“Kitty already hates me. Now she’s going to think I’ve been chatting up her aunt. Corrupting her with sordid tales of my sleazy, almost-celebrity lifestyle.”
Thea tipped her head to one side, running her cornflower blue eyes over his face. “I didn’t think you’d worry about what people think of you. Quite the opposite.”
Damn, she was beautiful. He took a breath. “I worry about whatsomepeople think of me. I’ll rescue our drinks, shall I? I really wouldn’t mind some air.”
Felix found their glasses just where he’d left them and followed Thea outside onto the terrace. Its large flagstones lay in an enormous rectangle, jutting out over the garden, and a riot of spring flowers grew in large marble planters at its edges. Thea found a spot between two banks of hydrangeas and leaned on the balustrade, gazing out over the manicured lawns of the estate.
“Just think,” she murmured as Felix stood beside her. “Someone could have ravaged Anne Boleyn in this very spot. Or in the maze. I mean, it’s possible.”
The corners of his mouth lifted. It probably wasn’t a good idea to hint he might enjoy a bit of ravaging himself. “I doubt they’d even planted the maze when she lived here. Someone probably added it in the seventies.”
Thea scrunched her nose up. “Spoilsport.” She took her drink from Felix. “I hope you didn’t mind Julia. She’s lovely. No filter, but lovely. Her heart’s in the right place.”
Felix snickered. “She reminded me a bit of my mother. Far too interested in my love life.”
Thea turned to him. “Two things. First, are you telling me you have a love life to be interested in? And second, I just realised I know nothing about you I couldn’t have read in that damn magazine on my dresser.”
Felix batted a bee away with his palm. That she knew very little about him was his standard MO. He didn’t like peopleshoving their noses into his business. It was why his stint on television had been so against his instincts.
“I’m waiting,” Thea said, taking a large sip of her champagne, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
“Sorry?”
“Your love life. I know youweremarried, but is there more I should know? Do you have a harem of groupies locked up in your garden shed? I heard you raided most of the staff from Gnome World for your restaurant. Perhaps you kept a few to yourself. Maybe you have a fetish for pointy ears.”
Felix shifted on his feet, flipping another bee away from his face. “Gnomes don’t have pointed ears. That’s elves.”
Thea’s mouth curved. “You’re always so bloody practical, Felix. Can’t you at least have a bit of fun with me?”
If only she knew howmuchfun he wanted to have with her and in what way.
“I’m just saying that you could be an international criminal masquerading as a C-list celebrity hotelier. I’d never know.”
“What do you need to know?” he asked, his fingers running over the petals of the nearest hydrangea, their softness giving way under the pressure.
“Careful, you could get stung.” Thea eyed several large fuzzy bees dancing around the flowers.
“Bumblebees don’t sting. Everyone knows that.”
Thea kinked an eyebrow at him. “I’m just saying that I know nothing about you. I mean, you’ve already touched my boob, yet I don’t even know your favourite colour.”
Felix almost spat his drink onto the flagstones. Was she really going to bring up his unfortunate groping? At a wedding? Surrounded by people?
“Thea,” he growled.
“Yes, Felix,” she said, wetting her lips with a flick of her tongue.
At the sound of her voice, his dick nudged in his trunks, andhe couldn’t take his eyes off her mouth before his phone buzzed in his pocket.
“Do you need to take that?”
“No, it’s work. It can wait” The phone buzzed again, and Felix threw his eyes heavenward. At this rate, he’d throw the thing into the bushes.
“You really should check. It could be Lucas.”
She was right. With a sigh, he looked at the screen. All the messages were from Adrienne. None were important. He put the phone back in his pocket.
“Just work,” he said. “And by the way, my favourite colour is blue.” He raked his eyes over Thea’s dress, and her throat bobbed.
