This was the result of a challenge on one of my fic lists.

It's Steele a Merry Christmas
LoveSteele 2008



*****

"Bloody hell!" Laura jumped as she heard Remington shout from his
office. She couldn't hold back the sigh. He'd been on edge all day,
and it was slowly killing her resolve. Did the man always get cranky
around the holidays? She was thankful she'd set her coffee down as
another curse flowed through the open door to his office.

"Mr. Steele!" She yelled back in an attempt to keep him from startling
the entire floor.

"Sorry," he told her as he appeared in the doorway. "I'm just at a
loss as to what to expect from Los Angeles this time of year anymore.
One year it's in the nineties and the next we're freezing our bullocks
off!" She tried not to laugh as he took his frustration out on her
open file cabinet drawer. If he only knew…

"Yours, perhaps Mr. Steele." All her body parts were in fine working
order, thank you very much.

"Yes, well, I moved away from London for a reason… no snow. And now
they're saying up to six inches. In Los Angeles!" She rolled her eyes
at his melodrama. The man could lay it on thick when he wanted to.

"And what, you'd rather have it be hot outside, the building get blown
up, have us be shot at and maybe break your leg again so it'll feel
more normal?" As if he moved to Los Angeles to get out of the snow.
He'd been trying to get her to Aspen for years. Maybe she should tell
him straight out what she was planning…

"If it gets you to play nursemaid again, perhaps. As it is, I was
planning on something very special this Christmas, and this six inches
throws a kink into the plans." A kink? Plans? Her ears perked up.

"I'd hardly call a Christmas miracle a kink, Mr. Steele." Then again,
if tonight goes according to plan…

"Of course you wouldn't, Miss Holt. You of the 'Merry Christmas Glee
Club.'" Laura sighed. He really was a scrooge this year.

"Oh hush. What's so important that a little snow is going to ruin
everything?" Would this be a first for him? Would he let her in on his
little secret?

"That's for me to know and you to find out, Laura." Of course. Why
would she have thought any different?

"I seem to recall, Mr. Steele, that you promised to make this
Christmas more memorable than the last, and last year's was rather
memorable." In all the wrong ways, but memorable nonetheless.

"In all the worst ways. This time I was hoping for a little more…
'holiday appreciation'." Oh, I'm sure you do, Mr. Steele.

"Well, it looks like all of our appreciation will have to be done
indoors, Mr. Steele. And we'll have to decide whether we want to spend
the holiday together or apart since driving anywhere after tonight is
going to be out of the question." She watched an imaginary light bulb
go on over his head. Finally, she thought. He was figuring it out.

"Bah. You sure you don't want to head for the airport? There has to a
flight out tonight that'll save us from this frosty fate." Had he even
heard her? Him, her, one place or another and snowed in together?

"Absolutely not! This is your chance, Mr. Steele. My place or yours?"
Come on. You can't stand there looking that sexy and not be catching
on to the theme…

"Well, when you put it like that…" Finally.

"For CHRISTMAS. I swear you have a one track mind." No need to let him
think he'd won.

"Please. This is our fifth Christmas together and I've yet to so much
as kiss you under the mistletoe."

"Oh, you please. We've done a lot more than that and you know it."
Take last week for example… a gourmet meal, a lot of wine, a bit of
dancing, much necking. If only the evening hadn't ended with Mildred
pounding on her door.

"Ah, yes well perhaps we are a bit farther along than last year, but
not much. And not nearly close enough." Which is why I'm planning to
spend the next few snowed in days with you if you'd only shut up for a
minute and hear what I'm trying to say…

"Which is why I'm wondering why you're upset about having the day with
me. Would it be so bad spending the day struck with me in your
apartment? Just the two of us? Nowhere to go, nothing to do…"

"I'm sure we could think of something, Miss Holt…" And the look in
your eyes is giving you away. You are such a tease.

"I knew you'd agree. Now, we have to get home before the storm hits,
and I need to stop by my place and pack before I head over to yours.
You should hit the market and load up on groceries. We can meet at
your place in a couple of hours." And then…

"Oh, no. No no no… you're not to be out of my sight until we get to my
place. If we've learned nothing from the past it's that every time we
try to get together for some time alone something ALWAYS interferes.
Hence the 'some but not enough progress' from our last Christmas." One
fevered groping on his sofa that almost led to orgasm, a very long
shower together after literally getting tarred on a case and
almost-but-not-quite oral pleasure against the wall of his shower and
some gentle caressing of her breasts off and on did equal a little
progress. It wasn't her fault that they were ALWAYS interrupted.

"You may be right. Well, we should go then and swing by my place.
We'll hit the store on the way back to yours." And then you're mine.

THREE HOURS LATER

"That was the most horrible shopping experience of my life!" Scrooge indeed.

"I can't believe everyone was at the grocery store. It's just a little snow!"

"In a city without regular snowfall, Laura. Everyone's gone mad."

"Well, we're here. Let me put some things away while you unload."

"You sure I can't help you… unpack? I'm happy to help out." As if his
fingering the different brands of condoms at the store hadn't given
him away. Ha, and he wasn't even going to need them.

"I'm sure you are. And, we're most likely here for the duration, so
not need to rush anything, alright?"

"Right. Well, I'll trust your judgment. Just let me put these away and
I'll see about a fire."



***

She watched him retreat to the kitchen and took her suitcase to the
bedroom. Aside from staying a night or two under traumatic situations,
this was the first time she found herself putting things in the closet
and drawer he'd set aside for her. Her things easily fit alongside
his, and she forced herself to focus on the task instead of what this
would be like if they really lived together.

Remington was lighting the fireplace by the time she emerged from the bedroom.

"All done?"

"Yes, I'm all unpacked."

"Relax, Laura. As you said, we have all weekend, eh? And I'm happy to
take the couch if you prefer."

"I'm sure we'll figure it out."

"Yes, well in the meantime, we've a couple of hours to dinner. Let's
say we turn on the television and see what the forecasters are
saying?"

"Sure. Why don't I pour a little wine?"

"There's a bottle of white in the refrigerator."

"Sounds wonderful."



***

ONE HOUR LATER

"EIGHT INCHES!?!" Scrooge again? Didn't the man know mind blowing sex
was on the horizon?

"Calm down, Mr. Steele!"

"We'll be here for a week!" One can only hope…

"Do you think so?"

"Laura, if I didn't know you better, and if you hadn't held me back
for the past five years, I'd say you're incredibly pleased to be
snowed in with me." Well, it didn't take a detective to figure that
out with all the hints I've been dropping!

"Think of it this way. We figured we'd finally get to become lovers
once hell froze over…"

"Eight inches doesn't sound so bad when you put it like that."

"Eight inches never sounds bad to a girl, Mr. Steele."

"Laura! I'm shocked! Are there any more dirty thoughts rattling around
in that lovely brain of yours?" If you only knew…

"Why don't you come here and find out." Being forward is my motto.
Here goes nothing…

***

Instead, Remington dragged Laura onto his lap from her spot of the
sofa. She laughed in surprise but quickly caught on as his claimed
hers in a searing kiss. She hummed as she remember the pain and trauma
of last year's holiday and put it out of her mind. She felt
Remington's arms tighten around her and he hummed back.

Somehow, and she couldn't quite remember through her wine induced
haze, she ended up on her back on the carpet in front of the fire with
Remington draped half across her body. His hand was caressing her
breast through her silk shirt, and her skirt had hiked up to her hip.
She flexed her fingers and ran her nails across his scalp as he
nibbled her neck.

A while later she watched as he stood and stripped what was left of
his clothes off his glorious body. The apartment was dark except for
the fireplace. They'd stopped for a bit to watch the snow begin to
fall, but she had been unable to tear herself away from him for very
long. She watched now as he stood there, his skin glowing from the
fireplace. Finally, he laid down next to her again and gently worked
the clothes from her suddenly boneless body.

He slowly made his way down her body and didn't leave an inch
untouched by fingers or mouth. When she thought she'd die of
anticipation he told her roll over so he could repeat the process down
her back. She shivered when he kissed her and gasped as his fingers
explored every inch of her. Every inch except the one place she needed
him. His teasing intensified her ache for him, and she couldn't keep
herself from shifting on the carpet and rubbing her legs together as
she anticipated what was to come.

He finally turned her back over and kissed her until she thought she'd
die. She was ready and reached for him, hoping to bring his body into
hers, but he begged off and stayed to her side. She was about to
protest his decision to delay the inevitable. After all, someone could
call or a client could start pounding on the door. It was their luck,
after all. When he began to move down her body again she held her
tongue and let her legs fall open as he settled himself between them.
She stopped thinking altogether as he lowered his mouth to her.

When he was done and her body stopped trembling, and she could breathe
again, she realized they were actually *doing it* right there in his
living room. She finally felt free again, to love and be loved without
holding that part of herself in check. Five years had been an awfully
long wait for this man, and her newfound bravery told her not to waste
a moment of it.

So, when she sat up and pushed him to the floor, as much as she wanted
to return the favor, she straddled his hips instead and watched his
eyes grow wide as she reached for him. He didn't say anything as she
guided him to her, but she was pleased that he kept his eyes on her.
She willed her body to relax to avoid any pain she might feel after
her long abstinence, but she felt no pain as she sank down onto him.
Only then did he speak her name and she watched as he held on to
control. She'd been briefly sated after all, and he'd been very
patient for over five years. If that didn't make for his desperation
nothing would.

After a moment she began to move gently atop him. She never looked
away, couldn't really since his gaze never wavered. She felt his hands
move across her body as he learned her shape, but she could only stare
into his eyes she rocked over him. Her pace was steady for as long as
possible until she began to crave release again. When she shifted her
angle he finally closed his eyes and groaned. She deduced he was close
and hoped she'd cross the line again before he did. Then his fingers
were on her, rubbing her hard above where they were joined and she
cried out as she found it. She held on to his shoulders as she shook
and ground her hips hard into his. She felt him thrust hard into her
and stiffen beneath her moments later.

Laura woke to an empty bed. She didn't remember being moved, but she
was damned sure she hadn't fallen asleep on silk sheets. Before her
insecurities could get the best of her, she noticed the wonderful
smells of dinner filling the room. It was all she could do to roll out
of bed and stumble into the bathroom. She didn't think she'd slept
long, but she'd slept hard and needed to clean up a bit.

When she was done she pulled her robe out of the closet and made her
way to the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway when she noticed him
bent over as he dug around in his fridge. He was nearly naked, wearing
only a pair of pajama bottoms. She noted the way his normally
impeccable haircut was standing in all directions and pledged to style
it that way every chance she got. His back was covered in long marks
that she knew she'd given him when they'd made love the second time.
She blushed as she remembered begging him to drive harder into her,
and he'd pounded her into the carpet as a result. He must have carried
her to the bed some time after that.

He stood and turned to find her staring at him.



***

"See anything you like?" So like to him to ask such a loaded question.

"Don't you seem smug, Mr. Steele."

"I didn't hear you complaining two hours ago, Miss Holt." Would that
have been the first or second time?

"Oh, I wasn't complaining. I'll take you smug any day if it's the
result of a hard… night's work."

"Laura, I'm only going to say this once, so please take it in the best
possible way. If you don't get out of this kitchen we'll never have
dinner. I can't control myself around you with you blatantly flirting
like that." Point made… lover.



***

One home-made sub sandwich later found them sharing an erotic shower
for the second time. She knew she shouldn't be surprised at his
abilities in this area, but she was a little shocked when he got hard
as she stroked him as they kissed. He tried to move her against the
cold tile, but she would have none of that. Now seemed the perfect
time to repay him for her earlier pleasure. She ended up grabbing a
hand towl to kneel on and she turned his back to the spray before
sinking to her knees in front of him. Always a gentleman, he tried to
tell her it wasn't required, but she glared at him and he shut right
up. It was all he could do, she could tell, to stay upright as she
took him in her mouth.

A few minutes later she felt his hands tangle in her hair, and he
warned her he was close. He'd been very gentle with her, and she'd
worried some when he'd twined his hands in her hair, but he never
pushed or shoved. He even warned her before he came. Only at the very
end did he hold her to him. He let go quickly and hauled her up his
body before pinning her to the cold tile walls by the most passionate
kiss in history.

By the time they made it back to the bed it was snowing heavily outside.

The End