Nick and Melinda’s story is one of my favorites. I hope you like the snippet I picked to share with you.

Nick strode to the door then paused with his hand on the knob. Tomorrow, he wouldn’t get the chance to say anything to Melinda, not with the number of cops arriving to aid in getting her to the courthouse. Giving in to the need to see her alone one more time, he pivoted and hurried to her room before Mike or Owen got wind of what he was doing. He didn’t need their ribbing for the next few weeks when he would be trying to forget her.

Her door was open, and he paused seeing her in the chair in the corner, hastily brushing her hands over her cheeks. Even in the dim lighting, he could make out the uneasiness etched on her face as she jumped to her feet, and he closed the door to give her privacy. Dressed in jeans and an oversized sweatshirt, she shouldn’t look so fucking appealing, but he never could resist a troubled woman. He was always drawn to the subs at his club who carried the most baggage, but he’d never met one he couldn’t walk away from without regret after seeing to their needs.

He was already lamenting the end of his and Melinda’s short acquaintance.

Nick went to her, the small bedside lamp spilling enough light to see her red-rimmed eyes clearly. “Melinda, if you’re not sure…”

“I’m sure. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t.” She held up the picture clutched in her hand. “This is the one and only photo of us, all I’ll have of him now. I’m sorry. It just got to me, and it shouldn’t. He never was a part of my life even though Mom kept him updated on me whenever they met for him to deliver child support. He dropped out of both of our lives eighteen years ago. Finally learning why helps, and I owe him for that, but it doesn’t negate that hurt.”

“He was a good man, did what he thought best under terrible circumstances.” Nick had to admire her father for that. Too bad he hadn’t trusted the cops like his daughter.

From what little they could unearth about Theo Melbourne’s job as accountant for the drug dealer, he’d taken the position without knowing who he was working for. Once he had found out, he had ditched all ties to everyone he cared about, seeing that as his only option to keep them safe from his mistake. Luckily for Melinda and her mom, Theo had kept his short affair with Cara Walsh from his wife, paying Cara child support in cash when she informed him of Melinda’s birth. He’d been divorced from his wife for two years and had left no record of his brief involvement with Cara when he discovered the truth about his boss after moving to Wyoming years ago.

Nick needed to get going before he caved to the desperate appeal in Melinda’s eyes. She looked so sad and alone, yet the determined set to her mouth revealed the grit she possessed to see this through. “I have to go, and I doubt I’ll have time to say goodbye after tonight. It’s been a privilege knowing you, Melinda.” He figured if he kept saying her name, he wouldn’t be tempted to call her darlin’ or some other endearment.

Her gaze darted to the closed door as she leaned into him. The first contact with her soft body, followed by a plea with that soft catch in her voice that never failed to turn him rock hard, proved to be his undoing.

“Nick, please.” Her hands gripped his waist, as if she were hanging on by a slim thread and needed a lifeline. “Give me something else to think about tonight.” She nipped his neck then licked over the pinprick, the slight sting and soft caress stripping him of his control as much as her whispered plea. “Please.”

With a few shuffling steps, he had her pinned against the wall, that one word blocking out all the reasons why this was a very bad idea. He didn’t plan on kissing her, just getting her off so she could sleep, but her warm breath tickled his neck then she ran her tongue over his pulse, leaving him no choice. It was either cover her mouth with his or go insane with lust.

“Damn it, Melinda.” He crushed her soft lips under the hard pressure of his mouth, taking advantage of her gasp to taste her tongue. Making quick work of undoing her jeans, he dove into her panties and sought her velvet heat. Finding her wet, tight pussy, he worked two fingers inside her, groaning into her mouth as her tongue returned his stroke.

Nick pulled his hand back, rubbing her clit, then thrust deep, hard enough to bring her to her toes on a low moan, repeating the plunges three times. Wrenching his mouth from hers, he breathed above her trembling lips, stared into her eyes, and whispered, “Go over, Melinda. I’ve got you.” Taking her clit between his fingers, he milked the swollen, tender bud, stifling her cry of release with his mouth as she splintered apart.

Slick muscles clutched at his fingers with tight, rhythmic contractions, her orgasm spewing a copious amount of cream to ease his pummeling thrusts when he released her clit. She rode his hand with rapid pelvis gyrations, her fingers clutching his shoulders, nailing biting into his skin, her lips clinging to his. By the time she came down from the quick high and he pulled his mouth and hand away from her quivering body, they were both breathing heavily and perspiring, yet he couldn’t force himself to let go of her, or this moment, yet.

“One more.”