when privacy was required. Saber and Emily came to mind. It would be payback for the mental suffering he’d had to go through while listening to them—their patent happiness in each other. Yeah, they’d definitely be top of the babysitting list.
Leo stood and closed the distance between them. “Make use of the time, bro. You’re going to owe me big time.”
“It will give you time to become acquainted with your new nieces,” Felix shot back in a low undertone.
“You’re very certain of your ground.”
Felix met his brother’s gaze. “She’s my mate. I don’t want to look at another woman.”
Footsteps behind him made Felix turn around. Tomasine had changed Sylvie’s clothes and the child was dressed warmly in trousers and a sweatshirt with runners on her feet. Her dark hair was restrained in a braid and she looked as cute as the cupcakes Emily made for the café. His child, he thought in awe. Protectiveness flooded him. Whatever Tomasine was frightened of, they would face it together.
“Ready to go?” Leo said.
“Are we going to walk?” Gina asked.
51
Shelley Munro
“No, I’ll take the ute,” Leo said, referring to the farm utility pickup they’d driven over to Tomasine’s house. “It’s too cold out there today to walk.” He winked at Felix.
“I’ll be a couple of hours, I reckon. Hell, I must be mad!”
Felix stepped over to Tomasine’s side and slipped an arm around her waist. Her face was pale and worried, and he hated that he was hurting her. But she wasn’t wearing perfume. He breathed in her scent and shifted aside her damp hair to nuzzle her neck. He fought the growing desire to bite. “They’ll be fine with Leo,” he reassured her. “And Emily is at the café baking cakes. If I know her, she’ll probably set the girls to work in the kitchen. They’ll have fun.”
Tomasine sniffed. “It’s hard enough letting them go to school.” She turned to face him and stared into his eyes for a long moment. “You know.”
Felix nodded. “Why all the pretence, sweetheart? You could have told us. You didn’t need to pester us all with questions or seduce me. Although, I’m glad you did. Seduce me, that is.” As he’d planned, his words drew a snort and lightened the worry lines on her face.
“You put the moves on me, mister. It wasn’t all one-sided.”
“No, which is why you’re going to give me the quick version of the truth and let me take you to bed while we have the opportunity.”
Tomasine swallowed. “Can’t we go to bed now?”
And cancel the talk. Tomasine was having a hard time trusting him. It pissed him off. The sex could wait. They’d have plenty of time for that later. This week. Next week and all their tomorrows. “No.”
They stared at each other in a strained silence.
Felix decided to ask questions to prod her along. “Are Sylvie and Gina shifters too?”
“Yes. Black leopard.”
52
Peeping Tom
“The same as us.” Felix tugged on her hand and led her over to a faded green couch. He pushed her down before sitting beside her. Felix purposely crowded her, making sure as much of their bodies touched as possible. From shoulder to knee, he pressed against her side, the contact easing his anger. His mate . Felix hadn’t believed he’d find a mate in Middlemarch. A shifter mate . He’d resigned himself to remaining single since he refused to live in the city with Alicia or attempt to lure a city girl into the country life, and then Tomasine had waltzed onto the scene. Life was good.
“Where did you come from?”
Tomasine plucked at a piece of fluff on her jeans-clad knee. “I can’t tell you that.”
“Why?” What was wrong with the female? He was trying to help.
“It’s dangerous.” Tomasine glanced at his face, saw his displeasure and hurried into further speech. “It’s not safe. All I wanted was a secure place to put down roots and raise Sylvie and Gina.”
“You’re safe here.”
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
“You are
Leo stood and closed the distance between them. “Make use of the time, bro. You’re going to owe me big time.”
“It will give you time to become acquainted with your new nieces,” Felix shot back in a low undertone.
“You’re very certain of your ground.”
Felix met his brother’s gaze. “She’s my mate. I don’t want to look at another woman.”
Footsteps behind him made Felix turn around. Tomasine had changed Sylvie’s clothes and the child was dressed warmly in trousers and a sweatshirt with runners on her feet. Her dark hair was restrained in a braid and she looked as cute as the cupcakes Emily made for the café. His child, he thought in awe. Protectiveness flooded him. Whatever Tomasine was frightened of, they would face it together.
“Ready to go?” Leo said.
“Are we going to walk?” Gina asked.
51
Shelley Munro
“No, I’ll take the ute,” Leo said, referring to the farm utility pickup they’d driven over to Tomasine’s house. “It’s too cold out there today to walk.” He winked at Felix.
“I’ll be a couple of hours, I reckon. Hell, I must be mad!”
Felix stepped over to Tomasine’s side and slipped an arm around her waist. Her face was pale and worried, and he hated that he was hurting her. But she wasn’t wearing perfume. He breathed in her scent and shifted aside her damp hair to nuzzle her neck. He fought the growing desire to bite. “They’ll be fine with Leo,” he reassured her. “And Emily is at the café baking cakes. If I know her, she’ll probably set the girls to work in the kitchen. They’ll have fun.”
Tomasine sniffed. “It’s hard enough letting them go to school.” She turned to face him and stared into his eyes for a long moment. “You know.”
Felix nodded. “Why all the pretence, sweetheart? You could have told us. You didn’t need to pester us all with questions or seduce me. Although, I’m glad you did. Seduce me, that is.” As he’d planned, his words drew a snort and lightened the worry lines on her face.
“You put the moves on me, mister. It wasn’t all one-sided.”
“No, which is why you’re going to give me the quick version of the truth and let me take you to bed while we have the opportunity.”
Tomasine swallowed. “Can’t we go to bed now?”
And cancel the talk. Tomasine was having a hard time trusting him. It pissed him off. The sex could wait. They’d have plenty of time for that later. This week. Next week and all their tomorrows. “No.”
They stared at each other in a strained silence.
Felix decided to ask questions to prod her along. “Are Sylvie and Gina shifters too?”
“Yes. Black leopard.”
52
Peeping Tom
“The same as us.” Felix tugged on her hand and led her over to a faded green couch. He pushed her down before sitting beside her. Felix purposely crowded her, making sure as much of their bodies touched as possible. From shoulder to knee, he pressed against her side, the contact easing his anger. His mate . Felix hadn’t believed he’d find a mate in Middlemarch. A shifter mate . He’d resigned himself to remaining single since he refused to live in the city with Alicia or attempt to lure a city girl into the country life, and then Tomasine had waltzed onto the scene. Life was good.
“Where did you come from?”
Tomasine plucked at a piece of fluff on her jeans-clad knee. “I can’t tell you that.”
“Why?” What was wrong with the female? He was trying to help.
“It’s dangerous.” Tomasine glanced at his face, saw his displeasure and hurried into further speech. “It’s not safe. All I wanted was a secure place to put down roots and raise Sylvie and Gina.”
“You’re safe here.”
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
“You are
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