Page 43

“No.” Her hand brushed the front of his trousers. “You want me—I can feel that you do.” She sat up, unbuttoned her dress and peeled it off, tossing it to the floor.

He lay on his back, his shirt open, and watched her in fascination. “Yes, I do, but…”

Reaching behind her back, she undid her bra, catching it in her hands as it fell from her breasts.

Her hands disappeared under the covers and reappeared a few seconds later with her panties in them.

Both items joined her dress on the floor.

She reached over and began to ease his shirt off his shoulders.

When she couldn’t remove it, she tugged on it and he leaned up and let her pull it the rest of the way off.

His eyes were fastened on her breasts, round, full…

fuller? He reached up to cup one in his hand. She winced, and he drew back.

She smiled at him. “They’re tender—I think it might be from the baby.”

“They’re bigger too.” He spoke before he thought, and then, unexpectedly, he blushed.

She looked at him with an impish grin. “You noticed?”

“I notice everything about you, my Lizzy.”

“Oh, really?”She grinned as if that pleased her immensely and then began to unbuckle his belt.

“Yes. You like coffee in the morning, but iced tea with your dinner. You have a decided preference for caramels and lemon ice box pie.”She eased him onto his back and unzipped his trousers. A helpless groan escaped him.

“You twirl a lock of your hair while you read, and you tap your lips with the end of your pen while you’re deciding what to write.

” He helped her remove the rest of his clothes and pushed them to the foot of the bed with his now bare feet.

“You hum while you’re in the bath or puttering around the house.

” He paused. “And when you sleep, you look like an angel.”She ran her hand over him.

“Damnation, Lizzy, I can’t think when you do that. ”

“Don’t think,” she whispered. “Come to me. Comfort me, William.” She put her arms around him and pushed the length of her body against him.“Comfort me and let me comfort you.” She kissed him tenderly on the mouth, and he rolled her beneath him.

Drawing back to gaze at her, his heart filled with anticipation.

Her hair spread across the pillow, her eyes filled with love, her red lips parted and full.

It was so close to his fantasies from the early days of their marriage that he felt a ghost of that insecurity haunt him.

Those were the days when he was beginning to love her and was uncertain of her feelings.

A deep, agonizing possessiveness tore through him.

He stopped above her, poised to enter her body. “Tell me you love me.”

“I love you, William.”

He slid into her—ripe, lush, warm. Her eyes closed in ecstasy, and a sigh escaped her.

“Tell me again,” he demanded.

“I love you,” she gasped, but her voice sounded stronger.

“You’re mine.”

“Yes.”

“Mine, and I’ll never let you go.” He moved within her, a seductive cadence in rhythm with his words.

“William, please!”

“Yes, my love. Beg me.”

She cried out, and he felt her come all around him.White light obscured her from his sight, and he felt as if he were drowning in her. He shuddered violently and called for her in a desperate, rough voice.

When he was spent, he slid down her body and laid his head between her breasts, listening to the pounding of her heart as it slowly returned to normal.

He dimly realized that her arms and legs were wrapped around him.

He sighed and closed his eyes. “Beg me, Lizzy,” he said, “and I will beg you.” Her erotic embrace induced a shiver of echoed pleasure to ripple through him. “I love you so. Please, be kind to me.”

Her hand traveled up to her face and he knew she was wiping tears from her eyes. He heard her sniff and then her hand came down on his head in benediction.

He mumbled again, “I love you,” and drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.

William awoke to the sound of a gentle knock at the door.

He lifted his head from Elizabeth’s breast and looked around, slightly disoriented.

His wife slept soundly, and it was dark outside.

The lamp beside the bed illuminated the clock’s face—it was ten-thirty.

Another knock and the sound of Mrs. Reynolds’ concerned voice emanated from outside the door.

“Mr. William? Is Mrs. Darcy doin’ all right?”

“Umm.” He rubbed his hand over his face and guiltily removed himself from his position half on top of his wife. She rolled to her side without waking.

“Yes ma’am, she’s sleeping now.”

“Oh, that’s good.” There was a pause. “I fixed y’all a cold supper—it’s in the fridge.I can bring it up if you like.”

William sat up, reaching hurriedly under the covers for his clothes. “No. No, that’s all right. I’ll go get it.”

“You all right?”

He felt his face get hot. What is wrong with me? This is my house, and this is my wife, for Pete’s sake! He smiled. My wife. My wife is home, and maybe with our child inside her.

“Yes, I’m just a little unsettled, ma’am. I fell asleep too.” His voice became stronger with each word.

“Oh.” There was a pause.“Well, I’m going to retire then.”

“Yes, that will be fine.”

“You come get me if she gets sick again, or you need anything, you hear?”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”

“Goodnight, William.”

“Goodnight—and thank you.”

He leaned over and brushed Elizabeth’s lips with a kiss.They curved up in a little smile but otherwise didn’t stir. “I’m starving, Lizzy. I’m going to go bring up our supper. I’ll be right back, darling.” He got up, and quietly as he could, he opened the door and slipped through it into the hall.