Disclaimer: This story is based on Characters copyrighted by Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. This story is meant for enjoyment purposes only and cannot be redistributed without permission from the author. I retain the rights to the plot, not the characters. No infringement is intended.

Chapter 1

The silver Corvette turned the corner of Maplewood Drive. The driver, Lee Stetson, let out a sigh as he thought about the last week. He'd been fully baptized into the King/West Christmas celebration complete with ex-husband, Joe, Amanda's mother, Dotty, and her sister, Lillian. The boys welcomed him with open arms, too.

The day after Christmas, Joe decided to take the boys on a spur-of-the-moment trip to California for the Rose Parade. Amanda, Dotty, and Aunt Lillian were also invited along. Dotty happily accepted. Aunt Lillian declined, citing the need to relieve her cat sitter and Amanda stated her decision not to because it would be a good bonding experience for Joe and the boys. She was secretly thrilled to have the house all to herself. Now that was a vacation! But she also had an ulterior motive. To give Lee some practice experiencing a normal life.

Once everyone left two days after Christmas, Amanda ferried Lee off to the After-Christmas sales. She insisted they needed to return the sweater Dotty had given him and get the right size. If they waited, there might not be any more left.

Not knowing what he was getting into, Lee agreed. Any time to spend with Amanda was well worth it. After navigating the mall's parking lot for the third time, they finally found a space that Lee approved of for the 'Vette. But when they tried to return the sweater, he would've much rather faced a handful of KGB agents with a nuclear arsenal.

After that mission was accomplished, Amanda decided to do some shopping for evening gowns. She'd finally gotten a small expense account for clothes from the Agency since they were always attending different formal events while undercover.

"A-man-da, don't you think Francine would be a better person to help you pick out gowns? She has much more experience than me," whined Lee.

Amanda ignored his pleas as they entered the formal wear section of the department store. Lee went and sat with all the other boyfriends and husbands who were equally bored.

Amanda found some gowns and went to try them on. There was one green dress she loved but Lee didn't seem too impressed when she came out of the dressing room to show him. Another was a black chiffon gown which instantly caught his attention.

Amanda came out with another dress on. It was a burgundy satin A-line gown with a V-neck and spaghetti straps. It was backless with a slit up the right side.

Lee immediately sat up,raised his eyebrows and gave her a sexy wink which made Amanda blush. One of the other men gave Lee a nudge and he gave the guy a dirty look as if to say 'hands-off.'

One particular gown caught Amanda's eye that she decided to try on. It was a sapphire sequined beaded V-neck gown. It was long-sleeved and fitted throughout the chest, waist, and hips. When she modeled it for Lee, she knew just by the big grin which showed off his dimples, that he approved.

After purchasing two dresses they decided to head back to her house. Despite Lee's pleading, Amanda would not tell him which dresses she bought. "That's a need to know, Stetson," Amanda teased with a flirty wink.

Two days before New Year's Eve, they were enjoying a cozy dinner at Lee's apartment. They had ordered pizza and chosen two movies from the video store because they couldn't agree on which one to watch, so they decided to flip a coin. Lee wanted to watch "Tron," and Amanda wanted, as Lee put it, the 'chick flick,' "The Goodbye Girl."

Amanda won the toss after finally negotiating the best two out of three. There was still some question as to the winner but Amanda bribed Lee that she would wear his favorite dress at the next opera gala. The one with the black spaghetti straps that she'd made herself.

Lee had been hoping for a nice romantic New Year's Eve at his place with a gourmet dinner made by him and some champagne to ring in the new year. But the fates didn't allow that. During their movie night, Billy called, telling Lee that The Agency had been contacted. That there was an Eastern Bloc official that wished to defect. The contact refused to say who it was but that he would only allow Scarecrow and Mrs. King to bring him in.

The instructions were clear. Amanda would be contacted at the Embassy of Spain's New Year's party.

Billy Melrose had hand-selected a team to accomplish this mission. Billy chose Francine Desmond to be with Lee. The surveillance van would have agents, Abernathy and Fielder.

Lee pulled into the driveway, parked, and made his way to the back of the house,just like always. Through the kitchen window, he saw his secret fiancee adding some finishing touches on her makeup as she looked in a mirror. His heart skipped a beat. She looked gorgeous!

Amanda was wearing the long-sleeved sapphire-blue gown with the sequined and beaded bodice she bought the other day when they went shopping. The V-neckline showed off all her delightful freckles that Lee always enjoyed trying to kiss.

Lee tapped on the glass of the back door and let himself in. Amanda smiled as Lee stood there in his tux taking her all in.

"Mrs. King, you are gorgeous!" Lee declared as he took Amanda in his arms and started placing kisses down her neck to meet some of the freckles.

Amanda's breath hitched at the contact of Lee's hot lips on her skin.

"Ohhhh," she sighed and then broke away from his embrace.

"You keep that up and there will be one disappointed Eastern Bloc official who will be wondering what happened to us!"

"Amanda, I don't want to let anyone near you tonight!" He gave her a seductive wink as his eyes began to fix on the V-neck of her dress and her cleavage.

"Hey, Stetson, eyes on me here," Amanda chided as she pointed to her face.

"Your fiance is admiring all those beautiful freckles that I want to get to know."

"Yeah, I bet you do. What am I going to do with you?!"

"How about we just stay here and I can keep you to myself. I don't want other men ogling you!"

"No one is going to ogle me!"

Lee gathered Amanda in his arms and complained, "Every time I take you to one of these things. all of the men want to dance with you. I am going to have to beat them off with a stick tonight!"

"Let's remember why we are going to be there, sweetheart. Hopefully, we can get it done fast and we will be home long before midnight."

Lee pretended to mope but perked up when Amanda gave him a soft kiss on the lips. He kept his hold around her waist as they continued talking.

"Now, tell me how I am supposed to know who the contact is?"

"Your contact will say I enjoy pink champagne. Would you like some? And then you need to say I prefer martinis." Lee nuzzled under Amanda's earlobe since it had a long earring that was preventing him from caressing it.

"Then what?" Amanda sighed heavily trying to concentrate as Lee continued his assault on her neck.

Lee whispered in her ear, "Then he should tell you where we will find the person who wants to defect."

"Nothing written?"

Lee continued to plant little kisses over Amanda's neck, in between explaining the protocol for the evening.

"No, my love. It's my understanding they don't want anything to tie them to the incident. That's why you are going to be fitted with a wire. Nothing written. Abernathy and Fielder will be coming in the van soon to get you situated. Francine and I will appear together. Billy is already going to be there in a separate car. You will have a small ear transmitter so you can hear us, too"

"I wish we could go as a couple, Not you and Francine," Amanda complained.

"I know, so do I. But you are the one that they will be contacting, so you have to appear without an escort."

Lee kissed Amanda again but with more meaning and desire, trying to get her to reciprocate back which she did.

Amanda nodded, completely dazed from the kiss. She felt a little weak-kneed from Lee's latest attempt to distract her. She remarked wickedly, "Hope the wire is nothing like that brooch that fell off with James Delano."

Lee rolled his eyes and remarked, "Don't remind me!"

A/N If you would like to see the two dresses that Amanda bought here are the links:

shop/product/mac-duggal-embellished-v-neck-gown?ID=13082820&CategoryID=5449

shop/product/alfred-sung-satin-a-line-gown?ID=11422234&CategoryID=5449&isDlp=true&swatchColor=Burgundy