Chapter 17

Amanda moved the backpack off the bed and folded the comforter down. Lee watched her as he removed his shoes and belt. Walking across the room to her overnight bag she took a condom out of the box her mother had given her. She held it up and teased, "One for one… A t shirt for …"

Lee stopped her laughing, "Oh, so now your bargaining with me for sex. Hmm, Mrs. Stetson, you make an interesting proposition. BUT…. what if I refuse?"

"Well then, you will be sleeping beside your naked wife but you can't touch her," she said firmly, trying hard not to smile.

Lee tilted his head, thinking for a moment, then reached into his own bag and pulled out the requested T shirt for her. He held it out until she was within arms reach then pulled her close to plant a kiss on her lips. "You drive a hard bargain. How could I refuse?" he asked.

Amanda smiled, and reminded him, "We just need to be quiet."

"Quiet, right. But what if I do this?" Lee began nibbling her neck.

Amanda took in a shaky breath. She started releasing the buttons on his shirt, sliding her hands inside.

Lee flinched, "Your hands are cold."

Amanda leaned back and teased him this time, "Well, let's get these lights off and warm them up."

Lee could see the twinkle in her eye so he reached over and hit the light switches on the wall. The only light in the room was coming from the bathroom. Watching Amanda, he finished removing his shirt, tossing it on the chair beside her. She reached forward to touch his chest again but Lee caught her hands in his, bringing them to his lips. He blew on them, rubbed them with his to try to warm them up a little more before she touched him again. The effect on her was almost immediate.

Amanda's eyes darkened with desire, her face flush. The simple act of warming her hands had an arousing effect on her entire body. She leaned forward to kiss him, sighing into his mouth when he parted her lips with his tongue. She slung her arms around his neck, pulling Lee closer to her. She sighed into his mouth as he slid his hands around her waist. Leaning back, Lee whispered into her ear, "I love you, Mrs. Stetson."

Amanda smiled, running her hands down his bare chest. "I love you too, Mr. Stetson," she whispered back. The next few minutes were spent shedding the rest of their clothes, hands roaming freely on bared skin.

Although she was enjoying their foreplay, Amanda was completely aware of the baby in the room whereas Lee seemed to forget. She was having a hard time relaxing completely as Lee kissed, nipped, and caressed her most sensitive areas where she would normally practically melt in his embrace. He sensed her distraction so he whispered in her ear again, "Amanda, just let go. Just let it go."

Sighing, Amanda replied, "I'm sorry… I just don't want to wake the baby."

Lee leaned up onto his elbow, brushing her hair off her face as he looked at her. "Amanda, he's asleep. He seems to be completely fine. I thought you wanted to use this as a test… unless you don't want me to spend the night on Tuesday."

"Oh Sweetheart, I'm sorry. Yes… I do want you to spend the night… I don't know what's wrong with me," she said sadly.

"Then just relax, please? I promise you I won't let you wake the baby," he said teasingly, his dimples deep.

Amanda reached up and ran her hand across his cheek, "I won't wake the baby?"

Lee laughed, pulling her close again. He ran his hand down her side, tickling her ribs as he did.

Amanda giggled, squirming as his fingers traveled to her waist to pull her closer. Reaching up, she gently pulled him down to her to kiss her. Deepening the kiss, Lee covered the length of her body with his. Reaching to the nightstand, Lee grabbed the condom they left there. Holding it up, he whispered in her ear, "Let's see how quiet we can be, huh."

Amanda took the packet from him, opened it and sheathed him without a word. As they came together, she bit her bottom lip to stop from crying out in pleasure. As he moved, she buried her head in his shoulder, muffling her cries in his skin as she marked him unintentionally. As they both found their mutual pleasure, together, they captured their cries in deep kisses. Breathing heavily, as their hearts continued to race, they laid together, arms still wrapped around each other.

Lee smiled, glancing over toward the crib and whispered,"I think we can call this a success. He's still sleeping."

Amanda leaned up to look for herself. Charlie was curled up on his side, two fingers still in his mouth, sound asleep. Smiling, she kissed Lee on the cheek. "Thank you," was all she said.

Lee looked confused. "For what?" he asked.

"For understanding. For appeasing me. For showing me that we do this, quietly," Amanda gestured to their bodies, still entwined.

"So… does this mean I can spend the night with you, Mrs. Stetson?" Lee teased again, understanding her completely now.

"Well, that depends…" she started.

"Depends on what?" Lee leaned to look at her.

Amanda tried not to giggle as she said, "If my mother says it's okay."

"Your mother…" Lee just shook his head. "I'll have you know, your mother loves me."

"I know, she thinks you're an eleven," Amanda giggled again, unable to stop herself.

Lee shushed her with a kiss when her giggles began to get louder. "Now, you're really going to wake him," he reminded her.

"I'm going to get cleaned up," Amanda said as she slipped off the bed, grabbing the t shirt and a pair of clean panties as she headed for the bathroom. Closing the door, she washed her face, brushed her teeth and hair and slipped the few clothing items she had on. Quietly she walked over the portable crib to take one more look at Charlie before climbing into bed beside Lee. "Bathroom's all yours," she said quietly.

Without a word, he kissed her gently as he got off the bed. Stopping only long enough to get a pair of clean boxers and pajama pants, he closed the door gently, repeating almost the same bedtime ritual as Amanda. As he left the bathroom, he left the light on and the door open just a few inches. Climbing into bed, he pulled Amanda close. The last thought he had as he fell asleep was life was good… the woman he loved in his arms, the relationship he was building with her boys and a mother in law that adored him.

About two hours later, Lee was dreaming about Amanda and their family. They were having dinner at home with the boys and Dotty when, from a distance heard a baby crying. In his dream he was confused, trying to figure out whose baby it was because they didn't have one when he heard Amanda say, "Stay, Sweetheart, I'll get him." Lee tried to stand and ask "Who?' but he couldn't move. No one else in his dream moved other than Amanda. He tried to stand again but she repeated, "I'll get him, don't worry." Somewhere between waking and dreaming, he felt Amanda touch him as she got off them bed. Lee jumped, immediately grabbing his gun from under his pillow.

"Lee!" she shouted at him, reaching down to pick up Charlie in the portable crib.

He immediately put the gun down, sitting up, shaking his head. Running his fingers through his hair, confused, he asked, "What's going on? Why is he…"

Amanda was holding Charlie, gently bouncing him to calm him. "It's what babies do. He's probably hungry. Here," she started to pass Charlie over to him, "I'm going to make him a bottle and get a diaper for him."

"Amanda, what?" Lee shook his head again, still confused, half asleep. Amanda put Charlie in his arms before he had time to process what was going on. Almost immediately Charlie stopped crying. Lee looked down at the baby now staring up at him in the semi darkness.

Across the room, Amanda mixed his bottle for him and ran it under hot water to heat it up a little. Grabbing a diaper and wipes from the table, she laid a towel down beside Lee to change him. Lee put the baby on the towel and immediately started unsnapping the legs of his pajamas. Amanda took a step back, just watching her husband. He had only got as far as getting Charlie's feet out when he looked at her and said, "A little help please."

Amanda smiled, "Do you want me to do it or explain it?"

Lee looked at her, "What do you mean by that? You don't think I'm capable of changing his diaper do you?"

Amanda shook her head, "I don't think you know what can happen trying to change a baby's diaper in the middle of the night. I think you might be perfectly capable, wide awake, and with a little practice…."

Lee interrupted her, "Is that a challenge?"

Dropping her eyes, she shook her head again, "Sweetheart, it's not a challenge…"

"Give me that diaper then. I'll do it…" Lee started pulling at the tabs fastening Charlie's diaper closed. He tried to remember how Amanda had changed him earlier.

Taking the diaper from her, he started taking off the wet diaper when Amanda commented, "Lee, I wouldn't do…"

She didn't finish her comment when Lee immediately felt his hands and arms getting wet. Trying to cover the baby, he shook his head. Amanda began laughing hard enough tears formed in her eyes. Lee looked at her, "You could have warned me that would happen."

"I tried to," she said coughing now. "Let me get you a towel." She walked into the bathroom and got him a towel. On her way by the table, she grabbed another pair of pajamas for Charlie.

Lee was still trying to figure out how to get the diaper off Charlie without getting sprayed again. Amanda stood beside him and suggested, "Slide the clean diaper under him first."

Lee looked at her, then back at the baby. Following her direction, he looked at her again.

"Now take a wipe and cover his… you know… before taking off the wet one," she explained.

Lee did as she explained, muttering "his you know".

"Now carefully wipe him and pull the clean diaper up and fasten it, not too tight." Amanda watched in wonder.

Lee did as she said, even taking his wet pajamas off, handing them to Amanda. She handed him the clean ones and watched as he carefully slipped them onto Charlie. Once he had his snaps done, he lifted him up, saying, "Hey buddy, next time, warn me first, ok?" Lee handed him to Amanda, commenting, "I'm sure his hands don't taste as good as what he has waiting for him in that bottle, right?"

Amanda took the baby, immediately cradling him and putting the bottle in his mouth. Standing, Lee slipped out of wet pajama pants and reached to get another pair out of the drawer. He tossed his wet ones onto the chair as he walked toward the bathroom to wash his hands. Walking back toward the bed, Amanda was already burping him. Sitting beside her, he rubbed Charlie's head and thought for a minute. "Amanda… can I… do you think…." Lee wasn't sure how to ask.

"You want to feed him?" she asked surprised.

"Can I? Try anyway…" Lee put his hands out to take Charlie.

Handing the baby over to her husband, she had to blink away the tears forming in her eyes so he wouldn't see them. She watched, spellbound as he held him gently, holding the bottle just right, talking to him softly. Maybe someday….

Lee looked up and saw the wishful look on her face. Without saying anything aloud, he thought Maybe someday Amanda.

Charlie practically finished the bottle when Lee sat him on his knee, looking at Amanda for guidance once again. She moved his large hand to hold his chin and chest. "Gently pat him," she reminded him. He was quickly rewarded with a loud baby belch and drool down the back of his hand.

"Amanda… a little help," Lee tried not to flick the offending substance off his hand. Picking up the towel, she wiped his hand for him, checking to make sure none of it dripped onto his pant leg or onto the baby's clean pajamas. Once the majority of it was clear, she took the baby from Lee, gently kissing his little cheeks before laying him back down into the crib. Almost immediately, Charlie put his fingers back in his mouth and rolled onto his side, closing his eyes.

Lee once again found himself in the bathroom washing his hands. He walked back to the bed, picking up the dirty towels and Charlie's wet pajamas, putting everything on the chair with his wet pajama pants. Climbing back into bed, he looked over at Amanda still standing beside the crib, watching Charlie. "Amanda, come back to bed, it's …" Lee stopped and looked at the clock beside the bed, "It's almost 2 am. Let's get some sleep. Do you think he'll wake up again soon?"

Amanda shook her head, "No, I think he'll be fine for a few more hours." She looked at Charlie one more time before climbing into bed beside Lee. Snuggling up to him, she kissed his cheek, "Good night, Sweetheart."

Lee wrapped his arm around her, kissing the top of her head, "Good night, Amanda." Once again, he fell asleep dreaming of their family only this time, his dream included a little dark haired baby girl.