First Kiss Friday – An Accidental Affair by Heather Boyd

Today’s First Kiss Friday featured guest is Heather Boyd, author of historical romance An Accidental Affair.  Welcome Heather!  Here’s the first kiss between Arabella Lawson and Merrick Bishop.

Merrick stood alone in the darkened chamber, waiting for Louisa to join him and deliver whatever urgent news she had whispered to him in the ballroom earlier. Her entreaty to meet with her within twenty minutes puzzled him at first, but he soon discovered he was eager to avoid the ballroom and the irritation certain parties presented.

His family, Ford cousins, were present and again eager to return him to the fold.

He didn’t want anything to do with that side of the family.

Then there was Lady Farnsworth, dressed in beguiling pink silk and likely being pursued by a man far too old for her. He shouldn’t feel protective of her. She’d barely spared a glance his way, yet there was something so innocent about her that he regretted they were not better acquainted so he might advise against the connection.

He leaned his head back against the paneled wood wall as irritation filled him. He had his own affairs to arrange, and it was going poorly. A proper courtship. A marriage and then years of wedded bliss seemed well beyond his reach after months in London. The last two ladies he’d smiled at had disappeared behind fans and rushed off together. It wasn’t the first time such an event had happened, but his patience for nonsense was wearing thin. A score of fathers and guardians had followed his progress through the ballroom, and he could still feel their disapproval now in this very room.

Was being good all for nothing? If he denied himself any pleasure at all, would it make a scrap of difference in how society viewed him? It didn’t seem likely.

Maybe he and Louisa could come to an arrangement, one that could be ended at a moment’s notice should he find a woman he wanted to marry and that would cause no hard feelings between them. It was not as if they hadn’t slept together before. Louisa was always eager for bed play and she was very very good at making a man lose track of time.

She’d been dropping hints all season that they could be together whenever he wanted. He’d be using her, but then again, she’d be using him too. He considered a moment longer. What harm could there possibly be?

He was dazzled momentarily as the door creaked open, and as soon as Louisa closed it, Merrick pulled her into his arms. He allowed a brief squeak of protest at his urgency before he sealed his lips to hers. He closed his eyes as Louisa’s hands fluttered by his shoulders like frightened butterflies before settling lightly on his upper arms.

Merrick crowded her against the door and kissed the woman fiercely. Although restrained at first, she didn’t stop him but played at seeming inexperienced. Merrick loosened his grip and skimmed his hands down her sides, ending his exploration at her delightful derrière. She squirmed in his arms, her hands clutching then releasing his coat as if she didn’t know quite what to do with them. The thought plagued him until he forced himself to pay greater attention. The light embrace tightened, arms rose to loop around his neck, gloved fingers teased the back of his hair and encouraged him to continue.

Yet her kiss was wrong. This wasn’t Louisa. Not even his imagination could conjure up a less-experienced version of that woman.

He eased back a touch and opened his eyes, noting at last that Louisa’s height had increased in the interval since he’d last spoken to her and her normally passionate responses remained subdued. In the low light, even his vision played tricks. Louisa looked nothing like Lady Farnsworth. They were as different as night and day. He shook his head to clear it, yet Arabella still stood there.

You can catch up with Heather at www.heather-boyd.com ,  Facebook http://bit.ly/heatherboyd  and Twitter http://bit.ly/1cjN6X5