Page 30 of His Forbidden Duchess
She nodded quickly and straightened up, not daring to look at him. They began to dance, but they had barely taken five steps before Felix stopped again.
“You are still too stiff,” he insisted. “You need to be more present in your body than your mind.”
Eloise pouted as she looked up at him, the heat from his hand on her waist sending deep shivers through her entire body.
“I like being in my mind,” she replied.
“Of course.” Felix leaned in so that his cheek brushed against hers, and he whispered into her ear. “But you also have every right to experience the pleasures of the body.”
Eloise’s eyes widened. If he honestly thought such a comment would cause her to loosen up, he was greatly mistaken. Her body stiffened further as she tried to resist the urge to give in.
Felix laughed, seeming to enjoy her reaction. “You can experience pleasures on your own, you know?”
“That’s hardly?—”
“Ah-ah,” Felix said, shaking his head to stop her from speaking. “You are now an adult, and you know the heat that burns within you. It must surely drive you to distraction at times.”
More often than you know.
She had tried to pleasure herself in the past, but it had always been parceled with too much shame. She had always worried what her future husband would think. Would he know? Would he somehow be able to tell that she had been so lustful and improper?
“You can quench that thirst whenever you like,” he said in a low growl, “if only you explore your own body a bit.”
To her shame, Eloise blushed again, and she looked away because meeting his eyes had become altogether too much for her.
Felix bit his lip. “You look so pretty when you blush for me.”
Eloise turned back, meeting his eyes. They paused, caught in the moment, and Eloise held her breath.
Felix thrust his hand into her hair and pushed his lips against hers, unable to wait any longer.
Eloise responded in a rush, her body doing everything he had taught her but without forethought. It came so naturally with Felix.
She arched her back, pushing her hips towards his, and kissed him as fervently as she had so often in her dreams.
Felix’s hands roved over her back and her buttocks, grabbing her body and pulling her into his. He growled into her mouth, and she responded with a mewl she could not control.
She pushed herself further into him, giving herself to him, silently pleading with him as his lips made their way from her mouth to her neck, kissing and nibbling. Eloise tilted her head, allowing him access as her body shuddered in response.
“Yes,” Felix murmured into her ear. “That is my good girl. Just how I like it.”
She closed her eyes, allowing herself to appreciate the moment as her own hands moved across his body, down the sides of his ribs and waist and across his hips. The back of her hand brushed across the front of his tightening trousers and shocked them both.
Eloise jumped back with a gasp as Felix threw her a surprised but impressed grin.
Heat rose in her, shame replacing her passion, and she looked away.
“I… I…”
“It is entirely all right, Eloise.” he whispered.
Shaking her head rapidly she darted forward, grabbed her cloak, and ran from the room.
Thoughts of Eloise and that kiss plagued Felix for the entire next day, so much so that he found it impossible to concentrate on anything. He stared down at the ledger, quite unable to remember what figures he had intended to input. He would ask the chamberlain later.
He put down the quill and stared into the fireplace. Like a fiery mirage, he could see her wavy likeness in the licks of the flames and feel her with him again.
He’d intended to kiss her from the moment he had invited her, even if he hadn’t quite known it himself.
