“What are you plotting out here?” Felix’s gravelly voice came from the apartment.
Thea spun round to see him standing in the doorway in just his trunks, a cheeky grin on his face.
“Nothing,” she said, her voice high and tight.
Felix stepped through the doors. Thea swallowed. Hard. He looked good enough to eat. When he reached her, he brought his hands to her face and leaned in to kiss her forehead. “Good morning.”
Thea’s gut sank. Why did he have to look so tempting and be so civil? She’d just spent the last two minutes trying to paint him as a villain who’d drop her like a hot brick when he tired of her.
“Morning.”
“What are you doing out here? You must be cold.”
“No. I was just enjoying the view.”
“That makes two of us.” Felix trailed one hand down her arm before taking her hand.
Thea avoided his eyes, turning away and looking at something, anything, in the distance. Where was an obvious landmark when you needed one?
“The view is amazing from here.”
Felix drew in behind her, leaning her back against his chest. She felt every muscle through the cotton of his shirt. Damn, damn, damn men with solid pecs. Why did they have to be so distracting?
“It is.” Warm air reached her ear as Felix let out a long breath. “And I could get used to having you here to share it with me.”
Thea closed her eyes, the skin on her neck pricking. “Felix…”
“I know I’m based in Clavenham at the moment, but I still have to come to the city. To have you here with me would beincredible.”
Heat travelled from Thea’s chest up to her cheeks, and the breeze from the river ruffled her curls. What was he talking about? She couldn’t just drop things at the sanctuary and disappear to London when the mood took her. Or him.
And Kitty would have a new baby soon. Thea would have to find extra help, not abscond to Felix’s lust hammock when she needed to relax. And leaving Ammy with Josh wasn’t an option either. Being a farm vet kept him out on call for hours on end.
“You don’t want me here. I’ll just get in the way. Look how busy you were yesterday. There are only so many massages a woman can take in one day, and besides, there’s nothing for me to do. According to Gemma, the kitchen is out of bounds, and there’s no wildlife for me to save.”
Felix laughed. “You could save me, and I’ll be as wild as you need.”
He pressed her against his solid chest, and with a swallow, Thea drove away the tiniest curl of delight that sprung between her thighs. “It’s not practical. I can’t just leave the animals at the drop of a hat.”
With a sigh, he buried his face into her hair. “It’s just so good to have you here.”
And it was good. She hadn’t woken up next to anyone but Ammy or one of her cats for five long years. But it didn’t change the fact that their lives weren’t a good match. They both had obligations and responsibilities that didn’t align. She didn’t want to hurt him, but he had to understand.
“Our lives are too different. London, the Sentinel, is your place in the world. Here, you’re important. People rely on you. My place is standing knee-deep in horse poo, not cavorting half-naked on rooftops.”
“When does the cavorting start?” he asked with a snicker.
Thea turned back towards Felix, bringing her fingers to his lightly stubbled cheek. “We can still do this sometimes. Us, Imean. I just can’t promise I’ll be able to do this.” Thea nodded her head backwards towards the waking city.
Felix pouted, but then a little smirk crept onto his mouth. “Couldn’t I find some way to persuade you? If you can’t dothis…” It was his turn to nod to the city below. “Then maybe I could convince you by doing a bit more of this?” As he spoke, Felix slipped a hand under her shirt, trailing his fingers to the curve of her bottom. He applied gentle pressure, and the nerves under Thea’s skin sprung to life. He barely moved his fingers, but her insides already writhed in delight. She pressed back into him.
Stuff it. “I’m sure you could try,” she whispered.
With a gravelly growl, Felix bent down to pick Thea up, wrapping her legs around his hips. She giggled and kicked her feet in mock horror. “Put me down!” she squealed. “You can’t break me. Seven goats rely on me to stay alive.”
He carried her to a large, upholstered lounger that was part of a pristine outdoor set in one corner of the balcony. He laid her down, the plush fabric softening her landing. “What if I wantedto break you, though? Make you see things my way.”
Thea quirked a brow. “And how exactly would you do that?”
