HARD AS STEELE

By: xffan_2000

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Summary: What exactly happened after the lights went out at the end of the series?

WARNING: Contains strong sexual content between two consenting adult characters. If you’re under 17, don’t read this.

Disclaimer: This “Remington Steele” story is not-for-profit and is purely for entertainment purposes. The author and this site do not own the characters and are in no way affiliated with “Remington Steele,” the actors, their agents, the producers, MTM Productions, the NBC Television Network or any station or network carrying the show in syndication, or anyone in the industry.

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They stared into each other's eyes. Neither moved, or felt they could move.

Four years had passed since he had first set eyes on Laura, and Remington was quite sure another four had passed while they were standing frozen in place. The hurry he felt to bed her had seeped away. Tonight he would finally have her all to himself, and he wasn't about to rush the process.

Laura stared into his blue eyes, trying to read his thoughts. After all she had been through in the last two weeks, she was quite sure she wasn't going to wait for him much longer. She still had no guarantees from him, but she would have him for another two years, providing he did intend to become an American. She was willing to give up the fight she had so long fought, since her heart was finally telling her it was okay.

Smiling at him, Laura reached over to the plate on the wall and flicked the switch. The light fell into darkness, only the fire slightly illuminating the room.

Remington felt his heart skip a beat. He returned her smile and leaned in for a kiss. The moment was shattered before it could even begin when the phone rang.

Laura blinked at him and he winced. The irritating sound tore through the silence again.

Sighing, Laura brushed her lips against Remington's. "I'll be right back," she whispered, removing herself from his embrace. She slipped past him and out the door.

Remington just stood. He couldn't believe Laura had actually left to answer the damned phone. His shoulders sagged, and he shoved his hands into his front pants pockets.

His right hand came to rest on a round metal object stuffed into the pocket. Slowly, he extracted Daniel's watch. Steele took a deep breath and stared at the golden timepiece. Reluctantly, he pressed the button on the top. He didn't really want to do it, but for some reason he couldn't help himself.

The case popped open, the familiar tune starting to play.

Downstairs, Laura approached the still-ringing phone. "I'm getting really sick of this, Tony," she muttered at the offending appliance.

The phone rang again, a very piercing double ring that echoed throughout the castle. Laura could feel her fillings ache every time the thing sounded. As she arrived at the table containing the phone, she reached for the earpiece with her left hand. But instead of just picking up the receiver, she lifted the entire phone off the table. With her right hand, she grasped the cord that connected to the wall. She gave a swift jerk, and the cord was ripped from the socket, halting the noise mid-ring.

Very pleased with the silence, Laura turned and hurled the phone with an underhand toss into the great hall. The phone skittered across the marble floor and impacted against a wall with a pathetic "ding."

"Sorry I can't talk now, Tony," Laura smiled broadly. "Seems to be a slight problem with the phone." She turned and dashed back up the stairs, more than ready to lose herself in her passion for Remington.

Laura stopped short as she approached the bedroom door. She didn't want to appear *too* anxious. She composed herself momentarily, then grasped the doorknob.

In all honesty, she fully expected Remington to be on the bed waiting for her. Or perhaps still standing where she'd left him. Or, at the very least, reclining next to the fire. What she found when she entered the room and locked the door was the last thing she expected.

Steele sat in one of the armchairs next to the fireplace. His head was lowered, and his shoulders were slumped. Laura was about to go to him when she heard the strains of "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling."

She knew the tune, and she knew where it was coming from. Any thought of making love to Remington suddenly took a backseat in her mind. Laura had left him to work out his feelings by himself, per his request, a couple days earlier. She thought he had come to grips with his father's deceit and death, since he told her as much. But, it was quite apparent that he wasn't over his turmoil.

Quietly, she turned to leave. She would find something to do that evening while Steele continued to grapple with his past. She only wished he would confide in her, even a little. But, that wasn't his way. It wasn't her way, either. And she knew they would continue to close the other out when life got too intense.

"Laura," Remington said weakly. Laura stopped in her tacks. "Don't leave."

Laura looked back at him. He still sat unmoving. He hadn't even raised his head to talk to her.

Slowly, Laura walked to him and placed her right hand on his shoulder. She felt a shudder course through him. A few moments later, he reached up and covered her hand with his. She noticed he was gripping it rather tightly. Not to the point of hurting, but well past the point of "thanks for staying."

Laura let him continue to hold her hand for awhile longer, before she covered his hand with her other one. He leaned his head over and nuzzled her hand with his cheek. She felt the wetness and she knew he'd been crying.

That was one thing she wasn't exactly sure how to handle out of him. He'd only done it once before that she could remember, and she hadn't bothered to deal with it then since they were both too excited to discover that she hadn't really been killed. Now she just stood next to him listening to his periodic sniffles.

Several long minutes passed. The tune played over and over and over. Steele leaned his head against Laura's stomach and sighed. She moved her hands to his hair, gently stroking it back from his right ear.

Laura couldn't suppress the memories that flooded into her mind as the song relentlessly played: the first time Daniel had strolled in and wooed her mother, the time she tracked Steele and Daniel to England, Steele's memory lapse in Ireland, and the misunderstanding with the Earl of Claridge. How could she not have figured it out? How could Remington not have known?

Laura figured she just didn't want to see it. She supposed she would have easily been able to track down Steele's true identity, if she were desperate enough to do it. But to put Daniel in the role of the father? She was sure she'd have never thought of that. In fact, looking back, she was quite sure *she* looked more like Daniel than Remington did.

No matter who looked like whom, Laura couldn't help but feel a great loss. Not that she had any true feelings for Daniel, she certainly had very strong feelings for Daniel's son. And what hurt him, hurt her. Even if he didn't want to talk about it with her, he was finally letting her in...at least a little. That was what she wanted.

Eventually, Remington wiped his eyes with the back of his wrist and looked up to Laura. To his surprise, she was staring off at nothing, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Laura?" He asked, slipping his arm around her waist.

She came back from her thoughts with a shake of her head. "Huh?" She blinked at him, and noticed the tears. She quickly wiped them away with her palm. "Sorry."

He continued to gaze at her, the firelight playing across her face. "I'm the one who should apologize, Laura." He clicked the watch closed, finally silencing the song. "Apologize for all the lost time."

"It's not your fault," she said.

"It is," he countered, gently easing her around to stand in front of him. "All this time, and I never realized..." His voice trailed off as he stared into the fire. He held both her hands in his, absent-mindedly rubbing his fingers against her palms. "I lost my father," he whispered.

Laura stood quietly as he lapsed into silence again. She allowed him a few more minutes of personal torture before she decided to intervene. "But you found yourself...Harry."

Steele looked up at her. She could have sworn he cracked a tiny smile. Before she could comment further, he pulled her down into his lap. He stared intently into her brown eyes. "I believe I found myself a long time ago."

A feeling of hope building in her heart, Laura put her arms around his neck. "And just who are you?"

"Remington Steele," he answered. "*Your* Remington Steele."

Laura's breath caught in her throat, and the reaction wasn't lost on Remington. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as if he'd never let go. She returned the embrace, snuggling her face next to his ear. She wanted desperately to tell him that she loved him, that his statement meant everything to her, but she couldn't make the words come out.

Instead, she opened her mouth and drug her lips over his ear, her warm breath sending shivers down his spine. She pressed her cheek against his as she slowly tickled his earlobe with her tongue.

Remington closed his eyes, sighing audibly, a tiny groan escaping from his throat, as Laura gently took his soft earlobe into her mouth and ran her tongue over it. Unable to sit still, Remington pulled his head away and took Laura's face in his hands. He opened his eyes to find her eyes soft with a longing that matched his.

He pulled her to him, meeting her lips with his. Remington held her to him, but he didn't really need to. Laura was working her lips over his on her own accord. She took his bottom lip between hers and caressed it with her tongue.

Remington returned the action with some of his own, opening his lips over hers. Laura willingly complied with his silent request, opening her mouth to his. Their tongues met and played around each other.

Laura could feel her heart rate increase, her blood pressure rising. Remington's hand left her cheek to trail lightly down her throat and over her shoulder. He slipped his other arm around to her back, supporting her body against his. When he teasingly slid his palm down her body, Laura felt a warmth spread instantly through her. His hand came to rest on her hip, and he gave a gentle tug, drawing her slightly closer to his body.

Laura's need for him increased instantly, as her entire body called out to be touched by him. She wanted to feel his flesh against hers, but heavy wool sweaters were in the way. Quickly, she moved her hands to his waist. She worked her fingers under his sweater to reach his turtleneck. Remington sat forward slightly, giving her a better angle for tugging the shirt free from his pants.

Her fingers finally making contact with his warm skin, Laura splayed her palms over his sides, feeling as much of him as she could. She rubbed her hands against his body, over his chest and back.

Remington broke their kiss, his breathing rate accelerated. He helped Laura remove his sweater and turtleneck, exposing his flesh to the chill of the air. She continued to run her fingers over his chest, tangling through the curly hair.

Laura rested her head on his shoulder as she carried on with her exploration. Remington closed his eyes and savored the feeling. Her light touches aroused him, and he felt no need to hide that arousal.

Instead, he proceeded to heighten it by sliding his hand from Laura's hip to the edge of her sweater. He pulled it up slightly, exposing her stomach. His fingers traced the line of her slacks around her waist before climbing upward. He took his time, lightly dragging his fingertips over her ribs, finally arriving at the swell of her breast. Remington felt Laura tremble as he pulled his fingers across her lace bra. He stopped, cupping her left breast in his palm.

His need to kiss her overwhelmed him, and he turned his head to her face. She met his lips eagerly, her fingers teasing his nipple into arousal, as he did the same to her. Remington's heart pounded in his chest and his crotch throbbed equally as hard.

Laura was well aware of his desire. She was experiencing much the same reaction, her breath becoming harder and harder to catch.

Remington suddenly moved, taking Laura to the floor in front of the fireplace. He pulled her sweater off over her head. In almost the same move, he reached up and undid her bra. He lowered hiself so as to plant a trail of kisses from her ear to her shoulder, lowering the bra strap down her arm. The article fell away, and Remington backed up to look at her.

Laura suddenly felt completely self-conscious. She could feel her face turn red as she shied away from looking at Remington.

In response to her, Remington turned her head back to his with a fingertip under her chin.

"Oh, Laura, my love" he said in a husky voice. "You're absolutely perfect."

She didn't have time to react to his statement before he put his lips to hers again, reclining her to the rug. He worked his mouth over hers, coaxing his way past her teeth to join his tongue with hers again.

Laura caressed his smooth back with her fingertips, trailing up and down his spine. She allowed her hands to travel ever lower, past his belt, coming to rest on his butt. She was just starting to explore the area when he slid past her reach.

He had left her lips and was making his way down her throat with a line of tiny kisses. Laura closed her eyes as her body started to tingle in anticipation. Remington palmed both of her breasts with his hands, gently feeling their softness. He continued to kiss his way down, stopping in the valley between his hands. Inhaling deeply, he smelled her perfume.

With the index fingers of both hands, he started to ever so lightly draw circles around Laura's breasts, spiraling toward the center. By the time he reached her nipples, they were both swollen. He gingerly touched the very tips with his fingers. Laura groaned and arched her back slightly, pushing herself against him, urging him to continue.

With his left thumb and index finger, Remington massaged Laura's right nipple, while, with his tongue, he circled her left. He flicked his tongue over the top several times. Laura continued to push against him, wanting him. She gripped at his shoulders, pulling him down to her.

Finally, he bent his head to kiss her, taking her nipple gently in his teeth. He softly sucked, causing Laura's senses to explode in a frenzy of desire. She grasped his head to her chest, not wanting him to stop. Remington slowly altered his position, starting the seduction of the right breast as he had the left. Laura was losing her hold on reality, and she knew that things had just started. Her breathing became staggered as Remington continued. He reveled in her reactions to him; the quiet moans that escaped her throat as he worked to awaken every nerve in her body.

Eventually, he ended his exploration of her breasts and moved his lips back to hers. But Laura wasn't ready to slow down. She moved her hands to his waist and started to unbuckle his belt.

Remington rolled off her to allow her better access. Laura sat up, finished with the belt, and started for the button on his trousers. While she slowly undid his zipper, Remington kicked off his shoes.

Laura tugged his pants down his legs, taking time to pull his socks off, too. After slipping out of her own shoes, she returned to lay beside him. As she kissed him, her hand roamed down his body to the elastic band of his underwear. She let her hand drop from his hip to cover the hardness that strained at his shorts. Remington jerked slightly when she touched him, pushing himself against her hand.

She heard him let out a long sigh when she started to rub him up and down through the fabric. Remington started to move his hips ever so slightly as she continued to caress his hardness. Laura rolled him to his back, then extracted him from his underwear, discarding the last of his clothes with a fling into the darkness.

She took him into her hand with a firm grip, and started to more vigorously stroke him. Remington closed his eyes tightly and groaned. What resolve he thought he had totally vanished when Laura stopped stroking him and started brushing her tongue over his tip. He lifted his head to watch her, amazed at what he was seeing.

Laura raised her eyes to meet his. The look on his face stopped her from continuing. He looked positively shocked. Laura backed away slightly. "You want me to stop?"

Remington shook his head as best he could. "...No..." he finally uttered. Laura smiled deviously. "I just..." He couldn't finish speaking because Laura had returned to her previous actions. She circled his tip with her tongue, thoroughly wetting the area.

In the back of her mind, she couldn't believe what she was doing. But for some reason, it just felt right. He was so smooth on the end, yet he was completely rigid. She couldn't resist taking him into her mouth, covering as much of him as she could.

Remington felt his mind spin when Laura started sucking. He rolled his eyes back in his head and dropped to the floor with a deep moan. She continued to alternate between circling her tongue around him and sucking. She pulled at his hips.

He tangled his fingers through her long hair, knowing he wouldn't be able maintain control much longer. Against his better judgment, he started to move his hips with her motions. He was dangerously close to the edge, to the point of feeling a few muscles starting to tighten in his legs.

"Laura..." he groaned. She added a bit more fuel to his fire when she cupped his balls in her palm. Laura was positive she heard him growl just before he grabbed her head to stop her movements. The next thing she felt was his penis twitching, followed by a succession of warm spurts, which she took care of in the most logical way.

Remington fairly panted as his climax subsided. His eyes closed, he laid flat on his back, trying to catch his breath. His heart pounded loudly against his ribs. When he opened his eyes, he saw Laura's face only inches above his.

He reached up and pulled her down to him, capturing her mouth with his. They kissed leisurely for a few minutes, while Remington's heart beat returned to a somewhat normal pace.

Finally recovered, Remington took charge, rolling Laura to her back. He ran his hands down her body, lingering over her breasts, to her slacks. It was hardly fair for her to be partially dressed, so he efficiently stripped her remaining articles from her body.

The return trip was taken at a much slower pace. He trailed his fingers lightly over her feet, up her shins, past her thighs to her hips. Remington then lowered his head to her stomach and placed a kiss just below her sternum, then another kiss slightly lower, then another. Laura closed her eyes, hoping he would continue on his current path. She ran her fingers through his dark hair, slightly shoving him down her body.

Moving over her, Remington reached down to her inner thigh and pushed her legs slightly apart. He filled the space with his body, dragging his chest over her belly in the process. When he settled into his place, he lifted Laura's knees over his shoulders. He rubbed his hand up her right inner thigh, followed by his lips. Carefully, he avoided the tender area between her legs, and continued his journey down her left inner thigh.

Laura trembled at his touch, wanting him desperately to stop his teasing. Remington placed a palm on her stomach and patted her gently, encouraging her to relax. His lips made another trip up her inner thigh. This time coming to a rest at the center of her arousal. With practiced fingers, he gently spread the folds out of the way and flicked his tongue across her clitoris.

Laura gasped with pleasure and gripped his hair. He repeated the action several times before changing his pattern to up and down, instead of across. Laura moved her hips, shoving herself closer to him. Her blood pressure had increased again, and her breaths were coming in staggered form.

Remington moved his mouth from her clit to probe his tongue elsewhere. He kept a finger moving over her clitoris while he plunged his tongue into her vagina. Laura moaned and moved her hips against his face. He delved again and again before returning his tongue to her clit. He gently inserted his finger, stroking her both on the inside and out.

Laura felt her entire body start to tingle. She encouraged the feeling to flow by moving her hips in the same rhythm as Remington moved his finger. Slowly, the intensity built and she felt her muscles tighten. She cried out as the waves started to wash over her, her inner muscles gripping Remington's finger again and again. Remington continued his actions until she lay motionless, her chest heaving with exhaustion.

Moving from between her legs, Remington came up to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "How was it for you, love?" he inquired with a grin.

Her response was an intense kiss, her tongue invading his mouth once again. Laura eventually broke the kiss to catch her breath. She leaned against his body, her heart still beating rapidly.

"Time for a bit of a rest?" he asked, brushing a stray hair from her face. She didn't answer, only sighed into his chest. Remington sat up and proceeded to lift Laura from the floor and carry her to the bed. "May as well put this to some use," he said to her, placing her on her left side, then crawling in after her.

He wrapped his arms around her and snuggled his body next to hers. His coarse chest hair scratched against her back. As she looked off into the darkness, Laura moved her left hand up and down his arm that was draped over her. It would have been quite easy to fall asleep right there, but they weren't finished. Laura still wanted to complete the evening. She could tell that Remington wasn't ready for sleep either, since she could feel his hardness pressed against her back side.

With her right arm, Laura reached around behind her to caress his thigh. Encouraged by her new actions, Remington began to play with her breasts. He used his left hand to arouse her nipples again, and his right hand slid down her side to her hip.

Laura gripped his leg and pushed herself against him. Remington moved his hand to her clit and began to stimulate her again. Before long, he had spread her legs slightly, moving his penis between them. He gently thrust himself against her, teasing his tip against her vaginal opening. She was more than ready for him.

At long last, Remington started to push his way into her, still rubbing his index finger against her clitoris. She fully accepted his movements, and reciprocated by pushing herself against him, taking him deeper into her body.

Remington pulled back, then thrust forward again, feeling Laura's softness all around him. He moved again, shoving himself deeper into her. He repeated the move a couple more times before rolling Laura onto her stomach. He positioned himself for better power, then pulled out of her. He gripped her hips as he thrust back in.

Laura groaned with pleasure as his penis rubbed over the sensitive interior of her body. Remington pressed his body against hers as he thrust again and again. His pace increased as Laura's soft moans coaxed him on.

"Remington..." she cried as her muscles tightened around him. He kept shoving himself deeply into her as she climaxed, trying desperately to stop himself from joining her at that moment.

Laura started to come down from her bliss, only to have Remington pull out of her and roll her onto her back. He had pleasured her, but he wanted to be face to face with her when they both arrived together.

Remington positioned himself between Laura's legs and entered her once again. He lowered his body to hers, stopping all movements. Laura looked into his eyes and smiled. He returned the smile and capped it with a kiss.

Laura's tongue rubbed against his lips. He opened his mouth, taking possession of her once again. In the midst of the kiss, Remington started to move his hips. Laura soon joined him, her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders. Their rhythm increased, thrust after thrust mounting their mutual pleasure.

Remington reached down and stroked Laura's clit with his thumb, sending her over the edge. Her muscles started to tighten again as he lowered his head to her breasts. Remington took her right nipple between his lips and flicked his tongue over the tip. He continued to push forward, driving himself as deeply as he could into her softness.

Suddenly, a jolt of electricity shot through his body. They both cried out as muscles contracted together.

When the moment subsided, Remington collapsed against Laura, his heart pounding and his body sweating. Laura held him to her, stroking his hair away from his ears. Slowly, he looked up to her, his eyes heavy with a need fulfilled. Gently, he kissed her.

He ended the kiss, and reluctantly disengaged himself from her. Laying beside her, he opened his arms for her. Laura snuggled in close, resting her head on his shoulder, exhaustion rapidly claiming her consciousness. Remington closed his eyes peacefully.

Laura's defenses were completely down at that point, but oddly enough, she felt she had nothing to lose. "I love you," she whispered, finally admitting it to him and herself.

He didn't respond, and Laura was almost relieved that he was asleep and hadn't heard her.

Remington was, in fact, quite awake upon hearing that. His defenses were also down, and his mind was cleared of all the old arguments and excuses. He remained silent for a few moments more, trying to decide how best to phrase his words.

"Laura..." he finally began.

Startled that he was awake and had heard her, Laura felt the muscles in her back start to tense up. Something told her she shouldn't have admitted her feelings. Even after making love to him, she still couldn't shake the old fears completely.

"...I'm not exactly sure..."

*There it was.* Laura closed her eyes, fighting back the tears. She had fully expected his reluctance to commit. But it had been her decision, after all, to finally give in to him.

"...What's the best way to say this?"

"Directly, I believe, Mr. Steele." She braced herself for the "thanks, but I have to go now" speech she knew he'd give her. At least he could have lived up to her expectations and quietly slipped out during the night while she slept.

"Directly?" He took a deep breath. "Okay. I suppose that would work." Remington reached down and raised Laura's head up so he could look her in the eye. "I love you." On her stalled expression, Remington grinned in his crooked manner. "You wanted direct."

Laura adjusted herself to stare at him. "Are you serious?"

Remington cocked his head slightly. "Quite."

Laura broke into a wide grin, and threw her arms around him. She held him tighter than she had ever held him. Suddenly, she wasn't very tired anymore.

END