DISCLAIMER: Scarecrow and Mrs. King and its characters are property of Warner Bros. and Shoot the Moon Productions. No copyright infringement is intended. Please do not post without permission from the author.
TIME: Approximately 3 weeks after All the World's a Stage- Season 3 Episode 22
This is a sequel to my story At Last. It is not necessary to read that story first but it may make this story more enjoyable.
Amanda checked her watch for the 100th time this morning. Lee was coming back today from a 4-day assignment. He had been called away in the middle of the night and she didn't get to say good-bye. She missed him more than she cared to admit. They had been apart like this before, but not since they had admitted their true feelings for each other. It had barely been 3 weeks since Lee locked the door to the Q-Bureau and told her that he wanted to get to know her better. Gooseflesh began to arise over her body as she remembered that first real kiss they shared. She could still feel his arms around her, and his lips pressed to her own.
The sound of Jamie and Philip bounding down the stairs snapped her back into reality.
"Mom, can I bring my pillow? I hate the pillow that is at Dad's!" Jamie asked.
"Of course, you can bring your pillow. You're going to be with your dad for 2-weeks. You might as well be comfortable!" Amanda answered back, checking her watch for the 101st time. "Hurry up and go get it. Your dad is going to be here any minute."
It was hard to believe that summer vacation was upon them already. It seemed like the boys just started school for the year. They were growing up so fast. She was excited for the boys. Unlike the past 6 summers, their dad was around and could spend time with them. Amanda would miss them being gone for 2 weeks, but she was happy that Joe was taking an interest in reconnecting with their sons. They were so looking forward to it, and if Amanda was honest with herself, she was looking forward to some free time that she could spend with Lee.
"Amanda…Have you seen my green scarf? You know, the long one that I sometimes wear when it's windy out?" Dotty asked.
"What, Mother?"
"My scarf, my green scarf. Have you seen it? I wanted to take it with me."
"Uhhh, yeah. I believe I put it on the peg in the front hall closet, along with your umbrella."
"Oh! My umbrella! Thank you, Amanda! I would have been upset if I forgot that!"
Dotty rushed to the front hall closet, Jamie ran back down the stairs with his pillow, Philip sat sleepily on the couch holding his suitcase…and Amanda checked her watch for the 102nd time.
"Where are you, Joe? I'm going to be late, and I won't be able to see Lee before my day gets going and I have to meet with Leatherneck." Amanda muttered under her breath.
"Found it! Thank you, Amanda", Dotty said as she kisser her daughter on the cheek. "Are you sure you're going to be ok here all by yourself for the next week? I can cut my trip short if you think you will be lonely."
Amanda chuckled to herself. She had no plans of being lonely. There was a certain spy she would be filling her time with once everyone left.
"Oh no, Mother. I will be just fine. You have a great time with your sister. You don't get to see her very often. I'm glad you have this opportunity. Besides, I have a lot to do at work."
Dotty looked at her daughter. "Oh, and lots of late nights, too I suppose" she said dryly.
"Well, you never know", Amanda quickly replied.
"Uh-huh" Dotty answered knowingly.
"Grandma! Your cab is here!" Jamie yelled from the other room.
"Oh! Ok, thank you, dear!" Dotty grabbed her suitcase and her purse. She rushed over and gave Amanda another kiss on the cheek and squeezed her tightly. "I'll call you when I get there. Don't work, too hard, dear." She said to Amanda with a slight smirk on her face. "Boys, come here and give me a hug."
Dotty squeezed them tightly and wished them a good time with their father. Amanda watched as her mother practically skipped to the waiting cab.
"Bye, Mother! Have fun!"
She was just about to check her watch again when Joe pulled up. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
"Finally!" she muttered in hushed tones. "Fellas! Your dad is here!"
Jamie and Philip quickly jumped up and grabbed their things. They were excited to spend some "man to man time" as Philip called it, with their dad.
"Bye, mom!" they yelled as they ran past her and out the front door.
"Hey! Wait a minute! Come give me a hug!" she called after them as she grabbed Jamie's forgotten pillow that lay on the floor beside the staircase.
The boys ran back towards Amanda and met her in the front yard. Philip and Jamie hugged her and kissed her cheek. Amanda got a bit choked up as she felt her boys wrap their strong arms around her neck. They weren't little anymore. Philip was quickly becoming a man and Jamie not too far behind him. Soon, they would be grown and off to college. Amanda swallowed hard and pushed down the lump that was forming in her throat.
"Morning!" Joe called out to Amanda as he opened the trunk of his car. "Sorry I'm a little late. I had to get gas and pick up a few things at the store, so the boys have something to eat when we get back to my place."
Amanda resisted the urge to check her watch once again. She didn't want to prolong the good-byes. She knew she needed to get in her car immediately if she even had a hope of seeing Lee this morning.
"Oh, no problem, Joe. I know you and the fellas are going to have a great 2 weeks."
Amanda walked over to Joe and kissed him on the cheek as she handed him Jamie's pillow.
"Yeah! I'm excited! Aren't you excited, boys?" Joe exclaimed.
"Yeah, Dad! Let's go!" Philip shouted.
Amanda smiled. It warmed her heart to see the boys bonding with Joe.
"Have a great time, and don't forget to call me from time to time! I'm going to miss you!"
Joe smiled at Amanda.
"Have fun, Joe. And don't spoil them too much!"
Joe chuckled as he got into the car and pulled away. Amanda waved as she watched the car pull down the street. With no remaining obstacles to get in her way, Amanda raced into the house, grabbed her purse and keys, and headed out the kitchen door to her car. If she sped, she just might make it in time to see Lee before her appointment with Leatherneck.
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Lee had the car service drop him off in the parking garage. At this early hour, Mrs. Marsten wouldn't be in yet and the Georgetown door would be locked. Lee grabbed his suitcase off the seat next to him and practically ran to the door. He had been away for 4-days and was amazed at how much he missed Amanda. Billy had called him in the middle of the night, told him to pack a bag and meet the car service down in front of his building in 20 minutes. There was no time to say good-bye to Amanda or tell her where he was going. And even if there had been enough time, he couldn't have told her where he was going because he himself didn't know until he boarded the plane. 3 and a half days in Montana wasn't much to write home about. He spent most of that time chasing down dead ends and missing Amanda. Thankfully, he was able to bring back a bit of information to Billy, but Billy would have to wait. He first wanted to see Amanda. Lee used his swipe card, punched in his code, and headed straight for the Q-Bureau.
Lee was almost giddy as he approached the door. He placed his key in the lock, turned the nob, and flung open the door to find…and empty room.
"Damn! She isn't here yet." He said as he checked his watch.
Lee had been able to touch base with Amanda very briefly last night right before he boarded the plane to come home. They talked for maybe 90 seconds before he had to go. They agreed to meet in the Q-Bureau at 7:30 this morning. It was now almost 7:40. He wondered where she was. It wasn't like her to be late. Lee plopped his suitcase down on the floor beside his desk and ran his hand through his hair as he began to pace around the room. He wasn't worried but was very disappointed. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her, pull her close and kiss her over and over until they were both breathless. Lee quickly turned around and faced the door as he heard footsteps in the hall. Suddenly, the door burst open and there was Amanda. Both of their faces lit up upon seeing each other. Amanda stood frozen in the doorway, one hand on the doorknob and the other over her heart.
"Lee! You're back!" she said as she smiled from ear to ear.
Lee looked at her with a matching smile and began his way across the room to Amanda. Amanda kept her eyes on Lee as she pushed the door closed and began to reach for him.
"Whoa there!" a voice called from behind her.
Amanda swung around to see Leatherneck pushing his way through the closing door and entering the Q-Bureau. A look of shock mixed with disappointment began to spread across both of their faces.
"Leatherneck! What are you doing here….this early?" Lee quickly asked.
"Well, Mrs. King and I have an appointment in a few minutes. I saw her coming in from the garage so I thought I would just meet her up here and tell her that since we are both here, we might as well get started." Leatherneck said as he smiled with his crooked toothy, yet loveable grin. "Ok by you, Mrs. King?"
Amanda forced a smile onto her face.
"Oh….sure. That would be great" she replied. "I will meet you downstairs in….15 minutes? I just have to talk to Lee first."
"Sure thing, Mrs. King! Hope you're ready for some fun on the driving course!"
Leatherneck walked out of the room leaving the door open. Lee looked at Amanda as he quickly crossed to the door and shut it. Amanda let her shoulders relax and she looked upon him looking at her with hunger in his eyes. She flung her purse down on her desk and reached for him…just as the door once again flew open.
"You ARE back!" Francine said with an overly perky tone for 7:45am. "Billy needs to see you right away. He needs that info you got."
Amanda's arms quickly retreated as Lee's expression changed instantaneously into one of annoyance.
"Yes, I'm back! I haven't even been here for 5 minutes yet. Can I have a second to breathe first?"
"Yes, you can…after you see Billy. He said for you to come right now."
Amanda tried to hide her disappointment, as did Lee. He let out a heavy sigh, looked at Amanda, then looked at Francine who was smiling like the cat that ate the canary.
"Yeah, ok…fine. Let's go." He said as he gestured for Francine to go. "I'll catch up with you in a little bit, Amanda."
"OK, see ya", she squeaked out. As the door closed behind Lee, she flopped into her desk chair, full of disappointment.
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"Sorry I couldn't get more information on the leak for the new missile silo plans. Every lead I had was a dead end except for that last one." Lee said as he leaned back in his chair in Billy's office. "I hope that what I did get can be of some use."
Lee casually checked his watch as Francine entered the office carrying a manila folder. She handed it across the desk to Billy and took the chair next to Lee.
"Did you get a look at these yet?" Billy asked Francine.
"No, I grabbed them from processing and headed right back here." She replied.
Billy opened the folder and began flipping through the photos that Lee had taken with lapel camera hidden within his jacket.
"Well, I'll be damned!" Billy exclaimed. "Hard to believe that these were taken with that tiny camera. Look at the quality of the pictures."
Lee reached over and took one of the photos out of Billy's hand. The resolution was quite clear. Lee nodded as he examined the picture.
"There! Right there you can make out the outline through the trees. If I were a betting man, I would say that is where you should send in the next team to find the camp. I couldn't get close enough to investigate it myself. Not a one-man job. The guards near there were very jumpy when I even looked in that direction. There is definitely something funny going on there but I'm just not sure what."
Francine finished thumbing through the photos and handed them back to Billy.
"Russians?" Francine asked Billy.
Billy inhaled swiftly and leaned back in his chair thinking. After a brief moment, he replied.
"They would be the obvious choice, but I don't think so, not this time. All of our intelligence reports point to Max Kahn."
"Kahn?" Francine asked. "Kahn is usually a weapons dealer, not in the business of stealing and selling intelligence secrets to the highest bidder."
"Well, there is a first time for everything" Billy replied.
Lee let out a very heavy, very loud, very annoyed sigh and checked his watch. They were in the 3rd hour of debriefing and Lee was dead tired having been awake for the last 28 hours. He was hoping that they were almost done, and he could go look for Amanda.
Billy leaned forward on his desk and looked at Lee.
"I'm sorry, are we keeping you from something more important than national security? That's the 5th time you've checked your watch in the last 10 minutes."
Francine's face lit up as a devilish grin crossed her face.
"Got a hot date, Lee?" she said.
"Can it, Francine!" Lee barked back.
"Geesh! You've been so grumpy this morning. You could use a hot date if you know what I mean!
Lee shot her a dirty look that said watch your step. Francine laughed and threw herself back into the chair but quickly rebounded as the laughter was promptly replaced with a painful grimace.
"Ouch!" she exclaimed.
"What's wrong with you? Throw out your back last night while…entertaining company?" Lee shot back as a crooked smirk spread across his face.
Francine pressed her lips together as Billy began to laugh. Lee looked at both of them for an explanation.
"Go ahead, Francine. Tell Lee how you hurt your back."
Francine squirmed uneasily in her chair, her eyes telling Billy to stop talking. Billy just began to chuckle which quickly escalated into a boisterous laugh.
"What am I missing?" Lee asked.
Francine inhaled sharply, finding it difficult to speak. Finally, she spoke in tones so soft, Lee had to strain to hear what she was saying.
"Amanda did it" she whispered.
"Speak up, I can't hear you."
Francine let out her breath in an annoyed hiss and spoke again.
"AMANDA DID IT! OK?" she yelled.
Lee was taken aback at what he just heard. He looked at Billy whose whole face was lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.
"Amanda hurt your back?" Lee asked.
Billy began laughing all over again. Big baritone bursts of laughter spilled from his mouth and filled his office, loud enough that people out in the bull pen could hear and turned their heads to see where the sound was coming from. Annoyed, Francine stood up.
"Yes, Amanda hurt my back! We had hand to hand combat training yesterday and she…..well…."
"Amanda creamed her!" Billy interjected! "Laid her flat out!"
Lee leaned back in the chair again and began to laugh, as a look of immense pride spread across his face.
"Amanda took you out? Amanda King?"
Francine now started to become flustered which made Billy laugh harder.
"Yes, Amanda King! One minute we were going through the drills. She was doing fine, but not great so I thought maybe I would agitate her a bit. I began teasing her….. like I have been known to do. I asked if she had heard from you, and she said no. So, I said you were probably too busy to call in because you probably met some hot little chickee like in the old days. Nothing I haven't said to her a hundred times before. And then, BAM! Out of nowhere she hits me across my back, kicks my legs out from under me and knocks me flat on my back. I didn't even have time to prepare for it!"
Lee looked at Francine and then at Billy. Slowly, like an erupting geyser, a fit of laughter emerged from Lee's throat. The two men roared in amusement at Francine's expense. Francine crossed across the room and sat down on the couch, pouting.
"I fail to see why this is so funny."
Finally, after about 90 seconds of laughter, Lee and Billy began regaining their composure.
"Why don't we take 5 and then we will continue the debriefing." Billy said wiping tears from his eyes.
Lee quickly stood up and checked his watch again. He was hoping Amanda was back from the driving lesson with Leatherneck. He just needed to hold her for a few minutes. And then, as if on cue, Amanda entered the bullpen.
"Oh, and there she is!" Francine said with a great deal of annoyance gesturing to Amanda. "There is another one that has been nothing but cranky this week. I think SHE could use a hot date, too!"
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, a lightbulb flickered in her brain, and she looked at Lee. Lee made eye contact with Francine and saw her eyes grow wide. He quickly tried to hide his mild panic as he saw her hypothesis growing bigger in her head. He needed to get out of the room before she said anything else, or Billy made any connections. Lee made eye contact with Amanda through the window. A big smile began to spread across her face as she made a bee line for Billy's office and then stopped short. Confused with her abrupt stopping, Lee opened the door only to find himself face to face with Dr. Smyth.
"Going somewhere, Scarecrow? It's show and tell time, and you're up next!"
Dr. Smyth took a drag on his cigarette and pushed pass Lee and making his way into Billy's office. Lee's eyes connected with Amanda, frustration emerging on his face. Amanda shrugged as her shoulders slightly slumped.
"Let's go, Scarecrow! Recess is over."
Lee slowly let out his breath as he turned around and walked back into Billy's office and shut the door.
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Amanda watched the door slowly shut to Billy's office. Disappointed, she turned around and headed out of the bullpen and over to the elevator. She pushed the button once, twice, and finally a third time waiting for the elevator to arrive. She couldn't seem to catch a break this morning. All she wanted to do was connect with Lee, hold him, kiss him, breathe in his scent and then she would feel grounded again. She knew time apart would lead her to missing him, but she did not expect to be so lost without him over these last four days. Amanda looked at the white linoleum floor and noticed how dirty her tennis shoes had gotten this morning. While on the driving course, she had somehow managed to get the back tire lodged in a ditch. She and Leatherneck had to get out and push the car back onto the course. She was now covered with mud and dust and exhaust fumes. She felt dirty and grimy and just wanted to have a shower but more than anything she just wanted to see Lee. She let out a heavy sigh and thought how ironic the situation was. She finally had all the free time in the world from family obligations but the one person she wanted to connect with seemed so far out of her reach.
After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator arrived. Amanda checked her watch and realized her lunch break was almost over. She glanced over her shoulder looking towards Billy's office. In the distance, through the open blinds, she could see Dr. Smyth pacing back and forth, gesturing with his hand, cigarette tucked between in fingers. She knew Lee wouldn't be finished any time soon. She stepped through the open doors of the elevator, rearranged the coats, and pushed the button.
"Let's go, Amanda", she said to herself. "Time to soldier on."
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"Those were some, uh, good attempts at shooting, Mrs. King" Leatherneck said to Amanda as he took the gun from her hand.
Amanda looked abashed as she stared at the floor and shook her head.
"Oh, you don't have to say that, Leatherneck. I know I'm well, not a good shot, even with the simulator I can't bring myself to shoot at people. And today we were using real guns!"
"Yeah, quite a difference, isn't it? Got to get used to that kickback."
Amanda nodded her head as she gestured the motion of the kickback of the gun.
"Yeah. I never realized it did that so much. I never noticed Lee having to adjust for kickback."
"Well, your partner has some real talent for shooting. If I'm not mistaken, he holds the record for the most accurate shooting at the agency training center."
Amanda's face lit up and she felt a sense of pride at hearing this.
"Oh, really? I had no idea!"
"Well, you know. Lee's not one to brag. But I can tell you that in a shoot-out, I'd want him on my side! And for that matter, Francine's a damn good shot, too!"
"So I've noticed."
"Don't worry, Mrs. King. You will get better. Just takes practice."
"Yeah" she said as she looked at the clock on the wall. "Is that clock right? Is it really already 3:00?!"
She and Leatherneck both checked their watches confirming that the clock was indeed correct. Amanda peeled off her gloves and put them on the counter next to her protective earmuffs.
"Time really flies when you're having fun!"
"I guess so! Thanks a lot, Leatherneck! See you next week?"
"Yes ma'am! Same bat time, same bat channel!"
Amanda rushed out the door and headed towards the Q-Bureau. She looked at the elevator but thought better of it.
"Stairs are faster" she said to herself.
She climbed the 3 flights of stairs and opened the door to the Georgetown lobby. She greeted Mrs. Marsten as she rushed through the lobby and up the stairs to the Q-Bureau. Finally, she would be able to connect with Lee. Surely his debriefing was over by now! When she got to the door, she paused a moment and smoothed down her hair. She knew she looked less than her best, but she didn't care. She just wanted to see him. Amanda turned the nob as her heart started to beat faster in anticipation of their reunion. As she flung open the door and looked into the room, she saw…..an empty room.
"Oh boy! Not again!" she exclaimed.
Doing a quick scan of the room, she noticed that his luggage from this morning was gone. He had been here, but where did he go? It was then she noticed a note taped to the receiver of her telephone. The familiar handwriting jumped out at her as she snatched it up into her hand.
"Amanda-Went home. Dog tired. Call me when you get this. -Lee"
Amanda softly smiled as she reread the note. She was sorry she missed him but was glad he was able to get some rest. She sat down at her desk and picked up the receiver. She began dialing his number and then thought better of it and hung up.
"I should let him sleep if he's that tired" she said out loud.
Amanda checked her watch and saw that it was now 3:15pm. Her mother should have arrived at her sister's house by now. Amanda picked up the receiver and dialed again.
"Hi Aunt Lillian, it's Amanda!...Oh, I'm fine. Just checking to make sure mother arrived safely. She did? Oh good! Yes, I would like to talk to her. Ok, thank you…..Mother?"
"Amanda! I was going to call you later. Is everything ok? Are the boys alright?"
"Yes, Mother. Everything is fine. I just had a few minutes at work and thought I would check in with you before I headed home for the day."
"Oh" Dotty said with a sad lilt to her voice. "You're headed home to an empty house, and you were feeling lonely."
Amanda scrunched up her face in a way that indicated the contrary. She couldn't wait for some alone time. In fact, she was calling her mother now so she didn't have to worry about being home when Dotty tried to call later.
"Yes, well I guess that's it, Mother. I was worried about you and wanted to make sure you arrived safely. Any troubles along the way?"
"Not a one! Everything worked out perfectly!"
"Oh, good! I'm so glad to hear it! You and Aunt Lillian have fun, and I'll talk to you soon. Love you!"
"Love you, too, Amanda."
Amanda hung up the phone. She began looking at how filthy she actually was: mud on her shoes and jeans, oil on her hands from Leatherneck showing her how to maintain her gun, various patches of dirt and smudges were on her skin and probably her face. She hasn't looked in a mirror in a while.
"Time to head home" she said as she stood up and flung her purse over her shoulder. "I'll go take a shower and call Lee from there."
Just as she stepped out from behind her desk, her phone rang.
"This is Amanda King" she said as she picked up the phone.
"Amanda?" a sleepy, velvety voice said on the line.
"Lee! I thought you'd be sleeping!"
"I was. Did you get my note?"
"Yes, but I wanted to let you rest. I was about to head home, take a shower and call you from there."
"Just come over now."
"Oh Lee! I'm filthy! I was on the driving course this morning and the shooting range this afternoon. I really need to wash up first and change my clothes."
"Well, I have a shower here, you know. And I can help you with all those hard-to-reach places."
Amanda broke out into a huge smile.
"Oh, I know that you could."
Lee could hear the smile in her voice.
"Just come over. I took the liberty of picking some things up for you, so you don't need to worry about changing your clothes."
"You broke into my house and got some of my clothes?"
"Well….a good agent is always prepared for the situation. And I knew what I would like to see you in tonight, so I went ahead and made it happen."
Amanda could hear that devilish side of him emerging, the one that liked to tease as he began his seduction.
"Lee, I really…."
"Amanda….I don't want to wait to see you. Hang up the phone and come over."
Amanda smiled again.
"OK, I'll be there in 10 minutes."
"Make it 8" he said and then hung up the phone.
Amanda smiled as she held the phone receiver to her chest over her wildly beating heart.
"Bet I can make it in 7."
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Lee heard footsteps in the hallway leading up to his apartment. He looked at his watch.
"There's no way that's Amanda" he said to himself as he realized how little time had passed since he hung up the phone with her.
He looked quickly looked around the room for his gun just in case he needed to grab it quickly. Peering out the peephole, he muttered,
"Well, I'll be damned!"
It was Amanda. She made it in record time. He watched her as she lifted her fist to knock on the door. Not giving her the opportunity to knock, he swung open the door, grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into the apartment, closing the door behind her. Amanda gasped as he took her around the waist and pulled her to him, hard. Their lips met and sparks began to ignite as a sigh escaped her lips and a low moan echoed in his throat. He kissed her over and over, harder, and harder until they both had to pull apart, breathless.
Amanda pulled away from the kiss but not from his arms. She looked deeply into his eyes. Upon his face she saw the same smile that was mirrored on her own.
"Well, hi there! Long time no see!" she said as she reached up and traced his jaw line.
"Hi there, yourself. You made it here in record time! What was it? 7 minutes?"
"6 and a half" she said with a smile. "I had drive time today with Leatherneck, so I thought I would put my new skills to good use. And I believe you told me earlier that a good agent is always prepared."
Lee pulled her closer and began to nuzzle her neck.
"Hmm…..I did say that, didn't I" he said in between soft kisses. "But what were you preparing for exactly when you broke every speed limit getting here?"
Lee was kissing all the right spots on her neck that turned her knees to jelly. Slightly breathless she answered, "Oh, you'll see."
Lee popped his head up and looked her in the eyes with a crooked smile on his lips. "Oh, I like the sound of that!"
Lee released his embrace on Amanda and led her to the couch where an open bottle of wine and two glasses were waiting. Amanda sat on the couch and looked lovingly upon Lee.
"Wine?" he asked.
Amanda was about to say something about it not even being 5:00pm, but then thought better of it.
"Love some. Beaujolais?"
"Pinot Noir. I thought we'd try something different tonight."
Lee poured them each a glass and handed one to Amanda. He sat beside her and pulled her into the crook of his arm, her head resting on his shoulder. They both sat in silence for a few moments and enjoyed the feeling of once again being together. Lee ran his hand over Amanda's hip and small of her back keeping a mental note of which spots caused her to wriggle into him closer. Amanda sipped her wine and sighed a sigh of contentment. She began to sit up to put the wine on the coffee table when Lee took it from her, place the glasses on the table and then settled back into comfort.
"I'm so glad you're back" Amanda said. "I really missed you."
"You say that like it's a bad thing!" Lee joked.
"No, not a bad thing" she said playfully as she lightly tapped his chest. "Not a bad thing at all. I just….well…..I just missed you."
Lee knew what she was saying and wasn't saying because he felt the same way, too. It had surprised him how much he missed her and how happy he was to be reunited with her again. He pulled her in a little closer.
"I was so glad to see you in the Q-Bureau this morning." She said.
"Yeah, until Francine dragged me out of there." Lee said with a bit of annoyance in his voice.
"I'm sorry I was late. Joe was late picking up the boys this morning. I got there as soon as I could."
"It's ok, Amanda."
"I know. I was just so frustrated that we couldn't connect today. I looked forward to it all last night."
"Yeah…me, too. But I knew we would connect sooner or later. It was just a matter of time. Did you get the boys and your mother off on their respective trips ok this morning?"
Amanda pushed herself up from Lee and looked deep into his eyes with excitement and joy plastered all over her face.
"Yes! I did! The boys will be with Joe for the next 2 weeks, and Mother will be with Aunt Lillian for at least the next week."
"Oh, so no curfew for Amanda King for a while?"
"None whatsoever!"
"What ever will you do with your time, Amanda?"
Lee began to move in closer for another round of kissing. His arms pulled her closer to him as his lips brushed hers.
"I'm…..I'm sure I will think of something" she said breathlessly into his waiting lips.
Amanda wrapped her arms around Lee's neck and drew him into her as hard as she could. In one swift motion, Lee repositioned himself and was on top of Amanda, pushing her into the soft couch, one hand behind her head and the other unbuttoning her shirt. Amanda began to breathe heavily as she ran her hands through his hair. Suddenly, Lee stopped kissing her and pulled back, looking at her in confusion.
"Lee, what's wrong?" she said in an alarmed tone.
"Amanda, don't take this the wrong way…but you smell like gun oil."
Amanda sat up quickly slightly embarrassed.
"Oh, Lee! That's because it IS gun oil! I told you I needed a shower!"
Amanda stood up from the couch. Lee followed laughing. He tried to grab her again, but she pulled away.
"Hey! I didn't say it wasn't sexy! In fact, now that I KNOW it's gun oil, well that makes it VERY sexy!"
Amanda looked at him with annoyance.
"It's not sexy. It's…it's gun oil! I was at the firing range today and Leatherneck was showing me how to take care of your gun. I spilled some on me, more than I thought, I guess."
Lee smiled and was more than a little turned on thinking about Amanda at the gun range. He imagined her with a gun in her hand, steady as a rock, taking out all the targets.
"How did you do?" he asked.
Amanda's face dropped at the question.
"Well, let's just say that your record is safe. I did terribly."
Lee chuckled.
"Well, practice makes perfect. You'll do better next time. Now come here." He said as he opened his arms to her.
"No. I'm going to go take a shower. I haven't seen you in 4 days, almost 5, and I don't want you being distracted by the way I smell!"
Lee opened his mouth to respond, but Amanda chirped in.
"Uh, uh! You know what I mean! I'll be out in a little while. Why don't you rest up? You're going to need it!"
With that, Amanda turned around, stripped off her shirt and dropped it on the living room floor. Her bra was next to hit the floor as she continued her trek to the bathroom. Lee sat stunned as he watched Amanda stripping on her way to the shower. He had never seen her acting this way. He began to feel his jeans getting tighter. Amanda stopped for a moment and without turning back around, wriggled out of her jeans. She let them slip over her hips and puddle on the floor.
"A-MAN-da….." he said as she continued to tease him.
She gingerly stepped out of them and into the bathroom. Lee's last vision of her was her smooth, long, tanned, naked back, 2 beautifully shaped long legs, and a pair of cream-colored panties riding low upon her hips.
"Be out in few" she called out from behind the bathroom door, tossing her panties out onto the living room rug.
Lee sat on the couch, mouth agape for a moment or two. He grabbed his glass and Amanda's glass of wine and chugged them both
"If I had known I was going to get this type of homecoming, I would have left a long time ago!"
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Lee composed himself and got up from the couch. A devilish smile spread across his lips as he looked at Amanda's clothes on the floor, leaving a trail to the bathroom. He could hear the water running and her singing something happy sounding. The smell of her soap and shampoo that had recently taken up residence in his shower was beginning to waft out of the bathroom. It smelled like her, and he began to get excited all over again. He grabbed the 2 glasses and the bottle of wine and headed into his bedroom.
It was still very light outside. He wanted a much more romantic setting than full sun streaming in through the windows. Pulling the shades and drawing the curtains helped to make the room more inviting. He lit a candle by the bedside and one on the hi-boy dresser across from the bed. He didn't want it to be pitch black. He enjoyed watching Amanda as they made love. He loved to see her reactions to the way he touched her. It let him know how to better please her, which at this moment was something he wanted to do very badly.
He heard the water shut off in the bathroom. Lee quickly got undressed and slid under the covers. Laying on his left side, he propped himself up on his elbow and cradled his head in his hand. The door opened letting in some of the light from the other room falling upon Lee's face and the empty part of the bed that would soon be filled by Amanda.
"Well…..hi there she said" as she stood wrapped in a white towel, damp hair curling in tendrils around her face.
"Did you have a good shower?" he said as he pulled back the covers inviting her into bed.
"I did" she said with a smirk. "All clean. But you should probably check for yourself to make sure I didn't miss any spots."
"You read my mind." He said scooting closer to her.
"Where are the things you brought over for me? I am interested to see what you picked out."
A huge grin spread over his face. Amanda knew that look. That killer smile that he was flashing, the one that made her literally go weak in the knees…she knew he was up to no good.
"Lee? Where are my things?"
"Uh, right there. On my dresser." He said gesturing to the hi-boy.
Amanda looked at the dresser and saw no overnight bag.
"Where?" She said.
"Right there on the dresser. Go look."
The smirk grew wider, and his eyebrows began to knit together. Amanda walked over to the dresser to find nothing.
"Lee, there's nothing here but a paper bag."
"Yeah, that's it. That's for you."
Amanda snatched it off the dresser and opened it. As she looked inside, she became quite confused.
"Lee, there's nothing in here but a toothbrush."
"That's right" he said as he sat up in bed, exposing his firm chest.
"You said you brought over some of my things from my house!"
"Actually, no I didn't. YOU said I brought over some things from your house. I just didn't correct you. I said that I took the liberty of picking some things up for you, so you didn't need to worry about changing your clothes and that I knew what I wanted to see you in tonight. Considering that I don't want to see you in anything but my bed, I figured all you needed was a toothbrush."
Amanda stood there looking at Lee, her tongue pressed desperately hard into her cheek trying not to laugh. She had to admit, he got her. And the idea of being naked for the next 24 hours in Lee's bed was not a bad one. She looked at the yellow Reach toothbrush in her hand and laughed.
"Well, I better go put this to good use."
Lee tried to grab Amanda as she hurried past the bed, missing her but grabbing her towel. He watched as the svelte, naked form exited the bedroom and head back into the bathroom. Lee leaned back on the pillows. He could feel his pulse quickening and his desire growing very quickly. He refilled their wine glasses and took a sip of the fine vintage.
As he turned to put the glass back on the bedside table, he could feel Amanda slipping into bed beside him. She lay down with her head on the light blue pillowcase. Lee looked down upon her face. He cupped her cheek in his hand and just looked deeply into her soft brown eyes for a moment. She reached up and slowly traced his hairline oh so delicately with her fingers, barely touching him as she worked her way down to his jaw, his neck, his shoulder and finally resting her hand upon his chest. Lee looked at her with a hungry desire in his eyes. Grabbing both of her hands in his own, he pinned them up over her head and onto the pillow. He looked her deep in the eyes as he moved in a claimed her mouth with his own. His tongue plunged deeply into her mouth as he tasted her mixed with spearmint toothpaste. Amanda desperately pushed against Lee forcing his tongue out of the way with her own. She wanted him more than she ever had. She tried to free her hands, but he wouldn't let them go. He held her there as he began to savagely kiss her neck, his free hand moving over her lithe body, cupping her breast, and taking her nipple into his mouth. Amanda wrenched her head back and let out a moan of ecstasy.
"Oh, Lee" she said in a raspy, breathy whisper.
Lee positioned himself on top of her. He could feel her squirming beneath him as he touched her and kissed her. Amanda could feel Lee's desire strongly against her thigh. She bent her knee opening her legs to invite him closer. Lee could feel the heat building between Amanda's thighs, meeting and perhaps surpassing his own.
"Amanda" Lee said into her neck. "Oh, Amanda. I want you, I need you…..right now."
His tone of voice was so urgent, so primal. Amanda thrust her hips up to meet his. Lee let go of her hands and pushed himself up, hovering over her. He positioned himself and in one swift motion, they were joined. Amanda let out a moan that almost sounded like a cry. He knew that sound. She was now his. This one small sound made Lee's heart beat faster. He bent over her and once again claimed her mouth with his own. With her hands now free, she ran them up and down his bare, muscular back. Every place their skin touched sent sparks through both of them. Amanda began to moan louder and breathe faster. She tightened her grip around his back and squeezed his shoulders. Lee looked upon Amanda's face as he made love to her. Her eyes were closed, and expressions of pleasure washed over her face.
"Lee…..oh Lee! Yes, Lee!" she cried as her climax was building.
Lee could feel Amanda getting closer and closer to release. He ran his hand down her side and cupped her round bottom. He began to work feverishly to please her. He wanted to watch her as she toppled over the edge and gave herself over to pleasure. Amanda began arching her back and thrusting herself into him harder and harder trying to match his rhythm. She squirmed and made moans and pants of unadulterated pleasure. This encouraged him even further into pleasing her. He quickened his pace and watched as she lost herself and her body spasmed over and over again. She tried to speak as she reached up and ran her finger over his lips.
"Oh, Lee…." she said as her body tightened around his, grabbing him tighter and tighter.
"Oh, Amanda…" Lee said as he spilled himself into her, his pleasure pulsing with every heartbeat.
Lee collapsed upon Amanda, trying to catch his breath. They both lay with limbs entangled allowing the sheer bliss of their coupling wash over them. As Lee began to regain his senses, he rolled off of Amanda and pulled her close, his head resting next to her head. He smelled her freshly washed hair and skin and breathed deeply. She was still breathing heavy as she said
"Oh, Lee…"
Lee brushed the hair out of her eyes and gently kissed her. He held her close as they both reveled in each other's company. He had definitely missed her. Much more than he expected to. Lee wondered if maybe he would have found more leads in Montana if he wasn't preoccupied with missing her. He quickly dismissed that idea as he always did what needed to be done in this business, but she was without a doubt in his thoughts at all times. As he held Amanda, he could feel her body growing more limp and her breathing becoming slower and deeper.
"Amanda?" he whispered. "Amanda?"
After getting no response, he concluded that she had fallen asleep in his arms. Lee kissed the top of her head and snuggled into the pillow and gently pulled the covers over them both.
"I missed you. I don't want to be away from you again." He whispered sotto voce into the darkness.
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Monday morning rolled around far too quickly. Lee and Amanda strolled in the Georgetown entrance and happily greeted Mrs. Marsten.
"Good morning, Mrs. Marsten! Isn't it a lovely day outside today?" Amanda asked.
"Good morning, Mrs. King, Mr. Stetson. Yes, it is indeed lovely. May I please have the password?"
Amanda's face drew a blank. She had forgotten this week's password. Lee seeing her confusion answered for them both.
"Rose petal"
"Very good. Have a nice day!"
Lee and Amanda passed by her and walked up the stairs to the Q-Bureau. The room was just as Amanda had left it 2 days before when she rushed out to meet Lee. The stack of files that sat on her desk were still there waiting to be filed in the vault. Lee looked at the pile of things that had accumulated on his desk while he had been gone. He sat down and began to thumb through the messages as he whistled a little tune.
"Guess there's no time like the present to file these. I'll be in the vault if you need me."
Amanda said as she walked over to the vault, dialed in the combination, and opened the heavy door. After a few moments passed, Francine came bounding into the Q-Bureau. Lee looked up at her and smiled.
"Gooooood morning, Francine!" he said in such a jovial tone that it took Francine aback.
"Well, aren't we in a MUCH better mood today? How was your weekend? Get lucky?" She said with a smirk.
"Francine…" Lee said in a friendly, yet stern tone.
Francine giggled.
"Ha ha! You did! Didn't you? I can always tell!"
Lee opened his mouth to offer some retort at the same time Amanda came jauntily out of the vault.
"Well, HELLO, Francine! How was your weekend?" Amanda said in a sing-songy voice combined with a very big smile on her face.
"Hello, Amanda! My I must say you are in a good mood this morning! You must have had a good weekend."
"I did…..a VERY good weekend." replied Amanda as she headed back onto the vault with another stack of files.
Francine looked at Lee shift somewhat uncomfortably and she suddenly put 2 and 2 together. She turned her head sharply and looked at Lee who was trying not to squirm in his chair or make eye contact with Francine. Francine's eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she tried to make a coherent sentence.
"Lee! You? And Amanda? No!" she said in hushed tones.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Francine."
"Oh sure you don't….but Lee…Amanda?"
Lee's phone rang and he grabbed the receiver. He had never been so thankful for an interruption in his life.
"Stetson. Oh, hi Billy. Yes, she's here. Yup, I will send her right down." Lee hung up the phone. "Billy needs you right now in his office. Sorry you can't stay."
Lee gently pushed Francine towards the door.
"But, Lee! I've gotta know…You and.."
"Ok, bye-bye now." He said as the pushed her out the door and locked it.
Amanda reappeared from the vault.
"What did Francine want?"
"Oh, nothing. She just wanted to tell me about her weekend. Some steamy date or something, but then she got called away."
Amanda sided up to Lee and put her arms around his waist.
"Well, I'm glad she doesn't know about our hot and steamy weekend."
Lee looked down into Amanda's eyes.
"Yeah, me, too! Meee, too."
"What do you say we continue our weekend tonight? My place? I'll make a nice dinner and then we can have a…nice dessert."
Lee's stomach did a happy little flip at the thought of spending the evening with Amanda.
"I think you read my mind"