Chapter 26-Take Off Your Belt

"Double Agent"

Amanda had been a nervous wreck all day since seeing Arlene Francis' show and was now even more anxious as Lee's statement about giving her a new identity ran through her head. She hesitated for a moment before she took a deep breath. Just do it, Amanda, she told herself. "Lee, I was thinking..."

"Now what?" he snapped in irritation, not directed at her, but at the whole situation, the idea that she might have to be relocated, tearing at his heart.

"Well, you're probably in that book too, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I suppose," Lee said that thought not having occurred to him as he was so worried about losing her.

"Well, if you are, then they would probably have to give you a new identity and relocate you too, wouldn't they?" A ridiculous thought occurred to her as she wondered if it wouldn't be possible to relocate them together. Did they ever do that with partners? No, that's silly, she chided herself. That would defeat the whole purpose, but she couldn't help the pang of sadness sweeping through her at the idea that she might never see each other again.

"Yeah, probably. So?" he said gruffly as he tried to hide his inner turmoil at that thought, the thought of never seeing her again.

"Well, we wouldn't get to see each other again, I guess," Amanda said with a small half-smile as she tried to gauge how he felt about the situation.

"Yeah," Lee said in a shaky voice, turning from her, as he could no longer stand the fake smile belying the pain in her eyes that mirrored his own. "Yeah, I guess not." Could she be thinking the same thing that he was? He had to know. He turned back to her, fixing her with a steely gaze and said, "Why?" with a hopeful half-smile.

"Just thinking," Amanda said with a slight nod and another halfhearted smile at not getting the response she wanted from him. She turned from him and sighed deeply.

An awkward moment passed between them, Lee's Porsche filled with unspoken tension until they both stammered nervously about getting in there to talk to Harriman.

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Dotty gaped at her daughter and said, "Amanda, could I see you in the kitchen for a minute?" Amanda nodded. The two women made their way from the living room to the den. Once settles on the sofa, Dotty said, "Amanda.'

"Yes, Mother?"Amanda replied.

"This is the first time in modern history that you have let those boys stay up past their bedtime, especially on a school night. Now, what is going on?"

"Nothing's going on, Mother," Amanda lied with a shake of her head.

Dotty sighed at her daughter's obvious attempt a hiding whatever it was she was trying to hide. "Amanda, did I ask you embarrassing questions about why it took you six hours to go to the drugstore to buy some aspirin?" She no longer believed that her daughter had been suffering from a headache after the way she'd disappeared. In fact, she thought just the opposite, that her gentleman friend was not likely to hear her using the "I've got a headache" excuse.

"No, Mother," Amanda answered.

"And what about that outrageous tale about how you got your sweater ruined at a mud-wrestling bar?"

"Oh, Mother, that's the truth," Amanda said quickly. When her mother looked at her disbelievingly, she continued, "Now, the film company that I work for, IFF, wants to buy a book and the contact was at this...bar."

"A mud-wrestling bar?" Dotty said impatiently.

"Well, Mother, you know how crazy those movie people are," Amanda said.

Dotty shook her head. "Crazy movie people" was not going to get her daughter off the hook. Dotty folded her arms across her chest and said, "Amanda, what is the problem?" She couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't crazy movie people her daughter was worried about, but one crazy movie person.

"Mother, have you ever thought about living someplace else?" Amanda said trying to sound upbeat as she attempted to prep her mother for the fact that they might have to be relocated for their safety.

"Yes, sure," Dotty said wondering where she was going with this? Had her man finally decided that he was ready to settle down and Amanda was struggling with making a decision as she had with Dean? "In fact, just the other day, I saw this wonderful English Tudor right over on-"

Amanda's voice overlapped her mother's as she said, "No, no, no, I mean...maybe...I don't know...another part of the country, you know?" She then spied the globe on the coffee table, pointed to it and said, "California, maybe. "It's nice there all year. It never gets cold. Or...uh...maybe if you'd like something a little slower-paced and less hectic, well, how about...um Idaho, someplace like that?"

This time it was Dotty's voice overlapping Amanda's. "Amanda..." When her daughter's ramble stopped, she said, "Amanda, have you taken leave of your senses? I mean, how could you even consider such a thing in the middle of the school year?" When Amanda just nodded, she said, "You know, you have been acting very strange since your last visit to Dr. Goodman last..." she paused and a worried look crossed her face. "Is it something serious?"

"Is what serious?" Amanda asked worriedly hoping that her very observant mother hadn't begun to put the pieces together. After all, she watched the same show that she had.

"The diagnosis, Dr. Goodman's," Dotty demanded irritated by her daughter acting obtuse.

"Mother, no, I'm not sick. I just thought maybe a little change in our lives..."

"Amanda, you have never welcomed change in your entire life," Dotty fired back.

"That doesn't mean I'm sick," Amanda said. Dotty was about to reply when they were interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing. Amanda immediately jumped up and said, "I'll get it," but her mother held up a hand to stop her.

After Amanda had spent less than a minute on the phone and then went rushing out again, using the headache excuse again, Dotty said to herself. "I think I will call Dr. Goodman." Her daughter's strange behavior had put another thought in her mind to go along with the idea that she was struggling with the idea of settling down with her mystery man. Maybe the reason she was struggling with it was because she'd found out on her last appointment that she was expecting and maybe that was the only reason that the man was willing to marry her. Or worse, she thought. Maybe he wasn't willing to take responsibility and her desire to move away was to get away from him.

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After a minute or so of debating with Amanda repeatedly telling him to take his belt off and her finally explaining why, Lee leaned slightly pushing his hips her direction. "All right, here," he growled. "All right, come on."

"I have to take it..." her voice trailed off as she thought of all the times she'd done that under different circumstances.

"Yes, you have to..." he stopped as well, memories flooding through him of how many times she'd savagely stripped him of his belt.

After some awkward one-handed fumbling, including an accidental move of her hand in the wrong place causing Lee to twitch, she finally succeeded in removing his belt and freeing them from the nearing flames, but note the flames of desire building between them as both knew instinctively what the other was thinking, but there was no time for that now.

Once the bad guys were in the hands of the local PD, Lee and Amanda had a good chuckle over the ruins of the fake money. "Oh, Amanda," he said with a good-natured laugh at her comment about it. He reached for her hand a pulled them both to their feet. The simple contact jolted both of them. While the building's fire may have been put out, the building fire between them had not been. Lee glanced around and used his grip on Amanda's hand to pull her back into the building through a door on the opposite side of where firefighters were poking though through the debris.

"Lee," Amanda whispered as adrenaline still pumped through her, combined with the fears she'd had that she may no longer have him in her life and the ever-present desire and overwhelming love she had for him. She knew without him saying a word, just why he'd pulled her in here.

Lee found a spot hidden by barrels and boxes where they'd have a moment of privacy, pressed her against the wall, nuzzled her neck lightly and whispered in her ear, "Take your belt off."

"All right, here," she said in a low voice as she pushed her hips against him.

"I have to take it..." He said with a mischievous grin.

"Yes, you have to," she whispered back, both of them keeping their voices low so as not to be heard by the firefighters on the other side of the building.

Lee complied, not only loosening her belt, but her pants as well, quickly slipping his hand inside to touch her. Amanda bit down on her lip to keep from crying out at the contact, excitement racing through her at his touch, but also at the idea that they could be caught at any moment. They were far away from the damage done by the fire, but all it would take would be for one person to hear them to send the local blues of the fire department their way.

"Amanda," Lee whispered as he worked loose the buttons on her blouse, lowering his mouth to the exposed skin there while he continued to stroke her and slipped one finger into her. "God, you're already wet," he murmured against her skin.

"For you, only for you," she whispered back, then clamping her mouth shut and biting down on her lower lip to keep herself from crying out at the pleasure he was giving her. She reached for the button on his pants, quickly opening it, followed by his zipper. She was not content with him just touching her. She needed to feel him inside her, filling her again. This book fiasco had caused her to come so close to losing him forever, she wanted to savor every moment she could with him.

"OH," Lee groaned involuntarily as Amanda touched him through he thin material of his boxers. He needed her so badly and the fact that Harriman's exposé could have taken her away from him bothered him more than he liked to admit. He knew the job was dangerous and that she could be hurt in the line of duty, which was why he worked so hard to protect her and keep her out of the more hazardous side of it, but something like this that they hadn't expected, had completely thrown him for a loop. Pausing in his actions, he pushed back from her long enough to push her pants and underwear down.

"Wait," she said softly as she stepped out of her heels, followed by her pants, then reached to push his boxers down as well, not wanting to wait another minute to have him again.

"I need you," Lee said hoarsely as he cupped her face and looked into her eyes to see them filled with the same need that he knew was in his own.

"I know," she answered as she clasped one hand behind his head to pull him back to her.

Lee followed her lead, joining his mouth with hers as he lifted her leg to his hip to join their bodies as well, pushing her back up against the wall as he pushed into her slowly, their mutual cries of pleasure muffled by their kisses. Amanda clutched his butt tightly with her free hand to urge him on. While the pace had begun slowly, their unspoken love for each other fueled their desire, causing it to escalate quickly, both knowing what the other couldn't out into words as they gripped each other tightly. Lee pushed into her harder and faster, while Amanda, bracing her back against the wall pushed against him while she tugged on his rear to keep him driving into her. Their need for each other and the fact that they knew they could be caught any time, kept them both going at a furious pace. Lee, feeling that he was about to lose it without taking her with him, squeezed his free hand between them to stroke her just as furiously until he felt her clenching around him, swallowing her muffled cries with his mouth on hers as he erupted inside her. He had to brace one hand on the wall behind her to steady himself as his legs nearly buckled with the force of his climax as he moaned into her mouth, his shaking finally too much as he collapsed to hard concrete floor, his grip on her hip pulling her with him. They lay there for a moment, panting and gasping for breath sharing heated kisses, clinging to each other as if they'd never have another moment like this.

Lee broke their kiss, cupped her face in his, let out a deep sigh and said, "We have got to stop doing this."

"What?" Amanda said startled, as she pulled out of his embrace, rose and reached for her underwear and pants, quickly pulled them back on, and then straightened her blouse. She turned away from his as she stepped back into her heels, trying to keep tears of disappointment from forming.

"Amanda, don't," Lee growled as he got to his feet and pulled up his own pants, knowing by her reaction that she'd misunderstood him. He placed his hands on her shoulders and was startled himself when she flinched under his touch.

"No, it's okay, Lee," she said softly as she pulled away from him. "I've heard all the talk. I know that you always eventually get tired of any women you're with. "To be honest, from all the rumors I've heard, I'm amazed that this thing between us has already lasted more than a year."

Lee sighed in frustration, clasped her arm and turned her to face him. "Amanda, listen to me. I didn't mean it the way that it sounded, that I wanted to stop this...this...whatever this thing is between us. God, I can't put into words how much I love making love to you." He swallowed hard, trying not to let his feelings get the better of him. "I just meant the way things always seem to happen. It always seems to be some weird place when we're both hopped up on adrenaline or scared we're about to die. Just once, I'd like to do this the normal way. Just once, I'd like to have you in my bed, to spend a whole night with you. Look at what just happened." He gestured to the floor they'd just risen from. "I'm going to have a major bruise on my ass now."

Amanda couldn't help but laugh at his words and said, "Yeah, I bet you are." Her laughter subsided as the seriousness of his earlier words had an impact. "As for spending a whole night together, as nice as that idea sounds, I don't think it would be a good idea. I mean, we keep calling our...um...encounters...a...a...thing, but what is it really? Are we friend? Lovers? Are we in a...a relationship? Am I your...your...girlfriend?" she said her voice tinged with hope.

Lee ran a hand through his hair, knowing how he thought of it, but not ready to admit it to her because that would open a can of worms he wasn't ready to open because that would in turn open him up to the potential of facing another devastating loss. Instead, he said, "I don't know. I don't know, okay? I do know that we're friends and obviously we've become lovers many times over." He sighed again when she looked at him expectantly. "Look, why do we have to put a label on it at all? Why can't we just enjoy if for what it is? Two people with an intense attraction to each who use that attraction to give each other what we both need."

"Ah," Amanda said dejectedly.

"Come on, Amanda, you can't tell me that you haven't wanted this or enjoyed this just as much as I have."

"Oh, no, you're right, I have. I...I just...um...I'm starting to feel as if I'm just another name in your black book," Amanda said.

"No, Amanda, you're not. In fact, your name's not even in my black book. You...you mean so much more to me than that. "Aw, hell, I don't know what to call it either. I just know that you're the only woman that I've been to bed with in over a year, since that first time in the helicopter. Well, if you can call it that since we've never actually made it to a bed."

"Oh?"Amanda said curiously, not quite believing her ears.

"Yeah, there I said it. Are you happy now? It's not for lack of trying either. I've been on a lot of dates since then, but every time things started heating up, I just kept thinking of you and I...I couldn't go through with it." He sighed again and said, "But you can't say the same, can you?"

"What? How can you ask me that? Do you really think that I'm the type to sleep around? Like you just said, I'm not one of the names in your black book."

"Oh?" he asked with an arched eyebrow, "Then what about Don?"

"Lee, you know very well that his name is Dean and that part of my relationship was over with him after that first time in the helicopter too."

"You mean you never...? After me, I mean?"

"No, he...he tried, but I...I just couldn't. I mean, every time he touched me, I...I just kept thinking of you too."

"Hmmm, so...uh...if we're both...you know, thinking of each other when we're with...other people where does that leave us?"

"I...Um...I wish I knew," Amanda said.

Before their conversation could continue, they were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. "Let's get the hell out of here," Lee said reaching for her hand and pulling her behind him out of the building as both of their minds raced furiously over the possibilities.