A Special Moment

Chapter 21

Amanda felt relieved but mentally tired after learning that it was not Lee who had either fallen from his apartment window. Right now, all she wanted to do was return back to her Agency apartment to rest her mind.

Entering her apartment, she headed straight to the bathroom and gazed at her reflection. The woman who stared back had swollen, red eyes. Turning on the faucet, she splashed some running water on her face. It seemed to refresh her physically, but not mentally.

She tried to take comfort that Lee was out there somewhere, alive, but she was too tired to feel elated.

Turning off the water, she was wiping her face with a white towel, when she thought she heard some noise coming from outside her bathroom door. Placing her ear next to the door, she was sure of it.

She prayed it was someone safe, like Augie or room service. Cautiously she turned to opened the door as quietly as she could and peered through the slit...

...and caught a glimpse of Lee pouring a bottle of wine into a champagne flute.

Lee!

It started her eyes watering again when she saw him. But this time in a good way. She really needed to get a hold of her emotions. Wiping her eyes and then taking a moment to get herself under control, she cleared her throat as she stepped out of the bathroom.

At the sound of Amanda emerging into the living room, Lee turned.

His eyes sparkled and his mouth slowly curved into a smile.

He had changed clothes and was dressed casually in slacks and a blue button up shirt. His hair was slightly mussed. He appeared relaxed, as if he had just had a massage at a spa, although she noted a cut and two bruises on his face.

"Good day, Amanda," he stated, as he lifted a crystal flute of bubbly her way, "Let's make a toast to it's a grand day for being alive, shall we?"

After her emotions had been put through the ringer, his surprising carefree and untroubled attitude bothered her.

It was so easy for him, wasn't it? Amanda mulled over, He just seamlessly navigates from one mission to the next while remaining suave, cool and collected, whereas every mission makes HER an emotional wreck.

"Amanda?" His smile faded slightly as he cautiously peered at her.

Amanda felt her bottom lip trembling and she could no longer maintain her emotions. Instead, she rushed forward and flung her body directly into Lee's chest, causing the wine to slosh slightly in the glass he was holding.

Lee was confused by her reaction as he tried to balance the flute in his hand at the same time, "W-what? What just happened?"

"OOOoooo, Lee! Do you realize what I have been through? I was there with Billy and the police site at your apartment!" her voice was slightly muffled because of his shirt and Lee thought he heard a sob, "I thought...there was evidence that...you were dead...again! But here you are, acting as though you've just taken a stroll in the park! Ohhh, why does the Agency play with my emotions like that?"

Lee was taken aback by Amanda's reaction. She knew the dangers of being a spy. Why display such irrational emotions now?

Placing the champagne flute aside, he wrapped his arms around her in a big bear hug to comfort her.

"Ssssshhhh! There, now, Amanda," Lee gently said, "See? I'm here and I'm fine. Nothing happened to me! "

The next thing he heard was Amanda softly sobbing in his shirt. He didn't understand why, but Lee hated to see Amanda in a tizzy of emotions, especially when tears were involved and he had to admit that it choked him up a bit. He held Amanda even tighter while running a hand up and down her back to comfort her.

"It's okay, honey," he said over and over again in a soothing voice, while looking up into nothingness.

Amanda knew she was a bundle of raw emotions, but she couldn't help it. She was happy, relieved, frustrated and angry, all at the same time. At last she lifted her head and looked at him.

"Oh, Leeee! It's just so hard sometimes!" she told him, "And on top of everything else, I must look like an awful mess, and" she sniffed, while looking at his tear-strained shirt, "I've managed to get your shirt all wet and wrinkled, too!"

She looked so miserable.

And it touched Lee to the very core of his heart.

Applying only light pressure with two of his fingers, he touched her chin to make her look directly in his eyes. It was important that he helped to alleviate her anxiety, but instead it heightened the tension between them as she stood unmoving, her eyes round, questioning and beautiful, staring up at him.

"Amanda, I'm a big spy, I can take care of myself."

He tried to sound lighthearted, but when he looked down at her, he realized her nearness and it began to unsettle him.

"I know that Lee..." she said, letting go of her last sob, "You are the best at what you do. You make the world safer for us all."

Her eyes were so warm, so trusting, as he reached down to touch her hand to bring it to his chest.

It was only meant as a gesture of comfort, but instead, he raised her hand to his mouth and lightly kissed the inside of her wrist. He had convinced himself it was to assauge any misgivings she may have, but the minute he touched the softness of her skin he felt a swell of emotions that he almost couldn't bear.

Amanda closed her eyes at the sensual warmth of his lips on the sensitive spot on her wrist.

Lee couldn't take his eyes off her; she looked utterly enticing. But she was especially vulnerable right now, and he would not take advantage of her. With the last of his willpower, Lee forced himself to gently place her hand back to her side.

It had all ended so quickly. When she opened her eyes, a look of confusion crossed her face. Lee's emotions were as conflicted as hers, but he was determined to be the strong one and to reassure her.

"I've been doing this type of work a long time, Amanda. You don't have to worry about me," he told her, his voice sounding more hoarse than usual.

Amanda watched him, wide-eyed, as her heart continued to beat rapidly.

"Not worry about you? I could NEVER do that!"

Her sweet confession caused Lee's heart to slam against his ribs. He knew he was quickly losing his self control. Lee couldn't resist as he reached over and gently brushed a stray hair from her cheek. Amanda could barely breathe as she gave a responsive shiver.

They stared at each other in helpless fascination.

"Amanda," he whispered her name breathlessly, as his hand lightly caressed her cheek, "I...I don't want to... take advantage of you in the state that you're in."

His touch felt heavenly.

"That's not...what this is..." she responded, her cheeks suffused with heat.

He tilted his head quizzingly, "Are you sure...?"

She swallowed nervously but spoke with conviction, "I am."

He searched her eyes, looking for uncertainty, but instead, found a need for connection, for closeness, that paralleled his own. Her encouraging words had completely unnerved him and obliterated his willpower.

As he lowered his head, Amanda's lips instinctively parted. When his lips finally touched hers for their first real kiss, it sent her senses reeling.

At first his lips were gentle, as if he feared being rejected. When none were forthcoming, his mouth settled more firmly on hers. He felt her entire body relax into his as she surrendered to the kiss.

Amanda felt strange, indescribable flutterings down in the pit of her stomach. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced and she sighed at the sensation of being in his arms at last. The heat and pressure of his lips was delicious, and she found herself giving more of herself as she craved more of him.

Lee always felt he had the upper hand in all situations, but he was lost with the heat of desire for her. His insides tightened in knots while every instinct clamored within him to pull her body possessively closer to his. And when her arms instinctively went up around his neck, a new wave of desire hit him. With their bodies touching everywhere, Lee could feel Amanda's warm body trembling, hear the erratic beating of her heart. And as the kiss lengthened, the feel of her lips burned across his mouth with a fire of need that took him by complete surprise.

And when the kiss ended, they reluctantly separated. They exchanged surprised looks, their nerves were still quivering inside as their bodies were filled with unrequited desire.

Knock! Knock!

They turned at the sound from the door.

"Hey! Mandy!" yelled Augie from the other side, "Open the door here! You okay in there? I heard there was an accident over at Lee's place!"

Lee frustratingly sighed, Of course it had to be Augie!

Amanda's cheeks were still an attractive blush of pink as she ruefully looked at Lee.

"I better get that before he breaks down the door," she responded with a quirked smile as she reluctantly removed herself from his arms and scrambled to open the door.

Augie immediately stepped in with long, quick strides as Amanda shut the door.

"Mandy, you must be a mess over the news!" Augie announced, "Have you heard any thing else about our Le-"

He stopped upon spotting Lee, awkwardly standing, running his fingers through his hair.

A smile covered Augie's entire face.

"Leeeee, Baby! Heeeeey! You're alive, man, you're a-live!" he went over to Lee and patted him hard on his back, "Was I ever worried about you! Good to see you!"

Lee had to admit; it WAS great being here.

"Yeah, I'm alive, Augie," he said, gratefully, "but can't say much about the EliteShields operative who paid me a visit."

Augie's eyes widened, "So he's the one who became a pancake outside your apartment window, eh?"

"Yeah, at one point I was the one dangling out the window, but I held on to the ledge and managed to get myself back in. So after I managed to toss the guy out the window, I threw my car keys after him, hoping the police would draw the conclusions that it was me, at least for a little while so I could make my escape. And that's exactly what they had done."

"So does that mean you'll be staying in this wing with us, Buddy boy?" Augie asked, "Say that it's so, my man, 'cuz it'll be just like the old college dorm days...wellll, except I never attended a college...or stayed in a dorm."

There was just something about Augie that was so likable, despite Lee wanting to ring his neck every five seconds.

"Although staying in this wing with you two sounds like, er, an experience, Augie, that is the last thing I want to think about. Instead, we we still have a mission to complete," Lee said.

He tried to speak with conviction, but even he could detect a shakiness to his voice. Lee was still in a state of shock regarding that kiss with Amanda. Even now, desire swirled about him at her nearness.

Was he just reacting to his relief at making it out alive, or was Amanda the cause of all these sudden, unexplained emotions?

.

It was late afternoon when EliteShields operative, Felix Wolfe, walked into Stanford Asher's office. At the time, Asher was working on acquiring aerial drones for personal use and to sell to the government to be used against their fight with the Russians. Relatively new in combat, the unmanned aerial vehicles was basically an anti-radar attack cruise missile.

Asher looked up at his right hand man.

"Any news on Stetson?"

Wolfe did not look happy, "He got away from us. And we lost a good man in the process."

Asher looked stunned. "Esten's gone?"

"Yes, Sir."

"DAMN!" Asher pounded his fist on his desk, "First Monique, then Esten! So the woman and Swann disappears and now Stetson escapes!" he couldn't believe his bad luck. Then he remembered another matter, "At least confirm for me that all my 'merchandise' was successfully moved with no problems?"

Asher was, of course, referring to his collection of stolen jewels.

"It's safely ensconced at your beach house, Sir." Wolfe responded, glad to be giving his boss some good news at last.

"Well, at least one good thing was done right!" Asher sarcastically, his expression frozen in angered frustration.

He couldn't believe that he had at his disposal the best trained military people in the world, yet things had gone so horribly wrong. And it's all because of Stetson and his ragtag group! Well, it's not over by a long shot and those three are up for a rude awakening!

Stetson and his team must pay dearly with their lives.

.

.

Surprise! I went AU and had them kiss in season 2!

Please review