Page 10 of Fergus

Not that she’d spent much time in her suite or been able to go sightseeing when she was following Fergus all day and most of the evening. But she had one more full day here before she flew back to England. Now that she’d spoken to Fergus, no matter what his answer was to her request for help, she could probably see some of the sights later today and tomorrow before she left.

Her hope was that Fergus would fly back with her. Or at least agree to join her in a day or two. But she knew that would have to be his decision.

So far, it didn’t look promising in her favor.

“Did your stalker follow you to Paris?”

Thea looked blankly at Fergus for several seconds before his words fully penetrated her thoughts. “I don’t— I haven’t noticed— Oh God!” she gasped as the idea took root. “Do you think they could have done?”

It simply hadn’t occurred to her that might be the case.

Which was pretty silly of her, under the circumstances.

Fergus shrugged. “I’m merely wondering if my stalker has a stalker?”

“I’m not stalking you,” she denied distractedly before reaching out to grasp Fergus’s forearm. “Do you think my stalker followed me here and could be watching us right now?”

She had been so busy following and concentrating on ways to talk to Fergus that she hadn’t thought to take notice of whether or not her own stalker had followed her to Paris.

Perhaps she should have?

* * *

If Theareally did have a stalker, and Fergus didn’t have any reason to think she didn’t—as she’d already pointed out, several times, she wasn’t her mother, and it would be unfair of him to think that she was anything like Jessica—then it would be odd if they hadn’t followed her to Paris too.

Fergus had become hyperaware of their surroundings and the people walking by the moment Thea told him she thought she had a stalker. So far, he hadn’t identified anyone whose attention seemed to be concentrated on her in particular. A couple of men had given her lingering glances, but why wouldn’t they? Thea was a beautiful young woman.

Which caused Fergus to admit he was now alsohyperawareof the warmth of Thea’s hand gripping his arm. A slender hand, the fingers long and graceful and, as he had noted earlier, completely bare of rings.

Which, despite her surname being Morgan, didn’t mean she hadn’t worn an engagement or wedding ring in the past. A lot of divorced women preferred to keep their own surname or return to it if the marriage ended.

He didn’t doubt Thea’s apprehension regarding the person who had broken into her apartment was real. Understandably so.

It was a violation not just of her privacy, but on an emotional and mental level an event that must be deeply unsettling, to say the least. Which was probably the intention. Behavior like that said,Look at me, I can invade your private space any time I feel like it and take what I want.

“I haven’t noticed anyone following you,” he now assured her.

“Thank goodness.” She breathed a sigh of relief as she removed her hand and leaned back against the bench.

Fergus immediately missed the warmth of that hand. “Do you have an ex-husband or ex-live-in lover who could have let themselves into your apartment with their own key?”

She turned to look at him. “Absolutely not,” she answered firmly. “I’ve never been married or lived with anyone. Nor have I ever given a key to my apartment to anyone.”

“Not even a neighbor in case of emergency?”

“No.”

Fergus nodded, more pleased with her answers than he knew he should be.

Yes, Thea had a delectable arse, but the two of them could never become involved. Not only because of their past connection, but because Thea was eighteen years younger than him.

A fact that was becoming less and less important to him the more time he spent with her…

“Did you try calling the police after the break-in?”

“And tell them what?” Thea scoffed. “Someone’s been lying in my bed, and they took my pillow with them when they left? Sounds like the start of a fairy tale to me, so God knows how it would have sounded to the police. Look at the way you reacted when I told you!”

Fergus knew she had a point. “You’re sure nothing else was taken?”

---