Waves crashed on the beach, an unrelenting pummeling of water against earth. The spray soaked the nearby rocks until they were slick and treacherous. The evening had become dark and moody as clouds raced across the sky, lightening and thunder chasing the dark formations as they ran.
At sea, a small lifeboat bobbed up and down in the salty water. It drifted farther away from the burning yacht it had once been attached to. The yacht had suffered an "accident". What had not been accidental was the presence of two federal agents, locked in the hold below. They had been investigating the tip given to them by an anonymous source that drugs were being brought into the country in the holds of small, pleasure yachts. They had snuck onto the yacht, "Slinky Sally", and were just about to slip back off when they had been surprised by the arrival of the owners.
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Jake and Zeb Davenport were brothers from South Carolina. They were the alleged heads of the drug smuggling ring and with the evidence Lee and Amanda had seen they were going down for at least 25-30 years. Unfortunately, Zeb suffered from migraines and they had returned to the yacht for his medication before the agents could make good their get away.
Scarecrow and his partner, Mrs. King, had been bound and gagged and thrown into the hold along with several pounds of explosives. The yacht had been sailed out of the harbor, the timer on the explosive set and the Davenport brothers had began loading the drugs into an inflatable raft fitted with an outboard motor. What they didn't count on was the resourcefulness of the pair below decks.
They had escaped their bonds, managed to get to the deck and apprehended the criminals. They were loaded into the raft with the evidence, handcuffed, of course. Lee and Amanda had been about to join them when she remembered that her necklace had been lost in the earlier shuffle and ran back into the cabin to retrieve it. Lee raced after her, afraid she would be injured if she wasn't quick enough. They located the heart pendant, leapt over the railing toward the raft just as the boat blew to kingdom come!
Lee wrapped his arms around his partner and prayed that he was strong enough to keep them both afloat. He flipped Amanda over onto her back and grasped her under the arms.
He felt the icy water sucking them under and kicked out strongly to escape the undertow of the sinking ship. "Amanda, Amanda, can you hear me? I need you to help me kick. I need you to help me swim." He looked down into her face, so still and pale. She wasn't bleeding anywhere. He thought she had just been knocked out by the blast. He hitched her body closer to his and began to swim toward what he hoped was land.
After 30 minutes, he felt his arms beginning to tremble. He stopped stroking through the frigid water and started to tread water. He cradled Amanda in one arm and stroked her face with his free hand. "Amanda, can you hear me?" He grinned in delight when her slurred voice answered him.
"Lee." She moved her head from side to side and opened her eyes. "Oh, Lee, I'm so cold. Why are we swimming? It's too cold to be swimming. Phillip never wants to come out of the water when it gets too cold either. I tell him he'll catch his death if he doesn't get out when the sun goes down." Her voice was stronger but still puzzled. She looked around and realized that they weren't in a pool, but rather in the ocean. She began to struggle in his arms when their predicament hit her. "Lee, oh my gosh, Lee! We're drowning!" Her arms began to lash out as she simultaneously began to kick her legs.
"Easy, Amanda. We're okay. We're away from the boat and I think we only have about half a mile to reach shore. I was just resting my arms when you woke up." He reinforced his words with a slight shake to her shoulders. When she calmed down, he asked, "Do you think you can swim now?"
She nodded yes and he slowly relaxed his grip on her body and she began to tread water in from of him. "Which way do we go?"
"That's my girl." He nodded encouragingly and jerked his head to the side. "That way. See that light? I think it's a lighthouse." Together, they took deep breaths and began to swim toward the beckoning light.
After another grueling thirty minutes in the icy water, they reached shallows that allowed them to walk the remaining distance to shore. They reached wet sand and dropped, exhausted, onto the gritty surface. They lay side-by-side for long moments until they both began to shiver as the rising winds of the approaching storm skittered over their drenched forms.
"Amanda, let's try to get to that lighthouse. Maybe the keeper is around and we can find some help." Lee struggled off the ground and extended a hand to the brunette at his feet.
She swallowed hard and grasped his hand in her own and heaved herself up. Her skin was ice cold and her fingertips and lips were turning blue. Her teeth chattered and she rubbed herself in an effort to bring back hot blood to her limbs.
Lee saw all of this and knew he had to get her warm soon. He had kept his blood flowing by dragging Amanda's limo body for the first half of the swim. She had not been as active, did not have the amount of body mass he had, and therefore was not faring as well in the dropping temperatures.
He held her against his side in a futile effort to warm her. They were both soaked to the bone and needed shelter and heat, immediately if not sooner. The pair trudged up the beach as quickly as possible, hampered as they were by wet jeans and soggy boots. They soon reached to base of the lighthouse and followed its perimeter until they found the entrance. On the door, the bronze plaque declared it to be 'Safe Harbor Lighthouse, established 1867'. The inscription below invited wayward travelers into its warmth and safety.
"Enter here all ye who seek shelter from life's raging seas. Always open, always warm, always comforting to those in need."
Lee tried the door and silently cheered when the huge, oak door swung open on creaking hinges. "Amanda, it's open. Come on, let's go in."
She nodded yes, unable to speak for the chattering of her teeth. She preceded him into the round chamber and looked around. "Lee, th th there's a fireplace. Is there any w w wood?"
He led her to the chair in the center of the room and sat her down. "Yes, right here. Hang tight and I'll get a fire going." He gathered an armful of wood, laid the fire and lit it with the kindling in the brass pot next to the hearth. Soon, the flames crackled and heat infused the room.
Lee went to his partner and gently said, "You need to get out of the wet clothes. You're never going to get warm unless you do." He gazed into her eyes and saw her reluctant agreement. He handed her the blanket he had found and turned his back to allow her privacy. He heard the damp thud of denim on wood flooring, then the rustle of her sweater being pulled over her head. Another few minutes, then she called to him.
"Lee, you can turn around."
He did so and looked at her slight form huddled in the blanket next to the fire. He bent down to gather her clothes intending to hang them near the fire to dry. He picked up her sweater, but the next item he grasped caused him to gape momentarily. He held a scrap of white lace and satin. Her bra, with a tiny rose bud at the vee in the front, stared back at him. He swallowed hard and retrieved the rest of the clothes, blue jeans and socks, no underwear. He looked at her again and felt his blood heat as he pictured her under the blanket. He shook the image from his mind and returned to the business at hand. Her clothes were laid over the chair next to the fire and he turned his attention to the next order of business. Food.
"Lee, you need to get out of your wet things, too."
"Uh, no. I'm okay, really."
"No you are not. You're just as wet as I am and just as cold. Now get your clothes off!"
"Amanda, I can't. There's only one blanket..."
"So, we'll share. The training manual says that shared body heat is the quickest way to restore circulation to the body."
"Amanda, I can't share that blanket with you."
"Yes, you can and will. I'll strip you myself if I have too."
Lee noted her determined tone decided he'd better do as she said. He might stand a chance as long as she didn't actually try to undress him. If she undid one button, he was afraid he would grab her and ravish her right here in this forsaken lighthouse. "Fine, turn around." She did so and he removed everything down to his boxers. He quickly laid his things out to dry and then stood behind Amanda. "Amanda, I'm finished."
She turned in silence and opened the blanket to him. Her eyes were closed tight and she didn't see him sweep her form with his hot gaze. She wore white lace bikini underwear and a sheer camisole. He sighed deeply in both appreciation and relief. She was at least somewhat covered.
He fisted his hands and stepped into the rough tent of blanket she offered. He felt her barely hidden breasts graze his chest and sucked in sharply. "Turn around, please." His voice sounded tight and strained even to him. "I can't do this if you don't turn around." He took the blanket from her and waited until she turned her back to him. He enfolded them both in the blanket and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
Amanda gasped at the jolt of skin-to-skin contact. She smothered the outburst as best she could and eased herself back into his embrace. Even slightly chilled and damp, he felt wonderful. His smooth chest against her back offered comfort and safety. His muscular arms gave her support. His sigh told her of the things he wasn't willing to offer. She knew of them regardless.
Each time he touched her, she felt the love he harbored for her. When his eyes darkened at the sight of her exposed flesh, she saw the desire he sought to keep hidden. When his voice softened to answer yet another question for her, she heard the adoration he allowed to slip more and more often.
He had saved her life yet again tonight. She couldn't imagine her life without him and she longed to show him how they could be together. She was willing to give him her very soul if he would take it. What she wasn't willing to do, was be one of his women. So she fought the urge to press her body sensuously against his. She refused to give into the need to cover his chest with hot kisses and his body with her own. If they were to be together, it must be at Lee's initiative. When he was ready to be her's and her's alone, he would know and he would tell her. For now, she took in his nearness and warmth and prayed that he would know soon.
Lee Stetson felt his partner relax against his body and knew she was warming up, finally. Him? He was boiling, on the inside anyway. He tried to think of ugly, frigid places. He tried not to feel the soft, giving woman in his arms. He thought of how desperate he'd felt while swimming through the numbing water. He remembered how pale and small she had been, floating in his arms.
He hoped these dire thoughts would cool his blood, but no. Instead he thought next of how lucky they were to be alive. How lucky he was to have this woman in his arms, right now. He felt her breathing and knew that he would never be content without her. She was his and he was hers, and now he knew it. He tightened his grip on her waist and felt her hands caress the skin of his forearms. The tiny hairs there stood on end and he knew. He knew that now was the time. They had found safe harbor from the elements and now they would have safe harbor from the loneliness.
"Amanda, I..." His words failed him, again. He had never been able to voice his feelings.
"Lee, what is it?" She heard the need and longing in his voice. She wanted to help him utter the words they both required to go on but knew he must do this alone.
"Amanda, I love you. I need you. I can't believe how long I've waited and wanted to tell you this. You are the best thing in my life. You have been for years now. I came so close to losing you tonight. I need to show you how I feel. I want you to know how much you've given me over and over without even trying." He took a deep, calming breath before starting again. "Amanda, I want to make love to you."
At last she allowed herself to turn and look into his face. She said nothing. Her actions said it all. Her hands ran over his chest and up to his face. Her nails traced his lips and she stood on tiptoe to brush her mouth over his. He gathered her closer still. She threaded her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down. She kissed him again, deeper and longer. She felt him shudder and was bewildered when he pulled away.
"Amanda, please say something. Tell me you heard me. I need to hear you say it." His voice trembled with suppressed desire.
"I love you, Lee Stetson. I thought you'd never realize that you love me, too. I need you now and forever." Her voice dropped to a husky whisper as she breathed her next words over his ear. "Make love to me, Lee"
He swallowed hard and gently took the blanket from around them and spread it on the floor in front of the roaring fireplace. He took her hand and led her to the center of the makeshift pallet. He attempted to remove her camisole but faltered when he touched her velvet skin.
She smiled at his sudden nerves. "Let me." She grasped the hem of the thin shift and pulled it over her head. Avoiding his eyes, she next hooked the elastic band of her panties and pulled them over her hips. They fell to the floor and she stepped out of them. Finally, she met his gaze again and trembled as she recognized the love and desire she saw there. She stepped forward and into his arms.
He kissed her, crushing her lips to his. He ran his tongue over her mouth and delved inside when she parted for him. He held her head in his hands and plundered her mouth until neither of them breathed normally. He gasped for air and watched her do the same.
They would devour each other if they didn't pace themselves and he didn't want that, not this time. So he pulled her down to the floor and laid her on her back. He swept his eyes over her breasts, her flat abdomen, and the dark patch of hair at the juncture of her thighs. His hands followed suit, barely grazing her flesh, teasing her nerve endings with promised caresses. He lowered his mouth to hers once more, licking and biting at her full lower lip. She darted out her tongue and made contact with his. He kissed her fully then lowered his hungry mouth to her neck. He tasted her skin at the hollow of her throat. Her pulse fluctuated wildly there.
From her neck he traveled to the rounded crest of breast. He cupped the orb in his palm and kneaded gently. His thumb scraped over her nipple and she gasped at the sensation. He watched, fascinated, as the nubbin grew hard and erect under his touch. He'd made love to many women. But he'd never watched them as he made love to them. It had always been about him. His pleasure. Now he just wanted to pleasure her. He would gain his own release in hers.
He leaned forward and captured her nipple in his mouth. His tongue laved the turgid flesh in hot moisture. He suckled firmly and felt her press her body closer to his mouth. She arched her back and bucked her hips involuntarily. He pulled on one breast with his mouth while he tweaked its twin with finger and thumb. He lingered there until her moan of pleasure prompted him to try for even greater triumphs. He briefly sucked first one breast then the other before allowing his hand and eyes to roam farther.
He looked at her face bathed in firelight and ecstasy and then gently parted her thighs with his hand and cupped the warm mound awaiting him. She sighed and allowed her legs to fall open farther. He pressed into the fuzz with his index finger and located the button of nerves that controlled her pleasure. He stroked it firmly and felt the rush of heat and dew that indicated her readiness. He invaded her depths with his finger. The long digit touched her very core and she cried out her pleasure.
"Lee, oh Lee." Her head tossed to and fro and she lifted her hips to push the penetration further. Her eyes flew open and she locked her gaze with his. She had never felt so wanted and she wanted him to feel the same. She twisted her body until she could hold his maleness in her hand. The cotton of his boxers strained against the hard flesh and she longed to feel him, hot and hard in her palm. She forced him back and eased herself from his grip. She mourned the loss but knew it would be only short lived. She vowed silently to have him within her, soon. She gripped his boxers and pulled them down his long legs. He sprang free of the restricting material and she encircled him with her hand. She felt the soft skin that covered the hardness. She ran her thumb over the nerve bundle running its length. He groaned and covered her hand with his own.
"Amanda, stop. I can't control..." He prayed she'd understand and heed his warning.
She stroked him once more then released his shaft and began to kiss his chest, wildly.
He gripped her upper arms and rolled her under him. He kneeled between her open thighs and ran his fingers over her wet, heated entrance. He parted her folds and pressed the tip of himself to the opening. She wiggled to be closer and gasped when he barely entered then retreated.
"Lee, please, I need you inside of me." Her hands held his hips, her fingers biting into his muscles. She arched her back and bucked her hips as he forsook his quest for control and plunged into her fully.
She screamed again and welcomed his body into her own. They melded and merged into one being, one soul. She moved her hips in tandem with his. She met each thrust and reveled in his possession. Over and over he filled her. She felt him quiver inside of her heat and knew they had each come home, finally.
They tensed together and fell apart as one. They shattered and held tight to escape the return of the reality they had banished. Together, they were one whole. Apart they were merely fragments.
Lee rolled off of her slim frame but didn't leave her empty. He maintained their joining and pulled her on top of his chest. She lay draped over him, breathing heavily. Her hair tickled his face and he blew it out of the way. He gentled her with slow caresses to her back and neck.
She smiled into his chest and murmured of her love. His hand strayed to her breast and brushed over her nipple. She fit herself more fully to his hand and wiggled experimentally on his lap. He leapt to life inside of her and she raised her upper body to look into his eyes. The hazel had gone deep blue and she raised her hips until she felt the bare tip of him remain, then she took him into her depths again. She made love to him as surely as he had to her and soon they collapsed again, this time in slumber.
Daylight entered the chamber, slowly the next day. The tiny high window brought the rays of sum directly over Lee and Amanda as they slept under the corner of the blanket and wrapped in each other's arms. She stirred and woke him with a kiss to the mouth.
"Good morning, Lee."
"Morning. Did I tell you yet today that I love you?"
She shook her head in mock remorse. "No not yet."
"Well, I love you, Amanda King. Today and forever."
"I love you, Lee Stetson." She kissed him again and began to run her hands over his body but stilled when she heard the nearing sound of a motorboat. "Lee, what's that?"
"The calvary, I'd imagine. We've missed about 4 check-ins and I'm sure Billy sent out the troops after 2 or 3." He regretfully released her body and stood to dress. He slipped on his jeans, now dry, and stoked the fire in the hearth. "Let it warm up some them you really need to get dressed. You're gorgeous but I'll kill anyone else who sees you." He teased her mercilessly.
She shook her head at his jests and quickly dressed and joined him at the door. She hesitated, unsure of herself and his love in the bright light of day, then asked, "Lee, where do we go from here?"
"Forever, Amanda, we go to forever from here."
They shared one last kiss then walked away from their safe harbor and met Billy on the beach to go back to their lives, no longer alone, but forever safe in their love.
THE END
Safe Harbor by Jenny
Story Notes:
Time frame: Early third season, I guess. It doesn't really fit into any episode so I guess it is sort of an AU or what if type story.