Chapter 7

It was completely ridiculous, but Elizabeth couldn't keep her hands from sweating. She chastised herself for being nervous. It had only been five hours since she had walked along the shoreline with Will, and yet here she was in her car, parked in his driveway, too nervous to walk to his door. She felt extremely silly. That afternoon had been very relaxed, and Elizabeth had settled into the natural comfortableness of being in his company. The fact that she was so anxious puzzled her, and her knuckles were white from gripping the wheel so tightly. She looked from her hands to his front door and took a deep breath.

Earlier, Elizabeth had scoured her closet for the perfect outfit and settled upon a simple, sleek black halter top dress she'd worn once to a retirement dinner for one of the teachers who worked at the nursery school. Despite it leaving her upper back exposed, she still wondered whether it was too formal, and Andy's arrival to her house had only added to her doubts.

Elizabeth had just finished applying her makeup and was getting Emma settled for dinner when Andy walked through their door and shouted his greeting. She set her daughter's plate on the table and called her brother into the kitchen. When he turned the corner, his surprise was evident on his face.

"Look at you!"

Emma exclaimed, "Mommy's pretty!"

Elizabeth smiled and ran a hand over her daughter's hair.

"I thought you were going to his house!" Andy said.

"I am. We're not going out. I just wanted to look nice is all."

A sly grin spread across his face. "You're looking rather fit for a house visit. It would appear that you're dressed up for something special, Sis."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Seems to me that you're not so subtly planning to get it on tonight."

Elizabeth quickly covered Emma's ears and glared at her brother. "Can we not talk about this in front of her?"

He smiled and shrugged nonchalantly as he walked back to the front room. Elizabeth followed closely behind him. When they were far enough from her daughter, she smacked Andy's arm.

"Ow!"

"Don't say things like that in front of Emma!"

"She doesn't know what I'm talking about, Liz! She's just a kid."

"She's smarter than you think."

He nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. She probably already knows you're going in for a bonk."

Elizabeth lowered her voice to a dangerous whisper. "That is not what we're doing tonight."

"There's no shame in it, Lizzie. The first time can be awkward, yeh? But hopefully it will release some of that tens–"

"Oh, shut it Andy."

Elizabeth left him to kiss Emma goodbye. When she returned, she spoke quickly. "Thanks again for coming over on short notice. Emma's had her bath, so she'll be ready for bed in about three and a half hours, alright?"

"You planning to stay at his house all night?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Emma has school in the morning, and I've got to work."

"Good luck, Lizzie. Although, with that dress, I doubt you'll need any luck."

"Piss off."

Ultimately, Elizabeth decided that Andy's prodding had created her unnecessary anxiety. After another deep breath, she opened her car door and began walking towards his house. The click of her heels against the wooden porch sounded entirely too loud, and she could feel the creep of self-consciousness begin to make its way into her mind, but Elizabeth squashed it as she knocked on his door, forcing it out of her thoughts.

Just before she attempted to announce her arrival once more, Will opened the door. His expression was one of shock. His eyes were wide, and a slight smile raised the corners of his mouth as he tried to search for words. "Wow, I…Elizabeth, you…wow."

He stepped aside to allow her access to his front room. She smiled and admired his stylish button up shirt and slacks. His wardrobe was casual, but she noticed that no matter what he wore, he always looked smartly dressed, and tonight was no exception.

"You're looking well bing bing, Mr. Turner."

Will laughed and kissed her politely on the cheek, "I've got dinner ready for you."

He motioned for her to make her way to the dining room, and she followed without complaint. The table had been set with everything they needed, and the food smelled wonderful. Each plate was already filled with the steamed chicken and vegetables Will had prepared. He pulled her chair to help her sit and took his seat across from her. As Elizabeth folded her napkin on her lap, Will poured wine into both of their glasses. Neither needed much coaxing to start eating, and before long both plates were empty. Though she tried to help clear the table, he insisted she sit still. In a few minutes' time, the table was clean, and Elizabeth felt her nervousness return unexpectedly. To combat it, she began rambling about everything that came to mind: work, Emma, his cooking. Will listened politely, but the longer she talked, the more thoughtful Will looked. After a few minutes, Elizabeth allowed her curiosity to finally get the better of her.

"Am I becoming nonsensical?"

Instead of answering, he asked. "How do you feel tonight?"

Her brow furrowed. "Curious?"

He laughed. "No, I mean…Follow me."

Elizabeth did as she was told and walked behind him. He led her to the back of the house and stopped in front of the closed door to his study. Then he turned to face her, and for the first time that evening, seemed slightly unsure of what he was going to say.

"Now that I've brought you here, I'm starting to have doubts as to whether this is a stupid idea or not."

"What are you talking about?"

"This afternoon…you said you felt old and frumpy, though I completely disagree with you, and while you were talking I couldn't help but think that you looked so…beautiful. And I thought that…" he trailed off as he twisted his hands. "I thought that I'd try to make you feel…less frumpy?"

Elizabeth couldn't help but smile at his awkwardness and cocked her head to the side. "Go on, then."

He opened the door, and led her into the room. She stopped just inside the door, and Will continued walking to his desk. He opened a side drawer and pulled out his camera. "I thought I'd take a few pictures of you to show you that you're not old and frumpy. If you're not comfortable with it, we can do something else."

"No, this is lovely, really. I think I'd like to have a go."

A loud, relieved sigh forced itself out of his lungs. "Okay. Uh, just…give me one minute."

Elizabeth walked into the room and stood to the side as Will bustled about to get set up. He pulled a tripod from its case and quickly mounted his camera on it. Unsure of where she was supposed to be, she asked, "What do I do?"

"Just stand by my bookshelves. Here, let me position you."

The bookcase was large, stretching from floor to ceiling and nearly covering most of the wall it was built into. There were storage units that started at the floor that were about a meter high. A very small counter rested atop these cabinets and was the foundation for the oak bookshelves above. The shelves were filled with books, trinkets, and photographs from his trip to Tokyo. Will pulled an old tome from the side, opened it, and handed it to her.

"I need you to hold this here," he said, lifting her hands and the book to a level just below her chin, "and tilt your head as if you're reading, but look up at me. Yes, like that." He started walking towards his camera. "Now, I'm just going to start clicking, and I'll direct you as we go, alright?"

She nodded.

"I want you to give me that infamous pout you put on."

"What?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Elizabeth."

"This is so bizarre, Will. I feel stupid."

"That's it! Keep doing it."

As the hour passed, he moved her into several places around the room, and tried different expressions and angles to get the best quality picture. Eventually, Elizabeth kicked off her heels and asked for a break. She rested on a plump armchair and watched Will fiddle with his camera.

"Would you let me try taking a few pictures?" she asked.

He cocked his head to the side and grinned. "What?"

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and placed her chin in her hands. "I've never had the chance to play with a fancy camera."

"Well, when you put it that way, the answer is no."

"What?"

"Liz, a 'fancy camera' such as this is not meant to be played with."

"Will!" she whined.

"Alright. Come here, then."

Elizabeth jumped out of the chair and carefully took the camera from him. Will showed her how to focus the lens, and she began snapping pictures. She stepped into Will's role and directed him into silly poses across the room. The two giggled and teased each other while the camera continuously clicked away in Elizabeth's hands. Eventually Will removed his shoes and sat in Elizabeth's vacated chair.

"I think I'm through, Liz. I'm going to rest for a bit. You should join me."

"Yeah?"

Will nodded. The playful atmosphere was slowly disappearing, and Elizabeth felt the now familiar tingling sensation make its return.

"The power button is on the right side. Just turn it off, and come over here."

Elizabeth searched for the power button. There were a lot more knobs and buttons than she was used to seeing. She never saw a button labeled "power". It was too embarrassing for her to admit that she had no idea what she was doing, so she pressed a few buttons until the screen went black. She placed the camera on his desk and crossed the room to the chair. When she reached him, Will pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her soundly. Without thinking, Elizabeth allowed her hands to run through his hair while his own crept lower. When she felt them rest on her bum, she pulled away and quirked her eyebrow. His eyes were slightly unfocused, and his hands had not moved.

"What?" he asked.

"Feeling rather bold, are you?"

"You looked amazing. You still look amazing. I can't help myself."

Elizabeth laughed.

"Do you feel young again?"

Sitting straight, she said, "I do feel a bit younger. Can I see the photographs?"

He tsked. "Not yet. I'll have them ready for you in a few days, but not until then."

For a long moment, he stroked her leg while she continued to play with his hair. "Will, this has been a great day for me. Thank you. I've not been able to feel this carefree in a long while."

"I'm glad I could help." His hand moved to her shoulder to pull her closer to him. With gentle pressure, Will turned her body so that she was facing away from him and put his hands on her shoulders. With a firmness she hadn't felt in ages, he began working the muscles underneath his fingers, slowly moving his way from the joint towards the base of her neck and back again. Unnoticed and unwanted tension began to melt away from Elizabeth, and she sighed as he redirected his hands to her neck.

"Oh, god, Will," she said, "I'd forgotten how magical your hands are."

Her choice of words made him laugh. "Magical?"

"Just shut it, and keep going."

Will's hands were very warm against her bare skin, and Elizabeth couldn't help leaning into them when they ventured past her neck and onto her shoulder blades. She hadn't realized how tight her muscles were until he began massaging the knots out of them. His soft humming of an unknown tune was very relaxing, and after closing her eyes, she felt very sleepy. The sound of the zipper on her dress sliding down broke the calm, and Elizabeth felt a chill travel the length of her spine, keeping pace with the zipper. Her pulse quickened, and she turned her head to regard him out of the corner of her eye. He stopped then, and looked at her, licking his lips nervously.

"I thought I'd work your other muscles, but I'll put it back…that is, if you'd rather – "

"No," she interrupted. "Don't stop."

She kept her head turned as he resumed his massage against her back. Will leaned his forehead against the base of her neck as he worked, and his breath blew warm against her skin. It was a struggle for Elizabeth to contain the moans that rose in her throat, especially when his hands moved to stroke her sides. Will spoke, and his voice was barely above a whisper.

"You're so soft."

"Will…" she started, but when his fingertips found her stomach, she had to remain quiet, lest the suppressed groans be heard. Small circles were drawn on her skin. His fingers drew swirls against her sides and ribs. It became too much when his knuckles finally brushed against the swell of her breast, and the quelled moan could no longer be restrained. The small sound gave Will the push he needed to fully take her breasts in his hands. Elizabeth's head fell against his, and she could feel his lips placing kisses between her shoulder blades. The warmth of his hands hadn't left, and she rested her full weight against him. Feeling emboldened by Will's own bravado, she reached around her neck and lifted the collar of her dress over her head, fully exposing her torso to the chill of the air. Will rolled her nipples between his fingertips as he kissed behind her jaw. Past the point of her embarrassment, Elizabeth made no effort to stop the whimpers that now spilled from her. When she felt his teeth nip the skin of her neck, her back arched into the air.

"Would you think badly of me if I lost the dress?" she asked.

Without speaking, Will stood them up and pushed the dress from her hips onto the floor. Before she could step away from the material he had her turned towards him and in his arms, and he was now kissing her madly. Elizabeth wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him back just as uncontrollably. She didn't realize they were moving until she felt the shelf of his bookcase against her bum. He let her slide from his arms to the wooden ledge but did not break their wild kiss. Now that Elizabeth had free use of her hands, she used them to unbutton his shirt. Deciding to skip the feeling of his naked chest beneath her fingers, she moved her attention to his belt. She had to bend her neck to see what she was doing, and Will moved his lips back to her neck. It wasn't long before the belt had been undone, and the two began a race to remove trousers and knickers. Will won and immediately thrust two fingers inside her. Elizabeth hadn't expected him to move so quickly and was taken by surprise as he curled them within. Her legs returned to his waist, and incoherent sentences flew from her mouth. His thumb worked its own magic, forcing Elizabeth to grip his shoulders to prevent herself from sliding to the floor.

"Fuck! Oh, fuck. Oh god, Will. Will, Will, Will…"

A loud cry and a tense body announced the arrival of Elizabeth's orgasm. Will's free arm wrapped around her waist to keep her from falling to the floor as her body jerked against his hand. When it was over, her breathing remained heavy, and he said, "Jesus, Elizabeth, it wasn't thirty seconds before you came. You were wound tight, you were."

Without opening her eyes, she replied, "Apparently."

As she was still recovering, Will lifted her into his arms and kissed her softly. She relaxed into him and wrapped her legs around him once again. She finally felt the satisfying warmth radiating from his chest pressed against her own. He continued kissing her as he walked from the room and made his way towards the stairs.

"Where are we going?"

"I want to have you properly," he whispered, now climbing the stairs, "in bed."

His pace quickened when Elizabeth licked the shell of his ear, and in seconds they were on his bed. Somewhere along the way, Will had lost the rest of his clothes and now rested himself over her smaller frame. His mouth resumed its place against her neck, and for the first time that evening, Elizabeth was very aware of his erection. He was slowly rubbing it against her clit, and her nails dug deep into the skin of his shoulders. Once again losing all sense of self-control, she pleaded with Will to stop his teasing. He finally slid deep inside of her, but resumed his slow strokes.

"Will, please! I don't want soft and slow…I need – "

He gave up on his attempts to torture her when she begged and started thrusting with a renewed furor. His new course of action visibly pleased Elizabeth, and she clung to him tightly. Elizabeth couldn't explain the deep need for contact that had suddenly emerged within her. She had no idea that such a longing for sex had rested dormant for so long and was amazed at how quickly it had appeared when Will ignited the spark. There was nothing gentle or meek about the sex they were having. It was raucous and wild. Elizabeth couldn't be sure, but there seemed to be something in Will that made him act as if he needed this as badly as she did.

"I…missed you…," he said roughly and then, almost desperately, added, "so much."

She kissed him hard, sucking his tongue into her mouth. She didn't expect to feel the building sensation of another orgasm, but as she kissed him, it grew faster and faster until it exploded within her, and she cried out once again. The convulsions rocked her body harder than those in Will's study, and when she finally became aware of her surroundings, Will had collapsed on top of her, signaling the arrival of his own climax.

Both were sweating heavily as they lay together, and they were thankful for the cooler air around them. When his breathing slowed, Will moved to her side, and they both turned to face one another. He pulled the bedcovers over them, and Elizabeth brushed his hair away from his face.

"From the looks of it, it would seem that you were wound pretty tight yourself," she mused.

"What can I say? You're amazing. Always have been, really."

"So I'm not crude, then?"

"What are you on about?"

She scrunched her face as she thought. "What was it you told me? I believe you said, 'I find sex on first dates to be a bit crude'?"

Will laughed and pulled her closer. "I suppose that would make me just as guilty as you."

"So what does all this mean?"

"Hmm?"

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. His heart was beating strongly within, and the sound made her feel safe and secure, as it always had. "Is this it for us?"

"I hope not!"

"I don't want it to be either."

"What do you want, then?"

She turned so that her chin was against his chest, and she could see straight into his eyes. "I want to keep you around."

"Well, love, after what you've done tonight, it would be next to impossible to get rid of me."

A/N: This is the last completed update I have, so it may be awhile before I can update again. I apologize for the wait for this one, but thanks for reading and reviewing!