Will waited for Elizabeth at the entrance to the school. Their suitcase was in the trunk and Richard was going to stay with Georgie.
The last month had been very stressful for the whole family as the story of Elizabeth's ordeal in the woods had garnered national media attention. Reporters had not wanted to leave them alone and everyone wanted the family's first- hand account of the story.
The reporters had hung around for weeks despite the fact that none of the Darcy's were talking. They had finally left earlier in the week when another story had caught the media firestorm and Will had breathed a sigh of relief.
He and Elizabeth could now spend the weekend in peace without reporters digging up every little bit of information on the couple. Will had everything planned out down to the last detail and Mrs. Annesley had agreed to release Elizabeth from classes early.
He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost noon. Elizabeth should be being informed any time now and would be joining him.
He couldn't help but smile when he saw his wife headed his way. She was his whole reason for breathing and it was like a knife twisting in his gut every time he thought about how close he had come to losing her.
Elizabeth's green eyes were blazing with barely restrained anger as she reached him, "Will Darcy, how dare you pull me from class." The stress was obvious in her eyes, "You have no idea how much work I have to do."
Without a word he took her hand and led her to the car, "I think I have a pretty good idea." A grin spread across his face, "I've heard about everything for the last few weeks." He snapped his fingers, "Let me see, you have to study for final's, which are still almost a month away; you have to write you valedictorian speak that you don't need that until graduation in a month and you have to start preparing for the baby but we both know that there is no urgency there because the baby won't be here for over 7 months." He lifted her chin and found her eyes, "Am I missing something or is there more."
Elizabeth shook her head and shot daggers from her eyes, "You think you are so clever, don't you."
He picked her up and swept her up into his arms as he walked toward the car, "Yes, I do." He said as he opened the car door and placed her on the passenger's seat and belted her into the car.
"Will, where are you taking me?"
"I'm taking you on a romantic spa weekend in Sonoma." He said as he got into his seat and started the car, "It's where I was going to take you before I found about your father." He leaned over to kiss her, "Only this time, Georgie doesn't have to play chaperone and we won't have separate rooms." Will's voice was husky with desire as he feathered soft kisses down to the hollow of her neck. "I can't wait to get you all to myself for a few days."
"Will, I don't have the time," Elizabeth narrowed her eyes as he pulled out of the school parking lot, "You've forgotten that I need to prepare for my summer speaking schedule and I still have to write my blog."
"I haven't forgotten about either of those things." Will said as he glanced over at his stubborn wife, "You already are prepared for your speaking engagements and your blog can wait for a few days." His eyes caught hers, "You need to give yourself a break and live life again. Thanks to you Wickham has been caught and after the trial here, he will be extradited to Nevada and face murder charges there." His voice was persuasive, "Come on Lizzie because of you, Denny Saunders was caught and charged." His tone changed, "We deserve to take some time for ourselves before the baby comes."
Will took her hand in his, "Elizabeth, it's been almost a month since you were released from the hospital and we need to take this time together." He took her hand and placed it on his heart, "We haven't been together since before your ordeal and we need time alone to get reacquainted." Will moved her hand downward until it rested on his warm thigh.
Elizabeth arched her eyebrows at him as she snatched her hand back, "Whose fault is that." She demanded, "You've been treating me like a breakable doll for a month and haven't touched me." Her head shook angrily, "If you're so unsatisfied, you have only yourself to blame."
Will sighed; they had been having this fight ever since Elizabeth had come home from the hospital. "Elizabeth, your ribs have finally just healed enough so that they don't cause you unbearable pain; besides the fact that the doctor wasn't convinced that you were ready for such strenuous activity."
Elizabeth snorted, "Dr. Jones said weeks ago that it was up to us when we resumed our normal activities."
"You know that I was afraid of hurting you." Will admitted as he cast his eyes downward for a brief moment, "I thought you understood that I wanted you to be completely healthy before we made love again." He glanced at his wife, "It doesn't mean I wanted or needed you any less but I couldn't justify the incredible amount of selfishness it would have taken me to take a chance of hurting you or our baby for my own carnal pleasure."
"I kept telling you that I felt fine." Elizabeth said petulantly.
"But every time you moved the wrong way I could see the pain in your face." Will said as he stroked the side of her face lightly with the back of his hand.
Elizabeth sat up straight in her seat as a thought struck her, "So how did you get Mrs. Annesley to agree to let me out of class early?"
Will grinned, "It was a simple task; I just used charm, guile and persuasion." He shifted to see his wife smiling, "Okay, I told her you had a follow up doctor's appointment."
Elizabeth laughed and Will enjoyed the sound, "So you haven't changed very much at all." The light in Elizabeth's eyes danced with humor, "Still lying to get what you want."
Will growled low in his throat, "I couldn't wait to get you where I want you." He took her hand and placed in on his lap.
Elizabeth felt the full force of Will's arousal and smiled, "A person would think you hadn't had sex in over a month." She stroked him through his jeans and was satisfied when she heard an involuntary moan escape his lips.
"If you keep playing with me," Will's voice was dark and menacing, "I will have no choice but to pull over on the side of the road and show you how much I want you right now."
"Okay," Elizabeth agreed smugly, "I'll stop teasing you for now."
"I can't wait to get to the hotel so that I can wipe that self-satisfied grin off your face." Will's voice was light and mocking.
"I can't wait."
They got to the hotel in record time and Will checked them into their suite. The first thing Elizabeth did when they arrived was to open the curtains and take in the impressive view of Sonoma Valley.
After Will had tipped the bellman for bringing up their bags, he joined his wife at the window and wrapped his arms around her waist and breathed in her scent, "I love you, Elizabeth Darcy."
Elizabeth turned around, "So what are we going to do first, get a spa treatment or go for a horseback ride?" She grinned at her husband whose eyes narrowed at her words.
"Neither of those things would be quite the satisfying experience that I had in mind for right now." Will's voice was husky in her ear as he lifted her off her feet and made his way to the large bed.
Will's mouth was hungry and demanding as hers was crushed beneath his in a soul searching kiss. Will laid her gently on the bed as his hands began an assault on her body as he slowly undid the buttons on her shirt.
He parted the light fabric and released the hook on the front of her bra. His hands pushed aside the lace impatiently as his ravenous mouth closed over a dusky nipple and sucked lightly until Elizabeth arched her back to meet him.
Elizabeth eagerly lifted Will's shirt over his head and unbuttoned his jeans and slowly lowered the zipper. Will stood swiftly as he shed his jeans and pulled hers down her hips as he pressed kisses all along her supple body. Once their jeans were gone, Will hooked his finger under her lacy panties and removed them with ease.
He placed light kisses along her stomach as he lowered his head, "Will, please, I need you so badly." Elizabeth cried out as she arched her soft body to meet the hard planes of his.
He slid his body into hers and they moved together in a rhythm as old as time. Together they rode the crest of their desire until the waves of ecstasy exploded at the pinnacle of their release.
As they lay together entwined with each other's bodies, Elizabeth ran her hands along her husband's body, "I love you, Will Darcy."
Will's face was fierce as he kissed her, "As I love you, Mrs. Darcy and I always will until we are both old and gray."
"We will have a pile of children and grandchildren who will be completely grossed out when they realize that the old folks are still getting it on between the sheets."
Will laughed at her words and his heart leaped in his chest at the thought of the future they would have together. He could have never dreamed that such happiness was possible, "You, my dear, are going to keep me on my toes for the rest of my life."
"You can count on that." Elizabeth laughed as she kissed her husband and felt his desire against her thigh, "Why Mr. Darcy," She said in her best regency gentlewoman's voice, "How large you have grown. Whatever shall we do with that?"
Will took her hand and pressed it to him as he said with a wolfish grin, "I have a few ideas."
Sometime that weekend, the couple finally emerged from their suite to ride horses through the beautiful countryside and get a few couples spa treatments but they never strayed far from each other as their love for each other shone as brightly as the sun.
A/N: Well, we finally got there. This is the last regular chapter for this story. I hope it was worth the time all of my fantastic readers have invested in this story. There will be an epilogue which I am working on as we speak so hopefully you won't have to wait long for that.
I will tell you that not everything turned out as I originally invisioned the story but as a writer you have to go with the moment and I believe the changes made the story stronger.
Thank you for all of you kind words and encouragement.
Tina Marie