Page 85 of All For You

I didn’t point out that she could bring him. “It’s your last night. Do you know what that means?”

“No. What does that mean?” She seemed puzzled.

I dragged my foot along hers. “Whatever you want it to mean.”

She moved in a circle around me, her eyes now mischievous. “What doyouwant it to mean?”

I moved to where I could stand and support her weight. I beckoned her to join me. We’d been dancing around this deeper change in our relationship all week, and I knew I was ready. The question was if she was ready for more with me.

“I’d like to spend the night with you in my bed.” My voice was low and raspy, but it still only betrayed some of my desperation to be with her.

“Oh.” She seemed shocked at how blunt I was. Then a flirty smile crept on to her face. “Would you now?”

Water dripped down her cheeks and over her mouth.

My breathing went shallow. I took her hand and pulled her closer.

“Very much. I think it’s time.” I heard my voice become a growl. I was losing it. “Past time to make you mine. I’ve loved getting to know you, talking about your writing and your friends and your family and your thoughts on…everything. I love kissing you. You have been driving me wild all week. Would you want that?” I was ready. I’d fallen in love with her, my feelings deepened into a place where her leaving tomorrow filled me with panic. She’d brought lightness and fun and passion into my life, and because she was here at Pemberley, I now loved this place even more. I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

“Yes, I want that,” she said. “My feelings have changed. I know you now, and every minute I spend with you, I like you more. You are shy and private and fiercely loyal to those you love, which made you act a certain way when we first met, butnow I understand. Since I’ve arrived, you have been nothing but kind and generous and thoughtful in the way you treat people and always genuinely interested in what I am writing.” She sighed. “And you are so hot, I can barely keep my hands off you. It’s been a week of the slowest of slow burns, and now I know how frustrated my readers feel.”

I dragged my hands down her curves and palmed her round arse with a low groan. She jumped up on me and wrapped her legs around my waist.

Maybe I couldn’t wait until tonight. Not with how she now saw me so wholly, my faults and all, and still wanted to be with me, the real me. And she wanted me, maybe as much as I wanted her. I crushed my mouth against hers and kissed her hungrily.

A flutter and squawk behind me made me jump. I turned to see a flock of birds tear into the sky. I blinked in that direction. My estate manager walked along the lakefront. Shit.

God. So, so many blockers in my life. Maybe this was better, though. I didn’t want my first time with Lizzy to be interrupted or rushed. With her, I needed time and privacy to show her how I felt about her.

I led her out of the water. Dripping, hand in hand, we raced over the front lawn, up the main stairs, then more stairs to my apartment.

Outside my room, I narrowed my eyes at her. “We have dinner shortly and, after dinner, have to say goodbye to Tabitha. Then it’s us. I’m going to make it so worth your while to walk down this hallway tonight,” I whispered, my chest tight.

She tilted her head to me. “I can’t wait.”

We parted, each of us to our rooms.

CHAPTER 38

Lizzy

Was it my imagination that the staff raced through the courses? And it was only two courses tonight. Tabitha yawned as soon as dinner was finished, and we saw her to Darcy’s driver, who was parked in the driveway, and waved her off. We’d arranged to meet at ten in the morning at the B&B.

The second her car disappeared, Darcy took my hand and swung me around. “Lizzy Bennet, alone at last.”

Happy nerves tingled through me. “Yes.”

Eyes darkened, he ran his thumb over my lower lip. “Okay to kiss you?”

God, this man. Visibly restraining himself with a clenched jaw, checking in with me, made him even hotter. “Yes, I want you to.”

He took my face in his hands and kissed me gently, lightly.

“Okay, fuck this.” He pulled me into him and kissed me harder, passionately, smoothing his hands desperately down my back and grabbing my arse. I gasped. A groan sounded in the back of his throat.

He walked me backward along the crunchy gravel to the outside stone steps, still kissing me desperately. We had to takea moment with our faces apart to make it up the stairs without tripping.

“Where are my manners?” he said at the top of the stairs, nuzzling into my neck. “Would you like another glass of wine?”