Chapter 32: Rhythm

Elizabeth opened her eyes and stretched out in her luxurious accommodations, once again appreciating the beauty and comfort of the room she had been assigned in the villa. Blearily rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she rolled over to face the bedside clock and realized it was long past breakfast. Suddenly filled with a sense of urgency, she flipped her comforter down and dove from the bed, yanking her carry-on out of its hiding spot; considering his penchant for scheduling every millisecond, she was suddenly very grateful that Robert had supplied some packing time into their vacation schedule for the morning.

Next up was a two day excursion to Santo Domingo, the nation's capital. She grimaced at the description Robert had given of their plans; although some of the country's richest history resided in the area they were travelling to, the majority of their trip south was to be filled with meaningless shopping excursions, beach trips and dining in the finest restaurants the country had to offer. She secretly hoped that she would be able to sneak off at some point, but she didn't want to do it alone, and Charlotte was proving herself to be more loyal to her fiancé than even Elizabeth had expected.

As she threw her straightening iron into the duffle, her mind began to blissfully wander over the events of the previous day. After their magnificent journey on horseback, which had allowed her an incredible look at a small farming village and a few coconuts as souvenirs, Will had managed to sit next to her on the ride home. He seemed intent on continuing their banter, albeit on less serious subjects, and in a much more clandestine manner. Although he made sure to also participate in the group conversation, he continually came back to his conversation with herself.

Upon returning to the villa at nightfall, they had snuck off to the theater with Richard and Anne to watch a movie, and Lizzy had been happy to find that both she and Will reclaimed their loveseat spots for the film. Her ease in his presence had continued; throughout the movie they had whispered to each other about nothing in particular, and yet, somehow it felt like the most important conversation of her life. Each time his breath tickled her ear, her skin tingled in anticipation of what he would say next, and she found that she had no shortage of witty remarks to further tease him with in return. It was a happy situation, and by the end of the evening they had grown so comfortable around each other that she almost felt like she could call him a friend.

Of course, every time she began to relish in their newfound closeness, her old feelings of rejection and betrayal would come knocking to dampen her spirits. She found herself actively fighting her instinct to dwell on his wrongdoings; stubbornly refusing to acknowledge their pained history, she instead gloried in the charmed circumstances of their currently flourishing rapport. Although she didn't dive too deeply into the realization, she was aware that her motivations were purely selfish: the simple fact was that, despite all previous interactions to the contrary, having Will Darcy by her side was what gave her the most pleasure from day to day, and she was afraid that bringing up the 'Ugly Stepsister' in the room would ruin the tenuous bond they had begun to form.

Completing her frenzied packing, Elizabeth decided to quickly stop in the study in order to check her email. Jane was never far from her thoughts, and Lizzy had written her daily updates over the course of the vacation comprised of detailed descriptions of the various outings. Well, almost fully detailed; Lizzy had not found the heart to tell her sister that Will was even on the trip, much less that she and Will were slowly becoming buddy-buddy. Her secrecy was due to the fact that she didn't know how to tell her without the inevitable bringing to mind of Charles, and she didn't want to be the source of any renewed pain for Jane. She was going to have to figure something out, however, and soon; the last Jane had heard she had sworn to hate Will Darcy for all eternity.

Logging into her email, Lizzy was happy to find a reply to her last message.

To: lizbiz88

From: jane_olivia_bennet

Subject: Re: Day 3

Lizzy,

Thanks so much for keeping me up to date on your vacay. I almost feel like I am living it with you. Horseback riding sounded so romantic…too bad Greg couldn't have been there to share the moment, huh?

Robert sounds like a trip. I can't believe he packed a whistle!

By the way, I decided to finally go out with Roger from work. I know I said I find him skeevy, but I'm probably just judging him too harshly. You know that he's been asking me out forever, and I realized that maybe I needed to step outside my comfort zone. I mean, after what happened with Charlie, my comfort zone doesn't seem to have the best track record… Anyway, I'll let you know how it goes.

There's nothing else new to report over here. But of course, as usual, I miss my sister bunches.

Hugs,

Jane

P.S. Did you happen to see that photo of the three of us from my college graduation? I thought it fell off the fridge but I can't seem to find it anywhere...I hope you know where it is!

The email made Lizzy realize four things. She really, really missed her sister; she hadn't thought about Greg once since arriving; her sister was still trying to forget Charlie unsuccessfully; and she hadn't seen that photo in at least two weeks.

Will Darcy was trying to casually wait for Lizzy to arrive downstairs without actually looking like he was waiting for anyone. Unfortunately, looking available means that others will assume that you really are; it wasn't long before his Aunt Catherine accosted his reverie and sat beside him. As always, she smelled of Chanel; he closed his eyes and savored the aroma that always reminded him of his mother.

She began, "My dear Will, I've barely had a moment alone with you. How are you enjoying the Dominican so far?"

"It's lovely, aunt. Excellent Choice."

"It is, isn't it? Have you been enjoying the planned excursions?

"Absolutely."

"And how do you find our company?"

A thousand alarms went off in his head at once. "It's fine. Mostly the same we have every year, aside from Gianna's absence, no?"

Catherine gave him a piercing look. "Do you really think so? Between Robert's fiancé and her friend, I wouldn't say that it is quite the same."

Will was unsure what his aunt was getting at, so he simply returned her gaze and vaguely nodded his head.

"William, I know."

"You know what?"

"That you have feelings for Miss Elizabeth Bennet. My dear boy, ever since your parents died I've seen you as one of my own. Did you really think that you could hide that important detail from me?"

"Honestly? I was hoping that I could. I'm sorry that you don't care for her but I have to respectfully request that you trust my own judgment in this matter." He felt himself tense ever so slightly in preparation for whatever came next.

A shadow of realization crossed over her face as she chuckled. "Ah, I see what this about. Who said I didn't like her? The truth is quite the opposite; in fact, I find her rather remarkable."

There was no way to hide his surprise.

She continued, "I will admit that I challenge her, but I needed to test her mettle. I've long believed that you need a woman of strength and confidence to balance your own independent personality. I'm not sorry to say that your last few girlfriends had no substance and were horridly disappointing. I refuse to let you settle in with another one of them. You've chosen much better this time."

Will struggled to find the correct words in response to his aunt's declaration. "This is the last conversation I ever expected to have with you. I'm not the only one in the family who thinks you can't stand each other."

"Richard? Oh please. I wouldn't wonder that he would think that. His observations are almost as vapid as the women he dates."

Will shook his head in disbelief of the entire conversation.

"Anyway, I wanted to speak with you because I would like to suggest that you young people go off on your own this evening. Take advantage of the surroundings. Kiss the girl. Something. From what I've seen you've been a blundering idiot, and I feared that if I didn't intervene you would let the entire vacation pass with her thinking you're just friends."

If he had been scared into silence before, he was stunned into submission now. He still had no idea how to reply.

His aunt cupped her aging hand on his cheek, patted his knee and smiled. "That's all darling. Have fun tonight."

The expansive cavern that housed Guácara Taina, or simply, The Cave, was aglow from the rainbow of spotlights beaming down on fantastical stalactite structures on the dance club's ceiling. A series of inlaid stone steps led partiers past multiple levels of bars and tables to a large dance floor at the bottom. The second she entered, the rhythm of the Salsa gripped Lizzy's body as she began to slightly sway side to side. Charlotte grabbed her hand with an excited smile on her face; at that moment, no words were needed as Lizzy realized just how cooped up and overly-managed they had been. Returning her friend's excitement, she began navigating the steep stairs downwards hand in hand with her friend.

A moment of reflection led Lizzy to believe that she had never been more grateful for her mother's inconsistent thought processes. Although Fran Bennet had sworn off the entirety of her Dominican heritage, there had been times when she had failed to see that things she knew and espoused were just, inherently, Dominican. It could be seen in the way she flavored her food and raved about the plot of her latest telenovela; however, in no subject was it more obvious than in dance.

Mrs. Bennet had made sure to give her daughters a thorough education in rhythm. According to her, dancing was like sex: if you were good at one, you were good at the other, and that was all a potential boyfriend needed to discover. Although this explanation was not given until the girls were much older, from a young age Mrs. Bennet had made sure to teach her children how to Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata with the best of them; an education that easily transitioned to other forms of dance. Although the content of the lessons had stayed with her, Lizzy smiled as she briefly thought of the many times her father had joined their dance classes and twirled them around in the air as Mrs. Bennet screeched that he was distracting the girls from their all-important training.

Looking down at the quickly moving crowd below, Lizzy knew that those lessons were about to come in handy. Before she had even ventured out onto the dance floor, Lizzy's arm was pulled gracelessly by Richard directly into the crowd.

Lizzy had become truly grateful for Richard's presence on the vacation, feeling so much a kin to him that she had begun calling him "the brother she never had". His attention and company had been a constant since day one, and Lizzy was hoping that she would be able to keep in touch with him after their travels were over. No one had ever made her laugh so hard in her life, and she found that trait invaluable.

Like now. The second he began moving, it became painfully obvious that Richard could not dance. Instead, he resorted to a playful style of movement that was intentionally comical to cover for his many missteps. Lizzy tried to show him the three step rhythm of Salsa, but she could see that the beat was evading him, making her effort futile. Deciding to just enjoy it for what it was, she began laughing hysterically as Richard started doing silly moves like the running man and the lawn mower all to the Latin beat.

However, when it comes to Latin dancing, there is no shame in stealing partners. Before Richard was able to finish his best robot maneuvers, a tan skinned stranger whisked her away and began spinning her in some classic Salsa turns. He was very good, and Lizzy did what she could to simply keep up with him. Just when she thought that she might actually get dizzy, another man took over; although not as vigorous as the last, he too was able to sufficiently lead her to Lloraras by Oscar D'Leon.

After a few songs passed, she began to miss the comfort of her group; she looked over her partner's shoulder in an attempt to find them. It didn't take her long to find Will's taller frame in the crowd. He was spinning his cousin Anne and looking surprisingly confident doing the Salsa. Anne was glowing. She laughed as her cousin ducked her through his arms and completed a solo turn by himself. Lizzy was happy to see the girl come slightly more out of her shell, and resolved to really try to make a connection with her before the end of the vacation. It also struck her how different Will seemed with people he was comfortable with, and how, although she had known him for more than three months, she was only starting to get to see that side of Will for herself.

Tiring of her dance partner, she thanked him and walked over to the bar to find Charlotte.

She had to shout to be heard over the din of the Latin tempo. "Char, this place is amazing! If only there could be a club like this back home!"

Charlotte smiled broadly. 'If only? I don't know Lizzy. We might quit our day jobs and never leave it. I personally think I might be having too much fun…I'm already on drink number three. Who was that hottie you were dancing with, by the way?"

"He was a hottie? I guess I didn't pay attention. No one I know."

Charlotte slanted her eyes at her friend in return. "Mr. Darcy dances rather well, don't you think?"

"Um…I hadn't noticed."

"Lizzy..."

"OKAY. I did notice. Yes, he does."

"Are you going to ask him to dance?"

'Me? No. No way! I told you when we got to the DR, I'm not even happy about being in the same club as him."

"Now I know that you're lying." She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "It's alright Lizzy, you like him. Worse things have happened. I mean, I've had suspicions about you two since our happy hour back in October, and no woman in her right mind would act that way in the airport if you didn't feel something for him."

Lizzy was blushing and hoped that the lights in the club would hide it. "Yes, Char…I like him, a little. I thought it was just a stupid crush that I shouldn't even have, but now…I'll admit he's grown on me a bit."

"Good, that's good. Because it seems that he is coming this way as we speak."

Lizzy felt his hand on her arm before she was even able to turn around.

His grey eyes looked dusky in the club lighting. "Would you like to dance?"

Lizzy gulped down her nerves and managed to get out a, "sure," in response.

He deftly led her out onto the floor and began spinning her similarly to how he had been dancing with his cousin. Lizzy was itching with curiosity and asked, "So, when did you learn to Salsa?"

"Ballroom dancing lessons when I was eleven. I hated them, but they've come in handy on more than one occasion."

"I can see. You're really good."

"So are you."

"I have my mother to thank for that."

He simply looked into her eyes and smiled.

Lizzy felt the full force of his stare, and quickly looked down from his gaze. Suddenly, the song transitioned, and the hypnotic sounds of Obsesión, by Aventura, filled the large space. Lizzy loved Bachata and swiftly began moving to the whimsical notes of the song, but was surprised when Will did not follow suit. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know how to dance to this."

"You can Salsa like a professional, but you can't dance Bachata at all? No bueno*. Here, I'll show you…it's really simple."

Lizzy began to demonstrate the four step count that would move them in time to the music. Bachata was designed to be danced sultry and close, with hips mirroring the movements of your partner. After showing him herself, Lizzy even pointed out a few other couples on the dance floor who served as good examples in order to help with the visual.

He was a fast learner.

Before she knew it, Lizzy was in the arms of Will Darcy, moving in time with a song that always made her get swept away. She closed her eyes and let the rhythm take over, losing herself in the moment; in the sensation of Will guiding her steps, spinning her away and drawing her close in a pattern that curiously reminded her of the course of their relationship. The air sizzled with unspoken intensity, and she was uncertain if her heart was racing solely from her movements or as a result of his sure and gentle touch.

Maybe William Darcy isn't so bad; in fact, at this very moment he seemed really good. Irresistibly good. Intoxicatingly good. Lizzy let her body relax as her face lay gently against his muscular chest. She deeply inhaled the scent of his cologne; a sandalwood and cedar combination with a faint hint of sweet floral to balance the stronger notes. Maybe it was the heat in the club, or perhaps just the tropical environment; whatever the combination of factors, the current situation was hypnotizing.

Will had leaned his head down to bring it closer to her own, and she now felt the faint scratch of stubble on the skin by her left ear. He continued to sway her to the music, gently holding the back of her right hand to his chest as he pressed her body to him with his other arm. She closed her eyes and breathed the moment in; it was astounding just how perfect and incredible it actually felt.

Lizzy slowly became aware of the fact that Will's cheek was not staying by her ear. In fact, a blazing path was being traced from her ear forwards as Will pulled his face back to look at her. Not wanting to lose any physical contact, the touch between their cheeks was maintained as they instinctively slid their faces towards each other. Before she knew it, their noses were almost side by side; she could feel his breath blowing down towards her chin. Was he going to kiss her? Yes: he was, and she had no desire to stop him. Lizzy closed her eyes and slowly raised her lips to his, a thrilling sense of anticipation rising in her stomach.

Suddenly, a hard push from her right side made them both recoil and seek the source of the intrusion: another couple had gotten too close and spun into their sides. Both the man and woman apologized profusely, but Lizzy was actually grateful for the return to reality; she had been mere inches away from kissing Will Darcy when she had told Charlotte just three days ago that she wasn't willing to speak to him. Will was looking at her ready to resume their dance, a surprisingly dark look in his lustrous grey eyes, but Lizzy knew that she needed to take a moment. Her senses had come alive and were now jumping around like live wires after a flash storm. She needed to sort out what this all really meant to her, particularly since it had suddenly gotten very serious, very quickly.

She stepped in close to Will's body and reached her lips up to his ear. "I'm really tired; I think I'm going to return to my room. Thank you for the dances. You have some pretty good moves."

He leaned his head towards her ear, pulling her shoulders towards him and replied, "I had an excellent teacher. But please, allow me to escort you home."

Oh no, not necessary. The whole point is to create some temporary distance between us, mister wonderful. "Oh, that's unnecessary Will. You should enjoy your time here with your cousins. I think we caught a lucky break by even being able to go out tonight."

He sighed, but didn't stop smiling at her. He reached forward and gently held her hand. "As you wish. I'll see you tomorrow then, Lizzy."

Stepping back, she nodded goodnight to him and walked away.

Lizzy briskly closed the door to her hotel room and spun around to lean her back against it. The cool, air-conditioned wood was a stark contrast to the heat of the blood racing under her skin.

This isn't just a crush anymore. This is captivating, raw, intense, irresistible; so much more than a crush. I can't seem to stay away from him. In fact, the more I see him the more impossibly drawn I am to his side.

The unexpected interruption had come just at the right time; her desire in the moment, with his scent filling her head and their bodies pressed together, made her fairly certain she wouldn't have been able to stop with just kissing. As much as her body ached for him, the intensity of the dynamic between them scared her enough to not want to add a physical connection to the equation just yet. A kiss she could handle, but in a place with more open spaces and less opportunity to wind up afterwards in somebody's bedroom.

Slowly letting out a deep breath, she pushed herself away from the door and grabbed some pajamas out of her suitcase. Tomorrow. Tomorrow was their trip to the waterfalls. She couldn't imagine a better setting for romance; maybe, just maybe, tomorrow was their day.

A/N

*No bueno - Spanish for "Not good".

Thank you all again for your favorites, follows and reviews! Keep them coming. I swear my fingers type faster every time I see one. :)

In case you're wondering, this chapter reflects the extent of interference that Lady Catherine will attempt to exert on our favorite couple. There just really wasn't a role for her usual scheming self as it comes to E&D in this story. I hope that you enjoy the reprieve!

Music and links are now posted for this chapter.