"But you're scared." He finished, running his fingers down her neck and to her collar bone, following the chain of her necklace, making her shiver, "So responsive." He murmured to himself. "Yes." She whispered, lips parted, eyes locked with his. She felt dirty for letting him be so close to her and touch her in a way that seemed so foreign and inappropriate- Yet exhilarating... "Maybe scared isn't the right word." His deep baritone voice rumbled, his fingers setting her skin on fire as he reached the opening of her top, the only thing dividing them, "Maybe, confused? Intimidated? But you're not scared of me, right, pet?" "I- I don't know." She answered, her heart pounding against her ribcage, making her shake nervously. "You're scared of this-" his hand lifted back up to circle around her throat and he applied slight pressure, but nowhere near enough to hinder her ability to breathe, "or this." He bent down so she could feel his hot breath skim across her cheek making her face flush. His rough lips, ran across the base of her jaw until he reached her ear, "But you're not scared of me." ~•~•~ 19-year-old Vera Reed is out on her own for the first time, leaving small town Tabor, Iowa for Lincoln, Nebraska to attend college at UNL in her old red Subaru. One night she is pulled over for a burnt-out headlight by 28-year-old slight alcoholic officer Axel Davis. Infatuated by her innocence and complete confusion of the outside world, something in him says to help her. Unfortunately, the life of an LPD officer isn't perfect and is full of danger. Danger he won't be able to hide her from forever. Danger she might be the center of. Dominant and toxic male lead and submissive female lead. Warning: sexual content, language, substance abuse Started~ 11/22/19 Finished~ 9/16/22 #1- Innocence #3- Badboy #1- murdermystery #2- obsession #2- police officer

"I'm fine," I state rather bluntly. "You don't look fine." "Then stop looking." He chuckles, and damn does he. His voice is dessert for the ears, his face is candy for the eyes. If I wasn't so pissed off I might've swooned over him. "How can I? When an angel is so close to me," He smirks. I fully turn myself towards him this time. "Were you there? That night?" I have to know before I think about him in the light any longer. "No." He doesn't even hesitate, "But my father was," "If I may ask, what in the hell prompted him to take my brother from a car accident?" He plasters on a tight-lipped grin, a small tick in his chin. "That's the thing, Hermosa, that night was everything but an accident." (Beautiful) --- This is a small intercept from Beautifully Broken. If you decided to read it I hope you enjoy!