By: Nectar99
Rating: PG
Timeline: This is set mid third season and breaks canon.
Summary: Deep-seated feelings rise to the surface for all involved parties.
Feedback: Yes, please!! On list!
I want to thank everyone who helped me with this story. The list is extensive, but all my regulars know who you are! Thanks to all my new helpers: Neeney, Mary, and Tiff! I really appreciate all the time and effort.
Amanda sat at the table, her direct line of vision momentarily blocked by the waiter. Without making it obvious, she leaned slightly to the right side of her chair, intent on watching a couple nearly 20 feet away.
A hint of jealousy washed over her as she wondered why he was out with a strange woman. Thankfully, she and her escort were secluded in a dark corner, away from the exit and the restrooms. Parting her lips slightly, she watched in silent longing as the couple touched each other's hands above the table. The feeling of a warm hand atop hers slightly startled her.
She glanced at her dining companion and realized he had asked her a question. "What? I'm . . . I'm sorry, what did you say?" she asked, certain that her guilt over her preoccupation was written all over her face.
"I asked if you'd like some dessert." Amanda didn't know if he was trying to be polite or if he had, in fact, noticed her distraction.
She had originally planned to have a small dessert, but suddenly lost her appetite. She had to admit that Michael Callahan was a very attractive man with a nice home, a good job, and two well-mannered children from a previous marriage. But something was definitely missing. As he caressed her hand, she dipped her head, slowly closing her eyes. What she wouldn't give to feel Lee's hand touching her at that moment or caressing her skin. "Uhh…yes, please," she finally replied, hoping to make up for her previous distraction. She gently extracted her hand from his grasp and began playing with the napkin in her lap.
They placed their orders and in a few moments, the waiter returned with their treats. Nibbling on her orange sherbet, Amanda kept a keen eye on the couple in the distance. She watched his hazel eyes look away from his date, obviously lost in deep thought.
Consumed by her own daydream, she imagined that he fantasized about kissing her. Amanda's smile widened, as the fingers of her right hand involuntarily touched her tingling lips. Her name on his lips sounded exquisite.
"Amanda . . . Amanda," he breathed against her mouth. "Amanda?" Michael finally spoke a little louder, startling her once again.
"Yes . . . I mean . . . no . . . what?" she replied rather flustered.
"I asked if you're ready to leave. Your ice cream melted," he informed her, motioning toward the orange liquid.
"I'm sorry, Michael. I just have a lot on my mind. Yes, I'm ready to leave," she replied with a slight smile. As she moved to set her spoon down, it slipped from her fingers, and the remnants of her sherbet splattered onto her blue dress. "Oh my gosh! Look what I've done. Will you excuse me for just one moment?" She looked up and gave him an apologetic smile.
"Sure, take your time, Amanda."
She stepped away from the table and headed toward the bathroom, so lost in thought that she forgot about the couple who had been on her mind.
"Amanda?" a familiar deep voice called out to her.
"Uh . . . yes . . . oh, h . . . hi, Lee," she replied, somewhat mortified. Holding the top of her dress, she refused to let Lee or his date view the dark stains. How could she forget that they were seated near the door? "I was just…well I was just headed to the ladies room." Amanda took a few deep breaths, and tried to calm down. She could feel the heat in her cheeks and knew the flush had to be obvious.
"Oh, Amanda, I'd like you to meet a . . . uh . . . friend of mine, Rachael," Lee introduced.
'A friend? Why not just admit she's your date, Lee? It's not as if we're a "couple" or anything,' Amanda thought. "Very pleased to meet you," she greeted the young blonde, extending her free left hand, making the shake awkward. She shifted the placement of her right hand slightly to make sure she had the entire stain covered.
"Likewise," the woman replied, the annoyance in her voice easily detected by Amanda.
"Well, I really must get going. Michael's waiting," Amanda blurted out, turning to wave at her companion. 'What am I doing? Why did I just say that?' she chided herself. The awkward silence did nothing to help the situation. Amanda turned back to face the couple and her eyes widened as she looked at Lee, silently pleading with him to say something . . . anything.
"Oh . . . uh . . . you're here with someone? Anyone I know?" Lee inquired, noticeably agitated. Amanda stood wide-eyed watching him intently. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn the tone of his voice resembled one of jealousy. Her suspicions were confirmed when she watched him crane his neck to get a good look at Michael.
"Listen, can we talk about this later? I really need to get going. Nice meeting you, Rachael," Amanda spoke rather quickly and made her way toward the ladies room.
Once inside, she leaned against the counter and let out a long breath. Her frazzled reflection in the mirror startled her, so she turned on the water and splashed cool droplets on her cheeks.
After she cleaned her dress and managed to collect her thoughts, Amanda emerged from the ladies room to return to her dinner companion. She walked by Lee once more and gave him a brief smile. Her breath quickened as she imagined Lee watching her as she strode back to her table.
"Who was that?" Michael asked, as she returned to the table. He stood and offered his arm as they headed for the exit.
"Oh, that was my…. my friend from work," she replied.
Amanda locked eyes with Lee as she and Michael approached the exit. She nearly gasped at his expression. It appeared as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right words. She watched his eyes appreciatively travel the length of her body and was hopeful that he admired her dress, but she couldn't be completely sure. Maybe it was his way of saying goodnight without making a scene in front of the others. She would have time to think about it later. For now Michael's frustration with her distracted state was beginning to show.
Lee ushered his date to the door with a lame excuse explaining why they couldn't
spend more time together. He promised to call her sometime, before hurriedly
walking away from her porch. He let out a long sigh as he hopped back into his
Corvette. Luckily, he wasn't far from the familiar Arlington neighborhood that
seemed to beckon him more and more often these days.
As Lee turned onto Maplewood Drive, he immediately spotted the strange vehicle. He couldn't have timed it any better. He watched Mitchell, Mark, or whatever his name was, escort Amanda out of the car. Lee sighed, unimpressed with the man's four-door sedan. He sat up abruptly and smiled as Amanda pushed the man away, obviously intent on walking to the door alone. ' What is he doing with my Amanda? If that guy wasn't a complete gentleman, I'll break both his arms! What am I thinking?' Lee was clearly agitated by the sight of the man.
Lee shook his head and rolled his eyes as he listened to the man shout, "I'll call you on Monday, Amanda. Thanks for tonight," he yelled. As the sedan drove off, Lee let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, relieved that the man hadn't kissed her. 'Thanks for tonight? What the hell does that mean?' he wondered.
In the darkness of the night, Lee watched Amanda wave goodbye to her date. "What the . . . " he exclaimed, wondering why she walked back toward her fence, away from her home. Lee ducked down in his car so he wouldn't be seen.
'Where is she going at this hour?' he wondered. 'I better keep an eye on her. It's not safe to be alone at this time of night.' He tried to convince himself that it was purely concern over her safety that prompted him to follow her, but he knew better.
After waiting a few moments to ensure she was a good distance ahead of him, Lee stepped out of his car and followed her, unsure of what he was getting himself into. If Amanda spotted him, he would sure have a lot explaining to do. When he stumbled on a raised slab of the sidewalk, he muffled the expletive that left his mouth and tried to quietly regain his footing.
He watched her turn at the noise he made and take a cautious look around, thankful that she was unaware he was the guilty culprit. He couldn't imagine Amanda walking too far from her home, especially when he sensed her reluctance to continue on her journey. Watching her thoroughly inspect the area, Lee smiled when she continued walking. It was obvious that she was still wary, and the urge for him to come out of the shadows and show himself only escalated when she wrapped both arms protectively around her body. Shaking his head in disbelief, Lee was surprised to observe that she was doing an excellent job of following Agency Training Manual Number Five. 'Be aware of your surrounding at all times,' he recited in his head.
'What is she doing?' he wondered, as she picked up her pace. 'I realize she nearly saw me, but running away isn't going to do any good. I thought I taught her b…'
"Hold it right there," he heard her holler in an authoritative voice. Lee could see her purse above her head, in striking distance. She obviously knew someone was there, and if he didn't make himself known, it might cause her to worry more than necessary.
'Damn it!' he sighed to himself. "Amanda, it's only me!" he announced and hurried to join her. "Amanda." he tried to reassure her, grasping her by the forearms. He could feel her body trembling, and watched her place a hand against her chest in an obvious attempt to regain a normal breathing pattern.
"I'm okay, Lee. You just startled me," she admitted. "What . . . what are you doing here?" He knew he was caught.
Lee stood staring at her, unable to stop looking at her lips as she spoke. "What? Me? Oh, I was uh . . . you know . . . I wanted to stop by and see how your evening went and was surprised to find that you had arrived right before me. When I pulled up, I saw your date dropping you off," he replied, casually placing his hands in his pockets.
"Michael and I stopped and had a cup of coffee, and he wasn't my date!" Her tone of voice startled Lee.
"Really?" he exclaimed with pleasure, and then realized how it sounded. "I uh . . . mean I wondered where you were going when you walked away from your house," he added.
Amanda smiled shyly and didn't continue until he looked at her. "I'm going to the park. I wasn't really tired and felt like taking a walk." Lee looked away, trying to hide his disappointment. "Would you like to come with me?"
Struggling to maintain his demeanor, Lee played along with the game. "Well, all right. You know you really shouldn't be walking the streets alone at night, Amanda."
"I'm not alone. You've been following me," she retorted.
"I . . . I . . . wasn't . . . "
"Gotcha," she countered with a smile that shone in the moonlight. She reached for his hand and they continued walking toward the park.
After walking a few blocks in silence, Lee was relieved when Amanda decided to make some conversation. "So, what happened to your date with Rachael?"
He watched her wince and fought a grin at her attempt to hide the fact that she had remembered the name of the lady who had dined with him that evening. He was surprised that she had chosen that line of questioning. While it came out bold, he was intrigued by her curiosity. "Pretty nosey, aren't you?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Lee. I was just trying to make conversation." He could tell by her reaction that she was slightly embarrassed.
He decided to allow her to save face and replied, "I'm kidding. Really, she wasn't my date." At her questioning look, he added, " I mean she was with me, but I was actually doing a favor for one of my old contacts."
Nodding, she raised her eyebrows with slight skepticism and said, "Oh, well, she was very pretty."
"Yes, she was," Lee agreed. "But she's not what I'm looking for." His eyes intently focused on hers. He smiled slightly, hearing the catch in her breath.
Lee noted her discomfort and watched her avert her gaze toward the park gate. "Here we are," she spoke softly.
For a moment, he wondered if she was trying to tell him something about their relationship, but was afraid to push the issue. He watched her take a few deep calming breaths before she extricated her hand from his to scratch her forearm. Her trembling was evident, and she crossed her arms to hide her shaking hands. After scanning the area, she led them to a secluded picnic table. He waited for her to sit before he walked past her and sat on her other side.
He heard her intake of breath as he reached for her hands. "Amanda, what's wrong?"
As if she were unable to look at him, Amanda stared at the table, her eyes seeming to be more intent on berry stains that covered the flat surface. "Nothing," she replied.
"Is everything all right? Was everything okay with your date?" Lee didn't want to push the issue, but he had to know if the guy was a gentleman.
"Oh, yes, Lee. I mean, no!" She let out a long sigh, then placed her hand on his forearm and continued. "I mean yes, everything went fine, but he wasn't my date. Michael is an old friend from college. Joe and I have known him for years. I felt bad that he was all alone here and I told him I'd go out to dinner with him. I was just being…"
" . . . your friendly, kind self, going out of your way for a friend," he finished for her and smiled. His pulse raced as he watched her smile widen. Never before had the urge to kiss a woman consumed him as it did at this moment. Leaning toward her, he stared at her mouth, anticipating the sweet taste while trying to moisturize his lips with his tongue.
'Oh, my gosh, he's going to kiss me,' she thought. Parting her lips slightly, Amanda closed her eyes, feeling his warm breath tickling her lips. She felt the softness of his gentle kiss, which ended rather abruptly. She wondered if the shock she felt when she touched his lips also coursed through him, or if he'd pulled away because of something she'd done. Unsure of what had happened, she suddenly felt embarrassed and rose from the bench.
"Amanda," she heard him call out, but eluded his grasp. Her pulse raced as he also stood and clutched her by the forearms. "Amanda, please." His voice begged her to look at him.
"I'm…I'm sorry, Lee. I didn't mean to…"
Her words were cut off as his mouth descended upon hers. Leaning heavily against him, Amanda relaxed in his arms, reeling from the sensations of the spectacular kiss. His warm, soft lips felt incredible, the feeling creating butterflies that surely must have been opening their wings inside her stomach. She wrapped both arms around his neck and let out a sigh as she felt his strong arms tighten around her waist.
"Amanda." She felt his warm breath on her mouth between kisses. It wasn't a question or a statement; it was more like a plea on his lips. Moving one hand around her neck, he held her in place; placing soft wet kisses upon her lips. She could no longer tell where she left off and he began, his body felt as if it had melted against her own. She smiled against his mouth at the low groan he emitted as she increased the pressure against his mouth. Shivering slightly, she ran her fingers through the fine hairs at the base of his neck.
Gasping for air, Amanda reluctantly placed her hands on his chest and pushed away from him. She tried to make sense of the situation by looking deep into his eyes. No words were necessary. The feelings she felt for him were reflected back at her. Never had she seen so much emotion, passion, and longing all at the same time. A gasp escaped her lips as she tried to speak. "Yes," she whispered, afraid that her voice would betray her.
"Yes." His smile was genuine, as he reached for her hands. "I want you, Amanda. Only you!" His hazel eyes stared deep into her dark brown ones, as if waiting to ensure she understood his statement.
Unsure if the chills that traveled through her body were a result of the cool, night air or his kiss, Amanda did her best to hide them from him.
"Amanda, you're cold!" She immediately saw his reaction to her discomfort.
"Maybe just a little," she admitted softly, crossing her arms.
"We can talk about this tomorrow. It's getting late and I should get you home. Come on, follow me," he murmured, the smirk on his face revealing his dimples.
Amanda reached for his hands and maneuvered around the bench, then stepped away from the picnic table. Huddled against his warm body, she felt his hand slide protectively around her waist. "I'll follow you anywhere," she whispered and placed her free hand on his chest as the walked into the darkness of the night.
THE END