Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star (16 page)

His hands reached up and cupped her soft breasts, massaging her nipples until they hardened to sharp points and squeezing them until Charlotte whimpered with pleasure. His body curled slightly into hers and moved to meet her every thrust. Charlotte lost control of herself in the intensity of the sensations she was feeling. Her hands coiled around his shoulders as she angled herself on him, her breaths coming in quick gasps.

With a force that moved the bed, she ground herself wildly into him, feeling the pressure build in her blood. Lost to everything but sensation, she came with a passion that left her breathless and shaking. Richard grasped her hips, using her to reach his release only a minute later.

Afterward, he rolled them onto their sides and pulled her body close, her arms draping limply over him. He kissed her sweaty forehead, murmuring, “Thank you, Charlotte.”

The warmth that had filled her heart retreated as Charlotte pulled back her emotions, reminding herself that this was only a mercy fuck between friends. “What time is it?” she asked a few minutes later, her voice something like normal.

Richard stopped caressing her cheek, knowing the moment was over, and looked at the clock. “It’s almost ten.”

“I’ve got to get going,” Charlotte said, her voice deliberately casual. “I hope everything is all right with Jane.”

Richard lay back on the bed, stretching. “They would have called if there was a problem,” he assured her. “I’m sure they’re all still asleep.”

“Let’s hope so,” Charlotte grinned as she dressed. She slowed as she realized she was getting to the good-bye part. She always hated this part, and her usual method of handling it had always been slipping out before her partner awoke. But somehow she didn’t want to miss this. She knew she was playing with fire, but she wanted to see his reaction; if he had any regrets, if he would miss her as much as— She broke off her train of thought as Richard rose from the bed and once again she was stunned by his beauty.

“I’ll see you at breakfast?” he asked her as he closed the distance between them. Charlotte nodded in response. “Thank you, Charlotte,” he said softly, and she believed him. She believed he was grateful for what they had shared. She believed his eyes, which told her she had touched him.

He kissed her a last time, achingly sweet, and she left, finding herself in the hotel hallway with her key in her hand, not even sure how she had gotten there.

***

Elizabeth woke to the sound of her cell phone ringing beside her. Seeing that it was Alex calling, she flipped it open. “What?”

“Good morning to you too, sunshine.”

Elizabeth resisted the urge to throw the phone across the room.

“It’s time to wake up.” Alex continued, knowing exactly what the expression on Elizabeth’s face was. “We need to have a meeting to decide what we’re going to do, and we’re having it in your suite in thirty minutes.”

“Do you have any idea how much sleep I’ve had?” she whined.

“Slightly more than I’ve had, sweetheart. But we’ve got trouble, so get everyone up and I’ll see you at ten thirty.”

Elizabeth did throw the phone at that point. Then, resigned to her fate, she stretched, pushed the bedding off her, and went to wake the others.

She tapped on Charlotte’s door, and getting no response, she knocked louder and louder until the door across the room opened and Charles stuck his head out.

“What’s up?” he whispered.

“Alex and Caro are having a meeting here to make plans at ten thirty. How’s Jane?”

“She’s still sleeping. Thanks.” He disappeared back into the room and the door shut.

Frustrated, Elizabeth opened the door to Charlotte’s room and was surprised to find it empty. With an indifferent “hmm,” she closed it and started the tiny coffee maker in the suite.

Elizabeth looked up from watching it fill slowly with the precious fluid when the door opened and Charlotte entered. She ignored Charlotte until the smell washing off her hit Elizabeth like a hammer between her eyes. If she were blind, her nose would have told her what Charlotte had been up to. As it was, the satisfied smile on her face only served as confirmation.

That smile faltered when Charlotte saw Lizzy. “What are you doing up?” she asked, surprised.

“Making coffee,” Elizabeth yawned. “Caroline wants a meeting with us and Slurry here before the breakfast meeting.”

“Oh.”

“Where were you?”

“Out,” Charlotte answered as innocently as possible.

It was the wrong answer. It was the worst possible answer. Charlotte had never been shy about her sex life, and Elizabeth knew if she was hiding something, it was bad. “Oh no! Please tell me you were with one of Rebecca’s staff, or even a roadie. Please, please tell me you weren’t
out
with Richard.”

The look on Charlotte’s face answered for her. “Jesus Christ, Charlotte!” Elizabeth snapped. “How stupid are you?”

Charlotte was completely baffled by Elizabeth’s reaction. “It was just a friendly fuck, Lizzy,” she defended herself. “He saw I was upset and offered me some company. That’s all,” she snapped. “What the hell is your problem?”

“My problem!?!” Elizabeth’s voice came out in a screech. “My problem is that I spent the whole night at the friggin’ hospital, worried about Jane and covered in filth, then I had to run through a gauntlet of reporters to get into the hotel, while you had your legs up in the air getting banged by Richard! So forgive me if I’m not in the best of moods right now!”

“Just drink your fucking coffee, Lizzy. I’m taking a shower,” Charlotte replied sullenly as she walked to her room and shut the door.

“Good!” Elizabeth exclaimed, and then muttered darkly about “washing the smell of your whoring off.” She poured her coffee and looked into it, searching it like a scrying bowl, seeking answers. But there were none there.

She lifted up her head, took a sip, and stared at the recently closed door for a long time. Then her eyes drifted to Jane’s door, still shut, where she and Charles were sleeping. She wasn’t thinking just then, or even feeling. She was just observing. She did some simple mathematical calculations in her head, and nodding at the result, she walked alone to her empty room and shut the door.

***

Charles lay down and stared out into the semidarkness. He was surprised to feel Jane snuggle up close to him. “I thought you were still asleep,” he said softly.

“I missed you,” she sighed. “And I thought I heard voices in the other room. Is everything all right?”

Charles grinned slightly. “Oh, you know how Lizzy is until she gets her coffee. We’re going to have a planning meeting in a little bit. That’s all.” He turned his head to look at her, gently smoothing her hair away from her face. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Better,” she smiled. “My headache has gone away, and I feel much better.”

“That’s great!” he said softly, pulling her shoulders close in a tight hug. He could see in her eyes she wasn’t quite as good as she was making herself out to be, but the fact that she was well enough to lie for his comfort was a sign of improvement. He hesitated a moment, knowing he had to ask what he didn’t want to. “Do you want me to go now?” he asked with a deliberate ease.

“No!” she cried, then she looked away, embarrassed. “I mean, if you want to stay, that would be fine, but you don’t have to.”

Charles smiled at their clumsiness. “I don’t want to go anywhere,” he told her, his eyes filled with emotions that seemed beyond words, and then his eyes clouded as he struggled with his feelings. “Jane, I tried to leave you before, when we first got into the hotel. But I kept having flashbacks of you passed out on the stage, and I couldn’t leave. I had to be here, to touch you, and to know that you’re okay.” He looked down, looking at his hand holding hers. “It sounds like I’m being some kind of hero, staying with you to help out, but in fact I’m being very selfish.” He looked at her and tilted his head. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me, Jane.”

She smiled as only Jane could, a smile of pure joy. “That’s okay. I’m glad you stayed, Charles. Thank you,” she said in a low voice that carried so much more than gratitude. “I’m very happy to be stuck with you.”

They looked at each other for a long time, simply smiling and pleased with what they had shared. “So,” Charles continued, after a suitable time, “do you want to go back to sleep, or do you want to get up?”

“I’ll get up now,” Jane answered pleasantly, yet not showing any inclination to move from her spot cuddled up against him.

“Good. Maybe after breakfast we could go outside.” He looked at her caringly, gently touching her face. “You could use a little sun, sunshine.”

Jane smiled back, then her face fell and her hand grazed the bandage on her forehead. “I, I don’t want to go out, Charles,” she said hesitatingly.

“I was just thinking we could sit by the hotel pool. I know you can’t—”

“No!” she snapped. “I don’t want to go out!” she said violently. She looked away from him and Charles could feel her trembling. “I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”

“Jane? What’s wrong?” he asked cautiously.

“It’s just,” she hesitated, emotions flying across her face. “I was always the pretty one,” she said brokenly. “Everyone always said, ‘Look at that pretty girl.’ And my parents and everyone always loved me because I was beautiful,” her voice was thick with anguish. “I know it sounds stupid and conceited, but that’s who I was. That was the way I stood out from my sisters. And now I feel like I’m ruined, Charles. I’m not beautiful anymore. I’m afraid to go out there. I know that everyone is going to look at me like I’m a freak and say, ‘Oh, hey, there’s that girl who fell down at a concert. Look, she’s got a scar just like Harry Potter!’” She began weeping softly.

Charles pulled her close, partially to comfort her and partially to hide the grin he couldn’t repress. When the tide of Jane’s tears subsided, he knew what he needed to say.

“Jane, look at me.” He loosened his embrace only enough so that she could see his face. “Jane, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Without question
, the most beautiful
,” he added for emphasis. “And it’s not because of your eyes or your face or your body or any other part. It’s because of your heart.” He paused a moment, waiting to be sure that she heard him, and then he continued solemnly. “Jane, you could have a hundred scars on your face, and that wouldn’t make you any less beautiful or change how I feel about you.

“I’ve been thinking about this since I met you, and what happened last night just made it clear to me. I know what I feel for you isn’t going to change in a week or a day or a year. Jane, I love you.” He paused and grinned shyly. “I have since the day we met, the day I asked you to sing with me.”

Jane’s eyes brimmed with tears again, and she smiled with heartbreaking happiness. “Charles?” she sobbed as she retreated back into the warmth of his arms. He held her close, relishing the feel of her soft body against his and the scent of her hair. Tilting her chin up with his hand, Charles kissed her with a slow passion. She responded with everything she had, trying to give to him the words she couldn’t yet say.

He broke off, and Jane sighed in pleasure. Charles looked at the white piece of gauze taped to her head, considering. His fingers gently traced the edge of it as he told her softly, “I know this is scary, Jane. But I’m going to be here with you, and it’s going to be okay. We are going to get through this together.”

“You will be with me, as long as I need you?”

“Sunshine, I will be with you as long as I need you, and that will be a very, very long time.”

She smiled again, and Charles wished he could freeze the moment; her joy was so beautiful and perfect. He was able to rein in the desire he felt easily, knowing it wasn’t time yet. He wanted her, but he wanted her whole, in both her body and her spirit; he wanted her to be able to give herself to him. Waiting was not a problem at all. Reluctantly, he released her and stood.

“I’m going to throw some clean clothes on before the meeting.” He looked at the clock. “I’ve got ten minutes. Think I can make it?”

Jane laughed. “No.”

He smiled back before kissing her soundly. “Love you,” he told her and he was away.

Jane looked at the door he had just closed and sighed happily.

***

When Elizabeth came out of her room, Darcy was sitting on the couch. The shower had helped her calm down, and she walked easily to the coffee machine to refill her cup. “How’s Jane doing?” he asked in his low voice.

Elizabeth smiled politely. “She’s sleeping, last I heard.”

Darcy nodded. Caroline, Alex, Richard, and Rachel entered the room from the hall in quick succession, relieving them from the burden of trying to make conversation. “Where’s Char?” Alex asked.

Involuntarily, Elizabeth looked at Richard before answering. “I think she’s still in her room.”

Alex sighed and banged on her door, calling her name. Darcy stared at Richard, an uncomfortable suspicion growing in his gut.

A minute later, Charlotte emerged from her room and, with a friendly smile, sat down next to Richard on the sofa. Elizabeth looked at Darcy watching the pair, and she saw his expression turn stony.