He shook his head and took her hand in his. She couldn’t read his pained expression as they sat in silence. Finally Logan unclenched his jaw and kissed the back of her hand.
“Thank you, darlin’.”
Her breath left her lungs in a rush. “It went okay?”
He nodded, though his brows knitted. “Yeah, it went okay. It was tough, reliving it all, talking about Dad. My mother would like to talk to you. Would you mind?”
A lump clogged Stella’s throat as she looked into his dark eyes. This amazing, loving man had not only turned his entire life upside down for her and saved her from a past that would have haunted her forever, if not killed her, but he’d also bared his soul to his mother, risking the love of the woman he’d spent years protecting—and he’d done it all for her. She needed to know that he was more than okay. That he was whole once again.
“No, of course not, but, Logan, are you okay?”
“Yes, darlin’. A little blown away, but I’m much better than I’ve been in a very long time.” He pulled her in close and kissed her. “Come. Let’s go talk to my mom. She’s been crying, so be prepared.”
THE WEIGHT LOGAN had been carrying around since he’d killed his father’s murderer while saving a woman and her child, had morphed into something else. It didn’t lift from his shoulders, as people always said happened when they revealed their worst demons. No, it wasn’t like that at all. As he led Stella through his mother’s kitchen and found her sitting on the couch exactly where he’d left her, red-eyed and clenching a handful of tissues, his heart ached in a way that felt both good and bad.
“Come in, sweetie,” his mother said, patting the cushions beside her.
He hated that he’d unearthed such a painful experience for his mother, and for himself. But in telling her what he’d done, in telling the woman who had loved him unconditionally his entire life, that he’d killed a man—he’d faced an even more powerful demon: the self-loathing and persecution that had been his constant companion ever since that terrible, awful night.
Logan and Stella sat on either side of Mary Lou.
“Hi, Mary Lou,” Stella said. “I’m sorry. For everything.”
His mother reached for Stella’s hand, then for Logan’s, and held them both tightly on her lap. Her gaze softened, and for the first time since Logan had begun telling her about what he’d done, his mother’s eyes were dry.
“Lovey, please don’t be sorry,” his mother said. “You followed your heart, and it’s that conviction in being true to the ones you love that drove Logan to do what he did in the first place. My Logan has needed you in his life for a very long time.”
Stella’s eyes filled with tears. Logan caught Stella’s gaze and mouthed, Thank you. I love you.
His mother looked at him and said, “You’re like your father, honey. You’ll show Stella how thankful you are, and how much you love her, every day of your life. You’re a good man, sweetheart, and your father would be proud of you.”
Logan’s heart lodged in his throat, and before he could form a response, his mother turned to Stella and said, “Our family lost someone very special to us for a very long time. Thank you for bringing him back.”
Tears slid down Logan’s cheeks. He’d cried more in the past hour than he had in years, but there was no shame in the emotions consuming him. He’d carried shame for too many years, hidden things from the people he loved most. Finally—Lord, finally—Logan found the name for what the weight that had nearly slain him had morphed into.
Forgiveness.
—The End—
Heath, Jackson, and Cooper Wild’s books will be released in the coming weeks. Sign up for Melissa’s newsletter to be notified of the next After Dark release!
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Please enjoy this sneak peek of
WILD BOYS ~HEATH~ (After Dark, Book 2)
No last names. No strings. No ties.
Except of the silk variety.
Dr. Heath Wild and Allyson Jenner only wanted a simple tryst. But Heath couldn’t live with just one night, just one taste, of Ally—and Ally couldn’t escape the memory of his hands on her skin, the way he looked at her like she was his obsession, or his seduction, which had pushed her to the edge and had made her want to do things she never had before.
One night leads to one tantalizing phone call. Can one phone call lead to forever?
Wild Boys - Heath Excerpt - Chapter One
FUCKING PERFECT. THOSE words played over and over in Dr. Heath Wild’s mind as he thrust his tongue deeper into the receptive mouth of the sexy woman who was grinding her hips against his cock in the elevator of the Gray Mountain Lodge. He buried his hands in her hair and gave a less-than-gentle tug, testing the woman’s boundaries. The sexy moan that followed was all the green light he needed to press her up against the wall and pin her wrists above her head with one large, capable hand, while thrusting his other beneath her little black dress and into her—thong, hot damn—beneath. He didn’t waste any time finding his way inside this beautiful, willing creature. Her head tipped back, and he claimed her neck, sucking as he fingered her hot, wet center.
“Oh God. Yes. Right there,” she panted.
Acutely aware that the elevator was about to reach the sixth floor, he circled his thumb over her swollen clit as he claimed her mouth in another ravishing kiss. She clawed at his dress shirt, making sounds that had him picturing her spread-eagle on his bed, arms restrained, with his face buried between her legs.
“Ah. Fuck.” She dug her hands into his thick hair as the orgasm gripped her—and the elevator chimed.
Heath casually fixed her dress, unhurried by the elevator doors sliding open. He drank in her flushed cheeks, the light sheen of sweat on her upper lip that he wanted to lick off, and her full, heaving breasts.
“Open your eyes, sweetheart,” he said in a gravelly voice. He wanted more, and he was about to get it.
***
ALLYSON JENNER TRIED to act nonchalant as she passed an elderly couple in the hallway on the way to her room, hoping they didn’t smell sex wafting around her and the incredibly hot guy she was with. She lifted her chin as she unlocked the door, acting as if her hands weren’t shaking, like she did this type of thing every day, as the mind-blowing kisser she was about to fuck obviously did. She might not do it every day, but she wasn’t a stranger to hooking up with random guys, either. She enjoyed sex the way others might enjoy an occasional swim in the ocean; reveling in the shocking experience at first, then giving in to the exquisite pleasures, and finally, when she was satiated, going back to her normal life feeling rejuvenated for the next few months.
The door clicked shut, and the sound of the dead bolt sliding into place brought her back to the handsome man licking his lips. His piercing blue eyes raked over her body, lingering on her breasts. The edges of his mouth quirked up as he loosened his tie and cracked his neck to either side. Her nerves prickled. This was the moment she had to push past—the urge to flee from fear of the unknown. What if he was a psychopath? What if the staff found her bloodied body in the bathroom tomorrow morning? She’d watched him all afternoon at the medical conference downstairs. She hadn’t missed that, while she’d been sizing him up, he’d been stalking her like prey, and it had turned her on before he’d even bought her a drink after the conference. She really should have gotten his name. What had she been thinking?
She knew exactly what she’d been thinking, because the thought had only grown more intense with every passing minute. She wanted to feel his powerful body above her, his arms around her, and the enormous cock bulging beneath his zipper and outlined by his dress pants inside her.
He clutched her hips and tugged her against his expensive suit, taking her in another mind-numbing kiss. She fumbled with the buttons on his shirt, desperate to get to the smattering of chest hair she’d seen peeking out of the top. She could feel the strength of him in his kiss, in his grip, in the rock wall behind her hands. He was easily s
ix two or six three. She was five five, maybe five eight in her heels, and he—what’s his name?—still had several inches on her.
“What’s your name?” she asked between kisses.
“Heath.”
Heath. She liked that. Smooth and hot, like him. She’d always loved a man’s man. A man who made her feel feminine but didn’t treat her like she was a delicate flower. A man who took what he wanted but still made her feel special, and this guy had stroked her hand when they were in the bar, not her thigh. His eyes read, I’m going to fuck you hard, but his actions told her he knew how to respect and pleasure a woman. Crazy, she knew, because how much could he respect a stranger he was about to fuck? But if he’d put his hand on her thigh in public, it would have sent a completely different message.
“Ally,” she offered.
The edges of his mouth curled up, but his eyes turned midnight dark as he tore her dress over her head, tossed it on the chair, and pulled her against him again.
“I cannot wait to get my mouth on you, Ally. To taste your come and feel you shatter against my tongue.”
Her insides caught fire. If he could make her come with his fingers in less than a minute, she could only imagine what he could do with that viperous tongue of his.
Breathe, Ally. Be patient.
He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip and ground his hips against hers, sending patient out the window.
“I want to feel your luscious lips wrapped around my cock.”
His voice was liquid lust, and it was all she could do to whisper, “Yes.”
She clawed at his shirt, the button of his trousers, his tie, desperate for him to fulfill his promise. He grabbed her wrists and trapped them by her hips.
“You in a hurry?” He lowered his mouth to her neck and sucked.
Yes. I want you inside me. “No.” She squeezed her thighs together to try to satiate the longing between her legs. Every suck and stroke of his tongue made her nipples harder—if that was even possible. Good Lord, he was going to make her come without even touching her below the waist.
He stepped back, assessing her body with those lust-filled eyes again, pinning her in place as they slowly dragged over her.
“You’re fucking beautiful, Ally.” Her name slid off his tongue like a sensual promise. He took his time stripping off his trousers and dress shirt, leaving his tie loose around his neck and his black Calvin Klein boxer briefs covering his enormous erection.
Heat thrummed through her at his casual striptease.
“Heath what?” The question was driven by nerves.
His confidence was titillating, the way he languidly laid his dress shirt over the back of the chair, then did the same with his pants. He stopped mid-move, pulled his shoulders back, and eyed her skeptically. In the space of a breath, Ally drank in his five-o’clock shadow, which gave him an edgy aura. His skin pulled taut over his handsome, squarish face and strong jaw. He had full lips, and his mouth was slightly small—though she already knew it gave great pleasure. He turned, squaring his broad shoulders, and her eyes dipped south, to the perfect planes of flesh before her.
“I’m not looking for anything more than tonight, Ally. No last names, no talk of what we do for a living. Just a night of intense pleasure. Are you okay with that?” He lowered his chin, and his eyes implored her to answer.
“Yes,” she said with confidence. That’s what she’d been assuming anyway. Nothing new there, but hearing the words made her feel a little…something. Cheap? No. Definitely not. They brought a rush that was even more powerful, more enjoyable.
—End of Sneak Peek—
To continue reading, buy: WILD BOYS ~HEATH~ (After Dark, Book Two)
Want more After Dark naughtiness?
AFTER DARK SERIES
WILD BOYS
Logan
Heath
Jackson
Cooper
COMING SOON!
BAD BOYS
Dylan
Carson
Mick
Brett
NICE GIRLS
Phoebe
Francine
Nicole
Genevieve
Please enjoy a preview of another
Love in Bloom novel
Ellie Parker is a master at building walls around her heart. In the twenty-five years she’s been alive, Dex Remington has been the only person who has always believed in her and been there for her. But four years earlier, she came to Dex seeking comfort and then disappeared like a thief in the night, leaving him a broken man.
Dex Remington is one of the top PC game developers in the United States. He’s handsome, smart, and numb. So damn numb that he’s not sure he’ll ever find a reason to feel again.
A chance encounter sparks intense desires in Ellie and Dex. Desires that make her want to run—and make him want to feel. A combination of lust and fear leads these young lovers down a dangerous path. Is it possible to cross a burned bridge, or are they destined to be apart forever?
Game of Love Excerpt - Chapter One
DEX REMINGTON WALKED into NightCaps bar beside his older brother Sage, an artist who also lived in New York City, and Regina Smith, his employee and right arm. Women turned in their direction as they came through the door, their hungry eyes raking over Dex’s and Sage’s wide shoulders and muscular physiques. At six foot four, Sage had two inches on Dex, and with their striking features, dark hair, and federal-blue eyes, heads spun everywhere they went. But after Dex had worked thirty of the last forty-eight hours, women were the furthest thing from his mind. His four-star-general father had ingrained hard work and dedication into his head since he was old enough to walk, and no matter how much he rued his father’s harsh parenting, following his lead had paid off. At twenty-six, Dex was one of the country’s leading PC game designers and the founder of Thrive Entertainment, a multimillion-dollar gaming corporation. His father had taught him another valuable lesson—how to become numb—making it easy for him to disconnect from the women other men might find too alluring to ignore.
Dex was a stellar student. He’d been numb for a very long time.
“Thanks for squeezing in a quick beer with me,” he said to Sage. They had about twenty minutes to catch up before his scheduled meeting with Regina and Mitch Anziano, another of his Thrive employees. They were going to discuss the game they were rolling out in three weeks, World of Thieves II.
“You’re kidding, right? I should be saying that to you.” Sage threw his arm around Dex’s shoulder. They had an ongoing rivalry about who was the busiest, and with Sage’s travel and gallery schedule and Dex working all night and getting up midday, it was tough to pick a winner.
“Thrive!” Mitch hollered from the bar in his usual greeting. Mitch used Thrive! to greet Dex in bars the way others used, Hey. He lifted his glass, and a smile spread across his unshaven cheeks. At just over five foot eight with three days’ beard growth trailing down his neck like fur and a gut that he was all too proud of, he was what the world probably thought all game designers looked like. And worth his weight in gold. Mitch could outprogram anyone, and he was more loyal than a golden retriever.
Regina lifted her chin and elbowed Dex. “He’s early.” She slinked through the crowded bar, pulling Dex along behind her. Her Levi’s hung low, cinched across her protruding hip bones by a studded black leather belt. Her red hoodie slipped off one shoulder, exposing the colorful tattoos that ran across her shoulder and down her arms.
Mitch and Regina had been Dex’s first employees when he’d opened his company. Regina handled the administrative aspects of the company, kept the production schedule, monitored the program testing, and basically made sure nothing slipped through the cracks, while Mitch, like Dex, conceptually and technically designed games with the help of the rest of Thrive’s fifty employees—developers, testers, and a host of programmers and marketing specialists.
Regina climbed onto the barstool beside Mitch and lifted his beer to her lips.
&nb
sp; “Order ours yet?” she asked with a glint in her heavily lined dark eyes. She ran her hand through her stick-straight, jet-black hair.
Dex climbed onto the stool beside her as the bartender slid beers in front of him and Regina. “Thanks, Jon. Got a brew for my brother?”
“Whatever’s on tap,” Sage said. “Hey, Mitch. Good to see you.”
Mitch lifted his beer with a nod of acknowledgment.
Dex took a swig of the cold ale, closed his eyes, and sighed, savoring the taste.
“Easy, big boy. We need you sober if you wanna win a GOTY.” Mitch took a sip of Regina’s beer. “Fair’s fair.”
Regina rolled her eyes and reached a willowy arm behind him, then mussed his mop of curly dark hair. “We’re gonna win Game of the Year no matter what. Reviewers love us. Right, Dex?”
Thrive had already produced three games, one of which, World of Thieves, had made Dex a major player in the gaming world—and earned him millions of dollars. His biggest competitor, KI Industries, had changed the release date for their new game. KI would announce the new date publicly at midnight, and since their game was supposed to be just as hot of a game as they expected World of Thieves II to be, if they released close to the release for World of Thieves II, there would be a clear winner and a clear loser. Dex had worked too hard to be the loser.
“That’s the hope,” Dex said. He took another swig of his beer and checked his watch. Eight forty-five and his body thought it was noon. He’d spent so many years working all night and sleeping late that his body clock was completely thrown off. He was ready for a big meal and the start of his workday. He stroked the stubble along his chin. “I worked on it till four this morning. I think I deserve a cold one.”
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