Mr. Darcy's Kiss Read online

  He shrugged. “I like cars,” he told me with a small smile. “Oh, I guess it’s four if you count the limo.”

  “Oh, yes. You can’t forget the limo. How silly of you,” I said, smiling back at him.

  “And a helicopter,” he added. “But that’s just to beat the traffic.”

  “And who doesn’t need that,” I agreed with a giggle. I shook my head in amazement. I didn’t have a car. I didn’t even technically have a drivers license because I never needed one. The closest I’d ever been to a helicopter was receiving patients on the roof of the hospital, but I’d never actually even been in one.

  His world of wealth was very different than mine.

  A bright fire-engine red Ferrari pulled up to the valet station, and the valet hopped out. He handed Mr. Darcy the keys, and Mr. Darcy tipped him some money. It looked like a hundred dollar bill.

  Mr. Darcy opened the passenger door for me to get in.

  “Seriously?” I said, looking at the beautiful sports car. “This is your drive around New York car?”

  He just grinned and held out his hand to help me in.

  I took his outstretched hand, trying not to flush at the skin to skin connection as I settled into the leather seats. I looked around, trying to take it all in. It was the most beautiful car I’d ever seen. Everything was smooth lines and leather. It even smelled amazing.

  I tried not to think about how much a car like this cost. It was probably worth a decade of my salary. I tried to sit with as little of me touching the car as possible so I wouldn’t mess anything up.

  He closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side.

  “Yup. Good choice me,” I said softly as I watched him pass the front of the car. “Don’t date the rich guy. Be awful to him. Call him names. That’s a good life choice.”

  I could have had all of this. If I had said that I loved him back that night in the rain, or even just given him a chance, I could have had a helicopter.

  But, I had to be all high and mighty. I had to call him names and act like a child. It was my own fault and I didn’t deserve his riches. Besides, I was never after his money. It was just that getting to see it was rather eye-opening.

  Mr. Darcy sat down and turned on the car. It hummed quieter than I expected. Then he grinned at me and revved the engine. That was the amazing super fast, powerful engine sound I was expecting.

  “Now you’re just showing off,” I teased him.

  “What’s the point in having a car like this if you don’t show it off a little?” He asked, putting the car into gear and pulling out. The tires squealed as the engine accelerated. I laughed as I was thrown back into the soft leather and my insides were pushed down.

  The car was damn fast.

  And then, we hit traffic, because we were in New York.

  I laughed as he came to a stop at the first traffic light. It didn’t matter that we were in the fanciest, fastest car. We still had to follow the flow of traffic.

  “Thank you again for taking me home,” I said as we waited for the light to change.

  He looked over at me and smiled, making my heart flutter. “Of course.”

  “Do you want to tell me more about your buyout?” I asked. It was going to be an awkward drive home if we didn’t have something to fill the silence.

  He looked over, evaluating me. “Do you really want to know?”

  “I do.” I was actually surprised by the fact that I really did.

  “My airline is purchasing South Pacific Airway,” he began. “They serve primarily the South Pacific in a way we haven’t been able to do yet. By combining with them, we’ll be able to control twenty percent of all Asian airline traffic.”

  “Wow, that sounds like a lot,” I said. He nodded as he pulled through the light. We were immediately stopped again by traffic.

  “It’s been a difficult acquisition,” he explained. “We are working through the legal issues and making sure that our corporate cultures are compatible. We want to make sure that our companies combine seamlessly on the employee level.”

  I nodded. “When I was first hired as a new grad, the hospital was merging with another corporation. Everyone was trying to figure out how the new billing systems and pay codes all worked. It was a nightmare. There was a lot of ‘but it used to be this way’ being thrown around.”

  “Exactly.” He nodded. “We’re trying to minimize that from the top down, which has made the negotiations tedious.”

  “I would imagine it would make things smoother in the long run, though.”

  “It should,” he agreed. “I intend to learn from my mistakes.”

  “Mistakes? You made a mistake?” I asked.

  “It does happen from time to time,” he informed me, smiling as he said it.

  I grinned back. “So, what are you changing this time? For your company?”

  He hesitated. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”

  “Yes,” I assured him. “It’s actually pretty interesting. I’d love to learn more.”

  He glanced over at me, his eyes soft like he’d found a treasure. He grinned.

  We spent the rest of the ride home discussing various methods of gaining compliance. He listened and nodded when I put forth my experience and he actually liked some of my ideas. For the first time in my life, I actually really enjoyed the traffic and was sad when we arrived at my apartment.

  I found myself wanting the night to keep going.

  “Thank you again,” I told him as he pulled into the parking area for my building. “I had a really nice evening.”

  “Me too,” he replied. He flashed me that soft smile that made my knees buckle.

  I hesitated in getting out of the car. I wasn’t ready for our conversation to end, especially since I wasn’t sure when I’d get to see him again. After this, there was literally no chance of us meeting unless he ended up as a patient, and I didn’t want that.

  “Would you like to come up for a drink?” I asked. “Jane bought this bottle of wine that she thought I would like, and I can’t drink it on my own.”

  Even in my head, the words sounded lame. It was the best I could do on short notice. I wasn’t used to coming up with excuses to bring men home.

  He took a small breath and thought for a moment.

  He’s going to say no, I thought to myself. He should say no. I’ve been a total bitch. This was a dumb idea…

  “I’d love to,” he replied. I nearly laughed with joy. Excitement and relief filled me, quickly replaced with nerves. I couldn’t remember if I’d made my bed this morning and what the state of my bathroom looked like. I hoped Jane was still at her drawing class.

  But mostly, I hoped that we actually still had that random bottle of wine.

  Chapter 18

  He got out and ran around to open my car door. It made me smile and feel important to be treated like a lady. I was a self-sufficient and strong woman, but it was nice to be taken care of too.

  I babbled in the elevator about the weather on our way up. It wasn’t because I thought the weather would interest him, but more because I was afraid I would want to kiss him if I didn’t keep my mouth busy.

  Even in the pale neon glow of the elevator, he was the most handsome man I’d ever met in real life. Being in the elevator with him close enough to touch, I could smell his cologne. I remembered the way he made me feel. I could feel myself leaning toward him, wanting to feel that again.

  I needed to get a grip on myself and my hormones. I’d hurt him, and I needed to go slow if I wanted to regain any of his trust. I was still surprised that he had agreed to the drink. I didn’t want to push my luck too much and kissing him in the elevator would definitely do that.

  Relief washed over me as the elevator doors opened and I hadn’t done anything I would regret or that would embarrass me. I had kept a respectable distance and had remained appropriate. So far, so good.

  I hurried into the hallway, glad to have a little more space to lessen the temptation to touch him
.

  I knew that I shouldn’t feel this attraction. I knew that he had every reason to hate me. Yet, despite it all, he was coming with me, and we were having a lovely evening.

  I had no idea how it was going to end. I half wanted it to be in my bed, but the idea terrified me as well. I had no idea what I was doing.

  I opened the door to the apartment and held it open.

  “Here’s my apartment,” I announced, feeling dumb. “Please come in.”

  “Oh, thank god you’re home,” Jane cried, jumping up from the couch and rushing over. Her face was wet with tears, and her hands shook.

  “Jane? What’s the matter?” I asked, putting my hands on her shoulders. The poor thing was trembling all over. “What happened?”

  Jane’s lower lip trembled. “Lydia’s run away.”

  I took a step back in shock and ran directly into Mr. Darcy. He was strong and stable behind me, and it gave me some comfort to know he was there.

  “What do you mean, ‘run away’?” I asked, my heart already beating hard.

  “Lydia ran away with Wickham,” Jane explained. “They’re in LA. She says he’s going to make her famous, and…”

  Her voice caught, and she had to take a breath.

  “And?” I pressed. I already knew there was nothing good that could come next. Jane didn’t fluster easily. Something was very wrong with this trip.

  “And I checked with his office,” Jane said slowly. “They fired him two weeks ago. He put a girl in a porno without her consent and took the extra money without telling the company.”

  “No…” The floor fell out from under me. It was a good thing that Mr. Darcy was behind me or I would have collapsed to the floor. As it was, he had to half carry me over to the couch. My feet didn’t seem to know how to work properly. This was the worst possible outcome to this situation.

  “I’m so sorry, Lizzie.” Jane joined me on the couch and took my hand. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “It’s not your fault, Jane,” I told her. Shock settled on my limbs, heavy and awful. “How did you find out?”

  “She left a note,” Jane explained. She pulled a small piece of paper out of her pocket. I could see Lydia’s handwriting on it. “It only says she’s in LA with Wickham for a big role. That’s why I called his office.”

  “She would have left me a note, too,” I said, rising to my feet. Mr. Darcy rose with me, making sure I was still steady.

  I ran to my room and found a small piece of folded paper on my bed. It struck me as important that I had made my bed this morning, but it didn’t matter now.

  My hands shook as I picked up the note and read the messy writing.

  Dear Lizzie,

  When you get back, I’ll already be in Los Angeles. I don’t want you to worry, but this is my big break, and I couldn’t have you talk me out of it.

  I told Wickham that I wasn’t an heiress, just like you asked me to. You were right; I should have told him all along. Now that he knows, he’s taking me to Hollywood! He says he has a gig for me there and that it will make me a star.

  I had to borrow some of your money to pay for plane tickets, but I promise I’ll pay you back once I get the money for this part.

  You’re going to be so proud of me. I promise.

  Love,

  Lydia

  “Stupid girl,” I whispered, wiping a tear from my cheek. How could she be so foolish? How could I have not seen this coming?

  “Elizabeth?” Mr. Darcy stood in the doorway to my room, waiting for me to tell him to come in. Concern filled his strong features, and those blue eyes wanted to help me.

  “What do I do?” I asked him. I felt the tears coming and closed my eyes. “This is bad. This is so bad.”

  “Let me see,” he said gently, taking a step toward me. I handed him the letter and watched his face as he read it. His eyes narrowed, and his brow grew dark. His jaw pulsed with tension as he finished reading it.

  “This is my fault,” he said softly, his voice low. “If I’d exposed him earlier, she wouldn’t be in this situation.”

  “No,” I said, putting my hand on his arm. “This is my fault. You told me what he was. I didn’t tell my sister because I didn’t want to hurt her. Now, I’ve hurt her worse. If I had just told her what you told me, this never would have happened.”

  “Elizabeth, I’d like to help.” His voice was soothing as he put a hand on my shoulder. I wanted to lean into him and steal his strength, but I didn’t deserve that. So I just stood there.

  “Thank you,” I said. He offered me back the note. The paper felt so flimsy in my hands. My sister’s future was about to rip like the paper. I needed all the help I could get. “I need to call some people.”

  “Of course,” he agreed.

  “I have an uncle in California,” I said, more just to keep myself talking and from freaking out rather than actually trying to communicate. “He might be able to help. At least he’s a lot closer.”

  “Yes,” he agreed. He gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Darcy,” I told him.

  “Call me William,” he replied.

  I nodded, unable to speak anymore. Tears were threatening to spill out all over the place.

  “I’ll leave you now,” he said, giving me one last squeeze. “Please call me if you need anything.”

  I nodded again, pulling out my phone and looking for my uncle’s phone number. I wasn’t sure if I could get a hold of him at this hour, but I had to try. I wondered what time it was wherever my parents were.

  I wondered what my mother was going to say.

  The front door shut with a soft shush and click. Mr. Darcy was gone. I suddenly felt less strong than I had a moment ago. I could only imagine what kind of terrible situation Lydia was in. There was nothing good that an out-of-work agent could do with a broke girl. I just hoped I was wrong.

  I took a deep breath and dialed the phone, wishing with all my heart that Mr. Darcy still had his hand on my shoulder.

  Chapter 19

  Thirtysome-odd hours later, I was no closer to finding my sister.

  “Any word on Lydia?” Jane asked, coming into the kitchen. I sat at the table, searching my phone.

  I shook my head. “I called the police, but she’s an adult, and she isn’t really missing,” I told her. “And California is a big place.”

  “I’m so sorry, Lizzie.” Jane put her hands on my shoulders and gave me a reassuring squeeze.

  “My uncle is driving down from Sacramento today, but I’m not sure how much help it’s going to be,” I continued. “I forgot that our Mom and Dad were in the middle of the ocean on their cruise. I can’t even get ahold of them. Even so, they couldn’t do anything even if I could reach them.”

  I looked down at my cereal and realized I hadn’t eaten a bite of it. It was now just soggy mush.

  “How are you doing?” Jane asked. I could tell she was worried about me.

  “I didn’t sleep the night of the party, and I didn’t sleep much last night. I just kept looking up and calling hotels,” I told her. I played with the soggy cereal with my spoon. I wasn’t hungry anyway. “She’s been in California for forty-eight hours, and I haven’t had a word from her. I worried.”

  “I’m sure she’s fine,” Jane told me, but she didn’t sound like she fully believed it herself.

  “I booked a ticket for a flight out,” I told her. “I was able to get a red-eye. It’s the earliest I could get.” I sighed and stared at my breakfast mush. “I don’t know what I’m going to do there, but I can’t just sit and do nothing.”

  “You’ll find her,” Jane promised. I wanted to believe her so badly.

  “I can’t believe she did this,” I said. Frustration welled up inside my chest and threatened to consume me. “She has no real money, she doesn’t know anyone out there, and she makes stupid decisions if someone tells her it will make her famous. I should have told her about Wickham.”

  “W
e couldn’t have known this was going to happen,” Jane replied. “This isn’t your fault.”

  “I am supposed to look out for her,” I replied, my voice coming out harsher than I intended. “She’s my little sister.”

  Jane didn’t take my sharp tone personally. “Maybe it’s nothing,” she told me, looking on the bright side. “Maybe she really does have a real shot at an acting role. Just because he was fired doesn’t mean he can’t still have connections.”

  I just looked at her. There was no way in hell that was even remotely possible.

  Jane shrugged in acknowledgment of how ridiculous she sounded. “I’m just trying to make you feel better.”

  I hardly acknowledged her. I just pushed my bowl of mush away.

  Jane patted my shoulder and took the bowl to the sink for me. I stared out the window for a minute as she did my dishes. Jane was good to me.

  I chewed my lip. There was something else I needed to ask Jane.

  “Hey, I heard that Charles is back in New York,” I said after a moment. I turned in my chair to look at her.

  Jane froze for a split second before putting on a fake smile. “I heard that too,” she replied. She shrugged casually. “But, we don’t exactly run in the same social circles, so I don’t think that I’ll run into him.”

  She went back to scrubbing my cereal bowl with a vengeance.

  “Are you okay?” I asked. I thought about getting up and helping, but the way she was attacking the bowl made me nervous. If I got too close, she might scrub me.

  “I’m fine,” she replied, her voice flat. “I’m totally over him. He broke my heart, but I’m over it. I’ve moved on.”

  I raised my eyebrows as she looked over at me. I didn’t believe a word of it.

  “If I saw him on the street, I would simply wave and keep going,” she informed me, holding the scrub brush in a death grip. “No big deal.”

  She turned and attacked the already sparkling kitchen sink. Our apartment was so clean she was going to have to start asking neighbors to clean their apartments just to have something dirty to tackle.

  “Okay, then,” I told her. “If I see him, though, I’m going to punch him.”