Flashback: Part Ten
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Once Lee was out of sight from the cabin, he picked up his pace significantly. Reaching the river, he urgently shouted Jamie's name. Unfortunately, his luck was no better than Phillip's. Continuing down the river past where Phillip turned around, he looked for footprints, but he didn't see any tracks. Keeping a watchful eye on the riverbank to see if there were any signs of Jamie falling into the river, he saw none.
His pace continued to quicken the farther he got from where they'd been fishing. It had to be almost a mile and still no Jamie. Doubt was now creeping into his consciousness or was it paranoia? Maybe Amanda was right and Karbala was behind this. Birol did escape from Federal Prison, maybe it wasn't just a massive clerical screw up compounded by people ignoring details and procedure. Had the Agency's investigation on his escape been short sighted; did Birol have help? And if he had help, was it on the inside or out?
Becoming frantic himself at this point, he shouted loudly. "Jamie, where the hell are you?"
Still no answer.
'Billy would have called me. He would have gotten word to us. It can't be Karbala,' he reasoned logically.
Noticing that he was running now and half out of breath, Lee stopped. Leaning over and taking a couple deep breaths, he listened to the sounds of the woods. Everything seemed fine – except Jamie was definitely missing.
"Please, God, let him be lost," Lee prayed out loud. Looking at his watch; he'd been gone fifteen minutes. If he didn't find him soon, he wouldn't make it back before Amanda would drive into town and notify the police. Damn, he wished the cabin had a phone.
Swallowing hard, he gave Amanda's hypothesis a little thought. What if it was Karbala? They could have snatched Amanda and Phillip as well. That last thought played deeply on his own insecurities.
At the top of his lungs, Lee screeched desperately, " - E - E !"
He screamed so loudly, even the birds stopped chirping for a moment. Then he heard something, but what was it or who was it?
"JAMIE?" Lee shouted again, straining to listen for a reply.
"Lee?" the distant voice replied.
Lee started a full out run towards the voice and called again. "Jamie, where are you?"
"I'm down here."
Lee hurried to the clearing and stopped dead in his tracks. He swallowed hard. Kneeling motionless on the riverbank, Jamie was steadily snapping photos of a bear and her two cubs, fishing in the river.
"Stand up slowly and walk towards me, Jamie. Don't make any sudden moves," Lee instructed in as calm a voice that he could manage, despite his heart racing. Reaching for his gun, he took off the safety, in case the bear charged.
Jamie listened and did what he was told.
Counting the steps Jamie took backwards, one by one, it seemed like an eternity before he was finally only a couple yards from Lee. The bear glanced up at Jamie and Lee for a moment, but seemed more interested in her fishing expedition. Finally, Lee reached out and grabbed his stepson, hugging him tightly.
"You had me a little anxious there, son!" Lee scolded gently.
"Lee, it was awesome," he explained eagerly, excitement filling his voice. "I followed the eagle, but he never stayed in one spot long enough to get a decent picture…"
"Hold on, pal," Lee suggested, glancing at his watch once again. "Your mother's scared to death thinking something happened to you. We've got to get back to the cabin before she goes into town, for the police."
"The police? Didn't you tell her I was just taking photos?" Jamie asked with a confused look on his face.
Grabbing his son by the arm, he started a fast march back to the cabin. "Come on. It's a long story and I think I'd rather hear yours."
The hike back was lengthy and Lee pushed the pace, worrying that they wouldn't return before Amanda left to contact the police. Finally, they made it to the path that led to the cabin. As they hurried up it, Lee spied Amanda on the front porch of the cabin, pacing back and forth. Signaling to Jamie with a nod to run ahead, he called out to his wife.
"Relax, Amanda," he shouted out to her, hoping to avoid a scene. "He's fine."
Amanda spotted them on the path and ran until she reached him, pulling Jamie to her, smothering him in a hug, and then pushing him away as if to take inventory. Finally, she pulled him into an embrace, squeezing him until he couldn't breathe. "Are you all right? I was worried about you! What happened? Are you hurt?"
Squirming to get out of his mother's embrace, he answered excitedly. "Oh, Mom, I'm fine. It was really cool! I was following the eagle, trying to get a good picture of him…"
She interrupted before he could finish his explanation. Grabbing both of his arms and shaking him firmly, she scolded. "Don't you wander off like that again - ever! Do you hear me? You could have drowned or..."
"Amanda, stop. You're scaring him," Lee insisted, mindful of the tone she was using. Phillip had now joined them and Lee was hoping she'd give her son a chance to tell his exciting news. "Let him explain what he saw. Everything's fine."
"It's not fine." Letting go of Jamie, she turned and snapped at Lee. "He was lucky. Somebody could have kidnapped…"
"Amanda, don't!" he interrupted in a warning tone. He turned to his stepson and nodded towards the cabin. "Jamie, go up to the house and wash up for lunch. I'm sure your brother will want to hear about your adventure. Your mother and I will be up in a little while."
The faraway look in her dark, brown eyes and the clipped tone of her voice were signs that she wasn't herself. The trauma of being kidnapped by Birol was clouding her judgment.
Jamie paused for a moment and glanced at his mom, then back to Lee.
"Go," Lee repeated firmly, staring at Jamie first, then Phillip. His eyes narrowed and he nodded once more before they complied. Taking hold of Amanda's arm, he led her down towards the river.
"What do you think you're doing?" she asked indignantly. "I need to be with Jamie right now. He needs me."
"No, you need to clear your head." With his arm firmly around her shoulder, he forcefully marched her down the path, towards the river, where they'd been fishing. She tried several times to flee back to the cabin, but he managed to grab her each time and continue away from the cabin.
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not," he replied evenly. He needed to be composed and help her through this. All these weeks, he'd been the one trying to cope with the memories and now that he'd finally reached an understanding of his emotions, it looked like her repressed feelings were starting to surface.
With just the two of them, far from the prying ears of Phillip and Jamie, he slowed his pace and started to talk to her. "Amanda, there was no accomplice. Karbala is not after us. Take a few deep breaths and look around. We're safe. We're together in the Alaskan wilderness."
Physically, she stood near the bank of the river they'd been fishing at for days now, but Lee could see she wasn't with him emotionally. He was all too familiar with the flashbacks, the odd smell, sound or image that brought on the painful or traumatic memories. Thinking that her son had been kidnapped was surely the trigger, but he wasn't sure how to undo what was already done.
He continued to talk to her. "Your son, the avid photographer, just had a wonderful experience with the native wildlife. He lost track of time and didn't realize how far he'd gone. I tell you; your behavior is scaring him."
"I know he's scared. I should be with him right now," she replied and turned to go back to the cabin.
Reaching for his wife, he lifted her off her feet and held her in his arms. Struggling to escape, she was kicking with her feet and pounding her arms on his chest. "Amanda, stop it right now or I'll throw you in the river," he warned.
There was an uneasy moment between the two of them where Lee was afraid he really would have to throw her, bodily, into the water. Maybe that would snap her out of her funk. His body began to lunge forward and make good his threat when finally, she stopped. Her eyes began to focus on him.
"Lee, no!" she yelled, her arms grabbing around his neck and holding on tightly. "That water's freezing!"
"I'll stop, if you settle down."
"Put me down," she insisted.
Cautious of his partner, he angled her feet to the ground, but held her upper body tightly. In a soothing voice, he tried to appeal to her sensibilities. "Are you OK?"
She nodded, but didn't look at him.
"You want to talk about it?" he probed.
"Talk about what?"
"The flashback."
"Not really," she shrugged, staring at the ground.
"It might help. Talking to you helped me through mine, in Vegas," he reminded her.
Looking away, she stared off in the distance for a while. Taking a few steps towards the riverbank, she started to explain. "He said it would never be over. That
Karbala would hunt us down until we were all dead…"
"He lied, Amanda," he pleaded with her. "You have to believe me. If you don't, you're going to transfer your fears onto Phillip and Jamie. You've never done that before; don't start now."
"He was going to go after the boys. He was going to kidnap Jamie," she advised him.
"But he didn't. Billy killed Birol before he could try. Jamie's safe, Karbala wasn't after him. It was Jamie, being a kid and losing track of time and how far he went."
"Karbala could still be out there…"
"No. We were kidnapped by Birol, not Karbala. Karbala's ancient history – dead much longer than Birol."
"He escaped from prison. How did he manage that, alone?" she continued, desperate for answers.
"Billy let me read Kendrick's report. He investigated the escape as well as the Bureau of Prisons. Birol planned every last detail like a symphony. It was human error; overworked and tired people cutting corners, not following established procedures."
Wandering to the edge of the riverbank, she didn't say a word. Lee knew she doubted him.
"Remember what you told me in Vegas?" he asked her.
Shaking her head, she glanced at him, confused.
"You told me to believe you; I did. Now, believe me. If there was even the slightest chance that Karbala had been put back together, Billy would have stashed us in a safe house somewhere. Amanda, sweetheart, you have to believe me. I wouldn't take a chance with you or the boys. We're safe. The boys are safe. It's all right. Trust me."
She glanced around at the river, the mountains in the distance and then back to her husband. Tears began to fill her eyes, finally she whispered. "I trust you, but I'm really scared."
"Sit by me," he suggested soothingly, as he sat down on the riverbank and reached a hand up for his wife. Amanda sat down in the grass beside him and he pulled her close.
"There hasn't been a day since we were kidnapped that I'm not looking over my shoulder. I try to act as if nothing's wrong, Lee," she hesitated then whispered uneasily. "I can't seem to shake that ominous feeling."
"I guess coming up to Alaska for this long wasn't the best idea, huh?" Lee remarked in hindsight.
"No, Alaska was a good idea. Back home, in DC, we were too close to where it all happened. I was terrified at home, especially when I was alone or at night." Staring at the bright blue sky, she sat silently for a moment. "When you didn't come back to the cabin in a half hour, I panicked. I convinced myself Karbala was back. I guess I need a little more time on Pfaff's couch."
"It's going to take time, Amanda. I've been in this business a long time and trust me when I say they don't get any worse than Birol. What he did to us isn't going to vanish overnight, but eventually, the memories will fade and the flashbacks will end. We have to work through it – all of it. I might not be Pfaff, but you can talk to me, I do understand. I'm able to deal with things a lot better now. I promise you, Birol is dead and Karbala's been extinguished." Rubbing his hand up and down her back he noticed her muscles seemed less tense. "Besides, I've found that Pfaff's couch is rather comfortable."
A small smile edged across her anguished face. "That's something."
"What?"
"You're actually talking with Pfaff without orders from Billy."
"He's helped. I'm sure when we get back to DC, he'll help us even more," he answered, shaking his head. "Are you feeling better now?"
"Yeah," she nodded, leaning on her husband's shoulder for support. "Can I ask you a question?"
Reaching his arm around her shoulder, he pulled her to him. "I know what you're going to ask. I've actually given it a lot of thought. Truth be told, it wouldn't have mattered. I love you. Nothing and no one can change that," Lee answered, thinking she was asking the same question she asked him, in the Q Bureau weeks ago.
Glancing up at her husband she smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, but that wasn't my question."
"Oh, well, you know you can ask me anything…"
"Have you ever thought about not going back?"
"To Pfaff's couch?" Lee asked, picking up a stone and skipping it across the water. "Every day."
"No," she replied, staring at the mountains far away, "to the field or even, to the Agency."
Lee picked up another stone, studied it intently before he tossed the stone out into the river. This time, it didn't skip across the water, but sunk directly to the bottom. "Yeah, that's one of the reasons we're up here in the first place. I want time to figure out whether I want to go back to the field. I guess you don't want to go back?"
"I know I'm not ready," she forced an uneasy laugh. "What just happened is a major reminder of that. I worry that I may never be ready."
"Would that be so terrible?" he asked.
Reaching for a long blade of grass, she plucked it from the earth and played with it between her fingers. "I worry about you going back - without me. I worry about you, being in the field, alone and the risks…"
Putting his hand over hers, he gave it a little squeeze. "Don't worry so much. We'll work this out the way we work out everything – together. I promise."
She leaned her head onto his shoulder again. "I'm going to hold you to that."
"What do you say? Are you ready to head back up to the cabin?"
"I guess, but how do I explain my meltdown to my sons?"
"Mmm, that?" he mumbled.
"We need to tell them something."
"Why not tell them the truth?"
"About Birol? You've got to be kidding." Her mouth gaped open. "You told me not to transfer my fear to my sons. If we tell them about Birol, we'd need the family plan for Pfaff's couch."
"I didn't mean everything, more like a PG version of the truth. Tell them we were kidnapped by a now defunct, terrorist group. That we've both had trouble dealing with the after effects, but we're working on it, making progress, and that things happen to set off bad memories."
"Why don't you tell them for me?" she suggested.
"They need to hear it from you, Amanda. But don't worry, you'll do fine. I promise I'll be with you the entire time. If you get tongue tied, I'd be happy to hold your hand." Pulling her even closer he put an arm around her shoulder and hugged her before planting a kiss on her forehead.
"Chicken!"
"It was your meltdown," he reminded her.
"Thanks for pointing that out."
"Come on, let's head back. After that hike I took to find Jamie, I'm really hungry."
"Yeah," she nodded. "He's probably hungry, too."
Standing up first, he reached his hand down and helped his wife up. "Just promise me one thing."
"What's that?" she asked curiously, as they started the short walk back to the cabin.
"Promise me you won't go ballistic when Jamie tells you what he was taking pictures of when I found him."
Her eyes flew open wide, but before she could press him for more details, he ran ahead of her on the path, back to the cabin.
End Part Ten
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Flashback: Part Eleven
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As the clouds began to fill the sky, the color of the glaciers, in Glacier Bay, seemed to change. Their blue became more intense and vivid. The wind started to kick up and the seas were beginning to have a light chop. Lee put his arm around his wife to protect her from the chilly breeze that was coming off the glacier.
"Are you warm enough?" he asked her.
"It is starting to get a little cool out here, but it's really beautiful. I hate to go inside, even for dinner. I'm really glad you brought us all up to Alaska."
Rubbing his wife's bare arm, he pulled her closer to him. "The last few weeks have been rather soothing."
"Except for when Jamie wandered off."
"Hey, that's history," he said, turning her face towards his and kissing her gently. "Forget about it."
Nuzzling into his warm arms, she replied. "Other than that, it's been a dream vacation. The boys haven't been bickering with each other. The scenery has been gorgeous. I keep thinking nothing can surpass what we just saw and then the next day, it's more picturesque."
"And we still have several more days. The Inside Passage is supposed to be magnificent."
Leaning into her husband, the cold breeze made her shiver. "I'd better go back to the room and check on the boys. I want to make sure Jamie takes his Dramamine. He gets seasick pretty easily."
"Good idea. It looks like we might get a storm tonight," Lee mentioned, as they headed inside the ship.
"We've been lucky the last few weeks. There hasn't been much rain."
"The weather has been perfect," he replied, while they walked to the elevator, hand in hand. When the door opened, he kissed his wife. "I'm going to check on our reservations for the tour we're taking tomorrow. I'll meet you back at the room." Giving her a quick kiss before she went down to their rooms, he headed off to the lobby.
Several minutes later, he made it back to their stateroom. Opening the door to their cabin, he didn't see her.
"Amanda?" he called out apprehensively.
She poked her head out of the bathroom. "I'm right here."
"Can you get the zipper?" she asked, now wearing a turquoise cocktail dress he'd never seen before, with a low cut back, but a conservative V-neckline. The thin, silky material clung attractively to the curves on her trim body.
"My pleasure; you look stunning," he answered, zipping up the back of her dress. This had been the first time she'd been dressed this provocatively since their kidnapping. He hoped this was a sign that they'd finally put that behind them. The vacation had allowed them time to get closer, but for the most part, the boys were underfoot, which prevented them from renewing their intimate relationship. Tonight, he hoped to change that.
Planting a kiss on the back of her neck, his lips lingered for several moments as he breathed in the scent of her perfume. His hands gently traced the outline of her body, while he nibbled at her neck. Turning her to face him, they shared a delightful kiss.
"Mmm," she crooned contently. "If you keep that up, we're going to miss dinner."
"There's time for more of that later tonight," he suggested.
"Is that a promise?" she asked.
"You can count on it, Mrs. Stetson. I guess I better get dressed. Are the boys ready?"
"They're not coming. It's just you and me for dinner tonight."
A concerned look crossed his face. "Is Jamie seasick? I didn't think it was that rough out."
"No, they're not sick. Apparently, they can't seem to find their ties," she responded before she started to put on her makeup and earrings.
Lee shook his head. "I made sure they each packed at least one tie."
Shrugging, she sighed loudly, clearly showing her disappointment. "It's OK."
"No, it's not. I'll be right back," he answered, before he left their stateroom and went to the room next door, which Phillip and Jamie were sharing. Knocking on the door, he waited until one of the boys opened it and then walked in.
"Hey, Lee, what's up?" Phillip asked.
"Your mother says you can't find your ties for tonight's dinner."
"Yeah, well, we thought we'd just order a couple of burgers from room service."
"I think you better find those ties, fellas," Lee suggested with a stern glare.
"Mom doesn't mind," Jamie added.
"I mind," Lee corrected crossly, knowing that his wife indeed did mind, but didn't want to ruin the evening.
"It's just dinner," Phillip reminded him.
"I thought we had a deal, guys."
"What deal?" Jamie questioned innocently.
"The one that you and Phillip got to go fishing, hiking, kayaking, river rafting and on a helicopter ride, while your mother traipsed with us, getting soaked, blistered and mosquito bitten without complaint. I think it's only fair for you two to suffer through one dress up dinner as a family."
"Awh, Lee…" Phillip whined.
Unwilling to concede defeat, knowing how important this dinner was to his wife, Lee shook his head. "After dinner, you two can split for the video arcade or the movie theatre, but you will join us for dinner."
"I think we might have lost them back at the cabin. I've gone through all my stuff, Lee, I can't find it in my suitcase – really," Phillip answered. "I only brought one and we know it's a formal dinner tonight. You better go without us."
"I suppose you lost yours there, too, Jamie?" Lee asked and was greeted with a nod, but neither boy would make eye contact with him.
Knowing that their dinner seating was only minutes away, he studied the faces of his stepsons. His instincts told him that the boys were bluffing, that the ties were cleverly hidden in their suitcases to get out of the night Amanda had looked forward to for the past few weeks. Glancing at his watch, he grinned; he'd call their bluff.
"I've got a great idea. You still have about ten minutes before dinner. I suggest you both put on your white dress shirts and hurry down to one of the shops and each of you can buy yourself a new tie. Charge it to the room and pay me back when we get home."
"Awwh, Lee…" they both grumbled.
"Hey, you can always go through your luggage one last time," he urged and then winked at them both. "I better get dressed. I don't want to let your mother down."
With that said, he turned and hurried out of the room, chuckling softly.
Leading his wife around the dance floor, Lee twirled and dipped her to the music. Although there were many other couples dancing, he felt like it was just the two of them.
"Are you having a good time?" he asked her when the music came to an end and they walked back to their table, in the corner of the room.
"I'm having a marvelous time. You've made this whole night perfect. After all I ate at dinner, I'm glad we decided to go dancing."
"Would you like something to drink?" the cocktail waitress asked once they were seated.
"How about a glass of wine?" Lee suggested.
"No, not tonight; I'd rather have something to cool me down."
"How about an iced tea?" the waitress asked.
Amanda smiled and nodded. "Yes, that sounds perfect."
"Make those two iced teas," he told the waitress, before she scurried away.
Sitting next to each other at the little round table, Lee put his arm around his wife's shoulder, pulled her to him and kissed her cheek. She turned to face him and kissed him again.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"For what?"
"For everything. Bringing us up to Alaska, being fabulous to the boys, with the fishing and kayaking. Not to mention tonight; you didn't tell me how you did it," she whispered to her husband.
"Did what?"
"Convince the boys to come to dinner? I noticed they found their ties!"
Lee chuckled. "Let's just say I'm getting a little better at this parenting gig," he teased.
The waitress came back to the table with their drinks. Lee signed for them quickly, she conveniently disappeared into the crowd.
Amanda sipped at her drink. "You're an excellent parent. You give them enough slack to enjoy, but not enough to hang themselves. It's a hard game of give and take, but you do it with such ease."
"Amanda, I'm only following your lead. Besides, I've been enjoying this vacation. I like showing the boys new things, like kayaking and whitewater rafting."
"You forgot the panning for gold."
"I thought you enjoyed that, considering you found more gold than the three of us combined."
"That was kind of fun," she acknowledged with a bright smile.
"You've been a real trooper through this all. You might not always like what we've been doing, but you gave it a try anyway. That's what I reminded your sons this evening."
"Ahh, the guilt route!" she chuckled.
Shrugging, he nodded. "It worked. You enjoyed dinner, they loved dessert."
"They did. Cherries Jubilee is a real crowd pleaser," she commented, drinking more of her tea.
"Tasted pretty good, too."
The band started to play again. Amanda and Lee sat it out and listened to the music. Enjoying the ambiance and the closeness they were sharing. It had been such a long time since they'd been alone, together.
Glancing at his watch, he noticed it was almost midnight. Knowing the boys were expected to be in their room by then, he thought she'd want to go back to their cabin. "Did you want to call it a night? We haven't seen the Phillip and Jamie since dinner. Maybe we should go check on them?"
"No, I think they're responsible enough to get back to their cabin by midnight. The movie they wanted to see ended at eleven. Besides, I'm really enjoying being with you. How about we give them the benefit of the doubt?"
"All right," he conceded, slightly disappointed. Truthfully, he wasn't worried about the boys as much as he wanted her all alone. However, he wanted tonight to be special. Tonight, was her night to enjoy. He wasn't going to rush her back to their cabin; he'd be patient. Playing with her hair, he attempted to distract himself, but the scent of her perfume was rather enchanting.
The band began to play a ballad. The thought of holding her close, cheek to cheek, wouldn't distract him, but certainly enticed him. Lee reached out his hand. "May I have this dance?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
This time on the dance floor, Lee held his wife protectively in his arms, enjoying the feel of his wife's body, tightly knitted to his. Caressing her back with his hands, he resisted the temptation of exploring elsewhere. Instead, he nuzzled his face against hers. He was rewarded with a tender kiss to his cheek. Seeking out her lips again, he closed his eyes and kissed her passionately.
Finally breaking off the kiss, he lightened his hold on her. When the song ended, he tugged on her arm. "It's getting a little warm in here. How about we go take a walk on the deck and cool down?"'
"That sounds nice."
Pulling on his tie a bit, he led her out of the ballroom and out to the deck. The sun had already set, but since they were so far north it was still light outside. The storm that had threatened earlier, had passed; the seas were calmer, although a light breeze was blowing. Lee and Amanda strolled on the deck for a few minutes before they stopped towards the bow and stood at the rail, glancing out at the serene water.
"It's beautiful, isn't it," she noted, watching the ship cut through the water, effortlessly.
"Yes, it is," he answered, but he wasn't watching the scenery around him. His eyes were focused on his lovely wife. Her hair was dancing in the breeze, her cheeks tinged with color from the coolness in the evening air.
"I'd like to come back up here in the winter and see the Aurora Borealis."
"Maybe tomorrow," he answered, not really listening to her. Instead, he was thinking about how he wanted to touch her, kiss her and make love to her.
"What about a trip to the moon, too?" she suggested, turning towards him and waiting for a reply.
"I'm sorry; where did you want to go?" he asked, unexpectedly flustered.
"Your mind's elsewhere all of a sudden," she commented and glanced around, looking to see what had caught his attention.
Not being able to hold back any longer, he captured her lips with his. His tongue gently pressing on her lips, seeking permission to enter. She allowed him access and his hands pulled her closer to him. Leaning against the rail to steady them, his hands explored her back freely. Despite the coolness of the breeze, Lee's temperature was rising.
"Amanda, let's go back to our cabin." The thickness of desire was ever present in his voice. Not waiting for her to answer, he reached around her back and guided her closely to him.
When they reached their cabin, Lee opened the door to their room, flicking on the light. Knowing she'd want to check to make sure the boys were in their cabin, he decided to look in on them himself. He didn't want any interruptions; not now. "I'll check on the boys and I'll be right in."
"All right," she replied before disappearing into their room.
Lee slipped into the boys' cabin, silently. Switching on a light in the bathroom, not wanting to disturb them, he was thankful to find both of his stepsons were asleep. Turning the light off, he padded out of the room and went back into his.
"Thank you for the flowers," she remarked, nodding to the bouquet that greeted her on their nightstand. "They're beautiful."
"Not nearly as beautiful as you."
"Everything all right next door?" she nodded, while she was removing her pantyhose.
"They're both asleep," he reported, as he spied her with desire.
"Good. Can you unzip me?"
"Gladly," he responded huskily. Carefully, he unzipped her dress and allowed it to drop to the floor. His hands reached for her waist and glided up her body, caressing her softly. His lips brushed her neck and left a series of tantalizing kisses down to her collarbone. Turning her to face him, their lips met once again with a demanding kiss.
Breaking away from him, breathless, her eyes glanced up at him and smiled. "Lee, I packed a negligee. Give me a couple minutes and I'll put it on."
"Save it," he responded urgently, his lips meeting hers again, his desire too strong; he couldn't wait any longer. "It'll just get in the way. Wear it tomorrow night. I want you so badly – right now. I've made love to you a dozen times in my thoughts this evening, Amanda."
"I thought you were a little distracted at times tonight."
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. It's been a long time since we…"
"Shhh, it has been too long," she replied, putting her finger to his lips. Reaching to his lapel, she helped him shed his jacket.
Seeing that she was as eager as he was, Lee pulled off his tie and dropped it on the floor and kicked off his shoes. Amanda worked nimbly at the buttons on his dress shirt, and then unbuckled his pants. They joined the pile that now rested on the floor, in their room.
Swiftly, he lifted her up in his arms and carried her to their bed, depositing her gently upon it. Joining her on the bed, he stroked her tenderly, caressing her face, then her breasts. She welcomed his advances, her soft skin, eager for his touch. His eyes savored her lithe body.
"I've missed you, Amanda," his lust filled voice whispered in her ear. His lips brushed across her mouth and pressed softly against hers. His tongue slipped inside her mouth, exploring tentatively at first and then with more urgency. His hands were stroking her delicate skin, touching her in places that he knew would arouse her. For a moment, he hesitated, wondering if he was going too fast. They hadn't been together for weeks.
"Lee, please don't stop," Amanda whispered, insistently. "Make love to me."
Reassured by her request, his lips touched hers again, devouring them passionately, then as she groaned in pleasure, he nipped at her neck. "I love you so much, Amanda Stetson."
As Amanda returned his kisses, she gasped out as well. "I love you, Lee Stetson…"
Reaching over and turning down the light, they continued what would be a pleasurable night of lovemaking…
End Part Eleven
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