First Kiss Friday – Battle-Tested Love by Lynda Bailey

Today’s First Kiss Friday featured guest is Lynda Bailey, author of contemporary romance Battle-Tested Love.  Welcome back, Lynda!  Here’s the first kiss between Darcy Williams and Ben Gallagher.  Thanks for giving us a sneak peek!

Thanks so much to Laurel for hosting me today on Friday’s First Kiss! This “First Kiss” is from my upcoming book, BATTLE-TESTED LOVE. The second story in my Battle for Love series, set for release in mid-September.

BLURB:

All she wanted was a little adventure…

Darcy Williams is desperate for some relief from her ho-hum life, but getting kidnapped by an outrageously handsome man isn’t at all what she had in mind. She needs to keep it together long enough to escape. Because escape is what she wants, right?

He’s a nice guy doing a bad thing for a really good reason…

Ben Gallagher loves his baby sister, Ana, more than anything. So, when she’s date raped by the mayor’s nephew, Ben has no problem sending said nephew to the ER. Now Ana’s gone missing and Ben will stop at nothing, nothing, to find his sister and ensure her safety—even if that means carjacking and kidnapping an innocent woman.

Things spiral from bad to worse…

When Ben is injured protecting Darcy from some thugs, he has to trust her if he’s going to get to Ana. And he has to ignore the passion Darcy stirs in him. Darcy learns Ben is actually a good man, one she’s starting to have feelings for. Can their fledging relationship stand the test of time —and the law?

EXCERPT:

It wasn’t a kiss. Far from it. While it was neither angry nor punishing, the contact had zero passion. Just a meeting of lips.

The voices grew louder, now catcall whistles and lewd remarks. The group stopped several feet from them. From the angle of their approach, the Dumpster hid Spencer’s body. Plus they were too busy eying what Hottie was doing to her to care about anything else.

“Yo, dude. Wanna share?”

“Yeah, man. We could help you plug all her holes.”

Raucous laughter broke out. Hottie’s hold changed. His grip became less domineering and more protective. He turned Darcy so his back was completely to the alley and raised his head a half a millimeter from hers, his body tense, like he was preparing for a fight.

Logic dictated that she scream her bloody head off. Instinct told her to keep her mouth shut. The guy holding her might be bad, but those others would be worse.

The revelers soon tired of the game and continued on their way. She waited for Hottie to back away. He didn’t. Rather, his large hands cradled her face, tilting her head, and he kissed her again. Really kissed her.

For the second time, Darcy did nothing. She didn’t turn her head. Didn’t ram her knee into his groin. Didn’t do anything expect allow him to caress his lips against hers.

In the stupid section of her brain, she wondered if the police would be interested in her description of Hottie’s lips. Firm and sensual. Slightly moist, tasting a bit like a s’more.

She couldn’t remember her ex-almost-fiancé, Justin, ever kissing her like this. His body had never planed itself against hers nor had bristly stubble ever teased her skin. No. Justin’s body wasn’t nearly as unyielding as Hottie’s and to leave the house without a baby-butt-smooth face was the highest of sins for one Justin DuPont, MD.

A primal urge to send her tongue into Hottie’s mouth flashed down Darcy’s spine. But before she could act on that stupid temptation, Hottie broke the kiss. With his hand on the back of her head, he kept her face tucked to his shoulder in a firm but not suffocating hug. He slid her purse off her shoulder then he eased away enough to cover her mouth with his hand.

He leaned down to within a frog’s hair of her face. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he warned. “But I will if you don’t do exactly as I say. Understand?”

Check out my website for a sneak peek of the cover. www.lyndabailey.net. I’d love to know whatcha think. J

Thanks again, Laurel, for letting me hang out today!