When the duchess decides to wed her to a wastrel and a
fop, Ravyn Grahm takes matters into her own hands and declares her engagement
to another man.
EXCERPT: A Marriage of
Inconvenience
Ravyn smiled, curtsied, and stepped into Ryder’s arms
with a grace learned from the first tutors in her English castle.
At the sideboard, Aric watched with veiled eyes. He
poured himself a stiff drink then another, cursing silently the whole time. He
had wanted so much to have Ravyn in his arms, to feel her softness and warmth
beneath his fingertips and against the hard angled planes of his body. He could
smell her delicate perfume and see the intense clarity of her eyes.
And he had let another man do all those things.
The mug hit the sideboard with a muted thud that was
lost in the music of the pipes. A few long strides brought him to the
fireplace. He stood in the shadows, leaning against the mantle, gazing
intensely at Ravyn with a hunger he could no longer hide. Her simple day dress
of the palest lavender made her eyes a more vivid shade of violet. Her skin
glowed like fragile porcelain lit from within. The simple chignon emphasized
the delicate lines of her face. Tendrils of hair escaped to lie in soft curves
at her temples, nape and ears.
Even as Aric felt anger sweeping through his body at
the sight of his wife burning like a candle flame in another man’s arms, Aric
reminded himself there was nothing improper about the dance. Though Ryder’s
unusual size made an intense foil to Ravyn’s fragile femininity, Ryder was
holding her properly, neither too close to his body nor too familiar in the
placement of his hands. Nor was Ravyn clinging too much. They were just dancing
and skimming gracefully around the parlor floor.
Then the darkly handsome Ryder grinned down at Ravyn
and began singing in his fine voice about the rolling hills of Scotland and the
brave lads and lassies. When a braw Scotsman spied a bonnie lass by a clear
meadow stream. The Scotsman’s charms quickly seduced the pretty girl, who
pleaded for his name in marriage.
Ryder’s dark eyes simmered with suppressed laughter
as he watched Ravyn react to the wry lyrics. Her golden laugher bubbled up
contagiously, bringing forth more laugher.
Aric was too furious to laugh. Seeing the change
wrought by Ryder on Ravyn’s pallid appearance made Aric feel murderous. The
only thing preventing him from retreating to another room was the thought of
not being able to watch Ravyn. At the moment, he was simmering for a good fight,
and Ryder was at the top of his list.
Ryder kept on, whirling her easily around the room
until she was breathless with laughter.
Unnoticed, and unable to keep himself from watching,
Aric leaned against the doorframe leading to his bedroom. He stood with his
arms crossed over his chest, staring at Ravyn with an impassive face and
thoughts that promised Hell to anyone who ventured too close.
Aric couldn’t help noticing Ravyn, who appeared
stunningly feminine next to the massive bulk of Ryder. Barely five feet one
inches tall, she was eleven inches shorter than Ryder, yet there was nothing
childlike in the proportions of her body. The curves of breast and hip, waist
and ankle showed clearly against the soft folds of her dress as the cloth
swirled fluidly with her movements.
Finally, the dance ended in a fast and furious pace,
Ryder lifting Ravyn high over his head. After Ravyn landed gracefully on the
floor and the music stopped, Ryder smiled and lifted one of Ravyn’s hands to
his lips kissing the back of it. She curtsied deeply, graceful as a flower.
Though he didn’t speak his thought aloud, it was clear from his expression he
was thoroughly enchanted by his dance partner.
"Again, Damian," Amorica murmured.
"That’s one of my favorite songs."
The melancholy strains of the pipes flowed through
the room. A reminder of an ancient heritage they would not forget. Soon Ryder
and Ravyn were whirling around the room again. Ryder held his partner lightly,
gazing down at her with approving eyes, singing in his fine voice. No one could
hear Ryder’s words but Ravyn blushed and laughed with transparent pleasure.
Ryder spun quickly, taking Ravyn with him, making her skirt billow like
wind-blown flame. He stopped and dipped deeply, forcing her to depend upon his
strength for her balance. When she accepted his lead without protest, his smile
flashed, transforming his face, making his handsome enough to stop a woman’s
heart.
A burning fury swept Aric.
When I touch
her, she berates me as a bastard. Yet when Ryder holds her, she stares at him
as though she’s been struck by a lightening bolt.
I don’t know
who is the greater fool--me for caring or Ryder for falling for a dream--for
someone who can steal his heart but give nothing in return.
With a predatory grace, Aric crossed the parlor. It
was only a moment, but it gave warning to Damian what was about to happen.
Ryder didn’t notice Aric’s approach. His attention was on Ravyn’s smiling face
and the firelight dancing in her hair. The hard masculine tap on his shoulder made
him jerk.
"Patience, my friend," Ryder said. "It
will be your dance soon."
"All the dances are mine."
The icy fury in Aric’s words made Ryder’s head snap
around. One look at Aric and he released Ravyn without an argument. Ravyn’s
lips parted in a half smile directed toward Aric, but her smile vanished just
as suddenly as it started to appear. She tripped as he whirled her away from
Ryder and into his arms.
"Aric," she breathed, inhaling a deep
breath, while her fingers dug into his arms as if to steady herself. "You
surprised me."
Arid didn’t bother to politely pretend it had been
his error in the cadence rather than Ravyn’s that had caused her to trip.
"I will do more than surprise you if you
continue to seduce every man you see."
ALSO BY CHRISTINE YOUNG
REVIEW: Allura's Secret
Reviewer: Chrissy Dionne Reviewer
Email: RJChrissyDionne@yahoo.com
Christine Young’s ALLURA is a
delightful historical novel full of suspense, lovable characters, humor and a
budding romance between two characters determined not to fall in love. Allura
and Hunter’s stubborn, determined natures allowed for some interesting scenes
as they attempted to get one up on each other. As a modern day woman I felt bad
for Allura because technically her husband would dictate every aspect of her
life and the freedom she loves would be a thing of the past. Hunter is
unbending as far as to how he believes a wife should behave but falling in love
changes him and his perception of Allura. Hunter and Allura are the main focus
of this story but there are secondary characters whom I absolutely adored and
would love to revisit in future novels (hint, hint). Especially the youngest
sister Aiden and Hunter’s trusted friend Blade. He doesn’t believe in love and
she’s determined to do whatever’s necessary to get him to notice her. SNIPPET—
Allura has come to treasure her freedom and the adventures she shares with her
sisters and her cousins but her father’s decision to find her a husband
threatens that freedom. He’s placed an ad in the times in search of a man
strong and smart enough to discover where exactly it is that the girls venture
when they leave the safety of the castle.
-
BLURB: Allura's Secret
Allura
McClellan is horrified by her father’s decision to take out an ad in the Times
awarding her to the man strong enough and smart enough to win her hand and
uncover her secrets. She’s an intelligent young woman who
takes great delight in the freedom allotted to her by her father. She’s well
aware that marriage would effectively curtail the adventures she’s shared with
her sisters and cousins.
Hunter Gray is nothing like the other men who’ve arrived to vie for
Allura’s hand in marriage and everything that goes along with it. However, he
is the first to refuse to concede defeat and pursue her despite her attempts to
disguise her true appearance. It’s her temperament that is of more concern to
him than her looks. Hunter has worked all his life with the hope of someday
owning his own land. Now that it looks like there’s a very real possibility
that everything he’s ever wanted is within reach nothing is going to deter him
– including Miss Allura’s disagreeable disposition.
No comments:
Post a Comment