Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“ I t has been overwhelming, has it not? So much all at once. I will be honest, I was expecting to sign the marriage papers and then barely see you again. I had not expected all this,” Felix reached for her hand, his fingertips brushing against hers as he looked at her with a gentle smile.
Later that night, with the house wrapped in quiet, Felix and Eloise found themselves alone.
The fire crackled softly in the drawing room, casting a warm glow that softened the edges of the day’s emotions, but they both still felt the aftershock of everything that had happened.
Eloise nodded, letting out a breath that seemed to carry the last of her lingering tension. “I do not believe that I have yet caught up with everything myself,” she admitted softly. “There is a part of me that is still…”
She trailed off, biting her lip as she glanced at him, uncertain but wanting.
It had been too long since he had touched her—touched her properly—but she didn’t know how to ask for what she desired.
He brought her hand up to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss to her fingers.
“You are here, and I am with you, and that is all that matters to me.” He smiled, his eyes glinting mischievously. “But now that you are my wife—my wife in every way—I do think you should spend far more time in my chambers than in your own. Do you agree?”
Eloise’s cheeks flushed while she considered his invitation, her eyes moving from his face to the floor.
“Are you not… upset by it all?” she asked.
Felix’s hand came up to cup her cheek, his thumb tracing a gentle line along her jaw.
“Upset?” he murmured, his voice soft, almost reverent. “Eloise, of course, I am not upset. I am only relieved that I returned home in time. I am beyond grateful to have you here beside me. I love you.”
She huffed and squirmed in her seat. As beautiful as his words were, as much as they warmed her heart, that was not what she had meant at all.
“No,” she whispered, “I do not think you quite understand.” She hesitated, her gaze dropping before she continued, just as he had taught her all those months before. “I think… well, I believe I have been a rather bad girl, Felix. And I know there are… consequences to my actions.”
A slow smile spread across his face, his brows arching in mock surprise.
“Ah, so you do acknowledge that you have… misbehaved?” he said. He sat back just enough to look her over, his eyes darkening with the growing intensity of his hunger. “Now that you mention it, I do feel quite provoked.”
Her lips parted, her eyes twinkling as she looked up at him. “Perhaps,” she suggested, her voice barely above a whisper, “you should take me to your bedchamber and… show me what you intend to do about it.”
Felix shook his head, the gleam in his eyes turning positively wicked.
“No,” he said, his tone firm. He rose and seated himself in the high-backed chair by the window. “Stand.”
Excitement quivered through her, and she obeyed him immediately, standing in front of him, waiting for his command to go to the bedchamber.
Felix assessed her, his finger tapping his lip in contemplation. “No, I will not take you upstairs,” he stated. “I believe the consequences should be delivered here. Right here in this drawing room.”
A blush rose to Eloise’s cheeks as she glanced at the door, her hands twisting together in front of her. “Here?” she stammered. “But… but…”
“But nothing,” he said. “Remove your gown.”
“But should we not at least lock the door?”
Felix leaned back in his chair, his gaze intent as he watched her every move, his expression firm and commanding.
“No, Eloise. The door will remain unlocked. Now,” he paused, giving her a pointed look, “do as you are told. Remove your gown.”
Her breath hitched, and she swallowed, feeling a spark ignite in her stomach. The boldness in his words made her heart race and her nerves flutter, and she found herself incapable of resisting his demand.
The look in his eyes, the certainty in his voice—it made her want to obey, to give herself over to him completely.
Eloise hesitated for a moment longer before her hands moved to the delicate fastenings at the back of her gown, her fingers trembling slightly.
She glanced up at him as she slipped the gown from her shoulders, her gaze meeting his as the fabric slipped away, pooling around her feet.
Felix’s eyes traced her every curve and line, his expression a mix of approval and hunger.
His voice was low as he said, “That’s it. Show me everything.”
She stripped until she was entirely naked, the fire warming one side of her and the air rushing from beneath the door cooling the other.
She knew any of the servants could walk in at any moment, and yet still she stood, allowing her husband her examine her.
“Touch yourself,” he demanded.
Eloise froze at first, but she let her fingers run down her stomach and down between her legs. She kept her eyes steady on him, enjoying the glow of excitement she saw in his eyes as she roved over her body.
“From now on,” he said, his eyes watching the movement of her hands and the growing sheen of excitement on her thighs, “you are to pleasure yourself on a daily basis, whether I am here or not. Is that understood?”
Eloise’s cheeks warmed, but she nodded. “As you wish, Your Grace.”
“Good. I want you to explore your body until you know exactly what it is that satisfies you. Until you can show me what satisfies you. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Eloise cleared her throat. Despite failing every other time she had tried, she could feel the familiar tension building in her groin.
She maintained eye contact with her husband—this beautiful, strong man who owned her in every way. The man who belonged equally to her.
She saw his hand idly brushing across his tightened trousers and listened to the way his breath rasped as he watched her, so full of desire and need.
He made her feel like she was the only woman in the world.
She began to mewl, her fingers speeding up, and Felix chuckled.
“I see you are getting better at it already,” he said.
“Yes… mmm…”
She could not speak.
Her knees felt weak, her legs wobbling, her eyes closing. She felt herself about to fall, too enthralled in her own pleasure to hold herself up any longer.
But as she collapsed he was instantly before her. Her body landed against him, the scent of him filling her and tipping her over the edge.
With her free hand, she grasped hold of him.
“Good girl,” he whispered into her ear. “You are a very, very good girl.”
He allowed her to catch her breath as he held her up, his arms around her, his hands tracing the smooth skin on her lower back. He put one arm around her waist, holding her snugly against him.
As her heart rate began to slow, he smacked her backside sharply with his other hand.
Her body juddered in his arms, her mouth crying out.
Felix whispered into her ear. “I have you. I will always have you, my love.”
He smacked her again, harder this time, enjoying her moans in his ear, his own body responding with barely restrained need and yearning. He continued until he felt the warmth on her backside then guided her to the sofa.
He stepped back from her, removing his trousers. Eloise gasped at the sight of his proud and rigid member and licked her lips, hungry for more.
Felix settled onto the sofa then nodded to her. “Guide yourself onto me,” he demanded.
“What?”
“Put one knee on either side of me then guide yourself onto me,” he repeated slowly, his eyes dark as he dared her to refuse.
He knew she never would. She wanted this as much as he did. She was as wanton as he had always supposed she was.
Eloise gasped as she lowered herself onto his lap. He felt so much bigger this time, stretching her, but she lowered herself further, her eyes on Felix’s.
“Is that good?” he asked in a whisper.
Eloise could not speak this time either. She pressed her lips together and nodded. She remained still for a few moments, and Felix allowed it, closing his eyes, and Eloise could see that he was enjoying the feeling of her tight heat wrapped around him.
Then, it was obvious he could wait no longer. He gave her a short, sharp smack to her bottom, and she understood what he meant by it. She rocked on his lap, slowly at first and then faster, her body instinctively knowing what to do.
“Mmm… that feels so good,” he groaned in her ear, placing his hands on her hips and encouraging her further. “Such a good girl for me.”
Unable to hold back any longer, he held her still and thrust into her deeply, pushing against her, biting her shoulder as she leaned into him. Eloise cried out in pleasure, her head thrown back and her body gripping his in utter euphoria.
Her rapture pushed Felix over the edge. He cried out as he held her still, pushing himself inside of her as deeply as he could. They moaned in unison as he finally allowed himself to release and fill her with his seed.
Their gasping breaths eased slowly. Felix brushed Eloise’s hair from her face, kissing her forehead gently until she had gathered enough energy to roll off him and snuggle by his side.
He reached for the soft fur throw that had been placed over the back of the sofa and drew it across her body as she nestled sleepily into him.
The light of the fire caressed her face, highlighting her closed eyes and her soft, satisfied smile.
“Thank you, my love,” he whispered against her head. “You are everything I could ever wish for… and more.”
They remained like that for a long time, wrapped in the comfort of each other.
It was Eloise who first broke the silence.
“I did not realize it could be like that,” she whispered. “It is not at all how the older ladies told me it would be.”
Felix kissed the top of her head. “It can be however we want it to be, my love. Whenever we want it.”
“Whenever?” she asked, looking hopefully into his eyes.
He nodded.
“Does that mean we can do this all over again tomorrow?”
Felix let out a laugh, tucking her closer to his side. “And the day after that, and the day after that.”
“ Ad infinitum ,” she said with a giggle. “I do love you so very much, Felix.”
“And I love you, Eloise. More than anything in the entire world.”