The trio was surprised when Charles walked boldly out to center stage, after stopping them offstage. The audience roared with recognition. He waited a moment and then held up his hands.
“Hey,” he said as easily as if he was talking to a single person instead of a crowd of twenty thousand. He waited while they responded and then continued. Offstage Jane and Darcy shared an amused look. This was Charles at his best. “You might’ve heard, we’ve had a busy day,” he told the crowd conversationally, intimacy building with each word and expression.
The audience puzzled for a moment, then responded with a loud building cheer.
“Yeah,” Charles shrugged, “but that’s not gonna stop us.”
Screams followed.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked, his voice deep and sexy. “Long Borne Suffering.”
The trio moved out as the crowd climbed to an even higher pitch, not a seated person in the house. All the audience’s doubts and concerns about the night’s performance had been dashed by Charles’s confidence. They knew they were in for one hell of a show.
Darcy started the familiar riff of “Everything You Are” and they were off. After “Wanted” Jane took the entirely redundant step of introducing and thanking Darcy for playing for Elizabeth. They finished with “The Longest Good-bye,” Jane singing that night for someone she had never sung to before, who wasn’t even there.
Charles was waiting to lead them back when they came off the stage and Richard met them at the green room, full of praise for all of them. The three men came together fully prepared to show everyone why Slurry was one of the top names in the business. They moved with a precision founded on confidence and long practice. Charles was wired for sound while Darcy removed his shirt and warmed up his Paul Reid Smith. The stage was done over for them, with an additional monitor set up for Darcy.
When Caroline came over, Darcy asked her, “You know what to do?”
Caroline smiled. “I’ve been briefed.” They found themselves together as once again the others were locked in passionate embraces. Darcy looked charmingly embarrassed. “So, um, how’s Faust?”
Caroline struggled to keep her countenance. “He’s great,” she answered warmly, trying to reassure him. “It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
Darcy nodded, relieved that once again, Caroline always knew what he was thinking. They took the stage, and all of their distractions fell away. Darcy lost himself in his music, Charles giving voice to his thoughts, and Richard pounding out his heartbeat.
And the crowd responded to him. He was reaching them through his music and he felt a sense of acceptance that Darcy hadn’t recognized before.
***
Elizabeth declined Rachel’s offer to go shopping for an outfit for the night. She couldn’t help but suspect Rachel was trying to torment her employer by keeping Elizabeth away from the show as long as possible. She dressed in one of her concert outfits, finding that it felt natural to wear, even though she didn’t expect to perform.
She was hungry and did stop to eat when Rachel had some wonderful-smelling take-out delivered. She was finishing her makeup when the phone rang, with Tommy announcing he was waiting for them downstairs.
When they were safely in the limo, Rachel gave Elizabeth her backstage pass and put on her own. Elizabeth followed Rachel into the building as Tommy hurried them past the security points. They walked down a long corridor, the sound of Slurry passing through the walls. Elizabeth smiled, hearing her lover’s playing and finding herself warmed by it.
They emerged backstage and Rachel took Elizabeth directly to the control center. Caroline greeted her warmly, giving her a hug and expressing her happiness at Elizabeth’s good news.
“Darcy asked for you to stand here,” Caroline told her, leading her to the bank of monitors, which showed Slurry rocking out onstage. Elizabeth stood where Caroline placed her, not even noticing the small camera aimed at her. Caroline took a moment to stand at Elizabeth’s side, enjoying the spectacle on screen before going back to the console.
***
Darcy was relaxed, playing “Taking Control,” a song he had written with Charles. It was loud and vigorous with a challenging, syncopated beat. Darcy enjoyed himself, his guitar riding low over his groin as he played powerfully, relishing the pleasure of mastery, of doing something difficult well.
Caroline’s voice came to him over the headset. “She’s here.”
Darcy looked up to Charles, who nodded that he had received that same message, and then to Richard.
“Look at your monitor, Darcy,” Caroline instructed. There stood Elizabeth, watching them with a smile for him alone.
***
Elizabeth watched with Jane and Charlotte as Slurry’s song ended and surprisingly, Darcy moved to center stage. Charles stepped away and the full light was on Darcy.
Elizabeth looked to her band mates, who both shook their head in confusion. They knew Slurry’s sets as well as their own, and this was completely new to them.
Their jaws dropped as they saw Darcy remove his sunglasses before he began to speak.
“This is for Elizabeth,” he said, then stopped, looking like he wanted to say more but instead nodded to Charles and began the riff that Elizabeth recognized from that morning a week ago at Pemberley. Her astonishment was complete when he started singing, his voice deep and rich.
It was a long, dark, lonely night,
And I thought you were gone.
I didn’t know how I’d get through.
I had to look inside.
I found a trust I never knew.
Elizabeth’s jaw quivered, her eyes locked on his, as he looked right into the camera and her.
But somehow my luck turned around
The fate that was overdue,
And suddenly you’re right by my side.
And now everything is new.
Darcy looked up at the monitor and was confused to find it empty. He turned to look offstage and found Elizabeth there, watching him. Her eyes were huge and shiny; her face pale, but a huge, heartfelt smile illuminated her features.
Smiling back, Darcy sang the chorus:
You changed me,
You broke through all the pain that there was.
You changed me
And made me brand new.
You changed me.
And now that I am free I know
I want to spend my life with you.
Turning, he sang to her, expressing everything he felt in his heart, ignoring the crowd that was screaming wildly at what it was witnessing.
When he finished the final repeat of the chorus he moved offstage, completely mindless of the audience. Charles took over, announcing they would have a break, while Caroline made sure Darcy’s microphone was turned off.
***
They found themselves in the instrument area, the one place they had met so many times on the tour, the place that was always the same, no matter where they played. He released the strap on his guitar and lowered it to its stand, all the while his eyes never leaving hers.
She stared at him, moved beyond words. Her eyes alone expressed the fierce love she felt.
As soon as the guitar was down, he snatched her up, unable to be another second from her embrace. As she felt his hands tangling in her hair, pulling her close, fresh tears formed in her eyes. She had never felt so loved before, and her heart broke and was remade with each tear.
His mouth was upon hers, starting with gentle tender kisses that soon exploded in their mutual need. Her mouth opened and he explored the depths, his tongue probing and possessing. Her hands touched his bare back, feeling the strength of his body and the slickness of the sweat on his skin.
She was lost to everything but desire. The delicious pleasure of his mouth ignited a fire inside her. She needed more. Her hands stole around him to rest on his chest, where she stroked him, from his shoulders to the waistband of his pants.
Darcy was fumbling with the hooks of her bra when he realized where t
hey were. He didn’t know how his hands had gotten under her shirt, which was pushed up, her skin against his own, but he knew this was not the place for what he wanted, needed to do to her. With trembling hands he lowered her shirt, her eyes showing first confusion, then surprise and understanding as she returned to awareness.
He grabbed her hand and led her to the dressing rooms. They entered the first open door they found, stopping only long enough to make sure it was empty and to lock the door, then they surged back into each other’s arms, kissing each other frantically to make up for their brief pause. Elizabeth’s shirt and bra fell to the floor, and neither could recall removing it. Darcy soon found himself opening the zipper and button of his pants to prevent injuring himself.
Elizabeth relished the sensation of her bare chest against his. She writhed against him as her mouth hungrily devoured him. Darcy was once again surprised to find his hands attempting to remove Elizabeth’s jeans without his knowledge. He stopped to look at her, his eyes questioning hers.
She undid her pants and pushed the remains of her clothes to the floor in response. Darcy shivered at the desire he found in her eyes and snatched her up again, not wanting to see anymore, only to feel.
Their mouths locked, he held her close with one hand while the other touched her breasts. They were full, her nipples tight and pointed. Moaning, he placed her on the nearby counter and lowered himself, so he could suckle at her sweet tit.
Elizabeth clutched his head to her as she leaned back, exposing herself. Darcy understood and his hand slid down to her sex. Elizabeth’s breath came in short bursts as he touched her, fulfilling the need that had been burning within her. She cried out, pushing herself against him as he penetrated her with one finger, then two, his thumb skillfully massaging her as she moaned softly against him. He was sucking on her nipple, making her dizzy with the pleasure that was quickly overpowering her. With a sudden gasp and a scream, she came against him, her body going limp against his.
“Oh God,” she panted.
Darcy stood up and stared down at her, his expression one of pleasure and satisfaction at what he was able to do for her. “You’re beautiful when you come.”
Elizabeth gazed at him, her breath passing through her tingling, swollen lips. She wanted more. She wanted him, and she let it show in her eyes.
Grasping the back of her skull in his large hand, he crushed her mouth to his, her hot body pressed against his.
“Not here,” she gasped between long, hot kisses. “I want to—” Words became simply too difficult and she gave up trying to speak.
In any case, Darcy had gotten her message and eased her off the counter and onto the couch. “Here?” he asked as he licked and nibbled her throat, making her tremble as he found the sensitive spot just below and behind her ear.
“Yes,” she breathed, her need becoming urgent. When he released her, she lay down on the couch, her hands behind her head as she stretched luxuriously, fully aware of the vision she was presenting him.
Darcy stared, his eyes dark with hunger. Unconsciously his tongue moistened his lips as he worked the tight-fitting pants off his hips.
Elizabeth opened her eyes, wondering what the delay was. “Don’t worry about that!” she urged him, one hand dropping to her sex and her fingers resting on the soft curls there.
All thought left Darcy’s mind; he climbed on the couch, carefully balancing on his knees, as his height would not allow him to lie down fully.
Elizabeth welcomed him eagerly, her legs splayed apart, one foot on the floor and another in the air. She pulled Darcy close, her lips on his, her arms and legs enfolding around him.
“Oh yes,” she moaned as he entered her at last. Wantonly, she lifted her hips to hold him as deeply as she could, her legs caressing the smooth leather that encased his. Darcy struggled to hold back, his body moving against his will, wanting only to find immediate release in her wet, lush depths. They became as one being, their motion having no origin or destination. He was not making love to her, nor she to him. They simply were. One creature, moving with one purpose and goal.
Darcy watched through haze-filled eyes as her hair shifted with each thrust, a living curtain surrounding her lovely face. Elizabeth lost herself in his eyes, eyes that were beyond seeing, only recording sensation after sensation. She felt herself grow larger, deeper, a vessel to be filled by him. Deeper and deeper he filled her, and yet she could hold more. She wanted to hold all of him, inside of her, forever.
The sweet pleasurable tension in her body rose and she found herself shaking all over as white electricity flooded her core and overrode the circuit of her nervous system. She heard screams and knew they were hers, but she couldn’t sense herself breathing. All she could do was feel, pulse by pulse, the indescribable pleasure that rocked her. She felt fire burn her inside and knew that he had joined her in bliss, a moment before he fell limply on top of her.
Giddy joy filled her. She tenderly wrapped her arms around him and gently kissed his temple as he caught his breath. She felt loved, empowered by her bond to him. They were beyond closeness; they were intimate: a word that now had new meaning for her. Goals, plans, and priorities had all shifted in a heartbeat. She took this new knowledge and understanding into her heart and cherished it closely as she let her lips lightly caress his face.
He came back to himself and pushed himself up on his elbows. She met him with a look of pure satisfaction that ought to have been illegal. It pleased him to know that he equally affected this amazing woman, who moved him so deeply. With a look of pure adoration, he kissed her lips, lightly nibbling on her sweet flesh.
He opened his mouth to speak when there was a loud banging on the door. “Darcy!” Caroline’s voice came to them from the hall. “Sorry to interrupt but there is this concert going on. You might want to finish it?”
Elizabeth giggled, her face blushing prettily.
Darcy kissed her lightly and began carefully getting up. “We’ll continue this later?”
Elizabeth nodded as she sat up and began looking for her clothes.
Darcy fastened his pants and, with a last quick kiss, exited the room. Caroline was waiting, looking very put upon.
“Sorry, Caro,” he mumbled uncomfortably as he moved toward the instrument area, unable to meet her eyes.
“Don’t worry,” she said, exasperated. “It’s not like I could hear you over the other two.”
Darcy looked at her in surprise, and then he noticed Charles coming over from the area of the dressing room, a distinctive smile on his face.
“Hey,” he greeted his band mates pleasantly. There was no doubt. Bingley had just been fucked well.
Darcy looked questioningly at Richard, who flashed him a look of disdain. “Not everyone behaves like rabbits in heat, you know.”
Charles laughed at this as he picked up his bass and had the sound tech rewire his mic. Darcy found his own sound equipment was gone and was trying to remember where it had come off when Elizabeth walked up with it.
When Darcy turned to the sound tech, he heard Elizabeth gasp and Charles burst out laughing.
“Oh man!” Charles exclaimed.
Darcy looked behind him to see Elizabeth covering her face with both hands. “What?”
“Will, you either have to put a shirt on or not turn your back to the audience.”
Richard’s eyes widened and he exclaimed, “Whoa, nice work, Lizzy.”
“Oh God,” Elizabeth moaned, mortified.
Charles could see Darcy was quickly becoming annoyed at not knowing what was going on. “Will, you have an impressive set of claw marks across your back,” he explained.
“I’m sorry.”
Darcy smiled and laughed at the absurdity of the situation. He put his hands on Elizabeth’s waist and kissed her lightly. “It’s okay. I’ll just be careful how I stand,” he assured her.
Elizabeth hid her face against his chest, then looked up and nodded. She kissed him for luck, placed his sunglasses on him, and st
ood back with Jane and Charlotte as the men left to go back onstage.
“Come on,” Charlotte directed, and they moved silently back to their place in front of the monitors where they could watch the show.
The guys were dead on that night, playing flawlessly and engaging the crowd between songs. Even Darcy was more animated than they had ever seen him. When they got to the point where they would normally play “It’s All a Joke,” he asked Charles, “You think we should play this?”
Charles paused a beat. “I don’t know. I think we should check with the bosses.”
The audience ate it up.
“You know,” Darcy continued, “I thought I was the boss.”
Charles grinned. “Well, you were. But you know, Jane…”
“Gives better head?” Richard piped in.
“Exactly.”
The house fell apart. Backstage Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Jane were doubled over laughing. A full minute passed before Darcy could continue, partially because the first time he tried to talk, he lost his control and started laughing himself, which set everyone else off again.
When he did regain control, he said, “Okay, let’s see what the bosses have to say.”
Jane caught her cue and she took a headset from Caroline. “Charles,” she drawled, her voice filling the stage.
“Your call, ladies,” Charles began. “Do we play it or pass?”
“We wouldn’t want to offend you,” Darcy added.
Elizabeth gave Jane a thumbs-up. “Oh, you are playing it.”
“You’re sure?”
“It’s your penance,” Jane added menacingly. “Don’t screw up.”
Richard laughed, “You boys are fuuuuucked!”
Laughter erupted again and Darcy nodded, careful not to turn his back. “I think you are right.”
Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star Page 49