LOGINMELANIEGavin leaned down and kissed me again; it was slower this time, more sensual. His mouth moved against mine as if he had all night and intended to savor every single second. I arched up into him, my fingers sliding over the warm skin of his shoulders and down the taut muscle of his back. When he finally pulled back, both of us were breathing heavily.“I want to see all of you,” he murmured.I nodded and sat up.He reached for the zipper of my gown and pulled it down with deliberate care. The dress loosened as he eased it off my shoulders, then lower, until it pooled around my waist. I lifted my hips so he could slide it the rest of the way off and drop it to the floor. Cool air touched my skin, and I was left in only my bra and panties.His gaze traveled over me, slow and hungry. “Mel, you’re so damn beautiful.”He kissed me again while his hands moved to the hook of my bra. The moment it came undone, he pulled the straps down my arms and tossed it aside. He made a low sound in
MELANIEThe moment Gavin turned toward me, still holding the doorknob, the tiredness on his face shifted into instant relief, and my chest loosened at the sight of it. “You look exhausted,” I called, one foot still in the car, the other on the ground.“I had a shitty day.” A soft smile broke across his face, the kind that reached his eyes. “Seeing you just made it better.”“Same here,” I said, stepping fully out of the car and walking up to him.“Thank you for coming.” The unfiltered emotion in his voice surprised me. It did something warm and tight in my stomach. I took his hand as he pushed the door open, and I noticed a slight tension in his shoulders. Something was wrong. “Are you okay?” I asked.“Mmm.”He didn’t give me time to press further. The moment the door shut behind us, he backed me against it in one smooth motion, his mouth finding mine hard and hungry. I gasped into the kiss, my fingers sliding into his hair to pull him closer. His tongue licked my lips, and I opened
GAVIN I froze. That was the last thing I expected to hear. Ever. Especially from Tony, the loudest mouth on the team. I looked around at the confused expressions on the other players' faces, and I knew I had to act fast.Before I could speak, Derek shoved Tony hard enough that he almost lost his balance.“What the hell is wrong with you?” Derek snapped. “Why do you always say shit you shouldn’t?”“I was just asking—”“Shut up.”Tony muttered something under his breath and rubbed his shoulder. That small exchange told me everything. They knew. Tony and Derek both knew about Melanie and me.I had thought only Reynold was aware, and I trusted him to keep quiet after our talk in my office. Clearly I had been wrong.“Tony.”The room went still again. Every pair of eyes turned toward me, but my gaze remained only on him. “Yes, coach?” he shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other, looking uneasy.“Care to repeat what you just said?”I let my voice drop into the cold, hard t
GAVIN Today was my last practice with the boys. It was also the day they would finally learn I wouldn’t be their coach anymore.My chest tightened as I sat in the parking lot, staring at the Chatham University buildings through the windshield. This job had started as a cover—something temporary to keep me close to the investigation. Somewhere along the way it had become real. I had fallen into the rhythm of coaching, the early mornings, the noise of the locker room, the way the team looked at me when they needed direction.Leaving it hurt more than I expected.I got out of the car, locked it, and started toward the walkway. Halfway there, I glanced back at the student lot and noticed someone inside a parked car slamming a hand against the steering wheel as if it had personally insulted him.I squinted and saw it was Derek.What was wrong with him?I walked over to his car, the windows were rolled all the way up, and knocked on the glass. He jumped, widening his eyes at the sight of
MELANIE Silvio walked into the house like he owned the place, which he indirectly did. Eva’s name might have been on the papers, but this house existed because of him.“Why all the screaming this early?” He asked, looking between Derek and me, with his gaze settling on Derek. A casual smile touched his lips as he extended a hand. “You must be Derek. Eva’s brother.” Derek was obviously angry. His chest was still rising and falling hard under his jersey. He stared at the offered hand but didn’t take it. Instead, he squared his shoulders, trying to look bigger than he was, like he wanted to intimidate Silvio, which almost made me laugh. Emphasis on almost, because it was definitely not a laughing matter. “Who the hell are you?” Derek asked, even though the answer was already clear.Silvio didn’t seem bothered by the hostility. He stepped over to Eva, slid an arm around her waist, and pulled her gently against his side. Derek’s nostrils flared at the action, and Eva shifted uncomfortab
MELANIE We were parked in front of a beautiful, modern apartment in one of the more expensive parts of the city, which surprisingly was about ten minutes or so from my own home. So this was the house Silvio got for Eva. My hands tightened on the steering wheel as I took it all in. Maybe I should have been happy for my best friend, but I couldn't bring myself to be because I knew the kind of life she was stepping into, and nothing about it felt safe.Silvio had called her early that morning to say one of his men would come for her. Not long after, a black Toyota Tacoma had come to pick her up, and two men loaded her things while I followed behind in my own car. Now I watched through the windshield as the same two bulky-looking men carried her boxes to the porch while she practically skipped to the front door.I saw her wave at me to come out of the car as she opened the door and walked inside.I slouched my shoulders in defeat and stepped out of the car as I made my way into the ho
MELANIEThe kiss wasn’t gentle or sweet. It was desperate. I grabbed the front of his shirt with both hands and pressed my lips hard against his, pouring everything I had been hiding for years into it.Gavin froze. His hands came up to my shoulders like he wanted to push me away.“Melanie, shit… st
MELANIEMy hands shook so badly I could barely hold my bag as I tore it open and gripped my phone, blood staining everything I touched. I dialed my father first, tears running down my face, blurring my vision. It rang twice before he picked up.“Dad,” I sobbed the second he answered. “Some… some
MELANIEThe front door closed behind me with a soft thud that made me jump.God, why was it so quiet? My boot heels clicked too loudly on the marble floor as I stepped deeper into the living room. The warning bells in my head were loud now, the same sick little thrill I always got right before doi
MELANIEGavin had me pinned against the cold locker room wall, his big, calloused hand shoved up under my pink skirt, thick fingers shifting my panties, spreading my soaked folds.“Fuck, you’re dripping for me, Mel,” he growled in that deep, sexy voice, his light stubble scraping my neck as he thru







