the indescribable titillation of his touch.
Gradually her gaze left his face to move over his body, truly seeing him for the first time. Blushes crept over her cheeks, but she could not pull her eyes from the beauty of his shape. That he was powerfully built she had ascertained even through his clothing, but she had not known the raw manliness evident in the defined muscles of his torso. Black hairs, profuse over his chest but compacting into a heavy patch between his pectorals, trailed in a thick line down a hard, flat abdomen to join a much denser patch at his groin. Her eyes widened and she hastily glanced away, cheeks flushing further at the instant ache felt deep inside her belly. Never had she envisioned such virility or the raging response she felt to all she saw and all he was doing to her. With a shuddering moan, she closed her eyes.
“Lie back, my love,” he commanded tensely. She did so as he repositioned himself. Lizzy thought this was it, and she was mildly frightened but mostly elated. She was mistaken. He gently began raining warm wet kisses over her abdomen, firm hands caressing everywhere. The sensations that he educed transcended anything she had yet experienced. He was unrelenting but always tender in his stimulation, arousing her to places unimaginable, the previous fervency insignificant compared to what she now felt. Forever, so it seemed, he caressed and kissed. Not an inch of her skin was left unfazed by his devotion.
Dizziness consumed her. Time lost all meaning. Soft whispers of love flowed from his lips as he traveled about her flesh. Her body writhed and shivered uncontrollably and strange vocalizations emitted from parted lips until eventually the sensations coalesced into a nearly terrifying intensity. All she knew for certain was that she required fulfillment from him immediately or she was likely to perish from the aching need.
“William!” she shouted, “I need you! Please!”
At her cry he moved until fully on top of her. His fiery body pressed into hers as he twined one hand into her hair and around her neck, passionately claiming her mouth with a throaty groan. Simultaneously his other hand grasped the back of one knee, pulling her leg up and around his waist as he joined with her, lovingly consummating their marriage and bond.
Darcy groaned, the joy of feeling his wife surrounding him and at one with him nearly more than he could handle. It was Lizzy’s gasp of pain and instant stiffening that restored his clarity.
“Relax, my love,” he murmured, “it only hurts for a moment.” To prove the truth of his words, he stilled, caressing softly and kissing deeply until she eased. Gazing into her trusting eyes, his own glittering indigo and brimming with adoration, he waited.
“We are one, my beloved. Joined together. Hearts and bodies bound now and forever. Oh, Lord, Elizabeth! How I love you! You are mine and I am yours for all eternity. Release your tension, precious love. I will be gentle.” He spoke softly, caressing and kissing.
Lizzy smiled, gently tightening the legs wrapped over his waist and gliding her fingertips over his cheeks. “Love me, William. Complete making me your wife,” she whispered, eyes slipping shut in rapture as she lifted her mouth to his.
He closed his eyes and moaned, moving unhurriedly, suppressing his flaming yearning until fervor replaced her discomfort. Afterwards, Darcy would be amazed at himself for finding the control to set a leisurely pace. His restraint was short lived, however, due to her reawakened passion. His pace quickened with a feverish hunger, Lizzy spurring him on. It was nirvana! Pleasure and gratification as never before experienced. They surrendered themselves to the spiraling sensations of pure pleasure and cried each other’s names while clinging to each other in a desperate attempt to meld further.
Darcy collapsed onto her, too exhausted and satiated to move. Lizzy wrapped her limbs even tighter about him while tears of joy leaked from her eyes. Neither of them could have verbalized then, or ever, the riot of emotions swirling inside. Suffice to say, nothing had prepared either of them for the satisfaction, contentment, and unadulterated ecstasy of the reality.
How long they lay entwined, their wits rattled, hearts racing, and breathing erratic, they never knew. Lizzy moved first by planting kisses along Darcy’s sweat-glistened shoulder and neck, repeating
“Do not leave!”
“Am I not crushing you?”
“No,” she assured him, grasping him even tighter with arms and legs. “I love the feel of you.” She blushed slightly, ridiculous under the circumstances, and he chuckled.
“As you command, my wife.” He kissed her, lingering over her soft warm lips. “My wife,” he whispered, “mine, all mine, and only mine. My Lizzy. Forever. I love you so. We are wholly and utterly one now, my love. I am yours, my heart, forever.”
He caressed her body lazily, delighting in her silky skin and firm muscles. His thumb brushed along the edge of one breast where it swelled from under his chest. His kisses traveled over her neck to her ear.
Lizzy tantalized him with hands and legs. She discovered the enticing spectacle of round, tight buttocks. His taut muscular legs, hairs rough against her smoothness, sent shivers up her spine. The musky smell of his familiar cologne now mixed with perspiration and their love intoxicated her. Neither dreamed of breaking the contact, their bodies fused on every plane. Satiation and bliss attained so few minutes ago only whetted their appetite for each other, heightening their senses.
They were both agreeably surprised to find themselves becoming stimulated so soon. Lizzy, having no previous experience to draw from, took it in stride, assuming it was normal. Darcy was frankly stupefied to recognize excitement resurging so soon, his desire for her so intense as to become profoundly aroused mere minutes after such an incredible, soul-unifying crescendo.
He may have been surprised, but he certainly was not disappointed! This time their coupling was altogether different. Following so quickly upon their previous gratification, Darcy was in much better control. His stamina was amplified tremendously, with mutual approval. They kissed and caressed wherever they could reach, both experimenting with altering pressures and rhythms. Gradually they attuned themselves to their partner’s sighs and moans as a gauge for what was especially pleasurable. Occasionally they spoke, but they soon found that sensations, actions, and sounds were preferable.
It seemed to continue forever. As one would near the point of bursting, the other would slow their actions, increasing the aching and craving. Time and again they came near the pinnacle only to pull back for further enjoyment. Eventually it was more than they could bear, and both were taken by acute spasms that shook them head to toe in rapture beyond the words to convey.
Quite some time later, they lay blissfully depleted and satiated, limbs entangled. Elizabeth’s head lay partly on Darcy’s shoulder and partly on a pillow so she could admire his face. They were awake but drowsy, talking softly, enjoying simply being together in such sweet harmony. Darcy played with her hair where it cascaded over his arm, while Elizabeth traced lazy circles over his chest and stomach. They spoke of silly things, small talk, more to hear each other’s voices than for any purpose.
The final acts of love had been far superior to any imaginings either of them had entertained. Darcy, never a great admirer of romantic poetry, finally understood. Each day, each moment with Elizabeth had transcended the one before. Tonight they had reached dizzying heights, and it honestly seemed impossible to love her more.
Darcy would have had to confess that he believed his heart would burst if he experienced anything beyond what he felt at this moment. He had told her, when he proposed the second time, that she had bewitched him body and soul, and it was true. Now he knew that she owned him, lived inside of him, kept his heart beating, and gave him purpose. If it had not felt so very right, it might have terrified him.
Real life intruded when Darcy’s stomach growled loudly and abruptly as if in response to Lizzy’s fingers, which had been playfully examining his navel. They both laughed at the absurdity of it.
“Hungry, darling?” Elizabeth asked. “Have your recent exertions increased your appetite?”
“I have eaten sparsely today, my love. Nerves, I suppose.” He rolled onto his side and began kissing her bare shoulder. “I was much more interested in satisfying other hungers so that I ignored my more basic needs. What is food compared to your love?”
“Very pretty. However, I am beginning to experience pangs of my own. The Hamiltons have supplied us with an abundance of food and it would be rude to ignore it,” Elizabeth said, but then grinned mischievously as she ran
