Wordsmith Wednesday #4

Welcome one and all to the next greatest meme on the face of the planet!  Well, at least to us! :-) It started as the brain child of the great Hope Collier.  Thanks, Izzie, for such a great idea!

The objective:

Show us a scene from your current project. It can be creepy, adventurous, romantic, etc. Just a snippet to let readers see what they're in for!

The guidelines:

 * Must be from a current work-in-progress (WIP). Nothing already published.
 * You may choose from any section of the manuscript, but be mindful not to include spoilers.
 * Keep it clean and YA audience friendly, please. No erotica.
 * Stay under 300 words or about one page. It can be as little as a few lines if you prefer. We just want to give readers a chance to see everyone's selection. 
 * Link back to Chirenjenzie so we can enjoy others' work as well!
 * Include the guidelines in your post.


All righty, I've been playing with the idea of an adult historical romance. What do you think?

Derek stood at the fringe of the ballroom, searching. He hadn't seen her in over a year, but when rumors circulated that she was back, he knew he had to find out if they were true. His breath stilled as his eyes fell upon their prey. 

Her dress, black as midnight, was a perfect backdrop for creamy white skin. Even from this distance, he could see the swell of her breast peeking from under it's velvet confinement. 

 

Derek shouldn't have trifled with wallflowers, but when he met Tess, he couldn't help himself. Back then, she wore gowns that the most chaste nun would find acceptable, her mahogany hair hidden under a laced cap. He walked past her without a second glance for years, until he finally noticed those heather gray eyes. They tempted him beyond reason.

When he first approached her he didn't realize that she had debilitating insecurities. Her mysterious past left walls around her heart, and Derek became weary of trying to get past them. It wasn't until he'd taken what he wanted that he realized her limitations. And so, he left her with nothing more than a broken heart and a tarnished reputation. He never thought she'd have the courage to set foot in another ballroom. But she was no longer the timid mouse she used to be. Now she was ... exquisite. 

"If you value your life, I'd advise you stay away." A deep voice growled from behind. Derek turned to see a brooding horse of a man with ruthless green eyes. "You don't deserve to breathe her air." 

"Viscount Haldane," Derek tipped a shallow bow. "What a pleasant surprise." Even though the words were cordial, his tone was visceral, aggressive.

Haldane's clenched hands struggled to remain at his side. "She's mine now." Possessiveness darkened his tone. "And you'll be choosing your second if  you so much as look at her again."

Derek forced his expression into blank indifference. "You think she's worth your life?" He shrugged, turning from the ballroom. "You'll have no more luck getting past her walls than I did."

Haldane took a step closer, his voice became menacing. "You stupid cur. You don't understand her at all, do you?"

Derek was intelligent enough to take a few steps back, but Haldane followed, keeping the distance dangerously close.

"I proctect those walls; they are hers to keep for as long as she wishes. But if, or God willing, when she relinquishes the last of her heart, it will be because she invited me past her defenses not because I destroyed her."