Indie Kissing Blogfest
I knew immediately I wanted to do the Kissing Blogfest when I read about it on the Indelibles website, so I signed up. But then I had to choose just one kiss to post! What?
It was difficult.
I think so much of a really good kissing scene in a book is situational, meaning its greatness depends on the situation surrounding it. There should be a build up before the kiss, a really good, emotional one, and the kiss should have some bearing on the plot. It needs to change the course of the story in some way. Or anyway, that's what I think.
So like I said, I had to rifle through a bunch of kisses to find the perfect one to share. The one where Gideon kisses Ket in front of everybody? The one where Muloki tells Ket why he came to Melek? The very first tender one where Zeke makes his intentions known? The rough one where Lamech tries to teach Sarai a lesson. The one where Eliza takes matters into her own hands. You see my problem.
So I settled on this short kiss from Daughter of the Lamanite King that happens when the boys are coming home from war. It's between two characters that don't end up together, and don't blink or you will miss it.
The men were calling to Kenai, whistling, telling him his girl was pretty. And they were much less polite than I expected them to be.
Jarom stood looking me over, drinking me in with his eyes, arms folded over his huge chest. He laughed. “Keturah is the captain’s sister!” he called back over his shoulder. “She is my girl!” And he picked me up and kissed me, brief but hard and full on the mouth in front of two units of cheering soldiers.
When Jarom set me down, I slapped his face, much to the amusement of the men. But I couldn’t resist the laughter in his eyes, and my mouth twisted up into a smile despite myself.
Okay, fine. FINE. The one where Gideon kisses Ket in front of everyone. I'm so weak.
They each hugged me at the gate of our courtyard, and most of them pinched me in the side, pulled my hair, or slugged me in the arm.
“I’ve been dying to get my arms around you,” Joshua joked as he squeezed me too tight.
I laughed as I pushed him away and looked at the last man in line.
Gideon.
He smiled at me. His smiles had always been rare, and I knew that I would treasure this one.
I tried not to think of all the people who watched us—all the boys, Mother, Zeke, Zeke’s parents, Micah, half the village.
Gideon’s embrace was too brief.
“There is so much I want to say,” I told him quickly.
He shook his head. “You always did let your actions speak for you.” He allowed himself a moment to look into my eyes. “Here,” he said and pressed something into my hand.
I looked down at a ball, the kind we used when we all played together in the camps between work assignments. It was newly made of golden brown buckskin, but not a pretty adornment like the others had given me. Puzzled, I looked back up at him.
“You’ll figure it out, Kanina,” he said. His words were mild, but they were accompanied by a fire burning in his eyes that dared me to discern his meaning. Then, with boldness beyond comprehension, he kissed me—and not politely. He was insulting nearly every person there. He knew it, and still he kissed me. One of his hands slipped around my waist, his thumb brushing the ribs over my heart. His other hand slipped into my hair.
It was completely silent in the clearing. No one gasped or clucked her disapproval. No one cleared his throat when the kiss went on. No one scuffed a sandal in the dirt as he tried not to stare. No one laughed or coughed or even breathed.
Gideon.
He rested his forehead on mine for just a moment, not long enough, and then he let me go. I doubted he even saw the other men when he shouldered past them and left the village.
With wide, shocked eyes, the other men smothered grins and followed after him.
I gave Lib a last wave, and he gave me a look that I could not interpret. He motioned to something behind me, and when I looked I noticed Zeke standing there staring after Gideon.
I touched his arm, and he looked down at me.
“I will see you in a few months,” he said, completely avoiding mention, discussion or even acknowledgment of what had just happened.
Because there was just nothing to say.
Because I am running a giveaway for the Love is in the Air Blog Hop this week, there is no giveaway specific to the Kissing Blogfest, but never fear, you can enter my current giveaway here. Then scroll down and visit the other blogs in the Kissing Blogfest. Thanks for stopping by!
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