Page 54 of His Forbidden Duchess
She dared him, that glint in her eyes again, the game they’d been playing once again at the forefront. Excitement shimmied through his body, and he leaned forward, closing the space between them. The air seemed to pop and fizzle.
“In that case, Duchess of Kingswell, we shall have quite an interesting discussion. There are consequences for refusing one’s husband.” He raised an eyebrow at her, enjoying the flash of excitement in her eyes. “But I have a feeling you will not refuse.”
Felix held his breath as they maintained eye contact. Whatever promises he had made to himself were slipping away, as though she was stripping and revealing him.
He swallowed, knowing what he was about to do.
He leaned in closer, drawn by some invisible force, his need for her stronger than his need to remain steadfast. She responded, moving forward, his eyes on his lips.
Just then, the carriage lurched, the wheel hitting a rut in the road. Eloise gasped, thrown off balance, and tumbled into Felix’s lap.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close to him even though the carriage had righted itself. He inhaled her scent, her warmth seeping into him. He could feel the pounding of her heart and the rise and fall of her breasts through the fabric of her gown.
If he was a better, more honorable man, he would release her and send her back to her seat. But he couldn’t. He wanted her body against his. He wanted this, no matter how often he told himself that he didn’t.
“I… I ought to…” Her words caught in her throat, her eyes latched on to his.
He nodded. “Yes, yes.” He cleared his throat, remembering himself, and he released her. “I am sorry. I did not intend to…”
Eloise’s cheeks burned, and she quickly averted her gaze. “No, it was my fault,” she murmured, smoothing her skirts. “I—thank you.”
Felix’s lips twitched as he suppressed a smirk. “Another thank you, Duchess?”
“I suppose I owe you one, this time,” she said with a smile.
Chapter Twenty-One
As she settled back on the bench opposite Felix, Eloise couldn’t look him in the eye.
The feeling of his arms around her had left her discombobulated all over again. She knew he felt it too. He wanted to touch her as much as she wanted him to touch her, but he continued to hold himself back. Something kept stopping him.
Perhaps because he has been forced into marriage?
She looked back at him and offered him a weak smile, hoping to reassure him, but the coldness had returned to his eyes.
“You are Jeremy’s sister,” he said simply.
Eloise blinked in surprise. Surely they both knew that well enough, but what a peculiar thing to say as they travelled home from their wedding.
“I am,” she replied.
“And he is my best friend—has been forever.”
“Also true,” she replied.
She tilted her head, curious as to where this conversation was headed.
Felix cleared his throat for the hundredth time then brushed imaginary dust from his breeches, studiously avoiding her gaze.
“It is precisely because of that,” he said in a businesslike manner, “that our marriage will be in name only. I do not plan to consummate our marriage.”
“Oh!” Eloise’s breath caught in her throat, completely taken aback. “I see.”
This rake, known for his insatiable appetite for pleasure, didn’t wish to lay with her?
Eloise stared at him, her mind scrambling to make sense of his words. What was wrong with her? She had been so certain he wanted her as much as she wanted him.
And how will I ever find satisfaction now?
