First Kiss Friday – My Noble Knight by Laurel O’Donnell

For this First Kiss Friday, I’m bringing you a special treat!  The first kiss from my medieval romance, My Noble Knight!  Enjoy Layne and Griffin’s first kiss!

She nodded, but she couldn’t quite stop the disappointment bubbling up into her throat, swallowing her words. A broken stirrup. Not her talent, not her skill. She had known as much, but to hear it aloud was heartbreaking. She turned and continued into the tent.

Griffin entered the pavilion after her, grabbing her arm. “Layne.”

She couldn’t turn to him. She didn’t want him to see the disappointment brimming in her eyes.

“All knights I have come against have fallen. There have been broken stirrups before.”

Startled, she turned to him. Was he trying to make her feel better?

“A good knight trains for a broken stirrup. It is not the reason I lost to you.”

She stared at him. A tremor moved through her. Her gaze dipped to his lips. “Then…why?” His hand still held her wrist as though he didn’t want her to move away. His fingers were warm against her skin. Firm. He was used to getting what he wanted.

Silence again fell about them.

Awareness sprang to life inside Layne. Her nipples tingled; warmth spread through her body, heating her. They were alone. The thought was instantly exciting. He could do something that would not be proper. “Should I be…” Her gaze swept his face as his hand moved up her arm, drawing her closer.

“A young woman should not be alone,” Griffin whispered, “with a man.”

Layne watched the way his lips formed each word. “Why?” was all she could say in a breathless sigh.

“He might…” Griffin gathered her in, pulling her closer.

Her hands rested against his strong chest. She should push him away. She should resist. But she couldn’t take her eyes from his lips. How she wanted to feel them against hers. How she wanted him to kiss her. “What?” she asked softly.

He hesitated a moment, his gaze sweeping her face in a heated stroke.

She was almost desperate. What if he didn’t kiss her? Her breasts pressed against his chest. “What might he do?” she demanded in a frantic whisper, almost a dare.

With a growl, he lowered his lips to hers, slanting them across her mouth. His lips slid gently over hers, coaxing. Layne sighed and Griffin plunged his tongue into her mouth, pulling her tight against him, exploring her mouth.

Layne wrapped her fingers up his back to the nape of his neck, curling them in the thick strands of his hair.

Suddenly, Griffin pulled away, taking a step from her.

Layne stumbled, but caught herself.

“He might do that,” Griffin said coarsely.

Shocked, she could only stare at him. Cold suddenly seeped in around her, putting a chill on her heated body. Anger quickly replaced her shock as Griffin whirled and stalked from the tent. She wanted to grab something and throw it at him. He had kissed her as an example of what might happen! She wanted to twine a stirrup around his neck. He had kissed her so she could see how dangerous it was to be alone with a man. She wanted to kiss him again. The thought was so appalling and surprising that she could only just stand there and take no action at all.

He was trying to teach her to be a proper lady, she reminded herself. She had to keep that in mind.