Page 31 of The Duke of Distraction
The voice slammed into him, upsetting his composure once more.Felix hadn’t been looking at her.Why would he?She was one of two women who couldnothave been in that closet.And yet he knew her voice.
His gaze snapped to Sarah.“It was you?”
“Yes.”Her answer was hesitant, almost worried.“Who was the gentleman?”But she seemed to already know as the color drained from her face.
“Me.”Felix’s answer was flat and completely at odds with the storm crashing inside him.How had this happened?How had he kissedSarah?
He didn’t dare look at Anthony.Hecouldn’t.He’d thoroughly kissed his best friend’s sister, and worse?He’d enjoyed it more than any other kiss in his life.
Sarah stared at Felix in disbelief.She’d kissed him.Twice.And touched him places.And he’d touched her.She thought about what Lavinia had told her about what it felt like to kiss therightman.
No, no, no.Not Felix.He was like a brother.
Her gaze strayed to Anthony, who was glaring at Felix in what had to be an exact mirror of her own shock.Well, maybe not exact.Anthony’s mouth was pulled tight, and there was a slight narrowing to his eyes.He looked…displeased.
It was all her fault.She’d bumped into Miss Reynolds as they made their way from the drawing room, and they’d both dropped their numbers.Sarah had thought Felix had given her number nine but hadn’t been positive.Besides, she couldn’t have changed numbers because Miss Reynolds had scooped up her number and gone to the footman to be directed to the correct room.Sarah had briefly worried that she wouldn’t kiss Blakesley but decided it didn’t really matter.
Only it had.
How was she to know Felix was going to be in a room!He was supposed to be overseeing the activity, not participating in it.He certainly wasn’t supposed to be kissing her senseless and making her ache for more.
Sarah stared at her lap as Felix continued with the revelations.He sounded a bit off, as if he couldn’t focus on what he was doing.Good.He deserved that.
Wait, was she angry with him?It had been a mistake.A complete and utter accident.Surely they could laugh about it.
Someday.Maybe.
For now, she would try not to think about how much she’d liked it.Or about how she’d left the room and prayed she’d have occasion to kiss that man again.
She never, ever would.
And that was maybe the source of her distress.Oh, bloody, bloody hell.
Felix finished with room nine, which was Blakesley and Miss Reynolds.“Lady Northam, who escaped a forfeit this round?”Felix asked.
“Mr.Lytton, Miss Christie, Baron Hardwick, and Miss Smithson,” Lavinia answered.Her gaze connected with Sarah, and it was clear she wasquiteinterested in talking to her about whom she’d kissed.
“Well done,” Felix said.
“Mr.Lytton has escaped forfeiture all evening,” Lavinia said.
Lytton’s good friend, Baron Hardwick, hooted with laughter and clapped him on the shoulder.“For that, he should get to assign the punishments.”
There was a wave of agreement, and Felix motioned for the footman to come forward.He held a bowl, presumably full of the penalties.“I’ll leave it to you, then,” Felix said to Lytton, taking himself to a corner by himself instead of joining Anthony and Beck.Anthony was still sending him perturbed stares.
Lytton went to where Felix had stood in front of the main doorway and rubbed his hands together, grinning.“This will be terribly fun.”
“Be kind!”Blakesley called.
“For that, I will be particularly harsh with you, sir,” Lytton said with a humorous glint in his eye.This was greeted with laughter, and Lytton seemed to bask in the attention.He turned toward Lavinia at the table.“Lady Northam, will you mark off the penalties as I assign them?”
“I will.”
Lytton drew the first paper and chuckled softly.“I should review the list of forfeits to see who has how many,” he said, moving to the table to stand beside Lavinia.The footman followed him.“Feel free to set the bowl down,” Lytton directed.The footman did so and retreated to the doorway.
“The first punishment is The Dumb Orator, and it’s clearly going to be Blakesley doing the talking,” Lytton announced.This was met with guffaws as Blakesley moved to the center of the room.He bowed in grandiose fashion and laughed as he straightened.
“I’ll choose Miss Saunders to be his arms.”
