As the weeks flew by Will and Lizzy had gotten into the habit of doing some of their morning runs together. They ran in Washington square park or in Central park for 5-6 miles before they both went back to their own homes to shower and head to work. On one such run Lizzy asked Will if he would like to go to her parent's place in New Jersey for lunch that Saturday. Her mom had been nagging her to bring Will and she had also invited Jane and Charles and some of their other friends from the neighbourhood. Will readily agreed in-spite of Lizzy's apprehensions about taking Will to meet her family.
"It's going to be fine, Lizzy," Will reassured her. Lizzy also told Will that she would have to come to her parents house directly from the airport as she was going to Philadelphia on work and flying back to New Jersey in the morning on that Saturday. Will said he would drive himself over to Lizzy's parents house and meet her there. They decided they would drive back to Manhattan together after lunch at her parents'.
"By the way, Lizzy, are you free to have dinner with me that evening on Saturday?" Will asked and Lizzy readily agreed. She was looking forward to spending time with Will that Saturday as she was going to be away on work in Philadelphia that week. She was sure she would have missed Will and would be waiting to get back to him by Saturday.
On Saturday morning, Will was surprised to be woken up around 7 am by his phone ringing. He picked up the phone to see it was Lizzy that was calling from Philadelphia.
"Will!," she said sounding somewhat anxious. "Looks like my flight has been cancelled and the next flight out is only in the afternoon. I'm not sure how I can make it to lunch at my parents' place today. I tried to rent a car and drive but they are all booked too."
Will thought quickly if there was a way to fix the problem. "Lizzy, shall I try to use my corporate account to see if there is a flight out?" he suggested. But Lizzy was unwilling to let him use his corporate account for her travel.
Will thought quickly again. It wouldn't be difficult for him to drive to Philly to pick her up. It was after all a 2.5 hour drive from Manhattan even with traffic. He could pick her up and drive them both to her parents' place in New Jersey. New Jersey was only a 1.5 hour away from Philly anyway. He explained that he would come pick her up.
Lizzy put her foot down and said "No Will, I cannot expect you to drive 2.5 hours from Manhattan for me," she said.
"Lizzy," he pleaded, "I have a fairly free morning. I can leave in the next half hour and I can be there by 10 am. It's not hard at all."
"No Will. I do not want to depend on you like this," Lizzy said.
"Lizzy, I know it's important for us to meet your parents and get it over with. I would like to come pick you up. Trust me it's not hard for me. I was anyway planning to listen to a few podcasts of shareholder meetings this morning which I can as easily do from my car as anywhere else. I'll be there in no time."
"No Will. I can take care of myself," Lizzy said adamantly
"Lizzy, I'm sure you can take care of yourself. I'm sure you will be fine without me driving over. I'm not trampling over your independence by caring for you," he pleaded again.
Lizzy relented finally, "OK, if you say so," she said. She had been wanting to go to her parents' house with Will and get it over with like Will had said. If he was anyway listening to podcasts then may be he was not wasting his time picking her up, she concluded.
Will had an easy drive to Philly. He picked Lizzy up around 10 am and they drove back to New Jersey chatting about their work weeks. Lizzy thanked him profusely for driving to get her and he brushed her thanks off without missing a beat. Lizzy realized finally that caring for someone does not imply trampling over their independence. She also realized she would have done the same or more for Will given half a chance.
When they parked and got out of the car at Lizzy's parents' house, Lizzy could already see her mom bustling around in the backyard setting up the food and such. Some guests had already arrived and Lizzy winced as she heard her mom brag to someone saying, "Oh, I'm sure the Darcy penthouse in the Upper East Side is worth over seven million dollars." Will squeezed her hand and smiled to show her mom's remarks did not bother him as they walked inside.
Lizzy was surprised by two things at lunch. One was that Will had brought some books from his private collection to lend to his dad. They were first edition books of *To kill a mocking bird* and *David Copperfield*. She learnt Will and her dad had talked about those books when they had met sometime in the past and Will had decided to bring them to her dad. Lizzy's dad seemed happy with Will and Lizzy being together but was not very openly complimentary. He just muttered something like, "Looks like Lizzy's taste in men has finally improved."
The second thing that surprised Lizzy was the presence of Caroline. She really wasn't sure why the said woman was there and decided to ignore her completely although she did feel Caroline constantly watching her and Will.
Her mom's behaviour while still embarrassing was nothing new. Her mom made it a point to brag about both Charles and Will to her neighbours. Both the men seemed to take it in their stride. Lizzy decided to learn from them and do the same. She was happy to see Jane as she didn't get to meet her sister as often as she would have liked. They still talked over the phone often enough and Lizzy kept Jane updated about her relationship with Will. Jane was happy that Will and Lizzy were getting to know one another and seemed to be enjoying their time together. The sisters sat together with their lunch plates as Lizzy saw Will and Charles sit with her dad to eat lunch. She also heard Will complimenting her mom openly for the great lunch spread her mom had put out. Lizzy felt warm and happy as she saw Will trying his best to mingle and be nice to her family. She was in a very happy place as far as her relationship with Will was concerned. She still had some concerns about taking their relationship to the next well. She knew the time had come but it seemed like she was afraid of something. She decided to talk to her sister about it.
"Jane, when did you know Charles was the one for you?" she asked her sister.
"Oh Lizzy," Jane said, "that's a tough question. I could say you know the person is the one when you feel all is right with the world when you look at them, but it's more than that. It's about the two of you being the right fit for each other - mentally, emotionally and physically."
Lizzy nodded. What Jane said made sense but she had more questions. "How do you know you are not in it too deep? How do you know you won't get hurt?"
"What do you mean?" asked Jane slightly alarmed at her sister's line of questioning.
"Oh, I only meant to ask if a couple gets too attached and then realize they cannot stay together for some reason or the other, then how does one move on from that?" Lizzy asked.
"Lizzy, do you have any reason to believe William will not stay with you?" Jane asked in return.
"I don't know Jane. He is all that is good but I know his family's expectations are for him to be with someone of a similar background as them. Even Caroline has told me that Will and I are mismatched in that respect," Lizzy said a little sadly.
"Lizzy," Jane continued, "For one, please don't listen to anything Caroline tells you. You know how uncouth she was when Charles and I were seeing each other and if Charles who is Caroline's own brother can ignore her, you can too." Jane smiled reassuringly as she continued, "It's natural to be scared of losing one's love but isn't it better to have tried than to have not tried at all?" Jane answered sensibly.
Lizzy nodded. Jane was right. Lizzy realized she was getting very very attached to Will. She shouldn't be scared of losing him, she told herself. She should welcome their attachment and appreciate his presence in her life. She should be thankful that they found each other against all odds. She decided she should also take their physical relationship to the next level as she believed physical intimacy only improved the connection between two people who were intrinsically so passionate about each other. She looked up to see Will still chatting amicably with her dad and some neighbours. He happened to look at her across the yard at the same time. As they smiled at each other Lizzy felt all was right with the world when this man was with her.
Will and Lizzy drove back from Lizzy's parents house in the afternoon. Lizzy asked Will if he could drop her off at her house first so she could get dressed and meet him at his place for dinner as they had previously planned. Will dropped her off at her apartment after telling her to get ready quickly and get herself over to his place as soon as she could. Lizzy smiled at his eagerness and promised him she would bring herself over to his place within the hour.
She went into her apartment and quickly showered. She wore her lacy green bra only to sheepishly realize that the matching panties were still with Will. She felt her body tingle just at the thought of her panties lying in his wardrobe. She dressed in a dark green wrap-around dress that hugged her body at the right places. She put on some light makeup and her nude-tone heels as she stepped out to hail a cab to go to Will's house.
When she entered Will's penthouse she could see he had gone all out to create a very romantic setting. There was a table for two set up in the dining area and there was soft music playing. Will pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the lips as he told her she looked gorgeous.
"Will, be that as it may, I believe you have a certain piece of clothing that belongs to me," Lizzy said saucily. She was bent upon playing this flirtatious game with him tonight.
"What kind of clothing are you talking about?" Will smirked pretending to not know although he knew exactly what she was referring to.
"I'll give you a hint. If you let me have it now, I'll let you take it off later," Lizzy whispered into his ears, "Besides I believe it is considered indecent for a lady to eat dinner without having that particular article of clothing on," she cooed.
Will knew he was being played by the best but what could he do? He was not a saint after all. His mind raced ahead to possible outcomes, each one of them sexier than the other, but he resolved to play it cool. His jaw clenched as he told her to go find her missing item of clothing. It was sitting right next to his stuff in his wardrobe. He couldn't take his eyes off her backside as Lizzy walked with a provocative sway of her hips to his bedroom to procure said item.
When Lizzy returned Will couldn't meet her eyes. He felt so aroused. He literally prayed for self-control if Lizzy still wanted to take their relationship *slow* that night. He had come to hate that word - slow. God help me, he thought. Neither of them knew how they managed to finish dinner without pouncing on the other. The air between them seemed to be electrically charged and each was sure that they would combust if the other one so much as glanced at them. Unfortunately two people with such strong characters can be quite stubborn if they so preferred. As they finished dinner, they still acted calm and collected so as to not be the first one to succumb to the others seductive ways. Lizzy walked to the living room nonchalantly holding her glass of dessert wine as Will followed as calmly as he could.
"So how is your sex life, Will?" she taunted him directly finally making eye contact.
Will's heart raced but two can play this game, he decided. Besides he was having too much fun and didn't want this to end anytime soon.
"As good as ever, Lizzy. As good as ever," Will replied
"I presume that means you haven't had any action in two or three weeks," Lizzy teased while knowing fully well that neither had had real sex since they had decided to go steady many months ago. They had kissed and cuddled and used their mouths and hands every chance they got but never the real deal.
"Two or three weeks?" Will burst out, "It's been more like six months and you know it. By the way, do you know what day it is today?" he asked.
"What day?" Lizzy asked sincerely confused and feeling like she didn't have the upperhand for the first time that evening.
"Well, today is the day you came to my house to return Georgie's books six months ago," Will whispered.
Lizzy's hand flew to her mouth. He was right. It had been six months since she had pounced on him in this very same living room. What a ride it had been for them since then! She suddenly felt silly playing this flirtatious game that she had been playing since she had stepped into his house that evening. She realized she just wanted to be with this man who had come to mean so much to her.
She walked over to him and said, "You know what? Nothing much has changed since that day. I still think I can have you anytime I want," she whispered.
"Yes, you can Lizzy," Will said matter of factly, "but why?"
Lizzy was taken aback "Why? What do you mean why?"
"You can have me anytime you want," Will clarified, "That is a foregone conclusion but my question to you is why do you want me?"
"Will," Lizzy faltered a bit. She had not thought he would give her a hard time about this but she had to come clean and let him know what she was feeling, she surmised. "Will, the past six months have been the most enjoyable in my adulthood as far as I can remember. I have loved being with you and I want to continue to have what we have here. I don't think I have known a better man in my life than you. So shut the fuck up and take my clothes off. I even wore the very same underwear as that night just for you."
Will laughed happily. He realized she still was wary of saying the 'L' word but he loved the fact that she had at least tried to express her feelings. He scooped her up as she gave a surprised yelp and threw her over his shoulder to take her to his bedroom. He placed her on her feet near his bed as he took a step back to look at her. He was so ready to tell her that he loved her but that would be too much for one night, he thought. Lizzy felt like she was going up in flames as he looked at her like he was going to ravish her. She slowly brought her fingers to the ties of her wrap-around dress. Will still looked into her eyes as she tugged at the ties. The ties loosened and the dress opened up in the front. She was wearing the same exact dark green lacy bra that she had worn the first time. Will's eyes finally dropped lower and Lizzy felt herself tingle wherever he looked.
"Get a grip woman," she told herself, "he is all but looking at you."
Will chuckled softly when he saw she had in fact found and worn her panties to dinner. He took a step towards her and pushed her dress off her shoulders.
"Lizzy, do you know what I want to do to you?" Will breathed.
"What?" Lizzy all but snapped. She was so wound up.
"Do you remember our phone sex? I told you to imagine my mouth kissing you all over then. I'll make good my promises today," he said as he kissed her forehead. "I want to kiss every inch of your body today."
Lizzy visible shivered at his words as he slowly kissed her jawline, her neck, her collarbone. He abruptly turned her around such that her back was to his chest. He flicked open her bra as he trailed a finger along her back. He whispered for her to turn around. He slowly trailed a finger from her shoulder down to the side of her breast to her waist and back up. Lizzy was losing her patience. She wanted to feel his mouth on her. She arched her body towards him silently begging him to lick her breasts as his lips grazed from her waist to her panties.
"You know I should have told you there's a price for this little piece of clothing," he said as his fingers skimmed the edge of her panties slowly.
"Price? I'll pay any price," Lizzy whispered brazenly.
"The price will be for you to have breakfast with me tomorrow morning without these things on," he smirked.
"That would be my pleasure," she replied. At this point she would have given anything he asked for. She realized he was trying to make sure that she stayed the night by making her promise breakfast. She also realized there was no other place she would rather be sleeping tonight than here in his bed.
"Take them off," he said as he stepped back to watch her take her panties off.
Lizzy held his gaze as she stepped out of her panties. He audibly gasped as he watched her standing gloriously naked in the middle of his bedroom. Her skin glowed as his eyes travelled all over her body. He stepped forward and started kissing her from head to toe as if he would die if he could not kiss her, as if he was a man trapped in a desert lapping up water from her body. He kissed her everywhere, he nibbled every inch of her as she clung to him. He finally scooped her up and kissed her fiercely on the lips and carried her to his bed. As he spread her legs and positioned himself to insert into her, he mumbled something that sounded very much like "God, how I love you" into her hair. It was drowned out by Lizzy begging him to take her harder. He was still being maddeningly slow as her body adjusted to his size. Lizzy bit his shoulder as she arched her body to egg him on. He lost control then and pummeled into her. "Open your eyes, sweetheart," he said as he looked at her. She witnessed the depth of his feelings for her in his eyes as he rode her till they both reached a divine rhythm, freely floating and at the same time freely falling, until his lips crashed into hers as their bodies climaxed in unison around one another. Wave after wave of the strongest feelings for him engulfed her as she held on to him begging him to complete her.