“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 stood 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.”

Darcy began the riff to the song as Charles started singing to Jane. They didn’t screw up. They were electric and exciting and words that had once provoked such pain and hurt now were rendered harmless.

As the girls returned to their usual place before the monitors, Elizabeth asked, “Where’s Alex?” noticing him missing for the first time.

Jane’s face sobered and she looked at Charlotte. “He’s not here,” she said uneasily.

Elizabeth faced Charlotte. “What?” she asked.

“Lizzy, you’ve been through a lot today, maybe we should leave this for tomorrow.”

“What’s going on?” she demanded.

“Lizzy, Char’s right. We’re going to have a meeting with him tomorrow,” Jane said, her eyes full of affection. “Let it go for now.”

Elizabeth looked from Jane to Charlotte and nodded slowly, surprising herself with her ability to trust.

*   *   *

The three men stood together, as close as brothers, their long, lean bodies weary with exertion, shimmering with sweat in the bright stage lights, their long arms hanging at their sides, holding their instruments ready.

Charles talked to the audience with trust and ease, as though they were his best friends. When he called their names, Elizabeth, Jane, and Charlotte moved back onstage, crossing the line from invisibility to visibility. They took their positions near their lovers, to play the song they had all written together.

They decided to perform “The Game of Love” between sets, to celebrate the huge changes that had occurred among all of them and also as a statement of vindication. Elizabeth was free and cleared; Wickham would never trouble them again. That alone was worthy of being acknowledged, and they had no better way than with their music.

The audience roared as Elizabeth playfully took Darcy’s dark glasses and put them on, winning a bright smile from him. Jane took Charles’s place at center stage, as he stood nearby, and Richard and Charlotte arranged themselves behind a huge percussion display. A look was passed around them, silently communicating, and with Charlotte’s cymbal, they were off.