FIRST KISS FRIDAY

For fun, I thought I'd share the first kiss between my characters Shelby Stewart-Steele and her estranged husband, Jake Steele (aka Tank) from ACCORDING TO PLAN. Now, what you don't know is that he left her high and dry with nary a word for almost a year. Is she mad at him? Yup. Does she still love him? Yup. Is she mad that she still love him? You betcha.

Shelby has seen that Jake is coming into her place of business and decides to hightail it out the rear of the building. As we find out throughout the book, not everything she does goes ACCORDING TO PLAN.

I blew out the rear door and had gone almost three steps when strong hands grabbed and twirled me around. I kicked and wriggled until he put me down. About to have an adult conversation - oh heck, I was going to yell at him - he bent down and rocked his lips over mine. Anything I might have said, or thought melted with the liquid fire spreading through my limbs. I ached to sink into his familiar embrace until my brain finally kicked in gear and I pushed against his chest. I may as well have shoved a brick wall.

"Get off me."

"Is that anyway to say hello to your husband?" With one arm around my waist, he dipped his head and attempted to steal another kiss.

I executed a quick side step taught to me by my dad and twisted out of his arms and his lips met nothing but air. I took a small step back and ignored the rapid tattoo of my heart. Tank had a way of making me forget things, like breathing.

Oh no - do you hate him? Well, before you dig in your heels and get all mad... here's the blurb.

Jake Steele, aka Tank, walked away from his wife Shelby and their business without explanation. One year later, Shelby's hired for the biggest case of her career, locate missing socialite, Harrison Grant. To complicate matters further, Tank lands on her doorstep. He's also on the hunt for Harrison, albeit for a completely different reason. Harry is the prime suspect in the grisly murder of a call girl in L.A.

Agent Jake Steele is deep undercover as a P.I., and sometimes there's collateral damage in his line of work. His marriage to Shelby is one of them. With her life in danger, he had to let her think he left for another woman. When this case is over, Tank means to win back the heart and trust of Shelby, the only woman he's ever loved.

But, there's another person who has their eye on Shelby and will stop at nothing to possess her. From an attempted kidnapping to an explosion with deadly consequences, this is not your average missing person's case.

FIRST KISS FRIDAY

In my story - CAROLINE: Pride & Prejudice continued... Book One - Lord Nathan and Caroline Bingley only kiss once *gasp*. Instead of showcasing their first kiss, I'm going to share one of their 'almost' first kisses.

Enjoy.

“That is old news, Lord Nathan and we are not talking about it again.” A thought crossed her mind. How, in such a crush of people, had he witnessed her slip away? “Were you spying on me?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.

“Not spying, merely interested when I noticed you leave shortly after the Marquis exited the room.”

“Where I go and what I do is none of your business. You are not my keeper.”

He pressed closer and her breath almost stuttered to a complete stop. Idly, he lifted his hand and curled the hair that spilled over her shoulder around his finger.

“Maybe I should be appointed as your keeper. You could use some direction in life.”

“And you have a wealth of experience in advising decent young woman?”

He cupped her chin with long, lean fingers and swept his thumb across her lower lip. Unbidden warmth spread beneath her skin as she recalled the last time they’d crossed respectable boundaries. She turned her head, her eyelids fluttering down.

That one movement was her undoing. With eyes tightly closed, her other senses took over. His utterly male fragrance danced beneath her nose. Crisp and clean with a hint of shaving cream and sandalwood. No man had ever stood so close, his very nearness created a shocking intimacy and her heart thrummed in anticipation of his next advance.

“I have a wealth of experience in ways you couldn’t begin to fathom. I was a Rake, Miss Bingley, a man who thought nothing of seducing little girls like you.” The heat of his breath brushed the shell of her ear and his fingers continued to toy with her lock of hair. “I would sweep them into my arms and kiss them until nothing existed except me.”

Without thought she turned her head back toward him and their lips inadvertently touched for one searing second. He recoiled as though burned and stepped back to a respectable distance. Instantly she missed the heat of his body and fought a strange desire to boldly follow his retreat, to press her body against his.

“Please forgive me. My actions are unconscionable,” he forced through stiff lips.

Anger and pride fought for purchase of her feelings. As he turned to leave the room, anger won the day and she called out to him in her most haughty voice.

“Who are you to say these things to me?”

Slowly he faced her, his grey eyes turning the color of frosty steel.

“My actions once again contradict my character. You may choose not to believe what I say, but I am a man who prays you find your path to happiness and contentment.” He turned to walk away and then, as if he’d had another thought, turned around. “Take care who you entice with your beauty and wealth. The next man to find you alone in a hallway may take more from you than one kiss.”

He executed a tight bow and exited. It wasn’t until after he left the room that she realized she still held her fingers against her lips because they felt as though they’d been branded.

*Sigh*  I loved that scene. CAROLINE is available on all digital retailers. Please click the Regency tab across the top for access to purchase links.