Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star (58 page)

Elizabeth didn’t notice him when she came out of the shower, as she dried herself off and studied her reflection in the mirror, the high-powered ventilation system keeping the mirror from being fogged. Darcy watched mesmerized as she studied her reflection: her face, her breasts, both head-on and in profile, then her waist, and with a dreamy smile, she even twisted to look at her rear in the mirror.

“Very nice.”

She started and smiled at him, even as she blushed. “You aren’t supposed to be up yet. Did I wake you?”

He shook his head, all traces of sleep gone. “I heard the shower.” He walked up behind her, his eyes meeting hers in the mirror. “Besides,” he told her, planting soft kisses on her bare neck, “I’m not going to let you go without a proper good-bye.”

Elizabeth purred low in her throat as his hands brushed her sides. Encouraged by her response, he moved his hands upward, cupping her breasts and massaging the softness he found there.

Elizabeth instinctively rubbed her ass against his erection and found him delightfully hard. She didn’t know if he always slept naked, but he had every time they had been together and she found it particularly pleasing. His hands were making her crazy, stimulating a response that surprised her with its strength. She was shocked at the low moans that were coming out of her mouth, yet she couldn’t seem to hold them back. He felt so good.

“Turn around,” he told her in that low voice that made her burn.

She complied, kissing him hungrily as his hands traveled down to her hips. He lifted her up so she sat on the edge of the vanity, where Elizabeth spread her legs eagerly.

He seemed to share her eagerness, as he entered her immediately, sliding into her hot depths as he lifted her legs so that her feet rested on either side of him on the counter. Grasping her knees, he began thrusting into her as she leaned back, her arms propping her up, to enjoy the sensation and the amazing sight before her.

He watched as her excitement built, the tension in her body matching his own. Her nipples grew hard and pointed and he felt his excitement soar. He needed her urgently to be closer to him.

With a growl he snatched her body up in his arms, pulling her chest against his. Elizabeth’s arms slid under his, her hands on his back, pulling him even closer.

She cried out as his hips worked like a piston, pushing harder and faster into her with every second. The violence of their joining became frantic as they lost themselves to the sensations that were flooding them. Darcy heard her howl even as her fingernails dug into his skin. The tightening of her body in its orgasm was the push he needed, and he felt the pressure in him shoot into her with his ejaculation.

He held her close, kissing her damp hair lightly as they recovered their breath. When she finally looked at him, her face red and sweaty, her smile blissfully happy, her eyes glowing with satisfaction, it was an image that imprinted upon his heart, filling him with an intensity of love he never knew was possible. He hugged her tight, kissing her, before releasing her and helping her off the counter.

Elizabeth giggled, feeling light-headed from her orgasm. She held on to Darcy’s hand, as she took stock of her situation. Then she heard a light knock on the bedroom door.

“Darcy, Lizzy, we’re here,” Rebecca’s voice called to them.

Elizabeth looked at him in shock, instantly clearheaded. “Shit!” She looked at the clock and swore again. “Damn! I don’t have time to shower again. I’m going to smell like sex all day.” She hurried to her clothes but not without seeing the guilty expression on her lover’s face. She was halfway dressed before the meaning of the expression dawned on her. “Did you do that on purpose?” she asked, turning toward him.

Darcy had been pulling on a T-shirt and shorts as Elizabeth rushed. “No.” A look from Elizabeth forced him to continue. “I didn’t plan it, but I will admit that a part of me is glad it happened.”

Elizabeth stopped what she was doing and went into his arms, squeezing him tight. “You know I love you, don’t you?”

He hugged her back, rubbing his forehead against hers. “I know. And I do trust you. It’s just a part of me is pleased he’s going to know you came from my bed.” He looked at her, expecting a backlash.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and kissed him thoroughly. “I’m coming from your bed and tomorrow I will be returning to your bed,” she smiled painfully. “I don’t like leaving like this either. But trust me, nothing Wickham can say will change my feelings about you.”

Darcy smiled and looked away. “I actually meant Alex,” he admitted with embarrassed humor.

Elizabeth laughed. “Well, that’s just being petty.” She stopped to kiss him, softening her words. “We are going to have to do something about this possessive streak of yours.”

He looked at her with dry amusement. “I have a few ideas about that.”

“Oh?”

He kissed her slowly. “I’ll tell you when you come back.”

“Bastard,” she swore, before kissing him again and releasing him to finish dressing. She was going to the bedroom when she heard the elevator stop and Jane’s voice reached her. “Fuck!” she muttered as she rushed into the bathroom.

Darcy smiled as the blow-dryer started and he left his room to greet his guests. “Good morning. Lizzy is running a little late. She’ll be ready in a moment.”

“Umm hmm,” Rebecca said knowingly. “Tommy has the limo ready out front.”

Darcy suspected that it was only her respect for him as her employer that kept Rebecca from telling Jane and Charles why Elizabeth was running late. He walked to the kitchen and started making coffee and tea.

A moment later Charles joined him. Darcy could see the concern on his face. “Will,” he paused, uncertain how to continue.

“Did Jane tell you?” Darcy asked flatly, solving his friend’s dilemma.

Charles nodded. “She didn’t want to, but she was so upset, I made her.” He looked uncomfortable.

“I’m glad she did.” Darcy’s eyes left his friends, and he focused instead on the cups before him. “I’m sorry I never told you, Charles. It was just too hard to talk about.”

Darcy stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Charles’s face looking at him with understanding and support. “Thanks,” he said sincerely. “I’d hug you but, you know, rock gods don’t hug.”

Charles laughed softly, understanding his friend’s need to release the tension between them. “So, now that I know, I’m worried about sending Jane and Lizzy to him.”

Darcy sighed. “If you are asking me if we can trust Wickham, the answer is no, not at all. But I do trust Lizzy, and I know you trust Jane,” he shrugged. “That’s going to have to do.”

Darcy finished with the drinks and checked Lizzy’s cell phone, which had been charging on the countertop. He dialed a number on it, and the landline to the loft rang, then he used the landline to call the cell. “I offered to buy Lizzy out of this, but she feels she needs to do it, and I respect that.”

“I offered to do the same for Jane,” Charles admitted. “I just hate this. They’re our lovers, and we are sending them to this—”

“Don’t go there,” Darcy interrupted. “Thinking like that will only make you insane.” He frowned, trying to cope with his own worries. “Besides, what’s the worst he could do? Wickham is not aggressive. He’s lazy. He’s an opportunist. He’s not going to attack or rape them; it would put him at too much risk. The worst he can do is try to seduce them, which won’t work, or fuck up their video, which will ruin his reputation.”

Charles exhaled sharply. “Damn straight it would.”

“And I don’t think he’d bother Jane anyway,” Darcy continued. “It’s me he wants to hurt, and hopefully he doesn’t know about Lizzy and me.”

Charles studied the bitter expression on Darcy’s face. “You hate this, don’t you?”

Darcy’s eyes flashed. “’Course I do,” he said darkly.

“Well, like you said, it’ll be fine. They are going to fly down this morning and be back tomorrow night.” Charles smiled reassuringly. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

Darcy rolled his eyes, hearing his own words used on himself and realizing how weak they sounded. “You want to hang out here today?” he asked his friend.

“Yeah. Maybe we could do some work in the studio.”

Jane and Elizabeth emerging from the master bedroom ended their conversation. Darcy brought Elizabeth her coffee and the cell phone, which she tucked into her bag.

“Is that all you are bringing?”

Elizabeth shrugged. “It’s just an overnight. I’d rather leave my guitars here where I know they’ll be safe.” She shared a look with Darcy that spoke of her trust in him.

“They will be,” he said, kissing her deeply. He looked up to see Jane and Charles embracing and returned to Elizabeth’s lips, knowing he still had time. He kissed her, gathering the sweet taste of her to him and touching every part of her mouth that he could. He wanted to feel her, to lock this moment in his memory. She seemed to share his intent, holding him closely as her mouth made love to his.

All too soon, Rebecca cleared her throat and announced, “We really have to leave if we are going to catch that plane.”

With final words and kisses, the women stepped into the elevator, leaving the two men unhappily behind. Rebecca escorted them out through the lobby and to the limo waiting in the street below.

Elizabeth sighed as she settled into the car beside her sister. She hated doing this, but there was really no choice. She sipped the coffee he had made for her as she thought. Sighing, she told herself that she was just going to do this quickly and professionally and hope that Wickham didn’t know about her relationship with Darcy.

***

They met up as scheduled with Alex and Charlotte by the security gate. Charlotte rushed forward to embrace them, all the time teasing them about how good the sisters looked.

“It’s vitamin P,” Lizzy explained with a wink.

Charlotte grinned. “Are you finally getting your recommended daily allowance?”

“Oh yeah,” Elizabeth laughed.

“She was deprived of it for so long, Will is making sure she gets extra doses,” Jane piped in, with a wicked grin.

“You’re not looking so deprived yourself, Jane,” Charlotte observed.

Jane blushed a fiery red, causing the other two to erupt with laughter.

They said good-bye to Rebecca and moved through security. Finding their gate, they settled in to wait for their plane. Elizabeth could tell Alex wanted to talk to her. He was sitting on her right side and seemed to be waiting to say something.

“So, where exactly are we going, Alex?” Elizabeth had to admit that since learning the truth about Wickham, she had lost all enthusiasm for this project.

“We’re flying to Tampa. The shoot is taking place on a small island nearby.”

Elizabeth nodded as she absently flipped through a magazine. She could feel his eyes on her. “What?”

“Nothing.” But before Elizabeth could protest, he quickly asked, “Do you love him?”

“Didn’t we already have this conversation? I told you what I felt over the phone.” Her voice was unusually cool.

“He just doesn’t seem to be your type,” Alex replied sullenly. “I would hate to have you selling out because of the money or something.”

“Alex, do I need to find another manager? Is this too much?” Elizabeth asked, her voice flat, her eyes narrowed. “It was never a question of choosing him over you. We were never going to work. You knew that, didn’t you?”

Alex swallowed and nodded. “I know, Lizzy, and you don’t have to get a new manager. I’m okay with it.”

Elizabeth nodded, not completely convinced but willing to let it go. It was only then that she realized that she had chosen her relationship with Darcy over her professional relationship with Alex. As they waited, she studied him, weighing the emotional distance between them. It had been a long time since she had felt affection for him, but now she realized how little she had shared with Alex and how much she could have with Darcy. She was a little sad to acknowledge it, but she also knew she was much better off.

***

A ferry took them to an island a couple of miles offshore. It was owned by a luxury resort, which is where they would be staying overnight. The resort complex used up only about a quarter of the land, with a small airstrip the only other structure. The remainder of the land was left open and undeveloped. Elizabeth had to admit it was beautiful, and a part of her wished that Darcy had come down.

The warm smile on her face was wiped away as they drove to the set and Wickham met their cars. George was looking good. His hair had been further lightened and his skin was deeply tanned. He was wearing a beige shirt and crisp white linen shorts. He greeted the women warmly, giving Elizabeth the same extra attention he had the last time.

He explained that today they would be doing action shots in the water, and then they would have a night shot on the beach, and tomorrow they would finish up with the concert shots.

As Jane and Charlotte were led away to wardrobe, George stopped Elizabeth. She forced herself to smile at George. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to know how you are doing. It’s been awhile.”

“Not that long,” she teased. “I’ve been good.”