Felix

Felix By Elizabeth Lennox Register for free stories at http://www.elizabethlennox.com/subscribe Follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Author.Elizabeth.LennoxOr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ElizabethLenno1 Copyright 2023 All rights reserved This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Any duplication of this material, either electronic or any other format, either currently in use or a future invention, is strictly prohibited, unless you have the direct consent of the author. Table of Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Epilogue Jenna Chapter 1 She was late! Felix pretended to sip his scotch, but in reality, he glared impatiently at the door, willing it to open. Was she okay? Was she lying hurt somewhere? Had she been accosted on the sidewalk? Felix Halliday glanced at his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes. He’d give her two more minutes, then he was going out to find her! Ninety seconds later, the woman in question stepped into the pub-style bar and Felix felt himself relax. She was here. She was fine! And yet, the gorgeous woman hesitated in the doorway and his protective instincts flared hot again. He was just about to stand up and go over to her when she looked directly at him. He froze, feeling his muscles tighten into stone. What the hell was she doing? They had a routine! She would enter the bar, order a glass of wine, and carry it to the small table in the back corner. She would then pull a book out of her tote bag and read as she sipped her wine. As soon as the pub started to become crowded with other patrons, she would leave. She never, ever, paused to look him in the eye! Plus, she was obviously nervous tonight! Granted, she was always a bit nervous when she came in. Until she was settled at her usual table, the pretty woman seemed a little tense. So, what was bothering her today? He watched her carefully, wondering what he could do to help. To soothe her anxiety. He certainly didn’t want to scare her further. His interest had never been so captured by a woman and he knew that he’d have to tread carefully. Then she did something so outrageous, he was stunned. The woman sat down at his table! Felix stared at her, not sure what to say. They’d been playing their game for the past several weeks. What had changed today? He glanced out the window, wondering if she’d been followed. If someone was bothering her, he would…! “I’m Giselle,” she announced. Felix’s body tightened at the delicate, feminine quality of her voice. Brown eyes. Beautiful, brown eyes, Felix corrected. He’d never gotten close enough to catch her eye color before. Brown. He loved them! They were soft and…worried. “Felix,” he replied, adding a nod for some reason. For emphasis of his name? She smiled, lowering her eyes to the book she clutched in both hands. Felix glanced at Tom, the bartender, and nodded. Tom immediately took out the bottle of white wine from the fridge underneath the bar and a wine glass. “Are you okay?” he asked gently, wanting to understand her nervousness. He didn’t like that look on her. For the past several weeks, he’d watched her walk with confidence and a pretty smile to her features. She always had a different book, which also fascinated him. Her soft, brown eyes flashed nervously back up at him. “Yes!” she gasped, looking around, then letting her eyes rest on him again. “Why do you ask?” Tom set the glass of wine on the table by her elbow and she flinched away, then forcibly relaxed when she saw it was just her wine. “Thank you, Tom,” she whispered, glancing up at the bartender. Normally, she had a saucy smile for the man before she accepted the wine and headed to her back corner table. What the hell was going on today? The bartender retreated behind the bar and Felix leaned forward. “What’s wrong?” he demanded in the gentlest tone he could manage. “Is someone bothering you? You can tell me. I will handle it for you.” Giselle’s eyes brightened with hope and he tensed even further, but for a different reason. This time, he didn’t fully understand why he felt like he was on high alert, but he frowned at her from across the table. She was so tiny, he thought, his eyes flickering over her figure. Round and soft, he thought, in all of the right places. She was beautiful, with her dark hair and her starry brown eyes. She had a tiny, rosebud mouth and a cute little nose that turned up slightly at the tip. She was adorable. No, beautiful. He knew from his sisters not to describe women as “adorable”. They didn’t like it for some reason. And yet, the adjective fit Giselle perfectly. She was soft, lovely, and absolutely adorable. Not his type, he reminded himself. He preferred tall, leggy blonds. “No one is bothering me,” she replied, adding a sigh. His head tilted quizzically. “Then why are you nervous?” She snorted and Felix swallowed a chuckle at the sound. “Because I’m sitting across a small table from you.” He blinked. “I make you nervous?” he demanded in surprise, then wondered how he could fix that. “Of course you make me nervous,” she said, then took a long sip of her wine. “I would have finished my wine before approaching you, but usually, the bar is too full by then.” His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to follow her logic. “And you don’t like being around people?” She snorted again. So adorable! “I don’t like being humiliated.” That was a confusing comment and he frowned thoughtfully, toying with his