Page 29 of Burn for Me

I'm stronger than I look. I need to stop putting myself down.

“I know; I can see the change.” He starts but huffs out a breath when I turn my head away.I don’t want to hear anything he has to say.

“You need to understand… I backed away because anytime I’m close to you, it feels like I’m being burned alive.” His hand curls around my jaw, tilting my head back, but I keep my eyes down despite his attempt to pull my attention.

“Careful, I wouldn’t want you to feel tortured–” I pause my sassy remark when his breath falls against my mouth and the tip of his nose brushes against mine.

“That’s not the issue,” he murmurs, his hand trailing further down to rest against my throat, where I know he can feel my rapid pulse. “The problem is that I like the pain.”

My mind goes blank, and my lips part, but before I can say anything, he leans in, catching my lip between his teeth, biting hard enough that I hiss and my thighs clench. The taste of copper floods against my tongue until he's sucking the broken flesh, replacing the taste with his own.

It's not enough. I want to feel his mouth mold to mine. I lean forward, but he flexes his fingers into my throat, catching my breath.

“I need you to stay still, little devil.”

I'm trembling with the need to move closer. Still, I remain motionless, letting my lashes flutter shut so I can focus on how firm lips wrap around mine.

His hand shifts until it tangles in my hair, cradling the back of my head, angling it to his liking, making my lips part and his tongue dips in, teasing my own. He tastes like whisky—smooth and strong, threatening to intoxicate my senses and cloud my judgment from the undertone of sin.

The heavy weight of his dog tags drops from his shirt, landing on my knees. I have the insane urge to grab them and pull him closer, but before I can act on the thought, he pulls away.

It’s a struggle to fully open my eyes as I bring my thumb to my lip to rub over the cut and feel the broken, swollen flesh.

“That um…” I try not to focus on how tight my chest feels or how my skin is burning with each brush of the sheets against it, but his words still sound muted despite my efforts.

“I believe that was all we needed to cover before arriving.” I turn to his voice, but for once, his focus isn't on me. I know his calculating look—the one he wears when trying to figure something out–but the pull in his brows and strain in his jaw are unfamiliar. It’s almost as if he's in pain.

I want this buzzing feeling to go away so I can focus on the underlying hurt of his reaction, but I can't seem to push it away.

“Right. Yeah, I guess that covers all the basics.” I mutter, finally finding my voice.

“Caspian called in a private jet. It'll land on the flight deck in the morning and refuel, then we will head out.”

The mattress jerks with the sudden motion of his standing.

“Sam?”

“The stars are getting their chance to shine." The door follows his voice as he answers what he already assumes I'm going to say, leaving me alone with the impending feeling of death lingering where he just sat.

This mission will destroy me in more ways than I initially thought.

Eleven

8-31-2024

I’m powerful.

-Jasmine

“Rise and shine!” An irritable voice yells, and suddenly, I’m being bombarded with bags, making me grunt from beneath the covers. Sleep evaded me as expected after…

“What the—” I start, but cut myself off as I hastily throw the items off my wrinkled blankets. I flick my gaze to the chair in the corner and then back to Sharkie.Of course, he isn’t here.Yet a small part of my chest yearns to peek around her body to check again.

“Today is the day!” Sharkie sings, and my stomach drops.No, not yet. I’m not ready.

“Wait—”

“You guys are going to kill it! I know it's a few days early, but I can’t wait to see all my training pay off. I feel like I’m finally doing something right, you know? Don’t worry; I’ve double-checked everything from layouts, time frames, and supplies.”

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