That First Kiss - In Loving Hate

If you have read my previous posts on this subject, you'll know that I've been working through each of my novels discussing the scene of the first kiss.  Today I've reached my forthcoming release In Loving Hate, which I can hardly wait to share, but must remain patient until its release - scheduled for 9 November.  As yet, I don't even have a cover for this (hence I'm resorting to a cute kitty image to brighten up the page) so it still feels a little unreal to me.

Here is the blurb:

How far will the rich and powerful go in order to achieve their goals? That is the question Lyssa must decide when she finds herself caught between two formidable adversaries: powerful business tycoon and shipping magnate, Alex Andrakis and close childhood friend, ‘Dynamic’ Nell Winters, brewery heiress and prolific businesswoman.

Photo credit: Giorgos~ (moving to Google+) via photopin cc

Following the failure of her marriage in Greece, Lyssa returns to her family home in London, to discover that her mother, a once-celebrated actress, is now facing crippling debts.  When Lyssa begins to investigate these, she becomes embroiled in the intricate business dealings of Nell and her arch-rival Alex.  Irresistibly drawn towards widower Alex and his unhappy young son, Lyssa begins to uncover some unexpected and disturbing facts.

photo credit: UGArdener via photopin cc

The more involved she becomes, the more shocking are the discoveries she makes.  The conflicts culminate in a frightening battle for survival as Lyssa finds herself the prime target between the possessive Nell and obsessive Alex.   With her loyalties deeply divided, can Lyssa make the right choice for everyone concerned?


The first kiss scene of the story is unusual as things are not quite what they seem.  Lyssa has lured Alex into a trap for her own ends and throws herself at him in a very public embrace.  Alex's reaction, and her own, are not at all what she expects.

He caught her tightly in a fierce embrace, gazing into her eyes for a moment.  A moan of urgent need escaped his lips before they sought and found hers and he kissed her hungrily and with an intensity that left her weak with shock, unable to pull away.  But as she recovered her senses, thoughts of pulling away seemed to slip out of her mind.  His tongue gently parted her lips and found hers, performing a little mating dance that caused a thrilling current to spread throughout her body, charging every nerve ending until each one seemed to tingle with anticipation and long for more.  What am I doing?  No answer.  For a moment she felt absolutely powerless to do anything but respond to the passion of the instant which he, not she, dominated. Time stopped and the world around her stood still, dissolving into nothingness as she succumbed to the intense pleasure surging through her body, which left her faint with desire for more.

When she finally did pull away, he continued to hold her closely, cupping her face in his hands and showering both it and her hair with greedy little kisses as if he couldn’t get enough of her to satisfy his voracious hunger.  His eyes were like bottomless pools of pure desire and she knew her own must mirror them.  She looked at him in astonishment, trying to regain her composure but with extreme difficulty.  What just happened?  The question hammered at her brain but received no answer.

Finally she found her breath, though her voice came out as little more than a weak whisper.  “Oh dear, this isn’t quite…” She took a deep breath and eased herself smoothly away from his embrace, her planned speech having fled her mind.  “I’m terribly sorry Alex, but I’ve just remembered something very important.  Do you mind if we cancel lunch?”