First Kiss Friday – License to Nerd by Chris Redding

Today’s First Kiss Friday featured guest is Chris Redding, author of contemporary novel License to Nerd.  Welcome Chris!  Here’s the first kiss between Madison West and Peter Quincy.

“We lose him?”

“Most likely. Let’s get back to hotel.”

When they returned to the hotel, Q booted up his laptop.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting us a flight to Mugatu.”

“That might be important. I need to get a prescription filled. I left it at home.”

“What?”

“It’s for a tranquilizer. I can’t fly without.”

Q turned in his chair to look at her. “I need you ready to go when we land. You may have to forgo the tranq.”

She shuddered. “I hate flying. I couldn’t hate anything more. I’ve done it, but only with medication.”

“I’m sorry. We can’t chance it.”

Her breath weighed heavily in her lungs. “Okay.”

“You can back out.”

“No. You need me.” She cocked her head at his sardonic grin. “What?”

He shook his head. “Nothing.”

She strode over to him “Tell me. You love to say odd things or look at me in a certain way, but you never follow through.”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

She sat on the desk next to his laptop. “Like now. I’m close, but you won’t look me in the eye.”

His gaze bounced around then settled on her then it went back to his screen. “I just looked at you.”

“For a New York Minute.” She leaned into him, her face inches from the side of his. “You dislike me that much? I’m a big girl. I just want to know where I stand.”

His chuckled startled her. “You want to know where you stand?”

She leaned back on her hands, swinging her feet. “Yes. I can handle it if you don’t like me, but I just need to know that before we go into a dangerous situation.”

“You want the truth?”

“Yes.”

As if he was going through a metamorphosis, the gangly nerd was gone. He stood, towering over her, his gaze intense. He couldn’t have been more of an alpha male. Dangerous came to mind as she eyed him.

He backed her against the closest wall, never touching her. One hand rested above her head on the wall.

“Madison, I find you the hottest women I’ve ever met.”

Her mouth went dry. Well, she’d asked. “Yeah?” she choked out.

“Yeah and that makes me nervous.”

So she still had the upper hand. “Nervous, huh? Why?”

“Because, ever since you knocked on the back door of my business I’ve wanted to do this.”

He took a hold of her shoulders. She inhaled sharply at the sudden contact with him. Her body tingled and her lips parted in anticipation of his.

Then he kissed her.

He kissed her like a starving man eating his first meal. He kissed her like a man who’d been schooled in how to kiss a woman. He kissed her better than he’d kissed her in college. If he’d kissed her like this then, she might not have chosen Charlie.

When he tried to move away, she held onto him, deepened the contact.

“Wow,” she said when they came up for air.

His gaze met hers, only inches from her face, then he walked away.

The oxygen left the room.

“Sorry.”

She slid off the desk and followed him. “Don’t you dare.”

He whirled to look at her, his eyes wild, his hair unkempt. “What?”

“Don’t you dare apologize. Don’t you dare walk away. We’re not finished.”

“We are. You’re a client.”

“So. I’m also a woman. A woman you once made love to.”

His gaze raked over her leaving her naked. “I know.”

The silence hung like a flag on a calm day.

She stepped towards him. He stepped away. “Afraid?”

He licked his lips, his chest heaving. “Yes.”

“Chicken.”

She stepped towards him again. He stepped away. “Don’t Madison. Don’t cross that line.”

“Life’s short.”

“This is only because you’re in danger and I look like a knight in shining armor. Here we are back at college, but we aren’t two kids anymore. You made your choice back then. No do overs.”

“Don’t. Don’t insult me. I’m a big girl. And this isn’t a do over. It’s a whole new game. We’re not kids.”

“Madison.”

His voice came out in a desperate whisper. If she pushed, he’d go over the edge.