Page 105 of The Duke's Forbidden Bride
The dinner party so far had been full of suggestive glances and lingering touches, the two of them still wrapped up in one another enough that they could scarcely go a half-day without leaving for a private moment.
As soon as they were in the garden, Spencer led them to a secluded part—a stone balustrade blocking them from view.
“We will be missed,” Eleanor protested, but then she laughed as she reached for his face, pulling him closer.
Spencer’s hands slid up her waist, his mouth already on hers.
“I do not care,” he muttered between kisses. “Lord Abrams is deep in his cups, and Lady Abrams is too busy holding court. Charlotte is safe with her and my aunt. Butyou… you deserve to be beneath my hands and mouth, receiving the best attention.”
His mouth was hot on hers, barely able to get a sentence out for how deeply he kissed her, and she laughed again, shushing him properly with her own kisses. She threaded her fingers through his.
“I do not trust you to touch places you cannot commit to,” she teased.
“I will commit to anything at this moment,” he groaned, pressing against her. “Do not challenge me.”
“You have little shame.”
“When it comes to my beautiful wife, who deserves to be worshipped all day? Indeed, I have very little shame.”
“You must,” she insisted, giggling as his mouth traveled down her neck. “We are in public.”
“All the more sensual,” he murmured. “I just want to kiss you.”
Eleanor pulled his face back to hers, her smile soft. “Then kiss me.”
So he did, and she got lost in the feel of it, in the way it took her breath away.
His lips were soft, his hands wandering suggestively without going too far. He moaned into her mouth, backing her up against the balustrade. He deepened their kiss, and her eyes closed, moving in sync with him.
He pressed his hips against hers, not trying to move or deepen their kiss, but simply enjoying their closeness. Her fingers tangled in his hair before they slid down to curl into his cravat.
Her head lolled back as he kissed his favorite spot on the column of her throat, and he nuzzled her skin before kissing his way back up to her lips.
“You taste like rich wine,” he said. “Get me drunk on you, my darling wife.”
Darling wife.
Eleanor felt a rush of affection at the endearing term, pulling him closer.
But as he pressed into her, a resoundingsnapechoed through the garden behind her.
She froze, confused. The sound was loud, and Spencer immediately moved back, reaching for her. But it was too late.
The structure behind her was already crumbling, toppling to the ground, and she didn’t have time to catch herself. She flailed her arms for balance, and Spencer finally caught her.
She hissed as the jagged edge scraped her side. Pain ripped through her, and she cried out.
“Eleanor!” Spencer shouted, alarmed, but she was already stepping toward him, wincing.
His eyes were on her, but then he looked up, and she followed his line of sight. A figure slipped away in the shadows, too fast to notice, but she could swear she saw the livery of a footman.
“Who was?—”
“This is Belgrave’s doing,” Spencer hissed. “I should have known. I should not have gotten comfortable. The note. It was a clear threat.” He moved further back, pulling her with him. “I should not have risked you tonight.” His arms tightened around her.
“Charlotte,” Eleanor said urgently. “Do you think she is in trouble?”
“As you said, he would not do something so publicly. We are alone. We are beingwatched.”
