Page 47

Ivy thought she might explode there and then.

Ivy stole a glance at Julia, and seeing the woman’s raw desire and need in her face, she lost all self-control and she pushed her hips hard against Julia’s mouth and hand.

“Harder,” she gasped, desperate to feel the full force of Julia fucking her.

Julia quickened her pace, her tongue flicking Ivy’s clit quickly while her fingers pumped in and out of her fucking her justhow she had dreamed of, until Ivy felt the tension coiling in every muscle and stars floating in her vision before waves of pleasure racked through her body and she cried out Julia’s name in her moan.

Julia kept flicking her tongue and curling her fingers until Ivy’s body slackened, then she crawled up to lay beside her, Julia’s hands never leaving Ivy’s body as she retracted her fingers and brushed them along the curve of her hips, the dip of her waist, the side of her arm, and around her chest to where Ivy was nestled against Julia’s body as little spoon.

Ivy traced little circles on Julia’s arm that was wrapped protectively around her. “That was…amazing.”

“You taste divine,” Julia whispered, reverence in her voice.

Moonlight filtered through the blinds, painting silver stripes across Julia's bed. Ivy swiveled to where she could lay her head on Julia's shoulder, tracing patterns across her collarbone while Julia's breathing gradually steadied. The quiet between them felt different now as tension transformed to vulnerability.

"You're thinking loudly again," Ivy murmured.

Julia's fingers paused in their exploration of Ivy's spine. "Professional hazard."

"Regretting what just happened?" Ivy propped herself up, studying Julia's face in the dim light.

"I don't regret it," Julia said, the statement surprisingly certain. "But it complicates things."

Ivy brushed a strand of dark hair from Julia's forehead. "You've spent your career compartmentalizing. This blurs every line."

"Lines exist for a reason." Something shifted in Julia's expression, professional awareness seeping back despite their intimacy.

"Or they create false security." Ivy settled back against Julia's shoulder. "I've built a career finding patterns in chaos. Sometimes the most revealing patterns emerge when boundaries dissolve."

"Like with Knox's organization?"

"Exactly. His network crosses jurisdictional and operational lines, creating vulnerabilities at those intersections."

Julia shifted slightly. "You're talking about financial systems but thinking about us."

"We're both systems specialists," Ivy traced the curve of Julia's jaw. "You with tactical operations, me with financial structures. Both trained to maintain control."

"I've never been good at improvising."

"You plan for every contingency. Except this one."

"No one plans for this," Julia admitted, her arm tightening around Ivy's waist. "The odds defy calculation."

The comfortable silence was broken by the vibration of Julia's phone. She tensed immediately, reaching for the device with one hand while the other remained protectively around Ivy.

"Morgan." Julia scanned the message. "Progress on identifying the leak. Three possible sources within the Detective Division."

"That's good news," Ivy said, noting how quickly Julia had shifted back to protective mode.

"But it doesn't explain how Knox knew about my connection to this case specifically." Julia's brow furrowed. "Someone with access to assignment decisions."

"Could Knox have other sources? Technological surveillance?" Ivy suggested, her analytical mind already working the problem.

Julia considered this. "Possible. Knox has resources for high-level tech." Her expression hardened. "We need to verify everything and trust nothing until we know for certain."

"I can help," Ivy said, sitting up. "Financial connections are my specialty. Give me a secure connection, and I can map Knox's network more completely, find who he's paying."

Something like admiration flickered across Julia's face. "You're really not afraid of him, are you?"