Page 20 of Fergus

This room, the green salon, as Fergus had called it, was decorated in different shades of green, the furniture all white, with gold leaf edging the dado rail, the panels around the paintings on the walls, and the painted ceiling above. The pale green wallpaper looked as if it were embossed with gold.

The whole property resembled some of the country houses, open to the public, that Thea had occasionally visited in England.

The doctor was a middle-aged man who spoke only enough English to reassure her the cut didn’t need stitches, nor did she have a concussion. He did give her some painkillers to take if she needed them.

“All the arrangements for our return to England have been made,” Fergus told her when he returned to the salon after seeing the doctor out. “Declan Quinn will be on board the jet when it arrives tomorrow, along with the rest of his team.”

Thea frowned. “Who is Declan Quinn?”

“Good question.” Fergus grimaced. “He turned up a couple of years ago asking for a job, and since that time, he’s proven himself to be the best damn bodyguard we employ in the UK. Linus checked Declan’s background before we employed him, of course, but once he had cleared that security check, and at Declan’s request, that information remains between the two of them. All any of the rest of us really need to know is that he can be totally trusted and he’s excellent at his job.”

Thea stood up, feeling at too much of a disadvantage sitting on the sofa while Fergus loomed across the room. “I don’t need a team of bodyguards, let alone one headed by the best bodyguard Wynter Security employs in the UK.”

“You came to me for help,” Fergus reminded. “This is my way of helping.”

“I can’t afford a team of bodyguards—” She didn’t get to finish that sentence as Fergus crossed the room in two strides to stand in front of her. She stared up at him as his large hands cradled either side of her face.

“You won’t be paying,” he assured her.

“But—”

“No.” His gaze roamed over her features. “God, you are so beautiful. Too beautiful for me to resist doing this a moment longer,” he murmured achingly before he lowered his head, and his lips captured hers.

At twenty-four, Thea had been kissed before, many times, but being kissed by Fergus was unlike any of those previous experiences.

Her mind went completely blank. All she could do was feel and be aware of everything that was Fergus. The hardness of his body pressed against hers. The softness of his lips exploring her own in one long kiss after another. The warmth of their intermingling breath. The gentle caress of his fingers against her throat. The press of his thumbs beneath her chin as he held her face up to his as he increased the heat and passion of those kisses.

It was only kisses, but kisses so passionately intense, it was the most intense sexual experience of Thea’s life.

Bar none.

Her hands moved to clasp his wrists as she rose up on her tiptoes to return that passion, her lips parting as Fergus swept his tongue across them.

He licked inside, exploring, igniting nerve endings Thea hadn’t even known she had. Creating a pleasure that coursed through her whole body.

Her breasts felt heavy with arousal, the nipples tingling and swollen.

Between her thighs was hot and wet, and growing hotter and wetter by the second.

She gasped, swaying slightly on her feet, when Fergus suddenly ended the kiss to look down at her with green eyes that were now almost completely black.

He rested his forehead against hers. “I apologize. It was thoughtless of me to do that so soon after you were attacked and knocked unconscious.”

Thea’s fingers tightened about his wrists. “Does that mean you’ll kiss me again once you consider I’m fully recovered?”

His lips curved into a smile of self-derision. “I don’t think I’ll be able to stop myself.”

“With my agreement,” she said, lightly mocking his earlier comment.

He chuckled. “With your agreement.”

“You already have it,” she said softly.

He drew in a deep breath before releasing her and stepping back. “The doctor said you need to eat with the painkillers, so I’m going to cook us both a light lunch. After which, I suggestyou go and lie down and sleep for a while before we decide what we’re going to do about dinner. Sound good?”

“Very.” Much as Thea would have liked the two of them to continue kissing, the idea of lying down and sleeping for a while sounded tempting too. She wasn’t about to tell Fergus, but she had a terrible headache, and a couple of pain pills plus some food, followed by a lie down and sleep, sounded like heaven.

Fergus prepared and they both ate scrambled eggs and smoked salmon before he handed her a couple of the painkillers and a glass of water. He then accompanied her back up the stairs to the bedroom he had shown her earlier. Just as well, because Thea doubted she could have found it again on her own.

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