First Kisses: a Book+Main Bites anthology

by Book+Main Inc.

  Copyright © 2018 All authors named in this book.

  All rights reserved.

  The scenes in this book are property of their authors, in all media both physical and digital. No one, except the owners of this property, may reproduce, copy or publish in any medium any individual scene or part of this anthology without the expressed permission of the authors of these works.

  Book+Main, Inc. holds no responsibility to similarities of the characters and events portrayed in this book to real persons, living or dead.

  Contents

  Fall in Love One Bite at a Time…

  Foreword

  Historical

  First Kiss, Final Kiss

  She Gambled Her Virtue and Lost

  The Penance to Come…

  A Most Inappropriate Suitor

  Can She Tempt Her Duke?

  First Kiss

  The Countess He Didn’t Marry

  A Little Taste of Rebellion

  Paranormal

  It’s Only the Beginning

  Her Alpha

  Illicit Hunger

  Prove It

  A Bad Girl Kiss

  If You Stroke My Ego Any More, I Will Demand You Stroke Other Parts As Well

  Kissing Her Was a Really Bad Idea

  You Were Cautioned. Don’t Forget That.

  Don’t Do It

  Fantasy

  What Would You Do to Save Magic?

  His First Kiss

  When an Angel Falls for His Charge

  A Fight Leads to a Passionate First Kiss!

  A Physical Explanation

  I Don’t Need Rescuing

  A Little Heavenly Help

  Contemporary

  No Reservations

  What's in a Name?

  Gray Matter

  Eruption

  Not Nice

  A Private Lap Dance Gone Wrong… Or Very, Very Right

  Were You Ever Going to Call Me?

  He Tasted of Chocolate, Marshmallow, Salt Water, and Sin

  Kissing Bishop

  Romantic Suspense

  Don’t Be Gentle…

  You Were Cuddling Goliath

  Give It Time

  I Want You So Much…

  Prettier When You Pout

  A Kiss of Forever

  Thank You For Reading!

  Acknowledgments

  Follow These Blogs

  Fall in Love One Bite at a Time…

  Embark on thirty-nine scenes of first kisses from favorite romance authors in a multitude of genres.

  From Dukes to Highlanders, Shifters to Vampires and a variety of genres in between, binge on these unforgettable first kiss moments, and experience the euphoria that only that first touch of the lips can bring.

  Read a Bite from your tried and true favorites, or delve into a new author’s world and become hooked.

  This Book+Main Bites anthology is meant to introduce readers to new authors through their words.

  Foreword

  For those of you reading this wondering who Book+Main is, let us introduce ourselves. We’re a small team dedicated to building a true romance reader community. We’ve been working hard for the past eight months to build a safe place for romance readers. Somewhere that we can be ourselves and talk freely about the books that we love without the noise of social media and the bias that sometimes surrounds our genre.

  What are we? Simply put, Book+Main is a discovery tool for romance readers, designed to help readers and authors connect. Through Book+Main, you can get a “taste” for an author’s work via short Bites—excerpts from existing books, bonus content, deleted scenes and more—and decide if that author is someone of whom you’d like to read more.

  How is Book+Main different from other social media sites? Our platform is a discovery tool. Although there are social media aspects, it’s not diluted with other genres, brands, news, politics, etc. It’s designed by romance readers for romance readers, so books are, and always will be, our main priority.

  With so many other places to engage, why should you choose Book+Main? Book+Main is filled with content that’s specifically for romance readers. Add to that the fact that it’s customizable—meaning you can search for what YOU want to see, when you want to see it—and it becomes the only social media site that’s searchable based on you, your preferences and your moods.

  With Book+Main you’ll never have to DNF {Did Not Finish} a book again. You get to try before you buy! We hope to see YOU on Book+Main Bites!

  www.bookandmainbites.com

  Historical

  First Kiss, Final Kiss

  Cate Dean

  Elizabeth knew, when she saw his eyes change, just what he had planned as he stalked back across the lab.

  She couldn’t move, could hardly breathe.

  When he swept her up and his lips possessed hers, she expected a hot, fierce, angry kiss. Instead, his lips gentled, exploring hers. The effect was devastating.

  He broke through every barrier she’d spent years building, and she felt her heart open to him, trembling, vulnerable.

  Both arms reached up to wrap around his neck, and her fingers slid into his thick, unruly hair. He tasted like mint. She let out a low moan when he eased her mouth open, deepening the kiss. She forgot their audience, forgot her fear of becoming attached to a man who would leave her alone, forgot everything but the feel of his lips, the strength of his arms, the heat of his body.

  His hand slipped up her back, tangled in her hair as he angled her head, pulled her in deeper. Heat spiraled through her, and the need to get closer had her arching in to him.

  She could feel his rapid heartbeat, hear his ragged breath as he started to lose control. Or was that her breath, so fast and hard it made her lightheaded?

  Kane broke off the kiss, staring down at her.

  “God help me,” he whispered, just before he dove in again.

  This time it was fierce and hungry, and she rode the wild emotions, abandoning any attempt to hold back. His demanding mouth, the hands that curved over her hips and pressed her tightly against him refused to let her retreat.

  She lost herself in the heat, in the need for another person she had never felt before. A need she protected herself from, in a life that had no guarantees, and more disappointment than she thought she could ever take and stay whole—

  This time she broke off the kiss, fighting to catch her breath, terrified that it was too late. Kane rested his forehead against hers, his own breathing just as labored. “I simply meant to say goodbye.”

  “That was some goodbye,” she whispered.

  “Too much?” Humor edged his deep voice.

  “Unforgettable.”

  With a quiet sigh, he pressed his lips to her temple. “Ready for this?”

  “No.”

  His laughter soothed her nerves. “I need you to ease your death grip on my neck, love.”

  The endearment had her tensing again. Oh, yes—it was too late. She liked him before they landed in his time. Now she wanted him. How the hell was she supposed to forget the way his lips felt on hers, the raw, uncontrollable emotion he stirred in her?

  She lowered her arms, and Kane eased her to the floor. Heat rushed across her face as everyone in the lab applauded.

  To her surprise, Kane bowed, flashing a smile. “Thank you, for your good wishes.” He took her hand, nodded to Mac, and led her to the steps next to the platform. Sparks danced around the perimeter of the circle. “Now I will give you a proper goodbye.” Her heart jumped as he leaned in, but his lips touched her cheek, warm and brief. “Take care, Elizabeth Barritt. Be proud of who you are, live your life for you.”

  How could
saying goodbye to someone she barely knew hurt so much? Tears stung her eyes at his quiet words. He made it worse by brushing hair off her forehead, his touch gentle, almost more intimate than kissing her.

  “Please be careful,” she whispered. Her voice threatened to lodge in her throat, along with her tears. She laid her hand on his left wrist. “Guy is going to do whatever he needs to do to stop you.”

  “The constant twinges in my shoulder will be a good reminder. Not a word, Beth.” His fingers cupped her chin. “I will be ready for him. Now, I believe I need to kiss you again. For luck,” he said against her lips, just before he claimed them.

  This time the kiss was achingly sweet, and far too short. Kane ended it, cradling her cheek, his hand so warm on her skin. Before she could touch him he backed out of reach. “Now, Mac.”

  Gold light burst up from the circle, a shimmering, transparent wall.

  “Is that the portal?” She didn’t plan to sound so awed, but it was—awe inspiring; so beautiful it nearly swamped her. Like a breath-robbing piece of art.

  “The doorway to endless possibilities.” Kane climbed the steps, turned back to her. “I look forward to seeing what you do with your possibilities. I will miss you, Beth.”

  His coat swirled around him as he swung to face the wall of gold. Elizabeth hugged her waist and drew the image in her mind: of Kane’s face edged in gold, the light tracing his aristocratic features, glinting in his clear grey eyes.

  He closed those eyes for a second, before he reached out and thrust his hand into the wall. Elizabeth let out a gasp when the light wrapped around him, then winked out of existence, plunging the lab into darkness. Endless seconds later, the lights flickered on, revealing confusion, concern, and outright fear on the faces of the people who should have been used to the portal.

  “Elizabeth!” Mac rushed over, gripping her shoulders. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

  “That wasn’t a normal—what do you call it?”

  “Departure—and no, it wasn’t. Kane’s signal went offline right after he entered the portal. He’s out there with a nonworking transport, and if I don’t find him fast, he may not be coming home. Stay here. Doc!”

  She watched him dodge people to get to the other side of the lab, numb at his announcement.

  Without a working transport, Kane would be trapped.

  For more Bites by Cate Dean, visit her at https://bookandmainbites.com/CateDean

  If you loved this Bite, read Final Hours on Amazon or on iBooks

  About Cate Dean

  Cate Dean has been writing since she could hold a pen in her hand and put more than two words together on paper. She grew up losing herself in the wilds of fantasy worlds and has had some of her own adventures while tromping through the UK, and a few other parts of the world. A lover of all things supernatural, she infuses that love into her stories, giving them a unique edge. When she's not writing, she loves cooking, scaring herself silly in the local cemeteries, and reading pretty much anything she can get her hands on.

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  She Gambled Her Virtue and Lost

  Collette Cameron

  Fragile as Brooke’s tattered dignity, her facade of poise and self-control threatened to shatter with her next breath. She rested her head against the barn’s splintery wood. In less than a week, her life had crumbled to dust. A fat tear crept down her cheek. Then another. And another.

  They poured forth as wrenching sobs worked their way past her constricted throat. Awash in misery, she pressed a length of the shawl to her mouth, shut her eyes, and tucked her chin to her chest, at last giving vent to her desolation.

  “Here now, there’s no cause for waterworks,” Lord Ravensdale’s baritone rasped as he enfolded her in his strong arms. He rested his chin upon her crown. “Hush, sweetheart. Things aren’t entirely hopeless.”

  “Yes. They are. Completely and absolutely. You’ve ruined everything,” she whispered against the wall of his chest. She should pull away. Curse him to Hades and hell. Plant him a facer or yank out his splendid hair by the roots.

  Instead, she burrowed closer, wrapped her arms around his waist, and wept like an inconsolable infant. Strong and sensible had become wearisome, and she was exhausted from the burden she’d carried for years. So tired of worrying and scraping to make ends meet.

  His scent wrapped around her senses, soothing and reassuring as he rubbed her spine and shoulders. Long moments passed, and calm enshrouded her at last. She released a shuddery sigh.

  Lord Ravensdale placed a long finger beneath her chin and tilted her face upward. He kissed each tear-stained cheek then her nose, likely red as a pie cherry. Lowering his mouth until it hovered a mere inch above hers, he closed his eyes. He grazed her lips, his warm and firm, at first feather light then more insistent, demanding a response.

  Her resistance fled. Moaning, she slanted her head and allowed him the entrance his probing tongue sought. Heaven surged through her, melting her bones, bathing her in a haze of sweet sensation. Humphrey’s kisses hadn’t been anything more than mildly pleasant, not this mind-wrenching, searing blast of desire.

  A cow bawled, and Brooke tore her mouth from Heath’s. Head lowered, she stepped from his embrace and dried her damp face on the wrap. She braved flashing him a glance.

  Hatless, his black hair gleaming in the sunlight, he wore a sky-blue jacket and white pantaloons. Brilliant colors to emphasize his olive skin. He lounged against the barn, ankles crossed and arms folded, looking the perfect picture of health. Perhaps a little wan about his wickedly dark eyes—definitely some foreign blood there somewhere—but otherwise, his handsome self. The scratch on his cheek had faded to a slender brownish ribbon. He observed her every move, those intense eyes of his missing nothing. Like his namesake, the raven.

  Why must he be so blasted attractive?

  Why did she react the way she did in his presence? To his kisses? She’d never dreamed a kiss could scatter her wits to the stars.

  He gave a knowing smile, as if he’d read her thoughts. A man of his caliber and experience probably knew exactly what his kisses did to her.

  Adjusting the shawl, Brooke swiveled to gaze at the calves again. Better than making a spectacle of herself. A few strands of hair had worked loose when she’d hugged his chest, and the breeze blew them into her face. She swept the tendrils behind her ear. She should say something, anything, to break the awkward, sensual silence between them.

  “What are you doing out of bed? You’re not supposed to be up for another three days.”

  She could have bitten her tongue in half for asking. It was nothing to her if he chose to ignore the physician’s orders.

  Liar.

  “I couldn’t stand one minute more confined to that room or Leventhorpe’s incessant fussing. My God, who knew the man was such a nervous old biddy?” He chuckled, the low rumble sending delicious tingles along her flesh. “You’d think I’d nearly died.”

  She glanced over her shoulder then pushed the bothersome strands flitting across her face from her eyes. “You could have. Doctor Wilton said as much.”

  His lordship grinned, and her stomach lurched peculiarly. Ought to have broken her fast. Needed her wits to banter with the crafty likes of him. Why had he sought her here, anyway? To steal a kiss?

  Theirs had been no stolen kiss but given freely.

  He tapped his head as his long strides carried him to her side. “No, too stubborn and too hard-headed to cock up my toes. At least that’s what my friends tell me.”

  “Hmph.” She wasn’t about to dispute his assertion. Add arrogant and indulged to the list too. Oh, and fabricator of enormous taradiddles designed to ruin innocent young women. She compressed her lips, her earlier feelings of magnanimity giving way to irritation
.

  “So, Brooke, what are we to do?”

  “Pardon?” Holding her wayward hair in place, Brooke leveled him an inquisitive look.

  Hands clasped behind him, he stared straight ahead. He could do whatever he pleased. She, on the other hand, had as many options as a condemned woman standing on the gallows with a noose tightened round her neck.

  He levered away from the barn.

  “I’m aware how dire your circumstances are.” He flicked her an unreadable expression before boldly tucking a tress behind her ear.

  Sensation spiraled outward at his soft touch.

  He cupped her head, gently caressing the sensitive area below her ear.

  She clenched her jaw against the sigh, or rather the purr, which had the impudence to try to leave her mouth.

  He is your foe, Brooke.

  She peered at him. “And . . . ?”

  “I have a suggestion, a proposition to make that would—”

  She released such a loud, unladylike snort, two calves venturing near the fence scampered to their mothers. “Hmph, that mistress nonsense? You don’t seriously think I’d consider becoming a kept woman? Especially of a man I met just days ago.”