“Just the way I am, huh? Like this, you mean?” With a grin and a raise of a brow, Thea flipped down the top of her blanket to reveal one nipple.
A smile spread across Felix’s lips. “Particularly like that, but you’re distracting me.” He took the blanket and covered her back up. “I’m trying to be serious and heartfelt.”
His gaze hung on hers for a second before ranging over her face. In the thick stillness of the barn, he took Thea’s hand and pushed the scrunchie onto her wrist, lifting its inside to his lips. “Ms. Fox. If you’ll have it, please accept this scrunchie as a token of my high esteem and undying lust.”
She grinned. “You’re a complete madman, but I utterly accept your high esteem and, if I must, your undying lust. All I ask is that you don’t wear me out.”
Felix kissed the inside of Thea’s wrist again before threading his fingers through hers. “I’ll try, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be some obligations if we’re together.”
“Really? Tell me.” Thea grinned. She loved this new, playful version of him.
“I insist you let me spoil you. Look after you. I want to give you everything.”
Thea shook her head. “You don’t have to.”
“I disagree. And there may be a few minor conditions in our undying lust contract, too.” Felix moved in closer, the heat of his body searing into her.
“I’m always open to negotiations.”
“You may have to leave the farm from time to time. Dress up alittle. Make me look good. But it will always be your choice. You can pick your parties. Stay out of the limelight. I just want to show you off occasionally. Show people the wonderful sex maniac who’s crazy enough to take me on.”
A thick breath sat in Thea’s throat. He didn’t know how gorgeous he was. How far he’d burrowed into her heart. “So you’ll want me to stay out of the mud?”
Felix leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Are you kidding? I love you filthy, and I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
44
THEA
The house lights were low as Thea led Felix into the kitchen, his warm palm in hers. They’d spent a blissful few hours wrapped in each other, talking about the future.
Josh, Ammy, and Kitty were all sitting around the kitchen table while Ammy drank her usual cup of warm milk before bed. All three heads turned, eyes expectant with smiles on their faces. Thea’s cheeks flamed. Felix had admitted all three, and even Daniel had been in on his barn seduction. Still, under their scrutiny, her heart beat a little faster.
“Here you are, Ammy. The mouse conqueror returns. And she brought along a sidekick.” With a grin, Josh leaned back in his chair. “What took you so long?”
Thea flashed Josh “the look.” The one they’d used on each other since they were kids. The one that meant,“Say another word, and I’ll shave your eyebrows off in your sleep.”Not that their sibling squabbles had ever come to that, but they both understood its meaning.
Ammy grinned too, a line of milk froth along her top lip. “Did you sort out the mice, Mummy? If there were too many, Ican ask Daniel to lend us Bolt back. Though I’m sure Felix was useful.”
Josh snorted, and Kitty kicked him under the table, her lips trembling, too. Thea threw Felix an apologetic look, but he, too, was on the verge of laughter.
“Okay, drink up, Ammy.” Josh pushed his chair back with a scrape on the old tiles. He walked over towards Thea, who dropped Felix’s hand like a hot brick. Josh’s blue eyes ran over her face, his head tipped to one side. Without a word, he reached up and picked a piece of hay out of her hair, turning it round in his fingers.
“I heard some mice can be troublesome. Let’s hope yours are on their best behaviour.”
His eyes moved to Felix, and with a raise of his fair eyebrows, he turned away. A fizz burned in Thea’s chest. She’d never seen Josh play the alpha male before, but he’d definitely marked his family territory with that one look.
“Okay, young lady, are you ready for bed?” he said. Ammy nodded, and Josh trailed his hand along the back of Kitty’s chair. “I’m getting some last-minute bedtime story reading practice in.”
The baby would arrive in the next few weeks, and Thea made a mental note to dig out all of Ammy’s old blankets and clothes. “What are you reading, darling?”
Ammy grinned up at her. “Cinderella. I’m at the bit where the handsome prince keeps getting people to try on her shoe. The book has mice in it, too.”
Thea’s stomach pulled at the excitement on her daughter’s face as she glanced between herself and Felix. Weirdly, their story had similarities to the fairy tale. A rich, unattainable man had swooped in and chosen her—a woman who looked a bit dirty compared to all other maidens in the land. She chuckled to herself. There, the comparison ended.
According to Felix, Thea was the one who’d rescued him.After a few boyfriends and a husband, nobody could describe her as a maiden, and she wasn’t sure Felix fitted the Prince Charming role either. He was more like Prince-A-Little-Grumpy, but he had a heart of gold and his very own castle down in London.
Thea suddenly had an urge to put Ammy up to bed herself. To chat about how she felt about Lucas and Felix. “I’ll take you up.”
