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
