This gala was a world away from her life in the sleepy little village she called home. And this Felix was a world away from the man she knew in Tottenbridge. There, he was quiet. Self-contained. He must detest the attention he got from the locals. At least here, he had something in common with people.
A dull ache gripped Thea’s chest. As if sensing her unease, Ginny continued, her voice low and lilting. “This isn’t all going to magically disappear, darling. Felix has only ever known this life. He inherited a vast company. He’ll soon get bored with the country, no matter how appealing the scenery is.”
Thea sucked a slow breath in through her teeth. As much as she hated to admit it, Ginny was right. The Rusty Plough was up and running, and the accommodation was almost completed. He had staff to run the place. He didn’t need to be there anymore. What if he was leaving soon, and she was just “scenery,” as Ginny suggested?
Like a wily predator going in for the kill, Ginny laid a hand on Thea’s arm, meeting her eyes. They were the colour of fox fur.
“I’m only trying to give you some advice. I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you looked a little out of your depth earlier. With the press.”
She’d watched her? Seen her flake out at crunch time?
“You need to think long and hard about whether you want to be in Felix’s life. This life. His wife used to…”
Thea bristled at the mention of Adrienne. “Ex-wife,” she said, the edge in her voice cutting through the drone of conversation around them.
Ginny scoffed and removed her crimson-nailed hand from Thea’s arm. “If you say so.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ginny shook her head. “Adrienne and Felix are a team. Aforce to be reckoned with. Always were, always will be. They have quite a reputation in the industry.”
A bitter taste crept into Thea’s mouth. “But they’re not together. Their marriage is over.”
Ginny’s sneering snicker was like a slap to the face. “Darling, Felix and Adrienne are anything but over.”
Heat grew in Thea’s body, consuming her as the room closed in.
“I’ll leave you with that thought. Enjoy the rest of the night.” Ginny gave her a cat-like smile and stalked off across the ballroom.
Thea reached out a hand to the pillar, its cool stone soothing her trembling fingers. Ginny’s words echoed in her head.Anything but over. What the hell was she suggesting? That Felix and his ex were still a thing? Still, sleeping together? That she was still involved in the business?
Thea sucked in a long breath. What guarantees did she have that Ginny wasn’t right? Other than her constant messaging, what did she know about Felix and his ex? Was he playing her for a fool?
She wasn’t after love and marriage, but he would be the first man she slept with since Phil. And he knew how terrified she was. If there was unfinished business between him and his ex-wife, she had to know.
Thea ran her eyes over the crowd. She couldn’t see Felix anywhere, but she could see his magic lift. The one that went straight up to his penthouse. Its shiny call button blinked in the light of the chandeliers. That button offered Thea a reprieve. An escape route. Pressing it would take her away from the party. From the heat and the noise. From the reality that her new boyfriend may just be hiding something. At least in the calm of his apartment, she could take some time to think.
Thea glanced over the room one last time. The crowd parted to reveal Felix. He was standing next to Ginny. She hadher hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. He nodded, a serious look on his face.
Thea gritted her teeth together. Maybe Ginny was telling him how naïve and gauche his date for the evening was. Perhaps giving him some friendly advice to ditch his new potato girlfriend and dig someone else up. Someone more fit for purpose.
Well, if that was the case, she wasn’t about to wait to find out. Thea turned on her ridiculously high heels and headed for the lift.
32
FELIX
Felix tapped his foot against the shiny floor of the lift. Never had the ride to his apartment felt so long. He’d left the party early, much to Gemma’s annoyance. She could handle things, though. Keep the clients happy. It had been a full hour since he’d last seen Thea. She’d asked to take a break from socialising. He’d watched her for a while, but then she disappeared. Ginny had seen her, though, and that’s what worried him.
The lift door opened to his darkened apartment, the permanent orange hue of the city’s streetlights casting an eerie glow over the sitting room. All was silent. Cold and empty. Felix’s heart ticked up a notch as he glanced around for Thea.
A faint light from the open kitchen door drew his attention. Felix headed towards it, his feet landing silently on the deep carpet. When he reached the door, he took a breath.
Thea sat on a stool at the kitchen counter, an almost finished glass of champagne at her side. She leaned on its surface, resting her head in her palm. The skin of her bare back glowed in the harsh light of the cabinets, beckoning Felix’s fingers to trace the pattern of her spine.
He swallowed, then stepped into the kitchen. “I thought I lost you.”
He reached for her and bent down to kiss the side of her neck, her soft skin hot under his lips. She tipped her head to one side, and the small moan she gave went straight to his dick. He ran one hand down her arm, and with the other, he turned her chin to bring her mouth to his.
