Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This is the last week for snippets from The Dandy Lyon! Last Wednesday the book released and was a best-seller on Amazon. So next week I’ll be moving on to my next release, book 4 of my Matchmaker’s Ball series, The Ruin of Miss Amelia Burrowes. 

The Dandy Lyon

BLURB:

In love, the odds may never be in your favor.

Ruthless, wealthy, social outsider Marcus Dandridge has fallen in love. Hard. So hard he’s already attempted to force marriage to Lady Joanna Longford by means of blackmail—and failed utterly, gaining the eternal enmity of her brother. Now desperate, Marcus consults his friend, Mrs. Dove-Lyon at The Lyon’s Den, whose recommendation is a wild gamble–one Marcus would never lay odds on at his gaming establishments. But he’s so desperate to have Joanna, he’s willing to roll the dice just once more.

Lady Joanna Longford, just out and already bored by the conventional gentlemen she’s met, is suddenly intrigued by the darkly handsome Mr. Dandridge. He’s different from the other Society men—which makes her even more susceptible to his unconventional pursuit of her.

Still, the odds are against them, until Fate—and her brother’s decree that they will never marry—triggers a defiance that may well spell disaster for both of them…

Today’s final snippet continues where we left off last week, with Marcus and Joanna enjoying the last fleeting moments of their dance. Enjoy!

EXCERPT:

“I assure you, Lady Joanna, if I believed I would be able to partner you again, I would have already asked.” He shot a glance over his shoulder at the doorway into the ballroom. “Unfortunately, I do not think that will be allowed.”

The hectic buzz of conversation in the room was suddenly quelled when a raised voice overcame the din of the other guests. “What the devil is going on here?”

Joanna jerked her head around. She knew that voice all too well.

Her brother Geoffrey, head and shoulders taller than most of the other people in the room, was striding toward the ballroom floor, shouldering people out of his way with the determination of a general leading his troops into battle. As he passed their mother, she snared his arm, pulling him around to face her.

Returning her attention to the dance, Joanna had a sinking feeling that Mr. Dandridge’s estimation of the chances for them dancing again was completely correct.

And a little bit more…

She’d seen that look on Geoffrey’s face before and knew it did not bode well for Mr. Dandridge. The reason for her brother’s ire, however, escaped her. At least she and her partner were able to continue the quadrille until the final bow and curtsey. Then, smiling her thanks to Mr. Dandridge, she took his arm and glanced up into dark eyes that stared at her with such longing she had to stifle a gasp. “W…will you escort me back to my mother, please?”

“Of course, my lady. It will be my utmost pleasure.” Mr. Dandridge started them toward the spot where her mother stood, a false smile plastered on her face, beside Geoffrey who looked as though he’d swallowed ground glass.

“What is between you and my brother?” Joanna whispered to him. “Why does he look as though he wants to kill you?”

“Most likely because he does.” Mr. Dandridge’s pace didn’t slacken, even after that startling statement. They approached her family and Geoffrey stepped forward, his face dark as midnight without a moon.

When they were close enough, her brother snatched her hand from Mr. Dandridge’s arm—although not before Mr. Dandridge managed to give it a fleeting squeeze that sent another wave of heat up her arm. Then Geoffrey was standing between her and Mr. Dandridge.

“I thought I told you in no uncertain terms, Dandridge, that you were to leave my sister alone.” Her brother’s face was a monstrous thing to behold—his brows furrowed in the deepest frown, his lips pressed into a straight line, his eyes flashing with absolute hatred.

The last of these frightened Joanna more than anything else.

“You did make that request of me, my lord.” Mr. Dandridge had his cold gaze trained on Geoffrey, then it strayed to her and softened almost imperceptibly. “I fear I chose to disregard it.”

Good lord, was the man baiting her brother? And here, in the most public of places? The recesses of her mind, however, posed the question of why Geoffrey had forbidden Mr. Dandridge to have anything to do with her.

“You do so at your peril, sir.” Geoffrey drew himself up to his full six-foot, four-inch height.

Mr. Dandridge cooly scanned the ballroom, then he leaned toward Geoffrey. “If you intend to call me out, you will have your pick of witnesses, most of whom will believe that your action was prompted not because I was merely dancing with your sister—which you must agree is allowed in Polite Society. But rather because you believe I have compromised her in some way. Even I would take odds on that being tomorrow morning’s on-dit.”

Geoffrey’s face drained of color and Joanna caught a muttered curse.

“Very well, Dandridge.” Geoffrey stepped back, immediately assuming a polite, disinterested mask on his face. “I take your point.” He ground his teeth together until Joanna would swear she heard them crack. “However, I fear my sister is fatigued, so we will be leaving. Come, Mother.”

Without another word, he seized Joanna’s arm and pulled her toward the doorway.

The Dandy Lyon, part of Dragonblade Publishing’s Lyon’s Den shared world series, is now available on Amazon as an e-book. Grab your copy here!!

Next week you’ll get to sample my next release, Book 4 of The Matchmaker’s Ball series, The Ruin of Miss Amelia Burrowes, available for pre-order on Amazon. It releases on May 1st!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the WWW snippets here! There are some great stories out there!