Chapter 1.22 #3
She could hear her own moans, and her mind briefly noted how improper she sounded, but her modesty lasted only a moment.
Every rational thought vanished when his hands slid a little lower than her waist, pressing her tightly against him.
He did not insist further; his caress returned to her arms, but her body remained pressed against his in the most intimate embrace she had ever experienced.
She moved slightly, brushing against him, and was startled to hear him groan so deeply and loudly that she was certain she was hurting him.
His lips withdrew only enough to whisper in the same tone at the edge of passion and pain, “We must stop this…now…” but a moment later her mouth was imprisoned again, and his hands resumed their torturous mission, more demanding, embracing her in a restless, moving circle of fire, burning every part of her body.
His arms, tightly entwined around her, took her breath away, and a moment later, her heart nearly stopped when his fingers, gliding up along her ribs, touched the sides of her breasts.
The sensation, so new and powerful, froze her, and she was shocked to hear her barely recognisable voice pleading, “William, please…”
She did not know what she was pleading for. She could not decide whether she was asking him to stop or begging for more, but he did not ask for clarification. He chose to do what he believed best for her.
Darcy stopped all movement and reluctantly broke the kiss, his lips placing countless light kisses over her face before moving slightly away from her.
He cupped her face towards him so he could stare into her eyes, marvelling to see her aglow with passion.
Then he gently pulled her head down to rest against his chest while he embraced her again, both of them struggling to regain their senses.
No sound disturbed the tense silence for a while.
Elizabeth was still lying atop him, and as soon as she recovered enough to think properly, she resumed her previous position at his side, suddenly embarrassed by what had resulted from her desires, not daring to touch him or meet his gaze.
She felt his finger remove a lock of hair from her neck and linger on her cheek.
“Elizabeth…are you upset with me?”
“Upset with you? Why would I be upset? It was I who started this—”
“Because I was too bold. I should have been grateful and content for your mere forgiveness. I took advantage of you though I know you are exhausted. What you really need is peaceful rest.”
“No, you did not take advantage…quite the contrary. And I thank you for being so kind to me.”
He could barely understand her whispered words, yet it was easy to hear the embarrassment in her voice.
He was not certain what he should do next; he knew instinctively that he should leave and let her rest, but he could not bear to leave her in distress.
Thus, instead of leaving, he gently took her hands in his; he was content to feel their fingers entwining.
“Elizabeth, you said you are not upset with me. Then will you not tell me what is troubling you?”
“Please do not ask me…I could not bear to speak about it. I am so ashamed to think of what I have done.”
He lifted her face to hold her gaze and smiled at her, his thumb brushing against her lips.
“Are you ashamed of kissing me, Elizabeth? I have kissed you many times before. Should I feel ashamed for that? Because I confess: I do not. The only thing that could give me more pleasure than kissing you is you kissing me as you did. Your sweet passion and tender caresses…”
With great effort, she managed to meet his gaze though her cheeks coloured highly.
“Oh please, do not remind me of that! And it is not the same as when you kissed me! You are a man, and it is perfectly natural for you to…demand this kind of attention. But a woman must be completely wanton to behave as I did.” She diverted her eyes again, shaking her head in shame at her lack of restraint and decorum.
Darcy did not know whether to be amused or worried. Hoping he understood her well enough, he decided on the former. “And pray tell me: What do you know of a wanton woman’s behaviour, Miss Elizabeth?” His efforts to lighten her spirits were obvious, but he did not succeed easily.
“I know enough…”
“Indeed? And would you be so kind as to share your knowledge with me?” His countenance was mirthful at that moment though her distress did not seem to diminish.
In fact, his last question quickly raised her interest and changed her mood. Arching her eyebrow wonderingly at him, she could not lose the opportunity to inquire further.
“Do you pretend yourself ignorant on this subject, Mr Darcy?”
Her question made his lips twist into a mischievous little smile while his eyes wore the expression that always tormented her.
“I do not pretend to be ignorant on the subject, Miss Elizabeth. I was only curious to discover how a proper gentleman’s daughter knows ‘enough’ about this topic.
I would also be curious to know under what circumstances you acquired this knowledge. ”
He was teasing her, and she grew the tiniest bit angry.
She had trapped herself in this web of questions that could not have an answer, and she tried to find an escape that might help her throw his teasing back at him.
She had no time to find anything as he continued, his lips moving closer to her ear.
“You should know by now, Miss Elizabeth, that I can hardly be called ignorant on any subject of importance to a gentleman.”
She almost chuckled at this statement, but his warm whispers were burning her skin, and she swallowed deeply in an attempt to concentrate on what she wanted to say. She could not lose the opportunity of extracting a little revenge, which he—generously though unwillingly—afforded her.
“You are correct, sir. I should have known that by now; but apparently, I am not as perceptive as other young ladies are. And I dare say it is your fault too. Instead of helping me to improve myself, you have only deceived me, grossly and purposely, all these months since we met.”
He recognised her teasing tone—as he had fallen victim to it many times—but her reference to his deceiving her worried him, and he searched her features carefully.
She met his gaze, and the expression of worry on his face drew a hidden smile from her eyes.
He was correct when he had said he put himself at her mercy.
She had the power to toy with him if she desired, even in those moments when he believed he was in control.
And at that moment, she was enjoying the game.
“Elizabeth, I do not understand your meaning. I have never deceived you, at least not knowingly.”
“Well, from your earlier confession, it appears that your own opinion about the correctness of your character secretly matches perfectly with Miss Bingley’s opinion on the subject.
Apparently, both of you agree that you are a man without fault and therefore closer to perfection than any other human being.
Perhaps you should reconsider the offer you made to me and ask for Miss Bingley’s hand instead.
In doing so, you would assure yourself many hours of praise each day, not to mention you would have someone to mend your pen remarkably well any time you should require it. ”
The emotions displayed on his face as he finally understood her were too much for her to bear, and she burst out in such a loud laugh that she buried her head against his chest, afraid that a servant would hear her from the hall.
Without completely realising what was happening, she felt herself tumbled over, and in the next moment, she was on her back, trapped beneath him. He was leaning on his side, holding her playfully and just firmly enough to prevent her getting up, obviously enjoying this sense of power.
Elizabeth continued to laugh, staring closely into his dark eyes. She felt the weight of his body, and his hands tightened their grip in her hair, pinning her head to the pillow. She was at his mercy, but she trusted him and knew she had nothing to fear.
“So, Elizabeth, are you making fun of me? You believe me to be not only an arrogant fool but a stupid, haughty, conceited one too, am I correct?”
“Sir, I shall confess to only half your accusations. I am, indeed, making fun of you, but I never would dare say any of those horrible things.”
“Really? But you do believe that I need hours of praise each day?”
“That I must admit to as well. And if I cannot persuade you to break our engagement, I shall be obliged to ask Miss Bingley to teach me the particular compliments you appreciate most.”
Again, she burst into laughter while he tried to maintain a serious countenance and a grave tone.
“I dare say, Miss Elizabeth, you are very impudent for someone trapped in such a precarious situation. I might lose my patience after being laughed at in such an impolite manner. I might be tempted to think of a harsh punishment, and you could do nothing but accept it. You could not possibly consider fighting against me.”
“Oh, do not try to frighten me by speaking so menacingly, Mr Darcy. My spirits always rise in the face of a challenge. And the only one in a precarious situation is you, sir. You can depend on it that I shall tease you about this every time I find an opportunity. Moreover, I fully intend to tell Georgiana and Lady Ellen as well.”
“No, you will not, because I intend to silence you for as long as I can.”
No other answer was possible; her mouth was trapped, and she completely surrendered to his kiss as her hands found their well-known path into his hair.
He leaned slowly, covering her body a little at a time, giving her the chance to protest if she wanted to, until he completely lay atop her, careful not to allow his weight to overwhelm her.