To Steele A Kiss
Vol. 6
I suddenly wasn't satisfied with our duo's first kiss in "Steele Waters." It was merely posing for a case, so Laura explained. Our duo deserves as good of a beginning as they did an end, so here is my take on what really happened between the dock with Mr. Arnok in "Steele Waters" and Laura's brazen kiss in the kitchen at the end of "A Good Night's Steele." Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed getting back to writing. I missed you all. Reviews welcome.
By R.J. Harrington,
Laura stared at Mr. Arnok's leather luggage hanging from the edge of Remington's couch and shifted on the carpet to beg for her partner's help. Steele's chin firmly planted in his palm in disbelief. Arnock took a third sip of champagne before either detective could grasp what was happening. Bewilderment slipped into exasperation. Just 30 seconds earlier, Laura had scooted across the carpet to brush Remington's thigh. Her legs still curved around her, keeping her "date" close enough to enjoy, but far enough to make him work for intimacy. A blistering fire popped behind them, half-filled flutes sparkled with champagne and Sinatra floated at a low hum. Now, they were trapped by the ramblings of an old man, beaming with delight at his newfound hobby. Laura had to act.
"Mr. Arnok, while we appreciate all that you've done to help us with this case, I'm not sure selling your company and moving to Los Angeles is the right thing to do."
"She's right Emery," Remington chimed. "With all the smog, the traffic, endless trips to…."
"What are you saying Steele?"
"W-h-a-t I'm saying is that Miss Holt and I have spent years studying the art of detection to hone our skills…" Remington glanced at Laura to find her customary grin and eye roll. But, she had to hand it to him; he certainly knew how to work a room.
"…And while you certainly have a knack for finding the dead, we would hate for the grocery industry to lose such a consumer connoisseur."
"You agree Miss Holt?"
"Yes, well, Mr. Arnok. I'm sure you would be an asset to any agency, but what would your board members do without you?"
"Alright then, if you insist. I'll call Millicent and tell her to stay put. I really have enjoyed our exciting adventure, but, you're probably right, the grocery industry would have a difficult time without me."
Laura and Remington caught each other's stare and smiled. Arnok reached for his shoulder bag.
"Don't fuss with the bags, Emery, Fred'll corral them and give you a lift to the airport," Remington said as he pecked the numbers for the limo into the telephone.
Remington escorted Arnok and Fred to the elevator and returned to the apartment. He closed the door slowly behind him before turning to find Laura leaning against the wall. "Now, where were we?" Laura loved his confidence, even if she wouldn't admit it.
"I believe we were discussing posing and awaiting Chinese."
"Ah, yes our meal."
"Shouldn't it be here by now?" Laura launched into her dissertation on the efficacy and ethics of food delivery. "….and you would think that for the sake of company survival they would make sure…."
Remington wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. "The food can wait, Laura."
"I was just saying that…"
"I know what you were saying. You were over thinking an issue to avoid discussing the one topic I'm interested in."
"And, what would that be, Mr. Steele?"
"Our kiss."
"What about it? I was merely maintaining our cover while we waited for Kaplan. Nothing more."
"Sure you were."
"What are saying, that I purposefully took advantage of the situation?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"You're dreaming." Laura broke the embrace and walked toward the fire. She slouched to the floor with her back against the couch and grabbed her champagne. Remington followed.
He sat across from her, smirking, waiting for her to go on. They had only known each other six months, but he already enjoyed his ability to rile her emotions.
"You know, just because you would have taken the opportunity to use a case for personal advantage doesn't mean I would."
"We certainly are different Laura, I'll give you that."
The chime of the doorbell saved Remington from a response. "Ah, our food."
This time, the delivery was the one they'd expected. Remington grabbed the bags, tipped the driver handsomely and returned to his spot on the floor, across the blanket from Laura. He handed her chopsticks, then divvied up the loot. She looked so shy and embarrassed; he decided to repair their evening.
"I'm sorry Laura. You certainly wouldn't sacrifice your integrity and professionalism to steal a kiss."
She waited, then raised her head to smile at him, a giggle escaping her crooked grin.
"Don't be so sure, Mr. Steele."
Before he could respond, Laura crawled onto her hands and knees and prowled across the blanket to within inches of Remington's face. Her warm breath and sweet perfume filled his nose as he worked to resist his impulse to take her to the floor and start ripping buttons from her dainty blouse.
She rose to her knees and pulled the pins from her hair one-by-one, releasing one curled strand after another to fall around her shoulders. His mouth dried. He grabbed his champagne for relief and distraction. Good Lord.
Once free, Laura shook her hair and ran her fingers through the length, pulling it from her face. She undid the top three buttons of her maroon blouse and licked her lips. The champagne wasn't helping. Remington started to move toward her, but she pushed her hand against his bared chest to keep him in place. Remington sat against the chair with his legs crossed in front of him. He clutched the champagne flute for support.
Laura returned to the floor and crawled over Remington's outstretched legs, stealing a drink from his glass before resting it on the end table. She straddled him and leaned in, sliding her hand along his neck until she had him trapped.
"If I wanted to steal a kiss, Mr. Steele, I certainly wouldn't waste my talents on an old rusty dock."
She let her lips touch his without pressing into a kiss. She lingered at his mouth, teasing him with every heavy breath. Just short of Remington's loss of control, Laura leaned into him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held on. She pressed her lips against his, touching and releasing, softly moving in sync. Just as the kisses grew stronger, Laura stopped and pulled back enough to see his eyes. She smiled. He grabbed the back of her head and delved into her mouth until their tongues met and breath quickened. Without releasing, Remington sat up from the chair and pulled her against his lap. He'd never wanted to make love to someone more. But, Remington knew this was something special, something he couldn't screw up for one night of unbelievable pleasure, and he knew it would be unbelievable.
He let go and moved her farther down his legs.
"Laura."
"I know." Every word was breathless.
"I've never met someone quite like you," he said as he brushed her hair from her face.
Laura smiled and moved to his side, scooting under his arm. "You have no idea."
The End