CHAPTER EIGHT

Laura waived goodbye to Mildred as the limo pulled away from the curb of her apartment complex.  Remington sat quietly with his arms folded and appeared lost in thought.  He didn’t hear Laura talking to him until she touched his shoulder.  “Mr. Steele.”  He flinched as she startled him back to the moment.  “Mr. Steele, are you alright?”

“I’m sorry Laura.  I was just thinking.”

“About anything in particular?”

“About you actually.  You and what happened on the plane.”

Laura shook her head and closed her eyes in disbelief.  “I’d rather forget about the plane if you don’t mind.”

“I’m afraid it’s not going to be that easy for me to do Laura.  You threw me for quite a loop and I’m not sure just what to think.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” he shifted his shoulders, “let’s just say that your would-be induction into the Mile-High Club has made me realize just how little about you I actually know.  I mean, was this a one-time thing like the fan dance in Acapulco or do I need to be prepared for that sort of thing more often?”

Laura’s face turned to a mixture of irritation and amusement at the same time.  “What do you mean ‘prepare yourself’?  Last night you were telling me how much you wanted to have the Laura no one gets to see, the adventurous Laura, the one who’s not afraid to take a risk and have a little fun!”

“And believe me, Laura, I do.  I just wasn’t expecting to meet all of your sides in one day, that’s all, and certainly not at 30,000 feet.”

“Well now that we’re both back down to Earth, perhaps we should just forget about the rest of today’s plans.”

“Or…” Remington reached an arm over her shoulder and pulled her into a kiss.  “Perhaps we should explore a few more of the possibilities.”  He kissed her again as the limo pulled along side Laura’s building.

“Patience, Mr. Steele.  Remember, good things come to those who wait…”  She pecked his cheek as she got out of the car.  “7:30… Don’t be late.”

He poked his head out the window.  “Shall I bring anything?”

“Just your appetite.”

“Mmm… We’re having a bit to eat?”

Laura seductively laughed, “Oh yeah, that too…”

Remington shook his head and quietly chuckled as she closed the door to the building.  Fred returned to the car and asked, “Where to Mr. Steele?”

“Home my good man.  Home.”

With a few hours to spare, Remington stretched out on his bed and took stock of the past few weeks.  It had been one hell-of-a journey.  In less than three-weeks time he had gone from almost marrying a hooker to pretending to marry Laura to being accused of killing Norman Keyes to being chased by Immigration and Tony to inheriting a castle, being told that Daniel is his father only to have him die immediately thereafter to finally making love to Laura.  And as much as he had fought not wanting to admit it, it was most definitely love that he’s felt for her from almost the first moment they met.  He closed his eyes, sighed contently at the thought of holding her in his arms again and drifted off to sleep.

Across town Laura stood in front of the two closets cursing herself for taking most of her clothing to his apartment.  She pulled garment after garment out of her closet, held them up to herself and then cast them aside before finally deciding she would have to go shopping for just the right outfit.  She wanted seductive yet tasteful, something subdued but alluring and something that would have him begging for more.  Oh, and it had to be red.  He always seemed to become a little more aroused whenever she was wearing red.

She wandered through the stores at the Beverly Center looking at all of the evening wear trying to find just the right dress for the night’s activities.  Then it hit her: why bother with the dress at all?  Perhaps something a little more revealing might provide a nice change of pace.  She looked at the mall directory and headed to Frederick’s of Hollywood where she found just the right balance of seductive, alluring and red.  Taking her package, Laura happily made her way back to the loft and began her preparations for their “adventurous” night.

Remington knocked on the loft’s door at precisely 7:30.  Dressed in his finest tuxedo and carrying a single rose, he presented it to Laura as he lightly kissed her cheek.  He then looked at her quizzically as her eyes danced while she surveyed the tuxedo hugging his body.  Laura reached forward and untied his bowtie.  “You won’t be needing this tonight…”  Instead she put it on and turned to model it for him, smiling ever-so-seductively.  “Did you bring it?”

Knowing precisely what she was referring to Remington replied, “Uh…hmmm.”

“Did you bring protection?”

“Laura, you know I would never pack a gun on a date,” he sarcastically commented.  Laura looked at him with her ‘I’m going to hurt you’ look.  He laughed and added, “It’s okay.  I’ll be covered from top to bottom.  Nothing for you to worry about…”

“Good, wouldn’t want to run the risk of an accident.  Shall we Mr. Steele?”  She took him by the hand and led him out the door.

Forty minutes later they were overlooking the city from the top of Lookout Mountain.  A gentle breeze was blowing as a star flew across the moonlit sky.   Laura rested her head against his shoulder and breathed in the crisp night air.  As if by cue, the wind picked up just enough to send a chill through Laura.  Instinctively, Remington’s arm tightened its grip, pulling her closer to his warm body.  She looked at his face as he watched the city below.  She slowly raised herself just enough to kiss the side of his neck.  Remington gazed down at her and lowered his head to meet her lips in a tender kiss.  When the kiss broke he reached into the back of the two-seater and pulled out a blanket.  He kissed her again, this time with more intensity as they both wrapped the blanket around each other and sank down on the seat of the car.  Nearly an hour later, the wind blew so hard the blanket nearly flew off of their bodies and the feel of the cold air startled both of them from the light sleep they were both enjoying. 

“Laura, perhaps we should think about moving this glorious moment to somewhere a little warmer.”   He reached into the floorboard and handed her sweater back to her.

“I think you’re right.  Let’s go back to my place.  There’s something there that I want you to see.”  Remington adjusted his clothing while Laura tucked the blanket into the back of the car.  “Good thing you remembered the protection.  We would have been in bad shape if it rained and the interior of the car had gotten wet…” 

“True.  But even if it had been destroyed at least we will have accomplished one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“We’re no longer the only couple in California who hasn’t made love in the Auburn…”  He smiled with delight and kissed her once more before starting the engine and heading back into Los Angeles.

Returning to the loft, Laura excused herself and told him to make himself comfortable.  Remington went to the kitchen and retrieved a bottle of wine and two glasses then eyed the sofa.  Opting for a little more romance, he set the bottle and glasses on the nightstand and sat down on her bed.  He could only stare in awe when Laura emerged from the bathroom dressed in nothing but a red lace peignoir. 

“What do you think Mr. Steele?  It’s just a little something I picked up this afternoon.”  She turned slowly to give him a full view of the body hugging material. 

He raised one hand and reached for her.  She walked to the side of the bed and in one motion he wrapped one arm around her waist and the other moved to the back of her neck as he pulled her body onto his and kissed her with a force that sent a fiery feeling through them both.  As the night turned into morning, Laura knew she had made the right choice: in clothing and in him. 

He was awake before she was and, as he had in Ireland, he watched her wake up again.  As she began to stir he spoke.  “He feels her breath against his body.” Laura moved her hand over his torso.  “She moves her hand.  It’s cold too…”  Laura smiled lightly.  He continued.  “She moves her head, he feels her eyes flutter open as she looks up and with a look of confusion says…” 

Laura looked up at him.  “How long have you been awake?”

“That’s it?  No ‘who the hell are you’ or are you used to waking up with a naked man in your bed?”

“I know who you are.”  She snuggled herself into the crook between his arm and the pillow. 

“I was watching you sleep.”

“Why?”

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time.”

“Well, I’m not exactly a morning person.”

He rolled to his side and said, “Ah, yes, but ‘tis a man in love who can look at a woman first thing in the morning and say that you are beautiful.”

Laura leaned over and lightly kissed him.  “Thank you.  And for last night.”

He grinned, “It was my pleasure.”

She laughingly smiled.  “I sincerely hope so…  Takes two to tango you know…”

“And lots of practice,” Remington adds as he rolled her onto her back and hovered his body on top of hers.  “Definitely lots of practice.”  He started covering her face and neck with playful little kisses and found one of Laura’s more ticklish spots. 

The sound of her laughter drowned the noise coming from the hallway outside.  As Remington is made his way down her neck to the center of her abdomen, tickling her with his tongue, Laura’s eyes locked on the loft’s open door.  Her laughter immediately stopped and she cringed trying to get out from under him.  “Oh my God!  Mother!”

Remington barely raised his head from her naked body.  “Mother?  Laura, that’s not exactly a term used as foreplay.”  She yanked his head off of her body and turned it so he could see the open door.  “Oh, good lord… Abigail…”