Chapter 14

Leah walked into her office on Monday morning, anticipating a very busy day. The hotel was hosting a gala the next night to showcase the major renovations that took place over the past year.

Millions of dollars had been spent at the Jasmine Courtyard to update everything, and nearly everyone from the local hospitality industry was on the guest list. The gala was a large undertaking, and James was in charge of the whole thing. He was busy nailing down last minute details, and Leah helped him as much as she could.

At 4:00, James called her in a panic. He accidentally-on-purpose forgot his daytimer at his desk when he left to run errands.

"Would you be a dear and run it by my house on your way home? I have to go over some things in there when I get home this evening," he pleaded.

"Sure thing, but I don't think it's going to fit through the mail slot. Do you have a spare key hidden somewhere so I can leave it inside?"

"You can just leave it with Severus," James instructed, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Who?"

"Sorry, my house guest. He's a friend of a friend, staying with me for a little while. His name is Severus Snape. He won't bite…unless you want him to…"

"Thanks for the warning. What kind of a name is Severus, anyway? Did his parents not like him or something?"

"You'll like him. He's British. Nice accent."

"Well, in that case, I might just have to check him out. Severus, is it?"

"Yup, gotta run. You're a doll!"

"No problem. Call me if you need anything else," she said as he hung up.

James was so excited he could hardly stand it. He flipped his phone back open and called Severus to let him know when to expect Leah.

"Severus, she's coming by with my daytimer in about an hour, so get ready. I won't be home until six-ish."

Severus took in a deep, slow breath. "Alright. I'll be ready for her."

"Don't worry, you'll be brilliant! I have complete faith in you, and I expect a full report when I get home."

Severus tried to remain calm as he realized he was looking in the mirror for the hundredth time. He was dressed in his typical black: dress pants and a linen shirt. He paced, he attempted to watch TV, he tried to read. Finally, he turned on the CD player and the classical music that came on was mildly successful at calming him.

He forced himself to sit down and take a deep breath. When he closed his eyes, he could see Leah standing on the dock at the lake the night his dream materialized. Focusing on that image, he was able to keep his mind on the task at hand.

Severus heard the CD change to Evanescence and looked at his watch. 5:23.

'Where is she?'

He stood to make some tea. It was past tea time, but he was British after all; perhaps some Earl Grey would do the trick.

As he was putting the kettle on the stove, Severus heard someone behind him, and he turned suddenly to see Leah standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"It's you," Leah whispered unconsciously, her words barely audible even to herself. Walking into James' house and finding her dark horse left her momentarily derailed, but to her credit, she was able to refocus quickly to keep from appearing an imbecile. "Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you. The door was unlocked, and James asked me to bring this by for him. You must be Severus. I'm Leah Manning, I work for James."

She took a few steps toward him, set the daytimer on the counter and extended her hand for him to shake.

He had rehearsed this moment countless times in his head, but now that it was here, he could barely speak. So, Severus did the first thing that came to mind; he reached out and took her hand in his, bowed forward gallantly and placed his lips to her warm, porcelain skin. As he looked up, he saw that her eyes were as big as saucers and he wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Quickly, he tried to draw attention away from what he had just done.

"Severus Snape, at your service," he forced himself to say in a slow and confident manner. "I was just making some tea. Would you care to join me?"

"Yes, please."

Leah could hardly believe her eyes. Did he just kiss her hand? And say he was at her service? All in that delicious, deep voice?

Her pulse was racing as she made her way over to the table to sit down. Leah knew she should have offered to assist, but she realized it was not an option. She was experiencing the full force of meeting her ideal man in the flesh; the way he looked, the way he moved, the way he spoke all called to something deep within her. Electricity crackled in the air, and she suddenly wanted to hear all about things like fish and chips, aluminium and petrol.

'OK, get yourself together', she thought, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

"I like a man who knows his way around the kitchen," she said, while thinking, 'Let's see if you can take it as well as dish it out.'

"Hazard of being a bachelor." 'That's right, I'm single.'

"I love this CD. Is it yours or James'?"

"Mine. Which song is your favorite?" 'Please say number eight.'

"I would have to say Taking Over Me, number eight. Yours?"

"The same, actually," he purred as he placed her tea in front of her and sat down.

Severus looked across the table at her, watching as she stirred in some sugar. Now that she was finally here with him, he could hardly take his eyes off of her.

"So, what brings you to Charleston? Business or pleasure?" Leah asked.

"Pleasure. I'm a professor and wanted to take a holiday before the new term begins. James was kind enough to offer to host me. We were introduced by a mutual acquaintance when James was in England last year." Liar.

"Right, he mentioned that he visited with friends when he was there. How are you liking Charleston so far?" She didn't want him to stop talking; the sound of his voice was like a drug, and she couldn't get enough.

They talked, both of them attempting to remain casual, and when track eight came on, they both listened, stealing glances at one another as they drank their tea. Leah finished hers and looked at her watch; it was nearly six.

She stood to take her cup over to the sink, and Severus' heart sank. He suffered through the days waiting to see her and talk with her like this, and he wasn't ready for their time to end.

"Thank you very much for the tea. I hope we'll meet again before you leave," Leah said, standing a few feet away with her keys in hand. She smiled softly at him, dragging out the moment any way she could before accepting defeat and turning to leave.

"Let me show you to the door," he offered.

Walking through the house and turning to reply with a polite, "That's very kind of you," she tripped on the edge of the living room rug.

Leah immediately felt two steady arms around her, supporting her and keeping her from falling. She turned her head slightly and found her face a few inches from his. She could feel his breath on her cheek and his warmth surrounding her. As their eyes locked, her pulse was once again racing.

Severus and Leah were both having the same thought at that moment. 'Please.'

That divine moment, however, was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening, and they immediately straightened up to see James coming in.

James was delighted to see that they both looked extremely guilty.

"So, you two have met. I really appreciate you bringing my daytimer, Leah," James said cheerfully.

"It was no trouble. I just had a cup of tea with your charming guest," she said, giving James the "can we talk outside" look. "But I really have to go. I have a few errands to run before tomorrow night. It was lovely to meet you, Severus."

"I assure you, Leah, the pleasure was mine," he purred as he took her hand, gently brushing his lips across her skin once again. His lips were cool on her flushed skin, and she closed her eyes to savor their physical contact. They were not alone, but somehow it felt intimate to her.

James was so shocked he could barely move. 'When did Double-0-Severus get here?'

Leah linked arms with James as she walked out the front door and toward her car. James was trying his best not to crack up laughing, but he wasn't doing very well.

"What was all that about?" he asked with a playful look on his face. "Were you making out in my living room?"

"Well, I might have been if you hadn't walked in. So, I take it he's straight?"

"As an arrow, my dear. Happy hunting," James said as he turned to walk back to his house.

Author's Note: I hope everyone reading is enjoying the story so far. If you are, please take a moment to leave a review. (Come on, you know you want to...everybody's doing it.) If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to review with those also. :) Many thanks to my current readers and reviewers! I will post three chapters this week, so there is one more to come on Friday...