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When she lifted her face, his mouth engulfed hers. Soft velvety lips stroked hers, and her whole body responded; desire raced through her veins. He drew back slightly, meeting her eyes. “If we’re late for breakfast, people might guess the truth.”
Elizabeth smiled against his mouth. “Let’s be late to breakfast…”
***
Darcy swore he could hear birds singing in the shower. At one point, he realized he was whistling. Whistling! He hadn’t even known he could whistle.
All the reasons why he avoided relationships still lurked at the back of his mind, but it was a simple matter to drown such concerns in showers of happiness. Something that felt so right surely couldn’t be wrong. Surely any new obstacles could be overcome. What a fool he had been to resist for so long.
Elizabeth had returned to her room to preserve the illusion that she had spent the night there. Although he would see her at breakfast, it seemed like an eternity—and they would be surrounded by other people.
Unable to stay away, Darcy dressed quickly and stationed himself in the hallway outside Elizabeth’s door. It wasn’t long before she emerged wearing a slim-fitting purple shirt and shorts that had just the right amount of short.
Grabbing her by the hands, he swung her against the wall, pressed his body against hers, and kissed her. She melted…boneless against his body until it was impossible to know where he ended and she began. Their kisses, their bodies were perfectly in sync, partners in an intricate dance—just like the previous night when she had somehow anticipated his every move and reacted with such ardor. Every cell in his body hummed in satisfaction and clamored for more contact.
After a minute he reluctantly pulled back, peering down at her shining eyes and flushed cheeks. I did that to her. Darcy had won the majority of votes throughout the United States, yet having won the affection of this woman felt like his greatest accomplishment.
He didn’t want to let her go down to breakfast without him, let alone leave Pemberley today, but it would be difficult to justify adding days—and nights—to her visit. If only I needed an emergency briefing on Zavene.
Their relationship was so new that he had an intense desire to keep it private—even from those closest to him. The more openly they shared their affection, the more likely word would leak to the media. The Pemberley staff’s complete discretion could not be guaranteed.
And yet…when they returned to Washington, seeing each other would be even more difficult. To hell with it. Darcy refused to live without her for the rest of his vacation; they would find a way to make it work. “Will you stay tonight?” he whispered in her ear.
Her gaze flickered downward. “I thought you wanted to be discreet.”
Praying that none of the other guests happened by, Darcy pressed her against the wall again. “If discretion means I can’t see you tonight, then it’s overrated.”
Her body relaxed under his. “I want to see you tonight, too,” she murmured. “Is there a way to sneak me in without alerting the press?”
Darcy couldn’t prevent the broad grin from spreading over his face. “I’m sure. I’ll talk to Bing and Kinski about it.”
Her fingers curled around the back of his head, and she drew him down for another kiss. “I can’t wait.”
***
The cook had outdone herself with brunch. It was a feast of omelets, French toast, fruit salad, and mimosas. The water outside the windows reflected sunlight into the room, making it bright and cheery. Acting as if they had simply encountered each other on the stairs, Darcy and Elizabeth were the last to arrive. Darcy officially introduced Elizabeth to Georgiana, who did an admirable job of pretending they hadn’t already met under vastly more embarrassing circumstances.
Darcy cadged a seat next to Elizabeth, where he allowed his thigh to rest against hers. Throughout the meal, they often shared a secret smile but said very little. Conversation revolved around the day’s plans. Bing favored a boating excursion to do some fishing while Georgiana and Caroline expressed more interest in a day at the beach. Thomas Gardiner was talking with great animation to Fitz about John’s microbrewery.
Darcy’s thoughts were preoccupied with figuring out when he and Elizabeth could sneak away without anyone noticing—and how he could slip her into Pemberle
y that evening.
Fitz stared at him with one eyebrow raised, and Caroline glared at Elizabeth. And it was no wonder…Darcy was beaming at Elizabeth like a fool. They couldn’t conceal this relationship from their nearest and dearest for very long. Darcy didn’t mind, as long as they could keep it from the press for now. Media scrutiny at this point might send her running.
When Elizabeth’s hand clasped his knee, Darcy started and then had to stifle a laugh. A corner of her mouth curved upward as well, but she deliberately stared out the window. Slowly he lowered his hand under the table, skimming over the top of her leg and teasing the inside of her thigh with his forefinger. Elizabeth squirmed, murmuring out of the side of her mouth, “You are an evil man.”
Darcy just grinned. There must be some way we can make a relationship work. This is too good to lose without a fight.
Bing cleared his throat, drawing Darcy’s attention. “I’d like to give you the daily briefing after breakfast.” His expression was a bit perplexed as if he noticed Darcy’s distraction.
“Anything urgent?” Darcy asked. Bing shook his head. “That’s what I like to hear.”
Darcy turned to Elizabeth. “Would you like to take a walk after my briefing?”
“I’d love that. I haven’t seen most of the grounds yet.”
Elizabeth’s aunt regarded them warily. Did she worry he would break Elizabeth’s heart?
