CHAPTER SIX

Laura turned to face him.  He stood before her in a terrycloth robe holding a single rose.  She lowered her head and burst into tears.  He slowly walked to her and lifted her face with his index finger under her chin.  She stared into his eyes, only partly believing he was actually there.  He leaned forward and lightly kissed her, but she pulled away.

They both started to speak at the same time.  “I’m so…”

He looked at her.  “You first.”

“No,” she said with finally relinquished control, “you first.”

“Yes, well.  It occurs to me that I may have been wrong on a few items.  I should have told you about Immigration and the scheme to marry Clarissa.  I shouldn’t have expected you to just understand and act like nothing had changed.  Laura, you have to believe me when I say that I only wanted to protect you from Keyes.  It was you I wanted to marry all along.  I was just afraid that if you knew about Keyes and Immigration that you would think I wanted you just for the sake of staying in the country.  I didn’t want that.  I still don’t want that.  All I want is you, but I want all of you.  I don’t want to be the errant schoolboy, the non-seasoned detective who’s just along for the ride or the poster boy for the agency.  I want to be your equal partner – in the boardroom and the bedroom.  I love you Laura and I won’t apologize for that, no matter how many times we have the same argument.”

Laura sat down on a chair and considered her words very carefully before responding.  “When you came into my life four years ago, I wasn’t looking for anyone or anything other than a way to keep the myth of Remington Steele alive.  Murphy, Bernice and I had a good thing going and everything was just fine until you walked in.  With that dazzling charm and blue eyes, I suddenly realized that maybe the myth wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.  You drive me crazy and most of the time, I don’t mean it in a good way.  You’re the most exasperating, exhausting, high-maintenance man I have ever met in my life, but you’re also the most incredibly sensuous, caring, romantically impetuous person I could have ever imagined.  You’ve become the Remington Steele I envisioned when Remington Steele was nothing more than a dream.  You are my dream and that thrills me and frightens me at the same time.  Just when I think we’ve turned a corner something stops us dead in our tracks.  I’m terrified of being with you but I’m even more terrified of being without you.   I know you’re trying to protect me from the outside world, but I need to be able to go out there and take care of myself sometimes too.  And I’m sorry about yesterday.  I’m sorry about everything that’s happened over the last ten days, ten weeks, months, four years, when I’ve made you feel like anything less than my equal.  Holding that little part of me was the last piece of independence and control that I had.  It’s not that easy to give up.”

He walked to the chair and leaned down in front of her.  “I would never ask you to give up your independence Laura.  It’s one of the things that I love the most about you.  I love the twinkle you get in your eyes when you’ve stumbled onto a new clue, the way your brows furrow when you’re suspicious, that amazing smile that lights up a room.  I want the independent Laura.  I want the Laura who did the fan dance on the bar at Pepe’s, the one who led bankers around a winery in her lingerie, the one whose incredible laughter makes me want to hold her for eternity.  I want the Laura that no one gets to see, the one who hides behind the business façade.  The one who’s sitting before my eyes right now…”

Laura looked at his face and gently placed her hand on his cheek.  He moved his head to kiss the palm of her hand.  She inhaled deeply and leaned in closer.  “Is it too late to say I love you?”

He held out his arms and she leaned forward to feel his strong embrace.  He rose from his knees, lifted her from the chair and carried to the bed where they once again made glorious love. 

The following morning, Remington and Laura woke in each other’s arms.  The candles had burned out during the night and the rose petals were scattered over the room.  All that was left was the feeling of completeness they both shared.  Remington looked at the clock.  “Our flight leaves in four hours.”

Laura sighed.  “Mildred will probably be here soon.”

“Do you have the feeling we’ve had this conversation before?”  He looked at her with a slight grin.

“Does sound vaguely familiar Mr. Steele.”  Laura raised up on one elbow.  “Although, as I recall you have a new passport.  Another new name Mr. Steele?”

“Actually a variation on an old name.”  He handed Laura the passport and watched her expression as she read the name Harry Chalmers.  “Figured it was as close as I was ever going to get to a real one.  Although I must admit, I am rather fond of Remington Steele.”

“So am I Mr. Steele, so am I.”  Laura leaned over and kissed his shoulder.  “We need to get moving.”

“Ah yes.  Home Miss Holt?”  Remington asked with his most seductive smile.

“Home, Mr. Steele.”  She returned his smile as she got out of bed.  Laura walked to the closet, stopped and turned back to him. “But there’s just one thing you’ll need to remember about my name.  It’s Steele.  Holt… Steele… Laura Holt-Steele…. and we’d better hurry up Mr. Steele.  I believe there’s a wedding needing to be planned.”  She flashed a smile of her own before disappearing into the bathroom.

Remington sipped his glass of champagne and looked around the room at the effects that remained from their magical evening.  As he surveyed the atmosphere, he raised the glass in a silent toast and whispered, “God I’m good…”