Today on
First Kiss Friday, we welcome romance author, Claire Gem, and an
excerpt from her Paranormal Romance, “Spirits
of the Heart (Haunted Voices Book 2).”
An addiction counselor
& a security guard struggle to free
two, lost spirits trapped inside an abandoned mental asylum.
Laura Horton returns from college to move in with an old friend & start her career. But her homecoming is jarring. Her friend’s moved out, leaving Laura alone with the gorgeous but intimidating ex-boyfriend—in a house that snugs up to an ancient graveyard.
Officer Miller Stanford is a man with a shattered past. His alcoholic dad destroyed their family, a weakness Miller is terrified will consume him too. The last thing he needs is a sexy, blonde addiction counselor watching his every move. When he begins to see specters in the dark, he starts questioning his own stability.
But Laura sees her too—a pathetic child-spirit searching for her father. Can they unravel the mysteries of Talcott Hall without jeopardizing their love—and lives—in the process?
First
Kiss Excerpt
“Wait.”
Miller turned and she stepped closer. So close he
could smell the fresh, minty scent of his own soap on her. The clean, grassy
perfume of her shampoo.
“Kiss me, Miller. Please.”
Miller blinked in shock and reeled back a few
inches. She must be kidding. Teasing me, again. Surely . . .
Riveting his eyes with hers, round and as clear blue
as water in a sparkling pool, Laura whispered the words again. Miller swallowed
hard and felt a rush of heat head south, rendering him momentarily
light-headed.
Was he dreaming this? Post-alcoholic delirium?
But when she lifted one hand to cup his jaw, her
pupils dilated, creating ever-widening dark, round windows in the blue. He felt
as if he could almost see into her mind. And he wanted, badly, to climb inside
and join her.
Laura reached up to wrap both hands around the back
of his neck, drawing his face down to hers. When she did, the towel came loose
and pooled in a damp tumble over his bare feet.
“Kiss me, Miller. Please,” she murmured against his
mouth.
So, he did. Her lips were soft, moist, and yielding.
At first, her touch was tentative, almost timid, her lips brushing across his
in feathery swipes that sent heat pooling between his thighs. With her
now-naked form there before him, he was sorely tempted, yet unsure if he should
bring his hands up to touch her. He left them hanging loosely at his sides,
though his fingers curled into fists, struggling for control.
Then she opened up for him, parting her lips and
running her tongue along his lower lip. His now, full erection twitched and he
sucked in a gasp. But he accepted her invitation.
He had to be dreaming this. Or maybe he really had died. Man. So far, the afterlife was
showing great promise.
She tasted like mint, and her breath was hot on his
face. Their tongues tangled and dipped and teased in a way that made his knees
weak. His hands went to her back, sliding up and down the warm, damp smoothness
of her skin, but staying well above her waist. She’d taken him by surprise, and
he wasn’t really sure how much to assume.
Is she testing me? Or does she really want this?
Seconds later, he had his answer. It was she who
broke the kiss, and he let his hands fall away as she took a step backward.
“What’s this?” he asked, the words coming out
guttural and thick. “Is this how you intend to pay your rent?”
She gazed up at him from under heavy lids, a hint of
humor playing at their corners as she slowly shook her head.
Only teasing him, he thought as his heart sank. But
then, he’d started it with the towel game, hadn’t he? Her smile zinged him
again, hitting him in that same, mysterious place in his chest.
“I’m just really, freaking happy right now,” she
whispered.
He nodded dumbly, his brain not working well enough
to question her further. All the blood, it seemed, had headed south.
But she went on to explain anyway.
“Something pretty special happened to me today. I
quit playing the timid pee-on at work. I stepped up and took control. I
confronted Riley. It worked. Thought maybe I needed to take what I want a
little more often.” She shrugged. “And right then, I wanted a kiss. Now,” she
said, her fingers trailing down his chest and hooking into the waistband of his
shorts, “now, I want more.”
Her attraction to
Miller had been instant, and explosive, since the moment she first set eyes on
him. Standing in his doorway in nothing but a steel-grey towel that first
morning, she at first had been intimidated. Even a little afraid, thanks to
Angie’s misleading innuendos. But her girl-parts wouldn’t listen to what her
brain kept screaming: this is a big, bad-boy dude who drinks too much.
For a while, she’d
believed Angie’s stories. But Laura’s common sense, and being with Miller for
several weeks now—living with
him—told her she had no reason to disagree with her instincts. Now, in this
moment—this incredibly freeing moment—those instincts overrode the tirades of
logic.
She lifted up onto
her toes and tilted her head to have easier access into Miller’s hot mouth. His
neck was thick and strong under her fingers, and when he began rubbing his
roughened hands up and down her back, she felt the heat coil in her lower
belly. Instinctively, she thrust her hips forward against his erection, and his
groan served to spike her excitement even higher.
Finally—finally—he slid his big hands down to
cup her ass, squeezing as he pulled her close.
Hot dampness pooled
between her thighs as she ground herself against him, their tongues dipping and
darting in what quickly became a beautifully choreographed dance. As if they’d
done this before. Lots of times. As natural as breathing. His breath
accelerated to hot blasts on her cheek. Suddenly, it felt as though she
couldn’t get enough air, her heart beating so hard and fast there was ringing
in her ears.
She broke the kiss,
panting, searching for his eyes. Those silver-flecked, wolf-like eyes had
darkened to flint, looking more wild and feral than she could have imagined. He
held her gaze with clearly etched intensity, almost desperation. Miller
shifted, but not enough to break their body contact, skin to skin from the
chest down. The heaving of his furred chest stroked her peaked nipples, and her
knees wobbled.
“Are you sure,” he
asked, his voice deep and gruff, “are you sure you want this? I mean, we hardly
know each other, Laura.”
He was right, of course.
They hadn’t had nearly enough time to develop any kind of real relationship.
But there had been a spark between them, ever since that first day.
“Spirits of the Heart” is available through:
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