Page 64 of Scorched King

He shoved his hand in his hair before bringing it down to scrub over his face. “You weren’t supposed to love me. I’m too old for you. Too damaged.” His hand reached up, hovering near my cheek, but not quite touching. “After losing Malia…”

“I’m not Malia.” I caught his hand and pressed it to my face, letting his calloused palm warm my skin. The roughness of his fingers reminded me of everything he was. A warrior, a protector, a man who’d seen too much pain. But also a man who deserved love more than most. “I’m not asking you to forget her,” I said on a whisper. “I’m not asking you to erase the past or pretend it didn’t happen. I’m asking you to make room for me too. To let yourself feel something new, something different because you deserve it. Because I deserve it.”

His thumb stroked across my cheekbone, rough and gentle all at once. “The club?—”

“Is your family. I know. Let me be part of that family.Reallypart of it, not just as some girl you think you have to protect.”

JD’s other hand found my waist, dragging me closer. “You’ve never been just some girl, Sasha. That’s what scares the hell out of me. Always has, always will.”

I stared up into JD’s dark eyes, my heart hammering against my ribs. His hands were still on me, one cupping my face, the other gripping my waist like he couldn’t decide whether to pull me closer or push me away. The bathroom felt too small withhis massive frame taking up most of the space, the air electric between us.

“You scare the hell out of me too,” I whispered, placing my hand over his heart. The steady thump beneath my palm matched the rapid beat of my own. “Every time you leave, I wonder if you’ll come back. Every time you look at me like this, I forget how to breathe.”

His thumb traced along my jaw, lingering at the corner of my mouth like an unspoken promise. “I can’t give you what you deserve.”

“I don’t want what you think I deserve.” I pressed closer, feeling the heat radiating off his body. “I just want you. Just as you are. The good, the bad, all of it.”

“The things I’ve done tonight…” His voice dropped lower, rougher. “The blood on these hands?—”

“Is from protecting your family.” I lifted his other hand from my waist, examining the split knuckles. “From protecting me. If you thought I would question what had to be done about Cash, you’re wrong. I trust you did what was necessary. It’s your business.”

JD’s breath hitched as I pressed my lips to his damaged knuckles, tasting copper and salt. His fingers curled into a fist under my mouth, but I didn’t stop, kissing each bruised knuckle in turn.

“Sasha.” My name came out like a prayer and a curse wrapped into one. “Baby, you need to stop.”

“Why?” I looked up through my lashes, still holding his fist to my lips. “Because you’re afraid you’ll finally give in?”

His other hand slid from my face to the back of my neck, careful of the bruises Cash had left. “Because once I start, I won’t be able to stop. It won’t be the same. I won’t let go.”

JD’s hand tightened around the back of my neck, his grip firm but not harsh. His eyes, those deep, intense pools of heat, bore into mine with a hunger that sent a shiver down my spine. I could feel the tension radiating off him, the struggle between what he wanted and what he thought was right.

“You really think you can handle all of me, Sasha?” His voice was low, a rumble that seemed to vibrate through my very core. “The darkness, the violence, the monster I become when I need to be?”

I swallowed hard, but I didn’t look away. I couldn’t. “I’ve seen your darkness more than once, JD. I’ve felt it. And I’m still here.”

His gaze flicked down to my lips, lingering there for a moment before he leaned in, his breath hot on my face. “You shouldn’t be. You should run, far and fast, before I consume you.”

“I’m not running.” My voice was barely a whisper, but it was steady. Sure. “I’m not afraid of you, JD. I never have been.”

A low growl rumbled from his chest as his mouth crashed down on mine. It wasn’t gentle or soft. It was fierce, demanding, all-consuming. His teeth caught my lower lip, drawing out a gasp. His tongue invaded, claiming, exploring every inch of my mouth like territory he had to conquer.

I melted against him, my fingers digging into his shoulders for support as my knees threatened to buckle. His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me tight against him, close enough that I could feel every hard line of his body. Every muscle, every scar,every beat of his heart echoed through me, becoming a part of me.

His mouth left mine, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down my neck, careful to avoid the brutal marks left by Cash. I shivered, not from cold or fear, but from the pure, raw desire that coursed through my veins like wildfire.

“JD,” I breathed, my voice barely more than a sigh. “Please.”

He paused, his lips hovering over the pulse point in my neck. “Please what, Sasha?”

“Don’t stop.” The words were out before I could think, born from a place of pure need. “Don’t ever stop.”

He pulled back, just far enough to look into my eyes. What I saw there stole my breath— not just desire, but something deeper, something more. Something that looked a lot like love.

“I won’t,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “That’s the problem.”

And with those words, he sealed our fate. There was no going back now. No more running, no more hiding. Just us, and the fire that burned between us, threatening to consume everything.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

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