Author's Note: So, in this one, upon re-viewing the episode, in the scene when Penny was talking about Amanda having some fun with Lee, I noticed that Amanda was no longer wearing the cast and was sitting in her stocking feet, so I decided to use that little tidbit to my advantage. This one ended up being a bit longer than the previous chapters because there was so much that I wanted to include in it. I also added a tiny bit more dialogue in the tag scene.

Chapter 7-Better Without the Sexy Nightgown

"Always Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth"

"He's kinda' cute," Penny told Amanda in a bit of a suggestive tone.

"Who?"Amanda questioned with an arched eyebrow.

"That agent, Mr. Stetson, the one in charge of security," Penny answered as she sat across from her new friend. She nodded in Lee's direction with a smile at Amanda.

"Oh, him," Amanda answered noncommittally, but still with a slight smile on her face, which was tinged with just a bit of irritation due to the fact that Lee kept insisting that she act as if they were strangers. Surely Penny wasn't suggesting what she thought she was suggesting. It was bad enough that she had her mother playing matchmaker at home and trying to get her to make a real commitment to Dean, a man who was so yawn-worthy that she always knew she could call him if she were having trouble sleeping.

'Yeah, him," Penny responded in an even more salacious tone. "Yeah, I...Um..noticed he doesn't have a wedding ring on." She gave Amanda a "Go for it" look.

Oh, yes, she is, Amanda thought as she rolled her eyes. "Oh, no, no, I could never get involved with anybody in that line of work." She was unwilling to admit that she was involved with him, more deeply than she cared to admit. Of course, she really couldn't since she and Lee weren't even supposed to know one another on this assignment and Penny wasn't supposed to know that she even worked for The Agency. She felt a little wave of guilt wash over her at that thought. Penny considered her a friend and she was lying to her, pretending that she was just here as a friend. Of course, she was here as a friend, but she was using her new-found friendship with the princess to spy on her in an attempt to flush out whoever it was that was trying to assassinate her husband. "That's...that's too dangerous," she stammered. She knew that it wasn't just the danger of the job that she was worried about. The danger of being close to him, being intimate with him...it was incredibly easy for her to be drawn in by those twinkling hazel eyes, those adorable dimples and...oh, yeah...his incredible body.

"Sometimes dangerous can be fun," Penny countered with a mirthful glint in her eyes as she tried to encourage Amanda to take a chance.

"Sometimes dangerous can be dangerous," Amanda replied, thinking of all the times she'd found herself locked in Lee's arms, his penetrating eyes on hers while he did things to her that made her feel things she'd never felt before. Even though she knew it wasn't true, sometimes when they were together, he made her feel as if she were the only woman in the world for him. It was for sure that he had made her feel more alive than she ever had, even when they were faced with death.

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Amanda and Penny laughed together, "Oh, Amanda, Do you know I didn't even think to pack a sexy nightgown?" Penny mused with a slight chuckle.

"It could be better without the sexy nightgown," Amanda responded with a laugh. She was glad to see her friend laughing as well. The moment didn't last thought because her smile soon faded though once she saw Lee's head popping up at the window.

The change in mood didn't go unnoticed by the very keen princess either. At seeing the shift in Amanda's facial expression, Penny turned and caught sight of him at the window before he ducked out of her view, "Oh-ho!' she crowed with a bright smile to Amanda as she peered out the window at Lee's retreating form.

"Oh, no," Amanda protested with a chagrined look on her face. "This is not an Oh-ho."

"No?"

"Uh-uh, no, no, I don't know what that man wants," Amanda denied, feeling another tiny wave of guilt and a huge surge of annoyance at her partner. What the hell was he thinking? For a secret agent with more than ten years experience, as he liked to remind her, surely he could have been a little stealthier than that.

"No?"

"No," Amanda stated firmly, though over the past few weeks, she'd learned of a few things he wanted, mostly involving getting her naked and panting out his name. She let out a little shudder as the memories of their encounters came unbidden to her mind.

"Does...uh...honeysuckle and moonlight ring a bell?" Penny teased, the salacious look of earlier in the afternoon back on her face.

"Oh, you have a vivid imagination," Amanda denied, though deep down she knew there was nothing Penny's imagination could conjure up more vividly that her own mind had after her experiences with Lee.

"Amanda, it looks like the only fun I'm going to have this weekend is hearing about the fun you are having this weekend," she cheered, urging her on.

"Oh, no," Amanda whimpered and shook her head.

"Would you just please get started and start having some? I'm going to bed," Penny informed her as she walked toward her room. "Just wait a few discreet moments and uh..." she gave Amanda two thumbs up and a big grin, "...give her the gas." She laughed, waved to her and called in a singsong voice, "Good-night."

"Does Princess Di talk like that?"Amanda muttered with a shake of her head before being startled slightly by Lee tapping on the window. "Oh, come in," she snapped in irritation.

"Hi," Lee greeted her with a smile as he entered the room through the large window.

"I thought I was supposed to be undercover," Amanda scolded him as she leaned back in her chair and stared at him coolly.

"You are," Lee confirmed with a nod. "Why, is anything wrong," he asked, his voice tinged with concern as he closed the windows and sat on the arm of the chair across from her.

"Oh, no, no" Amanda retorted sarcastically. "That was a very subtle performance you gave at the window. She thinks we're having an oh-ho-ho,"

"A what?" Lee asked, confusion etched on his face at her phrasing.

"You heard me. She thinks you're cute." Amanda scowled at him for his lack of discretion.

"I am cute," he parried as he flashed her a dimpled grin, amused by her annoyance and by the fact that she still couldn't bring herself to admit that they were indeed having as she put it an "Oh-ho-ho," despite their better judgment.

"Not that cute," Amanda shot back as she tried to deflect the feelings that that adorable smile always stirred in her. She was still mad at him for all but ignoring her and not just on this case. He had been since the night he'd told her that he had carried her out of James Delano's house. The blush that had crept into his face when he'd said it made it seem as if he were embarrassed by it, whereas she thought it was heroic and even a little romantic for him to get her out of there and make sure that she was safe. During this case, he'd been using the excuse that the Princess wasn't supposed to know that she worked for The Agency to keep her at a distance. She didn't see what the big deal was with Penny knowing that they were working together. In fact, she thought that might even make her feel more secure in knowing that there was one more person looking out for her.

Lee sighed, a little irritated at her comment. He shook it off. Why should I care? It's not as if we're a real couple anyway? he thought. But you could be if you'd just tell you that you're crazy about her, he argued with himself.He switched gears and began to talk to her about what he'd learned. During the conversation, the tension between them had eased slightly when he'd uttered his "Yes, Ma'am," in a southern accent and Amanda had responded by doing the same which caused him to smile. When they'd wrapped up their talk about the case and he saw her smiling again, he couldn't help teasing her a little.

"Not that cute, huh?" Lee questioned in a light teasing tone as he slipped from his perch, his grin widening as he approached her and knelt in front of her, his hands resting lightly on her knees.

"NO," she protested and stubbornly folded her arms across her chest as a hot flush crept over her cheeks at the way he was kneeling between her legs. The way that his hands were sliding up her denim-clad thighs was making her squirm. She fixed him with a steely gaze and added pointedly, "You're not that cute at all." Liar, she chided herself. When are you going to admit to yourself that you find him not only cute, but downright irresistible?

"You don't think so?" Lee inquired casually as he tried to hide his bruised feelings, leaned in closer and brushed a soft kiss to her lips as his hands slid further up her body, yanking her blouse from the waistband of her jeans and gently caressing her skin beneath.

Amanda uncrossed her arms, just enough to push on his chest and answered, "No."

Lee captured both of her hands in his to stop her from pushing him away and challenged, "Well, let's just see what I can do to change your mind." He reached both hands behind her to grasp her bottom and pull her to the edge of her chair, one of her legs on each side of him so that she was almost straddling him. He then worked open the buttons of her blouse one by one, kissing each new patch of skin he exposed, until he had it completely opened, he then reached behind her to unhook her bra.

As many times as they'd made love, how could she say he wasn't cute? He could see in her eyes every time she looked at him that she wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her: that she ached for him the same way that he ached for her. His hands tangled in her thick curls as he teased her lips with his tongue, practically begging her to open for him.

"Lee, I said no!" She reminded him bluntly as she pushed more forcefully on his chest.

Lee looked at her, a clearly startled and a bit hurt expression on his face. "I thought you were just saying no to the cute thing." He rose to his feet angrily and snapped, "What the hell is the matter with you?" After all the prior times that she'd given in to him and even one or two when she'd initiated things, why was she saying no to him now? He could see the dark look of desire in her eyes so he knew she still wanted him, so what was it?

"I can't just turn in on and off like you can," Amanda explained coolly as she tried to hide the hurt that his indifference had caused her. She let out a deep sigh once she knew that it was useless and thought, What the hell? Might as well be honest. "The way you've been treating me as if I'm invisible since this case started has really hurt my feelings."

"Amanda, you know that's not personal, right?" She did...didn't she? It's just better if the princess doesn't know you work for us. You can get more information from her that way which makes her safer because it's gets us closer to finding out who's trying to kill the prince. That means contact zero between you and me."

Amanda chuckled sardonically as she indicated her open blouse with a flourish of her hands and asked dryly, "You call this contact zero?"

Lee couldn't help but laugh and responded, "Okay, no, but I couldn't help myself. I do happen to think you're pretty cute." Did I just say that out loud? He'd been trying so hard not to let that show. He covered his chagrin with a devilish smirk as he knelt in front of her again. He leaned in closer and whispered to her, "You sure I can't change your opinion about me?"

When she winced, and he heard her say, "Ow, he stopped and backed up a bit.

"What? What is it," he asked in alarm.

"My ankle," she answered. "You bumped against it when you..."

"Oh, sorry," Lee apologized as he pulled back from her and stood, mentally kicking himself for hurting her. That was the last thing he'd wanted. He couldn't stand to see her hurting. If she only knew how much it had pained him to see her drugged and unconscious at the Delano estate and how much he'd feared for her life in that moment, how he'd even threatened Delano with bodily injury, she'd never again question his feelings for her.

There was a look on his face that she just couldn't quite read. Was it pity? Remorse? Anger? "You know, I should...uh...get to bed anyway. It's...it's...uh...it's getting pretty late," she sputtered awkwardly as she pulled her blouse closed. She was suddenly feeling embarrassed that she'd nearly given into him when she was still mad at him.

Before Amanda could protest further, Lee had swept her into his arms, looked longingly into her eyes and inquired, "Which room is yours?"

The way that Lee was holding her so gently combined with the softened look on his face melted Amanda's resolve and she pointed to the down the hall. "That one." Was her fantasy of him carrying her to bed going to come true? Would they, for once, actually spend a whole night together? No, she argued with herself. Penny was just down the hall and she wasn't supposed to know anything, so how would that look? She couldn't exactly take the risk of Lee being seen exiting her room in the morning, could she? Of course, Penny would probably just brush it off as her "having fun."

"Here we are," Lee crooned as he carried her into her room.

"Yeah, here we are," Amanda replied nervously. When Lee still held her, she added, "So, you...uh...can...uh put me down now."

"Oh, right," Lee heard the disappointment resounding in his own voice as he set her gingerly on her feet, but couldn't bring himself to leave yet, her open blouse was taunting him as he watched her limp to the dresser and open a drawer. "Here, let me help you," he offered as he stepped further into the room and closed the door behind him. He was feeling enormously guilty that he'd hurt her, even if it was unintentional.

"You wanna' help me get dressed for bed," Amanda questioned disbelievingly as she pulled her cotton nightgown from the drawer and then slammed it closed more forcefully than she'd intended to.

"Why not? I've helped you get undressed several times, haven't I?" he teased with an impish grin as he lifted her up to perch on the dresser's surface, and then pulled the nightgown from her hands. "Hmm, is this your idea of a sexy nightgown?"

"Oh, shut up," Amanda frowned as she snatched it from his hand. Once his comment had really sunk in, as a thought dawned on her, a blush crept into her cheeks. "You were listening?"

Lee laughed and replied, "Not intentionally...at first, but then when I hear the two of you talking about sexy nightgowns, I couldn't resist. So...uh...do you think you'll ever wear a sexy nightgown for me?"

"I didn't bring a sexy nightgown," Amanda countered challengingly, but couldn't help flushing at the way he was staring at her so intently. She wondered that herself. Would their relationship, whatever it was, ever progress to the point that she would feel comfortable wearing sexy lingerie for him? She thought for a moment back to Joe and how in the beginning, she'd done so to entice him, but toward the end of their marriage, it had become more of a band-aid in a desperate attempt to fix what couldn't be fixed. She wasn't sure how she felt about sexy nightgowns anymore.

"What else was it you said," Lee teased as he pulled the cotton gown from her hands and dropped it to the floor. He then leaned in closer, nipped at her earlobe and whispered low in her ear, "It could be better without the sexy nightgown?" When she didn't protest this time, he pushed her blouse and cardigan off her shoulders, and then slid her bra down her arms. Mindful of her injured ankle, he spread her legs to stand between them as he captured her lips in a fiery kiss, this time getting the response from her that he'd so desperately wanted earlier.

Amanda moaned against him as his tongue plundered her mouth, as hers began an exploration of its own while her hands travelled up to his chest and tugged at the vest he wore. She pulled her mouth from his as she yanked futilely at the bottom of it and insisted, "You're gonna' have to stop wearing these." She remembered their encounter in the helicopter and how she'd been denied the pleasure of really touching him because of one of these garments. Lee obediently raised his arms over his head to allow her to take it off of him. "They only get in the way."

"I'll remember that," he promised as he stepped out of his dress shoes, while Amanda deftly loosened his tie, pushed his suit jacket to the floor then began working on the buttons on his shirt.

"Good," Amanda nodded as she yanked his shirttails from his pants. "It makes it harder to touch you."

"Just think of it as a challenge," he teased as he helped her by undoing the cuffs and shrugged out of his shirt. Amanda wasted no time in taking full advantage of his now-bare chest. She began running her hands up and down it, relishing the feel of his well-sculpted muscles beneath her fingers.

"While we're on the subject, I think I like you in the long skirts better," Lee told her as he nuzzled her neck while working at the button on her jeans, soon getting it and her zipper open.

"Oh?" she questioned as she sighed at the feel of his lips on her neck and lowered her hands to the front of his pants to caress him through the fabric.

"Mm-hm," he murmured against her soft skin, "less work involved..." He nipped at her pulse point again and added, "And much easier access."

"Oh, well, just think of it as a challenge," she fired his own words back at him with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"You know me, I'm always up for a challenge," Lee replied while thrusting his hips toward her questing hands.

"So, you are," Amanda confirmed, her eyes dancing in excitement as she had finally worked her hand inside his boxers to stroke him in earnest.

"Oh, you are very good at making me that way," Lee responded as he pulled back from her long enough to peel her jeans down her long legs, taking her panties with them. He paused and took great care when he reached her injured ankle. When she was fully exposed to him, he made a move back toward her, but she stopped him again with her hand on his chest.

"Uh-uh," she scolded as she looked down at his half-dressed state, "Yours too." Ever since they'd had their conversation about his legs, she'd wanted to have him completely naked in front of her. "I mean, after all your legs are not bad," she teased with a jovial laugh.

"Oh, are we going there again?" Lee joked with a devilish grin as he kicked his pants aside, his boxers following. "I seem to recall making you change your mind about that." He moved closer to her again and continued, "Now, let me see if I can remember how I did that." He dropped to his knees in front of her, ran his hands up her thighs, his lips following their path as he trailed kisses up the inside of first one, and then the other. He paused when he reached the damp curls between her thighs and mused, "Do you remember?" He looked up at her expectantly.

"Please," she pleaded. The anticipation was killing her, her desire for him was so fierce that she felt as if she'd explode if he didn't start touching her again...and soon

"Was it this," Lee asked as he flicked his tongue out to taste her.

"Yes," Amanda whispered hoarsely, but began whimpering when he stopped.

"Are you sure." He looked back up at her with a daring grin. "Maybe, it was more like this." He placed the softest of kisses to her abdomen with his fingertips just barely skimming the surface of her thighs.

"No, that wasn't it," Amanda scolded him, her voice a ragged whisper. "You were in the right place the first time."

"Oh?" he teased. "Here then?" He then lowered his lips to her center again, this time taking her sensitive nub in his mouth. He suckled it greedily for a moment, causing her to cry out, but then stopped again and gazed up at her. "Was that it?"

"Oh, yes, please don't stop," Amanda whimpered in frustration. "Please...please..."

Lee grinned at her in satisfaction at hearing her beg for him when she'd been making him crazy by trying to push him away. He cupped her bottom, pulled her to edge of the dresser so he would have easier access to resume his task. He was thoroughly enjoying her response as he devoured her with his lips and tongue, taking all of her in his mouth while he slipped a finger into her, stroking her inside while his tongue stroked her outside. As he continued his assault on her, he delighted in hearing her moans of pleasure while her fingers ran through his hair. He took an extreme amount of pleasure in the fact that she held his head there and bucked against him. That told him all that he needed to know about just how much she wanted him there.

"Yes, yes, yes," Amanda cried. She threw her head back and closed her eyes as the sensations washed over her like a tidal wave. She cried out his name, shuddering and gasping for breath as her release hit her hard. She had no time to come down from her high when she felt Lee hands gripping her hips and pushing into her.

"Amanda, look at me," he growled He grasped the back of her neck with one hand while his other was still at her hip. When her eyes fluttered open, he kissed her softly, withdrew from her, and then pushed back into her, watching her eyes the whole time. "Is this what you want?" he demanded as he repeated the movement. When she didn't answer, he did it again. "Tell me, Amanda, do you want me?"

"YES!' she cried. "Yes, I want you." She pushed her hips up against his, hooking her legs behind him.

"Good," Lee stated in smug satisfaction as he began to thrust into her harder and faster, spurred on by her long legs wrapped around him, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly. "Oh, Amanda," he cried. The electricity coursed through his body as he moved against her, driving himself as deep into her as he could until he felt her squeezing him tightly when another climax hit her and he heard her crying out his name repeatedly. "Oh, so good, Amanda, so good," he gasped in stuttering breaths as his own climax ripped through him and he exploded within her, filling her completely. He lavished her face and neck with kisses as the last vestiges of his orgasm subsided. He then glanced briefly in the mirror at his disheveled appearance and couldn't help but chuckle.

"See what I mean?" Amanda teased. "Isn't it better without the sexy nightgown?" She was hoping that she could use that as a reason not to wear one for him. That would be just too...intimate and he still acted as if there were nothing between them except raw physical need. No, if he wanted the sexy nightgown, he'd have to earn it, she decided.

Lee laughed at her attempt at levity as he withdrew from her one final time. While he knew she'd meant it as a joke, it sent a painful stab of jealousy through him at the idea that she'd worn sexy lingerie for her ex. Don't be stupid, he argued with himself. She did have two kids with him, after all. For some reason, though that thought made him feel even worse. "So, you never did answer me. You ever gonna' wear a sexy nightgown for me?"

Great, she thought miserably. So much for that idea. "Well, that kind of thing is usually reserved for couples and we're...we're not..."

"Right," Lee confirmed, but he couldn't help the downheartedness that took him over at hearing those words from her mouth. "But what if-" Lee's question was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Oh, crap," he spat out as he scrambled for his discarded clothes.

Amanda hopped down from the dresser, flinching as she'd momentarily forgotten about her injury. She hobbled to retrieve her fallen nightgown and pulled it quickly over her head, "Just stay out of sight," she hissed at Lee just as Penny's voice was sounding on the other side of the door.

"Amanda, are you okay," Penny called.

Amanda opened the door a crack to face her friend on the other side and said, "Yeah, fine, thanks."

"You sure?" Penny asked with a concerned look etched on her face. "I thought I heard arguing earlier."

"Oh, yeah, that," Amanda said. "Well, that...uh...Mr. Stetson...you know...He...uh...he has a bit of a temper."

Lee glared at her from behind the door as Penny teased, "Sometimes that can be a little fun."

"Oh, no, no, no. No fun," Amanda sputtered as her face flushed again.

"No?" her friend teased.

"No," Amanda stated adamantly.

"Well, I just wanted to check on you. If everything's okay, I'll just go back to bed, but I want to hear all about the fun you didn't have in the morning," Penny insisted with a knowing grin.

"Seeya' in the morning," Amanda replied as she quickly closed the door. She then turned to face Lee and said, "You should...uh..."

"Go," Lee finished for her. "Yeah, you're right, I...uh...should." He hastily got dressed again, and then listened at the door for a moment to make sure the coast was clear before opening it. "So...Uh...I'll..." he gestured out in to the hallway.

"See you tomorrow," Amanda finished for him.

"Right," Lee said.

"Right," Amanda said.

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As Amanda waved good-bye at the retreating vehicle, she answered Lee's question of how she'd explained his presence in her room to the princess, "She thinks we're having a thing."

"A thing," Lee questioned with an amused expression on his face that Amanda still couldn't say the word affair.

"Yes, a thing," Amanda affirmed with a curt nod. "You, me, she thinks we're having a thing."

"Well, aren't we?" Lee parried with a challenging look in his eye, daring her to contradict him.

"Eyes straight ahead, Scarecrow," she fired back.

Lee turned, but couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he thought of his and Amanda's "thing."

.