Savage had put her into intense situations, but he had never humiliated her. Even now, when they talked about her coming on the run and he knew he would need her, once he had sounded her out about changing up the rules they’d put in place, when he realized she would be uncomfortable, he tried to think of alternatives. He let her think about that.
“How do we get those images out of my head, Savage? I want them gone. I get nervous when you ask me to do new things, but I always want to try them. I look forward to trying them. I wanted your cock in my mouth, although looking at you, I don’t see how anyone can do that without choking to death. Still, you always are so generous with me, and get me off so many times when I try something new, so I suppose even if I didn’t succeed the first few times, I’d still win in the end.”
He wanted to smile at her telling him she might choke, but at the same time, he nearly groaned. Generous? Is that how she saw him? He was a greedy, selfish bastard half the time. More than half the time. It wasn’t like he didn’t see to her pleasure—he did. Over and over. But that gave him pleasure as well, and it was always on his terms.
“We just keep talking it out until you’re not afraid anymore.”
There was another long silence. Averted face. Biting lip. He rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand, and this time he made a little letter S over and over along the top of it. Waited until recognition hit and overrode the demons in her head.
“What if there was more to the suggestion?” There was real fear in her voice. “I’ve thought about that, and there could have been.”
“Baby, look at me.” His phone vibrated, and he knew that was Czar making the call, telling him he was out of time. Cursing silently, he pulled out his phone and texted back one-handed, fast.
Give me fifteen
“You would know. I have every confidence in you. You have to find that same confidence. You said so yourself: you’re stronger than he is. You’re afraid for me, and that’s what has you so shaken. You realized, somehow, that he planted the suggestion to be afraid of giving me a blow job, and that led you to the conclusion that someone here is going to try to kill me if they tried it. I think you panicked, Seychelle, more than you succumbed to his suggestion. You panicked thinking you might try to kill me.”
Savage hadn’t once changed the low, velvet tone of his voice. She responded naturally to that note. It always wrapped around her like a physical caress. Coupled with the way he wrote the letter of his name on her skin with the pad of his thumb, she calmed even more, her gaze finally lifting to meet his. Her lashes were wet, clinging together, making them dark and innocent-looking.
“I know something is very wrong with this entire situation, but I can’t think clearly. There’s too many other things in the way,” she admitted. She looked at him with trust. With that look that said he was her white knight and he’d sort through all of them with her until she could find the truth. It was buried deep, a suggestion that Campbell had managed to plant in her head. “I hate the idea that he managed to get anywhere inside me. I need him out now.”
Savage wanted him out as well. “No more than I want that, angel. Take a couple of deep breaths and clear your head so we can figure out what he’s done. You’re a thousand times more intelligent and a million times more talented. You know you are. He shook your belief for a moment, but you know better. We can talk this out. Think about what’s actually happening in your head, Seychelle.”
“That’s possible,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “I know, in the back of my mind, someone is going to make their try. I hear the laughter, the sound of women’s voices. Your club is right there, Savage. Maybe it isn’t me kneeling in front of you.” She was frowning. Confused. “Another woman is in front of you, kneeling.” Her eyes were closed.
Shit. That wasn’t good. He didn’t like where this was going. He could tell she didn’t like it either. Her entire body had gone stiff. Those long, wet lashes lifted, and he found himself looking into horrified eyes. Accusing eyes.
The phone vibrated again. Cursing silently, Savage glanced down. Sorry, Savage, out of time. Can’t give you fifteen. Need you now.
How could he possibly leave Seychelle like this? She was shaky. Vulnerable. Fearful of Campbell in her head. Already she was leery of his club and why she was there, other than for him. She knew that wasn’t the only reason. Now she had sick images of another woman kneeling at his feet. The club laughing at her. She already didn’t like or trust them. She didn’t believe they would tell her if he fucked up—and they wouldn’t. Reaper had nearly lost Anya over just such a thing, and it was Tawny who was trying to give him a blow job. This wasn’t good at all.