Hope all is well with all of you, and thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and to comment. It really means a lot to me. Another thing that means a lot is the continued help and support of my dear friends, Mary, Amy, Sophie, Julie, Linnea, Ashley, Juliet, Susan and Betsy!

Chapter 54

"What are you doing here?" Elizabeth felt Will's sleepy whisper against her ear as much as she heard it.

"Mmmmm," she moaned softly, snuggling against him as she drifted into some form of consciousness. "I, uhmm…" She said the first thing that came to mind – the simple truth, "I needed to have your arms wrapped around me."

He kissed her neck. "God knows how I've missed you." Her hand reached back for him, coming to rest on his bare hip, and his hand found her breast as his lips continued their attention to that spot just above her shoulder that drove her crazy.

When she could take no more – her whole body aflame – Elizabeth turned to face him and began placing hungry kisses on his chest. She slid her fingers along his firm torso, pausing only to raise her arms so Will could remove her top.

Their movements were deliberate and sensual as their hands slipped lower. Even so, it took little time for her pajama shorts to end up on the floor.

When their desires could no longer be sated by touch alone, they made love, at the same slow pace, whispering their endearments and desires to one another.

Afterwards, Elizabeth smiled contentedly and sighed as she laid her head on Will's chest. "I love you so much, Will," she whispered.

As Will began to respond in kind, he felt her breathing change and looked at her softly closed eyes. It amazed him how quickly she had fallen back to sleep. He smiled and closed his eyes, breathing deep – he loved the way she smelled.

Though he thought himself not tired, he must have fallen asleep again, for the next time he opened his eyes it was 8:23. He lay there for some time, enjoying the way she felt in his arms, but he was now wide awake. He wasn't ready to leave her though, so he considered their current situation. Despite the number of people in the house and the rules he and Maggie imposed on Georgiana and Tiffany, he really wanted Elizabeth to stay in his room, in his bed. Perhaps he would discuss it with her today.

When his mind began to wander to work issues, he decided to get up. After carefully moving Elizabeth's head to her pillow, he slipped out of bed and pulled on a pair of shorts and a shirt, the dogs intently watching his every movement. He smiled and whispered, "Come on, boys," then led the dogs downstairs. As he passed the living room, he was surprised to notice the curtains were drawn, but it was no major concern and his two companions had already trotted ahead, eager to be let out the back door.

Will resisted the inviting coffee aroma until the dogs were out, but once the door was shut, he made a beeline for the kitchen. As he entered, he was surprised to see Maggie sitting comfortably at the table, reading the newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee.

She looked up and smiled. "I knew it had to be you," she greeted. "I don't expect anyone else to be up for at least another hour."

He looked at her questioningly. "Why's that?" He thought it unlikely that everyone would be abed until nearly ten.

Maggie tilted her head as she met his eyes and responded evenly, "I don't think anyone got much sleep last night…" Noticing his continued look of confusion, she quickly added, "Well, except you, perhaps."

He looked down. Not expecting sleep to come easily, he had taken a prescription sleeping pill the night before. "Why didn't someone wake me if there was a problem?" he asked tersely.

"There was nothing to be done," she answered. "I was pretty sure they managed to wake everyone, though I only heard Lizzy and Georgie going downstairs."

"Would you please just tell me what's going on!"

"Get your coffee and sit down," she suggested, then she began to relay all she knew.

Will was shocked to say the least. He would never have expected such behavior from Charlie or Jane. "I guess I'll have to talk to him," he said resignedly.

"Maybe." Maggie shook her head slowly. "But give him a chance. With clearer heads, they'll probably be embarrassed. And the two of them really need to talk."

Nodding, he admitted, "You're right, as usual." He stood up, then bent down and placed a light kiss on her cheek before refilling his cup. "I think I'm going to go back upstairs and check my email," he said as he walked toward the door.

"Okay," she replied. "But don't do too much work, Fitzwilliam. You're on vacation."

"Yes, ma'am." He gave her a bright smile and walked out.

Elizabeth was still asleep, so he quietly retrieved his laptop and sat on the bed, back against the headboard, where he could glance down at Elizabeth's sleeping visage.

He had just sent his second email reply when he noticed Elizabeth smiling up at him. "Good morning," she said when their eyes met.

"Good morning." He reached down and touched her cheek. "I'm glad you got some good sleep." His eyes dropped, as did his voice. "Maggie told me about what happened."

Elizabeth sat up beside Will, and he handed her his cup of coffee as he placed his computer on the nightstand. She took a few sips, then snuggled against him as they talked and finished off the cup.

Maggie proved right, as they entered the kitchen just after ten, and found Tiffany to be the only person at the table. "Georgie's up too," Maggie announced as she mixed a bowl of batter at the counter. "But she went right upstairs to shower before breakfast."

Will, Elizabeth and Tiffany each traded off sections of the newspaper, and Georgiana joined them just as Maggie placed a plate of waffles on the table. Everyone ate as though famished. Charlie and Jane were never mentioned, nor did they appear.

While everyone was eating, Charlie lay on his side in bed, looking at the beautiful blonde sleeping peacefully beside him. He thought about how she had affected him since the first time they'd met, and all the mistakes he'd made since then. Still, he knew he was a lost man.

He reached over and brushed a lock of hair back from her cheek. "I love you, Jane," he whispered. "Please forgive me… God, please don't hate me when you wake up."

Jane knew something was not right as her mind drifted to consciousness. Her head was throbbing, and she knew opening her eyes would only make it worse; and moving, that wasn't close to being an option yet. Where am I? Not at home… She then realized it was Will's shore house, but something still wasn't adding up. There was a party, and Charlie and I were drinking… She had just recalled their walk on the beach and Did we really kiss? when she felt fingertips on her cheek, sliding toward her hair.

Ohmigod! She hoped she didn't flinch and give herself away. And then she heard him speaking…

She forced herself to remain still as she thought on what she had heard. Was she hearing things? No, she knew she wasn't; and she knew he was watching her. Her mind raced; amazingly that didn't seem to hurt. Finally, she knew.

Jane took a deep breath, then spoke clearly. "I love you too, Charlie."