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
