Monthly Bonus Content #2—'Not the Biggest Fan of Quaint, Babe...' (Felix Valentine's Special) (Patreon)

(Really got carried away with this one...like nearly 2000 words of carried away....so apologies for the length, hehe! :D)

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Felix cocks his head to one side with a purse of his lips and a sigh. “Does this town do anything but quaint?”

“The Square is kind of classy,” I counter with a shrug.

“Sure,” he states. “But we’re not staying somewhere in The Square. We’re staying…in this.” He waves a hand out towards the wood-fronted cottage, a wraparound porch matching the perfect shade of magnolia that seeps across the whole two-storey house. Acer trees drip fire-red leaves across the front lawn, a few falling loose and skittering across the top of a pond, disturbing the serene inky pool which flashes with occasional goldfish.

I nod but let out a sigh. “It’s picture book.”

He turns to me with a withered stare. “It’s quaint, and I’m really not the biggest fan of quaint, babe.”

“Well, unfortunately, it’s not like we got to choose the location,” I remind him, dragging two suitcases behind me as Felix strides on ahead.

“Yeah, I know,” he groans. “But why Redland wanted to stay here of all places is a bit…weird.” He glances over his shoulder to me, notices my struggles, and scurries back to take one of the cases. “He doesn’t exactly seem like a quaint kind of guy either.”

“That’s true.” Anxiety has already been gnawing a hole in my gut, but Felix’s on-point observation makes it bite just that touch deeper.

I try to shake it off as we approach the front door. A heart-shaped wreath made of twigs and ribbons hangs against the wooden panels.

Felix rolls his head towards me with a look that screams, ‘Oh look. How quaint.’

I swallow back a chuckle as the door swings open to reveal a surprisingly elegant man dressed in a tweed coat and cream cotton trousers. He smiles brightly, the expression looking a well-practiced one and adding a shine to his eyes.

“Greetings!” he calls, buffeting us with the enthusiastic welcome. “You must be the Hauvilles.”

Now it’s my turn to glance at Felix with an arched brow that asks, ‘Really?’

Felix shrugs before returning the man’s expression with an even brighter grin, curling an arm around me and pressing up against my side.

“That’s us. The Hauvilles.  Just a pair of happy newlyweds,” he explains with a waggle of his brows.

“Oho, how wonderful!” The man claps his hands together. “Do come in. I have the honeymoon suite all prepared.”

We follow the man upstairs, battered by the unyielding aroma of rose and honey that sinks into the air from a wide selection of dishes carrying piles of potpourri.

Our host draws to a stop and spreads an arm out to the door beside him.

The honeymoon ‘suite’ seems to be as cramped as any other room in the establishment, but we’re polite enough not to say as much as we squish inside the bedroom at the man’s excited insistence.

“If you need anything—anything at all֫—then please don’t hesitate to let me know,” he says, lingering for a moment in the doorway while shifting from foot to foot. “And if you do get the chance, be so kind as to leave a review on the travel site you found us at. We are a new B&B and need all the help we can get!” The door clicks shut as he leaves.

“Oh,” I let out as realization kicks in. “That’s why Redland’s staying here.”

Felix lifts his head up from where he’s already sprawled himself out over the large bed. “Hm?”

“This place is new. The owner likely won’t recognize him from when he used to live here.” It’s only a theory, but it seems a solid one.

Felix pushes himself a little further up to rest on his elbows. “Guess it’s why he didn’t recognize you either. We can barely take a walk around town without someone stopping you to say hello.”

“You’re one to talk,” I retort. “Every time we go somewhere to talk to supernaturals, they go all goo-goo over you all when they know you’re Unit Bravo.”

He flops his head back onto the pillow with a sigh while pressing a hand to his chest. “The ordeals of fame.”

“At least we should both be able to enjoy the peace without that while we’re here.” I chuckle through the words, though the thought almost escapes me as I head to the window and stare out at the grounds.

The B&B is nestled in the forest, not too far from the town. A winding, fresh tarmac trail leads down a steep hill towards the spread of buildings below, though most are hidden behind the trees which jut up from the rocky hillside.

My thoughts really do escape me as Felix’s arms wrap around me from behind, and his lips press gently against the pulse in my neck.

“I love that that still happens,” he whispers against my skin.

“What?” I ask, turning in his arms and curling my own around him in return, our mission very quickly forgotten.

He leans into me with a smile that captures my entire focus. “Your pulse still spikes when I kiss you.”

I laugh, resting my hand against his neck before leaning forward and capturing his lips with my own. His pulse kicks against my fingers, and I smile against his mouth before drawing back.

A sigh of disappointment leaves him as I pull away.

“I’m happy to see yours does the same,” I comment.

“Babe, that’s never going to change. You just have to look at me, and I think might swoon onto the floor,” he admits with only honesty flowing through those words.

I’ve never met anyone so open about how they feel before. And I’ve certainly never been with anyone so open.

No games. No secrets. No worries.

Just…him.

And he is perfect.

I press myself against him and hug him close, both of us allowing ourselves to fall into another kiss that does more than just make my pulse race. Each kiss makes me feel that much more alive. My skin tingles, my body ignites, and my stomach flutters with so many butterflies that they make flight right into my chest.

We draw back, mostly so as I can catch my breath.

He pecks another kiss against my lips. “So, what is it we’re actually supposed to be doing here?”

“You mean, you didn’t listen intently to Ava’s very long, very detailed briefing of the plan?” No joke. There was a handout. It was over fifty pages.

His hands slip away as he throws himself back onto the bed to retake his sprawled position from before. “I kind of tuned out after the first five minutes.”

I sigh and bend down, starting to sort out the equipment we’d brought with us hidden in our suitcases. “We’re here undercover.”

“I got that part.”

“We’re just another couple—”

“Newlyweds,” he corrects. My body fizzes with a pulse of excitement as he says the words.

“We’re newlyweds who happen to be staying at the same B&B as Redland Topher.” I twist to look at him. “You caught the part about him, right?”

“Bad guy. Used to work for The Agency. Takes supernatural and magical goods to use them in his own human-world products and make billions,” he reels off.

My brows shoot up. “That’s pretty much it, yeah. I wish Ava could cut things down to the essentials like that.” I bend down to return to my task, digging out a small laptop as well as some notebooks for recording Redland’s movements. “We’re here to keep an eye on him. Maybe see if we can’t overhear any conversations or take a peek around his room if he carelessly leaves it open.”

“Carelessly leaves it open?” Felix asks.

“We break in when he’s not there,” I clarify.

He throws me a finger gun and a wink. “Gotcha.” But his whole body suddenly stiffens after the gesture. His focus snaps to the door. “Don’t think we’ll be catching him while he’s out.” He jerks his head at the doorway. “Someone’s walking down the hallway on the phone. And considering the conversation, I don’t think it’s this place’s normal ‘quaint’ kind of patron.”

I spring back onto my feet and rush for the door. With care, I carefully twist open the handle and peer out of the small crack, trying to get a glimpse of our target.

But I get a real close-up view as Felix comes right up behind me and balances against me to see out, sending us both toppling out into the hallway, almost colliding with the man himself.

Redland Topher is just as imposing as his reputation. His square frame is clothed in an expensive, tailored black suit, the cloth tense over hard muscles as he stares down at us with a confused frown. His pale skin looks almost porcelain with a sweep of black hair pulled back from his angular face, touches of grey almost softening the look if not for the harsh cut of his lips as his confusion twists to annoyance.

“You’re in my way,” he states, hovering his phone near his ear.

Felix and I glance at each other before fumbling to stand up straight, where we both fall into our roles in precise sync. He hugs me close to him, and I wrap my arms around his middle in return, trying to force a smile onto my expression.

“Sorry,” Felix mutters, adding a chuckle onto the words. “We didn’t realise the doors in this place weren’t going to be very sturdy.” He nuzzles into my neck, and I almost forget that this is a pretense as my body warms to the intimate touch.

Redland’s sharp eyes cast a glance at our door. The words ‘Honeymoon Suite’ are haloed by painted vines and heart-shaped flowers. His demeanor softens so fast, I wonder if I imagined the glare from before.

He laughs. It’s a sound drowning with charisma.

“No worries, my friends. Enjoy your time together. It’s the most precious thing you’ll ever own.” He winks, letting peal another chuckle before striding past us.

Felix lifts his head from my neck, and the steamy fog from my mind lifts. We balance against each other as we try to angle closer to the steadily retreating Redland.

“Warehouse…if not…all right.” It’s the only mumbled words I catch before he snaps the door to his room shut behind him.

Felix and I head back inside our own space.

“Did you catch anything?” I ask.

“He’s making plans to visit a warehouse. The woman on the other end said, ‘Gladbrick Real Estate will find just what you need if this isn’t to your liking’.” He effects a soft voice for effect.

My brows lift. “Gladbrick? That’s in the Big City. What are they doing selling warehouses out here?”

He shrugs, climbing onto the bed to sit down against the pillows. “We did our part. Leave the investigation stuff to the others.” His body sinks into the soft mattress as he pats the patchwork duvet. “Now all we have to do is enjoy the rest of our time here.”

“And how do you suggest we do that?” I ask, as I crawl up the bed towards him, enjoying the way his eyes alight as I near. “A bit of cross-stitch, perhaps? Or I think I saw a ‘How to Knit’ book in the cabinet downstairs—” My breath leaves me in a rush as he tugs me close and rolls us over.

He smiles down at me, running his thumb across my bottom lip before trailing it down to rest his hand against my fluttering pulse. “Nothing quite so quaint, babe.”