Top 5 First Kisses
Hi everyone –
After 35 books, I thought it might be fun to start spotlighting a few from my backlist. I have a hard time piking favorites, but I did my best to come up with a list of the Top 5 First Kisses that have stuck in my head after so many books!
Let me know in the comments if this is fun and I’ll work on some other Top 5 lists in the future…
Here’s some hot/emotional first kisses… Ready?
Blood Moon (Moon Series) – Gareth is still one of my favorite heroes, and this scene ripped my heart out. Everyone he’s ever loved is dead. And when he finally discovers his one true mate, she’s dying. This scene had so much passion and heartbreak all in one fated kiss… This is Nadya’s point of view…
The second his lips brushed mine, my pulse raced, and somewhere deep inside of me the wolf growled. I wasn’t sure how I understood her, but she made her intent crystal clear.
Gareth was ours.
A tidal wave of passion, shock, and possession swamped my senses as I ran my hands up his chest and around his neck. He held me tight, but it still wasn’t close enough. I parted my lips, my tongue twining urgently with his. Any fear I’d had earlier about my body not responding evaporated. Every part of me wanted him. Now.
My fingers tightened in the back of his hair and he moaned into the kiss. My pulse skyrocketed, heat smoldering low in my belly. We had on way too many clothes. This was the passion I yearned for. If my time on earth came to a close soon, I wanted to wallow in desire, to feel as alive as possible.
Gareth made me feel invincible.
He pressed me against the wall, parting my legs with his knee, bringing our bodies even closer together. His erection rubbed me, rock hard through his jeans. I slid my hand down his chest and around his waist, then lower, encouraging his hips forward, closer.
Suddenly he broke the kiss, resting his forehead on mine while we gasped for air. His pupils dilated and narrowed, his nostrils flared, and I started to smile. “Wow… That was amazing.”
Gareth shook his head like he was just waking up, and then he backed away. His emotions were gone, boxed up so far from me that my empathic abilities were no help.
“This can’t be happening.”
“Excuse me?” I straightened, hoping my rubbery legs would hold me up.
He raked his fingers through his black hair, pulling it back from his face. “I can’t do this.”
“What?” Talk about a cold shower. “You lost me. What just happened?”
He finally met my eyes and although his feelings were hidden, the raw pain in his gaze was impossible to miss. “You are so damned beautiful, Nadya.” He yanked off one leather glove and caressed my cheek with his warm hand. His touch was tender, in stark contrast to the tense line of his jaw, the agony in his eyes. “Promise me something.”
I swallowed my own knotted emotions. “Okay.”
“Don’t keep secrets from Jason. He’s your best chance to beat the poison in your veins.” His hand dropped from my skin and already I yearned for his touch. “This is so fucking unfair.”
He hurled his leather glove across the room like a missile, and it collided with a picture on top of the television. The frame toppled over. I flinched as the glass shattered, but the noise didn’t even phase him. Gareth paced the room, snatching his glove up off the floor without righting the picture. Every few seconds I’d get a glimpse of emotions I didn’t understand. Rage, passion, worry, yearning, and fear. Lots of fear.
“Gareth, talk to me. You’re not making any sense.”
He rubbed his hands down his face and turned toward the window. “I thought I had a chance to start over with a clean slate.”
“You still do.”
He glanced over his shoulder with a sad smirk. “I wish.”
He took a deep breath and slowly turned around. I stared into his eyes, wishing he’d open his heart to me. His passion had been there. He’d wanted me as much as I’d wanted him. Did he worry he’d hurt me? My gift was no help to me at the moment. Being clueless sucked.
Gareth came closer and brushed a chaste kiss to my forehead. “I’ve lost everyone, sweetheart. I can’t stay here and lose you, too. I wish I was strong enough, but losing Gabe broke me. I can’t do this again. I won’t.” He went to the door and stopped. His voice lowered, gravelly with emotions he refused to share. “You should have a mate who can stare into the abyss and tell it to fuck off. Stay with Jason and stay alive. You don’t deserve this. Any of it. And you definitely deserve better than me.”
He closed the door behind him and I sank onto the couch, trying to figure out why my heart tore in half. Tears spilled down my cheeks, and my mind reeled. I’d only known Gareth for a couple of months. Tonight was the most we’d ever spoken, and the first time we’d ever touched.
So why did it feel like my whole world just collapsed?
Sedona Sacrifice (Sedona Pack) – This book had much more angst that I
expected, and the slow burn until we finally got to this kiss was KILLING me! But I think it ended up being worth the wait… 😊 This is Becca’s point of view…
He turned to face me. “This is all so fucked up, and those little guys never asked to be a part of any of it.” Pain lined his face. “How can I protect them from all this?”
I wrapped my arms around him, instinctively needing to ease his burden. He held me tight, molding my body to his, and unlike my earlier hug from Asher, this one had my heart racing.
We clung to each other in a stranger’s massive kitchen, and I suddenly felt like we were the only people left in the world. He drew back just enough to see my face. His gaze locked on mine, desperation in his eyes, not to mention unspoken questions. But I didn’t have the answers. All I could offer was myself.
I rose on my toes and kissed him. It was clumsy at first, but his grip on me strengthened as he parted my lips. He explored my mouth as our tongues tangled together with an urgency that made my knees weak. He walked me backward until we hit the cupboards. My fingernails raked down the back of his shirt and a growl rumbled in his chest. Fire burned low in my belly until my thighs pressed together, my body aching for his attention.
His fingers tightened in my ponytail, tugging my head back as he deepened the kiss. This was a hunger I’d never known in my life, and if I could’ve gotten him naked, I would’ve been having sex in some stranger’s kitchen. This need for him consumed me.
Dex called Gage from the other room.
He stumbled away from me, and my legs almost gave out as we stared at each other. With his heated gaze locked on mine, he slowly ran the back of his hand across his wet lips, and I practically had an orgasm right where I stood. The desire in his eyes almost physically burned me.
No one had ever looked at me like that before.
My entire body tingled. Arousal didn’t seem big enough to describe the yearning he’d kindled in me with just one kiss.
“Be right there,” Gage called without ever taking his eyes off me. He came closer and whispered in my ear, “I’m starving, but not for the chicken on the table.”
He straightened up and walked out of the room. I struggled to catch my breath. Holy shit. I went to the table to unpack the bag of food. My legs were rubbery, and my mind was buzzing with images of Gage with far fewer clothes on.
I set the take-out plates on the table and took out a box of fries and a bag of biscuits. When Gage came back in the room, all the air sucked out of my lungs.
Sadly, he wasn’t alone. Dex smiled at me. “Hey, Becca.”
I’d met Dex a few times. His twin brother was the quieter one of the two brothers, but I didn’t really know either of them. Neither one had kids so we didn’t have much reason to interact, and now that I knew Asher had built some kind of imaginary wall around me, I guess it made more sense that they rarely spoke to me.
“Hi, Dex.” I kept my attention on him for fear if I so much as looked at Gage I’d go up in flames. “I hope I got enough chicken for everyone.”
He shook his head. “Deacon took General Sloan back into town, and he’s bringing lunch for us. I just wanted to say welcome, I guess…” He shrugged as he looked over at Gage.
He must’ve told Dex I knew. I raised my eyebrows. “I’m not a werewolf.”
Dex chuckled with a nod. “I know. I just meant…it’s nice to have you around without secrets.”
Gage took his plate and came to my side of the table, putting himself between me and Dex. His voice was deep, his tone short. “I’ll get to the tile after I eat.”
I stared at Gage’s back. His shoulders seemed tense, and his feet were set wide apart, ready for a fight. Was he jealous? I blinked. What was happening here?
Dex glanced at Gage and nodded. “Yeah. Sounds good.” He peered over at me and smiled again. “See you soon, Becca.”
“Okay.”
He left the room, and Gage turned to face me. His shirt stuck to his chest in a couple places, feeding the fantasies playing through my head of how ripped his torso must be.
His gaze softened. “Maybe we can eat outside where we’ll have some…privacy.”
The way he said the final word clued me in. Dex was a werewolf like Gage. He must be able to hear everything we said, like Gage and Asher did when I was on the phone with my uncle.
“Okay.” I picked up my plate and filled it with a drumstick, a thigh, a handful of fries, and a biscuit. I grabbed a packet of honey, too, then looked up at Gage. “Lead the way.”
I followed him through the open floor plan. Much of the house was covered in plastic tarps and drywall dust. The heels of my flats clicked across the bare cement floors as we crossed to a wall of sliding glass doors. He led me out onto a back patio that had a gorgeous view of Cathedral Rock in the distance. We sat under one of the two old gnarled oak trees the patio space had been built around.
I took a bite into the chicken and stared at the valley. Spring in Sedona was beautiful. Perfect temperatures and clear days that gave way to chilly nights. A hawk circled, making his way lower in a silent descent.
Gage cleared his throat. “Are we going to pretend that didn’t happen in there?”
I glanced his way and shrugged. “I don’t know. I started it, but you definitely finished strong.”
The corners of his lips curved as he popped a fry into his mouth. “Oh, I was far from finished.”
Then my thighs were pressing together again as I shifted in my seat on the concrete bench. This high level of flirting and double entendres were out of my league.
I chuckled, meeting his eyes. “If that was just warming up, then I might be in trouble.”
He grabbed a napkin, wiping his hands and then reached for mine. His grin went from wolfish to warm, melting me in a whole new way. “You are always safe with me, okay? If I come on too strong, say something. I swear I’ll back the fuck off in a heartbeat.”
“You’re making me want to kiss you all over again,” I admitted.
He raised a brow. “Is that a promise?”
I laughed and leaned over, kissing him slowly. Funny, even though this was new between us, it didn’t feel awkward. It felt right and natural. He cupped my face in his large hand, his lips brushing mine over and over, and instead of the urgent hunger we’d unleashed in the kitchen, this time we savored the tender kisses.
He rested his forehead on mine. “You taste so sweet.”
I dangled the half-empty honey packet in my other hand.
He grinned, shaking his head. “This isn’t honey. It’s all you, Bec.”
My given name was Rebecca, but only my family used it. I’d been Becca to everyone else my entire life. But something about hearing him shorten it to Bec seemed intimate. Only for him. And I liked it.
Something shattered inside the house followed by a loud. “Fuck!”
Gage chuckled. “I better get in there before the Stewart brothers ruin the whole shipment of custom tiles.”
“Okay.” My voice was thready and unfamiliar to my ears. I wet my lips. “I guess I’ll talk to you later?”
He tilted his head a little, and as impossible as it seemed, he was even more handsome. “I was thinking maybe I’d see if the boys can have a sleepover with Bart and Ben tonight.”
We’d be alone. All night. I swallowed the lump in my throat. “This is moving at lightning speed for me. I think I need a little time to process all this.”
Hurt flashed in his eyes, but he shut it down so fast I almost thought maybe I imagined it. He nodded slowly. “Maybe tomorrow night?”
I chuckled. “I’ll check my calendar. We could watch a movie or something.”
“Great.” His eyes wandered over my face. “I don’t have any expectations, okay? I want to know your favorite color, what makes you laugh, and maybe what you like to drink.”
I raised a brow. “So you won’t be disappointed if we don’t end up naked?”
“After what happened in the kitchen, I’m pretty sure you already know where I stand with wanting you naked.” He shook his head as he lifted a hand to caress my cheek. The gentle touch sent tingles all the way down to my toes. “But I don’t have an agenda. I’d wait a hundred years for you if that’s what it takes. We have time, Bec.”
My heart wanted to leap out of my chest, but my head kept issuing warnings about werewolves and government research and my uncle being part of a collective trying to kill werewolves.
Instead of driving myself crazy, I gathered up all the trash and then leaned in to kiss his cheek as I whispered, “I guess I’ll talk to you tonight?”
His crooked smile had my heart doing backflips. “For sure.”
I was already looking forward to it.
Night Child – The Night Series is my only vampire series so far, and this book had the sexiest kiss/blood drinking scene of the whole series for me. Issa was such a tortured hero, and Muriah had some psychic gifts that made her immune to his “enthralling” so he couldn’t hear her thoughts or hypnotize her, but they ended up with a beautiful love story to finish off the series and this very sexy first kiss…
The rational part of her brain agreed with him wholeheartedly and screamed at her to wake up and rescind her offer, but after a lifetime of bad boy adrenaline rushes, this was too hard to resist. Ever since she’d been old enough to understand what Lukas was, that there really were blood-drinkers in the world, she’d been fascinated.
Here was a chance to experience it with a sexy Night Walker…whom she’d just met.
She muzzled the mental voice spouting off reason and dove head first into the familiar pool of no-strings-attached sensation. “You gave me your word that you’d bring me back to The Dimension’s Den.” Muriah held eye contact, refusing to retreat from her request. “If I can’t trust the word of a Mayan god, who can I trust?”
Issa’s entire body tensed. His muscles contracted like it took every ounce of his self-control not to touch her. She watched him, willing him to come closer.
“The silence is making me nervous.” She wet her lips, taking a step closer to him. “Talk to me. Tell me how it all works.”
Issa stared down into her eyes. “Usually, you would be mesmerized by now, eager to follow my commands.”
“I’m not much of a ‘command’ follower.” Her heart pounded so hard, Muriah could almost hear it in her ears. “Will it hurt?”
His strong hand cupped her cheek, and even though his skin was cool, the touch comforted her. “Perhaps for a moment, but I promise you, I can ease the pain.” His voice was deep and soft, sensual. Heat bloomed in her abdomen, radiating through her body.
She swallowed the wave of desire, struggling to keep her thoughts straight. “Can I see them?” A crease marred his perfect brow, and she added, “Your fangs. Can I see them?”
He remained silent, and for a second, she thought he might give her one of his holier-than-thou-Gods-don’t-perform-to-impress-mortals speeches. Instead, he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. He pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles, his dark eyes locked on hers, and as he lowered her hand slowly, his lips remained parted enough for her to see the sharp tips of his fangs.
Her knees went weak. Dangerous and sexy all at the same time. She forced air into her lungs and rested her hand against his chest. Mistake. If she hoped to catch her breath, touching him wasn’t the way to do it. His body was chiseled through the thin fabric of his button-down shirt, like a statue of masculine perfection.
His eyes changed, lightening until they glowed crimson. What was left of the rational part of her brain begged her to put some distance between them, but her body was way beyond listening.
“Your eyes…” She whispered, breathless.
He leaned in closer to her, his mouth hovering over hers while his gaze demanded her attention, claiming her on a primal level. “They burn when I hunger for blood…or flesh.”
She tipped her head up, her lips nearly brushing his. “Which do you want right now?”
“Both.” He closed the distance between them, kissing her as he wrapped her in a tight embrace.
Magnolia Mystic – This is from the first book in the immortal pirates’
series, Sentinels of Savannah. And this first kiss was so enchanting to write, it has always stuck with me. I love the swagger these pirate heroes have, and every book is an adventure!
By the time they left Bob’s, the streets were empty. Colton hadn’t lost track of time like that in…more years than he cared to think about.
He stopped in front of her shop and took her hand. “Thank you for the unexpected evening.” He brushed a kiss to her knuckles. “I hope it won’t be our last.”
Skye grinned, her cheeks still flushed with the Drunken Pirate drinks Bob kept pushing on them. “I thought you only had eyes for your ship.”
God, she was beautiful. “Until I met you.”
“So you do know how to be charming.” She took a step closer, looking up at him. “Maybe you could give me a proper tour sometime.”
Oh, he wanted to give her so much more than a tour. He brought his hand up to caress her cheek. “Anytime.”
“How about now?”
His heart thumped in his chest, and alcohol warmed his gut. Given the choice between sitting alone worrying about Eli and whether or not the curse was ending, or spending more time with her…ah hell that wasn’t even a choice. “Why not?”
He took her hand again, enjoying the spark of fire that lit through his bloodstream and led her through the fog toward River Street.
Seeing the usually bustling area empty was equally beautiful and haunting. It brought back memories of earlier days. Centuries before cell phones and email. Back when his crew would drop anchor in the cloak of night and shanghai new crew members out of the pubs.
Lifetimes ago.
He walked her across the gangplank and hopped down onto the deck. Turning back, he reached up to clasp her waist.
Her eyes widened. “Wasn’t there a step before?”
“Aye.” He nodded. “It’s for tourists.”
She still didn’t move. “So I’m not a tourist anymore?”
“No.” He shook his head and lowered her to the deck. Staring down into her eyes, his hands slid up her sides. “You’re my guest.”
She tipped her chin up toward him. He couldn’t resist the invitation, bending to kiss her lips. He hummed into her mouth as she opened, welcoming his exploration. She tasted like rum, root beer, and something wild he couldn’t place, but it didn’t matter. He wanted more.
Craved it.
Her hands moved up his chest, as he clenched a handful of her silky hair in his fist. He held her tighter. God, she was made for his arms. His heart pounded in his ears reminding him…he was alive. Until he bumped into her on the stern of the ship, only the swells of the open sea gave him a rush of passion.
His erection throbbed between them, and regretfully, she broke the kiss, stepping out of his embrace.
She reached up to touch her lips. “What the hell was that?”
“A damned fine kiss.” His chest rose and fell as he struggled to catch his breath.
She nodded, dropping her hand. Studying his face, her voice softened. “I don’t know what Bob put in those Drunken Pirates tonight, but wow. I’m impressed.”
He chuckled. “That kiss had nothing to do with the drinks.”
Her grin lit up the night. “Pretty confident for a pirate.”
“Aye.” He allowed his true accent to color his voice. “Haven’t ye heard? We excel at confidence, lass.”
“Damn.” She came closer, laying her hand over his heart. “You do make a sexy pirate.”
Except it wasn’t an act. She’d never believe him anyway, and he wasn’t ready for the night to end, so he kept the truth where it belonged. Buried.
Devoted to Destiny – So this was the book that was never supposed to happen. When I planned for The Muse Chronicles, it was going to be a 6 book series and Clio was going to die in the fire in book 3. Then Mason, the carpenter walked on the scene and suddenly he saves Clio from the fire and I realize… I need to add another book! LOL It was all worth it! Mason and Clio were an amazing writing adventure and their first kiss melted my heart…
Mason walked Clio out of Bartlett’s and toward her car. She had to work in the morning but wasn’t ready for the night to end. Not yet. Mason made her laugh, and when she went off on historical tangents, he didn’t just sit and wait her to return to the twenty-first century, he listened and joined her on the journey. They’d already talked for over two hours.
As she slowed her pace, he chuckled. “I’m not ready to say good night yet.”
“Me neither.” Clio stopped beside her car and looked up at him. “If I didn’t have a teaching assignment tomorrow, I’d love to find another place to talk.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a tender kiss to her knuckles. Her pulse raced as heat coiled low in her belly.
His eyes met hers as he lowered her hand. “You’re my silver lining, Clio.”
Her heart fluttered. “How do you figure?”
“I came to Crystal City without knowing a soul, landed a job that no one else would work on, and then got trapped in a burning building, but I also got to meet you.”
She worried her lower lip. Why couldn’t Mason be her Guardian? She’d never met anyone like him before. He loved the hard labor of his job, claimed it was honest and allowed him to move around and see the country, and when he wasn’t turning architectural drawings into reality, he enjoyed reading.
And his favorite subject was history.
Ugh. She never should have taken a seat at his table. Now when she found her Guardian, she’d be comparing him to Mason. How could any man measure up?
At least she hadn’t kissed him yet.
Yet? She needed to get her head together and stay focused on finding her Guardian, not making out with the hot contractor. For now, she’d imagine that he was a sloppy kisser, like a wet vacuum cleaner, all tongue and teeth.
“Damn. I’m sorry.” His hand slid free of hers, his gaze wandering over her face. “Let me guess. You’ve got a boyfriend, and I just made you really uncomfortable.” He shook his head, a trace of a smile on his face. “But boyfriend or not, I meant what I said. I’ve got no regrets.”
She reached up to cup his face, rose up on her toes, and brushed her lips against his.
What was she doing?
His five-o’clock shadow was rough against her palm, reminding her this wasn’t a dream. He returned the kiss, humming into her mouth as he embraced her. Gods, her entire body came alive, aching for more. She parted her lips, and his tongue searched for hers, teasing her until a wanton moan escaped her throat.
Her knees wobbled, but Mason’s strong arms kept her upright. She tangled her fingers in the back of his hair, and suddenly, her brain engaged.
She pulled back, breathless. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
Mason loosened his grip on her, shaking his head. “I will never be sorry you stopped thinkin’, darlin’.”
His crooked smile almost lured her to kiss him again. So much for imagining he kissed like a wet vacuum. It was the opposite, in fact. Now she realized she’d never really been kissed until tonight.
She was so screwed.
Taking a step back, she pressed the center of her glasses farther up her nose. “I didn’t mean to lead you on.”
“So there is another guy?”
“Yes.” She coughed and shook her head. “Well, no. At least, not yet.”
He raised a brow. “Which is it?”
She couldn’t tell him she was waiting for her Guardian to find her, and right now, her blood was rushing to lower parts of her body. Her brain was still struggling to catch up. She crossed her arms. “It’s complicated.”
So smooth.
He nodded, his gaze boring into her. “Maybe you can explain when I help you move Saturday.”
Having him in her place, near her bed… Yeah, bad idea. She broke eye contact and looked down, inspecting her shoes. “About that… I don’t want to impose.”
He caught her chin, lifting her head until she stared into the lush forest of his green eyes. “I swear I’ll keep my hands to myself.” He smiled and added, “Even if it kills me.”
Knowing he wanted her too wasn’t helping. Had Trinity been right about Mason all along? How had Clio missed it?
“Okay.” She nodded, a grin creeping up on her. “And I promise not to kiss you again.”
He shook his head, bending closer. His breath teased her skin, his voice dropping an octave. “That’s a promise I hope you can’t keep.”
Her lips parted, aching to close the distance between them again. Never in her life had she wanted anyone like this. Why now?
She backed away. Being near him was intoxicating. She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced a tentative smile. “I guess I’ll see you in a couple days.”
He nodded, and while his eyes shone with desire and intensity, he made no move toward her, respecting the boundary she was desperately trying to erect between them.
A nervous giggle escaped her lips. “I’ll text you my address. Thanks for your help. And sorry about the…”
He shook his head and gave her a crooked smile. “I’m only sorry we’re not going to kiss again.”
Thanks for checking out my Top 5! Let me know in the comments if I missed one of your favorites! First kisses are so much fun to write, and I had a really hard time choosing… Shew!
Lisa