Title: What's in a Kiss? 2/3
Author: xfphile
E-mail: xfphile@yahoo.com
Rating: G
Archive: If you want to--just let me know.
Summary: Reflections during a kiss.
Time Frame: Second season,
during the episode "Ship of Spies."
Disclaimer: The characters of Lee Stetson, Amanda King, Billy
Melrose, Francine Desmond and anybody else belong to Shoot the Moon
Productions, Warner Brothers, and any other Powers-That-Be. There is no
copyright infringement intended.
Feedback is
welcomed; flames will be used to cook my dinner.
What's in a
Kiss--Amanda
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * *
"You may now
kiss the bride."
Wow. It's been a long time since I've heard those words. Well, at least in relation to myself. Nearly ten years, in fact. And now, the man they're being said to is my partner, Lee Stetson. Tall, light, and handsome Lee. For a moment, I permit myself the luxury of believing that this is real, that Lee really cares about me. However, I allow the illusion for only a few seconds before coming back to reality.
I watch Lee as he looks away from me to glance at the 'preacher' who just married us. The gentleman nods and gestures in a kind-of 'get on with it' way and Lee turns back to me. He releases my left hand—the one he adorned with a wedding ring less than two minutes ago—and slowly brings his hands up to my veil. My hand falls to my side and I try not to notice how cold it seems without him holding it.
I catch sight of his left hand and am mesmerized by the flash of the gold ring I just put on his finger. I can't help but think about how right it looks there. I find myself pointing out to myself that the golden brown tones of his skin set off the rich gold of his new ring and the white tux he is wearing is a perfect complement to the simple but elegant jewelry. I quickly catch my thoughts and pull them back to where they should be—the case that Lee's friend is involved in—and chide myself for slipping. I just hope that Lee didn't notice the direction my thoughts were taking; he has a disconcerting habit of doing that and I don't want to irritate him by making him deal with anything involving emotions.
I look into Lee's beautiful hazel eyes and catch my breath. He is staring at me intently, his eyes almost green in the light. I gaze back at him, trying to decipher his look. His eyes suddenly close for a brief second and when he opens them again, his walls are firmly in place. I suppress a sigh and concede defeat. It's so annoying sometimes—I mean, the man can read me like a book (and does), but he has defenses that the President would be envious of. It puts me at a rather unfair advantage, which I also find irritating.
I come out of my thoughts as I realize that he has gotten my veil all the way over my head. He is staring at me again and the look he is giving me has me hard-pressed not to take a step backwards. My eyes drop to his beautifully shaped lips and a little chill shoots through me. It's not fear, though. No, this chill is one of anticipation. I want to kiss him. Even if it's just for cover, even if he feels nothing, I want to kiss him.
I've been attracted to Lee from the beginning. Who wouldn't be? Lee, with his tall, muscular body, that thick, light brown hair, those perfectly chiseled features, and his gorgeous hazel eyes, is one of the best looking men I have ever seen (I don't know, though—Cary Grant is awful sexy). He's gorgeous, he's knows it, and he uses it to every advantage he can. At first, I found his constant stream of women childish, but after about eight months, I realized that they were his way of protecting himself.
I don't know much about his past—he tends to be a very secretive person. It must be some unspoken rule in the spy business. Anyway, to put it mildly, he's not very forthcoming about himself. I do know that his parents were killed when he was a little boy and that his military uncle raised him. I know that his last partner was killed by a bullet meant for Lee, and I know that he once loved a woman who ultimately betrayed him. All of those experiences have definitely scarred him, and those are just the ones I know about. Who knows what else he has buried in his mind?
The feel of his hands on my waist startles me and I blink, trying to think of a reason why Lee would be touching me like that. My eyes land on his lips and a sudden thrill of fear runs through me as I remember what we're about to do. I know that I'm not going to be able to stop myself from reacting to his kiss and I'm afraid of what he'll do when it happens. Not that he would ever hurt me—not physically, anyway. Emotionally . . .well, I really can't blame him. He hasn't had much experience with emotion and what little he has been exposed to hasn't left a good impression on him. Everyone he's ever cared about has left him in some way or another. That would be enough to sour anybody.
Even so, I don't relish what will happen later, after we finish this case. I know he won't like it if I respond to him and he'll say something snide, trying to keep from having to feel. I heave an internal sigh and look in his eyes again, only to catch my breath in shock. Our faces are extremely close together and he is watching me, concern obvious in his look. He smiles and offers reassurance with his gaze; I smile back, but it is forced and my earlier fear intensifies. He senses it and frowns slightly. His eyes never waver, but as I watch, they change. His concern is replaced by something else, something darker. His hands suddenly tighten around my waist and he pulls me closer.
I look directly into two green-tinged hazel pools and silently ask if he's okay. His eyes answer for him. They tell me yes, he's fine and everything's okay. I acknowledge his answer and finally succumb to the inevitable. Tilting my head, I close my eyes and wait. After forever and fifteen minutes, our lips meet.
To be continued . . .