Chapter 21

Lee and Amanda simply held each other as they relaxed. They barely spoke, they simply communicated by loving touches, gentle kisses and an occasional shift of position. It was Lee who broke the silence when he said, "Amanda, I don't know about you, but right now, I could use something to eat."

Amanda giggled, "You must have really worked up an appetite then. Let me guess…the fridge is fully stocked, isn't it?"

Lee laughed loudly, kissed the top of her head and replied, "Well, I wouldn't go that far but I will say there's more food than my apartment usually has." He swung his legs off the edge of the bed and searched around for his boxer shorts. When he finally located them hanging off the metal safety screen of the fireplace, he slipped them on and smiled in Amanda's direction. "Well, Mrs. Stetson, would you care to join me for a midnight snack in our new kitchen?"

Amanda smiled back and replied, "Let me just grab my robe and freshen up. I'll meet you downstairs." Lee stopped, kissed her cheek before he left the room, leaving Amanda sitting on the edge of the bed, alone. She quickly found her satin robe in her overnight bag, and after several minutes in the bathroom, she found him in the kitchen. "So, what are you thinking for a snack. I have to admit, I'm a little hungry myself." She peered into the open door of the refrigerator, surprised at the mostly filled shelves.

Lee looked from one shelf to another then started by pulling out a bowl of grapes and placing them on the counter behind him. He then proceeded to pull out a block of cheese and a package of pepperoni slices. He left everything on the counter and closed the door. He opened a cabinet beside him and pulled out a package of crackers and a dish. Looking around, he pulled a paring knife from a knife block on the counter and turned back to the counter behind him.

Amanda placed the crackers and pepperoni slices on the plate as Lee began slicing pieces of cheese. "Hmmm, you know, our champagne would go really well with this," he suggested as he cut a few more slices. Amanda nodded in agreement and left the kitchen. She returned a few minutes later, carrying their glasses, refilled. She sat on one of the stools and nibbled on a piece of cheese as Lee wrapped up the remaining cheese and returned the block to the refrigerator. He joined her on the second stool and lifted his glass and said, "A toast, Mrs. Stetson. To our first night, in our first home together."

Amanda smiled, tapped her glass lightly against his before she leaned forward and kissed his cheek and said, "And what a night it's been so far, Mr. Stetson."

Lee smiled, dimples deep and winked at her before he lifted a grape and brought it to her lips. Amanda accepted the sweet fruit and copied his actions, dropping a grape into his mouth, followed by a brush of her lips against his. She sipped her champagne and watched as he stacked cheese and pepperoni on a cracker and offered it to her. She willingly accepted it and took a bite as he made one for himself. Lee chewed for a minute and looked around the brightly lit room. He cleared his mouth with a swallow of champagne and said, "What do you think of the color in here? I think I like it."

Amanda looked around and giggled as she said, "I think it's just right. But I have to ask… how did you pull this one off, Lee?"

Lee looked at her confused, then chuckled. "You mean the furniture? I called a moving company and they were able to move it all Thursday afternoon. The rest of the stuff is stacked in the garage, just waiting for a place to go," he said.

Amanda leaned close and kissed him as she said, "Thank you. This was the perfect place for us tonight. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Lee kissed her back, gently at first but when Amanda's tongue swirled around his, he deepened the kiss, pulling her off her stool to stand between his knees. He held her jaw as he feasted on her lips. Amanda sighed happily when his lips left hers and started a path across her cheek to her ear. She ran her hands up his arms and held them loosely behind his head as Lee worshiped the skin on her neck, feeling her pulse quicken under his lips. He tugged at the belt holding her robe closed and growled against her skin when he realized the robe was the only thing she was wearing. "Manda," he whispered loudly, pulling her tightly against him.

Amanda could feel his arousal pressing against her through the thin material of his boxer shorts. Without a second thought, she reached between them and slipped her hand inside the waistband and stroked him gently. Lee growled again, pushed the dishes and champagne glasses aside before he lifted Amanda onto the counter, drawing a surprised squeak from her lips. "Lee," she whispered huskily and with wide eyes watched as he quickly removed his boxer shorts.

Lee cupped her face with his hands as he captured her mouth again. His tongue battled hers before he pulled her to the edge and held onto her hips before he aligned himself with her core once more. He buried himself deeply as she cried out, dropped her head and arched her back. He pumped his hips, his head resting between her breasts as her cries of passion filled the room. Amanda clutched at him when the first wave of pleasure hit her, Lee following almost immediately. Panting, he held her close and whispered in a teasing tone, "Kitchen's christened."

Amanda shook her head and squeezed her eyes closed. "Sweetheart, I hope you remembered cleaning supplies then," she teased back. Lee backed up slowly, and helped Amanda off the counter with a kiss. He found his shorts, slipped them on once more before he found a sponge and dish detergent under the kitchen sink. He held them up with a smile and she laughed, "Good, you wash this counter down. I'm going to take a shower and meet you upstairs."

Amanda tied her robe around her waist once more and carried her champagne glass up to the bedroom. She placed her glass on the nightstand beside the bed and headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower. She turned on the faucet and stepped into the hot spray, sighing at the feeling of the hot water pelting her skin. She rinsed herself off quickly and dried herself before Lee finally returned to their bedroom. She found him pulling the blankets down when she entered the dimly lit room once more.

Amanda pulled on a simple light blue chemise and slipped between the sheets as Lee climbed in beside her. "What time should we leave to make it back for brunch tomorrow?" he asked, looking at the clock beside the bed.

"Well, brunch was set for eleven, so I would say no later than nine thirty. That gives us time to get back and check on the boys," Amanda replied as she snuggled against his chest, completely content. She drew lazy circles on his chest with her hand.

Lee glanced over at Amanda and kissed her forehead as he said, "We've come a long way, Amanda, since the first time we met."

"Yes, we have, and I wouldn't have changed anything along the way," she said softly. She lifted her chin to look at him, blinking slowly.

"There's nothing you would have changed?" he asked, surprised. "I could think of a few things… times I could have been… should have been nicer, more understanding," he insisted.

Amanda shook her head and stated sleepily, "Nothing at all." She sighed softly, her breath tickling Lee's chest as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep in his arms.

Hours later, the alarm clock blared, and the sunlight streamed into the room. Amanda yawned, stretched her arm across a still sleeping Lee and turned it off. She looked at his face, soft and relaxed, kissed his cheek before she climbed off the bed. She pulled her robe back on and padded downstairs to the kitchen to find the coffee maker already filled with water and ready to go. She smiled, hit the button and inhaled as the aroma of coffee filled the air.

Amanda headed back up to the bedroom and smiled when she noticed Lee had rolled over onto his stomach, his hand on the spot where she had just vacated. She checked the clock and decided she could let him sleep a little longer as she closed the bathroom door and turned on the shower. She stepped into the hot spray, leaned her head back and let the water cascade down her body. She jumped when she felt Lee's arms around her, his lips brushed against her neck.

"Good morning, Mrs. Stetson," he murmured against her skin.

"Good morning to you, Mr. Stetson. I thought you were still sleeping," she said, turning in his arms to face him.

Lee brushed her wet hair off her face and replied, "I was until I felt a cold bed beside me. You can only imagine how happy I was to hear the shower running." He slowly backed her up against the cool tile as he spoke until he pressed his body to hers, his arousal hard and hot against her skin.

"Oh really," Amanda teased. "And why was that?" She rubbed her hands up and down his back, the water sluicing around her hands.

"Because now we can test out the one major requirement I had for our home," he said as he descended upon her lips.