First Kiss Friday – An Excerpt from “Say You’ll Never Love Me” by Ann Everett

Today on First Kiss Friday, we welcome romance author, Ann Everett, and an excerpt from the Contemporary Romance novel, “Say You’ll Never Love Me.”

Raynebeaux Starr's life is damn near perfect. She has wonderful friends. An interesting career. A man when she wants and none when she doesn't, thank you very much. But when tragedy strikes and she’s named guardian to her six year old niece, her world is turned upside down. She finds herself alone in a new town with a small child, no parenting skills and desperate for guidance. Until she meets Father Jared Sloan. The sexiest minister she's ever seen. He is kind, patient and a literal God-send. If only she could stop having unholy thoughts about him!

Jared Sloan's love life is a disaster. He has one girlfriend he can't shake, and an ex-fiancée on his doorstep wanting him back. As if things weren't complicated enough, he encounters what must be a fallen angel in a church parking lot. Little does he know when he offers her counseling that she would be unlike anyone he's ever experienced. He wants to be the kind of man she can trust. He also wants to taste her so bad it hurts.

First Kiss Friday Excerpt

By ten o’clock, Silbie was asleep, the hail had stopped, but rain continued to fall. Raynie moved around the kitchen putting popcorn bowls away while Jared stacked books on the counter. The lights flickered, then the room went dark.

“Power’s out. You got a flashlight or candles?”

“I’ll get them. There’s a lighter on the mantle.”

She left him and moved down the hallway. In the bedroom, out of habit, she flipped the light switch and for a second expected it to work. Crazy. From the nightstand, she took a pillar candle, then stepped into the bathroom for votives. When she came out, Jared stood inside the room. Even in darkness, a silhouette of solid manhood.

She set the candles down, rummaged through the drawers, found a Mag-lite and shined it toward him. “Who said let there be light?”

He laughed. A low mellow tone from deep in his chest and her toes curled. Then he did something unexpected. He closed the door and locked it. Her heart hammered. Outside, the wind whistled and howled. Raynie’s emotions swirled right along with them.

He walked to stand behind her and switched the flashlight off. Her knees weakened.

Then he laid the mag aside, placed his hands on her waist, and leaned into her hair. “I do some of my best work in the dark.”

She drew a shallow breath. “I bet you do.” She wanted some of those skills. And that was wrong. So wrong. She should step away. Send the preacher home. But instead, she leaned against his chest.

He slid his hands to her stomach and pulled her tighter. “Want me to show you?” Slipping fingers under her silky pajama top, he stroked bare skin.

Every cell screamed yes, show me everything. She blew out a heavy sigh, but words wouldn’t come. Her brain said no, but her body told her to keep her mouth shut and let the man do his job.

“I take your silence as a yes.” He dragged his lips down the side of her throat and sucked soft flesh into his hot mouth. She tilted her head to give him better access. Then he moved to the crook of her neck. “God, you smell good.”

His warms hands explored higher. She tingled everywhere.

“You like that?”

Did he have to ask? It was evident she did, but apparently, he wanted verbal confirmation. “Yes. But Jared…”

He spun her around to face him. “Don’t talk. Don’t think.”

The orders landed in her brain like a grenade. A hundred thoughts exploded at once. He covered her mouth with his lips. Hot. Demanding. That’s all it took. Whatever he wanted, he could have.

He boosted her onto the desk. Wedged between her thighs. Cradled her face. Brought her mouth back to his again. This time the kiss so slow and sweet, she melted against him. Over and over  deep, intimate kisses yanked her heart and stole air from her lungs. If he kissed her a thousand times, it wouldn’t be enough.

“Say You'll Never Love Me” is available through:

Amazon