He took the keys from her hand and unlocked the driver-side lock with a simple button push, as if he’d been doing it for her his entire life. “I know you’re scared, baby, but don’t do anything foolish tonight. Just drive straight home and crawl into bed. You’ll feel better once that headache disappears.”
She didn’t make the mistake of arguing; she just nodded her head. Savage caught her chin and lifted it, forcing her to meet his eyes. She didn’t know why she felt so guilty and yet defiant at the same time.
Savage shook his head. “You could trust me a little to take care of you, Seychelle. Whatever you’re thinking of doing is just making you miserable. You made the decision, and we’ll make it work. I was miserable without you. You were the same without me. We’ll find our way.”
She didn’t shake her head or protest. She was so close to getting away. Once she was out of his presence, she could break free of his spell. The door to her car was open, but he had the keys in his hand.
She wouldn’t go home right away, just in case he went there to check on her. She could go to one of the bars in Fort Bragg, smoke to her heart’s content, drink a few drinks and check into a motel, hide her car. That way, if he went to the house, he’d just give up by morning. She could go home, pack and get out. Drive away. What was tying her there besides her home? She could have a management company rent it out. If she was in Nevada, they couldn’t find her. No one could. She’d keep going . . .
* * *
Savage sighed, framed Seychelle’s face with both hands and brought his mouth very gently down on hers. His lips just rubbed softly over hers, like the lightest of caresses. He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips gently. Coaxing. She made the softest of sounds, but it got him in the gut. Maybe higher. Maybe in his chest.
He took his time—patience was everything, and he was rewarded when her lips parted, and he sank his tongue deep. He swept into her mouth, her taste nearly overwhelming him, so that a dark lust was desperately spinning out of control. Her mouth was hot and wild, her tongue tangling with his, sliding tentatively at first and then surer, dueling until he could barely breathe for the two of them.
He needed to see those sexy, sweet tears and the beautiful patterns that made his world right again. Just the thought turned him inside out. Hot flames poured through him, swirling like a storm through his veins to settle deep in his cock. She was turning him inside out.
When he lifted his head, she was clinging to him, chasing after his mouth shamelessly. He stroked caresses over her hair and down her back. “It isn’t going to be so bad belonging to me, Seychelle. I’ll be careful with you. After all this time thinking you didn’t exist, I’m not about to drive you away. I’ll introduce you to my world carefully. Once you know me, know the rules, you aren’t going to have trouble.”
Seychelle buried her fists in the front of his shirt, shaking her head, more panicked than ever, because she’d just proven to herself she couldn’t resist him. She’d never resist that mouth. The way he kissed. The fire or his taste. It was probably already too late. She had to do something to distract herself, something terrible if she was going to save herself.
“You’ll hurt me, Savage. In the end, you’ll hurt me.” She looked up at him, needing to see his eyes. “Won’t you?”
“Probably.”
He continued to stroke those caresses through her hair that made her weak with need for him. She knew he’d be honest, but she didn’t want that answer. She wanted hope.
“I don’t know the first thing about relationships, baby. That’s going to set us both up for mistakes, but we’ll work through it. You’ll learn. I’ll learn. That’s what couples do.”
“I thought we were going to be friends.” She was feeling desperate to get away from him. Friendship would never work. She was too attracted to him. She needed to give him everything he wanted or needed, just as she’d done all her life with her parents. She gave and gave until there was nothing left of her, and they died anyway.
“We’re going to be friends, honey. We already are. You know more about me than anyone but my brothers in Torpedo Ink. I know you’re scared, but you have to trust me to take care of you.”
She was scared. Not only of him, but of her own hidden desires. He brought things out in her that she was terrified to explore. She forced a nod, pressing her fingers to her lips to make certain she didn’t try to kiss him again. She didn’t seem to have any control at all around him.