Thanks to everyone for their condolences. My mother was an amazing woman. She used to read my first stories and always encouraged my writing. She was a very, very special woman who I was blessed to have raise me.

Now, onto the story! Fibby and my wonderful editor corrected what they could, suggested where they would but I still tinkered with the final post. Any errors you find are mine and mine alone. I will try to get back on my normal posting routine. I'm on vacation from work, so I will see what I can whip up for your reading pleasure.

Girl Is On Fire

Chapter 8: Part 2

"I don't do regrets. Regrets are pointless. It's too late for regrets. You've already done it, haven't you? You've lived your life. No point wishing you could change it."
―Lemmy Kilmister

It was fortunate that she woke up alone, Elizabeth decided the next morning. She needed time to gather her courage before facing Darcy. At first she was convinced it had all been a dream, but when she opened her eyes it was clear she was definitely not in Kansas anymore. The luxurious bedroom with its dark blue and silver furnishings could only have one owner. The fact she was completely nude and deliciously sore only supported the fact their fevered night had happened. She groaned loudly, flopping back against the softness of the pillows, as she tried to come to grips with the two equally startling events from the previous night.

First, the fire destroying her apartment and all of her worldly possessions. The only thing of value she'd left to her name in the entire state of New York was a pair of pajamas. And they weren't even her favorite pair. Wherever they were currently.

Second, what she had done with William Darcy. How had she let this happen? How was she ever going to face him again? Covering her face with her hands, Elizabeth knew. She was vulnerable because she hadn't been with a man since coming to New York. And, Darcy was definitely not just any man. He was like the banana split of men! All the decadence a woman could ever want, wrapped into one devastatingly attractive package of intelligence, talent and masculinity.

She hadn't even put up much of a fight! A few kisses and she'd capitulated completely. Several times. Once, it had turned out, was not enough. After their first encounter, she had dozed briefly only to awaken in the dark with the feel of his mouth stimulating her orally. No matter how much she begged, he refused to stop until she climaxed. As her body was still quivering from her own pleasure, he slid up her body determined to partake in his own. Their second union did not last long before he collapsed against her spent. The third time followed on the heels of the second and lasted a good deal longer. Dawn was breaking when he pulled her across his chest holding her flush against his heated body. Drowsily, she realized Darcy was not perfect. He snored.

Elizabeth shut her eyes. She had to get it together. She had an overwhelming, panicky urge to sneak out of the apartment without seeing him. Wearing what, precisely? In what clothes? She glanced at the impressive walk-in closet across from the bed. Surely, something he had would fit her. How will you leave? She had no money to take a cab, no phone to call anyone, or even a shoes to wear on her feet. There was no way to avoid it. She would have to suck it up and see Darcy again before leaving.

Maybe it wouldn't be awkward.

It wasn't as if Darcy wasn't used to waking up with strange women every day. She just had to play it cool. While he may be more acquainted with her than most of the women who ended up in his bed, what was one more woman to him? There was certainly nothing special about her. Nothing special about last night. She was just another slot in an impressively long list of notches on his bed post.

Elizabeth shook her head. She should not be lying in his bed thinking about this. She should be up, trying to fit the pieces of her life back together. Trying to be nonchalant about last night as he would be. She should not be thinking about sex. Not thinking about how good sex with him was. Definitely, not be thinking about how her body desperately wanted to have sex with him again. Soon. She pulled the covers over her head. She was just going to hide for a few more minutes.

That's when she smelt it—the intoxicating blend of coffee and, she sniffed the air, bacon. Sitting up, Elizabeth was stunned to see that it was already well after eleven. Shimmying to the edge of the bed, she dropped her feet to the floor experimentally. Her feet were a little stiff, but she could walk on them. Other muscles were definitely more sore. She shut her eyes and reiterated her earlier mantra. No thinking about last night's activities! She found the clothes he had loaned her the previous night folded neatly at the foot of the bed and put them on.

Desperate for a caffeine fix, she padded carefully toward the source of the delicious aroma.

She heard his voice before she saw him.

"That'll be perfect, Tracy. After we're done with breakfast, I'll bring her by. Yes, I'll make sure you get the tickets Paul mentioned as soon as her tour schedule is worked out. Yes, I can arrange that. Three tickets for you and your girls and I'll even throw in some back stage passes. Elizabeth will want to thank you personally. It's so great that you are being so understanding about the situation. We really appreciate this favor."

Rounding the doorway that led to the kitchen, Elizabeth stopped. Bare-chested and barefoot, Darcy looked as if he had just crawled out of bed. His curls were mussed, his jaw-line was covered in fine stubble and he wore a pair of pajama bottoms hung low on his hips which only emphasized the tightness of his abs.

The sight of him was enough to make a woman swoon. She had been intimate with this man. She almost whimpered. She should have escaped nude into the streets of New York.

Unaware of her presence, he hung up the phone, moving to the front of his stove, dancing in time with the music coming from hidden speakers as he whisked what appeared to be eggs in a bowl. He looked happy and carefree. Neither of which were normal adjectives she'd ever associated with him. Elizabeth was quite certain she was dreaming. She had to be dreaming. There was no way this was real. There was no way he was dancing in his kitchen! She rubbed her eyes. Could she have died in the fire? Could she be in a coma? These scenarios seemed more likely than what she was witnessing.

Before she could recover, Darcy turned to get something from the fridge catching sight of her in the doorway. All movement stopped. "You're up."

"Yes. Or at least, I think I am." Elizabeth ran a hand nervously to her hair, cursing the fact she hadn't first consulted a mirror before her caffeine fix this morning. She probably looked a sight. She hadn't even brushed her teeth.

"I was just making breakfast for us." He crossed his arms across his chest, then lowered them. He started to say something else then stopped. He looked at his feet, then her, then the stove. It was an odd succession of movement and sound. Finally, he nodded toward the counter. "Nothing fancy I assure you. Omelets and bacon. I was going to bring it to you in bed."

Bed?

"If it's alright with you, I'll just take coffee in here." She gravitated to the coffee maker on the counter, looking anywhere but at him, wishing herself miles away from this encounter. "I'm not really hungry."

"Are you sure? I woke up starving." From the sounds behind her, he was searching the fridge for some ingredients. She heard the door shut. "I can't honestly remember the last time I slept in this late. It has to have been years."

"If left to it, I could sleep until noon every day."

"I know." He cheerfully agreed, "Why do you think I call you every morning?"

Elizabeth stood in helpless confusion at the various knobs and handles of the machine that bore a resemblance to a small steam engine. Where was the damn start button? Leave it to Darcy to have a machine that required an engineering degree to work. All she wanted was some damn coffee! She gave sound to her frustration. Suddenly, he was there to assist her, snaking a hand around her waist, while his other lifted the mug from her hand. "Allow me."

When the stubble of his cheek rubbed against the column of her neck, every nerve in Elizabeth's body rippled into life. Echoes from the previous night reverberated through her. Quickly, he produced a mug with steaming coffee. "Here you go."

"Thanks," she took her mug back and edged out of his embrace. She hurriedly took a seat at the breakfast table, grateful to put a piece of heavy furniture between them. She did not want to go back to the bedroom. Distance between her and that bed was needed. When she let herself look in his direction again, she found he was watching her. Closely.

There was a loud popping sound. "Will?"

"Yes?"

"I think you are burning your bacon."

Cursing, he attended to his cooking. Blissful silence reigned and Elizabeth drank it in as deeply as her coffee. She struggled for a sense of normalcy.

"Since we slept in, you missed your appointment this morning with Dr. Tanner's office. I've already called and explained what happened last night. They are going to call us back when he has a chance to check his schedule for a makeup appointment. I also spoke with Georgie," he began chopping an onion in time with the beat of the song. "She called me frantic when she got your message this morning."

She lowered her mug. "You didn't tell her I stayed here with you, did you?"

He poured his concoction into a skillet. Checking the heat, he turned to face her. His brow furrowed, "Why wouldn't I tell her?"

"No reason." Elizabeth had hoped that their night together would not become common knowledge.

His cell rang, he checked the ID before answering warmly, "Yvette, thanks for not keeping me waiting." She fought the urge to roll her eyes. "And, just how long will that take? You know I want only the best." He smiled in a satisfied way. "I cannot wait for you to show it to me. When can we meet?"

Elizabeth could only guess what Darcy wanted Yvette to show him. He was predictable.

"Perfect. You do not disappoint. I look forward to seeing you. Tonight, it is."

Tonight was Yvette. Last night was her. He'd woken in Cabo with a good friend just the previous morning. She felt nauseated over what had occurred between them. She was just another woman to him. It didn't make her feel one iota better that the sex had been mind-blowing. Of course he was a good lover, look at the practice he had. William Darcy was a man-whore! "Yes, of course, we can continue our discussion from earlier this week -" As if he knew she was thinking poorly of him, Darcy cast a look in her direction frowning, "just not right now. I'm busy with something important." After breaking off his call, Darcy used his spatula to transfer his creation to a plate. "Sorry about that. How are you feeling? You feet?"

"Well, I won't be dancing the cha-cha anytime soon, but I think I'll live."

He laughed. He sprinkled some cheese over the folded perfection, added a few pieces of crisp bacon to her plate and then placed it in front of her. "Eat."

Under his watchful gaze, Elizabeth took a test bite and discovered the omelet tasted wonderful, and, contrary to her earlier claim, she was really quite famished. He was clearly expecting a verdict. "It's delicious."

"I'm glad to hear it." He shrugged, then ran a hand through his hair. "The only woman I've ever cooked for before was Georgie. She liked it when I made her pancakes."

It was an image she'd rather not have of him. Crunching the bacon, she was delighted it was the real thing and not turkey. He was still staring at her. She wiped her mouth. "I've never had a man cook breakfast for me before so I guess we're even."

"Peter never made you breakfast?"

The question almost ruined her appetite completely. Peter, cook? For her? She nearly laughed at the idea. Shortly after their engagement, her fiancé had made it quite clear that after they were married, he expected a traditional wife. One to cook whatever he wanted, wear the clothes he deemed appropriate for the occasion and perform all of her womanly duties when and where he wanted. It had been the first of many unexpected revelations. None of which she was going to share with the man before her. Elizabeth took another bite of her eggs. He was still staring, expecting an answer. "Peter's talent was not in the kitchen."

Her answer caused him to look away from her. She half expected Darcy to re-question her as to why they had broken off their engagement, but he didn't. He turned his attention on making his own omelet. By the time he joined her, carrying his own plate and mug to the table, Elizabeth was sensitive to his every movement. She found herself curious about this woman named Yvette. Was she the woman he had taken to Cabo? She could not seem to think of anything other than topics that would drift off into that dangerous subject. The last thing she wanted him to think was that she was jealous his attention had moved on already to another woman. She was starting to get a headache.

"Georgie mentioned that you might want to try to call Malcolm and Phillip."

"You're right, I really should call them. They are probably worried sick about me." She rose to retrieve her phone from her purse, remembered suddenly the fate of both items, and sat back down heavily. "Can I borrow your phone?"

Darcy handed it to her, and she stared it as dumbly as she had his coffee maker. He chuckled, took the phone back from her and entered the number she gave him. Once it was ringing, he handed it back to her. She fumbled her way through a hurried message that she was fine, she'd spent the night with a friend and that she'd call them back when she had a new phone. She ended the call and handed the phone back to him carefully so her hand did not touch his.

When they were done with breakfast, he insisted he take her plate and dealt with the dishes while she relaxed and finished a second cup of coffee. As she watched him doing a mundane thing as dishes, her manners kicked in.

"Will, I want thank you for last night. It was—" She struggled for an adequate adjective.

He'd dried his hands on a kitchen towel before leaning against the island, patiently waiting for her to finish. The intensity made it hard for her to keep making eye contact with him. She felt herself blush. "Last night, Elizabeth." He cleared his throat, "You have to know that last night -" Here it came. The brush off. Last night was a mistake. It meant nothing. A bell rang from somewhere interrupting him. He sighed loudly, "That's probably Georgie. She was going to stop by with some things for you. It was too much to hope that we'd have more time to ourselves, wasn't it?"

Elizabeth followed him reluctantly into the great room, not really wanting any sort of company. The less witnesses the better. She needed to get out of here and fast. It was Georgiana. His sister handed her bags from various stores to Darcy and then hugged her tightly. "You don't know how scared I was this morning when I got your message. Lizzy, if something had happened to you, Will and I would've been devastated."

No matter how many times Elizabeth assured the younger woman she was fine, Georgie refused to release her. Turning to face Darcy to indicate he should intervene, Elizabeth was annoyed to find him not in the least anxious to assist her. Finally, she was released from his sister's python-like grip. Georgiana launched into a lecture about her safety. She should've moved months ago to a safer apartment. What was she thinking, still living in that death trap?

"You sound just like Will!"

"Do I?" Elizabeth was horrified to see Georgiana glance from Darcy back to her, blue eyes shrewdly latching on to the matching parts of the same outfit, before she turned back to face Elizabeth. The conclusion his sister had arrived at about the events of the previous night was written all over her face. Worse, her young friend looked simply ecstatic at her assumption.

It was too much!

Expressing gratitude for the clothes, Elizabeth mugged Darcy for the bags before retreating back to what she hoped was a guest room, leaving him alone to face his sister's inquisition. Thirty minutes later, showered and dressed, she returned to the living room, kicking herself that her flight had probably only served to strengthen Georgie's assumptions. The urge to sneak out and grab a cab to The Hole was overpowering.

"That was pretty cowardly leaving me to face Georgie all alone."

Yelping at the sound of his voice, Elizabeth covered her heart. Darcy had showered, shaved and changed as well in the short time she had been away. Dressed in a suit and tie, he looked as he always did, unflappably businesslike. Fantastically perfect. Wearing a warm smile, he came forward carrying a coat that looked just like the one she lost in the fire. Georgiana had been busy. After Darcy helped her into it, he stopped her attempt to put distance between them with a hand on her hip.

A riot of nerves awoke at the feel of his hot breath against the sensitive skin of her neck. "You don't have to worry about Georgie. You seemed a little embarrassed about last night so I took the opportunity you provided to speak with her. Your friendship is important to the both of you, and I didn't want you to feel awkward around one another."

Elizabeth was annoyed. She could only imagine how Darcy described their evening together. Having Georgie think she was just one of the mindless troop of trollops that jumped in and out of his bed was humiliating. Why in God's name would he tell her such a thing? She pulled away from him, giving him what she hoped would pass for a normal smile. "I think I'm going to start my day by checking my apartment and seeing if there's anything salvageable, then I guess I'll—"

She stopped, not having any earthly idea what she should do. How did one begin putting her life back into order after a fire?

"That's not necessary. While you were sleeping, I had Sal drive down this morning. Your place is a total write off. I'm sorry, Elizabeth. Truly I am. He took some pictures for your insurance company but there's nothing left." He placed a hand against her cheek, drawing her forward, while his lips lightly grazed her forehead. "When I think, you could've died —"

Nerves fraying at his closeness, she put a hand on his chest, giving her more distance from him. Stepping back from him, she forced another smile, "I'm not in the mood for another lecture from another Darcy."

"I wasn't going to lecture you." The humor that had been evident in his face earlier that morning was gone completely. He stepped closer to her. A hand settled on her hip. Holding her hostage. "You have to promise me that you will take your safety more seriously. There are a lot of people who care about your welfare. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for us."

Elizabeth couldn't look at him. Where was the arrogant, unfeeling William Darcy? The tyrannical task master? She wanted to see him this morning, and not the caring, considerate man that Georgie spoke of so lovingly. She was vulnerable to this man. Defenseless. Especially after last night's adventure.

He blew out a breath. "I guess if you insist on seeing it for yourself, we can go there this morning. I thought it would only upset you and I wanted to spare you that pain. Everything is gone."

Everything was gone. The loss of her pictures of Jane and her song books, irreplaceable things, hit her like a wave. Elizabeth fought back against the tears.

"Don't. Please don't cry. I can't bear you crying." Darcy cradled her head against his shoulder, his fingers gently stroking along her spinal column. "It tears me up that I can't do anything to fix this for you. Richard is already in contact with the fire department and he'll contact your insurance company on your behalf when the report is ready. "I'm taking the day off so we can take care of the other things that need to be addressed."

Her head was swimming at his proximity. She needed to get away from him. He unbalanced her. "What things would that be?"

"First, your ID. Paul has a sister, Tracey, who works at the DMV. Once we've got your identification sorted out, we'll stop by your bank and transfer your account to a new one. With identity theft, you cannot be too safe."

"No, you can't." Elizabeth responded dully. The practical minded Darcy was a relief to the tender one. However, the longer he held her, the more uncomfortable she grew. Memories of last night were gathering energy. An ache started in her core.

Seemingly unaware of her discomfort, Darcy worked his way through his extensive list. "We'll get you a cell phone, some new clothes, then grab an early dinner." It was incredible he could put the jumble of her life together so easily. "And, later we'll see the vacant unit I have in this building."

Elizabeth stiffened at the statement. Not the apartment thing again. He must have felt her response, because he added, "There's no pressure to take it. You can take as much time as you need to make a decision. You're welcome to stay here with me as long as you like. There's no hurry whatsoever for you to leave." He kissed her hair. "After we see it, we'll come back here and make an early night of it. You need to rest since you didn't get much last night."

Her body literally rejoiced at the invitation as she fought against her response. An early night? When was he going to see Yvette? After he was done tucking her in? Her throat was dry as she croaked, "I can't stay here with you."

"Sure, you can." Darcy tilted her face up to his. Her eyes flew to his lips sick with the thought he might kiss her. His smile wilted at its corners, seriousness settling over his features. "I'm not suggesting that we have to sleep together again." Of course not, he already got what he wanted from her. After all, he had tonight's entertainment lined up. She shut her eyes. "You can stay in the guest room. You are welcome to stay there for as long as it takes."

As long as it takes, for what? There was no way she could ask that question. No way she could spend a day with him. And definitely not another night. She did not possess the necessary will power to resist him. Clearly. Last night was evidence of what he could do to her. Her body was humming at his touch. She drifted away from him, putting her back to him.

"You're such a busy man, Will. You can't take the day off - I can't monopolize all of your time."

"Monopolize my time? Are you kidding? You've just had a terrifying experience. I'm not going to abandon you to face it alone."

"I won't be alone." She turned to face him. "I can call Malcolm or Phillip or even Max—" His eyes flared at that suggestion and she finished lamely, "Or maybe Sal? Could you let him take me around today? It would be better if he took me rather than you. I can't imagine what would happen if you took a whole day off work. Darcy Records would implode."

"Don't worry about it. Maggie is already on top of it. She is taking care of my schedule," he closed the distance between them, tapping her nose with his finger, "I'll take care of you."

She persisted. "It's not necessary for you to take care of me. You've done so much already. More than enough, in fact." She squirmed out of his embrace. "If you could just loan me some money, I can take a cab. I'll pay you back as soon as I get to my bank. You can go your way and I can go mine. No need for you to tag along."

"No need for me to tag along?" Darcy's face underwent a quick transformation ending in a seriously unfriendly scowl. "The truth is you'd rather I didn't come with you today, right?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth to deny it, but found she couldn't say a word. After the intimacy they shared, she couldn't lie to him. Her reluctance to answer was an answer all in itself. She rubbed her arms. His voice was glacial. "Answer me. You owe me that much."

"I don't want you with me." She was incensed forced to admit the truth. "It would not be a good idea."

He seemed to catch her words with no less resentment than surprise. His complexion became pale with anger, and the disturbance of his mind was visible in every feature. He was struggling for the appearance of composure. He turned glanced toward his bedroom, then turned back to her. "Why?"

She struggled with an explanation. How did she explain that she felt like she was going to hyperventilate? She was disgusted with herself for sleeping with him. And, she was frightened of the way her body was reacting to him. Yearning for him. Aching to have him do it again.

"I see." It was clear he didn't. How could he when she didn't understand herself? Not completely. "What about last night?"

"What about it?" Why was he acting this way? Just yesterday morning, he'd woken up next to a different woman in his bed in Cabo. She was sure he'd not grilled that woman as he was doing her now. Plus, had he already forgotten about the tantalizing Yvette? The headache was becoming brutal. Last night only happened because of the fire. "Look, Will, we shouldn't mix business and pleasure. We work together. We have too much to lose -"

"You little hypocrite!" He spat. "You don't seem to have any problems mixing business and pleasure with Max. I've seen that with my own eyes. Why should it be different with us?"

How cheap he made her sound! It was shocking. Just because he jumped in and out of bed with women every day did not mean she did the same. She felt her own anger flare. "So since I'm sleeping with Max, I should be happy to sleep with you too? Is that what you're implying?"

"No, it is not." His crossed his arms. A muscle was twitching in his jaw. His eyes burned. "Since we are on the subject of Max, you need to know that it is over. I won't share you with another man, Elizabeth."

A bolt of incredulity went through her. He was so very much like Peter. "Why should I have to give up any of my friends because you say so? Not sharing your women with other men, is that one of the famous William Darcy rules? You can have as many women as you like as often as you like but they have to wait patiently. Maybe I should hear all the rules? Isn't this the time for them?" She said with energy. "Or do you usually tell the woman before you fuck them how you're going to fuck them over."

"I'm not talking about my rules, Elizabeth. You know that. And, I didn't fuck you last night." He shut his eyes. "I made love to you. With you."

She laughed. "Someone like you isn't capable of loving a woman!"

"Someone like me? You honestly prefer Max to me!" The anger made it impossible to correct him. "I only have one question for you. Where was Max last night?"

"I don't know." She answered primly, "He didn't answer when I called him."

"You called him. Before you called me?" Elizabeth feared she would turn to a pillar of salt at the look in Darcy's eyes. She nodded. "You called the fellas, Georgie, Max, then me. What was I, your last resort?"

He had been. It was clear he saw the answer on her face. This conversation had jumped off the tracks. "You regret last night, don't you?"

"Yes, I regret it! Women are just conquests, games to you. None of them mean anything to you. I don't want what you are offering, Will. You'd be the last man in the world that I would have sex with if I was in my right mind." She covered her mouth with her hand, but she'd seen his stricken look. Its brief appearance confused her even more.

"This is your opinion of me?"

"I didn't mean that the way it came out, Will. I honestly didn't. I'm just confused right now. The fire and everything last night just made us both act out of character-"

"Out of character?"

What was he, a parrot! She nodded. She wasn't blaming him. Sex was just like a handshake to him. He was trying to comfort her the only way he knew. He was a broken sort of man. "I don't think it is a good idea that we talk about last night anymore. I think its best that no one finds out about what happened between us. That we just put this behind us and forget it happened. We just go back to normal and -"

"You don't want your precious Max to find out. Right?" She would rather Max and the rest of The Hole House never found out about their night together. "Don't worry, Elizabeth, I am discreet. I am not the sort to kiss and tell. Your secret is safe with me."

Shifting, Darcy pulled out his wallet and laid four crisp hundred dollar bills on the table as if he didn't trust himself to hand them to her. He hit a button on his phone. "Sal, Elizabeth will be down shortly. Please take her wherever she wants to go." Then to her, he said in a soft voice inconsistent with his apparent fury, "Take the money. Go find your little bass player. Get the fuck out of my house, I can't stand the sight of you."

Without another word to her, he stormed to his bedroom slamming the door to it in his wake.

Elizabeth took two steps after him, but stopped. He needed time to cool down. She knew from their past quarrels that Darcy was a forgiving man. In fact, many of the arguments they had simply went away overnight without either of them apologizing. By six-thirty the following morning, he would be on her cell phone, and they'd talk as if the battle had not taken place the previous day.

Spending the night with Yvette would take the sting out of his resentment. Sleeping with another woman and putting distance from last night would do the trick. He just needed some time to realize that she'd been right. A sexual relationship would only complicate an arrangement that had worked so well between them for months. He'd hurt her if they continued. She'd never given her body to a man without the confines of being in love. She wasn't built for casual sex. He was only acting this way because she had come to the conclusion before he had.

Even though she had convinced herself that leaving was the right thing to do, Elizabeth lost it in the elevator and had to stop the car's descent to recover. Darcy would certainly come to see it was more important for them to remain professional than to risk everything on an ill-fated fling. A few weeks of passionate sex wouldn't be enough for her. It would mess up everything for them. She'd fall deeply in love. And, he'd simply move on to his next meaningless conquest.

When Darcy called her in the morning, she would work hard to make sure that nothing seemed different between them. She had to. She couldn't lose what they had. Their partnership. She'd show him that she was a modern woman. A night in his bed wouldn't impact their friendship in any lasting way. She had needed comfort and he had provided it in the only way a man like William Darcy knew.

Sal looked worried when she exited the elevator. Without her asking, he informed her that Mr. Darcy had called down and given him the information for the DMV, and they were to go there first. Paul's sister, Tracy, was resourceful and had her ID ready upon arrival.

At her bank, the manager personally came forward to greet her upon her entrance. He fell over himself to tell her how sorry he had been about the fire, and if there was anything New York Central Trust could do for her, he would be willing to personally see to her future needs. After securing a new account, ordering checks and a credit card, she made a withdrawal for spending money. Evidentially, being friends with Darcy got the red carpet rolled out wherever one went.

A phone was secured as well as a new purse and a few outfits at the mall across from the bank. A full hour was spent in front of the inadequate selection of cards at the Hallmark Store. She agonized over finding the perfect one for him. None of them had the sentiment she was looking for. How did one say all that she wanted to say to him—thank you, you're an amazing man, and sorry I can't just be physical and professional at the same time? Finally she settled on a blank card of a man sitting in front of a piano, his eyes closed with his hands resting lightly on the keys. A piece of half-written sheet music was before him. Something about it seemed right, and Elizabeth thought he would like it. She jotted a quick simple thank you and slid the money she needed to return to him inside before she sealed it.

The next stop was The Hole. She thanked Sal sincerely for driving her when he helped her out of the backseat with her purchases in front of the large building.

The older man smiled at her, but quickly responded, "I'm just following Mr. Darcy's orders, Ms. Bennet. He'd skin my hide if anything were to happen to you."

She held the card out to Sal. "Can you give this to him for me?"

"Wouldn't you like to deliver it yourself? We should be returning to the penthouse soon." He consulted his watch. "I'm sure you can go up and see him in person."

"I'm not going back with you, Sal. I'm going to stay either at The Hole with Malcolm and Phillip, or I'll find a hotel somewhere until I can get sorted. There is no need for you to wait for me."

The driver shook his head. "Mr. Darcy will not be happy about this."

"Didn't he tell you to take me wherever I wanted to go?"

"He did, but he never gave any instructions to leave you unattended." Sal, looking peculiarly distressed, glanced around the street. "Ms. Bennet, I know Mr. Darcy would not be happy to learn I left you here. Come back with me, so he can tell you where I should take you."

Oh, she had a clear idea about where Darcy would want to send her in his current mood. "He will understand when you tell him I demanded that you leave me here. The Hole is my second home in New York. You know that." She kissed his cheek. "Thanks for today, Sal."

Malcolm ran out the door of The Hole, boa flying behind him, ordering the bouncers to assist with her purchases and pulled her into a hug.

"Girl, we saw the fire on the news this morning. Luckily, Phillip got to the messages or we would've been distraught. You're really safe?"

"Yes, Will took great care of me," she admitted and then was barely able to breathe. Phillip joined them and they brought her inside. Before she could ask, they offered her the use of their den for as long as she needed.

Left alone, Elizabeth charged her phone and took out her new purchases. She went about finding room for her clothes in the cramped bureau and then sat down heavily on the couch that would serve as her bed for the foreseeable future. When she shut her eyes, the image of Darcy sprang to her mind, dancing barefoot in front of his stove. As long as she lived, she knew she'd never forget seeing him in that way.

Once her new phone was charged, she called her parents and explained about the fire and that she was perfectly well. They were worried, and her father repeated his plea for her to return home. She reminded them she would be home for Thanksgiving, but by the time she hung up, she was so full of homesickness that she dissolved into a long, well-deserved cry.

When she recovered, she called Georgiana. When she got the girl's voicemail, Elizabeth left her new number. She didn't think she was up to the uncomfortable questions her friend would have for her, and she sincerely hoped Darcy's explanation would suffice for both of them. Maybe his sister was so used to finding him with female company that an explanation from her would not be required at all. Happy thought indeed!

Elizabeth stared at her phone a long time. She punched in his number and as the phone rang, she tore at her thumb nail. She was relieved when he didn't answer.

"Hey, it's me. It's Lizzy." Of course, he'd know that. "I'm sure Sal's told you already, but I'm staying at The Hole with Phil and Malcolm until I find another place."

She wanted to add something about how they had parted, but nothing satisfactory came to mind. Besides, mentioning it would delay the getting over it part. Her mind raced through several images from earlier that morning. The way he looked in the kitchen. His kindness to her. And then his anger.

"Will, I -" She paused. She what? She ended up saying the one thing that was not confusing. "I shouldn't have said what I said this morning. It was mean and unfair. Even though we quarreled, you mean a great deal to me. I wouldn't have everything I've ever wanted if it weren't for you."

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