First Kiss Friday – Must Love Cats by Elysa Hendricks

Today’s First Kiss Friday featured guest is Elysa Hendricks, author of contemporary romance Must Love Cats.  Welcome back Elysa!  Here’s the first kiss between Daniel Bishop and Katherine Sinclair.  For an added special treat, check out the book trailer at the end of the first kiss!

Daniel crept down the stairs, wincing as the ancient wood creaked under his weight. He paused at the front door and peered outside. A dog barked. Something thumped on the porch. Kat cried out in pain.

Concerned, Daniel flipped on the exterior porch light.

*** *** ***

Kat blinked at the sudden light and tried to untangle her legs from Dobbie’s leash. Tongue lolling from his mouth, the dog flopped down and regarded her with obvious canine amusement. Biting back the groan of pain the movement caused her twisted ankle, she gave up.

“Go ahead and laugh, you silly mutt,” Kat grumbled and looked helplessly at the man standing silhouetted in the doorway.

“Dr. Clark? Are you hurt?” Concern colored his tone as he hurried down the wide porch steps and kneeled next to her. With sure, gentle hands he ran his hands over her bare legs.

Like heat lightning his touch sent a shiver of feminine awareness flashing through her. She flinched in pain as his fingers probed her tender ankle.

Ducking her head to avoid his questioning gaze and the sight of his broad, naked chest, she jerked her legs away from the warmth of his fingers against her chilled flesh. “I’m fine,” she lied. “Just my pride is bruised.”

She scrambled to her feet and tried to back away. Instead her weakened ankle buckled and she stumbled over something furry. The animal – TC – yowled and jumped aside. Arms pin-wheeling, Kat fought to regain her balance before she landed on her already sore backside yet again.

Daniel’s strong hands latched on to her upper arms, and pulled her forward. Her chest collided with his. Because of the mild summer night air and her haste to find his cat she hadn’t bothered to change out of the knee-length t-shirt she normally wore to bed. She’d slipped into a pair of sneakers and pulled on Pop’s bathrobe. Wearing the ratty old flannel he’d loved made her feel closer to him.

In her tumble the knot in the robe’s sash had come loose and fallen away. Now, the robe gaped open, leaving nothing between her and Daniel’s bare chest but the paper-thin material of her worn t-shirt.

She gasped and heat flooded through her, both from embarrassment over her ragged attire and the feel of him pressed against her from breast to knee. Her nose was buried in the hollow of his throat. Unable to prevent herself from doing so, she inhaled. His scent of pine soap and sleep-warmed male filled her lungs.

Against her will the tenseness inside her relaxed. As wrong as she knew it was – she couldn’t risk her heart again – being in his arms felt right. She sagged against him. His hands slid off her arms and closed around her back to pull her closer. She titled her head back and started to apologize. Her eyes met his bemused gaze and the words died on her parted lips.

The light from the porch cast his face in stark shadows, but didn’t hide the question in his eyes. Her heart thundered in anticipation. Her lips tingled. Her nipples grew hard. Her legs went weak. In the ten years since JT’s birth she’d dated a few times, even kissed a couple of her dates, but none of them had affected her this way. None had made her forget she was an unwed mother. None tempted her to repeat the mistake she’d made with JT’s father. None enticed her to lose control.

Something in her return gaze must have answered Daniel’s unspoken question because his head dipped to hers. In a rush of long denied need she pushed aside caution, restraint and common sense. Her eyelids drooped and she met his mouth with her own.

Like a heady wine heat flowed from his mouth to hers. His hands flattened against the base of her spine to press her close. Her thin t-shirt was little barrier to the feel of his chest muscles against her sensitized breasts or the bulge beneath his jeans probing her belly.

Unexpected and unwanted passion flared between them. Self-restraint melted as she gave herself over to long-suppressed desires.

“Daddy, why are you hugging TC’s doctor?”

Book Trailer for Must Love Cats – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvJQCyC44sU&feature=youtu.be