I’d love to call this post, “First Kiss Friday,” but it’s not Friday. However, the post is about the first kiss between the hero and the heroine. As a lead-in to each of my nine published books (yes, nine Saturdays dedicated to that FIRST KISS), I’ll share the first kiss as well as small tidbits about each book. If there’s a current sale, I’ll also share that information too :). And I’ll keep the order of books from first published to the most current book. Let’s begin shall we?
UnMarked (previously published title, Shadow Watcher, September 2012).
He parked behind her Chevy and switched off the headlights. The car’s engine hummed while the parking lights drew her eyes to the Nevada plates and the faded stickers on the truck’s bumper.
“Warm enough in here?”
“Yes, thank you.”
She liked the warmth. It would take time for her truck to heat up. As they sat in silence, she discreetly scanned their surroundings. There were no red auras. However, her body was keenly aware of the stranger beside her. In her peripheral vision, he rested his hands on top of the steering wheel and stared straight ahead.
“My dad used to drive an old Chevy like yours. In his spare time, he fussed over her. When she stopped running, he still kept her around.” He continued to look forward. “My father died three years ago. His truck still sits in the driveway.”
Some nights, she wanted the dark to hide the truth, didn’t want to see so clearly. The glimpse of grief on this man’s face was hard for her to bear.
Remembering her parents’ deaths, she turned to look at him. “I—”
Moonlight shone in through the car’s window and cast shadows over the hardened planes of his face, causing her to falter and forget what she was about to say. Following her instincts, she leaned forward, cradled the side of his face in her palm, and drew him to her until their eyes locked.
“I’m sorry about your father, Ryan Campbell.”
Her chest ached at what she saw—sadness and . . . guilt. Yet this human’s aura shone golden, a sign of goodness. After tonight, she wouldn’t see him again. It was time to make a choice, to deviate from her rule of not caring or letting a human care about her.
Placing her hand on the back of his head, she brought him closer until their lips barely touched. “You have to understand, I don’t normally do this kind of thing.” The two of them, in the middle of nowhere, spoke of a dangerous kind of hook-up.
She moved her lips over his, and he held still, seeming undecided on how to respond to her forwardness. Not wanting to see so clearly if he rejected her, yet craving to feel deeply if he returned her advances, she closed her eyes and waited.
When he threaded his fingers through her hair, she inhaled at how good his touch felt. He kissed her, and his mouth was soft and his taste intoxicating like ripe strawberries on a warm summer day. A moan slipped out of her. She hadn’t let a man kiss or touch her since Dom.
He nuzzled her neck and lingered before he fastened his mouth over hers again. He smelled of rain and dirt, and she inhaled his sexy scent. He smiled against her lips before deepening their kiss. Had he realized how much she loved the rain?
A deep, wanting twinge formed in her chest and spread to the pit of her stomach, his kisses and touches a sudden reminder of how lonely her existence had become and the reason behind it. She wrenched her mouth away. “I—I took this too far. The kiss—” Gods, what had she done?
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UnMarked book description: They say in death, your life flashes before your eyes like pictures in an old movie reel. That had never happened for her.
Keeping her resurrection a secret from the world is easy to do for demon hunter Sophie Sinclair. Her life depends on her living in the shadows, a ghost hunting demons in the night to fulfill a contract that can free her from a past mistake.
Wanting to feel alive to the touches and kisses of a man… well, it’s an experience she’d rather not go through again in this lifetime. One unforgivable act of betrayal had been enough for her to swear off men. Until sexy, ex-homicide detective Ryan Campbell drops in on her supernatural existence. He’s a man with a very dangerous proposition for her, and his own dark secrets. Secrets that can rip their world and her heart to pieces.
How far will Sophie and Ryan go for duty and freedom, family and love? And will the truth set them free?
UnMarked tidbits:
The original title was Noble Heart, Journey of Fate followed by Shadowatcher then Shadow Watcher, and now UnMarked. UnMarked is part of the Extinction Series. The title came from what the H/H represents. They are considered UnMarkeds. UnMarkeds aren’t pureblood demon hunters. They can be a mix of demon and pureblood, or human and pureblood. In the story, our hero, Ryan Campbell’s father is human and his mother is a pureblood demon hunter. Unfortunately for Ryan, he’s born without supernatural powers. His hunting powers (speed, seeing in the dark, heightened senses) comes later in life. Sophie, our confused sometimes naive but bad-ass heroine has pureblood, demon and human blood in her. Their story is a bit on the dark side. Their feelings for one another are put to the test as they must decide between duty, family, and love.
UnMarked isn’t on sale currently. However, here are the links for where you can get a copy: Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Allromanceebooks, Apple ibooks, and other major retailers.