. It's still here so I'm using it.
I do have a Substack blog but I'm only going to post edited stuff there.

She was quiet for a few minutes but I could feel something brewing in her head. Then she sputtered like she was holding back a giggle.
"What?" I couldn't pretend not to be interested because all her thoughts interested me.
"Nothing," she said, with a smile in her voice.
"It's not nothing. I can feel your brain overthinking and you can barely contain your mirth, so spill."
"Fine. Do women… Like when you were sleepy you said something so odd." She chortled and my whole body got tight.
"I don't remember what I said. Why you laughin'?"
"Okay. Okay." She struggled to get her chuckles under control. "Do you really have sex with women in their… back hole?" She sputtered and snorted in her merriment.
Jesus. "Dear God, help me." I growled and fisted my hands at my side. I wanted to grab her and tickle her to death. So sweet. So innocent. "I don't want to be the one that tells you that."
"Who else is gonna tell me?" It was dark, but I could see her turn toward me in the bed.
"Google."
"I don't want to look it up. I want to know about you, specifically. I mean I know people do that, but like do all the girls you're with, they just let you do that whenever you want? Like even if you're sleeping and you wake up, you can just do whatever you want?"
Wren needed to stop talking or we were never getting to sleep. How the fuck did I answer her very honest question? I chewed my lip trying to ignore my raging boner and find a way to respond that wouldn't scar her for life.
"First of all, I don't sleep with any women. I'm gone before that happens."
"Gone?"
"But if I did want to do that to someone, and she'd made it clear she's open to it." God, this was difficult to talk about with her. "Yeah, I'd take it."
She gasped and I heard her squirming around on her side of the bed. My dick was rock hard again at even the consideration of taking her that way. I rolled on my stomach to press it into the mattress. Hopefully, she was gasping and writhing in disgust and this topic would never come up again.
"How would she make it clear?" she asked timidly.
I groaned into the pillow for a long time which set off another round of uncomfortable giggles from her. "The right answer is you have a nice long talk about it and get consent and prepare for it and all that. The truth is, she feels my dick there and she don't tilt her hips away, it's a sign. I test it out with my fingers, she still doesn't flinch, maybe she moans a little…"
Wren let out a stifled mewl that I felt in my balls.
"That answer your curiosity?" I asked her.
"Yes," she said shortly with a high pitch.
"Now, go to sleep."
"Okay," she quipped.
Shit. Maybe she shouldn't have asked questions like that if she wasn't prepared for the answer. It took me an hour of thinking about spoiled rations and rotten corpses before my boner waned and I finally caught some shuteye.

I have published Chapters 1-5 of True Anchor on Patreon. 1-3 are free and the rest of the book is just $2/month and I'm posting several times a week.
This book will be released in Kindle Unlimited and pre-order should be up soon.
It's happening!