Chapter 40

Darcy paced his office in agitation. Fitz watched him quietly. Fitz new his friend was upset. Lizzie had forgiven Darcy but he knew his friend still felt riddled with guilt. He was impressed with Darcy. Normally when he was wrong, Darcy would fix his mistake but rarely did he acknowledge it in verbal form. His friend was much more apt to apologize for things out of his control.

Today Fitz watched a proud man march with determination into a meeting, stand protectively in front of Lizzie and announce to all that he had been wrong. Fitz had always thought Darcy was bad at apologies, it turned out there was one person Darcy could apologize to without hesitation, Lizzie. He had witnessed the phenomenon more then once in the last couple of weeks. If he hadn't seen it, knowing Darcy, he wasn't sure he would have believed it. Finally Darcy spoke.

"Fitz, I can't leave Hunsford. I can't go to the board meeting," Darcy said.

"Darcy you're the CEO, you have to go to the board meeting," Fitz reminded him.

"I can't. Lizzie - - "

"Forgave you. And apologized for leaping to conclusions. Which not gonna lie, as a witness to the event, anyone would have done.

"It, it hurt to know if she still thought me capable of being so cruel. But that's not why I can't leave. Caroline, she still trying to manipulate the situation. If I leave she might come back. I need to stay and protect Lizzie. I'm sure Caroline knows I'm back here by now and I figured out her game. She'll stay away as long as I'm here. She can't risk it."

"First, Lizzie does not think you're capable of that kind of cruelty. She was upset and reacted. She said things she didn't mean. As Charlotte would say, it's Lizzie. Second, Lizzie doesn't need your protection she can take care of herself. Third, I don't think Caroline will be taking advantage of your absence. She has other fires to put out. Her attention should be elsewhere."

Darcy looked at him questioningly.

"Bing."

"She doesn't know where he is."

"Then she's desperately trying to find him and regain control. If she hasn't tracked him down yet she must be getting desperate. We should put Gigi on alert."

"She wouldn't - -"

"She would if she was desperate and thought she could get away with it."

Darcy pulled out his phone and called his sister.

"Hello William, any good news for me?" Gigi ask eagerly.

"Has Carolina attempted to contact you?" Darcy ask her brusquely.

"Ah, no."

"If she tries please avoid her. She's attempting to manipulate and control, well everyone. She influenced Aunt Catherine to try and change the Collins and Collins ethics policies, including an internet gag order for anyone working with the company."

"She wants to control Charlotte and Lizzie."

"Yes, she is very similar to well, " he paused, "Wickham. I don't want her to try to manipulate and take advantage of you."

"She won't. Thanks for telling me William."

"You need as much information as is at my disposal to protect yourself."

"It's nice to be treated like an adult."

"You saw Lizzie's videos, so you are aware of Caroline's manipulation there. You should also be aware she manipulated me into convincing Bing to leave Netherfield by staging a kiss between Jane and another man."

"That bi- sorry, witch."

" Yes," Darcy said dryly. "My thoughts exactly. She can't find Bing and has to avoid me currently for obvious reasons - -"

"You'd stake her through her cold black dead unfeeling heart. Figuratively of course," GiGi interrupted him.

"Something like that."

"Yet I suspect she still fancies herself the next Mrs. Darcy."

"She's delusional," he said firmly.

"She has been for years, and it hasn't stopped her from assuming she'd be your wife someday."

"Never. I intend to deal with her sometime, but for now I'm respecting Bing's wishes. He wants the chance to deal with her first since she is his sister."

"Got it. Avoid Caroline at all costs. If that fails then I'll make sure to put her at a disadvantage for you. Is Lizzie coming with you to Pemberley's Thanksgiving?"

"No, she doesn't want her first visit to Pemberley to be as the CEO's date. She wants to be just another intern when she starts her shadowing in January."

"Lizzie could never be just another intern."

"I know. I am aware of how creative and intelligent she is."

"If she made a web video about paint drying, people would watch it."

Darcy chuckled.

"Thanks for the heads up about Caroline. I've got to go. Lyds and I are going to the mall."

"Lydia is back in Meryton and you are in San Fransisco," Darcy said confused.

"Yeah, she is going to text me pictures of what she tries on and I will text her pictures of what I try on."

"Well enjoy yourself. I love you GiGi. Give my best wishes to Lydia."

"Will do big brother."

...

"Charlotttte," Lizzie whined. "I feel terrible."

"With those flowers?" Charlotte teased indicating the large yellow rose floral bouquet that had arrived about 5 minutes ago. Darcy was fast. The meeting had only ended 30 minutes ago. He must have paid for instant delivery.

"I accused him of well, being pretty terrible. Of being out for revenge by dating me."

"Yes, wanting to spend money on you, and your friends. Poorly thought out revenge on his part."

"I meant making me fall for him so he could then betray me."

"You realize how ridiculous that sounds, right?"

"Yes. I do now. What am I going to do? I can't just order and obscenely large expensive bouquet of flowers."

"They do look obscenely expensive," Charlotte admitted. "But they smell so good. And look so pretty."

"They do," Lizzie agreed sighing.

"Darcy doesn't want you to feel you have to reciprocate when he spends money. Spending money is kind of like his super power."

"I know. I could never afford to keep up with him. But just saying I'm sorry for leaping to false conclusions doesn't seem good enough in comparison."

"Then do something. Something for him. Something uniquely Lizzie."

"That's a good idea Charlotte," she said thoughtfully.

...

Lizzie had mulled over potential things she could do for Darcy to let him know she was sorry for her harsh words in his office. Towards the end of the day she had concocted the perfect plan. With Charlotte's assistance she snuck out of work earlier. She had gotten Fitz spare key from him earlier and swore him to secrecy. Now she stood outside Darcy's closed office door. She was ready she told herself. She closed her eyes and knocked on his door.

"Lizzie," he said warmly when he opened it and saw her.

She slowly opened her eyes. She had expected him for call out to enter not open the door.

"Ahhh, Hi Darcy. I was just wondering if you were done for the day."

"I am. I ah, was just trying to wait until I thought you would be done," he said flushing. "I had been hoping to catch you then. I ah, wanted to know if, well if you'd let me take you to dinner."

"Will, you already said sorry and sent me flowers. Dinner too?"

"We both have to eat."

She bit her lip. "Can we run by your hotel first?"

Darcy stared at her.

"Will?"

"Ah yes. That's fine," he said. He wanted to kiss her lip where she had bitten it. To suckle gently on it. His mind felt hazy and he was pretty sure he would agree to anything right now. If she left something there this morning and wanted to pick it up before dinner that was fine with him. He wondered if she would think he was too presumptuous if he used the side trip at the hotel to kiss her like he had wanted to at work all day. Dinner could wait. Of course he didn't know when she had last eaten and she might be hungry he considered. He should feed her first he decided.

Darcy wanted to hold Lizzie's hand as they were walking but was mindful of how the other employees could view such an action. He escorted her to his car and opened the door for her. He quickly walked around to his side and opened it. Once in the car before turning the key he grasped her hand. It felt so right to finally touch her. He hadn't done so since this morning and he had missed the now familiar warmth.

Lizzie seemed nervous and jumpy during the drive. Darcy worried and tried to introduce a topic of conversation that would hopefully put her at ease.

Once arriving at his hotel suite upon opening the door he was greeted to an unexpected sight. A pie was cooling on the counter top, a box of pasta, a loaf of bread and a jar of sauce sat next to it.

"I ah, I wanted to make you dinner," Lizzie said blushing. "There's meatballs in the fridge for it. Not anything fancy, just some simple pasta but I ah-"

"Lizzie " he said swallowing. "It's perfect. No one has ever made me dinner before. Or at least no one I wasn't paying " Darcy added as he swept her into his arms and kissed her.

She kissed him back just as urgently as he was kissing her. He lifted her weight slightly and in a couple steps had them back against the wall. He transferred her weight to it as he began to skim his hands over her flesh. Kissing her and muttering how much he adored her, loved her. His hands quickly found their way up under her skirt, ruching it up along her hips. He pressed his body into hers. She arched into him. She moaned. He quickly moved her panties to the side and plunged his fingers inside. Dimly he realized he perhaps should have ask permission but he was desperate to hear Lizzie orgasm. To hear his name on her lips. To know he could give her pleasure.

She did. Afterwards she blushed as she realized where they were. The same wall where she had run from him before was at her back. "I," she started to say but he wasn't done yet. He kissed her, cutting her off and scooped her into his arms never once breaking the kiss. He directed his steps in the direction of the bedroom. Upon stumbling to the bed he lowered them both to it. He had decided that while he loved the way she gasped his name he was determined to have her scream it.

Once on the bed he quickly set to work. She responded to his every touch, becoming more aroused. His fingers gently stroked her swollen flesh his hand traveling upwards skimming her skin. Her skirt was still ruched up at her hips. He nimbly pushed her shirt up revealing a lacy bra. He paused to admire how creamy and silky her skin was before dropping kisses over her stomach and cleavage. She arched again and he used the moment to un-fasten her bra.

He tugged her shirt up and over her head. He quickly divested her of her bra and gently eased her back down. His head went down to explore her newly exposed flesh with his lips, tongue and teeth. She whimpered and moaned. He eased her skirt and panties off of her. He began trailing kisses south. As he reached her hips he heard her voice say shakily, "Will?"

"Sshh it okay," he told her gently.

"Will," she said again, her voice cracking. He glanced up into her wide eyes. She looked ready to flee. He instantly felt guilty. He had only thought of what he wanted to do, not what she was ready for. He had promised they could take it slow and then before knowing if she was ready he had gotten her naked in his bed. He leveled himself back up by her face so that they were eye to eye.

"Lizzie," he said gently ready to apologize.

"I, I don't want to have sex. Well I do obviously, but I, I'm not-"

Darcy kissed the corner of her mouth. Gently he told her, "Lizzie I wasn't planning on having sex with you. I ah, I wanted to do something different."

She looked at him uncomprehending. "I'm naked Will."

He shrugged.

"I'm pretty sure the next step was sex."

"I'm not naked," he told her simply.

"Oh my God," she said scrambling to grab her clothes, pulling on her panties. "Why are you not naked if I am?" Lizzie demanded of him as she wrestled her bra on.

He quietly watched her pull her shirt on and then before she could attempt to put her skirt on he pulled her into his lap.

"Lizzie," he said with a sigh as he nuzzled her hair. "The reason you were naked and I wasn't, was I wasn't planning on having sex with you. I was planning on seeing what you tasted like."

She peered over her shoulder at him and said turning red, "What? You were?"

He nodded blushing and explained. "I wanted to hear you scream my name in pleasure. That seemed like a very enjoyable way to go about it. I should have cleared it with you first though before giving into my own desires."

"I, umm, can we wait before doing anything like that? Someday, just-"

"It's fine Lizzie. I told you before, we don't have to do anything you aren't ready for. I don't want to rush you. I just want to be with you. To hold you in my arms." Noticing a small overnight bag on the dresser he said confused, "What's that?"

Lizzie blushed again and said, "I um thought I might spend the weekend here with you."

Darcy didn't even try and hide the delighted smile that broke across his face. Lizzie was spending the weekend with him. He didn't have to worry about her going home for the next two nights.

...

Saturday November 10

Darcy enjoyed waking Lizzie up the next morning. Evidently part of her weekend plans also involved making pancakes for breakfast. With chocolate chips in them. He eyed her warily. She made him promise to try a bite and if he didn't like it she'd make his without the chocolate.

After breakfast they changed and got dressed for the day. Lizzie had brought a pajama along, but Darcy had taken one look at her and shook his head no when she got it out last night. He handed her a pair of his boxers and one of his t-shirts. She looked at him puzzled. He blushingly explained he liked seeing her in his shirt and his boxers. Lizzie had smiled, kissed his cheek and took the proffered boxers and t-shirt.

They decided to spend the day exploring the area. Darcy insisted on paying for Lizzie. When they explored a used bookstore Lizzie found a copy of Peter Pan she longingly fingered. He offered to buy it for her. She refused, stating she didn't need a children's book. He purchased it anyways and made her promise to read it with him. That night they snuggled on the couch and took turns reading the classic story out loud.