Page 36 of The Fractured

No more hesitation, he kissed me as he pushed in slowly. Pleasurably slow as I grew accustomed to the width, and the subtle ache that faded quickly. The sound I released as he sank deeper was a mix of a cry and a moan. I gripped the shelf above my head and accidentally bumped one of the plants. The pot fell and spilled soil across the pillow beside my head.

Laughter bubbled up from inside me while Seb chuckled and pulled us up.

I straddled his waist and slid onto him completely, gasping at the depth as soil fell from the ends of my hair.

I rolled my hips, adjusting to the feeling of fullness I wasn’t used to.

“All good?” Seb asked, holding my waist as he watched my face with half closed eyes.

I hummed my response as I gripped his shoulders. “We made a mess.”

Seb’s smile was lazy as his hands skimmed down to my hips. “Oops.”

I bit my lip as I smiled too, and then slowly drove my hips in a circle, exploring every little sensation it created for us until we found a steady rhythm. Pleasure pulsed through my body with every motion, spreading through my nerves in a rush of heat as I palmed his back.

Seb’s hands roamed up between my shoulder blades, warm and comforting, before he unclasped my bralette. Once it fellaway, he kissed my throat, and I dropped my head back, releasing a moan as I fell undone.

Chapter 12

Lily

My head felt like it was in a cloud. But not a pleasant cloud. It was a crowded cloud of frustration and worry.

The fact that Dean returned to working for Antonio hadn’t come as a surprise. It was the fact my father, someone I thought knew better, was sending Dean into criminal meetings with a wire and blackmailing him into revealing everything he knew about Antonio.Thatwas what infuriated me.

With my hair damp from the rain outside, I marched down the corridor to the organized crime department. Wet hair and clothes were the least of my concerns as I beelined straight for the seats outside my father’s office.

Most of the detectives here knew me and waved or smiled. All I could offer in return was a curt smile of my own before I went back to watching Dad’s office door. I crossed one leg over the other as I tapped my foot in the air. And then began picking at the lint balls on the arms of my cream sweater. A single seed of doubt was ready to take root — to tell me that confronting my father was pointless. But at the same time, something in me refused to shake the need to say something. I needed to saysomething. I just had to figure out how I was going to word it. I even had the photograph he gave me all those months ago. The one of Dean from the basement corkboard. The one my father said would keep Dean safe if it was with me.

The click of his office door pulled my attention, and I moved immediately, hand digging through my purse for the photo as I went.

Dad smiled proudly as he stood in his doorway. “Lily—”

“So, what you said was a lie,” I interrupted, holding up the photo for him to see. “That he would be safe from the investigation if this wasn’t in evidence.”

He guided my hand back down and quickly steered me into his office. “Lily, take a seat.”

“No.”

“Okay,” he sighed, closing the door behind him. He crossed his arms. “You actually just missed him.”

The sentence didn’t shock me. Of course, I already knew Dean had been here earlier. He dropped off that stupid little recording device.

“You lied to me about protecting him.” My voice was surprisingly steady as I stood in the center of his office.

“Things changed. We couldn’t risk wasting a good source.”

“You blackmailed him, Dad. He is facing possible jail time with potential blackmail charges, andyoublackmailedhim.”

“He’s a criminal, Lily.”

“You don’t think I’m aware of that?” I could see this conversation was beginning to be a waste of time. I was getting angrier, and my father only looked more assured of himself.

His pause was calculated as he watched me closely before he slid his hands into the pockets of his pants. “Say he wasn’t involved in this investigation, but you knew of his past. His crimes. Did you plan on keeping that a secret instead ofdoing the legal thing, therightthing, and reporting it? I’m disappointed in you, Lily.”

“That makes two of us.”

He inhaled sharply through his nose and took a step closer. “May I remind you, you too can be arrested for what you did?” His voice lowered. “For your involvement with The Den and being aware of what was going on beneath it for so long. The fact you even worked in that basement— You are lucky to have me on your side.”