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Chapter 22

Elizabeth jolted awake and frowned in confusion at her unfamiliar surroundings. She felt incredibly warm and cocooned in what had to be the most comfortable bed she had ever laid in. It shocked her that the room was still dark, meaning that the sun had not yet risen. Perhaps I might go back to sleep for a little longer, She thought as she moved to stretch her body and froze when she became aware of the very naked very male leg draped over hers and the hand cupping her breast. It took a moment before she recalled the events from the night before and flushed instantly. Elizabeth turned in his arms to gaze upon him, he was beautiful with his hair mussed from sleep and the stubble growing upon on his jaw. I wonder if he has to shave every day? she thought distractedly.

Suddenly self conscious but at the same time reluctant to remove herself she continued her perusal in this rare unguarded moment with him.

"William," she whispered softly.

Elizabeth couldn't resist and brought her hand and trailed her fingers across his jaw.

"Mmm," he groaned, "Is it morning?" he grumbled half asleep.

"No, I am sorry for waking you." She whispered in reply.

Turning his head away he stretched his body beside her, before he shoved a hand through his hair, his muscular bicep bulging—the sight stirring her.

"How are you feeling Lizzy?" He asked tenderly resting upon one elbow and looking at her.

"I am not sure. It feels odd if I am being honest." she replied, "I do, however, know that I have no regrets," she hastened to add as his face grew worried.

"Neither do I," he affirmed pulling her closer with one arm as he absently rubbed his chest, in distractingly male way.

Suddenly Elizabeth could not hold back her chuckle. He looked to her questioningly.

"All this time, I thought my feelings around you were because you made me uncomfortable, and I disliked you. When really it was my desire for you. But I had never felt it before and did not understand it. Your slighting me had made me want to paint you the villain regardless. Forgive me William."

"Hmmm forgive you... you might have to persuade me."

"Persuade you?"

"Yes, give me an incentive." Darcy brushed his fingers over her cheeks, her eyebrows, along her jaw, and down to her throat.

Lord have mercy, I am a fallen woman, and I am at a loss to feel bad about anything between he and I. She thought as the silvery moonlight illuminated his handsome face. He looked down at her with a most engaging smile.

Heaven above, but he was so beautiful.

She could feel his arousal pressing against her. A thrill that a man such as he could desire her so much made her feel incredibly powerful when before there had only been fear. It was a heady sensation. His eyes sparkled at her as he looked down between their bodies, "Traitorous creature." He joked breaking the slight awkwardness and stiffness in her posture.

They stayed frozen this way for a moment, each gazing at the other. He looked so restrained again, as though worried she might break. Before last night she might have thought that she could be broken by him, but in truth she had enjoyed the more amorous parts of their joining more than she could have ever known possible. What did that say about her? The thought frightened her. After their night she wanted to feel Fitzwilliam Darcy in abandon. She wanted to make him forget his self-control again and again.

Reaching and pulling his face to hers she kissed him passionately, quickly, before she could think better on her actions. William's laugh rumbled through her as he moved away, kissing at her neck. When he roguishly licked the mound of her breast. Her stomach flipped as he trained his smoky gaze on her. "Do you wish me to stop?" William asked as he slid his warm hand up her leg and teased the back of her knee. Then venturing further with a velvety touch, he skimmed her inner thigh.

Not capable of words she arched into him. He needed no further inducement.

Stroking one hand down her side, William worked at being as gentle as he could while his arousal roared inside of him. To his delight, she began to follow his movements, her back arched instinctively, savouring the triumph as she became pliant against him. His hand moved further up her body, between her thighs to her most intimate place. Immediately she gasped into his mouth, her stiffness returning. He looked up to gauge how she was feeling and felt relieved to see her nod and relax once more into his arms.

Elizabeth didn't know why she clenched her thighs together. But there was a part of her that worried that it might hurt again. The pleasure she had felt in his arms before, surely could not be repeated so soon, could it? It might have been singular occurrence... but when she looked into William's concerned gaze, she knew she would not deny him. If it brought William pleasure, then she couldn't begrudge him that. Not after all he'd done for her and all that he continued doing. Elizabeth relaxed under his caress and enjoyed this part, loving the feeling of being in his arms and not focusing on the pain she may or may not experience when he entered her.

As hot and needy as he was for her, he knew he was going to have to go slowly. She appeared to be apprehensive again. Most likely Collins did as most negligent husbands did to their wives. Simply entered her without preparing her or seeing to her pleasure and so she had felt discomfort every time he had come to her. On the other hand, there was something greatly appealing about being the first man to show her how good sharing pleasure could be.

He blew gently on her breast and watched the dusky peak pebble. A shudder went through her body that had nothing to do with fear. Grinning, William pressed more hot, open-mouthed kisses around her breasts before giving in and suckling in deep pulls, enjoying her little gasps and moans as he explored her silky skin with his lips and tongue. Her breathing hitched as he drew more of her breast into his mouth and circled her nipple with his tongue his cheeks hollowing as he sucked on it.

"William!"

His soft hair tickled her neck, his breath hot on her and the tender fingers of his free hand found their way to her soft breasts, claiming their beauty. Both moaned at the same time, his lips still engaged at her breasts as he worked her easily toward her climax. Elizabeth buried her hands in his hair and held him pressed against her greedily while her body shook and clenched.

Coming too from her pleasure, Elizabeth apologized and released her vice like grip she had in his curls bringing her hands to her sides.

Pushing himself up so that he could look down at her, he smiled gently.

"You may touch me Lizzy."

"You would l-l-like that?" she asked nervously

"Mmhmm," he consented. "I enjoy it when you touch me."

"Oh." Was all she could say in reply, her shyness creeping over her.

Closing her eyes, Elizabeth tilted her head up towards him, puckering her lips in invitation and waiting expectantly. When she heard his chuckling response, she opened her eyes squinting up at him furious.

He burst out laughing and her eyes snapped open. "I don't mean a kiss, although those lips on my body…" he trailed off with a shiver and bent to claim her lips in a quick searing kiss. "Touch me Lizzy," he growled against her lips.

She accepted his challenge, but on her terms.

Arching her hips and ground into his hardening length, causing him to groan which rumbled through his chest. Stilling she felt suddenly unsure of what to do after the bold caress against him, his eyes sparkled as he arched a brow.

"Minx." He growled in her ear.

His response was to trail his hand down her side leave a fire in its wake coming to rest on her bottom before giving it a playful swat and claiming her mouth to muffle her yelp of surprise. He rolled her beneath him allowing his weight to press her into the mattress.

"Do not stop, I am far from displeased, Lizzy. But if I may be so demandind, I should very much like to have your delicate fingers caress my skin. I crave your touch." He whispered his hips bearing down on her.

A flutter of pleasure grew more intense with each pulse of his hips as she began to move her hips to meet his movements as she felt his gentle caresses on her side and lifted her hands to him to reciprocated. He stilled pulling away slightly, his eyes closed as he seemed relish her touch.

With his chest bare, she could run her fingers through the sparse smattering of wiry hair there, exploring the differences between his hard, muscular body and her own much softer one. The flat discs of his nipples had tiny, sensitive bumps at the base of them, and he groaned when she brushed them with her fingertips. A strange rush of power swept through her, making her explorations even more earnest and she leant forward and flicked her tongue over one.

He groaned a curse and she faltered.

William palmed her buttocks giving it small squeeze in encouragement. Elizabeth ran her hands up Darcy's broad back and moved one hand to thread into his thick hair as something began to unfurl inside her. She wrapped her legs around him rocking into his arousal with sweet sigh. This pleasure was like before but different, more intense and less unsure. The pleasure she drew from making him groan, made her feel wickedly wanton and she trailed her hand from his chest down, down, down – when suddenly William relaxed his hold around her and sat back haunches with her legs still about his waist as he looked down at her naked beauty. Elizabeth gasped and covered her chest with her arms, feeling exposed.

"Please let me look at you. I have fantasised for an eternity to be able to earn the privilege of gazing at your beauty." He spoke with reverence.

Something in his gaze caused her embarrassment to dissolve and she felt confidence under his warm and caring regard. The seductress she did not know she owned came to life and she slowly removed her arms to reveal herself, lifting her arms to rest seductively above her head and toying slightly in her hair with an arch to her brow mimicking his earlier.

"You are lovelier beyond words," he gasped, moving his hips and enjoying the bounce it applied to her bosom. Elizabeth watched him with a grin as his eyes were riveted by her breasts.

He moved his hand down between her breasts as his mouth dropped open and his tongue darted out to wet his lips as his large hands moved to span her waist easily. He could resist no longer and bent to take her nipple darker and swollen from his earlier ministrations, into his mouth and swirled his tongue over it.

Elizabeth gasped in wonder and pleasure at the contrast between his soft tongue and the roughness on his jaw scratching at her skin.

"Fitzwilliam, I want- I oh my!"

"What do you want Lizzy?" he said, pulling back and adjusting his position so that he was nudging at her entrance.

Not bold enough to utter those words yet she simply looked at his face and said, "Please!"

Chuckling he did not push for her to speak further, instead he moved so that his face was once again level with hers and entered her slowly.

"Are you in any discomfort?" he asked his gaze searching hers. She could see the strain it was causing him to hold back so and did not have the heart to tell him there was some discomfort, but there was no pain. It was a slight soreness which had already mostly gone. It was more a lingering feeling of his being within her before. Darcy was struggling to fight against his baser instincts to take her hard and fast. He could feel Elizabeth responding to him and so he kept his movements slow enough to allow her to become accustomed to his size once more until finally his pelvis met hers.

"Yes," he hissed as he rested so that she could stretch to accommodate him.

Her legs fell back to the mattress in invitation as her hands held onto his buttocks, her fingernails digging into his flesh.

"How will I ever resist you?" he asked himself as he gave in to her temptation and placed a hand gently to the top of her neck under her jaw angling her head so that he could gain better access to his neck. Elizabeth loved how he took charge of her pleasure and the feel of his tongue playing at the sensitive spot just beneath her ear.

"I would not want you to, William," she whimpered.

"Put your legs about my waist Lizzy," he grunted breathlessly as he set a new delicious rhythm looking down at his Elizabeth, mesmerised at her beautiful face flushed and her mouth dropped open in wonder and ecstasy. She arched into him; her mouth open in a silent scream as her pleasure built under his rolling hips.

Looking to him she could see he was still not allowing himself to give in to his passions and tried bringing her hips up to meet his to increase his rhythm, when he moved for a pillow and lifted her whilst they were still connected and placed it under her hips. This new angle connected with a spot within she had not been aware of an she could no longer think of his pleasure, only the pleasure wracking her body uncontrollably.

"Fitzwilliam, I, I -" She gasped shocked. He felt her tightening around him before she screamed out her completion, her legs spasming from the intensity of her orgasm. He gave loud, guttural cry as he thrust deep repeatedly, drawing her ringing every wave of her ecstasy from her before he pulled himself free and spent his seed on the sheets. Exhausted, he collapsed on top of her. He would have moved, for fear of crushing her, but her arms tightened about his neck, holding him in place as she quivered beneath him. They were both panting for breath, but she didn't seem to want to release him, so William did his best to adjust his weight so it would at least be evenly distributed.

Elizabeth shifted beneath him and began to stroke her fingers along his spine. She smiled to herself dreamily into the crook of his neck and breathing in his scent. Allowing her legs to relax their grip about his hips she felt the aching in her muscles that she hadn't known existed.

"Forgive me, I must be too heavy." He said moving to extract their bodies which were still joined and looked down at her in puzzlement as she tightened her arms and legs about him once more. "My Lizzy I do not wish to crush you." He whispered wanting to look at her to ascertain that she truly was well and not trying to hide from him. He hadn't meant to, but he had lost control toward the end of their lovemaking. When Darcy looked at her, he was pleased to find she was looking up at him, with her eyes sparkling in the moonlight and a contented smile across her face.

"I like your weight, William." She whispered blushing at her forwardness.

Dropping small kisses along her forehead, he waited until she loosened her hold enough to prop himself up on his forearms. Dazed eyes looked up at him, her lips swollen, cheeks flushed, and her expression that of a fully satisfied woman. Lowering himself once more and murmured sweet compliments against her neck, nuzzling her, as she moaned and shuddered against him, as her body still slowly came down from the incredible high of her pleasure.

Fitzwilliam rolled, taking her with him so that she was laying atop him. When Elizabeth pushed herself up so that she sat atop him, watching the desire flare in his sleepy gaze. Revelling at how he could not resist caressing her hips, up across her ribs and then cupping breasts before finally his large hand found her jaw and his thumb drew a lazy path back and forth over her lips.

He looked heart stutteringly handsome. Ruffled curls in disarray, night beard and full swollen lips. And that was just his face. The long column of his neck and defined collar bones trailed down to the taut muscles on his chest and his forearms had more hair than hers with masculine veins adorning them.

Lizzy bit her lip. "I wish I could have an image of you like this, William."

Darcy laughed outright. "Minx!"

Giggling she rested her chin upon his chest and looked up at him, she could tell he was practically asleep already!

"You are not allowed to sleep just yet sir! I am now sure that after what we have shared, I now have the right to hear more mischievous stories from your youthful antics and forfeits!" she proclaimed pinching he chest.

Chuckling he swatted her bottom biting his bottom lip in an adorable grin. "Relentless!" he teased and relaxed back into the pillows. "Hmmm let me see, there was the time where the loser of one of our wagers had to swim in the Thames." He revealed, making Elizabeth gasp in delight.

"Who lost?" she giggled.

"Oh, it was I." he drawled.

"No!"

"And, we had to do so in the nude. Richard had thought it funny to try to hide my clothing but then thought better of it! I am not sure how intimidating I would have appeared if I had had to fight to win them back. The cold does not flatter any man." He grimaced.

"What else?" she asked eagerly.

"Rigging a boxing match."

"You take part in pugilism matches?"

"In my youth, yes. My father always believed a man should be able to protect himself and the ladies under his protection." He said in a matter-of-fact way.

"And how would one 'rig a pugilism match'?" she asked.

"Well, if I were the one fighting - Richard my accomplice… would stage a moment with me where I would appear drunk and adamant that I wanted to fight. And so, my opponent would think me an easy win. Then after enough time had passed in the ring, I would knock the poor sod to the ground."

"I cannot believe what I am hearing! I thought you abhorred deceit of any kind?" Tickling at his ribs Elizabeth laughed as he begged for mercy.

"Now I do, but when I was younger it was a very lucrative way of gaining extra funds." He gasped when she had finally stopped tickling him

"Anymore?" she said pulling his ear gently.

"Winning a lady's attentions - I always lost. To be honest Richard set those for himself." Said William rolling his eyes.

"You cannot fool me. You must have had dalliances." She probed.

"I would not insult your intelligence by doing so. But I fear you presume a great deal in your expectations of my wild behaviours in my youth." He said careful not to reveal anything.

"I think not. You must have had a favourite maid. Lady Catharine hinted as much." She pushed.

"Lady Catharine has an overactive imagination. You know as mush as I, that she is taken to flights of fancy." He shrugged playing with her hair. "Streaking through Hyde Park had to be the worst!" He continued in an effort to distract her.

"No!" she exclaimed swatting his chest lightly.

"Yes, it was done very early and on a particularly unflatteringly cold day which again makes it difficult to appear at ones…er best. Thank goodness on that occasion I was victorious!" he chuckled.

"If I ever meet your cousin, I shall not be able to look him in the eye!" she giggled. "Why are most forfeits involving someone being in the nude?"

He shrugged with a frown before he turned away and yawned into his hand.

"Find me tedious already, do you, sir?" She chuckled.

"You have quite worn me out, madam." He teased.

As the room had begun to grow lighter, and they decided it would be best to retire to their own rooms. Elizabeth left first, with many kisses' goodnight. William waited a little longer in order to straighten the room and douse the fire before heading for his own chamber.