Day Four...First Kisses for the First of the Year

Day Four of our launch into the new year with Celtic heroes and scorching sexytimes.

All week long, to celebrate the first of the year, I'm sharing all the first kiss scenes from all four stories in my upcoming anthology CAPTURED BY A CELTIC WARRIOR.

 

All the heroes (three Scotsmen and an Irishman) do something pretty bad for (generally) pretty good reasons: they kidnap the heroine.  

That can’t be good…. Except it is, very good! 

Did I mention there’s a legendary dagger that runs through all the stories? 

Here, today, is the intro to the first kiss from Jennifer Haymore’s story:

HER WICKED HIGHLANDER.

Enjoy!

 

….“Having no family…” She looked away from him. “It can be lonely sometimes.”

“And your parents are gone… Died two years ago from plague, was it?”

“How do you ken so much about me?” she asked, stiffening.

“We needed to learn all we could about you once we knew Sutherland was after you.”

She frowned. She didn’t like that. Didn’t like people she didn’t know digging into her past, learning about her parents.

“Do you miss them?” he asked softly. He cupped her cheek in his palm, turning her to face him.

His palm was warm and strong and soft, and she couldn’t help herself. She leaned into it and closed her eyes. “Yes. I miss them. I miss them terribly.”

His mouth touched hers, soft and warm, and she sighed against him.

“Aila,” he murmured, his lips moving against hers. “You’re so bonny. I havena…” He pulled back and dropped his hand, and she opened her eyes. He stared at her with a look that made tingles shudder under her skin. She grabbed onto his shirt, fisting the fabric in her hands, and he made a low noise in his throat. “Dinna test my control, lass.”

A thrill of fear rushed through her, but it wasn’t the kind of fear she’d experienced when she’d thought he was going to hurt her. This was a different animal altogether.

“What if,” she asked softly, “I want to test it?”

 

You can pre-order right now at the special price of 99 cents; it releases Feb 16^th.

Celtic heroes…scorching sexytimes…what are you waiting for??

Day Three...First Kisses for the First of the Year

It's day three of our launch into the new year with Celtic heroes and scorching sexytimes.

All week long, to celebrate the first of the year, I'm sharing the first kiss scenes from all the stories in the upcoming anthology CAPTURED BY A CELTIC WARRIOR.

 

All these heroes (three Scotsman and an Irishman) do something pretty bad for (generally) pretty good reasons: they abduct the heroine.  

That can’t be good…. Except it is, very good! 

Did I mention there’s a legendary dagger that runs through all the stories? 

Here, today, is the intro to the first kiss from Vonda Sinclair’s story:

STOLEN BY A HIGHLAND ROGUE.

Enjoy!

 

Dugald has discovered he kidnapped the wrong woman. Now what is he going to do?

….He met his lady captive in the corridor. Even the dimness of the cloudy morn could not diminish the brilliance of her bonny blue eyes. Her hair had been braided and styled perfectly, but this only made him want to take the pins out, run his fingers through the silken strands, and dishevel her once again. And the rose colored dress she wore—no doubt one of Mairiana's cast-offs—fitted to Camille's lush curves perfectly.

"Did you sleep well last night?" he asked, wondering what he should call her—Camille, m'lady, madame, mademoiselle, lass?

"Oui. Are you going to take me home today?"

"Nay. Not today."

"Why not?" Temper flared in her eyes like a blue flame… lighting the fuse of his arousal. "You know Lindsay will not bring your dagger. He doesn't even know me," she said. "I am of no use to you."

Dugald did not ken that at all. She might be very useful to him, but in a far different way. She was stunningly beautiful. And although the strawberry juice no longer stained her lovely lips, he still craved a taste of them. Need curled through him, tantalizing him to act on these maddening urges which had near claimed his sanity the day before. She had told him countless times that she was unmarried.

"Who is your husband?" he asked, just to be certain, before he did something he might regret.

"I told you! I am not married!" She ground the words out in a strong French accent, intensifying his craving.

He believed her. And thank the saints she was telling the truth, for he did not think he could resist her much longer.

"Why are you looking at me like this, monsieur?"

"Like what?"

She returned his stare, her eyes growing darker. She was bold, and he liked that.

"I think you know," she murmured.

Her words tugged at him, dared him to do exactly what he wanted.

With a swift movement, he slipped one hand around her neck, drew her to him, and captured her lips with his own. Damnation, but she still tasted of strawberries. Had she eaten them for breakfast, too? So sweet and delicious that he wanted to consume her utterly.

Her small hands fisted in the plaid crossing his chest, drawing him closer. When she opened her mouth and allowed him inside, he grew so hard he felt lightheaded. He needed her. Now! Still kissing her, he lifted her off her feet, carried her into his chamber and kicked the door closed.

She gasped and pushed away from him. "What are you about, monsieur?"

He released her, enjoying her dazed expression. Aye, she looked near as stirred up as he was, her face flushed, her blue eyes darkened. "I think you know," he said, throwing her words back at her with a smile.

 

 

You can pre-order right now at the special price of 99 cents; it releases Feb 16^th.

Celtic heroes…scorching sexytimes…what are you waiting for??

Day Two...First Kisses For the First of the Year

Day Two of our launch into the new year with Celtic heroes and sexytimes!

All week long, I'm sharing excerpts from the first kiss scenes in CAPTURED BY A CELTIC WARRIOR, the upcoming anthology with Eliza Knight, Vonda Sinclair, Jennifer Haymore, and me!

All are alpha heroes (three Scotsmen and an Irishman), all are on a mission, and all do something pretty bad for (hopefully) good reasons: they abduct the heroine. 

That can’t be good…. Except it is, very good! 

Did I mention there’s a legendary dagger that runs through all the stories? 

Here, today, is the first kiss from Eliza Knight’s story:

TAKEN BY THE HIGHLANDER.

Enjoy!

…“Ye have my word, that is enough,” the brute warrior said.

Frustration streaked an angry red path through Rose’s veins. “Your word means nothing.” She stood, hands fisted at her sides.

Montgomery, too, stood, anger slicing over his features. “My word means everything.”

She didn’t back down. Even with the warrior standing nearly a foot taller than her, easily twice as broad, she wasn’t going to show her fear. “It means nothing to me.”

He grimaced, his teeth flashing in the moonlight. “Then ye’re a fool.”

“I am no more a fool than the man who abducts a woman and thinks she should trust him,” she retorted.

He cocked his head, eyes narrowing as he studied her. “Ye have a point.”

That startled her. He agreed? She faltered, words getting caught in her throat. Not the reaction she was expecting. At all. “I want to see my son. Now.”

He swiped a frustrated hand over his face. “I cannot comply with your wish.”

“Where is he? How far is he? Take me to him.”

Montgomery shook his head. “’Tis impossible. For safety, we must keep the two of ye separate until we reach Kildrummy.”

“Safety from whom?” Her voice was growing in octaves. She’d be raving mad in a moment; she could feel the anger burning through her chest.

“There is much ye dinna understand. And I dinna expect ye to understand everything, being a woman.”

What? Her mouth fell agape. Thoroughly insulted, even if she hadn’t anticipated anything less from the man.

Nevertheless, that was the last straw. Rose’s patience had a limit and her temper broke free from its bonds. She flew forward, hands balled and raised. She wailed at him, but he caught each of her fisted palms, wrapping his arms around her, pinning her elbows to her ribs, and when she tried to kick him, he pinned her legs between his thick, muscled thighs.

“Stop this!” he hissed.

Rose shook and heaved, glaring up at him. She spewed venom; called him names she’d heard her men shout while practicing in the fields. One of which, she knew was particularly vulgar. And then, suddenly, his lips were crushed against hers. Silencing her with warm, firm, velvet. She was not prepared for the strength of her own body’s reaction. The shivers that raced over her flesh. The pounding of her heart. The tightening of her wayward nipples. The trembling of her hands and the shaking of her knees. The intensity in which she pressed her lips back.

Montgomery’s hands slid to her shoulders, her arms no longer pinned. He cupped her cheeks, dipped his head to the side and kissed her deeper.

What was happening? Why was he kissing her?

Frissons of unexpected pleasure fired along her nerves. Her entire body trembled with both fear and excitement.

Why did she like his kiss? This was wrong. Incredibly so.

He was her captor. Had stolen her, and her son, away from the safety of their castle, and she was letting him kiss her?

Nay. She could not.

Rose jerked back and slapped him hard on the cheek, her teeth bared. “Dinna do that ever again, ye jackanapes.”

Montgomery touched the place she’d struck him and cleared his throat. “’Twas the only way to get ye to shut up.”

With that, the blasted warrior lifted her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

Uh-oh, right??? Or rather….yay!!!

You can pre-order right now at the special price of 99 cents; it releases Feb 16^th

Celtic heroes…scorching sexytimes…what are you waiting for??

All The Firsts....First Kisses for the First of the Year

Happy New Year to all my readers and the hardy souls who continue read this horribly-intermittent blog.  I know you're out there, and appreciate your hopeful spirit.  It's about to pay off. :)

It's the first of the year and to celebrate, I'm going to share with you the first kisses from all four stories in my first, upcoming anthology CAPTURED BY A CELTIC WARRIOR.

The discerning reader may detect a theme in that title. She would be correct.  Several themes, in fact. All the heroes are alphas (although not all are what you'd call 'bad boys.' Some are very nice alphas.)

All are Celtic--three Scots and one Irishman, but oh, what an Irishman... (Guess who wrote the Irishman?? :))

And all these dangerous men do something pretty bad for (one hopes) pretty good reasons: they abduct the heroine.

Sometimes it's for her sake.  Sometimes it's for theirs.  Sometimes, well...it gets complicated.

And did I mention there’s a legendary dagger that runs through all the stories?

Every day this week through Thursday, I'll be posting excerpts from the first kiss scenes in each story, to help launch your new year with alpha heroes and sexytimes.

Here, today, is the first kiss from my story in the anthology:

THE KING'S OUTLAW.

Enjoy!

 

….Voices broke out from the other end of the quay.  They turned.  The reeve’s assistant and a few other men were coming up the quay, one looking even more officious than he. Following were several armed men.

Goddammit.

“Mother Mary,” she whispered.  “What more can go awry?”

Tadhg shared the query.

There was nothing for it; he made his decision in a heartbeat.  

Sliding his hands up her arms, he spun her and almost flung her up against the side of the nearest building, then reached up and tore off her headdress.

“Good Heaven's,” she cried, her hands flying up to capture the silky veil, but he already had it off and was tugging off her distinctive cloak next.

“Mon Dieu,” she gasped, grappling for the cloak, but he fisted it and the silky veil together in his hand, down by his hip.  He stretched out an arm and planted his palm on the wall, blocking her face from the visitors now hurrying down the quay.

“Kiss me,” he ordered.

Her shocked face stared up at him.  “I b-beg your pardon?”

“Kiss me, then run.”

“What?”

“If you kiss me, you’re a whore.  If you stand there staring, you’re a merchant with a pouch of stolen seals in her hand.”

A second’s pause, then she pushed up on her toes and pressed her lips to his.

Dizziness and heat swooped in like hunting birds for Magdalena, dispelling sense and reason and anything else that might have been of use to her at the moment.  She had barely touched her lips to his when he descended without mercy, his mouth hard and slanting.  There was no prelude, no warning, no kindness or care, no quarter given.  She was a whore and he was having her.

He played the ruse exceptionally well.

He plowed her open with teeth and tongue, explored the depths of her wet mouth with sinful abandon.  She could do nothing but cling to him, her hands around his neck, her head forced back, her spine cupped, her body…thrilling.

Madness. Madness, all.

The hand not holding her cloak and wimple closed around her hip and began to tug up her skirts.  She made a feeble attempt to stop him, but his grip grew fierce, and he yanked the gown up, dragged it up the side of her leg until she felt cool air on her shin and calf.

Her head spun as if she’d been twirled like a top.  Picked up by a bird and sent flying.

Her knees grew weak, but she did not break that kiss.  She could not.  He’d become a field of energy, the way metal filings pulled toward iron, or one drop of water clings to another.  She was affixed to his kiss, to his chest, which she’d somehow pressed up against, to his shoulders, which she’d somehow wrapped her arms around, to his tongue, which was tangled with hers, his hot male breath, his cunning male hand, his hard knee now making all manner of incursions between her thighs, and she, she, reveling in it. 

 

Uh-oh, right??? Or wait….yay!!!

You can pre-order right now at the special price of 99 cents; it releases on Feb 16th to much hoopla. 

  

Hoopla...Celtic heroes…scorching sexytimes…what are you waiting for???