NOTES:

Here's chapter 10. Enjoy!

Massive thanks to booknoser321 for betaing this chapter!

Uncharted - Chapter 10

William was in an exceptionally good mood. He'd woken up with Lizzie in his arms that morning, he had finally caught up on his backlog of work at the office, everything was set for Gigi's move to Sanditon, and he had an entire evening alone with Lizzie to look forward to. In fact, things were going so well that he was ready to leave work at 4:30, something that was virtually unheard of. With a spring in his step, he gathered his things and left his office, deciding as he did so that he'd make a few stops on the way home to pick up some things for his evening with Lizzie.

As he walked down the corridor toward the elevators, Fitz stopped him.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Is that William Darcy smiling and leaving the office early?"

William paused and grinned at his friend. "Perhaps."

Fitz studied him for a long beat before responding. "I don't remember the last time I saw you this happy. It's nice."

"It is rather pleasant," William agreed.

"So Gigi and I were right to meddle then?"

"I would not say that."

Fitz beamed. "Please. If Gigi and I hadn't given you two a push she'd still be hating you, and you'd still be miserable and alone."

William sighed. "You give yourself entirely too much credit, my friend."

"Whatever. I know I'm right, so that's what matters."

"Anyway, I uh…" William shuffled his feet awkwardly. He enjoyed spending time with Fitz, of course, but right now, he really wanted to get to Lizzie.

"Right. You've got a girlfriend to see. Go! And don't do anything I wouldn't do." Fitz wiggled his eyebrows.

"I shall not even pretend to know what you are implying." William adjusted the grip on his briefcase. "I will see you on Monday."

"Okay. Have a great weekend, Darce. Say hi to Lizzie for me." Fitz called after him as William reached the elevators.

He nodded his head once in acknowledgement and stepped inside, his mind already full of thoughts about Lizzie.

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Lizzie closed her laptop at four, deciding that she'd done enough work for one day. She'd already set up multiple business meetings for the following week, and she'd made some notes about the media project she was thinking of launching with. She'd also finally settled on a name for her company and had done some research on the costs of business cards, letterhead and website design. The numbers were starting to make her head spin, and she had to force herself to swallow the lump in her throat that formed whenever she thought about how much money she didn't currently have to pay for all this stuff.

Massaging a tense spot on her neck, Lizzie decided she'd have a bath so she could relax and let some of the stresses of her day fade before her evening with William. The thought of him made her smile, and as she sank into the warm bubbly water a few minutes later she let her mind wander to the night before. Being with him like that, even though they hadn't actually done anything had felt incredible. She could only imagine what it was going to be like when they didn't feel like they needed to hold back. A nervous flutter in her abdominal region reminded her that it wasn't going be much longer until she wouldn't need to imagine it. The memory of his fingers and lips grazing over her skin the previous night made her shudder, and she closed her eyes, revelling in the sensation.

A knock on the door startled her, and she jolted awake, the now cool temperature of the water alerting her to the fact that she must have fallen asleep.

"Lizzie? Are you in there?" William's voice held a hint of concern. How long had she been sleeping?

"Yes, I'm here," she called softly.

The relief in his reply was palpable. "I suspected. Take your time, I just wanted to inform you that I am home early."

"What time is it?"

"Nearly five."

"Okay. I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Please do not feel that you need to rush on my account. I have a few preparations to make."

"Preparations?" Just what exactly was he plotting?

"Nothing you need to be concerned about." Fading footsteps indicated that he'd moved away from the door, so Lizzie didn't bother to respond. Instead, she sank deeper into the water, wetting her hair so she could wash it quickly before going to investigate exactly what it was that William was up to.

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After speaking with Lizzie through the bathroom door, William had to sit down for a moment and compose himself. When he'd realized that Lizzie was in the bath, his imagination had immediately supplied him with images of her stretched out, her hair wet, bubbles not so effectively concealing her. A part of him had been tempted to open the door and ravage her right then and there, but he'd resisted. He wanted their first time together to be special. He knew it was a ridiculously romantic notion that people like Fitz would tease him mercilessly about had they known, but between Lizzie's thesis, living in different cities and various family interruptions, they had waited a long time for this, and after the tenderness and intensity of their encounter the night before, it felt inappropriate to behave rashly. Besides, he reminded himself, his eyes landing on the purchases he'd picked up on his way home, he had plans for tonight.

Feeling more composed, William stood up and began making his preparations. He was halfway through peeling the carrots when he sensed Lizzie approaching.

He turned toward her, his eyes widening in shock and appreciation as he recognized the outfit she was wearing to be the one she'd worn on her birthday, on the day they first kissed. Suddenly overwhelmed by emotions he couldn't put into thoughts, let alone words, William set down the peeler and approached her.

"You look amazing," he told her honestly.

Her eyes were unfathomably bright as she met his gaze, her breath hitching in her throat. "Thank you. I-"

Whatever else it was that she was trying to say was swallowed by his kiss. He felt her surprised gasp against his lips before she willingly surrendered and kissed him back with an intensity he wasn't expecting. By the time they broke the kiss, they both had their hands entwined in each others' hair.

Lizzie pressed her face into his cheek and he could feel her smiling. "Wow."

He held her for a moment, marvelling, not for the first time, over the way her body fit so perfectly against his, as though they were two matching pieces in a puzzle. He supposed in a way, they were. Reluctantly, he pulled away, kissed the top of her head affectionately and returned to the kitchen, where he rescued the chicken he'd been cooking from burning before continuing with the carrots.

He felt Lizzie's eyes on him as he worked, and when he looked up to meet her gaze she was leaning on the other end of the counter, smiling. "You're cooking," she said incredulously after a moment.

"I have been known to do that from time to time," William teased as he started to slice the carrots and toss them into the salad he'd started earlier.

"This is a new side of you, William Darcy." She reached out and stole a slice of carrot.

"You're surprised."

It was a statement as opposed to a question, but Lizzie answered anyway. "A little," she admitted. "I guess I just sort of assumed…"

She trailed off, and he waited expectantly, knowing she'd elaborate in time.

"It's stupid," she said finally, a faint flush painting her cheeks.

"Nothing about you is stupid, Lizzie."

Lizzie sighed. "I just never pictured you cooking. I figured you either ordered in, ate out, or had someone else make it for you." She looked down at her hands, and he could tell she was embarrassed.

William quickly turned off the stove before walking over to where she was. He took both her hands in his and looked directly at her. "There's no need to be embarrassed. It's a logical conclusion given my situation. And to be honest, it's not that far from the truth. My mother taught me how to cook. She felt it was important that I know my way around a kitchen, but after she died, well, for a long time I couldn't bear to even pick up a peeler. It hurt too much because it reminded me of her, and I fear Gigi suffered because of my reluctance. For many years when it was just the two of us, we ate in the manner you expected. It wasn't until Gigi was older and called me out for it that I was able to face cooking again."

Tears were brimming in Lizzie's eyes. "I had no idea," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

William used his thumbs to gently wipe her cheeks. "It was a long time ago. The truth is, I actually quite enjoy cooking now. It makes me feel closer to my mother, as though a part of her is with me."

"That's beautiful." Lizzie pressed her palm to his cheek. "Thank you for sharing that with me."

"I want to share everything with you, Lizzie, even the difficult things. It just might take time for us to get through them all."

"Well, we have a lifetime to share those things; I'm confident we'll get there."

William froze as her words washed over him. Lifetime, she'd said lifetime. He tried not to read too much into it, but the unspoken implication of such a word made his heart feel somewhat lighter. They hadn't yet spoken of the future beyond Lizzie moving to San Francisco and starting her company, yet for weeks now he'd found it impossible to imagine a day when Lizzie would ever not be a part of his life. Spoken or not, he was already imagining a long future with her, and he was pleased to discover that she seemed to be thinking along the same lines. All the same, he decided not to make a big deal about what she had said. Their relationship was still quite new, and they weren't ready to make such promises to each other.

"I am sure you are right." He kissed her cheek and returned to dinner preparations, hoping she hadn't noticed his internal reaction to her words.

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Lizzie exhaled loudly as William walked away, relieved that he hadn't seemed to notice the implications of her words. She hadn't meant to say it like that, although she was surprised to realize that she'd meant it. It didn't matter that they'd only been dating for a few months or that they hadn't even put word to their feelings. Lizzie could already picture them together years from now, holding hands as they watched over the children they had raised together, attending family events, building a life together. It was there, so vividly in her mind already, as though she had already lived it. As much as she wanted that future, however, the depth of her feelings for William terrified her. She was afraid to even think the word love, let alone say it aloud, even though she was pretty sure that was how she felt. It was just too important a word, too significant, and the power it held for him to hurt her, or worse, for her to hurt him, was just too much for her to contemplate just yet. There were too many challenges ahead, too many potential roadblocks that could crop up, and she wasn't quite ready to go there just yet.

"Lizzie, is everything all right?" William's voice broke through her thoughts, and she was startled to see him standing before her again, two plates in his hands.

Blinking, Lizzie nodded and smiled. "Better than all right."

William expression held skepticism but he didn't say anything. Instead, he set their plates down on the table and gestured for her to sit down.

She hadn't noticed it when she'd walked into the room earlier, but he had laid out the table with candles and flowers and what looked like the fanciest china Lizzie had ever seen. It was utterly romantic, and she felt as though her heart were swelling inside her chest. "This is beautiful, William," she managed to say as she sat down.

He poured them each a glass of wine - probably something with a price tag that would make her shudder - and lit the candles before dimming the lights and taking his own seat.

"What kind of flowers are those?" Lizzie asked, pointing to the exotic bouquet in the centre of the table.

"They are orchids. They've always been a favourite of mine. Beautiful and exotic with a tough edge. They reminded me of you."

"They're gorgeous."

"As are you," William voice had turned deep and husky, sending unexpected tingles down Lizzie's spine.

She took a sip of wine, in the hopes that he wouldn't notice her blush.

The rest of the meal passed with a mixture of companionable silence and lively discussion, stolen glances and light touches, and before Lizzie knew it, William was clearing their plates. She followed him into the kitchen, taking a moment to observe him. He moved gracefully, his motions agile and smooth. She admired the way the contours of his muscles shifted as he worked, and her fingers itched to reach out and graze over them.

William must have sensed her watching him, for he suddenly turned to look at her, and something in her gaze must have given her away, because his eyes were suddenly emblazoned with heat she'd only had a glimpse of before now. He took a step toward her, and she inhaled in anticipation. This was it, this was the moment they had both been waiting for, this was the moment when the days and months of sexual tension that had been building between them could finally be acted upon, this was the moment — her thoughts we cut off by the crush of his lips against hers.

Suddenly nothing else mattered. Nothing but the sensation of his tongue tracing the contours of her mouth; his hands pressed to her back, holding him tight against her; the sweet, and now familiar musky scent that was all him. Lizzie whimpered against him, as a rush of sensation coursed through her body, she wanted, no, needed more. Without even realizing she'd done it, Lizzie had tugged the bottom of William's shirt free and was sliding her hands along the bare skin of his back. She felt him shiver, and she wondered, not for the first time, if her touch made him feel as alive, as warm, as his touch made her feel.

He stopped kissing her, and, just as she was about to protest, he began planting small, tender, delicious kisses along her jaw. Lizzie tipped her head back, exposing her neck, and William kissed his way down her neck, along her collarbone. Hot breath grazed her skin, and her knees buckled slightly, but William caught her, his arm around her waist steadying her, keeping her upright. Lizzie clung to him, not wanting this to end, but knowing that logically, they needed to vacate the kitchen.

William found her lips again, and kissed her so deeply, so thoroughly, that for a moment she forgot how to breathe. "Bedroom," she gasped when she could think clearly once more.

Their eyes locked, and William looked just as undone as she felt. Wordlessly he nodded his agreement before stooping down, tucking one arm under her legs and supporting her back with the other, gathered her in his arms before carrying her down the hallway to his bedroom.

To be continued…