Page 84 of Sketching Mr. Darcy

He slowly removed the towel from her feet and covered them with his palms, stroking the skin reddened by their passage from snow to fire.

Only the wood crackling in the fireplace and her soft moans of delight broke the silence for a while.

His fingers turned more daring, caressing from her feet along her ankles and upward again and again, and she bit her lips, closing her eyes.

“I must change for dinner,” she finally whispered, and he ceased his attention to her feet and turned her with her back to him. She did not oppose him. His palms rested on her shoulders and glided down along her arms, then moved to her nape.

“I shall help you,” he whispered from behind, his lips tantalising her ear. With a skilfulness she remembered from a few nights ago, he untied her dress and pushed it down from her shoulders.

His movements were neither restrained nor shy this time as his fingers knew their rights and her desires.

Her skin shivered and she burned inside when his hands lowered over her ribs, over her hips and thighs, then removed the dress completely.

She attempted to turn to him but his arms forbade it, pulling her back close against his torso.

Her spine pressed against his chest, her hips resting between his open legs.

His head rested on her neck, his lips tantalising her cheek, her temple, her ear, then lowered to her neck and bare shoulders.

He took a blanket from the bed, wrapping it around them.

She entwined her hands with his and leant her head back towards him.

His hand caressed her face, brushing her lips with his thumb.

“What are we to do now?” he whispered while her lips parted slowly.

“We can stay and warm up a little…and rest,” she barely answered.

She turned in his arms until his mouth finally captured hers. She moaned at his passionate exploration of her body covered only in a chemise. He stroked along her ribs, hips, and thighs, then cupped the roundness of her breasts.

The feeling was so powerful that both froze and broke the kiss.

Her erratic breathing pressed within his strong palms, fitting perfectly inside them.

He shyly tasted the skin of her neck, allowing her lips the freedom to oppose him if she wished to.

She did not and only leant back against his chest. His thumbs brushed and traced circles around her breast, burning her through the thin fabric.

She breathed heavier and whispered his name until her lips were captured once again.

The kiss deepened, and passion overwhelmed her.

Her hands tried to caress, to touch, to explore without her knowing what she was doing, except she heard his moans matching hers .

She could not speak nor breathe although her lips were now free. His hand slowly lowered to her thighs and tentatively brushed along her legs.

Darcy could feel her body shivering, silently begging for more, he recognised the truth of her confession about her body enjoying his presence.

She now had a small taste of what pleasure meant, and her desire was growing stronger, almost matching his.

No, not almost, not by far. He madly yearned for her—and she had just started to know her wishes, but those were closely related to him.

They were sitting near the fire, covered by a blanket, and his touches were still delighting her body.

The knock on the door was so powerful that Elizabeth almost jumped from her husband’s arms, attempting to rise, when she realised she was half-naked.

She pulled a sheet from the bed around her and the knocking became stronger.

“Lizzy!” she heard Jane’s voice, and she relaxed a little, moving closer to the door. “Lizzy!”

Elizabeth opened the door a little. “Jane, we shall be ready shortly. Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing is wrong, but Mr Bingley is downstairs! He just arrived from London and stopped here directly. He said he received a letter from Mr Darcy, and then he learnt of Papa’s accident, and he came immediately.

He looks so pale and tired. He had travelled a full day and night.

He is waiting for Mr Darcy. Oh, perhaps he could stay for dinner. He must be starved.”

“Dearest, go and prepare for dinner. I shall join you immediately. Yes, I am sure Mr Bingley will stay and eat with us. Please tell him Mr Darcy will see him in a few minutes.”

Elizabeth barely managed to close the door, staring at her husband who was a step behind her. At her inquiring gaze, he shrugged.

“I know nothing more than you do. I sent him that letter and received no answer until now. He must have called on me and learnt about Mr Bennet. It is to his merit that he came in such haste. Oh…and I am not certain whether he knows we are married,” Darcy responded with perfect calmness.

“We must hurry. Please change your clothes, and I will go to Jane to help each other do our hair,” she said in great excitement. “Poor Jane, how tormented she was. Mr Bingley…”

She was silenced by a most unexpected kiss, and for a moment, she attempted to oppose. Only for a moment! He slowly pushed her onto the bed and leant over her, claiming her lips again.

“We may delay a moment longer. Bingley is not waiting in the cold. I cannot separate from you so abruptly,” he whispered, and after another brief attempt at rejection, she abandoned herself to the delight of his passionate kiss.

Her husband was right once again. After all, Mr Bingley had been gone almost six weeks. Surely, he could wait a few more minutes.