Now you get to find out what I was talking about in the note from the last chapter- and there is HMS- so you are doubly warned!
Thanks to all my betas who contributed in different ways: lovingyouisbest, JD Bell; Joy Booth and Fredrica.
Final tweaking is my own.
The place where angels fell from
MA- you've been warned-
"OW! Sonofabitch what is that?" Darcy asked.
"Ohmygosh, you may have done it!"
"What? Don't tell me that's your chatelaine?"
"Darcy, You just reminded me there's a ladder UP."
"Up?" He was totally in the dark- not just in the literal sense.
"Yes to the stars! That's why these two doors are locked." Lizzy's tone indicated the matter was obvious.
Darcy, however, didn't see it that way. "Who in their right mind would scale the wall to burgle the green room? Or backstage or even the shop?"
"I seriously can't believe you are taking time to question the motives of a theatre cat burglar at a time like this. Let's just go up there and see if we can find anyone down below to get us help." Lizzy insisted.
As the two scaled the ladder they heard prickling skittering noises seeming to scuttle through the walls around them and even inside the ladder on which they climbed. It sounded like a million million ants and the sound reverberated inside their ears until the vibration was a sensation on their skin.
"What the hell was that?" Lizzy's voice was scared.
"I've heard it before. I think they are also the reason the kettle hasn't gone off." Darcy replied.
"Well, what is it?" Her voice became impatient.
"If I told you what I suspected, you wouldn't believe me. People generally find the unexplained to be unbelievable, and I really hate it when people think I'm the one who's crazy. I will say that I don't think it is anything that will harm us."
Lizzy's mind went back to his enigmatic replies and Wickham's assertion. It gave her a cold chill. He was right. She'd rather not know. Her silence conveyed this fact. She remained distracted by other pleasantries, anyway, and the troublesome thoughts were quickly discarded, for, as they climbed the ladder, Lizzy felt a warmth from behind. He half supported her on the last few rungs as she slowed her progression. He pushed open the trap door. Lizzy's head was reeling with his scent, the feeling of his hands…and then of being pinned down by his weight while under her, softness- not the gritty sandpaper of the roof top. Someone had put a blanket up here Lizzy realized, dimly. She succumbed.
At first Darcy's mouth barely brushed hers. In agony she swept in again deeper as he grasped the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her loose bun. Relishing the control, Lizzy ran her lips down his neck, her tongue, lips and teeth teasing his sensitive skin. Darcy gasped in pleasure and he lightly pressed her head in a silent plea to continue.
She ran her tongue over his clavicle and along his shoulder. God, his arms were so sexy. She couldn't believe he was wearing a thin tee in this weather. She continued her journey down his arm, her mouth caressing the muscles on his upper arm, bicep, inner elbow, forearm, and wrist. Her tongue swirled in his palm, then took his sensual fingers into her mouth, one by one. She could tell from his hardness that Darcy had gotten the message. His eyes bore a scorching expression, his lips curved in an expression of passion. "Can't you tell what you do to me? If you don't intend to follow through, we need to stop now because you're driving me mad."
"So don't stop." She whispered.
Darcy dove for the crook of her neck. He commenced a torture of his own, suckling the sensitive place on her ribcage he'd discovered last time while he again held her hands down. She squirmed and cried out but he would not let her go as Darcy moved from her neck, turning her over grazing his teeth on her back, tracing his tongue around the shape of her shoulder blade as he pressed down.
With his free hand, Darcy used feather strokes moving up Lizzy's thigh, under her skirt. Lizzy moaned and gyrated her hips towards his touch, even as she struggled against the pleasure of his mouth bearing down on her ribcage. He had gotten her from 0 to almost orgasmic in moments.
Both had quickly forgotten their mission to call for help. Not that it would have been very successful on a Friday night when half the campus was at El Patio or the river. Their cries of passion also went unheard to anyone except each other. To Lizzy, it was as if she was in his body: when she touched him, her own body quivered synchronistically with delight.
She played with his pendants, "I was curious about your necklaces earlier," she said, trying to sound nonchalant. His body closed the gap and she now felt his silky skin and the hardness of his member fully against her body.
"Is that all you are curious about? My jewels?" Darcy nuzzled Lizzy as he spoke softly, her breath tickling his face, his lips meeting hers tentatively. They parted ever so subtly, feeling the energy like a wave slowly building up and up, waiting to careen into a sensual oblivion. He dove in again, this time his kisses were uncontrolled, lusciously (lustily) drinking her in, beckoning her deeper into himself. He shuttered as tip of her tongue ran along his lips and the roof of his mouth. Lizzy's curves filled up Darcy's body, his hands roaming her suppleness. Darcy slid his hands down her derriere, holding her legs as they wrapped around him.
"I am also curious; what am I to you?" Lizzy asked breathlessly. Part of her didn't care, her body rippling with desire, needing to taste, feel, hold him. In the moment, the part of her that wanted him had far overtaken her inner objections.
Darcy's breath now tickled her ear in the most agonizingly pleasurable way. His lips and tongue lightly played on her ear, and she both felt and heard his reply. "MORE, so much more." The words infused in the air, in his light kisses, in her breath, in their touch.
She was powerless to the intense pleasure radiating toward her center as his light kisses and tickling teasing caresses seemed to float lower and lower, closer and closer there. He was teasing her mercilessly now, whispering kisses and lashing his tongue up her thighs, to the softness between. Lizzy knew her readiness for him was apparent through the now insubstantial leggings.
With the momentum of their pleasure in seconds Darcy peeled off her clothes and began his tantalizing attentions all over again, avoiding the center of her pleasure until she pleaded with him. Darcy moved in and deftly, lightly stroked, fingered, nibbled, and kissed her quivering sex to the agonizing edge of climax. He seemed to keep her on the very precipice even as he was assaulting her center, sending her shattering into an orgasm seeming to last an eternity. As she went into divine paroxysms Lizzy grasped Darcy's head and her fingers wrapped around his curls.
Darcy gasped for air and she pulled him up to her face, kissing him deeply, tasting herself on his mouth. The flavor of herself mingled with his own taste was intoxicating. They both had to gulp for breath in between smothering kisses.
Darcy's member found her moist space of its own accord as she was not aware of either of them shifting position. Darcy groaned as Lizzy stroked his rigid member, feeling the pulsating smoothness in her hands. She delighted in his tortured delight as her fingers teased his hardness, sliding it back and forth between her slick thighs. Awkwardly Darcy maneuvered into his jeans pocket for his wallet and the protection he always carried.
Lizzy then rolled the condom on, guiding Darcy into herself, attempting to furiously alleviate her ache inside and bring him to orgasm. He was shaking and Lizzy could see that his mighty attempts at restraining his release until it was apparent he could wait no longer. Darcy grabbed her hips and held them, plunging into her in long deliberate strokes, creating a frustratingly delightful build up. She stared into his eyes and comprehended the depth of their awareness, thoroughly enraptured by each others' warmth; seeing the energy enveloping him in colors and patterns that she could feel, taste.
The intensity with which he stared at Lizzy shook her insides as much as the second devastating orgasm that forcefully surprised her. Their rhythm was at a pinnacle, both possessed with desire for the other. Soon after she came down, Darcy's lips parted, his eyes rolled back, he embraced her tightly in a breathtaking kiss, and released into her, spasming ecstatically for what seemed eternity. His withdrawal from heaven was an eventuality; Darcy continued to embrace her thus, she felt him tenaciously holding onto every last ounce of pleasure.
Lizzy had to pull away to breathe, asking; "you still didn't tell me about your necklaces," tracing them on his chest with her finger.
Darcy laughed, nuzzling Lizzy. "Let this be what it is." His eyes flickered, taking her in, lightly placing his palm between her breasts near her heart. "Stories can wait. I want to just take this in."
Lizzy looked at him with a wondering amusement, her nose and lips slightly twitching. "As you command," she bowed slightly, teasing. After that, calling for help didn't seem overly significant. The kettle had never gone off. Maybe the switch went off or maybe Lizzy had forgotten to turn on the burner. Whatever the reason, the shop never did burn down.
I think that I've found out
Lizzy and Darcy slowly came down from their high and succumbed to fatigue, cocooned together in the blanket until the sounds of birdsong and the rays of dawn awoke them. She looked tentatively at him. "Hi."
"Good morning,"he smiled at her sleepily, enfolding her in a strong embrace.
She felt a little hemmed in, almost suffocated, yet uncertain as to her own response. She feared losing identity, freedom. "The keys."
"I forgot." Darcy searched her face, as she looked down, awkwardly arighting herself. They made their way back down the ladder, leaving the door open to let in day light. Looking for the keys amongst the pile of beads was made easier in the otherwise dark theatre. Like a solstice marker, the rays of light illuminated Lizzy's chatelaine perfectly- a necklace with accoutrements that happened to be dangling from a key that was poised in the costume shop lock.
"I didn't do that! Lizzy put her hands up, defensively.
"I didn't say you had." She imagined his tone was a bit patronizing.
"Some asshole is playing with us." Lizzy frowned at the thought.
"Well at least we had an enjoyable evening…" .Darcy opined as the Lizzy unlocked the door and they both walked into the Costume shop.
At just that moment a Maeve who was clearly a little worse for wear walked in, sunglasses still on. As she revealed her weary eyes, she exclaimed in synchrony with Lizzy "Look it's TEA!" Before them, a proper English tea was sitting at the table already prepared. The pot and cups was one used in the shop for special occasions. What was truly inexplainable were the poppyseed turnovers and cream ready to be served with the tea, which was perfectly steeped and steaming.
Maeve was beaming. "Darcy, what a sweetie!"
"He didn't do it."
"Lizzy, you have to start giving him the benefit of the doubt."
"I can't take credit for this." He looked meaningfully at Lizzy. "It's a mystery."
"Seriously, Maeve. You know how you believe in faeries and the theatre ghost. I think it's one of those guys. That or Jane is playing a mean joke on us."
"Entirely possible," Maeve conceded.
Lizzy could tell the wheels were turning in that woman's head, wondering why Lizzy was so certain it wasn't Darcy, noticing they were both wearing their clothes from the night before. Lizzy was grateful Maeve said nothing. Her eyes said it all, however, and Lizzy avoided them as much as possible. She couldn't avoid hearing Maeve's barely suppressed giggles from time to time. After tea, Lizzy said she needed to go home to 'check on some things' then she'd be back. Darcy, who needed to give no explanations to the other two, gave none. If either of them noticed Maeve's raised brows when they walked out together, neither mentioned it.
"So, ah, how'd you do it?" Darcy said in a teasing voice.
Lizzy turned around, her face flushed. "Do what, exactly? You think I engineered getting locked out to seduce you, don't you? After I'd just dismissed you from the shop and had the perfect opportunity?" His smile widened, like a predator knowing his prey was captured. "You really are arrogant."
"Me?" Lizzy thought his grin incredibly insufferable.
And with that, Lizzy started walking intently ahead of him, the tall Darcy practically jogging to keep up as she growled: "You've been trying to get into my pants for weeks. And you work with techies. I've seen Mythbusters*. I know what types of things they do with too much time on their hands. I imagine they can get pretty creative with the right inducement."
"Now you're accusing me of bribing techies*? I think if they had the technology to seduce women, they'd be using it for themselves. I mean, look at most of them." He struggled to get her to look at him as she unlocked her car. After securing herself behind the wheel, she finally looked up at him.
"Well a least they're not as full of themselves as SOME people I know!" And with that, Lizzy slammed her car door and sped off.
Darcy asked after the speeding car, "Can't you take a joke? I knew it wasn't you. Shit." Darcy was in the habit of muttering to himself, jingling his keys as he walked back in to the theatre, unconscious of his route. When he realized he was again backstage near the scene of the crime, his eyes lit up in recognition. Unbelievable. Just at that moment he felt a ruffle on his head and Darcy saw a butterfly flutter past.
"I'd ask how that thing got in the theatre, but I already know how. How they ever got up enough energy to manifest an entire tea, now that's even more puzzling." He said softly aloud. "Yes, you're quite clever aren't you?"
Lizzy kept her distance after 'that night'. Any prolonged one on one contact would lead to further relations of a kind she'd enjoyed far too much. He disconcerted her. She was too overwhelmed with questions about his association with Wickham, his warnings about the man, his continued pursuit, and finally the high strangeness of their last nocturnal encounter.
The show was an all-too-convenient outlet to avoid confronting them. Lizzy's every waking hour was spent either making lists, shopping, patterning, sewing, or doing what homework she could fit in. She was grateful for the busyness.
*mourning jewelry in the Victorian Era often held locks of a deceased loved one's hair in intricate arrangements, ie brading/weaving etc
* chatelaine- a cool accessory used with chains and rings on a central sort of medallion that used to carry keys, smelling salts, sewing accessories, etc. Lizzy is being a clever stylish costumer by putting her sewing stuff/etc on one.
*techies are people who work on the stage/ lighting crew or do other non costume backstage work, especially people involved in any construction of the sets, props, or involved in lighting or sound. Adam and Jamie from Mythbusters are basically super duper techies.
When personality is scar tissue
Darcy spent the next several days immersed in his own self imposed artistic bubble. He avoided the shop, sending any communications through the Stage Manager. He had good reason to avoid her and her kin, having made an unwelcome discovery one particular lunchtime. Darcy had gone to the North 40 the day after 'that night'. He spotted Mrs Bennet eating there with Mercedes Lucas.
Francesca Bennet was in her usual form, exclaiming with glee: "Mary won several grand champion ribbons for her prize produce including Heirloom Tomatoes, Yellow Onions, Kale, Red Leaf Lettuce, Eggplant, Zucchini, Green Grapes, and some rare Heirloom Apples. Her jealous competitors were, quite suspicious that Collins's presence was the reason she won! She has learned about increasing the diversity of her garden, and the two determined to make changes when the time was right, such as ordering some insects- bees, ladybugs, that sort of thing, but she's those changes are in the planning stage. Her rivals are hypocrites, too, because they're also some of Mary's best customers!
"If he takes such a great interest in our Mary, why must he spend a good deal of time as a guest in the FFA greenhouse, at any number of 4-H meetings, and visiting more than four and twenty family farms? At least either Mary, your father or I am usually in his company owing to our extensive connections in 4-H, FFA and Ag! It would be triumph to secure such a man as my son-in-law. Surely with his fame and position, he needs a wife to ground him and further his career. And a wedding would do well to show off Mary and his proficiencies where the garden is concerned. A wedding near the garden and in the orchard in the first part of summer would be just the thing. It would look so good in that blog of his. If course I take credit for putting them together. I called his attention to Mary that first night."
Darcy was only peripherally interested in the conversation because he gained intelligence that one of his Aunt's grant recipients was, apparently, dating Mary Bennet. Of more interest would be if Mrs Bennet spoke of another Bennet daughter. He was disappointed:
"Isn't this meal delicious? Wickham is a fantastic chef and I've been treated to his meals at my own home a number of times. Lizzy is always pushing the good men away. I understand that she had the opportunity to get together with him this summer in Colorado but she didn't. Of course Lydon is the one who told me about it. He was certainly satisfied with himself to tell tales.
But, at least Wickahm didn't take Lizzy's slight personally. He's paid a great deal of attention to our family anyway, and we're quite taken with the young man. Who knows, maybe he's hoping Lizzy will change her mind, thankless girl. She does seem to be only at home when he's making dinner. Of course the girl could stand to lose a few pounds, but if the way to her heart is through her stomach, who am I to complain? I would welcome a chef as son in law!"
Darcy almost became ill that moment. Instead, he got up, mid meal, paid and left. He couldn't eat the rest of the day. He spent it painting, yet hyperalert to the sound of the costume shop door opening and closing every so often. He considered hiding each time.
What was he to do? He was unlikely to gain intelligence from Bingley. Bingley had enough to occupy him at the moment. Besides, Bingley had never heard Jorge and Wickham's story in full. He simply accepted Jorge for who he was, without needing any further explanation about how a former family friend played a part in the Darcys' lives.
Darcy finally gave up and went back to Netherfield. He was ruminating on the veranda when Bingley burst in. "Come on, Darcy, I won't have you moping about any longer in this pathetic manner. You do little but paint and sulk. I order you: come to the dance. You must. It's for a good cause and we'll be supporting Jane, after all. She's been practicing for days and is quite good."
Darcy rolled his eyes, "For me to be in a barn full of people who find me dull and pretentious, and one in particular who finds me intolerable- No, that would be insupportable."
"Well take this as an opportunity to practice. Go, and bid on Kitty's Vanilla Wafer Cake or Mary's heirloom tomatoes. That will set you up forever in good graces with Elizabeth's mother. She'd certainly encourage her daughter to date you."
Darcy wanted to say more about Elizabeth's mother's idea of a good date for Lizzy but though the better of it. He merely chuffed out an incredulous "Right!"
Charles persisted: "Before the dance is a sale, and the Bennets have several winning items. Mary practically has a whole garden in there. Oh, and Kitty is Fair Queen, and Jane, being a past fair queen, is performing. I believe I've remembered it all. You should see Mrs. Bennet, running around like chicken out at the fair with all the 4-H activities"
Darcy couldn't help but imagine Mrs. Bennet as a chicken, in some kind of weird 4-H regalia, running around at a fair, and the thought made him chuckle, despite himself. "See? Just the thought amuses you. Your problem is that you've been looking in the wrong places. And I think you feel the same about a certain lively Bennet of your own".
"She's not my lively Bennet. She thinks I'm an asshole. For all I know she's moved on." Darcy had assumed a sulking attitude, chin thrust under his knuckles.
"You can be an asshole, but she seems to hold her own just fine. Darcy, is something troubling you?"Darcy was about to answer when Caroline sashayed in.
"Where are we going?"
Charles flicked his eyes over to his sister and answered shortly, "To a dance, Caroline."
"I'd love to dance." She twirled dramatically in emphasis. Her dress flicked Darcy in the face. He was certain he accidentally inhaled a bit of lace.
It was Charles's turn to roll his eyes, "Since when have you western danced in a barn with a sawdust floor, Caroline?"
His question had the desired effect, "Ewwww. Maybe not."
To Darcy, the only thing worse than going to a county fair was the possibilities Caroline considered as she was eyeballing him at that moment. "Alright, Bingley, I guess I need to at least make an effort with Elizabeth…what should I wear?"
"Oh, Darcy IS going? Well I wouldn't want to leave him alone in a barn full of savages. Just give me a few minutes to get ready, Charles." Both men looked at each other accusingly, as if to say, surely it's your fault she's going. Neither said a word.
Moved through the fair
Bingley, Caroline and Darcy drove out to the fairgrounds, found the barn, and wove their way up the bleachers to find a good view. Throughout the evening, Caroline made several comments Darcy knew they were intentionally made to sound derogatory to the Bennets.
She would say things like "oh, that girl over there," (pointing to a candidate that lost to Kitty), "she didn't get anything? Why I think she should have gotten a princess award. Look at how she carries herself and look at how pretty she is!"
When the bake sale started, Darcy had to concentrate to understand what the auctioneer was saying so he could make bids. Caroline made comments such as "biscuits, how quaint! I don't believe I've had those since my maid used to make them for us- country food is so Paula Deen 2005. Don't these people here know that Paleo is the thing now?"
It took a great deal of focus to listen, keep track and bid on the Bennets baked goods as Bingley had suggested they do. Darcy gave Caroline several dirty looks and terse comments that were growing louder with each superfluous comment Caroline made.
However, when she realized her gesturing made her almost inadvertently bid on an item, Caroline quit protesting. She fumed at the whims of Charles, blaming him for Darcy's new fixation.
As the bake sale ended and the show was being set up, Darcy unthinkingly sought out Lizzy. Heedless of previous rejection, or a potential rival, he was before her, imploring "Would you save a dance for me on your card?"
Lizzy looked at him archly. She had taken time that day from school to help her family, but couldn't get Wickham's earlier comments of the day out of her head. Wickham had been at the fair too, helping Lydon with the lambs and hanging out at the rodeo. He made a point of talking about Darcy again when Lizzy was around, mentioning Darcy's numerous conquests of models, patrons, and those he mentored, but stated his most 'ardent' relationships- and rendezvous- were thespian in nature.
With those comments in mind, she responded to Darcy: "I thought you couldn't wait to get out of here I understand from an old friend that the theatre favorite spot for you and the ladies." Darcy stared at her darkly and quietly asked to speak with her outside. Nervously Lizzy followed him, as if pulled by an invisible magnet.
She came to lean against the barn's metal siding and he leaned over her, speaking "I'm not sure what you mean. I assure you I don't have 'plans' to seduce other women. I was only trying to get to know you better and show you I can branch out from my comfort zone. I think my actions speak for themselves: I only have attention for you. You were very clear about wanting me and I enjoyed the times we've shared and so did you. For that I won't apologize. But perhaps you're right and I was acting prematurely.
If you find me an object of disgust or if your interests have turned to (he winced) another man, tell me and I will stop bothering you. But at least go with a man who deserves you, and not Wickham. I'm sure he made himself quite charming to you this summer and if he is interested in you, he will go a long way to ingratiate himself upon your family. But, if he doesn't get what he wants, he can become volatile. I learned the hard way. Wickham would do anything to revenge himself on me and if he knows…."
She looked up, eyes blazing,"I've not told him anything! And my interests have certainly not turned his way, or any way, for that matter! After our (she looked around ) two –er- encounters, how could you even think such a thing? And what happened between you and Wickham?"
"I'm not at liberty to say, since it involves my family, and that is precisely why I my imagination ran a little wild." He looked at her with an inscrutable expression.
"There you go again. How can you expect me to believe that you take me seriously? You don't tell me anything of substance. You wanted me to be open? What Wickham said- it doesn't ring true but you aren't doing yourself any favors." Breathing heavily, Lizzy felt a dull ache in the hollow below her sternum, and she felt ears behind her eyes. She tried to gather her thoughts- there were so many questions she had for Darcy.
She looked up to see him bow and shake his head, turning for the door. Lizzy was compelled to grab Darcy's forearm in an attempt to keep him from walking away. When she did, a warm beam of energy shot between them. She could tell he felt it too, as he froze. "Wait! I apologize. I do want to know you. Besides that, I don't know what I want. You're just… a ball of contradiction."
"Miss Bennet, maybe you should be as skeptical of what others tell you as you are of my words." Elizabeth's eyes were wide and questioning. "At least give me an equal chance." She had difficulty processing his words, her body conscious of his own hard, immobile body pressed again against hers.
"The story of Wickham is simply not mine to tell. Surely there is some other way that I can earn your trust. There must be some other way to proceed." Darcy said softly as he stood over her, still frozen. "Tell me what I can do. I obviously lack the knack of knowing what is acceptable to you."
She was about to answer him but was interrupted by Mary who had located her sister, warning her the music was about to start. Lizzy placed her hand on his chest and he looked at her hopefully. "For now, why don't we take advantage of the moment, and just dance. I will show you. That is at least a start."
He nodded his head in agreement. Lizzy put Darcy's hands in the the correct placement on her waist and in her own hand, then showed him the steps. Darcy was a quick study, their bodies moving together to their own tune. He pressed her closely and she felt quite in danger of another heady kiss.
Quickly Lizzy stopped, moving away, her voice bright, taking charge. "Alright, let's go. I don't want to miss my sister," Lizzy said. She was glad they were in semi darkness so that Darcy could not see the heat on her face. She was certain he could have felt her heart beating through her clothes.
They got onto the dance floor just as the band had finished setting up and sound checking. The band introduced Jane as their special guest. Jane first sang and played with the band a country cover version of U2's Elevation. The dance was fast and Darcy and Lizzy laughed trying to keep up with the music, Darcy struggling with the 2 steps in one direction then one in the opposite.
Both were a little distracted as they tried to watch Jane and dance. Lizzy kept accidentally leading as she continued to coach him until the song ended. "Why don't you dance more? You have an excellent 2-step!"
"Thank you." His eyes shone as Darcy stared at Lizzy. "I consider that a great compliment, knowing that you give out compliments only to those who deserve them in your estimation. Frankly I can't do any of those other dances."
The music slowed down with the next song. Jane did another country version of a cover, this time she sang Dancing Barefoot, dedicating it to Lizzy. The crowd, many of whom knew the Bennets, started applauding. Blushing at the attention was about to leave the dancefloor when Darcy tightened his grip on her ever so slightly and plaintively applied to Lizzy: "You can't abandon me now, I just started learning. Come on, help me," Darcy waited for her reply to his request, gently teasing, "it's just a dance, surely you won't mind another go."
"It's just a dance," Lizzy tried to laugh it off. Her head was spinning. She couldn't help but notice the way his hand felt in hers, the way he lightly touched the small of her back, the way their bodies would brush each others' with the song's movements. She wouldn't be able to handle the intensity of emotion if she looked into his eyes while Jane was singing those words, 'some strange music draws me in, makes me come on like some heroine'.
Instead, Lizzy looked the rest of him over more closely. Tonight Darcy took an effort to fit in. Still he managed to be one notch up, slightly off from the other men tonight- even the young bucks. He looked like a classic western hero, wearing what looked like a vintage western tux jacket, not unlike one Lizzy had seen in aunt Phil's store. Could it be?
Lizzy forgot to ask Darcy, as she was so taken with what she saw after he discarded the blazer to dance. He was wearing a finely woven shirt with western detailing that reminded her of Brandon's Springsteen phase*, or of Springteen himself. The shirt showed off his broad back and lean but smooth physique and his arms rippled under the shirt. It was unbuttoned enough so that Lizzy could see his chest was fairly bare and there was an interesting naja type pendant hanging around his neck from an oxblood leather thong. Other pendants hung inside his shirt from chains of varying textures. The shirt was also open at the wrists -even his wrists were sexy. It made her want to unbutton the rest of the shirt and see him again.
She again noticed how well Darcy filled out black skinny jeans which accentuated his ….bunchage. He again had on his cowboy boots.
The wave of attraction emanated from him, like the song said, seeming to pull her in. When the dance ended, Lizzy stood there in a daze, seconds like hours- hours that she both wanted to continue and to end. Lizzy's eyes smiled, her lips just slightly turned up, expression pensive.
Darcy enjoyed his vantage point, dancing slowly with Lizzy. So very kissable, he thought, as they whirled around the dance floor. Darcy was becoming accustomed to the two step, to the feel of Lizzy in his arms, when the music stopped. Each had been lost in their own feelings when they dazedly realized Jane's song was over and started clapping their eyes never leaving the other's.
* not sure how much I have to explain that at fairs there is at least 1 if not multiple sales for winners, not only of winning livestock but winning baked goods. I think it depends on how big the fair is as to how many sales they are. In my hometown it was quite the social event with a dance afterward ( I seem to recall, anyway. I grew up in 4-H and maybe my blue ribbon biscuits made the sale, I'm not sure. If anyone finds this to be in error, let me know and I will correct it. As I said- I do believe the number and extent of sales depends on whether it is a small fair or a large one.
I would so very much love it if you would review. Newbies and lurkers are very welcome.
* Brandon Flowers from The Killlers (formerly? did they break up?) He went through a Bruce Springsteen phase during Sam's Town and subsequent albums bear his influence as did Flowers's style.