9. Love birds

When Amanda and Lee arrived back at the campsite where the boys were, it took a while for them to locate Philip and Jamie. They seemed to have assimilated easily with the group and when they spotted their mother and 'father', they ran over to them excitedly to let them know they were invited to cook their own lunch over the fire with the other children.

"Can we? Can we, mom? They only ask for five dollars each."

"Oh. Well, that sounds like a lot of fun!" Amanda said. Of course she was alright with it, and she quickly got out her wallet to hand Philip a 10 dollar bill. Then the boys were off again to join their new friends around the fire. She was glad that the boys were having such a great time.

"Looks like it's the three of us then," she added, turning to Lee.

Lee was looking around to see if he'd spot Dotty and Amanda did the same.

"She'll be here soon, I'm sure," Amanda said. "Let's go and find a nice spot for our blanket. I was thinking over there, near the trees. We've been in the sun long enough."

Lee followed her lead, retrieving their picnic basket and cooler and finding a nice spot underneath a tree, close enough that they would be able to see some of the activity around the campfire, but far enough away for some privacy. Amanda didn't want the boys to think she didn't trust them to be on their own, but she wanted to stay close by just the same, in case they needed her or their grandmother.

She spotted her mother then, still accompanied by Alfred, and they were walking arm in arm. Amanda and Lee had just finished draping the picnic blanket on the ground and Amanda waved at her mother, trying to get her attention.

"Mother! Over here!" she shouted, and then Dotty steered Alfred in their direction.

Once the older couple had reached their picnic spot, Alfred spoke up. Amanda was pleased to find out that he wasn't someone who let her mother walk all over him, but he was actually interested in spending time with her.

"Young lady, I hope you don't mind but I would like to steal your mother away for a bit longer. I'd like her to join me and my son for lunch. He's alone here, you see. The girls will be making their own lunch over the fire and I'm sure the two of you wouldn't mind getting rid of the third wheel here."

The man winked at Amanda and Dotty huffed, punching Alfred in the ribs with her elbow, but Amanda could tell she was very flattered and appreciated his sense of humor as well.

"Oh yes, we'll be fine. Won't we darling?" she asked, turning to Lee.

"Yes, yes. We'll be fine. A little private time will be good for us," Lee confirmed, staying in character.

"Splendid!" Alfred exclaimed. "Let's go, Dorothea, and leave these two love birds alone."

Dotty smiled widely and looped her arm through Alfred's arm again. She looked over her shoulder as they walked off and told them,

"Enjoy your lunch, love birds."

Amanda shook her head at her mother's antics. She was really milking their covers today. But Amanda wasn't sure what to do with the butterflies in her stomach when she glanced at her companion. She focused on their lunch, digging through the picnic basket she had prepared to set all the items out on their blanket while Lee got their sandwiches and some cool fruits from the cooler. Once their lunch was sitting between them, they moved the basket and the cooler off the blanket so they would have room to stretch out after eating.

They ate quietly for a while and Amanda smiled when Lee praised her sandwiches, like he had done several times before and bit her lip when he reached out to catch a drop of mayo from the corner of her mouth.

"Always the gentleman," she joked, trying to quell her nerves with a little humor.

"It's what a husband does," Lee stated with a little shrug and a radiant smile.

His smile made her stomach clench and she quickly looked away, until she spotted Nancy and Buck over Lee's shoulder. Her eyes connected with his instantly, shock evident in them.

"What?" Lee asked, but when he wanted to look over his shoulder, she quickly put a hand on his arm to stop him. She made herself smaller until she was leaning sideways on one arm, her half-eaten sandwich still clutched in her other hand.

"Nancy and Buck," she half-whispered, half-mouthed at him while hiding her face from the other couple's view.

Recognition dawned in his eyes and then a devilish gleam appeared in them.

"Wanna scare them off?" he asked and she knew what he meant.

He mimicked her, leaning sideways on one arm while facing her, and then moving in to tuck one of her unruly curls behind her ear. Amanda felt her face flush but she wasn't going to break their cover. The fact that she was nervous about kissing Lee again wasn't going to stop her. She put her sandwich down between them and reached for his face, pretending to be wiping something off his cheek and then his shoulder. It felt nice to touch him and it wasn't like she had never touched him before, but there was something in the air that made her incredibly aware of every little detail. The warmth of his hand against her cheek, the slight trembling of the corner of his mouth and his beautiful, beautiful brown eyes, that closed just before his lips touched hers, ever so softly. She couldn't suppress a small moan and she leaned into him, holding onto his shoulder for balance while reciprocating the tender kiss.

It was different this time. Gentle, even a bit tentative, as if they were both exploring slowly instead of just diving in to play their part. Lee nipped her lower lip and Amanda sighed before doing the same to his upper lip, and then they were kissing fully but still tenderly. There was no rush at all and Nancy and Buck were completely forgotten for the moment. Amanda felt like they were breathing the same air, with no need to stop to take a breath. Lee's thumb was caressing her cheek gently, his other fingers wrapping around her neck to keep her close to him while he tilted his head slightly and began coaxing her lips to let him in.

"Lee," Amanda sighed and when Lee hummed, the sensuality of the moment coursed through her body.

She opened her mouth and Lee dove in, his tongue finding hers again. It was Lee who moaned softly then and that sound of pleasure gave Amanda the confidence to intensify their kiss. Before she realized what was happening, Lee had grabbed her around her torso and was draping her on the blanket, never breaking their intimate kiss. When he pulled away to look at her, making sure she was still okay with what was happening, she smiled up at him. She could see the desire in his eyes and it made her heart skip several beats.

"Get back here," she whispered boldly and she didn't need to tell him twice.

If it hadn't been for several lunch items between them on the blanket, Amanda would have pulled him flush against her. For now, she would have to make do with just his arms and chest. Lee was leaning over her diagonally, kissing her deeply once more while bracing himself on his elbows. Amanda snaked her arms around his upper body and caressed his back while Lee was ravaging her mouth. They were both moaning softly now and when they finally came up for air, they stared at each other in wonder, neither of them knowing what to say or what to do next.

It was Lee who finally found his voice again, and he asked her,

"Did they take the hint?"

Amanda rolled her head to the side so she could peek at the campfire and the other people having lunch around them.

"Yes. They're sitting with another couple," she said quietly, hoping her voice wasn't trembling too much.

"Great."

She looked up at Lee again and thought he looked adorably flushed. He moved to the side when she began pushing herself up from the blanket and she spotted her half-eaten sandwich. It was as good a distraction as any, so she said,

"Oh good, you didn't squash it."

Lee looked down and picked up the sandwich to hand it to her. He cleared his throat and Amanda wondered what was making him uncomfortable. Was he feeling the same things she was, or was it the opposite and did he simply not know what to make of her response to him? But he had initiated every move as much as she had. She was still shaking inside from how he had made her feel just now. Was he feeling that too?

She took another bite of her sandwich while Lee grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and drank a few sips. He scooted up the blanket and was trying to get comfortable leaning back against the tree they were under. Amanda did the same until they were sitting side by side, close together. They were a married couple after all, who had just been making out. Lee lifted his arm and draped it around her shoulders, and Amanda scooted closer to him. It was a natural move for a married couple. To her surprise, Lee pressed a kiss on her temple and when she looked up at him, he just gave her a lopsided smile.

"What are you thinking, Lee?" Amanda asked him quietly.

"I just want you to be okay," Lee told her.

"Aww, Lee. Why wouldn't I be okay? As long as I'm with you, I'm always okay."

Before Amanda could worry if she'd said too much, she saw the tender look in Lee's eyes.

"Still, huh?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah. Still," she confirmed softly.

Lee pulled her a little closer to him and said sincerely,

"I'm glad."

…

Lee wondered if he would ever get used to the innocent, honest way Amanda would just blurt out things, like she had just now. As long as I'm with you, I'm always okay.
She'd said things like that to him before, and he had usually attributed it to her almost childlike admiration for his profession as a spy. It stroked his ego, he wouldn't deny that, but right now he knew her words meant more than that. She had been passionate and had ignited a fire inside him he hadn't known could ever burn for a woman like Amanda. He wanted more - a lot more; and that made him worry suddenly. He would never want to hurt Amanda. He didn't want her to be just another entry in his black book - and he knew that wasn't what Amanda would want either. She was far too serious for that and had high moral standards. Once again, he thought she was too good for him - for a man like him. What did he have to offer her in the end? She wanted stability for herself and her boys. How could he ever give her that, considering the line of business he was in?

Then again, she was in that very same line of business now too, and something major had changed recently. Her family knew. He wouldn't have to sneak around anymore to see her, hiding in her backyard and waiting to knock on her kitchen window until Dotty had left the room. He would just be able to come in now and talk to Amanda and her family. If they could ever go back home, that is.

He felt Amanda snuggle a little closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder, and when he looked at her he saw she had closed her eyes. She was relaxing and it filled him with a sense of pride that she was, indeed, so comfortable with him. As long as she was with him, she was okay. He rubbed his cheek against her forehead gently and when Amanda sighed contently, he breathed out slowly. He wished he could embrace this moment as easily as Amanda seemed to be doing. Her hand had dropped to his thigh and he looked at her slender fingers, resting so completely relaxed against him. That same hand had held onto him for dear life earlier, trying to get even closer to him. Amanda King was a lot stronger than she looked, both physically and mentally. If anyone could teach him what it took to make a real relationship work, it was her.

And he wanted it.

It was suddenly so clear to him.

He already knew that he cared about Amanda as a person. He had started to care about her even before he was ready to admit it. But he hadn't wanted her as a woman yet back then. All he had wanted to do was protect her; her and her children. They had to be alright, no matter what. He had cared deeply about their wellbeing, almost as if they were his own family. It was all beginning to make sense to him now. Because now he finally realized that he did want Amanda as a woman as well. And that attraction as well as this deep need to make sure she was safe, those were the ingredients of - dare he say it - love. He would always want to protect her and make sure she was alright - because he loved her. The thought made him hot and cold simultaneously inside and he shivered a bit.

Amanda lifted her head and looked at him, her dark eyes perusing his hazel ones for a clue what he was thinking now. She was pulling him in with her openness and genuine caring. But he saw more now, now that he had opened his eyes. He saw her beauty, both on the inside and the outside. And he saw a sensuality he hadn't seen before; he must have been afraid to see it because it was impossible to miss now. He took a deep breath then and made a decision. He was diving in head first. All or nothing. He reached up to cup her cheek, leaned in and kissed her deeply once again.

…

Amanda knew it wasn't Lee Dunkirk kissing his wife of fourteen years this time. This was most definitely Lee Stetson. Her friend, her work partner and the man she had fallen in love with. Her body responded to him automatically, her arm wrapping around his neck and her upper body turning into him to get closer to him. His lips were soft but strong and his kiss was deep and hungry. They hummed in unison when Lee's arms snaked around her until her chest was pressed up against his. Lee held her close with one arm while his other hand found its way down her back until he was cupping her butt. Amanda felt tingly all over and reciprocated Lee's hungry kisses eagerly. There was no mistaking what was happening between them now; they weren't acting anymore. Maybe they never had been.

Lee had awoken something in her that had been dormant for a long time. None of her recent dates had come close and not even Dean had made her feel quite like this, and he had tried. Amanda had already admitted to herself that she was attracted to Lee but the pure want that was coursing through her veins right now shocked even her. If they had been alone somewhere and Lee had wanted to take things further, she didn't know if she would have been able to resist. It wouldn't even have been a matter of resisting him, but of stopping herself from getting carried away. Feeling his warm hands explore her body over her clothes wasn't enough. She wanted more. A lot more.

When they broke apart they were both breathing heavily and Amanda stared at Lee with wide eyes of wonder. Lee bit his lip but couldn't suppress a smile, which in turn made her smile as well. Soon they were both grinning like fools and when Lee rested his forehead against hers, Amanda closed her eyes to take in the moment. Her arms were still wrapped around Lee's neck and she didn't want to let go, and Lee didn't seem very eager to let go of her either.

Gradually, the sounds around them filtered back into their little cocoon and the sound of children's voices pulled her out of her reverie. She opened her eyes to see if her sons were still engrossed in their group activities. Lee seemed to take the hint and released his grip on her to look around as well. They saw that several of the other parents and grandparents had finished their lunch and were walking around again or looking for another activity to join.

"Maybe we should uh …" Lee started.

"Yeah. Maybe we should."

"Will your mother be alright?"

"I'm sure she will be."

They let go of each other and straightened out their clothes, and then pulled the camp site leaflet from Amanda's bag to see what else they could do while the boys were being entertained.

…

To be continued.

A/N: I hope this was worth the wait ... I'll try to add more soon!