“That’s not all,” Darcy said, calmly knowing there was more.
“Nope. Fast forward to last summer. We were recording ‘First Impressions’ then and it was horrible.” Elizabeth frowned at the memory. “It was beastly hot and we were in the studio every day for almost two months. And we couldn’t even work at our day jobs because we were recording every day, so we were all getting really short on cash and stressed. I was going on almost no sleep because any time I was out of the studio, I was trying to keep my computer network business going. It was just the worst time in my life.
“Finally, I remember one night I was there alone, laying down guitar tracks, and finally the engineer looked up at me and said, ‘Lizzy, you’re done.’” She looked at Darcy and smiled. “I can’t tell you the relief I felt at that moment. You know what it’s like. Studio work is nothing like performing. It’s so repetitive and long and boring and we had no idea what we were doing. And then that man said I was done, and I put my guitar down and walked out of the room to Alex and he gave me a huge hug. I wasn’t even thinking, I just instinctively kissed him. And then he kissed me, and all of a sudden we were making out and rushing off to his apartment.”
Her voice had grown very soft with embarrassment and Darcy could see this was hard for her. His hands gently offered his support to her. “Neither of us had been in a relationship for a long time, and I don’t know, I think it was just dumb horniness at first. The first week, nobody knew about it, mostly ’cause we never got out of bed except to work. The second week, Jane and Char found out, but they kept quiet about it. It was the middle of the third week before we even had a conversation about what was going on.”
“What did he say?” Darcy prompted her.
“He told me I was special and beautiful and he had always had strong feelings for me.” Elizabeth bit her lip. “And I knew I was in trouble then, because I didn’t feel that way. I was enjoying it, the sex, and I liked Alex, but I still didn’t love him, and I knew I couldn’t love him.” She looked out the window and continued her story. “I knew it wouldn’t last, and it didn’t.
“We were used to having Alex tell us what to do. He had worked in the music business before, and we hadn’t, so we trusted him. It became second nature to do what he told us.” She sighed. “But he was starting to get very personal about what he was telling me to do. The next week of the affair, he started telling me how I should look when I sang, what expressions I should use, and how I should wear my hair—even how I should greet people when I met them.”
Darcy massaged her back softly, letting her get it out. “It happened during the fifth week.” Her voice was low and brittle. “We were in bed together and he was… touching me, and he said, ‘Lizzy, you would be so sexy if you just lost weight.’” Her voice cracked and a single tear ran down her cheek.
Darcy held her, comforting her and murmuring soft words to her as she finally broke down and cried, releasing a hurt she had never shared before.
When her tears were done, Darcy pushed her back just enough so he could see her eyes and firmly said, “He’s wrong. You are the most beautiful, most sexy woman I have ever seen, and he was wrong.”
“You’re biased,” she said, looking away. “I admit my thighs and ass—”
“Stop!” he interrupted her. “I will not listen to this. Your ass is amazing. I’ve caught myself staring at it—hell! You’ve caught me staring at it more times than I can count.” He tilted his head. “And don’t tell me you haven’t.”
Elizabeth smiled. “I have, even back at my house.”
Darcy nodded. “And I love your thighs.” His hand touched them for emphasis. “They’re strong, because you’re strong. You’re a swimmer, just like me, and I love the way your body is shaped. It’s perfect, and I need you to know it.”
She looked at him and nodded, and he pulled her close again. She spoke softly into the crook of his neck. “So, now you know all about Alex. I walked out on him when he said that right in the middle of having sex.” She grinned ruefully. “But I guess that’s why I’m a little oversensitive about people telling me what to do and why I thought you were negative when you were looking at my body.”
Darcy slowly rolled her onto her back. “For the rest of my life, I’m going to make sure you know exactly how sexy and beautiful your body is, Elizabeth,” he said with a low, determined voice that made her insides tighten.
He took off his shirt and pushed her dress up to her hips, revealing the red cotton panties she was wearing. Smiling with approval, he placed his lips over her mound and kissed her once, lightly. His hand slowly trailed up and down her outer thigh, over her rounded hip. Elizabeth’s head tipped back as she relaxed in his touch, and Darcy felt again the trust she placed in him.
“Roll over, Elizabeth,” he growled.
With a sexy smile she followed his direction, turning her ass to him. She moaned slightly as his hands caressed and squeezed her through the thin cotton.
Elizabeth felt herself growing hot under his ministrations. She let herself go and enjoyed the feelings he was giving her, forgetting to worry about how she might look.
Darcy enjoyed the sight of her unashamedly taking her pleasure and he stopped to remove his pants, all the while telling her how he had stared at her ass for so long, wanting to touch it.
“Can I see it now, Lizzy, please?” he asked as he crawled back on the bed. Elizabeth lifted her hips and let him draw down her panties, gasping slightly at what he saw. “You’re so beautiful, Elizabeth. I need to taste you.”
Slowly Darcy dragged his tongue over the twin curves he found there, stopping only to nibble lightly with his teeth. Elizabeth yelped and wiggled and he slipped his fingers between her legs to find her center wet and open. Carefully he inserted a finger with a second nip, startling her with the sensation. He continued to stimulate her, licking, nipping, and inserting a second finger, until she was crying out in earnest.
Then he stretched himself on top of her, resting on his elbows and cupping her breasts with his hands. “Did you want something more, my love?” he asked as he slid into her.
“Oooooohhhhhh,” Elizabeth sighed as her eyes closed in pure bliss. “Yes, please.”
Darcy found the depth he could achieve in this position was a pleasant surprise. Elizabeth was purring sensuously as he thrust himself in and out of her. “Do you feel this, love?” he asked as he forced himself completely inside of her. “That’s what your sexy ass does to me. You never even touched me.”
Elizabeth moaned, lost to the feeling of him. She had never been pleasured so deeply, and with the way he was kissing and sucking on her neck, she thought she would explode, but she couldn’t move due to his weight pinning her down. She had to endure every touch, her tension and excitement building. Darcy let go of her breasts to place his hands on the bed and changed the angle of his attack. Elizabeth cried out as his thrusts were then deeper and harder against her.
“Oh God, Lizzy,” his voice was shaking with effort as he neared his climax. Elizabeth lost herself in the sensations, crying out her release, and he came with her, her body grasping him tightly and forcing every drop from him.
They sank into the bed, glad no one else was at home to hear them. Then Elizabeth rolled into his arms and smiled brilliantly. Darcy smiled back and kissed her tenderly. “What are you thinking?” she asked, breaking the quiet of the room.
“I’m just amazed at how sure I feel about you. There is no doubt at all, even when I hear you talking about your old lovers, and you are leaving in two days with two men I would cheerfully strangle. There is no question, no uncertainty in my heart or my mind at all.” He laced his fingers with hers, their palms pressed together. “I’m yours and you are mine. We are one.”
Elizabeth nodded, smiling bemusedly at how accurately he had described her own feelings. “I know. I couldn’t explain it to Alex or my dad, but it’s absolutely true. It makes no sense at all, but I don’t really care.” She smiled brightly then. “What is this about happily strangling Alex?”