Welcome to my First Kiss Friday blog. I’m so happy you’re here with us today. My guest is author Shana Galen who has an excerpt from her novel Saved by the Belle, book three in her The Royal Saboteurs series. We hope you enjoy this first kiss scene. Happy reading, my lovelies, and enjoy!

Excerpt:

“Mr. Arundel,” Belle said, making a last attempt to rouse him from whatever dream his fevered mind had conjured. “You must release me.” Her voice was low and husky, and she did not even recognize it as hers. He didn’t release her, and she hardly blamed him. She didn’t sound at all like a woman who wanted to be set free.

Then to her surprise, he did release one wrist. Before she could pull back, though, he reached for her waist, his hot hand all but searing her through the thin fabric of her shift. With a gentle pressure, he pulled her closer, so close she could smell the scent of tea on his breath.

“Belle,” he murmured. His use of her name shocked her enough, but then his hand slid from her waist up her ribs to cup her small breast through the thin linen of the shift. She gasped, and he took that opportunity to catch her lower lip between his teeth.

The bite was gentle, not even a bite at all, just a tug to keep her mouth near his. It worked. Belle froze, and then she did something she never thought she would do. When Arundel released her lip and opened the hand on her breast, clearly giving her the option to refuse him, Belle leaned closer and pressed her lips to his. She didn’t know why she did it. Perhaps because her unsated desire finally got the best of her. Perhaps because though Arundel was fevered and clearly not in his right mind, he was a handsome man who made her head spin. Perhaps because she was a spinster and didn’t want to cross into becoming a thornback—the term society liked to use to refer to women approaching thirty—without kissing at least one man who truly desired her.

She hadn’t considered he would kiss her back. She pressed her lips to his, unsure what to do next, and then shocked when his mouth moved beneath hers. He returned her slight pressure and gave it back to her, moving his lips to brush them along hers. At the same time, his hand returned to her breast, his thumb finding her nipple, hard now and straining, and caressed it with that same lazy stroke.

Belle felt as though she might combust from the heat engulfing her now. Every part of her was too hot. No wonder people disrobed when they went to bed together. She was unbearably warm and undeniably aware of the tingling between her legs. She wanted to press her hand there, to ease that tension.

---

Saved by the Belle
The Royal Saboteurs (Book Three)
By Shana Galen

After successfully completing his first mission as a Royal Saboteur, Hew Arundel is in London on holiday. But his entertainments are cut short when he’s attacked in the street. When he wakes, he’s not only in pain but in an unfamiliar setting. He might be half-delirious, but he’s not imagining the smart-mouthed woman charged with his care. Belle isn’t a skilled nurse, but she’s smart and fearless, and Hew finds those two qualities irresistible. And dangerous. Hew’s heart has been damaged before, and he swore never again to allow a woman to breach his defenses. Belle doesn’t seem interested in him anyway…until they share a forbidden kiss.

Belle Howard was born with a specialized palate. She knows exquisite tea by scent and taste and has used that talent to turn her family’s business, Howard’s Teas & Treats, into one of the premiere tea shops in London. When circumstances force Belle and her father to care for an injured man, they aren’t sure the man will survive. They certainly don’t expect his would-be assassins to wreak havoc on their lives. Now Belle is caught up in a dangerous mission and even more treacherous is the way Hew Arundel makes Belle feel whenever he looks at her. But Belle has learned not to trust men. If only she could remember that when Hew takes her in his arms.

Buy Links:

Amz: https://amzn.to/3htXi7b

BN: http://bit.ly/3ULsRaW

iTunes: http://bit.ly/3WJwro9

Kobo: http://bit.ly/3X1uUdh

Print: https://amzn.to/3ZJefLZ

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/b5ja1R

About the Author:

Shana Galen is an award-winning writer and the bestselling author of passionate Regency romps. Kirkus said of her books: “The road to happily-ever-after is intense, conflicted, suspenseful and fun.” RT Bookreviews described her writing as “lighthearted yet poignant, humorous yet touching.” She taught English at the middle and high school level for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston’s inner city. Now she writes full time, surrounded by four cats and one spoiled dog. She’s happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making.

Website: shanagalen.com

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ShanaGalen

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/93709.Shana_Galen

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/shana-galen

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanagalen/

TikTok: @shanagalen

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/shanagalen

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shanagalenauthor

Twitter: @shanagalen

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shanagalen/