Felix shook his head. “You could never let me down. I shouldn’t have asked you to come with me. Should never have assumed you’d be comfortable with the attention. But I want you to know how proud I was to have you at my side.” Felix paused, “And besides, I’m not planning on spending so much time in London anymore.”
Thea’s breath caught. “What do you mean?”
“The Rusty Plough project has shown me I can run the business just fine without having to be in the office every day. I have an amazing team, and I’m much more relaxed here.” Felix dropped Thea’s hand and ran it through his hair. “Lucas and I are on the lookout for a cottage.” He hesitated, the rise and fall of his chest speeding up. “Nearer to you.”
“What?” Was he considering staying in the village permanently? His being closer would be wonderful for “relaxing” purposes, but would he be happy with the slower pace of life? She couldn’t imagine him attending the trivia nights at The Five Bob or joining up for the annual village cricket match.
Felix wrinkled his nose. “Would it be too much, too soon? It’s just that I’ve taken a shine to the Tottenbridge ducks, and Lucas loves the village. I just hope you don’t mind noisy neighbours.”
Thea tipped her head to one side, the hay crunching underneath her. “Who’s noisy?”
“I heard that the minor celebrity moving in has a reputation for keeping his lovers up all night. It could upset the locals.”
She giggled. “Oh, my goodness! Will you stop it? We are supposed to be having a serious discussion.”
Felix grinned. “I’m deadly serious.” With a wink, he turnedonto his back, his eyes ranging over the dilapidated roof above. “Are you sure we’re quite safe in here?”
“I’m assuming if the roof falls in and crushes you, Lucas will inherit a reasonable amount.”
Felix turned his head back towards her and with a smile, touched her shoulder with the back of his fingers. “Don’t get any ideas. I’d come back and haunt you.”
A slow and steady glow bloomed in Thea’s heart. What the hell was happening? Their full and solid discussion was turning comical and flimsy, her misgivings falling like dominoes. All Felix’s usual frosty reserve had disintegrated.
For the longest beat, they lay in silence, the slightest pressure of his hand on her shoulder, his breath coming in a steady rhythm. “Thea,” he said, his voice softer, quieter. “Is there anything else? Any other arguments against us?”
She nibbled at her lip. It was time to have the one conversation she’d dreaded. Thea blew out a slow breath.
“I don’t know if you and Phil would have been friends, and that matters to me. It seems silly now that he’s not here anymore, but it’s important. You’re so different. I just wonder what he’d think of you. Of me being with you. And…” Thea’s words trailed off, and she swallowed away the lump that had formed in her throat.
“And?”
“I know Ammy never knew her dad, but I don’t want him to be replaced.”
At the waver in her voice, Felix turned his whole body towards her and traced his fingers down her cheek, bringing them to rest at her jaw. The tenderness in his green eyes made her ribs ache.
“I could never replace Phil. Nor would I want to. I’ll be as much or as little as you and Ammy want me to be. I’d never expect you to take over where Adrienne left off, either. But I think we all want the same thing. You and Ammy, Lucas, andme. Why wouldn’t we take a chance on making each other happy?”
There was a warmth in his eyes when he talked about her family andhisfamily. Felix was a good man. He may not be Phil. More likely the complete opposite, but why the hell couldn’t she be happy with him? Thea didn’t doubt they’d drive each other up the wall and fight, but she’d happily take part in any making-up that would be required.
In the barn's stillness, with the soft smell of hay surrounding them, Thea’s heart crashed against her sides. He lay facing her now, eyes locked on hers, lips so close, his fingertips resting at her jaw.
“I missed you,” she whispered.
At her words, Felix loosened a breath, and he closed his eyes. “I missed you, too. Life has been very dull these last few days. Far too quiet.”
Thea snickered, “I’ll remember that. Will you hold me?”
“Always.” Felix brought his lips to Thea’s neck. His touch was feather-light. Damn, she’d missed having him this near. She couldn’t remember how she’d ever gone without his warmth. Their being together was so new, so fragile, but the two of them lying like this was all she wanted.
Felix moved his lips to Thea’s collarbone, tracing it with a line of kisses, and a torturous ache sprang at her core.
“Please, touch me, Felix.”
The corners of his eyes crinkled as he leaned over, picking up a stalk of hay, its end frayed like a feather. With his eyes on hers, Felix traced its end behind her ear, down her neck, and then along her collarbone where his lips had just been. The softest touch of the grass spread a cosmos of goosebumps across her skin. Under his hungry stare, her nipples stiffened against her T-shirt.
With his eyes pinned on Thea, Felix lifted the frond of grass from her neck and moved his hand down to inch up the bottomof her T-shirt. Each time he nudged the fabric, he replaced the sudden chill of the air with a delicious sweep of the grass. Every pass set the nerve endings under her skin into chaos.
Higher and higher he went, drawing patterns on her body, tickling the skin over her ribs, driving her mad with need, until finally, he lifted the cotton to expose her breasts. Thea pulled in a wavering breath as he took one peaked tip into his hot mouth, curling his tongue around it.