Okay, before I am lynched, I would like to add that things will unfortunately get a little worse for our couple, but they will get through their issues relatively quickly. I promise :) This is only Part 1 of Chapter 8. I will try to post Part 2 before next week if you guys want.

I am so excited - over 100 reviews :) It was my goal for the entire story.

I still plan on only 11 Chapters so this is more than half way done. I would like to thank you all who are reading for your comments and reviews. They make my day! And, they keep feeding the plot bunnies.

The Doll Chapter 8 Part 1 - Day 25 - 28

On Sunday, Darcy woke up to the feel of her hands on him, exploring the planes of his chest. Noticing he was awake, Elizabeth kissed him gently. He held himself still so she could touch him wherever she wanted. Inquisitive, her hand drifted underneath the sheet laying claim to more real estate. Her hands rubbed all the way down his legs until she laid a palm flat on the sole of his foot.

"My what big feet you have, Mr. Darcy." Her voice still held a hint of sleep. It was sexy. "You know what they say it means when a man has big feet." She kissed the top of his toes.

He shook his head. He knew what she wanted him to say, but he would not make it so easy for her.

"It means you have to wear big socks. And, you're supposed to be some sort of genius." It was a silly joke, but the way she delivered it. So serious, made him laugh.

Elizabeth's hands returned to their exploring. Along his legs, across his trunk. Finally, she kneeled between his legs as her hands drifted up his thighs, as if memorizing the feel of him. Never had a woman touched him in such a way. Looked at him with such longing. It made him feel hot and cold. Molten lava and ice. Extreme.

Finally, she stopped. She sat butt on her ankles and when she was sure he was watching her, lifted her nightgown off, baring herself to him. She said nothing. She didn't have to. He moved. They kissed. He cupped her face in his hands, his turn to memorize. She pulled back from him, lowering her gaze to his manhood. The lust in her look. He tried to prepare himself for a more centralized examination of his body, but it was impossible not to harden in anticipation of her mouth's arrival. She licked him as if she were tasting something exotic, something she wanted to savor. She wanted to savor him! This overwhelmingness he felt when she was with him. The way his body flared to life, all the cells in his body envied the skin that got to touch her.

Darcy held her hair, but he did not want to influence the direction of her movement. This was what she wanted to do. A gift she gave to him. Freely. Every time she looked at him in that knowing way as if she could see straight into his soul, as she continued sucking on him. Each pull of her mouth, edging him closer. Deep. Slow. Quick. Shallow. Each sensation was new because it was her. When he could stand no more, he pulled her up from him. Gently, he guided her to her back, reached for a condom.

Every time they were together, Darcy had to be vigilant. They had to be careful. The pill was not effective every time. He never wanted children. He knew his children would be cold, distant, unfeeling. Like him. It was hard enough to raise Georgie, a child of expression and wonder. He had never considered having a baby of his own. Fruit of his loins. While the rational part of him insisted he wear a condom for added protection, there was a part of him who longed to have no barrier between them. To feel her as man was intended to feel the woman of his heart. Bare. Close. The thought of her with child did something else to him. Her abdomen swollen. The heartbeat of her child underneath her skin. The realization that she would be brought to full bloom of pregnancy by another man's seed plagued him.

It could never be him, but it should never be another.

Jealously, Darcy felt he was the only one who should see her this way - her mouth parted, her face pink, her eyes brightened by their exercise, her body so warm, naked splayed before him. His ears should be the only ones to hear the breathless way she said his name. Like a prayer. He should be the only man who knew she was ticklish on the bottom of her feet, who knew she had an erotic spot underneath her knees that drove her wild, or that he had claimed the patch of skin right below her left ear as his own. He had placed a small hickey there to appease a dark part of himself that demand he mark her. Claim her.

The act was different with her. Almost sacred. She demanded reverence. She was special. Like a rare flower. Moving art. A poem that could represent a generation. The yearning something in him was appeased when they were together. Completed by her. They communicated here, in bed together, talking, whispering. There was no need to hurry. He found her so fascinating. So very fascinating. Her words, her wit. Her laughter. His favorite sound in the entire world.

Sunday, they had whiled the morning and then the afternoon hours away discovering what she liked, what she really liked, and what she really, really liked him to do to her. His hands memorized the curves of her until his body, an annoyingly fragile vessel, shattered repeatedly under the strain of receiving and giving such pleasure.

It was cruel that he only knew such bliss for such a short time. He'd only been permitted into Heaven for not even two days before being expelled into a Hell of his own construct. He could recall with clarity the moment it happened.

It was Monday. A horrible enough prospect loamed of climbing from her body to face the responsibilities and demands of the work week. But, then, Elizabeth stretched against him. Her body brushing his in that now familiar way. The innocent look she gave him too innocent to be believable. The saucy smile as her hand located him under the comforter. He was on his side, leaning on his elbow, watching her. Work, leaving their bed could be put off a little while longer.

"I love the way you touch me, Elizabeth." Darcy shut his eyes. He was going to reveal what was weighing on him. Confess the truth of his heart months in the making. He could no longer keep it bottled in. Like a good bottle of wine who wanted to be freed of its cork. Shared.

"That is really good news because I love touching you, Will." Her hand was curling around him, rubbing him. He was so close to telling her. Then, he'd show her. I love you, Elizabeth. She kissed his neck, traced his ear with her tongue. "I have to say, Will, this is the best job I've ever had."

Reality crashed his dreams. Like a castle built on sand, her reminding words pulverized his heart under an avalanche of waves. She was doing this for the money. He was a job. Sex was the ultimate trial. Xy. He hadn't thought of Xy or that project in days. He'd fooled himself completely. Mixing too much of his fantasy with his reality, diluting the real world. Wouldn't Uncle Paul and Richard have a good laugh?

Darcy's heart was dying in his chest, but he found a way to speak around his shock. "It's getting late, Elizabeth. I'm going to be late if I don't get ready now." He pulled himself from her touch, hating the way his body literally rejected the idea of being removed from her. He made his way out of the covers which seemed to conspire to bind him to the bed, he drug his heavy heart across the carpet like a tossed over anchor, he tried to drown the desire for her in a cold shower. He felt the pain searing its way to his toes. He dressed on auto pilot. Joined her in the kitchen in a daze. His suffering did not even rate as she blissfully went about her day. About her routine, playing her part so perfectly.

"No, mom, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but he is not a billionaire. Yes, I'm sure." She rolled her eyes at him, which normally would have amused him, but not today. Today, the fact she was distracted grated on him. He wanted her focus. He wanted her attention completely on him. She put a cup of coffee in front of him. It would be exactly how he took it. Light cream, heavy sugar. He wanted her to get it wrong.

"I know they're Republican." She said it like it was a disease. "And, that's truly unfortunate because Matlida seems to be a big fan of yours. She's Senator Pool's wife. I guess I'll have to tell her that you aren't interested in a reading for her and her friends." A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice along with his paper joined his coffee. "Yes. Evidentially, she is part of some book club of New Jersey socialites and they just read your newest book. Absolutely loved it from the way they all were talking. They wanted you to give them a private reading, but I'll simply let her know you aren't interested."

She busied herself at the stove. "No, mom. It is probably safe to assume that Senator Pool's wife is also a Republican." She sighed. "No, I won't ask Will. Of course, mom, I won't be hasty. I can give you her number so you can decide for yourself. I'll text it to you." Elizabeth was grinning at him, making a crazy symbol by her ear. Finally, she held her cell between her shoulder and ear as she put his plate in front of him. Turkey bacon, scrambled egg whites and whole wheat toast with strawberry jam. His absolute favorite breakfast. It irritated him that on this day, of all days, she had made it for him.

She dropped another set of bread in the toaster. "No, mom. No, I'm not going to try my best to 'secure him.' What's that sound? I'm making breakfast. It is morning mom, it is what normal people do." She sighed again shaking her head and looking heavenward. "I am well aware that you think that a way to a man's heart is not through his stomach - No, I don't need you to demonstrate the proper way to give a man a blow job. You were quite explicit when I was in high school. I don't need another lesson."

Her toast popped up and he watched as she smeared butter on both pieces. Added a small touch of honey. Her favorite breakfast. She gave him a long suffering look. "I've got to go, mom. Will wants me to put on a latex suit and clean his kitchen. I'll talk to you later."

"Sorry about that, she just gets so carried away sometimes. It is like trying to stop a freight train with a toothpick! I can only take so much of it before my morning coffee." Crunching her toast loudly, she pulled her legs up to her chest. "Fair warning. You might have to go to dinner at my parent's in the near future. I'll try to spare you the ordeal, but she saw pictures of us from your Uncle's event and is really in a mood that she was 'kept from the truth.'"

Darcy nodded. He did not comment. He did not want to have dinner with her family. He did not want to be amused by the phone call he just over heard. He already knew her family was a nightmare. Totally unsuitable. There was her mother, an outlandish woman who talked loudly at the three functions they had ever attended together for Jane & Charles' wedding. There was the father. A man who one would believe would have been beaten down by having such a wife. Though, Darcy had to concede, Mr. Bennet did not seem trodden on. He seemed happy.

There was Jane. As much as he liked the woman, and he did, she was entirely too amiable. She was too easily led, convinced. He liked a challenge. His eyes brushed over Elizabeth, who was glaring at her own cup of coffee muttering about her meddling mother. The younger sisters pure teenage silliness.

Darcy couldn't sit here. He couldn't sit here next to her and pretend she hadn't broken his heart. He put down the paper, pushing back from the table. That got her attention.

"You didn't eat your breakfast."

"I'm not hungry this morning."

"But, you usually like bacon and eggs." She looked amused. "Did you misplace your glasses again? Do you want me to find them for you?"

Was he really so comical? "No, I don't need them this morning." He folded the paper. "I don't have time to read it anyway this morning. You made me late."

She grinned that smile that she wore in bed. "Are you really complaining?" He stood without responding which caused her to frown. She touched his hand with hers. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you had something important this morning. I'm sorry I got carried away. I couldn't help myself. Do you want me to write your boss a note?" He glanced about wanting desperately to get away. She frowned. "You didn't hear something that upset you when I was on the phone with my mom. You've met her. You know how she is. Borderline insane but really harmless. Truly. I was only joking about that stuff with the latex suit."

"I just would like some peace and quiet." He said, not looking at her. He returned to his bedroom to get his suit jacket, found his own keys and cell phone. After some time searching, he even found his own glasses. She was waiting at the door with his lunch and his thermos. "You don't have to treat me like I'm a child you have to see off to school every morning, Elizabeth."

Confusion flooded her lovely face. Darcy retrieved her offerings and ducked through the door. As he settled into the elevator he realized it was the first time since she'd moved in and they started playing house together that she had not given him a kiss. He shut his eyes. He was a thousand kinds of fool!

His driver was waiting when he exited the building and his cell phone sprang to life. He checked the screen and put the call on ignore. He did not want to talk to Richard or Uncle Paul any time in the foreseeable future.

Darcy realized he was being sharp with almost everyone who came into his sphere. Technicians, valued colleagues, even Mrs. Reynolds could not please him. He tried to concentrate on the work at hand, but nothing could satisfactorily hold his . It was going to be a long night. Final touches on the drones had to be done before they could be shipped. The deadline loomed. Friday noon in order to meet the deadline. The DARPA field would go from fifteen to ten. After so many missteps, he owed it to his team to get this right.

It was dark when he left the lab with the others. Darcy was perfectly aware that it was well passed dinner time. The others on his team that were either married or involved had all called their loved ones to let them know they were going to be late, but he had deliberately not called. When he arrived home, he knew she'd probably already turned in for bed. The thought made him angry. She could sleep. She could go about her day as if nothing had changed. As if his world was not collapsing around him.

But, Elizabeth wasn't asleep. She was up and moping the kitchen floor. It galled him to see her cleaning as if she were his maid. Her face litS when she saw him. She immediately gave up her endeavor, walked carefully toward him, trying to avoid the wet patches on the floor. She took his lunch box and thermos asking him after his day. He made some type of comment. He noticed then the cookie jars on the counter. They were brown jug shapes with the words HIS and HERS on them in orange letters.

She followed his gaze. "I found them today in Soho. Aren't they great?" She giggled, opening HIS jar to reveal cookies. They'd be his favorite. Chocolate chip. He didn't even need to look. He turned away from her. He had to have space from her.

She followed him. "You didn't call me all day today. I made dinner and you -"

"I was too busy to call you, is that alright? Sometimes, I'm going to be too busy to call you. You'll have to get use to it." He'd hurt her. He could tell at the way she withdrew into herself. "I'm sorry, the DARPA deadline is coming up on Friday." He was all alone. He had no one to ask for advice. He had no one to unburden his heart.

"It's alright, Will. I know how hard you are working." She put her arms around his waist, a little hesitant, then her smile brightened, "Why don't I pour you a drink and you can relax? I'll reheat your dinner. Then, you can tell me about your day. Maybe I can help?"

"I'm beat." He unwound her hands from his waist. "I'm just going to take a shower and then turn in."

She waggled her eyebrows, playfully. "Do you want some company? I can wash your back for you."

The hopeful look on her face was like salt in his wounds. This is the best job I've ever had. "Not tonight, Elizabeth." He could not stand the confusion that filled her lovely eyes. He brushed his lips against her forehead. "I need to be alone tonight. If you don't mind?"

"No, of course, I don't mind." Again, the rebound played out on her face. The care for him, the concern moving like a wave through her. Ebbing and flowing as she tried to gauge what she thought he needed. As she was trying to cycle through her arsenal to find a weapon to get past his shield. It terrified him that she tried so hard to get close to him.