Thanks for joining me for another First Kiss Friday! Today’s guest is Eliza Knight who is sharing an excerpt from her novel The Scot is Hers. Isn’t the cover gorgeous? We hope you enjoy this first kiss scene. Happy reading, my lovelies!

Excerpt:

“And if I’m to be blamed for your ruination,” his gaze shifted to her mouth, “then perhaps ye’d gift me with a kiss?”

Giselle was stunned by the differences between Alec and Sir Joshua. One had taken a kiss without asking, without caring. And this one, the earl she’d agreed to marry, asked for it. 

“And if I said nay?”

He held up his hands and backed away. “Then I shall wait until ye’ve given me permission.”

The other difference between Alec and Sir Joshua was she wanted to kiss this man, and he was giving her the opportunity to do that. 

Oh, she was hot and tingly at the prospect. Giselle nodded, licking her lower lip. “Aye. A kiss.”

This would be her second kiss of the day, and Giselle wanted this experience to erase the first.

“Are ye certain? After everything ye told me about Keith, I feel like a cad for asking.” His gaze flicked from her mouth back to her eyes. “I got carried away in the moment.” 

For the briefest instant, the hard mask he wore for everyone else disappeared, revealing the softer, more vulnerable man inside. Then it was gone, replaced by the wicked earl, the beast she wanted to tame.

“There are many differences between ye and Sir Joshua Keith, no’ least of which is that ye, as prone to growling as I’ve found ye, are no’ a true beast at heart.” And she meant that, even when she’d found him in the garden a few years ago, she hadn’t been scared, hadn’t thought him cruel. He was more like a wounded animal. Even now. In search of a balm to the heart.

“I am flattered ye would say so.”

“I am serious.” And she needed to remember that he’d called their marriage a business deal. A transaction. She couldn’t let herself forget that or allow any emotions to play a part. 

“Thank ye,” he said softly, swallowing hard enough she could see his throat bob.

Giselle smiled, shimmied her shoulders gently, and said, “Now ye may kiss me and be on your way before Jaime barges in here to witness. Or your mother, for that matter.”

“My mother might bring a small army. Though ’tis likely Jaime would bring Lorne.”

“She is a dear friend.”

“And a good one from the sounds of it.”

Giselle nodded, butterflies dancing in her belly. “I’m ready.”

“I’m no’,” Alec murmured, but his actions said otherwise as he leaned toward her. 

She watched his face descend and then closed her eyes when his breath fanned over her mouth the second before his lips touched hers. They were soft, tender, and not in the least intrusive. This kiss was the complete opposite of what she’d had with Sir Joshua, and as she’d wished, it erased the horror of before, replacing the memory with the scent of Alec, the melding of their mouths in such a delicious fashion. He tasted the way he smelled, of spice. A hint of cinnamon.

The hair of his beard was not as bristly as she’d expected, tickling her, but not in an irritating way, rather only heightening her senses.

Alec’s face tilted, the tip of his nose brushing her cheek as he deepened the kiss. Lips overlapping and then between. And his tongue… Oh, Giselle gasped, then sighed, as the velvet tip fluttered out to tease her sensitive lips. He tasted the inside, skimming over the plush flesh of her lower lip. On instinct, she touched her tongue to his, then darted it back as waves of pleasure and desire coursed through her. This was…this was… She didn’t know what she could even say about it other than it was pure bliss.

Giselle leaned into him, her fingers curling in the lapel of his frockcoat, wanting to explore more than that. And she noticed then that Alec kept his hands to himself, braced on either side of her. She had the sudden desire for him to misbehave, to discover all of her body the way she wanted to unearth his.

---

THE SCOT IS HERS
by Eliza Knight

Highland war heroes rebuilding their lives grapple with ladies forging their own paths—who will win?

Regency Scotland comes alive in the vibrant and sexy new SCOTS OF HONOR series by USA TODAY bestselling author Eliza Knight. Scottish military heroes, who want nothing more than to lay low after the ravages of war in 19th century France, find their Highland homecomings vastly contradict their simple desires. Especially when they meet the feisty lasses who are tenacious enough to take them on, and show them just what they’ve been missing out of life. In battle they can’t be beaten, but in love, they all find the ultimate surrender.

When Lord Alec Hay, Earl of Errol returns from war, his mother is determined to see him wed. But he wants only to escape into the darkest room in his ruined castle and relive the harrowing moments in battle where he was unable to save his best friend…

Lady Giselle Hepburn, an impulsive lass, rides out from a neighboring estate during a storm, attempting to escape her family and a forced marriage to a man with a vicious dark side. She falls off her horse and nearly tumbles over a cliff, but is saved by a handsome, mysterious Highlander. With a twisted ankle, and the weather too dangerous to attempt riding, Giselle agrees to ride out the storm all night with the stranger…

To Alec’s shock, Giselle is the first woman who doesn’t shy away from his scar and treats him like a man rather than a hideous barbarian. As the storm rages through the night, they each confess their meddling family’s determination to see them wed——and he learns her intended is his greatest enemy. Alec insists that she accompany him back to his house to convalesce, where he presents her with a solution to both of their problems: —what if they wed each other in secret? Could a marriage of convenience free them both from their unwanted troubles, or will love be an incredibly inconvenient development?

Order your copy!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3hy4Far

B&N: https://bit.ly/BN_TheScotisHers

Apple: https://bit.ly/TheScotisHers

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Add to your reading list!

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/Read_TheScotisHers

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About the author:

ELIZA KNIGHT is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of over fifty sizzling historical romances. Under the name E. Knight, she’s known for riveting tales that cross landscapes around the world. Her love of history began as a young girl when she traipsed the halls of Versailles and ran through the fields in Southern France. While not reading, writing, or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping, and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain with her own knight in shining armor, three princesses, and two very naughty newfies. Visit Eliza at http://www.elizaknight.com or her historical blog History Undressed: www.historyundressed.com.

https://eknightauthor.com

https://www.facebook.com/elizaknightfiction/

https://twitter.com/ElizaKnight @ElizaKnight

https://www.instagram.com/elizaknightfiction/

https://www.amazon.com/Eliza-Knight/e/B003EM6RDA

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2881569

Welcome to this weeks First Kiss Friday blog! My guest today is April Holthaus who will be sharing an excerpt from her upcoming novel Heart of the Highlands: The Raven. April is also offering a giveaway so be sure to read all the way through the post in order to be in the running. Happy reading, my lovelies, and good luck with April’s giveaway!

Excerpt:

“Why do ye look at me so?” she whispered.

“When ye gaze upon a work of art, do ye no’ stop to admire it?

“I am fair, nothing more.”

“Ye are much more. Ye may keep your head down when you walk, but there is a beauty about you that, no matter what you do, can ever be hidden. A rose can no’ hide its beauty for it will always be a rose.”

Eamon leaned in close to her, expecting her to retreat, but she did not. Her eyes called to him like the sea called to a ship’s captain. Eamon knew it would be best to keep his feelings at bay, but the more he was around her, the more he ached to touch her. Would it be a sin to glide his hand across her cheek, or comb his fingers through the locks of her hair? If he did, would it be enough to satisfy his desire, or would he starve for more?

Eamon wasn’t just a man, and she wasn’t just a lass. Had it been that simple, he would not be questioning the validity of his actions. He had to remind himself that Adelyn was the king’s cousin and a daughter of royal blood. He was a warrior and a son of a traitor. He could never afford to have a wife. For what sort of a man could leave his wife or his children defenseless?

They each held onto the moment, stretching the seconds, like watching the very last grain of sand fall inside a time piece. Had he been a blind man, he may have missed the look of disappointment in her eyes as he began to retreat. Though his heart yearned for her, he had an unbreakable vow to his king. He took a reluctant step back out of her embrace.

“I bid ye good night, Lady Adelyn.”

With a slight bow of his head, Eamon turned toward his chamber. Behind him the door handle to her room jiggled as she turned the knob. He could hear the creak of the door swinging open on its rusty hinges, followed by the light patter of her footsteps as she entered the room. Eamon stopped and stared aimlessly through the blackness of the empty hall.

He couldn’t walk away.

“Damn the consequences!”

He did not know if it was the pull of his heart or the whiskey that gave him a fool’s courage, but he quickly turned on his heel. Rushing forward, he stopped the door from closing with his hand. Grabbing her arm, he swung Adelyn around, and pressed her up against the wall. He cupped his hands along the side of her face and pressed his lips to hers in a hard and passionate kiss.

Her lips were as warm as sweet wine. A soft sigh escaped her as he pressed his body against hers. Lifting her arms around his neck, she grabbed onto a fistful of hair, deepening the kiss. Trailing kisses down her neck, his hands explored the curves of her body. As he touched her, her breaths came in deep, heavy pants. 

Desire melted all sense of duty and obligation. Pressing his forehead against hers, they shared the same air as their racing hearts began to calm.

“Tell me ye feel this. Tell me that I am no’ the only one who feels whatever this is,” she breathlessly whispered.

“Ye cannae imagine how badly I want ye. Just being around ye is maddening. Every time I am near ye I feel unhinged. But ye are no’ mine to have,” he openly admitted.

“I dinna want ye to go. I only feel safe when I am around ye.”

“I must go.”

“Promise me I will see ye again.”

Holding her in his arms, he placed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“I promise.”

---

Heart of the Highlands: The Raven
By April Holthaus
Release Date: August 1, 2021

She’s accused of murder. He’s accused of treason. When faced with those who convict them, will they be able to escape or will they be punished to death?

Forced to wed a ruthless English Lord, Adelyn Scott welcomed death over marriage, but had no idea her wish would come true until she discovered her husband’s body lying dead in his chamber on the night of their wedding.

As commander for the king’s personal guard, Eamon MacLeish’s loyalty has never been questioned. Until the day a mysterious woman arrived seeking an asylum and stole his heart.

As Adelyn and Eamon piece together clues surrounding her husband’s murder, Eamon must choose between his loyalty or his heart. For one path would ultimately lead to her death, and the other path leads to his.

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093J6BQZ5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Author Bio:

April is an Award-Winning Author for her Scottish Historical Romances. For more than a decade, she has worked full time in the direct marketing and printing business, but developed a passion of historical romances through her love of reading, history and genealogy. When she is not working or writing, April loves to spend time with her son and traveling.

Follow her at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/author.april.holthaus
Twitter: @aprilholthaus
Instagram: authoraprilholthaus

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY!

April is running a giveaway for a signed paperback as well as a digital copy of the 1st book of the series Heart of the Highlands: The Beast. To be in the running, just comment below and April will choose a random comment as the winner over the weekend. Good luck!