Here is a section from Book Three in the Flirting Series, Further Flirting Games, due out end of September 2013.
I feel like I'm treading a fine line between balancing the age of the characters and keeping it appropriate for my younger teen readers. I would appreciate any feedback (either here, on Twitter or Facebook) as to whether it is too much, or maybe not enough?
I also hope you enjoy the sneak preview!!
Gabriel picked up the script. “Ok, so the first bit is a
voice over, we don’t have any lines, we just act it in silence right? I’ll pick
up my helmet and you sort of try to keep me from leaving, then we kiss. I’ll
read the Prologue out first so we can hear it and then we’ll try acting it.” He
began to intone “Constantinople had fallen.
Muslim Turks swept into Europe with a vast, superior force, striking at
Romania, threatening all of Christendom. From Transylvania arose a Romanian
knight, of the Sacred Order of the Dragon, known as Draculea. On the eve of the
battle, his bride Elisabeta whom he prized above all things on earth knew that
he must face an insurmountable force from which he might never return.”
Gabriel picked up an imaginary helmet and Beatrice tried for
tears as she clung to his arm and attempted to pull him back from the door.
Gabriel, his face full of resolution and sadness, pulled her against him in a
crushing hug. The moment he looked down at her, she knew he was about to kiss
her and Beatrice shut her eyes and puckered her lips.
Nothing happened.
She opened her eyes, Gabriel was still holding her close but
obviously not about to kiss her, instead he seemed to be trying not to laugh.
“What?” She said self-consciously.
“You look like you’re going to kiss your Grannie, not your
lover.”
“Oh.” She was lost trying to work out what she should do
differently. How could she tell him that she was seventeen yet never been
kissed?
“We’re not going for a peck on the cheek here. Your beloved
husband is about to leave for war! Try to think when you last felt real passion
for someone.”
He looked down into her nervous eyes and read the truth
there.
“Oh right.” He rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. “I
tell you what; let’s start with a gentle kiss, and work up to passionate, ok?”
She nodded, wishing her hands would stop shaking.
He smiled kindly. “Close your eyes. Tilt your head to the
right, a little bit less. Open your mouth, not that much, just part your lips
slightly and don’t use any tongue.”
His lips met hers and softly moved against her own.
It felt…nice.
He stopped and she opened her eyes.
“You alright so far?” He questioned, still looking like he
was trying not to laugh. “Of all the things I thought I’d have to teach you,
this was not one of them.”
She grinned back at him shyly. “Did I do it right?”
He gave into his laughter. “Oh Beatrice, we’ve only just
started. You wait and see. I’m going to kiss you again now, but it will be a
much deeper kiss. Just follow my lead.”
She closed her eyes again. Tilted her head and parted her
lips. His mouth brushed against her once, twice, before their lips joined. He
held her tightly and she tired to remember to breathe. He moved more this time,
kissing the corners of her mouth, sucked at her bottom lip a little, his teeth
nibbled on it and then she felt his tongue. He ran it across her lips, and
despite him telling her not to use her tongue, she instinctively touched his
with her own. He carried it on for a few more seconds, before breaking off
again.
She opened her eyes slowly, she hadn’t wanted him to stop.
“Not bad Miss Greene.” He teased her, “I think you’re a
natural.”
She smiled at him dreamily, aware that she wasn’t nervous
anymore. Gorgeous Gabriel had just kissed her, and she liked it.
When she was fifteen she had written in her diary about how
she fantasised her first kiss would be. If she could go back and tell her
fifteen year old self that it would happen with Gabriel Brenner, she would
never have believed it.
A small part of her had always hoped it would be with Owen.
Her face clouded slightly. She would be with the envy of every single girl in
the school if they knew she had just snogged Gabriel, but it wasn’t real. It
would count as great practice, but her first kiss should have been with someone
who properly liked her.
“Lang is an idiot.” Gabriel said grimly, watching her.
She stared at him for a second wondering how he did that,
how did he know what she was thinking? Then mortification kicked in. She
covered her eyes with her hands.
“Oh my god. You know? Does he know?”
Gabriel removed her hands from her face gently. “Everybody
knows. You could do a lot better.”
He ran one finger down her flushed bumpy cheek. “Do you want
to do something about these spots?”
“Well obviously!” She got defensive to cover her
embarrassment.
“Mix some rock salt with a little lemon juice and rub it
into them.” He advised.
“Really? Does that work?”
He nodded. “If you’re skin gets too dry from it, then beat
an egg white and smear it on like a mask. Just don’t forget to wash it off
after a few minutes or it will really smell!”
“That’s kind of a girly thing for you to know?” She started
to laugh feeling cheered up. She was really warming to Gabriel.
“Nate got it out of one of his mothers books. He had really
bad acne in the third year. But don’t tell anyone or he’ll kill me.” They both
laughed. “Right then,” he said, getting all business like again. “Are you ready
to try for passionate kissing?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “That wasn’t passionate?” She asked
referring to their last kiss.
He smiled and shook his head condescendingly. “Not yet I’m
afraid.”
“Ah ok, well let’s get it over with.” She joked, already
feeling the adrenaline high at the thought of kissing him again.
Gabriel glanced at the door, double-checking the blind was
down over the little window in it. Beatrice followed his gaze. “No one would
believe it if they saw it!” She commented.
“You have to believe it, otherwise we can’t make it look
real on the stage, would it be so hard to feel something when you kiss me?”
Beatrice wasn’t sure how serious Gabriel was. Was he mocking
the fact that she should be overcome by his kisses, because he was hot and she
was a nobody, or was he not like that and genuinely concerned about the play?
She knew he took his acting very seriously.
“I’ll try my best.” She said lightly.
“Ok. It’s going to be a bit more full on, stop me if you get
uncomfortable.” Gabriel advanced on her and she giggled getting nervous again.
This time he pulled her right against him, they seemed to be
joined all the way from their feet to their mouths. She hadn’t ever been this
intimate with anyone before, it felt weird but definitely passionate.
This time when he kissed her she knew what to expect and
moved her mouth against his following his pace. When his tongue touched her
teeth she met it with her own and their tongues danced together. She bit down on
his lip a little, and he seemed to like it and pulled her head even closer. His
other hand roamed down her back and came to rest on her bottom, holding her
firmly against him.
That was when she forgot it wasn’t real. Passion was
definitely igniting inside her. She wanted to get even closer and her own hands
moved up his back and into his hair. Gabriel almost crushed her mouth as the
kiss went into warp drive. She gave a soft moan of enjoyment and he released
her instantly. Putting a good foot of distance between them.
Book One of the Flirting Series - The Flirting Games is available on Amazon here: US Edition UK Edition
