Plus, it had been a good long while since she’d held a controller.
“I am a lean, mean, shooting machine,” Georgiana muttered. “Just try to get by me, motherfucker.”
Elizabeth barked a laugh.
“Language,” Will snapped, though there was no venom in his voice.
“Lighten up, dude,” Georgiana replied.
“Yeah, dude,” Elizabeth agreed, dragging her gaze from the television long enough to favor him with a wink. He grinned at her—a soft grin, but one full of promise.
And it hit her again that this was real. For the first hour or so after waking up in Will’s bed, Elizabeth had been waiting for the fever dream to end, because everything that had happened since arriving in Derbyshire seemed like something out of a fairytale. Granted, an X-rated fairytale, but right up there in terms of believability.
That she had stumbled into Will’s town. Into Will’s house. Into Will’s arms. That he hadn’t screamed at her and kicked her out the second he’d seen her standing in his space. That he still wanted her after everything she’d put him through.
That he wanted her to stay for the holidays.
Elizabeth swallowed and forced her attention back to the television just in time to greet yet another kill-screen.
“I suck,” she said.
“Yes,” Georgiana agreed rapidly, then whooped as she successfully took down another opponent.
Elizabeth laughed again and shook her head. “Thanks. Don’t sugarcoat it.”
“Sugarcoating’s for pansies. No pansies in this house.” Georgiana began pounding the keys with a fury. The next second, it was over, and she’d dropped the controller into her lap to thrust her fists into the air. “Yes! I am the Capture the Flag champion!”
“Glad one of us is.” Elizabeth set her own controller aside and flexed her stiff fingers. “It has been way too long.”
“Hey, I’m just glad you can point in the right direction,” Georgiana replied. “Will’s useless at this.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Will replied.
“Wow. Nothing gets by you.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes before turning back to Elizabeth. “You’re a little rusty, but some practice and we’d make a hell of a team.”
“Language,” Will intoned.
“Bite me,” she shot back, keeping her gaze on Elizabeth. “So, what was your poison back when you were gaming?”
“Golden-Eye,” she replied. “A game at which I would excel at kicking your ass.”
Georgiana wrinkled her nose. “Isn’t that an old N-64 thing?”
“If by old N-64, you mean the defining system of my childhood, yes.” Elizabeth gestured to her controller. “I never got used to the dual navigation thing. Another reason why I suck at this.”
“Why an N-64? I’m pretty sure that was old even when you were a kid.”
“I can’t tell if I’m flattered or insulted.”
Georgiana shrugged. “It’s a gift.”
Will snickered but didn’t say anything.
“The N-64 was all my family could afford, to answer your question,” Elizabeth said. “And yes, by the time I got my hands on one, they were old. But that didn’t stop me from totally owning every game I played. And if you ever get your hands on an old system, I will wipe the floor with you.”
Georgiana’s eyes twinkled. She turned to Will. “Can I get an N-64?”
He huffed and waved at the X-Box sitting under the television. “I just bought you that monstrosity.”
“I know and you’re awesome, but I want to see if I can whip your girlfriend’s ass on more than one console.”
Elizabeth pressed her lips together, her heart doing a funny jig at the g-word. She held her breath as long as she could before shifting her gaze to Will, and didn’t know whether to be relieved or dismayed when she saw he was equally conflicted.
There was little chance Georgiana didn’t realize the bomb she had set up—the girl was whip-smart and a little too insightful for her own good. Still, when she turned back to Elizabeth, her expression was all innocence. It was almost enough to be convincing. Almost.
“I complain,” she said, “but Will’s actually really good to me.”
“Can I get that in writing?” Will asked.
“This thing?” She ignored him and nodded at the console. “Early Christmas present. Best one I’ve ever gotten.”
“You get your Christmas presents early? Lucky.”
Georgiana gave her a wide grin. “I can sweet talk big brother into just about anything. Isn’t that right?”
Will shook his head, snickering. “I’m essentially a prisoner in my own home.”
Elizabeth poked her tongue out at him. “Poor baby.”
“Yes,” Georgiana agreed dryly. “It truly is the hard knock life.”
“As it turns out, Georgie, I’m in need of that particular superpower.” Will leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. “See if you can sweet talk Elizabeth into staying for Christmas.”
At that, Elizabeth’s stomach dropped. “Wait—”
“You mean you’re thinking about not?” Georgiana asked, whipping up her head and poking out her bottom lip. “Is this because I caught you two naked?”
Will slid a hand over his mouth, presumably to hide his smirk. It didn’t work.
Elizabeth blinked and shook her head, feeling railroaded. She opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again before giving up and leveling a glare at Will. “Was that really necessary?”
“You never gave me an answer. Figured it was time to call in the big guns.”
Georgiana preened and flexed her biceps.
“I told you,” Elizabeth said, “Christmas has never been a big deal in my family.”
“Best reason to do Christmas Darcy style right there,” Georgiana said. “’Cause we know how to deck halls and fa la la la la like the best of them.”
“I don’t want to impose.”
“Kinda hard to do that when you got an invite,” the teenager shot back.
“That’s what your brother said.”
“Weird. It’s almost like we’re related or something.” Georgiana gave a dramatic sigh and batted her eyes. “Seriously. Stay. I know so few cool people. Actually, make that no cool people—”
“And yes, in case you’re wondering, that does smart,” Will intoned dully.
“Good. It’s supposed to.” She gave a huff and tossed her red-gold hair over her shoulder. “We have this huge house and none of the staff takes us seriously when we invite them and their families over for holidays. If you leave, you’re abandoning a helpless teenager to that walking snore”—she nodded at her brother—“and the Bingleys.”
Elizabeth straightened her spine. “The Bingleys are coming for Christmas?”
“Their folks are off visiting Louisa and her husband this year so they chose to make merry with us instead,” Will explained. “Louisa’s Charlie’s older sister.”
“And Charlie’s great, don’t get me wrong.” Georgiana wrinkled her nose and shuddered. “But Caroline? I’m pretty sure if you leave me alone with her, you’ll be in violation of the Geneva Conventions.”
The part of Elizabeth that had been teetering toward accepting the invitation wobbled firmly back. Introducing the Bingleys to this situation made everything seem more real. Add to the fact that she and Will hadn’t spoken about anything of substance and the whole thing went from awkward to uncomfortable.
“Caroline doesn’t particularly like me,” Elizabeth said. “Or…like me at all.”
“Duh. Caroline is allergic to people who aren’t total assholes or dipshits.”
“Language,” Will said.
Georgiana flipped him off, keeping her gaze on Elizabeth. “Plus she’s wanted to bone my brother since grade school. So if she’s a snot, it’s probably because she wishes she was you.”
Will went scarlet red and puffed out his cheeks. “No, please,” he muttered, “don’t hold anything back.”
“Which means, obviously, that you need to stay because that’s a guaranteed way to make sure Caroline has a crappy holiday.” Georgiana clapped. “Best Christmas ever!”
Elizabeth stared at the girl for a long moment, grinning. “You’re like the sister I always wanted.”
“Would you like to keep her?” Will offered. “She’s free to a good home.”
Georgiana blew a raspberry at him.
Elizabeth drew her lower lip between her teeth, forcing her brain to the subject it had been avoiding since Will had brought up the possibility of staying for the holiday in the first place. In truth, the thought of leaving made her stomach knot. There was still so much they needed to talk about, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to move on until she’d given him the apology he deserved, among other things.
Plus… God help her, she liked him. A lot. Now that she wasn’t trying so hard to keep her distance—now that she wasn’t assigning his every look and word a motive—the guy that she’d been so desperate to ignore at the start of the semester had proven to be…
Well, she didn’t know what. Except he did things to her mind and body that had never been done before. And despite having all the reason in the world to not only show her the door but also take out a restraining order, he had been…nice. Nice and more than nice.
For the first time in her life, she understood how people fell in love so easily.
And that thought was terrifying.
“Please,” Will said, his voice a notch lower than it had been before.
She blinked and shook her head to clear it.
“Please stay.”
Elizabeth wet her lips. “You really want me to?”
“Yes.” He cleared his throat and looked away. “Georgie really likes you.”
His sister snickered. “Nice cover.”
“And… We should…talk.”
“Ugh, no. Serious stuff comes after the holiday festivities and not a moment before.” Georgiana nodded as though the matter were settled. “We are on a mission to make with the merry, people.”
Elizabeth swallowed. “Okay.”
“Okay?” Will’s eyes lit up.
“Okay. I’d… I’d love to have Christmas with you guys.”
The smile that lit Will’s face could have provided enough warmth to power a solar system.
And though the prospect was no less terrifying than it had been moments ago, the urge to flee was smothered by something more powerful.
For the first time in her life, Elizabeth wished she’d been born a romantic. Because it would be so lovely to believe that this feeling was not only real, but had the power to last.
* * *
Will met Elizabeth at the head of the car outside Hunsford House and took her hand before she could bolt down the sidewalk. Not that she looked like a flight risk, but nothing that had happened today had been predictable. Least of all the feel of her fingers curling around his as she pressed her familiar, warm body into his side and let him guide her up the porch steps to the front door.
They hadn’t spoken since leaving the house, and while the air between them remained thick, the silence in the car had been companionable rather than awkward. And the way she looked at him now had him dancing on the edge of euphoria. Perhaps in the morning he would believe, truly, that she was here. In the meantime it was all he could do to keep from staring.
The door opened to reveal a relieved Charlotte Collins. “Elizabeth,” she said, placing a hand over her chest, “we were starting to worry about you.”
“Sorry,” Elizabeth replied with a wince. “I…uhh…was preoccupied.”
Charlotte pressed her lips together and nodded before turning her attention to him. “Mr. Darcy. Is there something wrong?” She blanched. “Something didn’t happen at the house, did it?”
“Sorry,” Elizabeth said again. “And no, nothing went wrong. Will and I actually know each other.”
She looked to their linked hands. “I can see that.”
“Yes, well…” Elizabeth shifted her gaze to him. Not once had he seen her look so uncertain, and he found he was both enchanted and disturbed by the change.
Will squeezed her hand. “Elizabeth is going to stay with me and Georgiana over the holiday,” he told Charlotte. “I came to help her gather her things and settle her bill.”
“No,” Elizabeth said firmly, pulling her hand from his. “Well, yes, I am staying with you but you’re not paying for my room here.”
“I—”
“Do you really want to fight me on this? Think very carefully.
Will grinned. That was the Elizabeth he knew. “I would lose, wouldn’t I?”
“Big.”
“Well, we don’t want that.” He turned back to Charlotte, still grinning. “Just to help her collect her things, then.”
Charlotte narrowed her eyes, seemingly undecided if she should be amused or annoyed. In the end, she settled somewhere in the middle. “All right. Please be quiet, though. My husband just went to bed. Early service in the morning.”
“Of course,” Will said, inclining his head, and tugged Elizabeth into the home without waiting another moment.
There was very little to pack up. A small duffle full of clothes and a few sacks of things it appeared she’d bought on the road. They worked quickly to gather everything, and in less than ten minutes were again outside of Hunsford House and placing things in the back of Elizabeth’s rental.
“I’ll be right back,” Elizabeth said, and turned to head back to the front porch, where Charlotte waited.
Will stood by the car and watched as she handed over the key, then leaned in and took the woman in an impromptu hug. He wasn’t necessarily trying to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t keep himself from hearing Elizabeth’s soft murmur of, “Thank you so much for sending me there today.”
Warmth spread through his veins. Will did his best not to grin like an idiot but found he didn’t much care if he was caught. If someone had told him twenty-four hours ago that this was what the day would bring, he would never have believed it.
Charlotte replied with something indiscernible and earned a small laugh for her effort. Then Elizabeth was coming back to him, her cheeks flush and her eyes all for him.
Will released a deep breath. “Everything taken care of?”
“Yes. I’m all yours.”
There was that idiot grin again.
“I mean, yours and Georgiana’s.” Elizabeth smoothed her hands down her sides. “I—”
“I very much hope you’ll be all mine when we get back.”
“Oh?”
Will nodded and edged a step forward. “I’m so glad you’re here. That you’re staying.” He hesitated, but decided the hell with it, and cupped her cheek. “Thank you.”
A thick beat pulsed between them. She searched his eyes, smiled and pressed herself upward to brush a soft kiss across his lips. She didn’t say anything when she pulled away—she didn’t have to. He felt her response deep in his bones, and for the moment, that was all he needed.
The rest could wait.
33
There was something about showering in someone else’s home that was unspeakably intimate—beyond even sex. And though Elizabeth had borrowed Will’s shower once before, that had been prior to their falling into bed together, and it hadn’t been at his private home.
Naked in his bed was one thing. Naked in the place where he cleaned himself felt…different. Made all of this seem like it could be real.
She hadn’t asked where she would be sleeping after Will had ushered her inside. Since choosing to stay here for Christmas, it seemed the nerve she had relied on her entire life had decided to leave her hanging. But with so much still left unsaid, and apparently neither one of them willing to broach the subject, she wasn’t sure where she stood.
Still, she knew where she wanted to go and it seemed reasonable to start there. Elizabeth gave her reflection one last pass to make sure she didn’t look too frightening. She hadn’t
bothered with makeup at all on this trip, having bolted for the airport after receiving the initial phone call with nothing more than a few things shoved in a bag. She could survive without makeup. Clothing, not so much.
Elizabeth leaned in to search for flaws. Her eyes were not yet baggy, but definitely on the way there. She never slept well in unfamiliar beds, no matter how comfortable the mattress in question, and the past few days had taken their toll. At the same time, though, she was more relaxed than she had been in months. Getting away from campus had been a lifesaver. If she’d continued at the pace she’d been going, she would have eventually crashed and burned.
Hell, maybe she had. Maybe she’d fallen into a coma and everything that had happened since she’d gotten off the airplane was the fabrication of a mind trying to repair itself. It still struck her as thoroughly unreal that she was here, in Will’s house, wrapped in a towel and standing naked in his bathroom, just a few feet away from the man himself. Just last week, she’d been certain their paths would never cross again, and if they did, he would pretend not to notice.
Elizabeth swallowed and rocked back on her feet, her gut clenching. The longer they avoided discussing Wickham and the email and everything, the worse it would be. She needed to do the grownup thing and tackle the obstacle headfirst.
And that was exactly what she intended to do. She switched off the light and opened the bathroom door.
The second she met Will’s eyes, her resolve to discuss anything went out the window.
He was standing near the bed in the same state she’d left him in—naked save for the towel he’d wrapped around himself before offering her a turn in the shower. It was such a simple thing, but it told her everything she needed to know on its own. He hadn’t dressed because he hadn’t known if that was what she wanted. He also hadn’t presumed anything. He was letting her make all the choices.
A Higher Education Page 36
