As they walked along the beach near the house after dinner, Remington reached down and took Laura's hand in his. Glancing down at her troubled expression, he drew her to his side, acknowledging how well they fit together. "Penny for your thoughts," he whispered into her ear. She shrugged. "I guess I was just thinking about how nice this is after the way things have been so hectic these last few weeks," she told him. "Trying to catch your breath, ey?" Remington asked. She nodded, and Remington stopped, turning her into his arms. "Well, it will all be over in a few days - and then things will return to normal -" he assured her. "What if they don't?" Laura wondered aloud. "Things won't ever be exactly the same. I mean, we have to figure out how to manage working and living together. I won't be Laura Holt anymore-" "No, you won't," Remington agreed gently, seeing her head come up, eyes flashing. He smiled. "You'll be Laura Holt-Steele," he said gently. She looked at him, uncertain. "You mean you won't mind if I keep -" "Come now, Laura. Hyphenated names are an old British tradition. You've worked too long and too hard to establish yourself for me to ever have the right to object to anything." "But-" He placed a light kiss on her lips. "We'll find our way together, shall we? Just as we always have." When she nodded again, smiling slightly now, he pulled her closer to kiss her more deeply. She responded - but Remington could tell that she was holding herself back. Finally he lifted his head, his blue eyes boring into hers. "You're not ready for this, are you, love?" "Of course I am," Laura insisted, pulling his head back down to hers- nearly knocking him off balance under her sudden onslaught. Remington revelled in the feel of Laura against him, the promise of passion that lay deep within her- but he could still sense a reservedness in her - and he drew back again. "Laura- what's wrong, love?" he asked in a gentle voice. "I thought we had this all straighed out-?" She lowered her gaze to the expanse of dark, curling hair revealed by his half buttoned shirt. Did I do that? she asked herself. "I'm - I'm not-" she paused, searching for the words to express what she wanted to tell him. At last she took a deep breath. "I'm not as- experienced as the other women that you've-" Remington pulled her against him, her head resting on his chest as he closed his eyes. She was afraid, he realized. Afraid that she would disappoint him somehow. "You weren't afraid that night at your loft," he said. "What happened to change that?" Keeping her face buried against him, Laura answered. "I overheard you and Daniel the other day." He frowned,. wondering where this was going. "You were talking about- Felicia." Even now he could hear the slight grinding of her teeth at the mention of his old lover's name. And he recalled the conversation with Daniel. He had inquired as to Felicia's whereabouts. The last thing he needed was for the woman to find out that he was marrying Laura and come to Los Angeles to create problems. Daniel had assured him that Felicia was happily involved with an Italian Count, and the conversation had taken a decidedly more "personal" tone as the two men had exhanged "notes" on the attractive blonde. "I see. Laura-" he lifted her chin. "Laura, those other women are in the past. Have been since the day I met you -" Her eyes revealed her doubt. "Do you expect me to believe that you haven't-" he shook his head slowly, and the doubt began to clear, replaced by surprise. "All those women. It's been four years," she said. "Don't I know it? I didn't say that I hadn't tried, my love," he reminded her. "But they weren't you- and I discovered that I wasn't willing to settle for less." Laura's breath caught in her throat. Remington placed a line of kisses along her brow. "Oh, Laura, if I'd wanted someone like that, I'd be with one of them now. Not here, with you." He took a deep breath. "Besides, without deep feeling, without love, expertise, experience, they're nothing more than mere window dressing. You have the most important part already. The rest- you'll learn." Laura slid her arms around his neck, smiling at last. "With you as my teacher?" He dropped a kiss onto her nose. "You've taught me so very much in the last four years, Laura. I think it's time you let me be the teacher." "Oh, I've alread learned a lot from you," Laura said. "How to have fun - to laugh again. I'd almost forgotten how to do that before you came into my life. I had the success I'd always dreamed of, but-without someone to share it with-" Remington lowered his lips to hers again, feeling her reserve slipping. "What say we start your lessons, ey?" "How do you suggest we proceed?" Laura asked, continuing the light tone that he was trying to set. He kept his hand at her waist, turning them both toward the house. "Well, we go back to the house, turn on the answering machine, lock the doors-" "What about Daniel?" Laura asked, stopping. "He's got his own key," Remington assured her. "That's not what I meant, and you know it." Remington laughed softly. "Daniel won't disturb us, Laura," he said, moving again toward the steps that led to the redwood deck above the beach. "Besides," he reminded her, "Once we're married, the three of us will be living here-" "I know that," Laura agreed. "But it's - different-" "Not at all, love," he said, opening the sliding door and letting her into the house before him. She stood in the center of the living room, watching as he turned on the answering machine, setting the volume on low, before going to lock the door and turn down the lights. "There," he said, holding out a hand to Laura. "Shall we?" She didn't move. "Laura, love," he said, and very slowly, Remington closed the distance between them until he was mere inches from her, his hand still extended toward her. "We won't do anything that you're not ready to do," he assured her. "Trust me?" Laura looked deep into those blue eyes. She'd trusted him this far- with her agency, her life, her heart. Could she take this last step? Placing her hand in his, she responded, "Always," and let him lead her down the narrow hall to the bedroom door. Inside, Remington turned the lock on the door as Laura moved to the glass wall with its view of the beach on which they had just been walking. He moved to pull her back against him, his hands caressing, massaging the tight muscles of her shoulders and neck. Finally he lowered his head to the side of her neck, kissing her lightly. He felt her shudder in his arms. "Just relax, Laura," he said softly. "Don't fight it. Give in to those wonderful instincts of yours." Laura turned into is arms, linking hers around his neck. "How am I supposed to relax when just being in your arms makes my heart beat so fast?" she asked. He placed her hand over his own heart. "Because you have the same effect on mine," he told her. When her hand still at his neck applied pressure, Remington lowered his lips to hers, feeling the hand over his heart slip down to fully dispense with the buttons of his shirt. If he knew anything about this woman, he knew that she needed to feel that she was in control- in charge of things. As the kiss ended, he struggled to control his breathing as he said, "Tell me, Laura, what's the one thing you've always wanted to do to me if you had the chance?" Laura pressed a kiss to his chest before answering, a shy smile hovering on her face. "No, I couldn't-" Remington bent slightly to look at her, seeing the embarrassment there. "What? Is this the Laura Holt that can do anything she puts her mind to?" She shook her head. "Wilson never liked- " "Laura, it's just you and me in this room. I'm not Wilson." At the moment, Remington thought that Wilson Jeffries had been ten kinds of fool for leaving Laura. "Now tell me what you want to do." " I think I'd rather show you," she said, sliding his shirt from his shoulders, then reaching down to the front of his trousers. Remington forced himself to remain still as she touched him. Icy calm, he said to himself. Icy calm. Just because Laura was touching him for the first time, wasn't shying away from his need for her - He forced back a moan as her fingers left him, fluttering up to the fastener, lowering the zipper slowly. Laura's hands moved around him, burying themselves beneath the waistband of his shorts, gripping the flesh of his buttocks before pushing his clothing down. "Laura-" he moaned, but she brought a hand back to his neck to pull his head down to hers, their tongues dancing around each other. She slid down his body, and Remington wondered if he was going to be able to remain standing as her lips moved toward their goal. "Dear god, Laura---" he murmured, then stopped thinking at all. ********* Much later, thought began to slowly return, and Remington pulled Laura closer to his side as they lay in bed. He'd long ago amended his estimation of Wilson Jeffries. The man wasn't a fool, he was a twelve star idiot to have ever let Laura go. The man had managed to put a damper on Laura's naturally passionate nature that had kept everyone away - everyone, that is, except a charming con man with a tendency to never take "no" for an answer. "So, teach," Laura said, her head pillowed on his chest, "Did I pass?" "Star pupil," Remington assured her. "Such a thirst for knowledge," he commented, running his hand through her brown hair. She smiled again, looking up at him as her fingers tangled in his chest hair. "One of my college professors once said that I had 'insatiable thirst for knowledge'," she told him as her hand moved down his chest again. Remington's stomach muscles tightened in response to her touch. "Insatiable, ey? Sounds interesting." He grabbed her hand and turned over, pinning her to the bed with his leg over hers. "My turn," he told her, his hand finding the rosy peak of one breast while his mouth found the other . . . ********** Daniel Chalmers smiled at Fred as the chauffer held the limo door open. "Good night, Mr. Chalmers." "Fred." Seeing the white Volkswagon Rabbit still parked in the drive, Daniel's smile widened. "I doubt Mr. Steele will be needing you for the rest of the night, Fred. Might as well go home." "Yes, sir. Good night, sir." "Good night," Daniel said, moving toward the house, aware that Fred was still standing beside the car, waiting until he was safely inside. No doubt Harry's orders, Daniel thought, putting his key into the lock. He turned and waved once more before entering. The living room was dark, the only light coming from the kitchen. Daniel frowned as he heard someone moving about in the room, then lifted his brow as Harry, wearing a robe, came from the kitchen, bottle of champagne and two glasses in hand. "Daniel," he said. "I didn't hear you come in." "I only just got home," Daniel explained. "Don't let me keep you from -other matters, my boy." "I uh-" he started toward the door as the telephone rang. "The machine will pick it up," he reminded Daniel. Two rings. Come on, pick up, he thought at the bloody answering machine. "Did I hear the telephone?" Laura asked, coming from the bedroom wearing another of Remington's robes. "Daniel," she said, trying not to be embarrassed, and failing miserably. To cover her nervousness, she reached over before Remington could stop her and turned up the volume on the answering machine. "Laura? Answer the telephone," Abigail Holt said. "I know you're there. Answer the telephone or I'll come over there myself-" Laura noticed Daniel wince slightly upon hearing her mother's angry tone of voice, so she missed Remington's grab to stop her from picking up the telephone. "Hello, Mother. I'm sorry-" Why on earth was she apologizing? she wondered. "Laura, I want you to come home this instant," Abigail insisted. "What? What's wrong?" Laura wanted to know. Remington ran a distracted hand through his tousled hair. So much for the rest of the night, he thought. "I just think you need to re- think your decision to marry that man's son." Daniel made a sideways move toward his room, only to freeze on the spot as he saw Laura's gaze on him. "What happened? You were going to have dinner with Frances and Donald." "I did. Oh, Laura, it was so humiliating. We went to this wonderful little Italian place that Donald knew about - checkered table cloths, wine bottles with candles - They bring you hot bread in wicker baskets -" "I know the place, Mother. Remington told Donald about it. What does that have to do with-" "I can't talk about it now, dear. I just want you to come home. I'm not sure you should marry a man whose father is a - a -" "Mother," Laura said through gritted teeth. "Would you please tell me what happened?" "Not over the telephone, Laura," Abigail insisted. "Now are you going to come home, or am I going to have to call Donald to come and get you and bring you home?" "Mother, I'm not sixteen anymore," Laura reminded her. "I'm -" Her mother began to sob loudly, causing Laura to pull the receiver from her ear. "Alright," she agreed. "Alright, Mother! I'll be there as soon as I can. Just -calm down." She hung up the telephone. Remington put an arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong?" "I wish I knew. For some reason, she's suddenly decided that I'll be making a mistake if I marry you. Something about Daniel-" She looked up in time to see Daniel almost to the dining room and his bedroom on the far side. "Freeze right there, Daniel," Laura said. "You're not going anywhere until you explain what happened tonight between you and my mother!" To Be Continued---
