Chapter Ten

Amanda rode the elevator to the fifth floor of the Crescent City Plaza. As she approached the door to room 515, she hesitated a moment. What if Lee didn't want to see her? What if Lee didn't think she believed in him anymore? Amanda raised her hand and knocked on the door. After a long pause, she heard Lee's voice from the other side.

"Who's there." Lee's gruff voice asked.

"Lee, it's me Amanda. Please let me in." Amanda asked.

Amanda waited as she heard the lock turn and the latch unhook. A few seconds later, she was face to face with Lee. Amanda was shocked to see his appearance. Lee's hair looked as though he had raked through it for hours. His hazel eyes looked bloodshot and he had dark circles under them. He looked like a man tormented, Amanda thought.

"Oh, Lee what happened?" Amanda asked worriedly.

Lee's response was to step back from the door to allow her to enter. As she entered the room, Amanda saw it was dark, except for the streetlights illuminating the room slightly through the open windows. Lee shut the door behind her and stood facing her. His expression was a mixture of pain and regret as she looked up at him. Amanda took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes.

"Lee, please talk to me. I know I haven't been there for you these past few months, but I thought we were still friends." Amanda said.

"Friends." Lee chucked hollowly. "I probably won't have too many of them before too long." Lee said.

"Lee, you know I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you." Amanda said.

"Amanda." Lee said. "I know who is behind all this. I know who's Brousseau's contact."

"Who, Lee?" Amanda asked.

Instead of answering right away, Lee held out a hand for her. Amanda took it and moved into an embrace with Lee. They held onto each other for what seemed like an eternity, Lee calmed by her presence. Amanda listened to the sound of Lee's ragged breathing, scared of what he would say. Finally, Lee pulled away from her to stare deep into her eyes. He pulled away from her and motioned her into a chair. Amanda sat down as Lee began pacing in front of her. After a couple of minutes, he bent down in front of the chair and took both of her hands in his. Lee smiled up at her, an expression on his face Amanda couldn't read.

"Amanda, do you still trust me?" Lee asked.

"Lee you don't have to ask me that. Of course I do." Amanda said softly.

"Yes, I do." Lee said. "I need to tell you something. Something that may change the way things will be forever. Then I'll explain what I found out." Lee finished.

"Ok Lee, I'm listening." Amanda said.

Lee stood and paced in front of her chair for a moment, gathering his courage. When he stopped pacing, he pulled Amanda to her feet. He held her hands and let his heart speak for him.

"Amanda, when I asked Leslie to marry me, it was for all the wrong reasons. I thought I could replace one person with another. A safer person. Someone who wouldn't make me look too closely at myself. Someone who couldn't make me laugh. Someone who didn't know the real me. A person who knew my heart and soul better than I knew it. The real person I was in love with. A person I tried so hard to deny to myself. A person who's love I thought I never deserved." Lee said, looking at Amanda.

"You, Amanda. It was always you. That's why I wanted you at the wedding so badly. I thought if I saw you there, it would be easier. But it tore my heart out to go through with it, knowing you should have been the one I married. For that I can only apologize. But if there's any chance for us, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you for my foolish mistake." Lee said in a husky voice.

Amanda closed her eyes and let the tears she'd held back for months fall freely. She realized how much it took for Lee to say those things. Lee's eyes were liquid with tears waiting for her response. Lee felt as if his heart were bruised, pounding from the exertion of pouring itself to Amanda.

"Lee Stetson, you're the most hard headed man I've ever met. I've loved you for so long, waiting for you to love me too. You marrying Leslie was the hardest thing I ever had to accept, but I thought you'd be happy. I wanted so much to be the one up there saying those vows." Amanda said. "But I love you so much, I let you go. I never wanted to but..." Amanda broke off as she began to sob.

Lee wrapped her in his arms. Amanda's sobs grew harder. Lee pulled back from Amanda and cupped her face in his hands. He gently wiped the tears from her face and looked at her. Her eyes were red from crying, but looking at Lee, he saw the love she had for him there. His heart bumped against his chest as guilt washed over him. Guilt for putting this beautiful woman through so much heartache. He promised himself he'd never put her through anything like this again. He gently ran his thumbs over her cheeks as he bent his head to kiss her gently. As his lips met hers, he felt her tears falling onto his face as he deepened the kiss.

Amanda felt as if the earth had shifted on its' axis as Lee's lips met hers. His kiss, so gentle at first, soon intensified as Lee's tongue sought entry into her mouth. Amanda's mouth opened softly as Lee's tongue gently probed her lips. She wrapped her arms around him to steady herself as Lee broke the kiss to trail soft, hot kisses down her neck. Lee moaned as Amanda threaded her hands through his hair, stroking its'softness. Lee's lips had reached the collar of her shirt when Amanda stopped him.

"Lee, we can't." Amanda said. "Not now, not like this."

Lee pulled away from Amanda and looked at her. Amanda's self-control was nearly as gone as his was. He straightened his shirt as Amanda smoothed down her blouse. They walked over to the table in the hotel room and sat down. After they composed themselves for a few minutes, Lee looked at Amanda.

"The contact you've been looking for here in New Orleans is connected to the Agency in D.C.". Lee said.

"I know, Agent Ross and Billy told me. But they didn't tell me who it was." Amanda said.

"It's Leslie." Lee said and sighed. "They found her prints on the letter, my Q Bureau key, and the Q Bureau office. Plus her prints were found inside my desk where all my clearance files were kept."

"Oh, Lee, I'm so sorry." Amanda said sadly.

"I never even suspected." Lee said. "I feel like such an ass. She played me for a big fool. I can't believe it." Lee finished.

"So what are you going to do now?" Amanda asked.

"Act like I don't know anything. Leslie should make an appearance at Brousseau's to contact the Russian buyer. With her job as a UN translator, Brousseau picked a perfect person to arrange the buys." Lee said. "After she makes contact with Brousseau, we'll send her a message from Brousseau to stay around for the negotiations. When the operation goes down, she'll be arrested with Brousseau and the others." Lee said.

"Lee, you know I'll be there for you, if you need anything." Said Amanda.

Lee reached across the table to clasp her hands in his. His smile was genuine and full of love as he gazed at her.

"After that, I'll be divorced. Then I'm going to marry the person I should have married five months ago. That is, if she'll have me?" Lee asked hopefully.

Amanda stared at Lee with her mouth open. Was Lee asking her what she thought he was asking?

"Amanda King, I love you so much. You're the only one for me. I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Lee asked tenderly.

"Lee Stetson, I love you too. More than I ever thought possible. Yes, I will marry you!" Amanda exclaimed as she opened her arms to Lee.

As Lee and Amanda embraced, Lee smiled up to the heavens and sent up a silent prayer. Lee prayed that he'd never make another mistake and let this wonderful woman get away. Lee hugged her tighter and vowed to make Amanda happier than she'd ever been. _____________________________________________________________________