“If I had known he had someone more important than me waiting for him at home, I would have insisted we end our outing earlier.”
Her breathing hitched as Charles addressed him. “Darcy, foolishness, you are important.”
Darcy cleared his throat in disapproval. “Clearly, we have a very different definition of what is important.”
Her heart banged in her chest; the blood rushing deafened her. She panicked and could not believe what was going down before her. This man was defending her.
Charles snorted. “Elizabeth knows her place and how important my clients are. We have a mutual understanding.”
Darcy gripped Charles by the shoulder to keep him up, but she could tell he wanted to drop him and walk out, and the glint in his eyes said, Why are you with this ass? Instead, Darcy calmly asked, “Where would you like him, Elizabeth?”
Before Elizabeth could say anything, Charles pushed past them both, stomping up the stairs. She started to follow him, but she felt Darcy’s hand on her arm. His eyes seemed to be pleading with her. She blushed. “Are you going to be all right, Miss Bennet?”
She smiled weakly. “Yes, thank you for bringing him home safely.”
Darcy gave her a concerned look, and she was hoping he would say more, but he let her go and nodded. “I’ll let myself out, but here is my card if you should ever need anything.”
“I can’t take your card. Charles will find it.”
“Give me your phone then.”
“It’s upstairs.” She was caught in her lie when her phone went off. She jumped. Shit I turned the ringer off! Why is it going off?
He raised an eyebrow. “Busted.”
Elizabeth blew out a sigh. Darcy laughed and walked into the living room and found her phone.
She stomped in behind him and attempted to grab it from him. Darcy held it above his head as she jumped up to smack it out of his hands.
“No fair! You’re taller than me. Now give me my phone!”
“No, only if you stop jumping up and down like a monkey, then I will give it to you.”
“You’re so charming, you know that, Casanova.”
“Only when I’m around you.”
“Dude, seriously? I’m sure you used that one before.”
Darcy threw his head back in laughter. He lowered Elizabeth’s phone and she tried to knock it out of his hands. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in closer.
Her heart pounded against her rib cage. She held her breath, panicking that he was about to kiss her.
She felt his hot breath on her face and his lips close to her ear. “If you don’t stop, you are going to hurt yourself.”
She moaned. “Let me go.”
“Only if you promise to stop being stubborn and let me put my number in your phone.” He laughed.
She went limp in his embrace. All her logic was slipping away. “Why are you insistent on me having your number?”
He released her and pulled a piece of her hair behind her ear. “Because, Elizabeth Bennet, I want what is best for you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Charles is a jerk and does not deserve you. Why are you even with him?”
She grew furious. Where did he get off telling her the truth? She blew out a sigh. “Because nobody else wants me.”
He locked his gaze on her and didn’t move. “Elizabeth, that is crazy. You are a beautiful, intelligent woman. A man would be crazy not to want to be with you.”
“Yeah, if you can show me one man who wants to be with me then send him my way.”
Darcy’s eyes were full of sympathy, and he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head.
She should have pushed him away, but she didn’t want to. Her heart ached. She wasn’t sure if he was giving a pity hug or what. She kind of hoped he would suggest himself.
She pushed away and lowered her head. “You have to go.”
Darcy lowered his arm and his voice. “Elizabeth, please do not hesitate to call me. I want to be your friend. Charles was talking about you like you were a burden. I did not know he was talking about you, until I saw you here tonight. He talked of his girlfriend as a dead-end assistant, and that she wouldn’t make it as an editor if her life depended on it.”
Her face grew red with anger and embarrassment. She hissed. “Go, I don’t need your pity, Mr. Darcy.” She wasn’t really angry at Darcy, but at the situation. She assumed he must have thought of her as a helpless, pathetic woman.
“Elizabeth, I meant no harm.”
“Go, please.”
“Elizabeth, please call me later. I have a position at my publishing firm and it is yours. I am the owner and we are looking for a senior editor. Just call and we’ll make it happen.”
“Mr. Darcy, I don’t take handouts. Go before Charles comes down here.”
Darcy opened his mouth to protest, but instead, he walked himself out.
Elizabeth held back a sob that was threatening to take over.
Her heart thumped in her chest; it would seem fate did intervene tonight, or maybe she was drunk with adrenaline and liquor.
She stomped upstairs to find Charles coming out of the bathroom. “So, what was that all about?”
“Excuse me?”
“You were practically undressing Mr. Darcy with your eyes.”
“What the fuck, Charles, you are clearly beyond intoxicated to think that!”
“I’m not fucking stupid, Elizabeth. You could practically cut the sexual tension with a knife down there.”
“Please, whatever. Charles, go to bed.”
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her in and kissed her passionately. She pushed him back. “Charles, what are you doing?”
He stepped back. “What, I can’t kiss you?”
“Not when you’re drunk and accusing me of undressing a stranger with my eyes.”
“Then prove it, Elizabeth. Show me that I’m all the man you ever need, and not some wanker, like Darcy.”
Elizabeth’s pulse raced; she knew she was on a slippery slope with Charles. She had to tread carefully, because he had a short temper.
She quickly defused the situation, by kissing him as passionately as she could muster. He pushed her back and huffed. “Seriously, Elizabeth, that was horrible, not really helping your case here.”
“Well, if you really think I’m after Mr. Darcy, you stay out of the bedroom for the next thirty minutes while I pack. I’m going to my mother’s.”
He waved his hand dismissively. She shoved past him, retrieved her duffel bag from under the bed, and began rifling through her dresser drawers. Before she could finish, Charles grabbed the bag from her and threw it on the floor. “Elizabeth, don’t be so rash. I’m tired. There’s no need for dramatics. It’s late and your mother lives an hour away.”
She stood there slack-jawed at how easily he’d dismissed her and then changed his mind. He closed her mouth with a kiss. “Do get some sleep, Elizabeth, and we will talk about everything over breakfast.”
She let out a defeated sigh as she looked over at the alarm clock. If she did leave, she’d arrive at her mother’s only to have to get up an hour later to head to work.
She sighed. “Fine, but you’re sleeping in the guest room.” She closed the dresser, took off her slippers, and crawled under the sheets. Adrenaline made her body shake as she watched Charles shrug, and then she heard him mumble a curse word she couldn’t make out.
He didn’t argue but shuffled out of the room and slammed the door behind him. The sharp bang shook her bed and her nerves, as if it were an omen to the ending of her relationship.
“And he calls me dramatic,” she snorted. She was exhausted, her adrenaline crashing. She reached over to her nightstand, opened the bottle, and took a melatonin. It took a while to take effect, but when it did, she did not sleep soundly. Her dreams turned into a nightmare of hurtful words, running, a fiery crash, and death.
CHAPTER TWO
Slamming his car do
or, Darcy let out a frustrated sigh. Real smooth, Darcy. You’re a bumbling idiot. He turned his key in the ignition and “I Have Nothing” played over the radio. Normally, he wouldn’t have listened to soft rock, and it confused him as to why that station was set on his radio. He quickly turned it off and rode home in silence.
Thoughts of Elizabeth being with Charles infuriated him. You do not know the woman, but she deserves better than that ass. He was bound and determined to make it better for Elizabeth. He had no idea why he was drawn to her. Her green eyes mesmerized him, and her sweet smile made his insides melt. He knew it wasn’t love, because that was completely crazy. It was more of an attraction, and he secretly hoped that maybe it could be more one day. It didn’t help the matter that she was the source of his restless nights. He had searched for the unknown woman who haunted his dreams, and when he saw her, he was dumbstruck. He couldn’t believe it; it had to be a coincidence. He didn’t want to freak her out. He couldn’t just say, “I have dreamed about you my whole life, so we are destined to be together.”
No, that would surely scare her off and that was the last thing he wanted. “Play it cool, Darcy.” The radio turned back on, playing “Truly, Madly, Deeply,” and then it turned off by itself. He slammed on the brakes and yelled, “What the hell is going on!” His heart thumped within his chest and he started to freak out. Without realizing it, he arrived at his house and turned in to his driveway. He rushed out of his car, spooked, and fumbled with the door. He slammed it behind him and trudged upstairs.
That night Darcy tossed and turned.
Laughter filled the darkness that consumed him. The thud of his boots against the floor echoed throughout the manor. He followed the music of a woman’s laughter to a door that was cracked open. He pushed forward to see what the source of the laughter was. She turned around and smiled at him. If his heart had wings it would soar at the sight of her. It was Elizabeth, but she was dressed in Regency clothing, and playing with a baby.
“Darling, you just missed the most delightful moment! Our daughter just winked me!”
Darcy approached Elizabeth and the baby. He felt the urge to hold Elizabeth tight and to hold the child in his arms. His words would not come out. He was a man of many words but the sight of Elizabeth holding their child made him speechless. If only this were real, he thought.
The baby smiled at him, cooing and reaching her hands out to him to hold her. She couldn’t have been more than a month old. He smiled back and walked toward both of them. He stumbled and fell onto the floor. His dream began to dissolve, and he was swallowed whole and found himself standing before fiery crash unable to move and to help whoever was trapped.
****
When Elizabeth awoke the next morning, she went into the hallway to check for any signs of life. Her dream had shaken her to her core, and she immediately wanted to make peace with Charles. She headed to the guest room to see if he was awake and saw the door wide open. She quietly crept inside to see if he was showering, but the bathroom was empty. Water droplets rolled down the tiles, seeking their way to the drain.
Her chest heaved, and she took a deep breath. She went back to her room and hopped into the shower. She closed her eyes, relishing the warmth of the water washing away her tension. Thoughts of how she had gotten to this point in her relationship plagued her. She grew tired of the constant tension between her and Charles. Something had to give, because she could no longer deal with the fighting and waiting for him to make her a priority. She wasn’t the clingy type, but she wasn’t feeling loved, respected, or wanted anymore; especially after what had gone down earlier.
She reluctantly got out of the shower and toweled off. She went into the hallway, sniffed the air for any signs of breakfast cooking, and listened for the clanging of pots and pans. There were none; it was as quiet as a graveyard.
“Figures.” She turned back to her room and began to get ready for work. She went over to the mirror and began brushing her unruly, wavy black hair. Too tired to put on makeup, she pulled her hair back into a messy bun.
She reached for her toothbrush and went to grab the toothpaste but saw there was none left. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” However, there was plenty of mouthwash. Shrugging, she unscrewed the lid. At least her breath would be minty fresh. She swished it around, spat it out, and looked at herself in the mirror. She shook her head at the bags under her eyes.
“Really, Lizzie, you need a vacation.” Deep in thought, she almost missed her phone ringing. “Who the hell could be calling so early?” Elizabeth mumbled.
She hurried into her bedroom and picked up her phone off the nightstand. “Hello?”
“Hey, doll face, do you realize you’re late? Mr. Grayson is bitching that he doesn’t have his morning coffee. I had to run into the ladies’ room, so I wouldn’t experience his wrath,” Jo said.
Elizabeth groaned. “Shit, I’ll be there soon.” She hung up and rushed toward her closet, tripping over her duffel bag, which resulted in twisting her ankle. “Son of a bitch.”
Catching her balance, she limped her way to the closet and scanned for something decent to wear. She absently touched each item before her hand rested on the dress she had worn the last time she saw her Aunt Jane. Tears stung her eyes.
“Snap out of it, Lizzie. There’s no time for moping around.” She quickly pulled on an outfit and grabbed a pair of black flats before rushing downstairs. Racing past the empty kitchen, her heart grew heavier. Part of her had hoped Charles would have breakfast waiting for her. “Foolish, Lizzie, admit it—you only wanted French toast and the chance to hurl a plate at his head.”
Ignoring her grumbling stomach and the urge to throw something at Charles, she bolted out the door and locked it behind her. With her bare feet and bruised ankle, she haphazardly bounced to her car, hitting the key fob to unlock it upon her approach. Once inside her car, she fumbled to put on her flats and get her seatbelt on.
When she pulled out, she narrowly missed another car coming down the street. Images from the nightmare came crashing to mind, sending chills down her spine. “Come on, Lizzie, focus and breathe.” She took a deep breath and gunned it to work.
She dreaded seeing Mr. Grayson. She loved working at Pemberley, Inc., a prominent publishing firm, but not as an assistant when she wanted to be an editor. When Elizabeth had accepted the job, she’d made the mistake of believing that Mr. Grayson cared about her creativity. He’d lured her in, assuring her that she’d have a promising career. However, that was eight years ago. She did the work of an editor but was never promoted. He piled work on her, and she was swamped with ridiculous requests.
When she arrived at work half an hour later, she got out of the car and slammed the door. She ran to the elevator and pushed the button a few times in rapid fashion. It was taking forever, so she ran up three flights of stairs. The sting in her ankle reminded her that this was starting out to be a bad day. When she opened the door to the hallway, Mr. Grayson was there to greet her.
Barricading her path, Mr. Grayson leaned into her face, his nose inches away from hers. He narrowed his eyes. “Miss Bennet, I would suggest if you want to keep your job, you manage your time properly and get to work. Since you were not on time, you’ll have to stay late.”
Paralyzed by the stench of his breath and his closeness, Elizabeth nodded without a word. When he walked away, she gave him the middle finger behind his back. She sprinted to her desk and bumped into Jo.
“Slow down there, Speedy Gonzales. Where’s the fire?”
Elizabeth complained, “My ass will be fired if I don’t get to work.” Her stomach growled loudly, causing her friend to look down.
Jo replied, “Don’t worry, I’ll grab you something to eat. Better run, he’s coming back.”
She rushed to her cubicle and delved into her work. The sounds of typing and Christmas music intertwined, contributing to the start of a headache. Without looking up, she could feel the energy in the room drop as Mr. Grayson walked past her. She berat
ed herself for being late and having to stay late on Christmas Eve. Mr. Grayson hated the holidays and did not seem to care that Elizabeth might have somewhere to be. He thought Christmas was frivolous, a commercial holiday for retail stores to fatten their wallets. He was like Scrooge and the Grinch rolled into one.
Her computer screen came to life, and the desktop picture taunted her. Charles with his arms wrapped around her waist, while he kissed her cheek in front of Cinderella’s castle. The small fragment of a past life reminded her how happy they used to be.
She let out a sigh as she opened the manuscript she had been working on for the past month. She had been given the honor of editing an inexperienced author’s first novel about Quantum mechanics, which was mind-numbingly boring. A headache bloomed behind her eyes. She jumped when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
Jo handed her a muffin, a cup of coffee, and some ibuprofen. Elizabeth did a happy dance in her chair, flashing her friend a goofy grin.
“Thank you! How did you know I needed this?”
Jo shrugged. “Call it a hunch. Mr. Grayson would give me a headache too, so I wanted to cover all the bases.”
“You’re an angel, Jo. What would I do without you?” She smiled.
“You’d be lost and live a sad, lonely life,” Jo laughed.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Uh huh. Enough of the small talk, and I hate to do this, but I have a lot of work to do. If I don’t come up for air, come rescue me.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered for lunch.” Jo saluted and walked away.
Elizabeth bit into her muffin and took two ibuprofen and started working. Two hours later, her phone rang. She was hesitant to answer, because Mr. Grayson had a strict rule about personal phone calls, so before she picked up, she checked to see if Mr. Grayson was in his office and let out a sigh of relief when she didn’t see him. “Good afternoon, thank you—”
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