Stripped Love by Chelsea McDonald

Callum Wright.
I thought I knew Melody O’Connor but I had no idea that she was hiding her nightlife from me. If someone had told me that Melody, my sweet Mel, was a stripper for a club downtown? I would’ve laughed in their faces and said they were out of their minds. On a night out, I finally caught her tangled in an intricate web of lies. She was a deer caught in headlights, too scared to move. I waited for an explanation but it never came, so I high-tailed it out of there.
As I walked away that night, I half expected her to chase after me. But she didn’t.
The next time I see Melody, she’s different. A familiar desire begins to stir to life inside of me, it’s dark and dormant and ready to consume me if I let it. Maybe it’s a mistake, it definitely should’ve been but I was too far gone to care.

Melody O’Connor.
I’d learned my lesson and his name was Callum Wright. Don’t ever pretend to be someone you’re not, it will only come back to bite you in the ass. All it took for that to sink in was the sight of Callum’s back as he walked away from me and out of my life for good. He’d caught me in a lie and I was too scared to tell him the truth, scared that he’d hate me. So instead, I said nothing. I was so in love with him, that I’d rather have lost him then have him hate me.
It took time to pick myself up and move forward, but as hard as I tried I couldn’t ever move on from him.
The next time he walks into my life, I’m not prepared. I’d worked so hard on suppressing my emotions and moving forward with my life, but one glimpse of him and everything comes roaring to the surface. I knew it was wrong, so I tried to resist but he wouldn’t let me.