First Kiss Friday: An Apple for the Teacher

decorative graphic containing the book cover for An Apple for the Teacher by Deelylah Mullin, Deelylah’s logo, and the text: First Kiss Friday: An Apple for the Teacher.

A first kiss can make or break a romance novel.

Whether it goes well, and they make a love connection, or whether it’s a total and complete failure, that first kiss impacts the story in a way that affects the rest of the book.

And it’s not just in romance novels, friends. According to Psychology Today, one’s first kiss—that all-important event in the life of a teen—might be the stuff song lyrics or movies are made of. Friends. They’re actually doing research on it in the past six years.

When I write about kissing, it’s all about connection between the characters. Or learning there isn’t a connection (keep following the Teachers’ Lounge series for some second-chance romance down the road that uses the whole failed attempt when they were younger trope, but things work out in the “now”!).

FYI: Mac is Dinah’s cat who got in the way the first time they almost kissed.

He turned to face her, and this time Mac kept his furry ass out of the way as he feathered a soft kiss against her lips.

Dinah froze with her eyes closed as she clenched his hand.

Arlan pulled back. “What? Did I fuck it up?”

Dinah smiled. “No. Not at all. Savoring the moment. A first kiss only happens once.” She stepped into him, and her free hand slid up his chest and around his neck. She guided his head toward her waiting lips.

When they made contact this time, a dam of pent-up attraction let loose in his brain.

Dinah’s mouth moved against his and her tongue swept the seam of his lips.

Arlan couldn’t recall what happened for the next several minutes because all the blood in his body settled in his groin. But, when he regained his senses, he pulled Dinah against him, breaking their lip lock.

He wanted her to know he wanted her.

He needed her to know that she excited him.

And he had to get a handle on his hormones before spending the evening at theater rehearsal.

It wouldn’t be cool at all if students caught him kissing Ms. James in the wings. Not cool at all.

Tucked beneath his chin and wrapped in his arms, Dinah sighed and settled in as though she’d been in that exact position a million times.

“Perfect,” she whispered as she slid her hand over his tush.

He smirked. “Running five miles a day.”

She chuckled. “Not your ass. I mean, not just your ass—it’s pretty magnificent, though. You.” She stepped back to look at his face. “This.” She gestured back and forth between them. “Us. I think this could be perfect.”

“That’s a lot of pressure to put on something so early on, don’t you think?” Arlan said.

Then, he caught a glimpse of the future—what the future could be. Having dinner together every night, arguing in the car about something intellectual on the way to work, attending Faith’s college graduation— He saw it all as though it were happening that minute.

A lot like the way he’d pictured his first kiss with Dinah.

What do you think? How was their first kiss? I love that Arlan’s worried about screwing it up. I think having him insecure about his kissing ability is endearing and I love the way Dinah talks about their first kiss.

Tell me about YOUR first kiss! Drop me an email: wendee (at) PurplePenLLC.com! And, don’t forget to pick up your copy of An Apple for the Teacher!

Hopeless romantic? Want to read more about first kisses? Check out Maddie James’ blog post all about it!