Darcy in Hollywood

by Victoria Kincaid

  “That’s wonderful.”

  Another picture. A Hispanic boy with a pink boa around his neck. “This is Paco. Stan, the gaffer, has practically adopted him. Paco’s been to his house five times for dinner, and Stan took him sailing on Sunday. And these aren’t the only success stories.”

  “I’m glad the program had such—”

  “It’s not the program!” he said rather forcefully. “Or not just the program. It’s you. You did this. None of this would have happened if you hadn’t insisted on this program. Plus, the True Colors shelter got more than $50,000 in donations. They’re going to be able to house more kids now.”

  “There were a lot of other people who helped. Like Ricky—”

  “Sure, other people helped, but you made it happen. You made a difference in all those lives.”

  Tears threatened yet again, but they weren’t unhappy tears. What is it about this man that makes me want to cry? She waved to the phone. “How do you even know all this? Why do you have these pictures?”

  Was he blushing? “I got all this stuff from Ricky because I’m hoping to duplicate the program. We could do it on the sets for other movies. It would benefit other homeless kids, and frankly, it would be good for the studios, too. I thought I could donate some seed money to get it started.”

  “Wow…that would be awesome.”

  “If you hadn’t guilted me into being a mentor, this wouldn’t have happened. You made me see the world through your eyes.” He was talking quickly now and with great animation. “And it’s been good. Yeah, it’s been really good for me. I don’t want to slide back into Hollywood superficiality—which would be all too easy to do. I need you. I need you to help keep me from that.”

  She laughed. “Whew! No pressure or anything. Just an easy little job: protect you from Hollywood. Be responsible for your moral well-being. That’s all.”

  He laughed, too, but then reached out and stroked the side of her face, the touch erasing all other thoughts from her mind. “But I want to help you, too. You’re still so sad. What can I do?”

  She huffed out a laugh. “I wish I could forget everything—Lydia, my family, all of it—at least for a while.”

  Moving a little closer, he caressed the skin of her bare shoulder. God, it felt good. The sensation of skin on skin. How could a simple touch on her shoulder resonate through her whole body? How could it create such complex feelings? But nobody had touched her that way in a long time. Her skin responded to his touch the way a plant responded to rain.

  “I know one way to make you forget everything,” he murmured.

  She gave him a watery laugh. “Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you, Darcy?”

  “Believe me, when we’re in bed together you won’t be thinking of anything else.”

  That she did not doubt. But she still hesitated. Was she letting her vulnerable emotional state cloud her judgment? What did he really want from her? “I’m still not interested in a one-night stand.” Even as she uttered the words, she wasn’t sure. If he only wanted one roll in the hay, in her present state of mind she might agree. His eyes regarded her with such caring. His scent filled her nose. His touch was on her skin.

  One night would not be enough, but she would take it if that was all she could get.

  She stepped hard on the part of her that wanted to shout, “Sure let’s go for it!” and jump on top of the guy. What would be a measured, rational way to address this?

  Clearing her throat, she tried to speak in a slow and level tone of voice. “So, what do you want? A bunch of hookups? Friends with benefits?”

  A slow smile spread across his mouth, and he leaned forward until his lips were very close to her ear. “I want everything from you,” he whispered.

  The ghost of his breath over her skin made her shiver. Or maybe it was his words.

  “Everything?”

  His lips traveled down her cheek, trailing small kisses closer and closer to her mouth until they were millimeters from kissing. “Don’t you know that I’m in love with you?”

  Before she could reply, he kissed her.

  Elizabeth had had boyfriends; she had been kissed before. At least she thought she had. Now she was beginning to wonder if what she had experienced before even qualified because this was…

  A Kiss.

  It stole her breath. Her thoughts. Her rationality. Her sense of time.

  She didn’t know if it been minutes or hours, and yet she knew that when the kiss ended it would be too short.

  This. This was what they talked about in books, in songs, in poems. She could taste Will’s feelings, Will’s love for her in every movement of his lips. Their tongues tangled, danced, and caressed each other.

  Her hand stroked the sculpted muscles of his chest, exploring territory she had longed to know. One of his hands clutched her hip, making little circles with his thumb, while the other had plunged into her hair, cradling and supporting her head.

  She gasped and pulled away, leaning her forehead against his chin as she tried to catch her breath. How did he do that? How was he capable of turning her entire body into one nerve ending, making every inch of her skin hypersensitive to his touch?

  His eyes regarded her with concern. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, I’m great. It’s intense. Like the perfect storm.”

  “Do you want me to back off?”

  “Oh no.” She clutched the back of his head and drew him toward her. “I want more. I need more. And I need it now.”

  He gave a low chuckle before brushing his lips over hers. It was the briefest of contacts, but it sent an electric current throughout her body.

  “You know,” her voice was low and gravelly, “I didn’t get to see much of your bedroom before. Maybe it deserves a closer inspection.”

  “Does it?” He kissed her again. “Perhaps now?”

  “You might have committed an egregious decorating faux pas that needs to be corrected immediately.”

  “Ah, I understand the need for urgency.” He took her hand in his. “By all means, let me lead the way—in case you’ve forgotten it.”

  “So considerate of you.”

  Without another word, Will tugged her hand, pulling her into the marble-clad foyer and up the stairs.

  Chapter Fourteen

  They didn’t leave Pemberley for more than twenty-four hours. Darcy ordered lunch delivered from his favorite neighborhood deli. Then dinner. Then breakfast. Then lunch the next day. Darcy had been with his share of women, but he didn’t think he’d ever had so much sex in such a short period of time. He was beginning to see why people bothered to get married, which was a bit frightening because he’d never had such thoughts about another woman.

  When they weren’t making love, they were sleeping or watching videos on the fifty-five-inch screen that descended from the ceiling of the master bedroom. Elizabeth joked that if they moved the dining table into the room, they would never need to leave at all. Darcy knew it was a temporary paradise, but he was determined not to think beyond the end of the weekend.

  By mutual agreement, they didn’t talk about work or family or much of the outside world. Darcy did learn a lot about Elizabeth’s childhood and college years, her hobbies and foibles, her dreams and fears. He shared with her the secret desires of his heart and the things that kept him awake in the middle of the night. If only they could live this way forever…pretending that the rest of the world didn’t exist.

  But by dinnertime on Sunday, they had both contracted a little cabin fever. Darcy suggested dinner out and made reservations at a local restaurant. It was a small Italian place in a strip mall, the last place that anyone would seek out William Darcy, but the staff knew him and took pains to maintain his anonymity.

  Elizabeth raised her eyebrow at him when she saw the shiny vinyl tablecloths and parmesan cheese shakers on the tables. Darcy was pleased to have defied her expectations.

  The hostess winked at him. “Ah, Mr. D., we have your table ready.” The restaurant was
about half full as she led them to the back and seated them at a booth swathed in shadows.

  Darcy slid into the seat facing the back wall, where the only people who would catch a glimpse of his face were the restaurant’s servers. When Elizabeth moved to sit on the opposite side, Darcy took her hand and gently pulled her onto the bench beside him. “That’s too far away,” he whispered in her ear. He settled into the corner of the booth and then pulled her to nestle against his chest. She collapsed against him with a sigh.

  They remained ensconced together for the entire meal. As they read from a single menu, Darcy pointed out the dishes he recommended; when the food arrived, they fed each other bits of bread, chicken, and ravioli. Although the ambiance was unprepossessing, Elizabeth exclaimed over the food.

  Darcy took a sip from his wineglass while his other hand stroked Elizabeth’s hair. “Unfortunately, tomorrow I must actually do some work. I have three interviews scheduled in L.A. now that the press for In the Shadows starts in earnest.”

  “I know we can’t remain holed up at Pemberley forever, as nice as it is.” Elizabeth sighed. “I should return to my apartment.”

  “There’s no need to leave on my account. As far as I’m concerned, you can stay as long as you like.”

  She laughed. “Don’t you think it’s a bit early in the relationship to be moving in together?”

  He shrugged. “I’d get to see more of you.”

  “It’s a nice fantasy, but I should go home and face the music.”

  Darcy grumbled. “I don’t want you to give them another opportunity to hurt you. Your parents don’t appreciate you the way they should.”

  Her hand tightened on his arm; perhaps he’d gone too far. “Thank you for caring about me,” she said in a low voice. “It-It really helps.”

  “I wish I could keep you safe.”

  “I have to see my family sometime, but maybe I’ll give them some time to settle down. I’d at least like to make things right with Jane.” She sighed. “Now that Lydia is out of the woods, I need to look for a job, too.”

  “As a PA?”

  “I don’t think so. Filmmaking just doesn’t excite me. I’ll see what opportunities are available for a pre-med graduate. Maybe someone needs a lab assistant.”

  Darcy gazed down at her, daring to broach a subject he’d avoided for the whole weekend. “You’re not really giving up on medical school, are you?”

  “I don’t know. I can apply next year, but if I’m not working in a science-related job, it’ll look like I’m not committed to medicine.” She fell silent for a moment. “There is something, though. A friend from Stanford emailed me about an internship program at Johns Hopkins. It’s designed for people who are planning to go to medical school. The pay isn’t great, but I could survive.”

  Darcy mustered a smile. “Isn’t Johns Hopkins in Baltimore?”

  “Yeah. That’s not ideal, but you could come and visit me. And I could come back here on breaks.” She suddenly seemed uncertain. “That is…if you want to.”

  “Oh, I want to.” His voice was low and rough. “I’m all in, Elizabeth.”

  “Denise suggested I should fly out to Baltimore and meet with the people who run the program, but I don’t know. The plane ticket would be expensive, and what if I’m not cut out to be a doctor?”

  “Elizabeth, you’ll make an awesome doctor. Don’t doubt that.”

  Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I guess my self-confidence has taken a beating.”

  Darcy didn’t want her to move to the East Coast, not when they’d finally found their way to each other. But it would be crazy to object. I can’t ask her to stay here for the sake of a relationship so new that it’s not really a relationship. “You should go.”

  “It would mean that this year wouldn’t be wasted. I’d be doing research and preparation. It would probably help me get into even better medical schools.”

  “That would be great.” Darcy put as much enthusiasm into his voice as he could summon. He didn’t want her to change her life for him; he wasn’t planning to change his life for her sake—not when everything was so new. “You’re going to be a kickass doctor.”

  “Okay, I’ll get a ticket for tomorrow. The sooner I visit the school, the sooner I can make plans.” She rested her head against his chest. “It does mean I won’t see you for two days…”

  He leaned over to kiss her. “Then I’d better make tonight particularly memorable.”

  ***

  The next morning, Will took Elizabeth to the airport in his chauffeured limousine. They had stopped by her apartment the night before so she could pack some clothes. She had been just as happy that Jane wasn’t home and simply sent her sister a text about her plans.

  Elizabeth had never experienced such a pleasant and stress-free trip to the airport. Raoul drove while Elizabeth and Will sat side by side in the back, their hands intertwined and resting on Darcy’s knee. It was stupid, but after spending the weekend joined at the hip, the prospect of being without Will for two days left her with a hollow ache in her chest.

  When she recalled her initial reaction to Will and his arrogance, the irony was glaring. The arrogance hadn’t disappeared completely, but he had far more depth than she’d first realized and was capable of far more compassion.

  “I have to say that I would never have seen this coming the first time I met you,” she said.

  Will laughed. “Me either, although I found you very attractive. Opinionated, but attractive.”

  They were silent for a minute, snuggled against each other. Then Elizabeth spoke again, using a fond tone of voice. “You know, you pretend to be this jaded Hollywood actor, but you’re an old softy underneath.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Just look at what you did for Garrett.”

  “He was a good worker.”

  “And your sister.”

  “I had to; she’s my sister!”

  “And you took good care of me this weekend when I was falling apart. Or are you going to say it’s so you could get laid? Because I don’t think William Darcy needs to go to such trouble for some booty.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Helping out a couple of people close to me doesn’t mean that I’m ready to foster some kids or go save the rainforest.”

  “Aren’t you the one with the idea to keep the mentoring program going?”

  “That’s true, but don’t idealize me. I drink. I’ve had one-night stands. I’m the one who was arrested for drug possession. I can be arrogant and unforgiving.”

  She regarded him with a twinkle in her eye. “Are you trying to talk me out of dating you?”

  “Ha. No.”

  “I don’t understand why you hide the best of yourself from the rest of the world.”

  He shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t want you to expect too much from me. I’m trying to be a better person, but I don’t know if I can.”

  A shiver went down her spine. She had managed to shove the doubts about his character out of her mind, and now he was deliberately raising them again. “So is this some subtle way of saying you’re planning to run wild while I’m gone?”

  “No.” He chuckled. “Just the opposite. This is my way of telling you that I haven’t done this before because I haven’t felt this way about any other woman. I want, rather desperately, to date you and to see how far this can go.”

  The limo was on the ramp to the airport; they were running out of time. She leaned in for a kiss. It was small at first, a mere brushing of the lips. But that wasn’t enough for Elizabeth. She pulled him into her arms, thrust a hand into his hair, and swept into his mouth with her tongue. God, the man knew how to kiss!

  When they had disentangled themselves, he rested his forehead against hers. “I don’t want to let you go. You make me want to be a better person.”

  She huffed a laugh. “I’m sure you can do that without me.”

  “I’d rather do it with you. I like the world I see through your eyes.”<
br />
  Wow, nobody had ever said anything remotely like that to her before. It made her want to stay locked in his arms forever. “I’ll be back before you know it.” The car had glided to a stop, and the chauffeur was fishing Elizabeth’s suitcase out of the trunk.

  He kissed her slowly and tenderly. “I don’t want you to be late for your flight. But I’ll miss you.”

  She pulled away reluctantly, sliding toward the door. “I’ll miss you, too. I’ll talk to you tonight.”

  “Yeah.”

  The driver opened the door and handed Elizabeth her small wheeled suitcase. She wanted to watch until the car disappeared but had a feeling that Darcy wouldn’t leave the airport while he could still see her. Refusing to surrender to the voice that wanted to turn back for one last look, she hurried into the terminal.

  ***

  Darcy watched her disappear into the building before he told Raoul to head for home.

  “I trust you had a good weekend, sir?”

  Smart ass. “Yes.”

  “I bet you did. Ms. Bennet has very perky breasts.”

  “Raoul,” Darcy growled.

  “I just couldn’t help noticing, sir.” The driver grinned. “She seems to make you very happy.”

  Darcy was sure he’d never had so much fun spending an entire weekend with just one person, but he had noticed the shadow of sadness in her eyes. Her family was important to her in a way that Darcy didn’t quite understand, and they had essentially exiled her.

  “Yes. Unfortunately, her family has made her very unhappy.” Darcy’s hands balled into fists. It was so unfair. They should be blaming Lydia and Wickham, not Elizabeth.

  “That’s a shame,” Raoul said. “Is there anything you can do to help her?”

  The words were like a lightning bolt. Of course, why didn’t I think of that? Helping was something boyfriends did. It was the kind of thing Elizabeth would do for someone she cared about. God, I am so bad at being a boyfriend. Hell, I’m bad at being a human being.

  There must be something Darcy could do to help. He considered her dilemma from multiple angles but kept returning to one fact: her parents were blaming her for something that was Wickham’s fault. And if there was one thing Darcy knew, it was Wickham.