PLAYING WITH FIRE

Chapter 1: Complaints

A sequel to Something's Burning.

"Stephanie. My office. Now." That was the message on her email.

"Uh, oh." She blinked in disbelief quickly reviewing her morning activities, lunch in the break room and the afternoon so far. Her uniform was okay and still clean, and her hair was in a neat practical ponytail. She was keeping her commitment to training and even the dreaded gun range sessions. So, what gives?

Stephanie was confused. She looked up over her cubicle but everyone was busy in a distracted sort of way. Her spidey senses were prickling but despite the somewhat edgy atmosphere, there was no clear hint to reveal the reason for this unexpected message. She frowned in suspicion, slowly sitting down, still watching for any give-away signs.

He had used her first name and that did not bode well. Her cell phone chirped indicating a message. Checking her screen, it read the same as her monitor, however, the last word was now capitalised. She chewed her lip nervously, checked her hair tightening her ponytail, tugged at her short T-shirt and slowly proceeded towards his office. She knocked. A gruff "Come." was her cue to enter the tiger's lair.

He was sitting at his desk working on his computer, not looking up, and dressed in his black on black business suit. His usually tied-back hair hung loosely round his face while his discarded tie had been tossed on the desk leaving the top buttons of his shirt open. Hmmm, sexy Ranger. Checking the corner of her mouth for drool, she closed the door quietly and stepped forward. This was not the reception she was expecting. Something felt off-kilter. Fidgeting and feeling slightly nervous, she waited for him to look up since his messages brooked no argument and playing it safe seemed like a good idea.

Finally he eased back his chair taking his time to look at her, lingering on those soft curves and her trim figure. Her black on black uniform was easy on the eye, her name written over her right breast. Slowly he stood up walking slowly and purposely towards her.

"Stop worrying that lip, Stephanie."

Yikes. She startled. First name again with that commanding tone. She looked up into dark eyes but his face had his Boss look, stoic and unreadable.

"I've had complaints, Stephanie." He stepped in closer, forcing her head to tilt upwards to look at him.

"Complaints?" she squeaked out.

"Yes. Complaints about you."

She gulped but was surprised all the same. He walked behind her, his long index finger lingering along her waistline until she shivered involuntarily. He smiled, unseen by her, whispering in her ear, "Yes, complaints. From the men, your Merry Men."

Now that was totally bewildering and she made to respond but was quickly silenced by a wagging finger negating her response instantly.

"You have made them … uncomfortable, Stephanie … very uncomfortable." Again with the whispering. It felt all kinds of tingly and nice, an exciting sensation as he paused between whispers, brushing his lips against her ear, her cheek, her neck, ever so lightly.

Oh boy. She wracked her brains to consider how that was at all possible. She was finding it difficult to concentrate. Focus, Stephanie. Hmm. They had all been on good terms since she arrived two weeks ago after all that drama in her parking lot last month and the subsequent sequence of events which led to her being homeless. But Ranger and her Merry Men, her knights in shining armour, had rescued her from imminent danger. She now lived in this secure building with Ella and Luis on the sixth floor.

"But … how? What do you mean?"

"You've been naughty, Stephanie, very naughty," he whispered in her other ear, his accent more distinctive as he trilled the R in the word VERY, as once again his warm finger edged along her midriff. She was tingling now, her nerves buzzing yet calming after her initial shock but waiting with bated breath in anticipation for him to continue this light touchy-feely experience. His whisperings were very sensual and very arousing.

"I need to punish you, Stephanie. You know that, don't you?" She shuddered as the goosebumps raced up her arms. She moaned unwittingly, just a little as she tried to concentrate on his resonant, deep voice maintaining that alluring sexy whisper tone.

"Someone has been making noises … moaning, breathy noises, which only I should hear and only I should be the cause of these moans." Once again his whisperings were affecting her in a very profound way. Her breathing had altered and her heart rate was definitely ramped up.

"The Control Room could be called the Blue Room now."

"The Blue Room?" she stuttered, confused even more now as to where this was coming from and where it was going.

"Hm-mm … The Blue Room, as in Blue Balls." Stephanie immediately blushed, chewing her finger nervously. He removed said finger from her mouth gently and nibbled the tip with his teeth, then slowly and deliberately sucked the whole finger into his warm mouth.

"Hmm. Sweet. Care to explain, Stephanie?"

She was rendered speechless with his whispering, so alluring, so sexy and arousing, her panties already damp with want. He came face to face, looking directly into her blue eyes and smiled with that Rangery slight tilt of the corner of his mouth, his expression now hungry and changing into a wolf grin. Ever so slowly, he brought his lips close to hers, not touching but definitely in kissing range. His tongue licked the corner of her mouth and she trembled with a breathy sigh.

"That's right, Babe. Only from me."

He licked the other side of her mouth slowly again, in mesmerising control.

"Mmm … sweet … chocolaty sweet. Babe?" His mouth slanted over hers as his tongue probed her mouth slowly, tasting her before slowly and reluctantly removing his warm lips from hers.

"I need to know, Babe. You do realise that it is not allowed … no contraband … not at all." She nodded, in a lustful trance, breathing through her nose with little sighs.

"From where did this chocolaty sweetness come?" His lips were now slowly working their way down her neck, nipping at her collarbone and up the other side to nibble her jawbone as her head slumped back, moaning with his ministrations. His strong arms wrapped around her just as her knees were about to buckle.

"You haven't answered my question, Stephanie. Who has been supplying you with this contraband?" His persistent sensual attack was working like truth serum now.

"I don't know," she whimpered. "It … it just appeared … in my desk drawer … with a little note."

Ranger was enjoying his sensual power over her. She was so responsive. He made to kiss her but stopped short, whispering onto her lips, "A little note? What did this little note say?"

She leaned forward enticingly but he withdrew enough to keep up his tantalising onslaught. She groaned, her pouty lips open, her eyes closed.

"Eat me," was all she said. Ranger's control almost snapped with those words as he imagined those words in a very different context, in a different room, in a place two floors above. Recalling her recent commands had him now hard as rock as it evoked their bedroom play.

"Dios. What this woman does to me," he thought. Composing himself, not wanting to lose this moment with its sensual power play, he continued as his hands moved from her hips to the soft warm skin along her sides, lifting her T-shirt just enough, touching her. Her eyes were hooded as her long lashes swept his cheek, tickling his jawline. Was she turning the tables on him?

"Eat me?" Her tongue slipped out of her mouth and licked her lips. He was once again struck by her sexiness, as she moaned longingly nodding her head in accord. He was almost undone.

"Yesss. So I did."

Too late. Ranger couldn't contain himself anymore. He plundered her pouty lips with passionate force and she responded equally as her hands grabbed his hair. He pushed her back against the wall just as a knock at the door broke the spell for the moment. He leaned his forehead to hers and kissed her one more time, lightly, chastely.

"Hold that thought, Babe. Punishment is on the menu tonight." He had to hold her firmly as she almost slid from his grasp.

Another knock and Lester stepped inside instantly sizing up the situation with a shit-eating grin on his face. He nodded, waggled his eyebrows causing Stephanie to blush again.

"(cough) Sorry. Ahem … er … It can wait. Boss." (nod) "Beautiful." (nod) He nodded at each of them then briskly about-faced and left them.

Stephanie slumped against Ranger's chest.

"He's right you know. You are beautiful, Babe." He admired her kiss swollen lips, her flushed appearance and she was still quite breathless. He was very pleased with himself as a satisfied grin developed smugly over his countenance.

He tilted her chin up with one finger to capture her eyes. Stephanie once again licked her lips as she looked into his dark lustful eyes.

"Playing with fire, Babe."

"Well, maybe I wanna get singed or burned," she smiled coquettishly, rubbing her body against him like a cat. His hands gently pulled her head up towards him and holding her face on both sides, kissed her tenderly.

"Definitely playing with fire. Dios mio, Babe. I would gladly take you here, now, in my office. But the 'Blue Room' would really have something to complain about. Besides, I have a strong desire to go slowly and show you some sweet torture."

Stephanie giggled and then moaned longingly.

"So, tell me, Ranger. Carlos. Why do we have to wait?"

"Babe. I will not disrespect you by compromising your virtue within hearing range of my men." She whined, making a pouty disappointed look.

"Damn jelly donut hormones!" she muttered under her breath which had Ranger raising an eyebrow in surprise. It was not the first time she had uttered those very words. He would make it his mission to discover what these jelly donut hormones were all about. And he was going to find out who was leaving Stephanie those sweet surprises in her desk drawer. The 'complaints' were real, yet tongue in cheek, Sweet Torture was more appropriate.

"What was this all about? Now I'm all ... discombobulated … and needy. Dayam! That man can kiss!"

Ranger chuckled as she had obviously lost her mute button in the process.

"Pressure, Babe. Pressure."