Chapter 31

After a short argument with Beverly and the chauffeur Paul, Lex was finally allowed to carry their bags into the house.

"At least let Paul help you, Miss Lex…Mrs. Cauble will throw a fit if she finds out we let a guest carry their own luggage." The maid stood in front of the rancher, wringing her hands nervously.

Rolling her eyes, Lex handed Paul half of the bags. "This better?" she smiled at his look of relief.

"Thanks, Miss Lex…" the short, burly man grinned.

The rancher gave him a disgusted look. "Could you please drop the 'Miss'? At least when the bosses aren't around?"

Paul looked around carefully. "Uh, sure…Lex."

Beverly slapped him on the shoulder. "Paul…quit flirting and show…Lex…" she gave the taller woman a wry smile, "where she can put Miss Amanda's things. And show her the guest room across the hall."

Lex lifted Amanda's duffel bag to her shoulder. "Lead on, Paul." She directed the poor flustered driver. "Thanks again, Beverly." She gave the slender maid a genuine smile as she followed Paul up the large staircase.

Shaking her head as they moved down the opulent hallway, Lex mumbled, "Hell, I could sleep comfortably in the hall." As they passed an antique settee.

Paul chuckled. "I know what you mean…my garage apartment doesn't have as much furniture as one of these hallways - but you get used to it, I guess." He stopped in front of a door. "Here's Miss Amanda's room," then he pointed to the door Lex was standing next to, "and you're welcome to use that guestroom - I think Beverly likes you."

Setting the bags down, Lex opened the door a bit and peeked inside. "Good lord!" she muttered, then turned her attention back to the chauffeur. "Why do you think Beverly likes me?"

Laughing, Paul opened Amanda's door and took the bags inside, placing them next to the bed. "Well, she normally assigns one of the guestrooms down the hall…but that's the biggest one, and the sun won't wake you in the mornings."

Looking into Amanda's room, Lex found it hard to believe that her vivacious lover had ever lived here. It looks so…impersonal, she thought sadly.

The large room was furnished with only the essentials - a bed, desk, dresser, and two comfortable looking chairs. The room looked professionally decorated, with the flowery bright bedspread and matching curtains. If Lex didn't know any better, she would have sworn this was a room at the Hyatt.

Sitting the duffel bag carefully next to the bed, Lex shook her head and made her way back across the hallway, opening the guestroom door and stepping inside.

Similarly furnished, this room had darker furniture, set off with navy blue and maroon plaid covering the bed and adorning the windows. Damn room is almost as big as the entire upstairs at home,Lex thought ruefully to herself. Opening a door on the near side of the bed, she was pleasantly surprised to find a huge walk-in closet, complete with oak hangers. Better than the Holiday Inn, I suppose, she chuckled. Closing the door, Lex noticed another door on the other side of the bed. "Well…what do we have here?" The door opened into a nice sized bathroom, with a large platform bathtub taking up an entire corner. "Oh yeah…that'll hit the spot." She closed the door, walked over to the bed, and then opened up a suitcase. Think I'll get cleaned up…might as well try out that tub.

***************

Trudging up the stairs, Amanda replayed her conversation with her father over and over in her mind. Why now, Daddy? Why do you suddenly want me to come to work for you? Her father had deftly skirted around that very question, until she had finally decided to give up, and go find her missing friend. Would I be happy working for him? At one time, I would have sold my soul to do that…She bit her lip in thought, and isn't that what I would be doing now? Giving up my soul? Amanda knew that Lex would never leave the ranch to live in Los Angeles. It would be like trying to cage a mountain lion - she would die in 'captivity'…she needs her freedom, Amanda thought sadly.

Shaking her head, the young blonde opened her bedroom door. Noticing that only her bags were sitting by the bed, she momentarily panicked. "Lex?" she called out quietly, looking around. Mother strikes again, she thought sadly. All of her personal possessions were gone, probably packed away the day I called her, and the bookcase and dresser her grandfather had built for her were missing as well.

"Are you alright, Miss Amanda?" Beverly asked from the doorway. "Is there anything I can get for you?" I should have warned her that Mrs. Cauble had her room packed up and put into storage.

"I guess Mother couldn't wait to get rid of me, huh?" Amanda asked ruefully, waving an arm at the bare room.

Beverly smiled. "Actually, she said that since you wouldn't be here for very long, she didn't want you to spend all of your time packing, when you should be visiting your family." She walked over and laid a gentle hand on the younger woman's arm. "If it helps, I supervised the packing, not your mother." Her eyes were sympathetic.

Amanda let out a relieved breath. The thought of Mother digging through all of my personal things…ugh! "You have no idea how much that helps." She smiled brightly. "Have you seen Lex? I just finished talking to my father, and I thought she'd be up here."

"We put her in the guestroom across the hall." Beverly said, chuckling softly. "Paul said that Lex nearly fainted when she saw the size of the room."

"I'll bet." Amanda raised an eyebrow at the maid's familiarity with her lover. Lex, huh? She must really like her - that's the nicest room on this floor. "I think I'll go check up on my friend…she's had a pretty rough day." Amanda gave the older woman a hug. "Thanks for everything, Beverly…I'm really going to miss you."

"You have certainly been missed around here, dear…but I think you'll be much happier in Texas." The maid pulled back and winked. "Now, I'm going to leave you alone so you can rest up from your trip. Dinner will be in a few hours - I'll send Sophia up to get you when it's ready." Beverly smiled and left the room.

Amanda counted to ten, then peeked out into the hallway. The coast is clear, she thought, then snuck over and quietly knocked on the door.

No answer.

The petite woman knocked again, more firmly this time.

Total silence.

Maybe she's asleep, Amanda thought as she slowly opened the door. "Lex?" she whispered, stepping softly into the room. Looking over to the bed, she saw that it was empty, except for a set of clean clothes laid out neatly at the foot.

The bathroom door was closed, but Amanda could see a small amount of light leaking out from under the door. Knocking softly, she called out to her partner. "Lex?"

Not a sound.

Opening the door slowly, she poked her blonde head into the steamy room, glancing around. Aw…she looks so cute…

Lex was sound asleep in the bathtub, a damp washcloth covering her eyes.

Amanda closed the door and then locked it behind her. "Lex?" she walked towards the sleeping woman carefully, trying not to startle her.

"Mmm…" the dark-haired woman rolled her head to one side, still not awake. She slipped a little lower in the water, until it came almost to her chin.

Kneeling down next to the tub, Amanda pulled the washcloth off of Lex's face. "Lex…honey?" she murmured, pushing the damp bangs away from the still woman's face. "Hey."

Sleepy blue eyes partially opened. "Hmm?" Lex moaned, then blinked. "Amanda?" she struggled to sit up a little. "Wha…damn." She pulled one hand out of the water and rubbed her face. "Sorry…must have dozed off there."

Amanda giggled. "Do you always fall asleep in the tub?" She ran her hand down Lex's face. "Who woke you before I came along?"

This earned her a sheepish grin. "That's why I normally don't take baths - it takes waaaay too much time. But Martha would usually…" her words were stopped by insistent lips. "Mmm…" Arms worked their way around her neck, and Lex lifted both of her arms out of the water and wrapped them snugly around the sturdy body next to the tub.

"Aaah…Lex…" Amanda broke the kiss long enough to breathe. "You're getting my shirt… ummm…" a warm mouth attached itself to her sensitive throat. "Lex…my shirt…" she moaned. "Aaaack!!" Amanda suddenly found herself in Lex's lap…in the tub…fully clothed. "I can't believe…" she began, until her lips were again captured by the now heavily breathing rancher. Large hands began unbuttoning her shirt, and Amanda gasped as the cool air hit her wet, bare skin. Giving up the battle (not that she was fighting all that hard, she thought later), she kicked off her shoes as those roaming hands unsnapped her jeans. "Guess a bath couldn't hurt." She mumbled around the rancher's lips.

Lex chuckled, then helped Amanda slip out of the rest of her clothes, pulling her farther into the tub. "You got that right."