With a sad smile and a nod, she lay back down and snuggled beside him. His long arm switched off the light then draped over the curve of her hip. Softly his lips fluttered against her ear the words, “Good night, Charlotte.”
Chapter 6
Elizabeth was quiet as she rode to the hotel in the back of the limousine. She had been awake for too many hours and had been through too much. The movement of the car had tranquilized her into a numb state, and she let everything go. She had no idea what time it was but knew it was after three and before sunrise. All she wanted was a shower and bed, in that order.
“Damn!” Darcy swore beside her, drawing her out of her fog.
She looked out the tinted windows at the hotel. “What?”
“The media has arrived,” he told her, using the voice she had heard back at the concert. He then told the driver to circle around the block.
Charles’s expression was adamant as he held Jane protectively in his arms. “No way. She’s not going to be subjected to that.”
Darcy nodded in agreement. “Here’s what we’re going to do. Lizzy, there are photographers at the hotel. Can you pretend to be Jane?”
“Me?”
“They don’t know one Bennet from another,” he explained. “They just know a pretty singer was hurt. Can you do this?”
“Of course,” she answered without hesitation. She didn’t quite know what she was agreeing to, but she realized with a shock that she trusted him.
“Good, grab one of the extra bandages the hospital packed for Jane. Charles, call Alex, have him meet you at the garage entrance.”
Quickly, plans were made. Jane and Charles were moved to the corner of the limo farthest from the doors, and Darcy put his sunglasses on.
“It’s the middle of the night,” Elizabeth said, a confused frown on her face.
“I’m actually more recognizable wearing these,” Darcy shrugged. “And we want to be seen. We will have to move slowly, to give Charles enough time. Are you ready?”
Elizabeth nodded. A moment later the limo stopped. Darcy climbed out, extending his hand to Elizabeth. Pressing the bandage to her forehead, she grabbed on to him and slowly exited, swaying on what appeared to be unsteady legs.
Darcy put his arm around her and whispered into her ear, “Lean on me.”
Elizabeth leaned against him, feeling the strength of his body, faking the injury, but not the tiredness she felt. As soon as they passed into the lobby, she saw the flashes from a half-dozen cameras as photographers took their picture. Darcy conspicuously shielded her body as they slowly walked on. Halfway across the floor, Elizabeth gave a convincing stumble, and Darcy pulled her up, holding her tightly to him, pausing for a moment, and asking in a concerned voice if she was all right.
Elizabeth winked at him and he nodded solemnly, then whispered “well done” in her ear, as he tenderly kissed her hair, all producing another wave of clicks and flashes from the photographers. Moving slowly again, they made their way to Caroline, who was holding the elevator for them. She gave a nod of understanding as she stepped out to handle the press while they stepped in. Darcy took Elizabeth close in his arms, caressing her hair for the cameras until the doors shut.
Then they were suddenly alone. Darcy found himself very aware of the silence, broken only by the Muzak playing in the elevator. He gently released her and backed himself up against the wall.
Elizabeth also took a step back and smiled a little nervously. “Well, I hope we put on a good show for them.”
Darcy nodded. “You realize, of course, that someday those pictures are going to show up on the front page of the Enquirer, with some stupid headline concerning a love child or some such nonsense.”
She nodded easily and grinned. “I know.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me. It’s a small price to pay to keep Jane out of that.”
Elizabeth watched his face as they rode upward. She couldn’t tell where his eyes were with the sunglasses on, but she suspected that they were closed. She could either believe that or the discomforting thought that he was staring at her. Desire flashed through her like lightning at the possibility. She tried to keep from remembering how it had felt to be in his arms, his strong hands against her back, his lips in her hair, his voice in her ear. It’d been a long time since a man had held her like that, and she wanted him. She couldn’t even begin to deny it; he was the sexiest man she had ever seen.
She knew it was stupid. She couldn’t even have a two-minute conversation without getting angry with him. He was the most arrogant, controlling, condescending man she had ever met, and the only way she could ever stand to fuck him would be to cover his mouth with duct tape so he couldn’t speak!
Uncomfortable with her feelings of desire and where they might and might not lead, she latched on to something she could controclass="underline" anger.
She was angry that she let herself be dragged around by her libido, and she was angry with Darcy for being such a hot object of desire. She knew that Fitzwilliam Darcy could have any woman in the world, and he certainly had never thought of Elizabeth Bennet in that way. She reminded herself again of his words, hearing his voice once again in her mind: “Once they taste that different world, they’ll try to do anything to hang on to it. And that would definitely include us.”
She set her jaw as his warning cut her once again. Not if you begged, Fitzwilliam Darcy! I don’t care how hot you are, you’ll never get me!
It was a relief when the elevator doors opened at their floor. Elizabeth stepped out into the empty hallway, realizing with a pang that she was stuck without a key or even a room number. Luckily, a moment later the other elevator arrived with Charles, Jane, and Alex. Elizabeth was never so happy to see another person before in her life.
Alex handed Darcy his key, and with a nod he quickly walked off. The remaining foursome moved off in the opposite direction to the large suite at the end of the hall. Alex opened the door and let Charles help Jane in. Elizabeth thanked him for his help.
Alex gave her a big hug, pressing her head against his, asking once again if she would be all right. Elizabeth nodded, telling him she was fine, and with a light kiss, Alex moved off. Neither of them noticed that Darcy had watched then from the darkness of his open doorway, waiting until he had seen Alex leave.
Charlotte moved closer to the delicious warmth she sensed nearby. She was not awake yet, just merely aware. As she burrowed closer, she caught the scent that would be forever linked in her brain with astounding pleasure. Her lips curled into a smile as his arm wrapped around her and pulled her close, and she buried her face into his chest with a contented sigh.
She awoke a few minutes later to the feel of light fingers tracing the tattoo on her arm. She was very proud of it: a crescent moon entwined with vines of ivy that trailed along the lines of her muscles up to her shoulder and down to her elbow.
“Morning,” she said contentedly as she pointed her toes and stretched her legs out against him. Richard’s lips caught hers in a tender kiss that set her nerve endings buzzing.
“Morning,” he replied roughly. She could feel his erection against her stomach and she smiled wantonly. “Oh, Mr. Fitzwilliam, happy to see me?”
Richard smiled roguishly. “Why, Ms. Lucas, I’m always happy to see a beautiful woman in my bed.” He drew the sheet down to look at her, his eyes admiring her nakedness.
Charlotte lay still, satisfied to be examined by him. She had never felt so beautiful before. She watched him watching her until instinctively she reached up to his hair and gently pulled him to her for a long kiss.
He pulled back a little later, his eyes asking, hers answering, then they met again and again for more kisses, each hotter than the last. Richard’s arms locked around her slim body and pulled her with him as he rolled to his back.