Floodgates by Mary Calmes

Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—an ex with a past that might get Tracy killed.

Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It’ll be a tough sell. Reputation is everything, and Cord’s is tarnished by his past indiscretions.

Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to smother their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord rides to the rescue, and he finally has the chance to break through the dam of Tracy’s reserve. But Cord had better be careful: if he’s opening the floodgates to wash away the past, he’s going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they’re still standing when the tumult recedes.

2nd edition, previously published March 2014.