Welcome back to my First Kiss Friday blog! Today’s guest is Peri Maxwell who will be sharing her first kiss scene from her story HIs Secretive Madam. Isn’t this cover just stunning? Happy reading and enjoy, my lovelies!
Excerpt:
The only thing more surprising than kissing a prostitute in Parliament was that the prostitute was Jocelyn Kirk.
Drake had never considered kissing her. But here he was, her lips pressed to his, her breasts against his waistcoat. He didn’t need to see them to imagine her cleavage. He’d gotten a good look every time she’d knelt lower than her waist.
Her grip on his neck threatened bruises. Drake rested a hand on her waist, reassuring her that he understood the plan. Though God only knew how he was going to get them out of this.
Jocelyn’s ribs curved under his thumb, and her hip flared against his palm. God, she was delicate. Her warm breath fanned his cheeks, leaving peppermint lingering in its wake. Her lips were as soft as the cotton blouse teasing his fingers.
It had taken months of life in London for Drake to rid himself of the briny scent of life in Highcliffe. Jocelyn smelled of salt, just enough to be buried under the smell of bluebells, violets, and lavender. Just enough to be tucked under the warm odor of moss.
He’d expected roses and musk—the scents of a bedroom. He got the wildness of a bluebell wood after a sea-fresh storm.
Jocelyn’s tongue was hot and slick against his, tasting him, and her soft sigh reached through him to stiffen his body in indecent places. Her soft curls clung to his fingers, and the shell of her ear led him to the curve of her jaw. The bone there was fine, but the muscles beneath it were strong and sure.
“Ahem. Sir!”
It took a moment for the words to breach Drake’s thudding heart and filter to his brain. He dragged his lips from Jocelyn’s and forced himself to ignore her dazed stare. Using his body to block her from view, he looked over his shoulder. Viscount Stratford stood at the end of the hall, flanked by a peer who was much more amused by the situation.
“My apologies, sir. What did you say?” Drake asked.
Stratford’s eyes widened. “I asked, what the devil do you think you’re doing?” Though his words were indignant, he craned his neck in an effort to see Jocelyn.
Drake drew her closer with one hand while he used the other to free her fingers from his hair. They left a shivery trail in their wake. Her lips were wet from their kiss, and he could still taste her on his tongue. “I think that would be obvious, your lordship.”
He pressed a kiss to her knuckles—only to make him more convincing as a besotted lover. It wasn’t that he liked her this close, that he couldn’t bear to let her go. Her knee grazed his inner thigh as she shifted. Then she did it again. After the third time, Drake moved out of reach.
Men got killed by being this distracted.
Buy Links
Amazon: https://a.co/d/30FzpOz
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-secretive-madam-peri-maxwell/1144108049
*******
Blurb
The girl from his past is now the most scandalous woman in London.
Everyone knows Jocelyn Kirk as the madam of The White Rose, London’s best brothel. What they don’t know is that she’s the daughter of Britain’s most wanted smuggler, and his imprisonment has left her to fend for herself. The lessons she learned as a child still apply—keep your mouth closed, your eyes open, and do what you must to survive. Drake Fletcher threatens everything.
Everyone believes Drake Fletcher is a respectable businessman. If they only knew how hard he’s worked to leave his criminal past behind. The lessons he learned as a smuggler still apply—keep your mouth closed, your eyes open, and stay true to your word. However, when he walks into The White Rose and comes face to face with Jocelyn Kirk, the rules go out the window.
Drake’s clandestine business is built on helping women rebuild their lives one secret at a time, and he’s determined to save Jocelyn from her fate. But she doesn’t want to be rescued. Her clients are the most influential men in Britain, and their pillow talk is valuable currency in bartering for her father’s release.
When Jocelyn’s spying puts her in the crosshairs of a murderer, she’s forced to turn to Drake for help. Soon, their reluctant partnership turns to a passion they can’t deny. Jocelyn is torn between her commitment to her father and a man she never expected; and Drake must choose between his carefully crafted life and saving the woman he loves-whether she wants him to or not.
*******
About the Author:
I have had my nose in a book since I learned to read, a hobby that I shared with my grandmother. She introduced me to romance, both contemporary and historical, at an age where I wasn’t quite sure about everything that was happening on the page.
I began writing as a challenge to myself, but I wrote my first historical romance on a dare. Now I’m hooked!
I prefers to write heroines who can stand toe-to-toe with a hero, challenge society’s rules for good reasons, and find love with heroes who admire an equal (even if it’s a little reluctantly).
An armchair historian, I also have a background in women’s studies. I like read–and write–books with humor and a good mystery. Not all my books are high-heat, but some are (just like real life relationships.)
I live in Arkansas with my husband and the two cats who rescued us. When I’m not writing or reading, I’m working at my day job or spending time with my family and friends (the same ones who dared me to write a historical romance).
*******
Social Links:
Website: perimaxwell.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorperi/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writerperiGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22406672.Peri_Maxwell