Sweet Seduction (5 page)

Felix didn’t stop watching her.

“What?” His stare was having that effect again, making her warm all over. God, the things this man did to her. It scared her, scared her
a lot.

He leaned across the counter, his gaze now focused on her lips. He licked his own and her response was to do the same, when he groaned softly and got close enough to kiss her, she snapped out of it.

Paige backed away and turned from Felix’s frown as she headed out of the kitchen. “I’m tired. I think I’m gonna go lay down for a while.” Then she was running away, ignoring Felix as he called her name.

“What did you do?” Lena demanded from the other end of the phone.

Felix stood in the hallway a few feet from Paige’s room door, unable to hear any activity inside. She’d disappeared hours ago and he hadn’t heard the slightest peep. That line about being tired was bullshit—that much he knew.

“Me?” he said, “I didn’t do anything. We were talking about our parents and—”

“C’mon Felix. You know good and damned well the very last thing you want to mention to Paige is her parents.” Lena groaned, cutting him off. 

Running a hand through his hair he started pacing. “I didn’t mean to bring it up. She asked me about Mom and I started talking and before I knew it she was taking off.” Felix knew the story and dynamics between Paige’s parents but it was only after he pried it out of his little sister with blackmail.

“You know,” Felix said, “I’m surprised you took
this
long to tell me being that your mouth runs like tap water.”

“Lies! I’m the gatekeeper of secrets!”

“Um...wait...Is this coming from the very person who
swore
on the shiny new chrome wheels of her first Mustang that she wouldn’t tell Paige I had a framed picture of her on my dresser then sung like a Baptist choir in the south on Sunday morning the first chance she got?”

There was silence and then, “I would’ve found the framed picture sweet and endearing had you not stole it outta my spring break album and Paige wasn’t wearing that bikini.”

“I was drawn to how happy she looked.”

“You’re a liar and a raunchy pervert.”

Felix rolled his eyes. “And you’re evil incarnate but we’re not supposed to be pointing out facts and examples.”

“Felix just...don’t give up on her, okay?”

“I haven’t in the twenty something years I’ve known her and I don’t plan on doing it now.”

“Good. Now I have to go, your brother-in-law just walked in the room from giving the kids a bath.”

Wincing, he asked, “Is he in the fetal position...again?”

“No, he’s just kind of staring at the wall and shaking his head...Oh Archer, get up off the floor, it can’t be
that
bad.”

Felix kept laughing, even when she hung up on him. His gaze went back to Paige’s door. He needed to get his shit together and fast before he started losing ground with her.

To Get

She hadn’t
meant
to do it. She’d been minding her damn business, looking through the double door fridge, trying to find the leftovers from dinner when he’d scared the shit out of her. Sadly, that resulted in Paige picking up the cutting board in the middle of the kitchen island and knocking Felix on his ass. Now she was listening to him moan while she held a bag of frozen peas to his head.

“Oh my face...my adorably roguish face...”

Paige rolled her eyes and slapped away his hands so she could move the bag to his forehead. “Stop with the whining already.”

“I can’t. You ruined what was once beautifully made! Now what am I supposed to do? I’ll spend my days alone and deformed occasionally finding joy in scaring small children with my hideous appearance!”

Staring down at him, she really had to resist the urge to hit him with the cutting board again. He did look rather pathetic though with that cut over his left eye starting to turn red and swell. “The most you’ll have is a little scar to mar your so-called ‘perfection.’” She stated drolly.

Felix gasped like she’d just admitted to fellating one of his ranch hands behind the barn. “Scar? Did you just say
scar?”
Suddenly, he gripped her around the waist and buried his face in her chest, snuggling deep. “This is too much for me to take. I...I need to be held.”

“Felix—”

He fully stuck his head inside the gape in the front of her robe. “Hmmm, you’re not wearing a bra. That’s okay I never liked that lace stuff against my face, makes it all itchy, yah know?” Inhaling deeply, he sighed. “Nothing like skin to skin contact.”

“Felix—”

“Shhh, you’re supposed to be helping me come to terms with the monstrous appearance I now have seeing as how it’s all your fault.”

“Felix—”

“Paige do you not understand the meaning of quiet comfort? Sometimes all a person needs is to be held, no words spoken.” The tip of his nose brushed her nipple, his voice now muffled as he spoke. Her whole body shuddered. “I’m feeling better already.”

Desire like she’d never known almost made Paige give in to any and everything Felix ever wanted...almost. That, of course, was enough to scare the hell out of her so when his lips made contact with her collarbone she jerked back as fast as she could. Unfortunately, that caused Felix to roll out of her lap like a ball and his head hit the floor with a solid
thump.

Paige winced and he grimaced. “You wanna add brain damage to the list of things you’ve done to me today?” He sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

“Sorry. Here.” She tossed him the bag of peas and watched them smack him in the face. They both groaned. Pulling her robe fully closed, Paige buried her face into her hands. “Felix—”

“If you’re gonna hurt me shouldn’t I be wearing a collar and calling you ‘Mistress’?”

She couldn’t help it, that first snort slipped out and after that, laughing was inevitable. Before she knew it, they were both on their sides.

“I’m sorry,” Paige gasped. “I swear I’m not doing it on purpose.”

He just grinned as he sat up. “I’ll believe it when the throbbing in my head and my cock stops.”

Her eyes drifted to the very noticeable bulge in his pajama bottoms. Biting her lip, she asked, “Want another bag of peas?” It was better than saying, “Can I have it? Please, please, please?”

Smirking, he answered, “It wouldn’t help...trust me.”

Paige sucked down a deep breath and stood. She knew what would help, lots and lots of…No, no, no. She couldn’t go there. Bed time tango wasn’t her forte. Past experience had more than taught her that. “And on that note, I’m going back to bed.”

Felix was off the floor in seconds and grabbing her hand. “Oh no you don’t. You haven’t eaten all day and I’ll be damned if I watch you go back to bed hungry.”

He led her to her original spot at the kitchen island and headed to the fridge. Paige watched the corded muscles in his back bunch with every move he made as he took out a foil wrapped plate and turned on the oven. She rubbed her thighs together to ease the ache that had formed between them. He set the plate inside and set the timer before sitting across from her and placing the bag of peas back to his forehead.

She winced again. “Does it hurt?”

“Only when I do this.” He made a funny face that pulled a chuckle out of her. His smile was wide and bright. “I’m sorry I spooked you.”

“Why were you down here, skulking around anyway?”

“I don’t skulk. I’m simply light and stealthy on my feet.”

“Dude, you weigh over two hundred and fifty pounds yet you move like a kitten.
That’s
skulking.”

“I have plenty of other skills that I’d be more than glad to show you.” He waggled his brows then moaned. That’s when Paige got up and went around the island to him, gripping his face between her hands. “I think I might’ve given you a concussion.”

“Really? And where’d that deductive reasoning come in Dr. Matthews? Before or
after
you almost knocked my head off my shoulders?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “If I didn’t do it already I
can
make it happen, you know that right?”

His eyes twinkled. “You’re so cute when you’re threatening me. You get this little line right here.” Reaching up he smoothed his thumb between her eyebrows. She didn’t back away from his touch. His hands were amazing, so gentle despite the fact that he worked with them all day in the roughest conditions.

Paige’s breath faltered as he cupped her cheek and drew her head nearer to his. He licked his lips and she mimicked the action. One taste couldn’t hurt, right? It stood to reason that Felix had kissed her more than enough over the years that she knew his mouth almost as intimately as she knew her own so one more kiss wouldn’t be her downfall would it?

Even as the thought crossed her mind, she knew it was a lie. This kiss wouldn’t be like any of the others; the ones that Felix stole at every opportunity—the rushed pressing of his lips to hers before he pulled away and ran off. No, the moment he brushed his mouth across hers, softly, gently, she knew she was in trouble. Lots and lots of trouble.

The concussion was worth it as far as he was concerned dammit. He had Paige pliant in his arms, kissing him back without resistance, without complaint, without trying to knee him in the balls. If all it took to get here was getting mild head trauma, well, Felix would’ve done it
long
ago.