Page 76 of His Forbidden Duchess
She lifted her chin and locked her eyes with his. “Oh, sonowyou are concerned about who I dance with? You have been avoiding me for weeks, disappearing without a word at every opportunity. Where do you always go, Felix? To your mistresses? Are they batting their lashes at you and making you feel like you are the only man in the world?”
Eloise dramatically batted her eyes and swayed her hips at him in undisguised mockery.
Her accusation hung in the air as a dangerous glint flashed across Felix’s eyes. For a moment, the only sound was the distant murmur of the ball, its music and laughter muted by the thick walls.
“That isit. I have hadenough,” he snapped. “Get inside.”
He pointed to a door further down the corridor, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Eloise hesitated, her breath catching. “What are you?—”
“Inside,” he repeated, more forcefully this time, his eyes boring into hers. “Now.”
The intensity of his gaze made her heart skip a beat, but she found herself moving, her feet carrying her toward the door despite the flood of questions running through her mind.
Her first instinct was to obey him, to please him however he desired.
She pushed the door open, stepping inside to find a large, bright bedroom—most likely a guestroom. Felix followed, closing the door behind them with a quiet but decisive click.
Felix turned the key in the lock, a deliberate and measured motion that made Eloise’s breath hitch. The click echoed loudly in the quiet room, sealing them off from the world beyond,leaving only the two of them and the unaddressed friction crackling between them.
She shivered with fear of what was to come, but beneath that fear lay a trickle of excitement. She enjoyed this side of Felix, even if she couldn’t admit it to herself or to him.
When he turned around he gave her a wicked grin. Eloise’s eyes widened, and she nervously took a step back.
“Felix… what are you doing?” she asked, her voice a mixture of confusion and odd anticipation. “You cannot just lock me in here.”
Felix’s eyes were dark and unyielding. “Oh, but Ican.” His voice was rough and menacing, each word deliberate as he took slow and steady steps toward her. “I told you, Eloise, that if you provoked me again there would be consequences.”
As he spoke a shiver ran down her spine, and she swallowed hard, trying to muster her defiance.
“Consequences?” she squeaked breathlessly. “For what? I did not?—”
“Youdid,” he interrupted, his tone brooking no argument. “You disobeyed me. You defied me. And now…” He took a step forward, closing the distance between them, his presence overwhelming, his gaze heated. She looked up at him open-mouthed. “Now you are going to learn that your actions come with penalties.”
Before she could respond, he grasped her wrist and guided her toward the plush sofa at the far end of the room. Felix sat down, his expression unreadable, and pulled her firmly onto his lap, positioning her so that she was lying face down across his lap. She tried to squirm as he pulled her skirts up around her waist, but he held her still, one hand steady at the small of her back.
A ball of tension knotted in her stomach. She understood what he meant by this position. What he meant to do.
“Felix, wait…” she began, her voice faltering while she questioned whether she really wanted to stop him.
“No more talking, Eloise,” he demanded quietly. He ran the flat of his hand over her bare thighs and across the curve of her buttocks, stroking the smooth, cool flesh. “You have said enough for one night.”
She gasped, her skin tingling under his touch. The intimacy of the moment shot a thrill of nervous energy through her, but this was not how she’d imagined it at all.
Over his knee, a naughty girl.
She squirmed again although this time it was due to her own body’s betrayal.
“You are my wife,” he murmured, his voice deadly and possessive as he adjusted her on his lap, his hands gripping her firmly. “You are all mine. No one else’s.”
Without warning, Felix raised his hand from her backside before delivering a firm, deliberate smack onto her exposed skin. The sound was sharp, and the sting was immediate.
Eloise’s eyes widened in shock, and a gasp rushed from her lips.
“What are you—?” she stammered, but another swift, controlled spank silenced her, her cheeks flushing both from the sting and the unexpected sensation of heat pooling in her belly.
Felix’s grip was unrelenting, his expression calm yet filled with an intensity that made her breathless.
