First Kiss Friday with Ruth A. Casie

Thank you for stopping by my First Kiss Friday blog. I’m so happy to have you here with me again. Today’s returning guest is my friend Ruth A. Casie who has an excerpt from her new release in the Lyon’s Den Connected World, The Lyon’s Alliance! I just love writing in this world and all the stories connected to it. We hope you enjoy this first kiss excerpt. Happy reading, my lovelies!

The Set Up:

As part of his wager with Mrs. Dove-Lyon, Lord Wolfton, Wolf to his friends escorted Christina to a charity concert. Unbeknownst to him, he was to receive a service recognition award something he had successfully avoided for a long time. This time would be no different. He excused himself before the concert began and didn’t return.

Richard found a very distraught Christina waiting for Wolf in the concert foyer. He rescued her but the damage had already been done. The morning paper was full of gossip.

“Adding fuel for the wagging tongues, observant patrons noted the unexpected sight of Miss Hartfield in a lovely shimmering silk gown accompanied by another gentleman, who was spotted in the viscount’s private box. Was this a mere coincidence or a hint at deeper entanglements? Was Lord Wolfton simply a casualty of unforeseen circumstances, or was the ‘other gentleman’s’ presence the cause of his sudden disappearance?”

Richard arrived early at Christina’s home to make sure she was all right. Wolf arrived shortly after to make his apologies.

The Excerpt:

“I thank you and your mother for your time this morning. I must be going,” Richard said.

“Are you certain? You’re welcome to stay.” Christina twisted the edge of her serviette.

Wolf sensed an underlying unease in her voice. She almost sounded afraid to be alone with him, which made him more anxious about Richard leaving. He forced himself not to fidget.

“That is kind of you. We can discuss the astronomy program later. You provided enough information for me to bring it to the committee later today. Thank you again.” Turning to Wolf, Richard gave a nod. “Wolf.” Richard made his way into the hall and out the front door.

Wolf placed his serviette on the table and turned in his seat to face Christina. Prepared to express himself as succinctly as possible and leave, he hesitated. After much deliberation, he decided to invent a simple explanation—that he and his friend were in a conversation and were unaware of how long he’d been away.

Now, as he looked at her, he knew she would see his deception.

“Would you like to join me in the drawing room? It’s more conducive to a conversation.” Christina rose from her seat.

He stood, walked over to her, and extended his hand. All the anger seemed to dissolve as he peered into her eyes. “I’d be happy to join you.”

She gathered her shawl and the London Chronicle, accepted his hand, and they both made their way into the drawing room. She put what she had in her hands on the table and then led Wolf to the high-backed chairs. The setting afforded them privacy as they faced each other.

“I came here for several reasons.” He leaned forward and took her hands. “To return your shawl.”

“Yes, thank you.” Her terse response made him uncomfortable.

“I found it on the bench when I returned to the concert hall.” Wolf paused. He wished he had brandy rather than coffee. This was more difficult than he thought. “I also found you gone—”

“Wolf, there is no need—” She attempted to pull her hands away, but he held her firmly. She looked at him, surprised.

“Yes, there is. Thomas and I had grown up together and attended Eton together. We were brothers in every way but blood.” He took a breath to calm his racing heart. “We looked after each other. He was the daring one, while I was more conservative. Isn’t that funny? Me, the conservative one.” His forehead was damp, and he knew he had to get the words out. “I couldn’t save him.”

Wolf stared at their hands, but his mind was somewhere else. “We were outnumbered, facing a superior force. Yet, he ran out before anyone could stop him. The men held me back from going after him. I knew what he was doing.”

A hushed gasp escaped her. “The garden game you played as children?”

He glanced at her with a soft smile. “Yes.”

“He was certain a lone Frenchman was firing on us and planned to go behind him. We kept the attention on us. One by one, the French picked us off. That was when we knew more than one Frenchman was hiding. But we kept firing. When Tommy attempted the ambush, the French were prepared.”

He dropped her hands and covered his face. “Bloody hell, why didn’t I go after him?”

Christina rose and went to the cellarette. When she returned, he was standing. She handed him a glass of brandy.

Wolf gazed at her, smiled weakly, and accepted the drink.

“When the battle was over, I was the one left. I made my way to Tommy. He was still alive. I did what I could, hoping reinforcements would arrive. I held him like a baby, rocked, and talked to him to keep him awake. That’s when Barrington arrived. He brought Tommy and me to the field hospital.”

“Terrible things happen in war, but you know that better than I.” Christina nodded toward the glass in his hand. “Come, drink up.”

“Who do you think is the mystery author?” she asked. He drank the brandy and was glad she shifted the conversation away from the current topic.

“I have another confession. I wanted to accompany Mrs. Dove-Lyon to these Society events. Wherever I go, there is gossip. I thought Mrs. Dove-Lyon was accustomed to people’s chatter, and I certainly pay no heed to it. When she had to step away from attending the events and suggested I accompany you as her replacement, I thought there would be no gossip.”

“I didn’t anticipate the uproar either.” Christina hadn’t moved away from him. “I suppose we will laugh at the fuss when we reflect on the events. I do wish I knew who was orchestrating this.”

“I spoke with Lady Grace.” Wolf hesitated briefly. “She is well-connected, and I thought she might know who was giving the London Chronicle information. However, she wasn’t aware of the culprit but assured me she would make it her business to find out. It is just a matter of time.” He paused. “The final event, the gala, is a fitting end to this charade.”

Christina nodded. She removed the empty glass from his hands and placed it on the table next to her. “Yes. Perhaps by then, the gossip will tire of us. Move on to fresher scandals.”

Wolf’s gaze lingered on her. “And if it doesn’t?”

She met his eyes and smiled. “Then we face it.”

“At the moment, it is crucial that you forgive me,” he added.

Her open expression faded into one of surprise. Christina opened her mouth but hesitated.

He allowed himself a small smile, feeling a rare surge of mischief. As he did, he felt his usual guardedness ease, replaced by a sense of openness he seldom showed, a playful and vulnerable side that he rarely let others see.

Gently gathering her in his arms. Wolf lifted her face. An expectant hush fell over the room. The warmth of her skin against his palms was intoxicating, but his mind was on the wager with Mrs. Dove-Lyon. He couldn’t afford to lose it.

A breath apart, he studied her eyes. They held anger and distrust, but he had to change her mind. He lowered his lips onto hers, not out of love but out of necessity.

Her lips were soft, softer than he’d imagined. He tasted the hint of tea along with the sweetness of vulnerability. The kiss was a calculated move and not a promise whispered in the quiet of a shared breath. Wolf was on a precipice where desire met strategy, where longing collided with his need to win.

He stepped back, breaking the spell, and Christina’s eyes fluttered open. His gaze lingered on her, not because her kiss was sweet or because she was exquisite, but because he needed to gauge her reaction. She was a means to an end, a vision that defied reason only in how she could help him get what he wanted. He stepped back even farther, aware of the raw emotion that must have shown in his eyes. He didn’t mean to reveal so much, yet he couldn’t help but wonder if she could ever understand the depth of his determination to keep his biggest secret from Mrs. Dove-Lyon, even if it meant breaking her heart.

The Lyon’s Alliance
By Ruth A. Casie

In a world where alliances are everything, love becomes the most daring and unpredictable alliance of all.

In Regency London, a mystery threatens high society. Christina Hartfield, facing financial woes, assists Mrs. Dove-Lyon with charity work. She is caught between Viscount Wolfton, who is hiding a wager that could ruin them both, and Richard St. John, who strives to protect her from the rake. Encouraged by Richard, Christina undertakes a project for impoverished children. It gains momentum, but whispers of embezzlement and scandal threaten her efforts. With reputations, fortunes, and hearts on the line, Christina must determine who to trust. Will the truth come to light before it’s too late? Can love triumph over deceit, or will shadows destroy her chance at happiness?

Buy link or read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited: Amazon

About the Author:

RUTH A. CASIE is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes historical adventures from the shores of medieval Scotland to the cobblestone streets of Regency London. Within the pages, you’ll discover ‘edge-of-your-seat’ suspense, mind-boggling drama, and heart-melting emotions featuring strong women and the men who deserve them. She currently has four historical series: The Druid Knight, The Stelton Legacy, and The Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea, and sheparticipates in The Connected World of The Pirates of Britannia as well as The Lyon’s Den Connected World. My fifth series, Barrington’s Brigade launches in January 2025 with Book One – A Marriage for the Marquess.

Ruth lives in New Jersey with her hero, three empty bedrooms, and a growing number of incomplete counted cross-stitch projects. Before she found her voice, she was a speech therapist (pun intended), client liaison for a corrugated manufacturer, and vice president at a major international bank where she was a product/marketing manager, but her favorite job is the one she’s doing now—writing romance. Grab your favorite cup of tea, or an ale if you prefer, and join her heroes and heroines as they race across the pages to find their happily ever after. Ruth hopes her stories are your next favorite adventures!

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