Page 68 of His Forbidden Duchess
“Oh, Felix,” she cried.
But then, as quickly as it had started, it stopped. Felix stepped away from her, and her skirts tumbled to the floor, leaving Eloise with an unsatisfied throbbing in her groin.
A smirk played on his lips as he watched her, his breath ragged. His thumb grazed her cheek as he looked down at her, his gaze dark and possessive.
“The next time you provoke me like this,” he murmured, his voice a rough whisper, “I will not be able to hold back.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
It had already been three days since the incident in the drawing room, but Eloise had yet to see Felix again. Since their brief tryst, she had felt lost and full of yearning and ached to see him.
Her eyes scanned the words in her book, but she was unable to retain a single sentence. Her thoughts drifted relentlessly to Felix, to his hands, his scent and the memory of his mouth on hers. The way he had looked at her as he left, his eyes filled with unreadable intensity. It had all left her restless and unsettled.
Even his parting words had excited her although they were vaguely threatening, and that made no sense to her at all.
He is turning my mind to mush.
She had picked a particularly dry book. Not a romance novel like she would normally choose but a book about the emergence of industry in the north of England. She had hoped the dry, coldfacts would do something to cool the flames that still roared inside her. Despite her efforts, the distraction did nothing to ease her dilemma. There was nothing that would.
Felix could.
She sighed restlessly and closed the book with a soft thud. She could barely sit still. Her body was flushed with an ache that would not be quelled by mere words. Felix had left her incomplete, and she needed more. So much more.
A self-conscious blush swept over her as she struggled with the idea of abandoning the library for her chambers. It was not the act itself—she’d done that often enough—but never in the middle of the day.
She chewed on her bottom lip, considering her options. On impulse she finally rose and hurried to her room.
“Are you all right, Your Grace?” Mrs. Thorpe asked as she passed her in the hallway.
Eloise almost choked on her words. She had been so distracted by her thoughts that she hadn’t even noticed the housekeeper walking towards her.
“A little headache,” she lied. “I think… I think it is best if I lie down.”
“Good idea,” Mrs. Thorpe said. “I will instruct one of the girls to bring you up a soothing tea.”
“No!” Eloise said a bit too forcefully. She offered Mrs. Thorpe a weak smile. “No, I meant to say it is quite all right. I would rather be left alone to sleep.”
“Of course, Your Grace,” Mrs. Thorpe said with a nod. “I will see to it that you are not disturbed. I hope you feel better soon.”
Eloise smiled then slipped quickly into her rooms. She fell against the closed door and let out a long breath, feeling much like a criminal sneaking away, not a lady retiring to her room a little early.
Did she guess? Does she know?
Eloise shook her head. She doubted Mrs. Thorpe had any clue of her true intentions, but even if she did, it wasn’t going to stop her. The fire between her legs had burned for days and she had to put an end to it.
Even Felix has urged me to do it.
She moved to her bed while pulling at the laces to loosen the stays of her bodice. She slipped free of her day clothes and lay back against the cool sheets, not even bothering to cover herself with a blanket.
There was something sensual about the air on her bare flesh. She shut her eyes, trying to summon memories of his touch and his voice.
She trailed her fingers over her breasts, circling one nipple. She imagined the warmth of Felix’s tongue running across it, but the image blurred in her mind.
Instead, she moved her fingers downwards, first tickling her belly, then reaching between her legs. Her thighs were already slick with her desire, ready for a man to take her.
For Felix to take me.
She parted herself as she licked her lips, the sensation of her own touch sending shivers of pleasure through her. She imagined herself pinned against the wall, Felix’s body pressed onto hers. She remembered the roughness with which he had grabbed her and the way his manhood had greedily probed her thigh.
