Melva’s fingers dug into his back as emotion flooded through her so much that it ached. She didn’t understand why she was crying. Maybe it was relief, or love, or simply the overwhelming feeling of being complete for the first time in her life.

And together they reached the height of their connection, their breaths blending as the world seemed to blur around them. Melva clung to him, trembling as warmth spread through her chest, while Simon held her tightly, his heartbeat steady against ...