Page 29 of His Forbidden Duchess
Desire.
She forced herself to roll her eyes, and she shrugged off her cloak. “Where should I put this? You do not even have a butler to attend to your guests. The rumors about you are far from the truth which is apparently one hundred times worse.”
Again, Felix snorted, but he got out of his seat and took her cloak from her. “You snuck in the servants’ entrance in the middle ofthe night with the desire that no one knows you are here, and yet you want service?”
“Can we just get on with this, please? As I made perfectly clear to you, I am in somewhat of a rush. If I do not secure this…”
“Yes, yes,” he replied, not allowing her to finish.
He draped the cloak over the back of the chair then placed his now almost empty brandy glass on a small side table.
“Now,” he said, his arms wide open. “Let us dance.”
He stood before her, the epitome of the perfect man. The muscles of his shapely arms were barely visible through the thin fabric of his shirt. Soft, curly chest hair sprung invitingly from the deeply cut opening of his shirt where he had undone its buttons.
Eloise wanted so badly to fall into his arms, to allow him to take her away. Instead, she stepped up to him coldly.
“What dance shall we do?” she asked, pushing every emotion away, refusing to yield.
“Why, the waltz, of course.”
Eloise gasped.
“Do not behave coyly,” Felix replied. “You know what this dance is about, and it is this dance that will help you win over Mortcombe if you are still insistent upon winning him over.”
“I am.” She stepped into his arms but maintained a safe distance between their bodies.
“Don’t slouch.”
She straightened up at his words, obeying his command as if she was born to do so.
“Good girl. Now, arch your back here.”
Her breath caught as he placed his hand on her lower back. She did as she was told, arching as far as was comfortable.
Felix glanced down at her body with the self-satisfied smirk that she loved to hate.
“Yes, that is it. Very pleasant indeed.” He returned his gaze to her reddening face. “Chin up. Smile. Look at me like I showed you before. As if I am the only man in the world.”
Eloise swallowed. He was, in that moment, the only man in the world, and though he was making her feel as if she was on display, she found herself wanting to exhibit herself and become a spectacle solely for his eyes and his pleasure.
What is wrong with me? Have I gone mad?
It was Felix, for goodness’ sake! It was Felix, her brother’s best friend. Felix, the boy who had grown into a rake who could charm even the coldest of women. She glanced again at his exposed chest and wondered what it would be like to kiss him there.
No, Eloise! Stop it!
“Why are you standing so far away?” Felix asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.
“I am standing at a distance that is proper,” she replied haughtily, trying to hide her lascivious thoughts.
With one arm around her waist, he pulled her forward. She yelped and stumbled, landing with her arm against his chest. She looked up into his mischievous eyes, her mouth hanging open in surprise.
“You are as stiff as a log, Eloise. You need to loosen up a little.”
Eloise remained against him for longer than was strictly necessary, inhaling his unique scent of brandy, cigar smoke and sweat.
“Shall we try again?” he whispered, his hot breath on her ear.
