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The She-Wolf Takes Charge of the First Kiss!

by Terry Spear



First Kiss from WOLF FEVER:




She glanced at the men standing about, including both Tom and Jake. Which made the situation worse. Why couldn’t any of the alpha males show any real interest in her? She was not a beta kind of girl. She supposed that was because her father had become so downtrodden by her mother’s treatment of him. She couldn’t see being married, um, mated to someone like that.

“Carol?” Ryan said, his deep baritone voice again yanking her from her faraway thoughts.

She really needed to get more sleep. She turned her attention back to Ryan. He thought she wasn’t being honest with him about her abilities, when he wasn’t honest about why he had been lurking in the woods last night, watching her window. She didn’t have to be psychic to know something more was going on between them. Time to turn the tables. Throw him off balance.

Trying to look like this was a perfectly natural way for her to act, she smiled, wrapped her arms around his neck, and leaned into the soft sweater covering his hard body, which instantly reminded her just how hard his body was when he wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothes.

She only meant to give him a slow kiss on the mouth, just to prove to him that he had another agenda that he wouldn’t admit to. Or if not, then maybe Tom or Jake would finally show some interest in her. But more than anything, she wanted to get Ryan off the subject of her abilities before she said something in anger that she shouldn’t.



To her surprise, he eagerly captured her mouth with his. Not cautiously, building up the desire in slow careful increments, but judiciously, as if he had been starved for affection for a very long time. His hand cupped the back of her head, his free hand drifting lower on her back and holding her in place.



She hadn’t meant to respond so fully to the kiss either, but his unbridled need fed into hers. Forgetting they had an audience, she parted her lips to accept him, to open an intimate path between them, their tongues dancing, touching, exploring. Her hands fisted in his soft sweater at the back of his neck and held him even tighter. She pressed her body against his hard muscles, and shamelessly she wanted more.



But then he released her and unwrapped her arms from around his neck, his eyes smoky and dark, his expression otherwise unreadable, his hands still securely holding her wrists. Their breaths came quickly as their hearts thundered at a runner’s pace. He opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but she didn’t want to hear the apology she figured he would offer or another word about her abilities, if that’s what he had in mind.

She quickly spoke instead. “I accept. Come pick me up for a date at six o’clock. Promptly.”

She’d show him he wasn’t as much in control of the situation as he might think.

Then she winked, pulled free, and stalked off toward the house without a backward glance, her blood sizzling with arousal and irritation.

She harrumphed under her breath. All the idiotic romantic notions she had been harboring for Ryan McKinley… and all he really wanted was for her to confess she wasn’t psychic?

© Terry Spear, 2009

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It's not enough to just have a first kiss, but the tension that continues between them. The unresolved issues. The hidden agendas. And not so hidden agendas. It's like having a sex scene, once it's accomplished, if there's not enough conflict afterward, the reader can feel that this is the perfect spot to put the book down, take a break, not be driven to see what happens next.

The first kiss needs to promise so much more. It's just a taste of the tip of the iceberg. Just the beginning that can't be quenched...not with just one kiss. Never just one.

The kiss is a choice--to take the first step down a path that has no return. One step toward happily ever after.

I was reading about a hero who would not kiss the heroine on the mouth until the end of the book. I felt gypped. :) The beginning of the intimacy didn't come until the end.

Give me a kiss, and I'm ready, oh yes, begging for more.

What about you?

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We're having a special Valentine's Day Celebration all month long with the Casababes. Leave a comment on our blog and you'll be entered to win drawings throughout the month. Also, EVERY commenter gets an entry in our drawing for a grand prize pack featuring more than TEN SOURCEBOOKS. An entry a day is counted toward the Grand Prize! The more you comment, the more chances you have to win.

What could be better than a whole bunch of steamy hunky guys and the love of their lives--at least if the can get everything all sorted out to realize it!--at your fingertips?


Valentine's with the Casababes

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Good luck! And Happy Valentine's Month!


It's time to share the love, and so not only will we be giving a whopping big prize package at Casablanca, but one lucky, very lucky winner, will receive an advance reading copy of Heart of the Highland Wolf, due out June. Just comment on my Casablanca post on February 9 [winner announced a week later, so everyone who comments has a week to drop by] for a chance at an early look at the upcoming book!

You see, what happened was, I couldn't get hold of Gerard Butler to read a copy. *sigh* But that's good news for everyone who comments, because now some lucky wolf (I would never call anyone a dog), has a chance to read his copy. You can ignore the lipstick kisses on the first page. :)
Happy Valentine's Month!


Terry

Comments

  1. Your point about the first kiss being as fraught as the more intimate hot scenes is a good one--one I hadn't considered before. I will view my first kisses as opportunities to create more tension than they diffuse. Thanks for the insight.

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  2. Thanks so much, Grace!! I'm so glad I could offer insight that could help! :) Yeah, it's fun to read when more tension is added in that first kiss. And beyond! :)

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  3. Thanks for sharing your first kiss excerpt. I totally agree on the need to up the ante on conflict with the first kiss. I think I've done that in my manuscripts without conscious thought. :)

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  4. What a great first kiss! I love how a first kiss stays with you throughout the book and sets the pace for the couple's relationship.

    Wow if the cover of your Highland book is any indication, it's going to be fantastic ;-)

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  5. I love the build-up to the first kiss. Imagining how and when it will happen, and witnessing the tension between the characters, is almost like waiting for my own first kiss. And once they do kiss, I want the characters to think of nothing but how they want to do it again. :-)

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  6. Whew...that excerpt was perfect Terry! I agree, I like the tension building between the characters. I also love the anticipation of when their next encounter will be. Nothing like a good cat and mouse game! ;)

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  7. Dawn, I so agree!

    Venus, oh yeah, Ian and his brothers are hot, and I LOVE the cover. Just think, there are 4 of them--quads, you know...so not just 1 hunky Highland wolf to fall in love with! :)

    So true, Rosalie!

    Cindy, yes...especially when it's a wolf to wolf game. They love to play! :)

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  8. Great first kiss, Terry. I'm with Grace, I hadn't considered the first kiss as a possibility to create more tension. Must go back and look at mine...

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  9. LOL, thanks, Robin! May all your kisses, uhm, your h/h kisses, be sexy and sizzling and tension-filled! :) With your own personal kisses, they should be Cloud 9 perfect, lots of sizzle and sexy--no tension whatsoever!

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  10. Great first kiss excerpt! I'm thinking she might have bit off more than she can chew?

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  11. GREAT excerpts Terry. Great first kiss and love the sass in the heroine! Can't imagine reading..or writing either...a book that doesn't have the kiss until the very end. That's like living a whole life and getting a kiss just before the folks from the funeral home come to take you away to the casket.

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  12. Lisa, oh, yes, most definitely. She's a newly turned wolf and she has no idea the risk she's taking in initiating the first kiss quite like that! :)

    Too funny, Carolyn. Oh, yeah, I can see that first good smooch and then...*sigh*...up go her heels, and she's a gonner and all that time wasted when there could've been all this great kissing going on. :)

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  13. Nice excerpt. A kiss is very intimate - probably the most intimate single act between two adult human beings - it shows vulnerability, trust and love.

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  14. Terry,
    Well done! First kiss scenes are one of the most difficult for me to write. Getting the right combination of sensual tension/intrigue is crutial at this point.

    You've nailed it with this scene!

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  15. I've read books where the couple waited for years to be together after their first kiss. That kiss kept them connected during that time. I think it must be difficult for an author to choose the exact location in a story to use the first kiss. It sets the mood and makes a promise to the reader as to what they can expect in the rest of the book!

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  16. Thanks so much, Loni! I agree, and it's well worth it to keep working on it to get it right! :)

    Absolutely, Stacie! I've read books like that, and that kiss has definitely kept me connected to the characters and seeing them together again, kissing again, and more! It definitely is important to make that kiss scene momentous, but also for every story we write, it must be unique to these characters. An unusual setting can help also. :)

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  17. Oh, I have to comment here also that one of my favorite tension-filled almost kisses--was the movie: The Prince of Persia. If you saw it, we're you hanging on the edge of your seat every time they ALMOST kissed??? I was dying to see them actually DO IT! :) I loved it. And it made the kiss so much more special when it finally happened. :)

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  18. I love the Sexual Tension to be built up to a Fevered Pitch. I want to have to go get that Ice Cold Tea with Extra Ice. And That's for the First Yummy Kiss. And Then The Tension mounts again to another pulsing moment. Will this be it. Will they finally order that Pizza with double cheese. And then will he push her up against the wall and take her and knock hers and my socks off. And Then I'll throw myself in the snowbank. LOL
    I want a chance at a copy of That Highland Wolf because I always can count on Terry to knock my socks off.

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  19. I agree its how/where you place the first kiss that makes a story but I'm not sure I agree with it being the only factor that keeps me connected to the character and their feelings for each other.
    I've read stories where the h/h don't kiss yet the romantic sparks between the is undeniable and you know you don't want to miss that action between them. Like your example of PoP Terry! You just hang on the edge of your seat waiting for that kiss to happen with each interaction but there's also the stories where the h/h don't kiss until the end because they consider a kiss too personal like Pretty Woman! Seeing their trust build up with each other was just as gratifying when that first kiss did come. Just my humble opinion.

    DragonStar1974 )at( aol.com

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  20. Great first kiss, Terry!! I definitely want to read more. ;)

    I agree that the first kiss is just the beginning. Depending on the characters, I use it as a stepping stone to the AHA moment--where the hero realizes that the kiss has him day dreaming or thinking about the heroine or vice versa depending on the characters. ;)

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  21. My first real kiss?I don't count my best friend and playmate's shy peck on my mouth as a real kiss.it embarrassed both of us.Maybe because I was six and had a mouth full of candy at the time.
    I was a naive sixteen year old who had only been asked out on a date once.I was interested in our farm,cattle and my horses.
    One summer night a friend,James asked me to go with him to see some friends who had just moved back into town.
    I sat politely listened until the eldest son walked into the room.
    his eyes met mine and I feel in love. He was twenty and drop dead gorgeous and for the rest of the visit,he never took his eyes off of me.
    He drove me home and we sat in the car in my driveway and talked,getting to know each other.
    He asked if I would go out with him on Saturday.I gazed into his deep brown eyes and said yes.He brushed the tips of his fingers down my cheek and asked if I would go out with him the next weekend and I nodded.He lifted my chin with two fingers and turned my head toward him and asked if I would go out with him every weekend for the rest of my life and I nodded( I couldn't have uttered a word if my hair had been on fire) Cupping his hands around my face he moved closer and leaned down and closed his lips over mine.Time stood still as he deepened the kiss. I never dated anyone else and two years later we married.
    I will never forget my first real kiss. This is a true story of my first real kiss and this is why I write romance novels.

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  22. I wrote the true story and accidentally hit the wrong button to post.My name is Pamala Owldreamer and I write romance novels.I think because of my first kiss. and anonymous post and hit the wrong button.I will post this to identify myself as I am certainly not ashamed of my first kiss.

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  23. Oh that was a delicious first kiss!
    oh I cannot wait. I love Terry's wolves and the idea of a hot box of yummy tales is fantastic!

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  24. LOL, Donna, you should be a writer. I love that you love my wolves! Thanks for always dropping by and commenting!!! I always enjoy!

    Stephanie, I agree. In the other example I gave, he refused to kiss her on the mouth, avoided her mouth, it was never an almost. And that made it feel as if he didn't truly love her, that she had some mouth disease. He had his reasoning, but it was one of those unspoken misunderstandings between both of them. Which is never a good excuse to use in a story. :)

    Thanks, CH, and I love that "AHA" moment for your h/h. That's a cute way to put it! And I can just envision it!

    Oh, Pamala, I LOVE your story. It's so romantic, and no wonder you married him!!! He's a heroine's dream. :) In the flesh!

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  25. Love that first kiss! I need to read more!

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  26. Thanks so much, Teril! I'm thrilled you're enjoying the wolves. They'll definitely warm you up on cold nights!!!

    Thanks, Mrs. Axcell, it's only the beginning! :)

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  27. Terry, you are so talented. That's a great first kiss, and I love the pack dynamic and the way it motivates your characters. Fantastic!
    And Pamela, that was lovely. Thanks for sharing!

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  28. Loved it! She kept the control from shifting to him! Bet that's what makes him come back for more, the need to shift control back to him, control her not the other way around!

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  29. Terry, I agree with you about the first kiss tension build-up. Nothing quite compares to all that pressure on one's chest!

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  30. Boy,that was some first kiss!! It makes you want more.

    I love the pictures you inserted.

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  31. Terry,
    First...major hot kiss, but what else do you expect from wolves?

    Non-fiction first kisses can be funny. The girl is unaware that the guy is going for it so she turns away causing him to get a mouthful of hair. It doesn't mean they can't make up for it later. :)

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  32. Love a female character that is willing to take charge of things!

    I can't wait for the book, my fingers are crossed!

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  33. Thanks, so much, Joanne! Yeah, I love the pack dynamics. It really does influence each member's actions...and since Ryan's an outsider, the pack doesn't like his butting in at all. :)

    LOL, yeah, Cat...that'll do it every time. He's still trying to sort out what all had happened when he's sure he'd had everything well in hand before she made her move. :)

    :) About the pressure on one's chest, Tracey. Hmm, yes, the pressure...will get you every time! :)

    Hi, Judy, thanks! Glad you enjoyed!

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  34. Morgan, that's right. No one would expect less from a couple of wolves, right? :) And lol about the mouthful of hair! :)

    Kristina, sometimes women just need to take charge--forget the alpha male posturing!

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  35. darn I was hoping you were giving away Gerard. LOL Loved the excerpt and have enjoyed your other books. I love when stories lead up to the first kiss but I most certainly don't want it at the end of the story. I love this cover, very nice.

    Larena

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  36. Are you crazy, Larena??? If I got hold of him, I wouldn't let him go! :) lol

    Thanks so much for loving the series, and want to make the cover into a poster. It's beautiful!

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  37. Thanks for sharing your first kiss story. It funny how the first kiss always stay with you for life.

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  38. Terrific first kiss, Terry! It's a very important moment in any book. Thanks for sharing!

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  39. I agree, Virginia!

    Thanks, Cheryl! So what do you think? Do canines and felines kiss differently? :)

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  40. Nice scene, nice kiss, nice wish-I-could-turn-the-page...

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  41. LOL, Terry!! If Gerard does call, give him my number...?

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  42. LOL, Lydia, I'll give Gerard your number only if it looks a lot like MY number!!!

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  43. Great first kiss! I love the tension and the unresolved conflict - I want to read more!

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  44. Thanks, Amanda!!! I hoped you'd say that!

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  45. I really enjoyed the excerpt. I think one of the greatest film kisses was in First Knight by Richard Gere - made my toes curl lol.

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  46. Thanks, catslady! I loved that one too!

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  47. Your notion of the kiss being the doorway into the novel, and the reason someone would put a novel down? I have to say no to both. heck if that's the only reason someone would put it down, what are they reading for anyway? No. As a reader, i disagree. The kiss is a first sign is all. >:) After all, maybe she doesn't end up with the hero! If I've read far enough into the novel for the first kiss scene, more than likely, I'm interested not in just the HEA but the how good the story and the world is around them, how they'll get to that HEA. So yes, tension is good, but if it's not there, by that kiss, it doesn't mean I won't keep going. (I hope that made sense. I need more coffee--and a hersheys kiss would be nice. ;) Cheers).

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  48. Hi Terry,
    Loved that scene. She sure knocked Ryan for a loop. I love the tension that first kiss builds in the relationship but I'd be bummed if I had to wait till half way in the book let alone the end. :) I love the animal sensuality of the packs Alpha when he finds his mate.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750@aol.com

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  49. Julianne, thanks for your input!

    Carol, thanks so much! I'm thrilled you loved Wolf Fever!! :) I'm sure you'll love the Highland pack in June! Lots of mystery and lots of swordplay... :)

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  50. Now that's a terrific first kiss, Terry. I agree that a good kiss scene has that tension, draws the reader right in and wanting more,

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  51. Kristina, you've won the ARC of Heart of the Highland Wolf. If you'll email me your address, I can mail the book.

    Thanks to everyone who commented!!!

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  52. I agree, Terry. That first kiss is but a promise of things to come!

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