I’m so happy you can join us again this week for another First Kiss Friday post on my blog. Todays guest is Dragonblade Publishing author Aurrora St. James who has an excerpt from The Earl’s Timely Wallflower. Isn’t this cover beautiful? And a time travel! You all know how much I adore to read and write them. We hope you enjoy this first kiss scene. Happy reading, my lovelies!

Excerpt:

(Gabriel finds Lily in the shadowed library late one night.)

“Perhaps it is time to think about the things that you want, Lily.”

“Maybe. Right now, I want to find a clock maker. All I found was a book on the theory of trade in the world.”

“Excellent choice. That book should put you right to sleep.”

“Would you like one for yourself?” Lily handed him the book. Her eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled.

“Ah, no. I was hoping for something even more dull. The General View of Agriculture perhaps.”

“At home, I read every night in bed. It helped settle my mind so that I could sleep.”

“What did you read?”

“Romance. I only read romances.”

His Lily was a romantic. Did she read them and dream of a great romance of her own?

“I don’t suppose you have any?” she asked, although by her tone, she thought he wouldn’t.

His lips tugged up. “Violet snuck a few romances into the library, hoping that I wouldn’t notice.” He reached behind her, pressing himself that much closer, to run a finger over the leather spines.

She sucked in a breath.

The air changed between them, like the charge before a lightning strike. Heady and breathless. Something about this woman drew him. The more he learned about her, the more he desired her. Her strength and intelligence shone through every conversation, and Gabriel found himself deeply attracted to that combination.

Gabriel rested his other hand on the bookshelf, caging her in. He looked down into her eyes, illuminated only by the candle flame. The darkness wrapped around them, cocooning them in shadows. A branch brushed the window outside, and the house creaked. The silence of the night cast a spell, weaving between them, tugging them closer. It was as if they’d slipped into the land of dreams, where nothing felt real.

Lily pressed her hands to his chest. She didn’t push him away.

He wanted to feel her soft hands against his bare skin, but his dressing gown and sleep shirt were in the way. She stroked over his chest, then dipped her fingers under the edge of his velvet robe.

Closer to where he wanted her hands.

He dipped his head and traced his nose along her hairline, breathing her in. She arched into him, brushing her hips against his.

Her eyes widened when she felt his hard cock, and a shuddering breath left her lips.

“You fit against me perfectly,” he whispered. “When we danced, this is what I imagined.”

Her hands quested up to the open neckline of his sleep shirt and pushed it aside. She followed with her mouth, the lightest brush of satin lips over the base of his throat.

Gabriel sucked in a sharp breath, and his hips bucked against hers of their own accord. He cupped her cheek and tilted her face up to his. Sleepy eyes met his, and he realized that she wasn’t wearing her glasses. He pressed a kiss over one eyelid and then the other.

She slid one hand up his chest to cup the back of his head.

He feathered a kiss at the edge of her lips, a light touch meant only to tease. She trembled in his embrace. Gabriel moved lower, brushing his mouth just barely over her jaw and down the column of her throat. Her scent drove him mad. Wound around him until all he could smell was Lily.

The neck of her nightrail was open, leaving a tempting vee for him to follow. He lost himself to the temptation and traced her skin with his mouth.

Her fingers speared into his hair, gripping the strands and holding him closer. Ah, his Lily was passionate. He wanted to lay her out on the library table and feast from her mouth, her skin, the heat between her legs.

She yanked his head back up and pressed her mouth to his.

Gabriel growled with need. His hands smoothed down her back to cup her arse and hold her tighter against his erection.

Lily bit his bottom lip.

The slight sting made his lips part, and she took advantage, sliding her tongue against his.

Good Christ. Gabriel felt half mad with want. He fisted the skirt of her night dress and yanked it up until his hand met warm skin. He traced her satiny thigh up to her hip and to the round, soft fullness of her buttocks.

Lily moaned against his mouth and kissed him harder.He turned her toward the table, shoved the books aside, and hoisted her up onto it

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The Earl’s Timely Wallflower (Book One)
By Aurrora St. James

Never let destiny meddle in your romantic affairs…

When Lily Bennett became the caretaker of her teenage sister, it came at the expense of her hopes, dreams, and the home she grew up in. Now that her sister is grown and on her own, Lily struggles to find a place to call home. She wants to feel part of a family again and intends to mend the broken relationships with her siblings. That is, until she discovers an unusual timepiece that lands her in Regency England. And at the feet of one of the most eligible men in society. Unfortunately, he believes that she’s crazy. Any attraction Lily feels for the stubborn man is clearly one-sided. Too bad she’s stuck with him until she can figure out how to get home.

Gabriel Hawthorne, Earl of Rothden, has decided to host one last house party before returning to London for the dreaded season where every simpering chit and money-hungry mother will hover around him like flies. Add to that his sister’s hunt for a husband and Gabriel would rather shoot himself than a grouse. Still, it’s his duty to find his sister a suitable match, which he’ll do after one last bit of respite to shore up his defenses. A respite interrupted when a pretty little wallflower in scandalous clothes lands at his feet claiming to be from the future. He’d turn her over to doctors if she weren’t so damn intriguing. Suddenly, all thoughts of London, responsibilities, and simpering debutantes don’t seem half as hard as getting Lily to stay with him.
But when his ex-mistress arrives unannounced at the house party, she makes every effort to drive a wedge between the fragile bond Gabriel and Lily have forged. If she succeeds, he could lose Lily forever. And if Lily finds a way back to her time, he may have to follow her.

Because the Earl of Rothden always gets what he wants. Even when it’s a wallflower from the future.
Note to readers: This book is a sexy, time travel Regency romance featuring a heroine trying to find her way, an earl trying to find a moment of peace (spoiler alert: good luck with that buddy), funny side characters, and a guaranteed happily ever after. It is the first book in the Taken by Destiny trilogy. Books 2 and 3 to be released in May and July.

Buy Link: https://amzn.to/3lYSzNm

About the Author:

Aurrora St. James writes sexy historical and paranormal romances featuring tough heroes, strong women, quirky characters, and a touch of humor added in for spice. She loves coffee, making her own journals, old B, C, and D-movies, and the magic of a happily ever after.

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