Elizabeth awoke feeling warm and happy. The bright morning sunlight streamed in through large windows, filtered by the white linen curtains, diffusing the light as it illuminated the room. She traced a soft sound to a fountain bubbling against one wall.
She could tell by his soft breathing that Darcy was still asleep, and she kept still to make the moment last. She inventoried all the places their flesh touched: his chest against her back, his arm draped over her middle, his hand cupping her breast, his cock firm against her ass, his legs intertwined with hers, and even her one foot resting on his. She couldn’t see him from her position, but she could visualize each part in her mind, and she was moved by his great strength and beauty.
As she observed the part of the room she could see, she carefully recalled each part of the previous day, reliving every memory and carefully storing it away, like a beloved keepsake.
It had been some kind of miracle that they had found each other again. But that they had forgiven each other and professed their love, that was no miracle, that was destiny; it was fate.
She had concluded before they were perfect for each other, and now, in his arms, she found her conclusion was correct. A wave of tender emotion washed over her, and she couldn’t keep from rolling over in his arms to see his dear face again.
His face was relaxed, even as he stirred slightly. Elizabeth pressed light kisses over his forehead and nose, feeling giddy with love for him. His hand moved up and captured her head, holding her still as his lips met hers.
“Good morning,” he intoned when he released her.
Elizabeth smiled joyfully. “Good morning.” She kissed his lips then snuggled close, nuzzling her lips on the soft skin near his ear and telling him, “I adore you.”
Darcy stretched his long frame out then caught her up in his arms and kissed her soundly. Elizabeth could feel his erection growing against her belly, and with a happy wantonness, she craved it. Her hands slipped down to touch and play with him.
Darcy lifted a questioning eyebrow to her. “You are certainly in a playful mood this morning.”
Elizabeth giggled. “I guess I am.” She looked up at him with uncertain happiness. “I love you,” she said simply. “I never really had a chance to tell you that before, and now I need you to know it, to feel it.”
Darcy drew her into his embrace and gently kissed her hair and ears. Elizabeth closed her eyes and moved herself against his mouth, her desire increasing with each touch. She lifted her head to his and kissed him hard. She was relieved, then excited when he returned her kiss with equal passion.
As they kissed, they repositioned themselves, moving as if with one mind. Darcy lay on his back and Elizabeth mounted him, her knees resting on either side of his hips, his erection pressed between their bellies.
Elizabeth broke away from his mouth and gasped, “I’m sorry to rush, I just need you.”
Darcy quieted her and leaned back. “I want to watch you pleasure yourself on me. I want to feel you on me.”
The softest sigh escaped his lips as she impaled herself on his hard shaft. He watched as she rode him, her lips full and puffy from kissing, her eyes large and wild with desire, her expression full of pleasure and longing.
His hands slid up her thighs to grasp her ass. He squeezed and caressed those heavenly curves, which had fascinated him almost from the start, and Elizabeth’s thrusts became more and more forceful.
He looked into her eyes and saw that she was deep in her own sensations now. The tightening of her body around him confirmed that fact. He was bewitched by her actions. She shed all her inhibitions and was completely bare to him. Even her emotions were ripped away and she was driven by pure sensation. She was naked, raw, and powerful, and Darcy understood in a flash that she could never be this free if she didn’t have complete trust in him.
With that realization, he lost control to the impossibly erotic vision above him and the waves of sweet pleasure she brought him. The fiery tension in his body took over and he grasped her hips hard as he made the final push toward ecstasy.
Their voices cried out in ardor beyond knowledge or caring. The world was gone and they were lost in sweet pleasure, built off each other, climbing to levels neither imagined before.
It was Elizabeth who peaked first, her body tightening as waves of orgasm enveloped her and she cried out with each contraction. Darcy, completely lost in the worship of her body, emptied himself into her.
They collapsed, exhausted, onto each other, their limbs weak and trembling. With shuddering breaths, they reached for each other, to anchor and ground themselves. As one, they rested.
When her awareness returned, Elizabeth kissed the part of him closest to her lips, his heart. She felt him squeeze her tight in wordless response, and her heart cherished him with such intensity, it was painful.
She closed her eyes and basked in the sensations of his adoration, feeling happiness she had never known. When she spoke, her voice was rough with emotion and wonder. “Will, I can never leave you now.” She trembled as she spoke new truths that were as life changing as they were undeniable. “I’m yours. I understand now. Oh God. I love you so much and I’m yours now.”
Darcy held her tenderly. Her body more precious to him than anything he had ever known, and he felt an instinctive need to protect her. He didn’t understand how it had happened so quickly, but she was right. They were bonded together, their lives linked. It was amazing and frightening and wonderful all at the same time; yet it was as certain and as undeniable as the sunrise.
When the wave of heady emotion passed, Darcy watched as her eyes opened again and smiled with all the love in his heart. She smiled back and relaxed with a sigh, her emotions already exhausted. “It’s hard work being in love, isn’t it?”
Elizabeth grinned and nodded. “Can we take it easy today?”
Darcy’s hand absently traced the muscles of her biceps as he stroked her arm. “Sounds good to me. I have no plans.”
Elizabeth nodded contentedly. “I should probably get my stuff from the hotel.”
Darcy nodded, and a part of him observed with amazement at how easy this was. Yet it felt so right, there was no doubt. They had both found their place, and that was with each other.
Thinking of the world outside of Pemberley reminded her of something she needed to say, but she was loathe to mention it. Her heart lurched and she prayed for just a few moments of peace with him. She wanted to shut out the world beyond their bed and protect him, but it was hopeless.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, seeing through her.
With a heavy sigh, she took his hand and laced her fingers between his. “I wish the timing was better, but I have to tell you something, about Wickham.”
Darcy grew very still, but said nothing.
“On Tuesday, I have to go and shoot the second video with him,” she announced dully.
Darcy felt a twinge of relief that it was not something far worse, then set his mind to her problem.
“Elizabeth, you don’t have to do this,” he told her with calm certainty.
Elizabeth looked at him, surprised by his reaction, and tears welled up in her eyes. “Will, I have to,” she breathed. “I don’t want to. Now that I know what he is, I could very happily live the rest of my life without ever seeing George again. I hate the very idea, but I don’t have a choice. If I cancel, how will I explain it? What will I tell everyone? I can’t reveal Georgie’s secret. We would lose all that money and de Bourgh would fire us so fast. It would be the end of our careers.”
“If you really don’t want to, you don’t have to.” He sat up and took her into his arms. “If it’s a question of money, I will take care of that.”
Elizabeth looked at him sadly. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
Darcy smiled, taking a moment to regard the face he adored. “Of course you can, Elizabeth.” His smile faded as he continued. “I know it’s not really about the money, but I need you to know that, at least, that is not a problem.”
Elizabeth felt relief that this was going so well. She had feared he would grow angry or not understand. They were so new, so fragile. They could hurt each other so easily. She looked at him questioningly. “You are taking this much better than I expected.”
He sighed heavily and leaned against her. “That’s because I have to tell you something, and I know you are not going to like it.” She looked at him, waiting. “It’s about De Bourgh and what happened at the VMAs.”
“Oh, we were surprised about that. We figured Anne was going to terminate our contract for sure.”
Darcy nodded. “She almost did. The only reason she didn’t is that while you were performing, I was on the phone with Lady Catherine, asking her not to.”
“You were?”
Darcy nodded sadly. “Elizabeth, the moment you walked out of the theater during rehearsal I felt guilty for what I had done. And then when Jane started to sing, I knew exactly what you were saying. We all did. But I couldn’t let you destroy your career over my acting like an idiot.”
“I don’t understand. What did you do?”
“I promised Lady Catherine she wouldn’t lose money over you.”
“Did you buy our contract?” She looked suddenly uncomfortable.
“No, no,” he assured her. “We guaranteed it, like an insurance policy. So that if you were a flop, we would cover all of De Bourgh’s losses.”
“We?”
“Charles, Richard, and I all signed the deal.” He looked miserable. “I know you hate anyone interfering in your career, especially me, but you were destroying yourselves over something I did, and I had to try to stop it.”
Elizabeth looked away. “It wasn’t just what you did,” she said numbly.
“I know. I know, and that is why we all signed the deal. But I can’t speak for the others. I can only speak for myself, and I did it because I love you, Elizabeth. Please understand.”
Elizabeth laid her head down on his shoulder. She was shocked by what he said, but she still reached instinctively to him for comfort.
“Lizzy?” he said tentatively as he stroked her hair. “Tell me what you are feeling.”
Elizabeth smiled at his question. “Mostly surprised. I had no idea you were so generous, or so caring. But I guess I should have seen it all before.”
Darcy kissed her head desperately. “Are you mad?”
“No,” she shook her head. “I’m just very lucky I have you.” She lifted her face to him. “Hold me,” she breathed and he pulled her tight, settling her in his lap as he covered her with kisses and soft words.
She was stunned by what he had told her. She never realized that someone could care so much for her, protect her the way he did. She felt something new inside of herself, a sense of belonging, of safety she hadn’t felt before. Even as she was warmed by it, she was appalled at the same time at her own stupidity. How could she have misjudged him so?
After a minute, she pulled herself together. “Are you sure you want to love someone who is so blind?” she asked him archly.
Darcy smiled. “Are you sure you want to love someone who brings nothing but trouble to you?”
They kissed and held each other tightly, until a knock came at the door. Darcy put on his robe and answered it, returning a moment later. “Georgie’s home.”
“Then I guess we had better get cleaned up and have some—” she looked at the clock and was surprised at how late it was, “oh, lunch.”
Darcy smiled and led her to the bathroom. Elizabeth stopped dead in her tracks as she examined the room. “Fitzwilliam, there is a swimming pool in your bathroom!”
Darcy handed her a toothbrush. “Don’t be silly. The pool is outside. That’s just the spa.” He kissed her lightly on the nose and started brushing his teeth as Elizabeth moved closer to the spa. It was either very large for a spa or small for a pool. It had been built into the floor, with steps going down into it and rough stonework along the outside wall. “You like it?” Darcy asked.
“It’s beautiful!”
“My parents’ nicknames for each other were ‘Water’ and ‘Stone.’”
Elizabeth flashed him a doubtful look and he shrugged. “It was the eighties, they were rich New Agers, whatever. Anyway, they used the element of water or glass and stone throughout the design of the house. The spa was custom built for them and from hints my relatives have dropped, I think I was conceived in there.”
Elizabeth’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh really!”
He smiled at her around his toothbrush and nodded, then moved away to the sink.
Elizabeth gave the spa an appraising “hmm” and moved to the sink as well.
They spent a quiet afternoon with each other, returning to Tanglewood to see Mary again, hear the two o’clock concert, and then pick up Elizabeth’s luggage. Darcy found his attention wandered constantly to Elizabeth. His eyes could not get enough of her. She was dressed in a simple red tank dress that complemented her coloring and her delicious curves. And while he would have normally been mortified by his inattentiveness to the others, he found he couldn’t stop himself when Elizabeth met his eyes and stared back at him so often.
Elizabeth left Mary with a loving hug and traveled with the Darcys back to Pemberley. As soon as they got in, Georgiana announced her intention to spend the evening with her girlfriend. Darcy stopped her and the two shared a brief conversation. Darcy questioned her motives and Georgiana assured him that she was all right. Elizabeth politely pretended not to hear them.
When Georgiana had left, Darcy handed Elizabeth a cordless phone and kissed her. “Call your parents. I don’t want them to worry.” Elizabeth blushed and looked away, still not comfortable with the idea of Darcy and her parents.
“Wait,” Darcy countermanded. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, I just know you don’t like my family. Not that I don’t understand,” she quickly assured him, “I know we can be overwhelming at first.”
Darcy took the phone from her hand, led her to the couch, and made her sit with him. “Tell me why you think I don’t like your family,” he said with an expression of disbelief.
Elizabeth wished she had never said anything. “It’s okay. You don’t have to hide it. I could see by the way you acted at my house you disliked them.”
Darcy sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Dearest, I don’t dislike your family.” He frowned, clearly impatient with himself. “I’m sorry. I’m not really comfortable around new people, and it comes off as my being arrogant and not liking them.”
Elizabeth’s expression turned uneasy as she recognized her own initial reaction to him.
“Elizabeth, the truth is, I like your family very much.” He smiled slightly. “If anything, I’m envious of how close you all are.”
Elizabeth felt horrible. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I totally misunderstood.” She wrapped her arms around him and he kissed her. “I feel kinda stupid now.”
“You’re not stupid, Elizabeth. I’m sorry I acted like such a jerk.”
Elizabeth tried to tell him he hadn’t, but Darcy wouldn’t let her. “I’m quite sure I did. But I hope you are clear on it now?”
Elizabeth nodded and kissed him again. They exchanged words of love, and Darcy got up, saying he would leave her alone to make her call, and went to his studio.
By the time Elizabeth was done talking to her mother, she wasn’t sure if she shared Darcy’s affection for her parents. Elizabeth couldn’t believe how mercenary her mother could be, and it was a relief when her father took the phone.
“Hello, pumpkin,” he said calmly. “What is all this I hear about you and the big-shot rock star?”
Elizabeth smiled. Most other people would be offended, but she recognized her father’s dry sense of humor. “He’s made me his love slave,” she answered casually.
“Very good,” he replied. “Tell me, is being a love slave to a rock star a well-paid position?”
Elizabeth laughed. “You know, I think there might just be a ‘room and board’ clause to this. I’ll have to check on that.”
“Lizzy?” His voice had turned serious. “Are you sure you are making the right decision?”
Elizabeth was touched. This was how she knew that under all his bluff, he loved her dearly. “I am, Dad. He’s wonderful. I know this seemed to happen quickly, but it’s actually been building for a while and I’ve never been so happy in my life,” she told him confidently. “Listen, we’re all off next Sunday, maybe we could come up for dinner and you can give him a hard time.”
“Oh, no! The man is taking one of my daughters off my hands. I’m not going to give him a hard time. He might send you back!”
Elizabeth giggled.
“But it would be nice to spend a bit more time with the man. Perhaps Jane could bring her Romeo too?”
“I think that could be arranged,” Elizabeth replied, pleased.
“Very good, Lizzy, your mother just passed me a note that says ‘Tell Lizzy to call Alex.’ Well, now you have been told.”
“I have; thank Mom for me.”
“Take care of yourself, Lizzy.” His voice had a note of tenderness. “I’ve missed you around here. The house has suddenly gotten very quiet.”
“I will, Daddy. I love you.”
“All right. I’ll see you next week. Bye, Lizzy.”
Elizabeth turned off the phone and sat still for a moment, staring out the window at the trees. She had always been her father’s favorite but had never realized how painful her leaving would be to him. She resolved to be more faithful in her phone calls to him, even if it meant she would have to listen to her mother’s silliness.
With a shrug she turned to the phone and dialed Alex’s number. He answered with a doubtful, “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me. Mom said you called?”
“Lizzy? Where are you calling from? I thought you’d be back home by now.”
“Oh, that,” she grinned. “Slight change in plans. I’m at Darcy’s.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, I ran into him at Tanglewood and we talked and, well, here I am.” Elizabeth looked up to see Darcy coming up the short flight of steps from the studio, his mother’s guitar in his hands. She flashed him a bright smile and a wink.
“So now you’re fucking him, you mean?”
“What?”
“Oh, please, Lizzy. I’ve seen the way you two have been staring at each other for the whole tour.” His tone was ugly. “I’m just surprised you were willing to take him back after the VMAs. He must be damn good.”
“How. Dare. You.” Elizabeth was shocked and revolted. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
Silence was her only answer. Elizabeth was about to hang up when Alex said in a low voice, “I’m sorry, Lizzy. I just hate to see him treat you like that.”
“Alex, you have no idea how he treats me or what’s going on between us, and frankly, it’s none of your business.”
“Elizabeth, if it affects you or the band, it’s my business. That’s a manager’s job: keeping his band together. And frankly, I don’t like what that man and his friends have been doing to you.”
Elizabeth wished then that she had never said anything about Darcy to the others. She could see for herself how dubious her admission of love must look to the others, especially after she had been so vehement in her disdain for him. “Look, Alex, I’m sorry you don’t like him, but the fact of the matter is we are now a package deal. You want to deal with me, you deal with him.” Her nerve broke and her voice softened. “I don’t want to fight about this, Alex. I want you to be happy for me.”
Again, there was a long pause. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll be happy for you, Lizzy. And if you’re wrong, and I’m right, I’ll be there for you too.”
“I’m not wrong, Alex. Trust me.”
“All right. I just called to see how you were, Lizzy. Are you all set for Tuesday?”
“Yes, I’ll meet you at the airport.”
“You have all the details for that?”
“It’s on my email.”
“Good. I’ll see you then. Take care, baby girl.”
“Bye,” she whispered. He hadn’t called her that in a year and the words still had power over her.
Elizabeth looked up to see that Darcy was gone. She frowned and went to the bedroom, following the sound of furious strumming. She found Darcy sitting on a chair in his room, playing angrily.
Elizabeth crossed the large room to him and stopped his hands with her own. She looked at him, questioning him.
Darcy put the guitar down on a table next to him carefully and then turned to Elizabeth. “What is he to you?” he asked in a low, deliberate voice.
Elizabeth felt her mouth go dry. “He’s my manager. Nothing more.”
Darcy shook his head and waited, his eyes staring into hers.
“Does it show?” Elizabeth asked uncomfortably, realizing she needed to tell him; she owed him that.
Darcy shook his head. “Not on your side. But looking at him? Hell, yeah. There’s clearly some history between you.” He sighed and dropped his shoulders. “Elizabeth?” he asked.
She held up a hand in defeat and nodded. “Okay. It’s just, um, I’m not… It’s not a pretty story and I’m going to need your help telling it.”
Without another word, Darcy stood and took her into his arms. She held him tightly, anchoring herself in his embrace. A few moments later found them stretched out on the bed together.
“It happened a long time ago. I was seventeen and had just graduated from high school. We were very busy that summer, mostly because for the first time I could work past eleven o’clock.” She laughed lightly. “But we were traveling around the area, playing everywhere and starting to take off as a band.”
“I found myself wanting a boyfriend. Both Jane and Charlotte had serious relationships with guys and I was kind of feeling left out, so I started paying attention to Alex. He was older, and not bad looking, and, well, there.” She looked down and moved her hair out of her face. “I didn’t know that I could be attractive to a man. I was used to being compared to Jane and ignored, and I didn’t know that I could affect someone.
“So when I started flirting with Alex, I got really excited when he started flirting back. Looking at it now, I can see that most men would have trouble resisting a horny seventeen-year-old girl, but then I thought I was plain and unsexy.” She looked at him unhappily and Darcy kissed her lightly, encouraging her to go on.
“I don’t know what more there is to say. I started kissing him, and that felt good, so I started petting with him, and that felt good, and before I knew it, we were having sex.”
“Do you feel bad about that?” Darcy asked gently.
“No, well, in a way.” She shook her head. “I wished I had really been in love.”
“Weren’t you?”
“No. I thought I was, but I wasn’t,” she sighed. “September came and I started college, and between school, rehearsals, and work, something had to give, and that was Alex.” She shrugged. “I realized in November that we hadn’t had sex in over a month and that I didn’t miss him. That was when I knew I didn’t love him. I found out soon afterward that he had moved on. While that hurt, I couldn’t blame him.”
“That’s not all,” Darcy said, calmly knowing there was more.
“Nope. Fast forward to last summer. We were recording ‘First Impressions’ then and it was horrible.” Elizabeth frowned at the memory. “It was beastly hot and we were in the studio every day for almost two months. And we couldn’t even work at our day jobs because we were recording every day, so we were all getting really short on cash and stressed. I was going on almost no sleep because any time I was out of the studio, I was trying to keep my computer network business going. It was just the worst time in my life.
“Finally, I remember one night I was there alone, laying down guitar tracks, and finally the engineer looked up at me and said, ‘Lizzy, you’re done.’” She looked at Darcy and smiled. “I can’t tell you the relief I felt at that moment. You know what it’s like. Studio work is nothing like performing. It’s so repetitive and long and boring and we had no idea what we were doing. And then that man said I was done, and I put my guitar down and walked out of the room to Alex and he gave me a huge hug. I wasn’t even thinking, I just instinctively kissed him. And then he kissed me, and all of a sudden we were making out and rushing off to his apartment.”
Her voice had grown very soft with embarrassment and Darcy could see this was hard for her. His hands gently offered his support to her. “Neither of us had been in a relationship for a long time, and I don’t know, I think it was just dumb horniness at first. The first week, nobody knew about it, mostly ’cause we never got out of bed except to work. The second week, Jane and Char found out, but they kept quiet about it. It was the middle of the third week before we even had a conversation about what was going on.”
“What did he say?” Darcy prompted her.
“He told me I was special and beautiful and he had always had strong feelings for me.” Elizabeth bit her lip. “And I knew I was in trouble then, because I didn’t feel that way. I was enjoying it, the sex, and I liked Alex, but I still didn’t love him, and I knew I couldn’t love him.” She looked out the window and continued her story. “I knew it wouldn’t last, and it didn’t.
“We were used to having Alex tell us what to do. He had worked in the music business before, and we hadn’t, so we trusted him. It became second nature to do what he told us.” She sighed. “But he was starting to get very personal about what he was telling me to do. The next week of the affair, he started telling me how I should look when I sang, what expressions I should use, and how I should wear my hair—even how I should greet people when I met them.”
Darcy massaged her back softly, letting her get it out. “It happened during the fifth week.” Her voice was low and brittle. “We were in bed together and he was… touching me, and he said, ‘Lizzy, you would be so sexy if you just lost weight.’” Her voice cracked and a single tear ran down her cheek.
Darcy held her, comforting her and murmuring soft words to her as she finally broke down and cried, releasing a hurt she had never shared before.
When her tears were done, Darcy pushed her back just enough so he could see her eyes and firmly said, “He’s wrong. You are the most beautiful, most sexy woman I have ever seen, and he was wrong.”
“You’re biased,” she said, looking away. “I admit my thighs and ass—”
“Stop!” he interrupted her. “I will not listen to this. Your ass is amazing. I’ve caught myself staring at it—hell! You’ve caught me staring at it more times than I can count.” He tilted his head. “And don’t tell me you haven’t.”
Elizabeth smiled. “I have, even back at my house.”
Darcy nodded. “And I love your thighs.” His hand touched them for emphasis. “They’re strong, because you’re strong. You’re a swimmer, just like me, and I love the way your body is shaped. It’s perfect, and I need you to know it.”
She looked at him and nodded, and he pulled her close again. She spoke softly into the crook of his neck. “So, now you know all about Alex. I walked out on him when he said that right in the middle of having sex.” She grinned ruefully. “But I guess that’s why I’m a little oversensitive about people telling me what to do and why I thought you were negative when you were looking at my body.”
Darcy slowly rolled her onto her back. “For the rest of my life, I’m going to make sure you know exactly how sexy and beautiful your body is, Elizabeth,” he said with a low, determined voice that made her insides tighten.
He took off his shirt and pushed her dress up to her hips, revealing the red cotton panties she was wearing. Smiling with approval, he placed his lips over her mound and kissed her once, lightly. His hand slowly trailed up and down her outer thigh, over her rounded hip. Elizabeth’s head tipped back as she relaxed in his touch, and Darcy felt again the trust she placed in him.
“Roll over, Elizabeth,” he growled.
With a sexy smile she followed his direction, turning her ass to him. She moaned slightly as his hands caressed and squeezed her through the thin cotton.
Elizabeth felt herself growing hot under his ministrations. She let herself go and enjoyed the feelings he was giving her, forgetting to worry about how she might look.
Darcy enjoyed the sight of her unashamedly taking her pleasure and he stopped to remove his pants, all the while telling her how he had stared at her ass for so long, wanting to touch it.
“Can I see it now, Lizzy, please?” he asked as he crawled back on the bed. Elizabeth lifted her hips and let him draw down her panties, gasping slightly at what he saw. “You’re so beautiful, Elizabeth. I need to taste you.”
Slowly Darcy dragged his tongue over the twin curves he found there, stopping only to nibble lightly with his teeth. Elizabeth yelped and wiggled and he slipped his fingers between her legs to find her center wet and open. Carefully he inserted a finger with a second nip, startling her with the sensation. He continued to stimulate her, licking, nipping, and inserting a second finger, until she was crying out in earnest.
Then he stretched himself on top of her, resting on his elbows and cupping her breasts with his hands. “Did you want something more, my love?” he asked as he slid into her.
“Oooooohhhhhh,” Elizabeth sighed as her eyes closed in pure bliss. “Yes, please.”
Darcy found the depth he could achieve in this position was a pleasant surprise. Elizabeth was purring sensuously as he thrust himself in and out of her. “Do you feel this, love?” he asked as he forced himself completely inside of her. “That’s what your sexy ass does to me. You never even touched me.”
Elizabeth moaned, lost to the feeling of him. She had never been pleasured so deeply, and with the way he was kissing and sucking on her neck, she thought she would explode, but she couldn’t move due to his weight pinning her down. She had to endure every touch, her tension and excitement building. Darcy let go of her breasts to place his hands on the bed and changed the angle of his attack. Elizabeth cried out as his thrusts were then deeper and harder against her.
“Oh God, Lizzy,” his voice was shaking with effort as he neared his climax. Elizabeth lost herself in the sensations, crying out her release, and he came with her, her body grasping him tightly and forcing every drop from him.
They sank into the bed, glad no one else was at home to hear them. Then Elizabeth rolled into his arms and smiled brilliantly. Darcy smiled back and kissed her tenderly. “What are you thinking?” she asked, breaking the quiet of the room.
“I’m just amazed at how sure I feel about you. There is no doubt at all, even when I hear you talking about your old lovers, and you are leaving in two days with two men I would cheerfully strangle. There is no question, no uncertainty in my heart or my mind at all.” He laced his fingers with hers, their palms pressed together. “I’m yours and you are mine. We are one.”
Elizabeth nodded, smiling bemusedly at how accurately he had described her own feelings. “I know. I couldn’t explain it to Alex or my dad, but it’s absolutely true. It makes no sense at all, but I don’t really care.” She smiled brightly then. “What is this about happily strangling Alex?”
Darcy looked at her sadly. “He hurt you, Elizabeth. I don’t know if I can ever forgive that.”
Elizabeth drew his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles. “Can you forgive me for hurting you?”
“I already have.”
She leveled her large, expressive eyes at him. “Can you forgive yourself for hurting me?” She knew this was the crucial question.
“No,” he whispered with a shake of his head.
Elizabeth had been afraid of that. She kissed his temple, holding her mouth against him. “You are going to have to forget it then, my love, because I have forgiven you.”
He pulled her close. “I hate the part of me that hurt you.”
“And I hate the part of me that hurt you, but it’s going to happen. No matter how much we love each other, we are going to have misunderstandings and missteps. That’s what happens when you let someone in that close.” She turned his face to hers. “That’s why we have to be able to forgive.”
“I do forgive you, Lizzy,” he said, an impertinent smile coming to his face.
Elizabeth sighed noisily. “That’s it! I give up!” They laughed together, their closeness easing the tension in the room. “Hmm, you know what? I’m hungry.”
Darcy rolled off the bed and offered her his hand. “Then let’s get you some dinner.” He quickly pulled on a pair of faded jeans, sitting low across his hips, and a clingy T-shirt, as Elizabeth fixed the dress she was still wearing. Together they went to the kitchen, Darcy giving her an informal tour along the way. Once there, Darcy pulled out two covered plates from the refrigerator, revealing cold dinners on each.
They sat at the table and Elizabeth asked where the meals had come from. “We have a housekeeper and cook, Mrs. Reynolds. This is her day off, but she always leaves meals for Georgie and me.”
“I see,” Elizabeth said, as she digested this information. “My father asked if we could go up to their house for Sunday dinner next week.”
“That should be fine. I’d like to see your family again.”
“It will just be Mom and Dad. Mary’ll still be at Tanglewood and Kitty and Lydia are at the Gardiners’. Dad also asked for Jane and Charles to come.”
Darcy put down his fork. “What?”
“Jane and Charles,” Elizabeth repeated. Then her shoulders dropped. “Oh my God, you don’t know?”
Darcy just looked at her questioningly.
“Oh, I should’ve told you. They’ve reconciled.” She smiled. “They’ve been at his place in California for the last few days.”
“Really?” Darcy smiled slowly. “That’s good news. I’m happy for them.”
Elizabeth reached across the table to take his hand. “Char told me that you and Charles weren’t talking. I should have remembered. Sorry.”
“How did Charlotte know?”
Elizabeth blushed at her forgetfulness. “Richard and Char have been talking. He’s been calling her almost every night.”
“Have they reconciled?”
“No. Char said they are just talking, but she sounded happy.” She looked at Darcy, realizing for the first time how alone he had been. She walked around the table and took him into her arms. “I’m sorry,” she breathed.
“I’m just happy they are able to get themselves back together,” he said, his voice humble. “I’m sorry I ever interfered.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “I don’t see how you really interfered with Richard and Charlotte. They got themselves into their own trouble. And as for Charles, I know you were only trying to do the right thing, trying to protect your friend.”
“Protecting Charles from what? Jane? I should have realized long ago that Charles doesn’t need protecting,” Darcy said in a frustrated voice. He looked up at Elizabeth. “I seem to owe a lot of people apologies.”
“They’re your friends, Will,” she smiled. “They know how you are and they love you anyway. I know they’ll forgive you.”
Darcy pulled her into his lap and kissed her thoroughly. When he stopped, Elizabeth noticed a determined look in his eyes. “When did you say Charles and Jane are coming back?”
“They should be back now. Would you like me to call and see if they would be willing to come over to the loft tomorrow? Maybe you two could work things out?”
Darcy nodded. “Would you?”
Elizabeth got the phone from the other room and dialed the number Darcy gave her. She was glad when Jane picked up and she spent a few minutes telling her sister about herself and Darcy.
Jane was delighted with the news, and after a brief conference with Charles a date was set for tomorrow afternoon.
When she hung up, Darcy thanked her with a kiss. “You know, life is much better with you.”
“You mean the frequent sex?”
“Well, that too, but I mean hearing your voice and seeing your smile. It just makes me feel happy all over.”
Elizabeth smiled glowingly at him and kissed him deeply. “I know exactly what you mean.”
They spent a few more minutes kissing until Darcy asked what she would like to do.
“Did you say something about a pool?”
“I did. Right this way,” he led her toward the French doors.
“I don’t have my suit.”
“I never said anything about a suit.”
He walked Elizabeth down a stone walkway to the back of the house. It was amazing. Twin waterfalls fell gracefully over piles of rocks into the large, rounded body of water. It looked completely natural, with flowers growing all around it. It was unlike anything Elizabeth had ever seen before.
As she stared, Darcy shucked off his clothes and then started undressing Elizabeth. Elizabeth finally came out of her pool-induced trance and smiled. “Water and Stone, right?”
Darcy nodded.
Moments later they were both naked and relaxing in the cool water. Despite the elevation of the house on a mountain, it was still well into the nineties. Elizabeth’s only complaint with the pool was that she couldn’t do laps, but sitting naked in Darcy’s lap, she had to admit that swimming was really the last thing on her mind.
She leaned back in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder as he played with the buoyancy of her breasts. “This is so beautiful, Will.”
“I’m glad you approve,” he said warmly. “I mostly grew up in the loft, but this was where I always thought of when I said home when I was growing up. I guess that’s because it was here when both my parents would relax and we could all be together.” He kissed her neck. “I can’t tell you what it means to share this with you.”
Elizabeth arched herself against him, feeling his erection once again. She smiled, looking forward to more amazing sex, when a thought hit her with warp speed. “Will!”
“What?”
“I just realized something.” She spun so she could see him. “Water and Stone! Slurry is a mixture of crushed stone in a solution. Water and stone! Will, it’s you!”
Darcy beamed at her, confirming her guess. “Yes, Water and Stone make a Slurry when put together.”
“Just like Fitzwilliam and Darcy.” Elizabeth covered her mouth with excitement, her eyes huge. She felt like she had just solved a puzzle, which in fact she had.
“Do you know that no one, not Richard, not even Georgiana, has figured that out?” He looked at her almost shyly.
“That’s because no one knows you like I do, Fitzwilliam,” said Elizabeth, her eyes flashing.
They surged into each other’s arms, their mouths eager to share each other. Elizabeth relished the slipperiness of his hard body touching hers. She sank down in the water, letting it surround and touch her everywhere as her lips remained locked with his.
His hands played lightly over her skin, teasing it to full sensitivity. He positioned them under one of the waterfalls, the falling water adding yet another sensation to their kissing.
When he felt she was ready, he gathered her in his arms and carried her to the edge of the pool. “Rest on me,” he told her as he supported her weight in his arms. He eased her legs apart and turned her so she faced the wall. Squeezing her ass, he moved to just the right place, watching her face as she felt the jets of water touching her.
Her eyes flew open then closed with a blissful sigh, as her body adjusted to the rushing water that was passing over her most sensitive spot. Darcy watched her nipples harden as her hands tightened on his arms. He tried to follow her leanings, moving her ever so slightly to increase her pleasure. He loved watching her. Her face, expressive as always, told him all he wanted to know. When she finally tensed in his arms, then drew a shuddering breath, he knew he had pleased her by the look of pure contentment on her face. He shifted her in his arms, cradling her as she recovered.
It didn’t take long. Soon the wanton grin he had come to anticipate as a forecast of intense pleasure flashed at him as she eased herself out of his arms. “What are you doing, Lizzy?”
Elizabeth only smiled sexily as her hands slid down the length of his body, under the water, to his erection. Her hands closed on his shaft, and she watched his eyes close as the pleasure came over him. Slowly she stroked him, lingering at times at his velvety tip or playing with the softness of his balls.
When Darcy thought he could take no more, he watched in wonder as Elizabeth took a deep breath and submerged. The feeling of her hot mouth on his length against the cool water of the pool was so intense he cried out. She sucked on him hard, her tongue wiggling on him like a tiny fish, then she released him and her face broke the surface. He watched the water stream down her face and hair as she drew another deep breath and sank down again.
Darcy knew that she could never hold her breath long enough for him to come, nor did he want to, so he relaxed and let the sweet tension of Elizabeth’s talented mouth work on him. He wondered if she enjoyed the taste of him as much as he did her. He smiled again at the feeling of control he had over her when he had licked her the night before.
When she surfaced again, he decided he wanted something else and he pulled her up. The water was waist deep and after kissing her hard, he asked her to float on her back. She seemed pleased with the suggestion and slowly raised her arms into the air as she lay back on the water.
Darcy enjoyed the view that he knew was only for him. His hands slid down her body to her hips and he pulled them close to himself. Elizabeth understood exactly where this was going and opened her legs to him, allowing him to enter her and wrapping her legs around him.
Elizabeth held his eyes with her own as he thrust into her. She encouraged him to watch her body, her hands trailing to her nipples, which she teased to hard points. Darcy luxuriated in the vision before him even as he enjoyed the sensation of thrusting out of the cool pool water and into Lizzy’s hot depths and back out again.
He could feel his own release building but saw she wasn’t there yet. He slid his hands up to her sides and walked her into the deeper water, so that it came up to his shoulders. Elizabeth sat up with the water, and he supported her ass in his hands.
“Is that better?” he asked, panting.
“Oh God, yes!” Elizabeth moaned and they were at it again, Elizabeth clutching his shoulders with her hands as Darcy moved her up and down on top of him. “Oh Gooooood!” she wailed as she tightened in his arms, coming against him. Darcy pushed her up against the pool wall and rode her for all he was worth, his body struggling until it reached its climax and found its release. Elizabeth’s eyes flared as she felt his hot come pour into her.
Panting, they sprawled on the broad steps of the pool, their hands tightly linked. “Thank you,” Darcy huffed. “I can’t tell you” (breath) “how long” (breath) “I’ve wanted to do that.”
Elizabeth looked at him and laughed breathlessly. “Me too!” Smiling, they snuggled close, holding each other and talking softly as the summer sun set and the light faded.
Elizabeth woke up to the sound of music. She rolled over to a sight that would stay with her for the rest of her life: Darcy, sitting naked in a chair, his guitar in his lap as he softly played. She watched the concentration on his face and knew he didn’t see her. A few more moments of observation told her why; he was composing. She could tell from the tune that he was playing. It was clearly lacking a melody line. Once she even caught him humming, but his voice was too soft for her to make it out clearly.
He stopped to write something on the table next to him and that’s when he saw her. She smiled warmly at him.
“You’re not supposed to be hearing this.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” he said as he rose to his feet, “it’s not finished yet.” He walked to the bed and sat beside her, his hand gently tracing the curve of her cheek and down to her throat, and between her breasts, which were shamelessly uncovered.
“Will I get to hear it when it’s done?” she asked, her large eyes caressing him.
“Oh yes,” he assured her, as he leaned down and kissed her.
Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck in a slow and lazy fashion; being near Darcy made her feel sexy and seductive. “I think I deserve something for waking up alone, don’t you?” she asked teasingly.
Darcy smiled and lifted an eyebrow. “If you wish.” He settled himself on the bed and raised the neck of the guitar. Elizabeth watched, fascinated, as he played for her. His fingers coaxed a high vibrato out of the guitar while he plucked a simple melody out of the lower register.
She lay back on the pillows, watching all of him: the profile of his face, his hands, his arms and shoulders, his legs. She was struck again by his beauty and by the intimacy of the moment. There was no one else. This was only for her.
The message of the music was different this time as well. In the past, he had played to win her, to prove himself. This time it was more about sharing, an expression of how he was feeling: the contentment, the joy, the awe. Elizabeth shared every one of those emotions.
When he finished, she reached for him and expressed with her body all that she felt for him.
The drive back to the Village felt like a triumph for them. They had both traveled to Massachusetts in a state of depression, and there, to their utter surprise, they found bliss. They spent the drive talking easily about the tiny details of their past, sharing the events of their lives, and coming to know each other better.
Elizabeth was astonished, when they reached the building on Broome Street, to learn the first floor was actually a garage. Darcy unlocked the large door with a key and brought them in, parking his car in one of the two spaces labeled “seven.”
“That space is for you,” he said, indicating the empty space beside it.
Elizabeth nodded and took inventory of the other cars there. A healthy mixture of Mercedes, BMWs, and Saabs greeted her, along with Darcy’s limo resting along one wall. She tried to picture her beat-up truck here and frowned. The warm feeling of easy comfort that had filled her in the car ebbed away, and instead she felt intimidated and out of place.
“What?” he asked, looking at her with concern.
Elizabeth laughed in embarrassment. “I’m not sure my truck is ready for this kind of company.”
Darcy stopped and looked at her. Her troubles had become his, as he saw at once the enormous change he was asking her to make. He took her hand and asked, “Would it help if I bought you a new truck?”
Elizabeth laughed with genuine affection and she stepped into his arms. “No, I can buy my own truck now. This success takes a little while to get used to.”
“Take your time,” Darcy told her. “There is no rush. I’ll give you whatever you need.”
Elizabeth knew he was speaking of support and patience, not material goods, and she kissed him slowly, her lips lingering on his. “Thank you.”
Together they passed through the door and into the lobby. The doorman greeted them, recognizing Elizabeth, and commented that she had found Mr. Darcy.
Elizabeth acknowledged that she had, and with a happy smile they entered the elevator, Darcy holding Elizabeth’s bags while Elizabeth carried her guitars.
Entering the loft again, Elizabeth expected to feel pain or regret over the way she had left or a fluttering of her pulse, remembering their first time together, but strangely, she felt peaceful and at ease.
Darcy led her into the bedroom and placed her bags by the closet. Neither one of them was ready to discuss her moving in. It was a certainty, but at the same time, it was too soon. They had each privately made the decision not to deal with it until after the tour.
Elizabeth stood as if uncertain with her guitars in the middle of the room. Darcy looked at her and with a quiet “oh,” he took her to the library at the far end of the large living room, where his own instruments were stored.
Once her babies were safe and away, Elizabeth eased herself into Darcy’s arms. She rubbed his back with her hand, trying to reassure herself with his body, his scent. She felt Darcy doing the same, and that knowledge, that she was not alone in her uneasiness, helped her tension to fall away. Darcy drew his hands up and cupped her face, kissing her lovingly.
She saw in his eyes the quiet power that was inside of him, telling her with complete certainty that it would be all right, and she put her trust in him.
The sound of the elevator roused them from their silent repose on the couch. Elizabeth stood with Darcy, seeing the increased tension on his features. She moved forward, determined to try to ease his way.
She met Jane in the gallery and hugged her tightly. It was difficult to believe it had only been a week since she had seen her last. Jane looked tan, her hair even whiter, but more than that, she looked happy. Elizabeth hoped her own happiness was as evident.
As if by plan, Elizabeth moved to hug Charles, and Jane embraced Darcy. The women both remarked how good it was to see them and how much they had missed them. Then they moved aside, allowing Darcy and Charles to meet.
The two men acknowledged each other warily. “Would you like to sit?” Darcy asked, opening up the conversation.
“Yeah,” Charles nodded.
The party moved down the long hall to the dining area, the sisters having a hushed conversation about the loft while the men kept silent. Darcy served his guests drinks and once everyone was seated, he began his apology.
“Charles, I’m very sorry for what happened. I should have never interfered with your relationship with Jane, and I can’t tell you how much I regret that stunt we played at the VMAs. I have no excuse, and I hope you can forgive me.”
Charles looked at Jane for a moment before turning a regretful face to Darcy. “Will, it’s okay. I was screwing up with Jane at the VMAs and I knew it, and I just took my anger out on you instead of placing it on myself where it belonged. I’m sorry for that.”
Darcy’s expression lifted. “I’m really happy that you have worked things out. Lizzy told me you went home?”
Charles and Jane flashed matching grins and joined hands. “Yeah, I introduced her to Dad.”
“Lizzy, you should see the house; it’s so beautiful, right on the ocean,” Jane added.
Elizabeth smiled brightly.
“It’s clear that you two have come to an understanding as well,” Charles observed. “Jane said you met up at Tanglewood?”
Darcy found himself holding Elizabeth’s hand as he nodded. “We were lucky,” he said, looking at Elizabeth.
“But I think we would have gotten together even if we had to wait another week,” Elizabeth added, her eyes on her lover.
The two couples spent the rest of the day talking and relaxing in the comfortable loft. Despite the easy atmosphere of the setting, it was clear that all of them had tomorrow’s separation on their minds, as the lovers never moved more than a few yards from each other.
They were just discussing getting dinner when the phone rang, breaking the cozy mood. Darcy answered it, his expression hardening as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line.
“Yes, she’s here. Hold on.” He handed the phone to Elizabeth, who took it with a questioning look.
“Hello.”
“Lizzy, it’s me. I couldn’t reach you on your cell.”
“Oh, hi, Alex.” Elizabeth was relieved that it was someone familiar, but she hadn’t fully forgiven him for the incident yesterday. “What’s up?”
“I’ve been trying to reach you all over. George Wickham wants you to call about tomorrow.”
Elizabeth felt her stomach drop. “Can’t it wait till we get there?” she asked unhappily.
“No, he wants to talk to you today, so he can get things set up for tomorrow. Just call him, Lizzy.”
“All right,” she answered softly. Elizabeth dutifully took down the number and read it back to him. Promising to see him tomorrow, Elizabeth hung up.
She looked up at Darcy, not needing to say anything. Darcy appeared to be made of stone, his face expressionless. Finally Elizabeth said, “I have to call.”
Darcy nodded tightly. “I’ll be back.” He kissed her hair and walked to the elevator, a puzzled-looking Charles running after him to catch up.
When the elevator door shut, Elizabeth found herself alone with her sister. Her finger trembling, she called George Wickham. She tried to keep her voice as calm and as normal as possible as she talked with him, discussing the plans for the video shoot and details that involved her, such as costume. When George was through discussing the shoot, his voice changed and he asked her if she missed him. Elizabeth rushed to get off the phone, claiming that her mother was calling her for dinner.
When she hung up, Jane was looking at her expectantly. Elizabeth sighed tiredly and dropped down onto the couch and let her sister put her arms around her. When Elizabeth had sufficiently regained control of herself, she started talking and told Jane everything. She worried about betraying Darcy’s confidence, but she trusted Jane like no one else, and Elizabeth had to tell someone or she would burst.
Jane watched her sister, listening with growing horror as Elizabeth told the story. “Oh my God,” she said finally. “Lizzy, I had no idea!”
Elizabeth shook her head. “No one had any idea. He’s a con man, and he’s very good at it.”
“You must have been so upset.”
Elizabeth nodded, her eyes closed against that memory. “Oh, yeah,” she sighed. “That was not one of my best moments.”
“And Will?”
Elizabeth found herself tearing up. “Will understood. He understood everything and he forgave me. Hell, he even blamed himself.” She looked at her sister as she tried to hold back her feelings. “Jane, he’s so good. I was so wrong about him. And I love him so much.”
Jane smiled and hugged her tight. “Does he know you love him?”
“Yes.”
“Then I think everything will be okay, Lizzy. I’m pleased for you. I never could have been completely happy with Charles if you weren’t okay with Will.”
Elizabeth smiled. “You look very happy.”
Jane nodded. “I am.”
The sisters smiled as they heard the elevator arriving. But instead of their lovers, Richard Fitzwilliam walked out.
Elizabeth smiled in welcome. “Hi, Richard.”
“Hey,” Richard looked puzzled as he surveyed the Bennets in the otherwise empty loft.
“Charles and Will ran out. They’ll be back soon.”
“Oh, good,” he nodded. “How are you both doing?”
Elizabeth grinned at his obvious confusion. “We’re doing great, Richard. How are you?”
“I’m good. Um, Charlotte wouldn’t happen to be down with you, would she?”
Jane refrained from laughing. “No, she’s still up in Meryton. She’ll come down tomorrow, and we’re meeting her at the airport.”
Richard’s expression darkened. “Right, the video shoot. I hope you are both very careful down there.”
Elizabeth shared a look with Jane. “Richard, we know about what happened with George. Don’t worry, we just want to get this over and be done with him.”
Richard set his jaw. “That’s probably for the best. But be careful anyway.”
The elevator hummed into life again, and Charles and Darcy returned to the loft. Darcy took a long look at his cousin, remembering the last time the three of them were in the building together. He walked over to Elizabeth and kissed her passionately.
When he released the slightly breathless woman, Darcy looked at Richard dead on with an arched eyebrow.
“I get it,” Richard said, holding up his hands. He grinned good-naturedly. “Enjoy the irony, Will.”
“Oh, I do,” he said smugly and leaned down to kiss a laughing Elizabeth again.