Page 85 of Enemies with an Earl
Sam studied him for a moment and then nodded, apparently satisfied Felix was telling the truth. He rolled onto his back. “And just so you know, Fee…”
“Yes?”
“I’m more than happy to let you fuck me.”
Felix’s pulse spiked. “Noted.”
Their eyes met, and they dissolved into laughter.
Felix settled himself back on Sam’s chest, and Sam wrapped a secure arm around his waist. His blinks grew slow, and the rise and fall of Sam’s breaths evened out beneath him. “But sleep now,” he murmured. “Shag later.”
A soft kiss landed atop his head, and he closed his eyes, a happy sigh leaving him. He’d never spent an entire night with a man before, never slept with another man. Sam’s fingers coasted absently over where Felix’s back dipped to his arse. And while Felix knew it was already going to be one of his new favorite things—and he hadn’t even fallen asleep yet—he also had a feeling it only felt that way because it was with Sam.
42
Sam
Sammadehiswaydown the stairs, heading for Felix’s study. The man should be finishing up his meeting with a Mr. Campbell, the stable master’s son. Apparently, Felix and his current steward were working with the young man to prepare him to one day take over the role of steward. He had a good head for mathematics and was familiar with the Bentley tenants and agricultural practices, having grown up on the estate.
Not exactly common practice for a lord to work directly with an apprentice of sorts, nor taking on a stable master’s son for the role. But apparently, the Bentley stable master was also Lady Bentley’slover, one she’d been with since Felix had been a young lad. So, Mr. Campbell’s son…was akin to a step-sibling, Sam supposed, which was why Felix wanted to aid the man in building a secure future. Sam was starting to notice a pattern with Felix. Security and protection were very important to him, for him and those he cared about.
The morning had been full of unexpected revelations about the unconventional Bentley family as they’d lounged together, idly chatting in the slow, sleepy hours of dawn. A smile spread across Sam’s face as he turned down the hall that led to Felix’s study. A week of waking tangled up in Felix. It had been, in a word, glorious.
They hadn’t actually left the bedroom all that often. Except for when they’d taken advantage of the rare sunny September day in a week of almost constant rain and went for a ride. Felix had wanted to show Sam his estate. Sam’s heart gave an extra hard thump. The man wasso proudof the Bentley estate and his tenants. His amber eyes had glowed with passion, his hands gesturing animatedly when he discussed the new agricultural practices they were putting into place. Something about a fairly recent invention he’d been following—steam-powered threshing machines. But that brought about other challenges, because Felix was not content with his tenants being put out of work. Christ, the man cared deeply about his people.
It had been too much for Sam, had things he wasn’t ready to explore swirling around in his chest. It was like all the love that had been missing from Sam’s family existed inside that one beautiful man. So, he’d maneuvered them into a small copse of trees, dragged Felix from his horse, and buried the emotion beneath a hasty frotting session.
He thought Felix might be doing something similar. Any time they came close to touching on the subject of what had passed between them back in May, Felix would find a new clever way to distract them both from the heavy subject. The man’s tongue was made for sin. And there was no rush to delve into the topic. It had only been a week. They were slowly learning the smaller details about each other, and Sam was thoroughly enjoying the discovery process.
They couldn’t live in bed for the rest of their lives, though. Which was what brought Sam here now. Sam paused at the doorway of Felix’s study, gaze landing on the man’s amber curls, head bent over some parchment. A black-haired man sat opposite him, back to Sam. Sam had jested about being Felix’s kept man. And it had been especially diverting pretending for a sennight. But seeing Felix’s fervent devotion to his estate, how he had apurpose, reminded Sam that…he didn’t have one.
All his life, he’d been the Duke of Devonford’s valet. He and Ash against the world, a world that seemed to not give a bloody damn about either of them. They were always going to grow old together, two rickety old coves. But now he was no longer a valet, could no longer lean on his best friend. And that had come with a startling realization.
Sam had spent so much of his life hiding, hiding himself away from the threat of his past, the threat of being hurt again, that he’d lost himself somewhere along the way.
What in the bloody hell did a man of two-and-forty do with his life? He’d been focused solely on the daunting task of showing up at Thornfield Hall, declaring himself, terrified he was alone in feeling that perhaps there was something worth exploring between him and Felix. He’d forgotten to think about what happened next.Logistics, Felix had said. Sam should probably think about bloody logistics more often.
At that moment, Felix glanced up, gaze finding Sam leaning in the doorway. And fuck Sam, because the man’s face lit up, a smile bursting free, dimple and all. Lord, that glowing amber gaze was like a shot straight through the heart. No wonder Sam didn’t think about logistics. He’d be Fee’s kept man if Felix looked at him like that for the rest of his days.No. Stop, Sam. Sam was acting like a besotted fool. Hell. He was a besotted fool, wasn’t he?
“Mr. Thorne,” Felix said. “Please come in. I’m almost finished here with Mr. Campbell.”
Felix gestured for Sam to approach his desk. “Mr. Thorne, this is my stable master’s son, Mr. Weston Campbell. Campbell, I’m sure you haven’t had a chance to meet my new valet. I was singing your praises to Thorne this morning while preparing for the day.” Felix bestowed a smile on the lad.
The young man in question straightened from where he’d been bent over whatever was on Felix’s desk, cheeks pink from his master’s praise. A pair of stark blue eyes met Sam’s. “Pleased tae meet you, sir,” the man said with a smile, a twinge of Scottish brogue laced in his words.
Sam’s jaw went slack, his mind emptying except for a low buzzing. Because the man sitting before him was…Felix.What in the bloody hell?His gaze pinged between the two men. Had someone laced his tea this morning? Because he must be soused to be seeing what he was seeing.
But, no.
The same high cheekbones. The same soft jaw. The same much-too-full lips.
Sam’s gaze shot to Felix, sweeping over him quickly before going back to Mr. Campbell. Similar build, Campbell holding the leanness of youth. The only difference was their coloring.
There was no bloody way.
Uncertainty flashed back at him while he continued to stare dumbfounded at the poor young man. But Lord save him, even the dimple popping in the man’s cheek was the same.
“Thorne…” Felix’s voice prodded his thoughts. “Are you well?”
