Gina was right. She’d set the wheels in motion last night. They had to follow through now that they’d started. Hopefully through Felix she could learn more about the shifters. Insider’s knowledge was what she sought. And the big one, were they in contact with the shifter clans in Africa?
“Mama?” Still Sylvie sought reassurance and it made Tomasine sad. Angry. A child’s life shouldn’t be full of fear.
46
Peeping Tom
“It’s all right, Sylvie.” Tomasine tightened her grasp on her towel and went to her daughter. She squatted so she was at her daughter’s height and kissed her button nose, knowing it would make Sylvie giggle. “You go with Gina while Mama gets dressed.”
“I dressed myself,” Sylvie said.
“Good girl. So you did.” She’d also sprayed perfume by herself. The wretched stuff made Tomasine’s eyes tear but she smiled in encouragement anyway. “Off you go with Gina.”
“I sprayed myself.”
Tomasine closed her eyes wondering what Felix and his brother thought. “You’re a good girl, Sylvie. I’m very proud of you.”
Sylvie nodded, threw her arms around Tomasine’s neck and squeezed tightly before letting go just as quickly. She ran to Gina, chattering rapidly as she normally did. Gina ushered Sylvie and Leo to the kitchen leaving Tomasine alone with Felix. Tomasine was almost frightened to look at him. She straightened when his hands curled around her shoulders.
“I’d better get dressed.”
“I’ll help,” Felix said.
Tomasine snorted. “I doubt your help would be productive.”
“If you mean I’d want to kiss every inch of your skin before it was hidden by cloth, then you could be right,” he conceded. “Your daughter is very pretty.”
“Thank you.” Tomasine steeled herself, waiting for the inevitable questions.
“Where is Sylvie’s father?”
Tomasine bit the inside of her lip hard and allowed sorrow to form on her face. “He died in an accident over two years ago.” Clan infighting and genocide fitted the accident category.
“I’m sorry.” Felix stepped closer and she felt the heat coming off his body. She wondered what it would be like to run with a beloved mate, to run with family again in 47
Shelley Munro
feline form. Leaping in trees and racing across the savannah with not a care in the world. The seductive thoughts appeared when she hadn’t allowed herself to think of them for years, of how much she missed socializing with her own kind and how much she craved the shift to cat. She hadn’t wanted to risk a change while things were so uncertain.
Tomasine swallowed to rid her throat of the lump of emotion that had suddenly appeared there. “I’d better hurry. Really.” She sought refuge in humor. “I’m a big girl now. I can dress by myself.”
Felix nuzzled behind her ear and she felt his tongue lick across the sensitive skin. Immediately her body was on high alert. Wanting him. Again.
“I’ll wait for you in the kitchen with the others.”
“Okay.” Tomasine turned away, feeling a trifle breathless and definitely full of anticipation.
“Tomasine.”
“Yes?” Tomasine turned with a smile.
“Please don’t put any perfume on when you’re dressing. I don’t like it.”
48
Peeping Tom
Chapter Four
Felix turned away without saying anything else but not before he caught the fleeting terror that crossed her face. He wanted to turn back and tell her everything would be all right, that he would never hurt her. She could trust both his family and him.
Instead, he headed for the sound of laughter and giggles, determined more than ever to learn the truth about Tomasine Brooks. He smirked at the picture he saw when he entered the lounge area and glanced across to the dining room. Leo was perched on a chair with Tomasine’s daughter sitting on his lap. One of his hands was curled around a coffee mug while the other was curled around the child’s waist to stop her falling. He looked so uncomfortable Felix wanted to
“Mama?” Still Sylvie sought reassurance and it made Tomasine sad. Angry. A child’s life shouldn’t be full of fear.
46
Peeping Tom
“It’s all right, Sylvie.” Tomasine tightened her grasp on her towel and went to her daughter. She squatted so she was at her daughter’s height and kissed her button nose, knowing it would make Sylvie giggle. “You go with Gina while Mama gets dressed.”
“I dressed myself,” Sylvie said.
“Good girl. So you did.” She’d also sprayed perfume by herself. The wretched stuff made Tomasine’s eyes tear but she smiled in encouragement anyway. “Off you go with Gina.”
“I sprayed myself.”
Tomasine closed her eyes wondering what Felix and his brother thought. “You’re a good girl, Sylvie. I’m very proud of you.”
Sylvie nodded, threw her arms around Tomasine’s neck and squeezed tightly before letting go just as quickly. She ran to Gina, chattering rapidly as she normally did. Gina ushered Sylvie and Leo to the kitchen leaving Tomasine alone with Felix. Tomasine was almost frightened to look at him. She straightened when his hands curled around her shoulders.
“I’d better get dressed.”
“I’ll help,” Felix said.
Tomasine snorted. “I doubt your help would be productive.”
“If you mean I’d want to kiss every inch of your skin before it was hidden by cloth, then you could be right,” he conceded. “Your daughter is very pretty.”
“Thank you.” Tomasine steeled herself, waiting for the inevitable questions.
“Where is Sylvie’s father?”
Tomasine bit the inside of her lip hard and allowed sorrow to form on her face. “He died in an accident over two years ago.” Clan infighting and genocide fitted the accident category.
“I’m sorry.” Felix stepped closer and she felt the heat coming off his body. She wondered what it would be like to run with a beloved mate, to run with family again in 47
Shelley Munro
feline form. Leaping in trees and racing across the savannah with not a care in the world. The seductive thoughts appeared when she hadn’t allowed herself to think of them for years, of how much she missed socializing with her own kind and how much she craved the shift to cat. She hadn’t wanted to risk a change while things were so uncertain.
Tomasine swallowed to rid her throat of the lump of emotion that had suddenly appeared there. “I’d better hurry. Really.” She sought refuge in humor. “I’m a big girl now. I can dress by myself.”
Felix nuzzled behind her ear and she felt his tongue lick across the sensitive skin. Immediately her body was on high alert. Wanting him. Again.
“I’ll wait for you in the kitchen with the others.”
“Okay.” Tomasine turned away, feeling a trifle breathless and definitely full of anticipation.
“Tomasine.”
“Yes?” Tomasine turned with a smile.
“Please don’t put any perfume on when you’re dressing. I don’t like it.”
48
Peeping Tom
Chapter Four
Felix turned away without saying anything else but not before he caught the fleeting terror that crossed her face. He wanted to turn back and tell her everything would be all right, that he would never hurt her. She could trust both his family and him.
Instead, he headed for the sound of laughter and giggles, determined more than ever to learn the truth about Tomasine Brooks. He smirked at the picture he saw when he entered the lounge area and glanced across to the dining room. Leo was perched on a chair with Tomasine’s daughter sitting on his lap. One of his hands was curled around a coffee mug while the other was curled around the child’s waist to stop her falling. He looked so uncomfortable Felix wanted to
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