Bonnie Phelps, Author: First Kiss Friday – An Excerpt from “The Cowboy’s Little Surprise” by Barbara White Daille

Today on First Kiss Friday, we welcome romance author, Barbara White Daille, and an excerpt from the Short Contemporary Romance novel, “The Cowboy’s Little Surprise.”

A bit of setup: Cole and Tina faced a rocky reunion, thanks to the secret she had kept from him. Yet the spark they’d once felt for each other is still there. Note, this is a romance on the sweet side. :) And it’s the first book in the Hitching Post Hotel series, all of which stand alone, as each hero and heroine reach their happy-ever-after by the end of their story. Here’s the clip:

First Kiss Excerpt

His eyes shining, he looked down at her and said, “I’d walk you to the door to say good-night, but as I’m staying at the hotel, that’s my door over there, too. And I don’t know where your room is.”

“The family wing.” Tina blurted the words in relief. He wouldn’t attempt to walk her to that door, not when he knew how that would raise their chances of having an audience. Here, they were alone.

She still didn’t know how she felt about that.

One side of his mouth curled, carving a deep dimple into his cheek, as if he’d read her mind and found her thoughts amusing. “‘Family wing?’”

She nodded. “Down the hall, past Jed’s den and the kitchen. Jed and Abuela and Robbie all have their rooms down there, too.”

He didn’t respond.

She toyed with the end of her braid.

He looked down. “In all the years I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you without your hair all tied up.”

The comment reminded her of Ally, who always urged her to let her hair loose, to wear bright colors. To lighten up and brighten up. To get a life. She reminded her best friend she preferred neutral colors and patterns that didn’t stand out. She told Cole now what she always ended up saying to Ally. “I’m a hotel bookkeeper-slash-waitress-slash-whatever-help-is-needed. The hairstyle is practical.”

As she lifted her braid, intending to slip it over her shoulder, Cole reached up to touch the woven strands.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Their gazes locked.

For a fleeting moment, they were teenagers in the back of his truck, stealing kisses and on the verge of making love…

He had reached for her braid and begun to tug on the elastic at the end of it. Laughing, she had pushed his hands away and managed to distract him…

Now, he gave her a full smile that took her breath away. “I think it’s time for us both to stop talking.”

He ran his finger down her bare arm, raising a trail of goose bumps. Warning lights flashed in her brain. Too many negatives, too many reasons she shouldn’t be with him like this, too many memories proving why she shouldn’t let him get any nearer.

Including his claim he would never settle down.

Yet, no matter what he said about not caring he’d been left at the altar, his attempt proved he hadn’t always been against the idea of marriage.

That one thought gave her the strength to hang onto her dreams.

He leaned in, hovering close enough to send warmth from the whole, long length of his body to cover her like an afghan. All her logic and reasoning and warnings failed her. Her thoughts disappeared under a rush of pure passion. And her schoolgirl crush gave way to very adult desires.

He ran his fingers up her arms. This time, goose bumps blended with ripples of pleasure until she couldn’t tell one from the next. All she knew for certain was, she had waited five years for this.

He cupped her face with his hands, brushed her cheekbones with his thumbs, and finally—finally—touched his mouth to hers. More sensations mingled and swept through her. The taste of peppermint candy…The warmth and weight of his mouth…The secret thrill of finding his here-and-now kiss even better than those from her memories.

Much, much better.

“The Cowboy’s Little Surprise” is available through: