“Those ladies you got all excited about buying a present for me for my birthday went right to Clyde Darden and asked him to name one of his fuckin’ flowers after me. Not just any flower either. They wanted one he could show all up and down the state. Wanted it to be named something heroic. Notice I’m givin’ you the details, Savage, so you can spend a lot of time thinking about how you got me good. Those ladies needed to raise a lot of money so Darden could grow this flower in his greenhouse and then travel to those shows and enter it. So they went to the Red Hat Society, two chapters, and asked if anyone wanted to help them out with their birthday funds so Darden could keep entering those damned contests. Red Hat ladies not only got behind the idea, but they decided to do fund-raisers for Darden in my name. And the fuckin’ flower’s name.”
Seychelle had no choice. She had to bury her face against Savage’s shoulder. Bite her lip. Count in her head. Press her hands tight in a fist into his abs. How he could sit there straight-faced she had no idea. Savage was definitely behind that prank, but how? She was so going to ask him.
“There’s a reason I’m giving you all the gruesome details, Savage. I believe in revenge. I bide my time, and I go for total revenge. You are going to know it’s coming, and you deserve it. It will be far worse than what you did to me. So enjoy this while you can—you got me good, but know I’ll be planning the payback.” Jackson smiled at Seychelle. “I’d say congratulations, ma’am, but I think you’re a little crazy to be hooking up with this one. Think about what I just told you he did. That’s one of his jokes. He gets serious, and Lord only knows what he might plan.” He turned and walked away.
“You totally did that, didn’t you?” Seychelle demanded. “How?”
Savage shrugged. “The ladies were worried about what to give him for his birthday. Said he didn’t like birthday presents. I just mentioned how Darden names his flowers, and the conversation went from there. I don’t see how that could be construed as my fault.”
“You’re not telling me the entire truth, are you?” Because he wasn’t. She was certain of it.
He laughed, his gloved hand over hers. “No, babe. I’m not.” His smile faded, his blue eyes looking into hers. “I came here to talk about us. I only have so much time, and you left this morning really upset.”
Seychelle wasn’t going to lie to him. “I’m in love with you, Savage, but I don’t know if I can be what you need.”
“You’re exactly what I need, baby. We’ll work things out. What you saw this morning scared you. I shouldn’t have . . .” His eyes went even colder, and he cursed in his native language. “I’m not trying to be impatient. We’ve got time, Seychelle. You never have to get there. Never.”
She shook her head. “Don’t. You know that isn’t the truth. You need that, and I want you to have everything you need. I just have to think whether or not I can be that person.”
“I told you I would know. You respond to the things we do.”
Her stomach knotted. “I know I do, and I don’t know if I like that in myself. I don’t know how far I’m willing to let myself go. I have to really think about it, Savage. Living that reality isn’t the same as fantasizing over it. You have a reason for being the way you are. If I was only going down that path because I love you and wanted to sacrifice for you, then I would be able to say yes in a heartbeat. But there’s a part of me that wants it for me. I don’t have any excuse. None.”
“Why do you think you need an excuse?” His fingers found her ring.
“Shouldn’t I have a reason for craving something like that? You don’t like yourself at times, and you were shaped into who you are. It doesn’t make sense to me. It isn’t normal.”
“What the fuck is normal, Seychelle? Because my normal is mixing pain and pleasure. That’s normal. That’s hot as hell. Arousing. And I’m as pleased as fuck it’s arousing to you. I know it’s difficult to think you enjoy that kind of thing when everyone around you has a different sexual practice, but what they do is their business and what we do is ours. You think about how much I love you. Think on that, baby. Think how much I take care of you and always will.”
Savage hooked his palm around the nape of her neck and dragged her to him for one of his long, claiming kisses that stole her sanity, then indicated for her to go back into the tea shop. He waited until she was safe inside before he took off on his bike. She listened to the pipes fade away before she joined the others.