Chapter 64-Color Me Happily Ever After

"The Boy Who Could Be King"

AN: So, since I didn't put a note on the last one, it seems there was some confusion on the episode order. As with others in this series, I re-ordered them so that they made more sense plot-wise because Lee and Amanda were very cuddly at the end of this episode, but not so much in "Three Little Spies" and I always felt the little kiss at the end of "Dead Men Leave No Trails" should have come just before the big one in "All the World's a Stage." That is the reason for the chapters once again being out of airdate order.

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As he'd learned from Amanda, Lee had been observing King Eddie and his ex-wife throughout this case and couldn't help noticing that there was still a spark there. He stole a glance at Amanda as she watched King Eddie's band on stage, along with "Billy Blue Note," secure in the knowledge that there was no such spark between Amanda and HER ex. That wasn't to say that he hadn't panicked about it when Joe had first returned; he most definitely had and he'd made a huge ass of himself in the process. He was just fortunate that Amanda was such a patient, caring, understanding, and most importantly, forgiving girlfriend. That incident with the lipstick, for example; Any other woman who'd have their boyfriend stand them up, only to find them covered in lipstick, would have immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion and it would have been over, but not Amanda. What had she done instead?

"You have lipstick on your face," Amanda commented.

"What?"

"Lipstick," she repeated as she gestured with two fingers to the smudge on his face.

"Uh...really, it's very innocent...uh.." he sputtered as he made his way up the stairs with her behind him casting a glance back her way trying to gauge just how pissed she was. After all, she'd just let him have it over his failure to pick her up.

"It's okay. It's not your color anyway," she stated blandly keeping her expression neutral. "Go ahead now," she urged him up the stairs, giving him a little swat on the butt with her badge as they went.

He thought for sure he was going to be in the doghouse for a long time over this one. That look on her face was scaring him more than any bomb or bullet ever had. Just when they'd been getting closer, this had to happen. Was it his fault that his contact information had gotten screwed up and landed him in this position? He thought about it all the way up the stairs and down the hall to the Q Bureau wondering just how much and what kind of groveling he was going to have to do to appease her.

He needn't have worried though because as soon as they were in the office, he heard the distinctive click of the deadbolt being thrown behind him and Amanda, who'd somehow managed to pull a wet wipe out of her purse during their journey up the stairs was on him within seconds, wiping the offending smudges away.

"Where did that come from?" he questioned.

"I'm a mom, remember? I keep these," she indicated the wipe in her hand just before tossing it into the wastebasket, "For my boys. With boys, you just never know WHAT they might get into." She gave him a pointed look, then laughed good-naturedly.

Lee breathed a sigh of relief at hearing her laughter and began, "Really, I can explain it all-" but was halted by her lips on his, then trailing kisses along his jaw, to his neck, finding that sensitive spot just above his collarbone that drove him crazy. He closed his eyes and was just about to reach for her when she pulled back and stepped away from him examining him as if she'd never seen him before. "What?" he questioned, startled by her intense scrutiny of him.

She nodded firmly. "Just an experiment, which turned out to just prove my theory." She stepped closer to him again.

"Oh? What theory is that?" he asked her as he slid his hands to her waist.

"Well, my theory was..." she paused as she lightly fingered the new smudge that she'd left on his neck, "...that THIS is much more your color."

"It sure is," he agreed as he pulled her closer and kissed her soundly.

She pulled back from the kiss and inquired with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "So, you said you needed my help with something?"

"It can wait," he responded, his voice low and husky as he dipped his head to capture her lips again, but she'd turned at the last second and his attempt at a kiss had landed on her cheek instead. He let out a frustrated sigh as she wriggled out of his arms and slithered behind the desk.

"Oh, no," she debated with him as she fired up the computer. "If it's about work, I'm sure it can't. Mr. Melrose likes things done promptly. So, if you need my help-"

He skirted the desk and turned the chair around so that she was facing him and leaned over her making sure that she could feel what her machinations had done to him. "Well, there's something much more 'pressing' that I need your help with right now.

Amanda licked her lips in anticipation as she ran one leg along the outside of his and questioned, "What could possibly be more...pressing?"

"I think you know," he responded smugly as he pulled her to her feet and into his arms. He wasted no time in planting a solid kiss to her lips this time, one hand firmly locked behind her head to keep her from getting away again. He used his other hand to cup her bottom, grinding his hips against hers, satisfied when she moaned into his mouth and locked her hands behind his head to deepen their kiss. He lowered his lips to her neck and murmured against her skin. "You're wearing blue again."

"Mm-hmm," she sighed as his lips began to travel down her neck as his body pressed her against the credenza behind the desk. "MY color, according to you."

Lee move his lips down to the exposed patch of skin at her collarbone while he began to unbutton her blouse, but pulled back for a moment to just look at her, taking in her whole appearance, the dark blue of her skirt in contrast to the stark white of her cardigan, the pink tinge of her skin flushed with desire, the deep chocolate of her eyes as they bored into his. "You have more than one color that attracts me."

Amanda's first reply was to grasp his rear to pull him closer; her second to give him a saucy grin. "Just so long as you remember what your color is."

"Can't forget it. It's never off my mind," he countered huskily as he captured her lips again while working his hands under her skirt, elated when he heard her cry out when he found his destination. Again, he pulled back to gaze at her, this time with a questioning look.

Amanda nodded in answer and he needed no further guidance. He quickly lowered her panties and eased away just enough to give her room to step out of them before moving back in, placing one hand at her waist, the other he slowly trailed up her leg to rest on her hip.

Amanda grabbed at him furiously as she tried to free him from his pants, the raw need etched on her beautiful, expressive face, setting him on fire. "OH!" He groaned as he felt her reach her target. "Amanda," he hissed as she stroked him. He moved both hands to reach for her bottom again and eased himself into her, never taking his eyes off of hers.

"Yes!" she cried as she clung to him and wrapped her legs around him.

The sound of her voice and the feeling of being inside her again was more than he could bear. He needed release. He pulled back and plunged into her again harder. When her felt her pushing against him, it only continued spurring him on. He lowered his lips to her neck again, sucking hard on the tender skin, knowing full well how much it fueled her desire as they moved as one. How did he never know that it could be like this, being with just one woman? How was he so blind to have once believed the old cliché of variety being the spice of life? He had all the spice he needed right here in his arms now. "'Manda!" he cried as he felt her muscles clenching around him and heard her cries of release, his own following right behind her.

He leaned against her, breathing heavily in the aftermath of their hurried coupling while she whispered how good he made her feel, his heart soaring at hearing those words, her raspy voice soothing him as it always did when he came down from this kind of high.

Lee was sharply brought back to the present by her low voice beside him saying, "I have a feeling everyone's gonna' live happily ever after."

He smiled affectionately at her, one arm draped around her with his other hand was clasped between both of hers while they idly toyed with one another's fingers. "You know, I have a feeling you're right," he responded with a pointed look, immensely pleased to see the happiness showing on her face at his response. He knew one thing was certain, he couldn't wait to start his happily ever after with her...soon.