Chapter 24 #7
For a moment, she seemed to have lost her rhythm, but his strong palms lingered on her hips, squeezing gently, and then guided her body until it matched his pace.
She learned quickly, and her renewed confidence made her even more daring.
As much as she liked being trapped beneath him earlier, she enjoyed experiencing the novelty of being free from his weight, to discover she could breathe easily, she could move easily, and she could use this freedom to her benefit—and his.
She slid her fingers into his hair and squeezed it as he was squeezing her thighs.
He tried to laugh, but he groaned with pleasure instead.
She lifted her body a moment, and her breasts brushed against the hair of his chest; the sensation sent shivers across her skin, and she instantly repeated the gesture.
“Oh God, Elizabeth,” he cried, and his voice brought her as much pleasure as his long, deep moves, which turned wilder with every moment.
She managed to keep her body moving together with his while she leaned toward his ear. Her full breasts pressed against his chest and the short, curly hair tickled her swollen nipples. The sensation was unbearable and, impulsively, she bit his earlobe. “Is this pleasant enough, Mr Darcy?”
“God, yes, yes!” he articulated breathlessly, and with the same violent move, he rolled her back against the pillow as he reclaimed his place upon her.
She was surprised—again—but only for a second.
Instantly, her legs entwined around him and her arms encircled his back, stroking his skin; he moved inside her stronger, harder and deeper, and his mouth captured hers once more in a kiss that was deep, possessive, impatient, and mirrored the rhythm of their bodies unleashed in their need for fulfilment.
When the moment finally came, he broke the kiss and demanded she open her eyes again, so they could see each other as their faces transfigured into the most blissful pleasure and their swollen lips cried one another’s names.
They remained united, silent and still; he only rolled their joined bodies to relieve her of the burden of his weight.
A couple of minutes later, Darcy covered her with a sheet and his hand stroked her long, silky hair, which was caressing his sweat-drenched skin. She chuckled and he became very intrigued. That was not the kind of reaction he was expecting.
“Is something the matter?” he asked.
“No, nothing really. It is just that…I am happy to be your wife.”
She surprised him; he could not repress a deeply satisfied smile, which she heard in his voice.
“I see. And may I dare ask the reason for such a sudden confession at this particular time of night, Mrs Darcy? Does it have anything to do with my income of ten thousand a year?”
Flustered and slightly embarrassed, her fingers touched his chin tentatively.
“You sound very pleased with yourself and quite impertinent, Mr Darcy.”
He took her hand and placed soft kisses on each of her fingers. “I am very pleased with myself; I have no reason to deny that. And I am waiting for you to tell me about your happiness.”
He teased her, and he could see she was amused, so he expected a sharp reply.
“My happiness has nothing to do with your fortune or with other things you have in mind, sir.”
He raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and she laughed while her cheeks coloured.
“Very well, I will admit it has to do with some of the things you have in mind.”
His glance was a mixture of tenderness and teasing. “I can see you are happy, Mrs Darcy—not just today, but every day since we married. I see your eyes sparkling with joy and your lips smiling; I can feel your happiness, Elizabeth. Your happiness as my wife is what pleases me.”
“Then you should be very pleased with yourself, husband, for I am not just happy but grateful to be your wife. I am quite serious now, William. As I told you when I came to your room earlier, I cannot stop wondering about how fortunate I have been in marrying you.”
“We were both fortunate—or better to say, we were both wise—in choosing whom we married,” he replied, his lips still pressed against her fingers.
“You were wise in choosing your wife. A woman can hardly choose—she can only hope she will gain the affection of a worthy man whom she can respect and appreciate. Of course, a woman can accept or reject any man’s attentions—but nothing more. It is a man’s privilege to choose.”
“Sometimes, a man’s privilege of choosing means nothing when he does not know how to use that privilege properly or how to bestow his attentions upon the woman he has chosen.”
“And sometimes a woman cannot see the worthiness of the man for whom she has waited and hoped her entire life! I know I have every reason to feel grateful and fortunate; my prejudice and my hasty, unwise estimation of your character almost made me lose the path to true happiness.”
“May I dare hope I am your true happiness?”
“Yes you are. Do you know what I adore most in you, husband?”
“Besides my income and my situation in life?”
She laughed and nodded. “Yes, and despite being tall and uncommonly handsome.”
“Hmm…Now you have made me even more curious to hear your praises, because if we put aside my wealth and my features, I doubt there is much to adore in me.” He cast her a meaningful look, and she blushed instantly.
“I adore exactly what I hated when we first met: your behaviour toward me. I could not imagine a more considerate and kind husband—
“Considerate and kind?” he interrupted her soundly. “Madam, of what are you talking? Something must be very wrong in this marriage if, after five days of intimacy, my young wife describes me in such brotherly terms.”
She chuckled, but his frown remained, and she started to laugh heartily.
“Allow me to finish, sir, before you become upset with me. So, as I said—you are kind and considerate”—she paused and moved further so her face was at the same level as his—“and gentle, and generous, and tender, and loving, and passionate.”
A smile overspread her lips and her mouth moved closer to his.
“That is a much more comforting description, madam.”
Her smile became tender, and her head rested on his chest again.
“We should sleep now, William; it must be very late.” She sighed and brushed her cheek against his skin while her palm gently caressed him, and finally, she placed a soft, brief kiss over his heart.
His arm encircled her shoulders. “Sleep well, my love.” She whispered something, while her hand continued to caress him. She was obviously very tired, and her breathing became more and more regular; however, her caresses seemed to increase too. Eventually, his hand stopped hers.
“Elizabeth, you should not continue to do that if you truly wish to sleep,” he whispered.
She opened her eyes to him. “What did I do?”
“Nothing, but that your touch gives me shivers, and sleep is the last thing on my mind.
Elizabeth stared at him in disbelief. “Surely you cannot mean…We just finished…and it was the second time today.” Her astonishment was a new reason for his amusement; he kissed her hand and embraced her more closely, trying to dissipate her worry.
“Do not be afraid, my love. I will never insist upon anything you do not want. And you may touch me as much as you like. I will gladly bear the torture of your caresses with the last remnants of my self-control,” he teased her. “Now let us sleep.”
“I am not afraid of anything you may do, William; I know you would never force me—with anything. And it is not that I do not want it. It is just I feel really exhausted now.”
“My love, I know you are exhausted,” he smiled and kissed her temple. “I also know you have not slept much lately; in fact, I wonder if you have slept enough a single night in the last couple of months.”
A few more moments of silence followed. “William, may I ask —? How is it that, except for our wedding night, it only happened once every evening, and then we would sleep? Yet today we already—you know—twice, and you still do not seem tired.”
Darcy embraced her tightly and removed a lock of hair from her ear.
“I was not tired before either.” He smiled.
“I only struggled to balance my desires with my concern. I could not stay away from you, but I tried to take into consideration your lack of experience, your fears, and your discomfort. As you said earlier, I mostly exercised the ‘kind and considerate’ side of my character.”
“I see,” she whispered, not knowing what to say.
“From now on, my dearest, loveliest wife, as you have proven that I no longer have reason to be concerned, I intend to fully exercise my loving, passionate side—as you described it.”
His deep, flirtatious voice and the gentle touch of his fingers near her ear sent shivers across her skin, and she tried hard to smile as she felt her face and neck burning.
“I see,” she repeated.
“That is why I would strongly advise you to stop any further conversation about this subject and try to sleep as soon as you can,” he concluded with another soft kiss upon her lips.
“Good night, husband,” she said, cuddling to his chest.
“Good night, my love,” he replied, certain he could not possibly fall asleep with her warm body pressed to his. However, as she said, he was not tired at all. He would allow her to rest as much as she needed while he watched her beautiful face smiling in her dreams.
She was truly happy—of that, he had no doubt.