"I'm sorry, Mother," Amanda said. "I would have called if I could, but I
wasn't feeling well and slept nearly the whole time I was gone." Seeing
Dotty shake her head, Amanda fought the urge to scream. She tried really
hard to be as honest as possible with her mother, sometimes it was just so
difficult.
"Fine, Amanda. If you can't tell your own mother that you're okay while away, I guess I'll just have to live with that."
"Mother!" Amanda called after her mother's retreating form, but Dotty continued to walk away. Amanda shook her head. Her mother would forgive her, she knew she would.
Taking a seat at the breakfast bar, Amanda glanced out the window. She was hoping Lee would stop by tonight. He'd been acting strangely since she had awoken in the hospital in Paris. She had found him right there with her when she woke. He was holding her hand, and he'd fallen asleep with his head on her stomach. She smiled at the memory. 'What a way to wake up!' she thought. He'd barely left her alone the two days she'd been in the hospital, although once she woke up she insisted he spend his nights at a hotel. It just couldn't be comfortable to sleep like that. She was surprised at his resistance.
He'd continued to be very attentive on the trip home, and then waited nearly three hours at the Agency for her to be debriefed just so he could drive her home. When they reached her back door, he had asked her to dinner the following night claiming that they had something important to discuss, but when she'd asked what, he'd been evasive, giving her yet another hug before slipping away without answering any more questions.
Lost in thought, Amanda did not notice the man peeking into her kitchen, so jumped slightly at the sound of a knock on her kitchen window. Smiling, she pointed to the backdoor, and met him outside. To her surprise, Lee gave her another hug. Pulling away, she raised an eyebrow and he shrugged in apology. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm just so glad you're okay."
She smiled at him, "Well, I'm glad you came back. I was hoping you'd stop by."
"I just wanted to let you know that we got word today that the FBI have wrapped up the case. Both Glaktov and Donsky are in custody as well as Menk, the guy who approached me at the party. From the evidence they gathered it looks like they won't be getting out anytime soon."
"That's great, Lee," Amanda smiled at him. Their gazes locked for a moment before both looked away a little embarrassed.
Without a word, they moved hand in hand toward the gazebo and once seated both looked at the ground uncomfortably. Neither knew how to start the conversation they wanted to have. Amanda regained her voice first.
"Lee," she started quietly and he lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Can I ask you a question?"
"You can ask me anything," Lee replied earnestly.
"I have these fuzzy memories from before I woke up. I remember getting to France and falling to the ground once we reached the embassy," she quickly moved on at the look of pain that crossed through Lee's eyes, "and I also vaguely remember you removing the ropes," she smiled at him, needing to stop and take a breath. This was going to be hard to ask, but she knew it would burn her up with curiosity if she didn't. "And I thought that in the ambulance," she paused again, and when she continued her voice had dropped to nearly a whisper, "I thought you maybe, … well,… you might have told me that you loved me."
The words rushed from her mouth in such a rush that it took Lee a minute to determine what she'd said. Once he did, he was unsure how to respond. Glancing at Amanda, he could see her staring at the ground so hard he wouldn't be surprised to find a hole there tomorrow. Shaking his head in amusement, he moved a bit closer to her and putting a finger under her chin, guided her head to face him. Looking into her eyes, he smiled.
"Yeah. I did," he said simply.
Amanda didn't move. She wasn't sure what the appropriate response was to that. He loved her? Really? And exactly how did he mean love? It had taken all her courage to ask the first question. She wasn't sure she could ask another.
Lee could see the confusion in her eyes, but was suddenly feeling a bit shy himself. He felt his hand move slightly of its own accord, so that while his forefinger continued to hold her chin up, his thumb began to trace lazy circles on her cheek. Amanda gasped, but didn't reply, nor did she move from his grasp.
Knowing he'd come here to tell her this anyway, Lee took a deep breath and then started speaking softly, "I wish you'd been conscious the first time you heard me say that. I was going to tell you tomorrow night. I … Well, when I realized that Glaktov had you, I couldn't think clearly, I just knew that I wouldn't be able to go on without you. Amanda, I've been falling in love with you for a very long time, but I was afraid of it. Afraid that if I told you, you'd … be hurt. Like Dorothy, my parents. I just … I don't want to lose you. But when Glaktov took you, I suddenly realized, that I can't prevent that from happening. I don't know if there's something out there that hurts the people I love, but I love you whether or not I admit it to you, to myself. And if something were to happen to you, I'd want you to know how much you mean to me."
Amanda's eyes got wide while Lee spoke, but she said nothing. Gathering the last of his courage, Lee's hand moved further back to caress the space just behind her ear, as he leaned forward. He hesitated, his mouth nearly on top of hers, his fingers still lightly touching the sensitive skin behind her ear, and just as he lost his nerve and began to back away, Amanda leaned forward. Their lips met briefly before they both backed away, unsure of what had just happened. But Lee's hand still seemed to have a mind of its own and it traveled further still, now tracing the line of her neck, reveling in the feel of her silky skin beneath his finger.
While neither said a word, they sat awfully close together, neither having retreated fully from the kiss. Looking into each other's eyes, they could see their own desires mirrored back at them, and nearly simultaneously, they moved towards each other again. This time, the kiss did not seem to startle them quite so much, and neither moved away. Instead, Amanda's arms made their way around Lee's neck, her fingers getting lost in the short hairs resting on his collar.
When they needed to come up for air, they moved back slowly. Lee's hands came to rest on Amanda's cheeks and he began tracing the lines of her face, in awe of the woman sitting in front of him. "You are so beautiful," he said, his voice reverent, as he leaned to kiss her again.
Just as he was about to touch his lips to hers again, she leaned back. "Lee?" she said. He didn't reply, but she could read the question in his eyes. "I love you, too." The words were simple, but the answering smile in his eyes caused her whole face to light up. The sight made Lee laugh although he wasn't sure why - he just suddenly felt so happy, laughter seemed the appropriate response.
But Amanda cut off his laughter, pressing her lips to his.
Backing away from her slightly, he smiled. "Well, I no longer have anything important to discuss with you tomorrow, but can I take you to dinner anyway?"
Shyly Amanda replied, "You can take me anywhere, just as long as we're together."
"Fine, Amanda. If you can't tell your own mother that you're okay while away, I guess I'll just have to live with that."
"Mother!" Amanda called after her mother's retreating form, but Dotty continued to walk away. Amanda shook her head. Her mother would forgive her, she knew she would.
Taking a seat at the breakfast bar, Amanda glanced out the window. She was hoping Lee would stop by tonight. He'd been acting strangely since she had awoken in the hospital in Paris. She had found him right there with her when she woke. He was holding her hand, and he'd fallen asleep with his head on her stomach. She smiled at the memory. 'What a way to wake up!' she thought. He'd barely left her alone the two days she'd been in the hospital, although once she woke up she insisted he spend his nights at a hotel. It just couldn't be comfortable to sleep like that. She was surprised at his resistance.
He'd continued to be very attentive on the trip home, and then waited nearly three hours at the Agency for her to be debriefed just so he could drive her home. When they reached her back door, he had asked her to dinner the following night claiming that they had something important to discuss, but when she'd asked what, he'd been evasive, giving her yet another hug before slipping away without answering any more questions.
Lost in thought, Amanda did not notice the man peeking into her kitchen, so jumped slightly at the sound of a knock on her kitchen window. Smiling, she pointed to the backdoor, and met him outside. To her surprise, Lee gave her another hug. Pulling away, she raised an eyebrow and he shrugged in apology. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm just so glad you're okay."
She smiled at him, "Well, I'm glad you came back. I was hoping you'd stop by."
"I just wanted to let you know that we got word today that the FBI have wrapped up the case. Both Glaktov and Donsky are in custody as well as Menk, the guy who approached me at the party. From the evidence they gathered it looks like they won't be getting out anytime soon."
"That's great, Lee," Amanda smiled at him. Their gazes locked for a moment before both looked away a little embarrassed.
Without a word, they moved hand in hand toward the gazebo and once seated both looked at the ground uncomfortably. Neither knew how to start the conversation they wanted to have. Amanda regained her voice first.
"Lee," she started quietly and he lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Can I ask you a question?"
"You can ask me anything," Lee replied earnestly.
"I have these fuzzy memories from before I woke up. I remember getting to France and falling to the ground once we reached the embassy," she quickly moved on at the look of pain that crossed through Lee's eyes, "and I also vaguely remember you removing the ropes," she smiled at him, needing to stop and take a breath. This was going to be hard to ask, but she knew it would burn her up with curiosity if she didn't. "And I thought that in the ambulance," she paused again, and when she continued her voice had dropped to nearly a whisper, "I thought you maybe, … well,… you might have told me that you loved me."
The words rushed from her mouth in such a rush that it took Lee a minute to determine what she'd said. Once he did, he was unsure how to respond. Glancing at Amanda, he could see her staring at the ground so hard he wouldn't be surprised to find a hole there tomorrow. Shaking his head in amusement, he moved a bit closer to her and putting a finger under her chin, guided her head to face him. Looking into her eyes, he smiled.
"Yeah. I did," he said simply.
Amanda didn't move. She wasn't sure what the appropriate response was to that. He loved her? Really? And exactly how did he mean love? It had taken all her courage to ask the first question. She wasn't sure she could ask another.
Lee could see the confusion in her eyes, but was suddenly feeling a bit shy himself. He felt his hand move slightly of its own accord, so that while his forefinger continued to hold her chin up, his thumb began to trace lazy circles on her cheek. Amanda gasped, but didn't reply, nor did she move from his grasp.
Knowing he'd come here to tell her this anyway, Lee took a deep breath and then started speaking softly, "I wish you'd been conscious the first time you heard me say that. I was going to tell you tomorrow night. I … Well, when I realized that Glaktov had you, I couldn't think clearly, I just knew that I wouldn't be able to go on without you. Amanda, I've been falling in love with you for a very long time, but I was afraid of it. Afraid that if I told you, you'd … be hurt. Like Dorothy, my parents. I just … I don't want to lose you. But when Glaktov took you, I suddenly realized, that I can't prevent that from happening. I don't know if there's something out there that hurts the people I love, but I love you whether or not I admit it to you, to myself. And if something were to happen to you, I'd want you to know how much you mean to me."
Amanda's eyes got wide while Lee spoke, but she said nothing. Gathering the last of his courage, Lee's hand moved further back to caress the space just behind her ear, as he leaned forward. He hesitated, his mouth nearly on top of hers, his fingers still lightly touching the sensitive skin behind her ear, and just as he lost his nerve and began to back away, Amanda leaned forward. Their lips met briefly before they both backed away, unsure of what had just happened. But Lee's hand still seemed to have a mind of its own and it traveled further still, now tracing the line of her neck, reveling in the feel of her silky skin beneath his finger.
While neither said a word, they sat awfully close together, neither having retreated fully from the kiss. Looking into each other's eyes, they could see their own desires mirrored back at them, and nearly simultaneously, they moved towards each other again. This time, the kiss did not seem to startle them quite so much, and neither moved away. Instead, Amanda's arms made their way around Lee's neck, her fingers getting lost in the short hairs resting on his collar.
When they needed to come up for air, they moved back slowly. Lee's hands came to rest on Amanda's cheeks and he began tracing the lines of her face, in awe of the woman sitting in front of him. "You are so beautiful," he said, his voice reverent, as he leaned to kiss her again.
Just as he was about to touch his lips to hers again, she leaned back. "Lee?" she said. He didn't reply, but she could read the question in his eyes. "I love you, too." The words were simple, but the answering smile in his eyes caused her whole face to light up. The sight made Lee laugh although he wasn't sure why - he just suddenly felt so happy, laughter seemed the appropriate response.
But Amanda cut off his laughter, pressing her lips to his.
Backing away from her slightly, he smiled. "Well, I no longer have anything important to discuss with you tomorrow, but can I take you to dinner anyway?"
Shyly Amanda replied, "You can take me anywhere, just as long as we're together."