Disclaimer: JE owns the characters. Achilles in mine. MINE! MINE! MINE!

A/N: I wrote this for Em over on PerfectlyPlum on Yahoo. The ladies over there are smutting things up for Smutcember. Go check it out!

Fever Dreams

Chapter 13

Achilles Takes Over

By Katie Manoso

How in the hell does he do it? I thought to myself. Every RangeMan building looks the same. From Boston to Miami. Even Las Vegas, the city of lights. They are all the same brick building. I ambled out of the taxi after I gave the old man a fifty to cover the fare. It was only a twenty buck cab ride, but after hearing about his mother-in-law, I kind of felt bad for the guy. Frank was really nice and I could see the suffering in his eyes as he told me about Edna. Poor bastard.

I walked into the main lobby and flipped out my RangeMan I.D. for the man that was behind the desk. He looked over my badge and then consulted with a paper on a clip board. He gave me a brief nod and then pointed over to the elevator and informed me that I needed to check in with Tank on the fifth floor. Nothing new there, I suppose.

I leaned against the wall of the elevator as I rode up to the fifth floor, thanking God for the ability to stand after the straight flight from Las Vegas to Trenton. It had been a long flight even though I had been in first class. Some moron had upgraded a couple with a baby into first class. It had been a nightmare. That little girl had screamed almost the whole flight.

The door pinged open for the fifth floor and I straightened to exit. Tank was there waiting for the elevator and pushed me back in as he stepped in. I leaned against the wall and assessed my long time friend as he used a key fob and the elevator started going up. He settled against the wall once it started moving and gave me a wary look.

"What's up, Tank?" I asked slowly after I noted the bags under his eyes.

"We have a lot of problems at the moment," Tank finally said after he gave me a long look. "Ranger's out of town. We had a power outage and there are problems getting all of our accounts back on line. Silvio fell and broke his ass. And Stephanie is sick."

"What does the last have to do with anything else?" I asked, full well knowing that the boss had a thing for the bounty hunter.

"She has pneumonia," Tank said as he rolled his large head around on his neck. "We've all been taking shifts watching her."

"I didn't fly all the way out here to watch Ranger's chick," I hissed, feeling my notorious temper staring to flare. "Take her to a hospital and be done with it."

"That's not an option at this moment," Tank hissed back at me.

We were standing toe to toe staring at each other, neither one of us acknowledging the fact that the doors had pinged open on the seventh floor. A throat was cleared and Tank was the first to look away. I took a step back and looked out of the elevator at Snake. He looked nervous and fidgety. But, there was an underlying hint of anger. Not that I could really blame him. I'm an outcast in this company. Not many people like having me around.

"You want him to watch Bomber," he said as he pointed at me.

"We all need a break," Tank said as he ushered me out of the elevator and over to a large oak door. "He's just going to watch her for a few hours while the rest of us get some sleep."

"This is suicide," Snake said as he moved in front of the door to block our way. "Ranger will have our heads if he finds out that you let him watch out for her."

The distaste that I could hear in his voice was about all that I could handle. My left arm shot out and my hand wrapped around his neck as I hauled him up off of the floor. This little pea brain had no right to judge me. I slammed him against the door and got up in his face.

"Watch what you say, friend," I hissed in his face. "I'm not as forgiving as Ranger is."

"Let him go, Achilles," Tank boomed, the sound of his voice vibrating through my chest.

I released the piece of shit that I had dangling in the air and took a step back. This is why I don't work with other people. Hector was the only one that ever understood me. It was hard dealing with the anger and resentment of growing up on the streets. The sergeants in boot camp couldn't beat it out of me and the solitude of the Rangers couldn't quietly push it away. The horrors of my youth were things that I'd never be able to escape. That was something that I had learned long ago.

"Take a break," Tank said as he patted Snake's shoulder.

Snake reluctantly moved passed us to the elevator, his hand wrapped around his throat. It no longer bothered me that I didn't feel things like regret. Regret was something that only slowed you down. It keeps you awake and can ultimately get you killed. I walked behind Tank as we entered the apartment. I heard some shuffling and looked over Tank's shoulder as Bobby came out of a bedroom.

I peered into the bedroom as we passed by and saw a mass of dark curls spread out over a pillow and a set of bright blue eyes staring at me. For a brief moment, I felt like she was staring into my soul. It was confirmed that she saw it when she winced as she shrunk back into the pillow. I turned my head to break her gaze and followed the guys into the kitchen.

"She's awake right now," Bobby said as he leaned against the counter and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I don't see that lasting long though."

"She's a tough kid," Tank said as he leaned on the opposite counter from Bobby.

"Are you sure about this?" Bobby asked as he dropped his hand and looked over at Tank.

"You guys over dramatize things," Tank said with a shake of his head. "It's not like Achilles is going to hurt her."

I finally got tired of the two men standing there and talking about me like I wasn't there. I left my post just outside the kitchen and made my way over to the bedroom. She was still awake, just lying in the large bed. She looked absolutely small and fragile in such an extreme bed. I made my way over to the chair next to her and sat down, ignoring her at first as I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.

The air in the room was still and calm as we sat in silence, both very aware of the other person. I felt all of the knots in my muscles slowly start to loosen as I listened to her raspy breathing. A strange sensation started to move through my body and it took me a moment to put a name to it. Guilt. There must have been some reason, other then Ranger, that the guys were so concerned over the sick woman in the bed next to me. I felt bad that she was sick. And I never felt bad about anything. Interesting.

I laid in Ranger's bed and watched as Bobby walked out of the room. He had just listened to my chest and gave me more medication. Bobby had said that I may not be feeling any better, but I was on my way to being myself again. As Bobby moved out of the door way, I saw a man following Tank into the apartment. We caught eyes for a moment and I felt a sharp pain in my chest as I stared at his dark chocolate eyes. He had a pain that was carried deep inside of him that I had never seen before.

I take that back. I had seen it once before. I saw it the first time I met Hector. There was such a deep mixture of pain and anger in Hector's eyes that it took my breath away. I could feel all of the pain as if it had happened to myself. I think that's why Hector has chosen to keep his distance from me. There had been a moment in our first meeting that I had sensed that he knew he was hurting me. Emotionally.

The man disappeared from sight. No doubt going to the kitchen for a pow-wow. A changing of the guard, so to speak. I stared out the door and waited to see who my new keeper was going to be. I felt the air slightly shift as the stranger entered the room minutes later. He quietly walked over to the chair that sat next to my bed and sat down. I watched as he flat out ignored me and leaned his head back as he closed his eyes.

Not quite feeling tired yet, I chose to take the time to take in the sight of my new babysitter. He had a classic beauty to him. A long straight nose. High cheek bones that could have easily put him on the run way. Hints of a set of dimples that led me to believe that Lester was going to have a run for his money. Thick, dark brown hair shaved short in the back and long on top. Hair that screamed to have fingers run through it. Full lips that were made for long deep kisses. A light scar on his left cheek that made him look dangerous. Dangerously sexy from head to toe.

Shit! There go my hormones again. As if my imagination hasn't had enough excitement to last me months. A clear image entered my mind of me running my hands over the chiseled abs that were hiding under his black, painted on, shirt. Down Girl! Down! My mind shouted to me. Jesus! Either Ranger or Joe are in serious trouble when they get back. I want to lose the ability to walk for several days and I'm going to make damn sure that one of them fulfills that dream.

"I'll be back to check on you later."

My head whipped over to the door and I had to wait for my brain to catch up. Bobby was standing in the door way with Tank just behind him.

"Try to get some more rest," Tank said quietly. "You aren't out of the woods yet."

I gave them both a small smile and nodded my head slightly before I went back to staring at the stranger next to my bed. I heard the guys shuffle around and then head out the door, leaving me alone with Mister Tall, Dark, and Handsome. I really needed a shorter name for this guy.

"What's your name?" I whispered.

"Achilles," he clipped.

I guess there wouldn't be any conversation with the new guy. That was okay with me since my eye lids were starting to protest being up. The vision of him sitting in the chair slowly started to fade as my lids got heavier and heavier. Sleep really wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe I could actually get some rest and not get so worked up.

I felt her stare at me a few more moments after Bobby and Tank left. I had to use every once of control that I had not to jump her after seeing her beautiful eyes. They were so bright and clear. Like two shimmering lakes on a spring day. It was the sound of her voice that almost had me jumping out of my chair. Raspy and low. A bedroom voice. Thank God I was sitting down and she didn't see a tent pitched just by her speaking. It was going to be a very long few hours if I had to hear her speak again. Thankfully, after a few minutes, I heard her breathing even out as she fell asleep. Small miracles.

I sat on top of my skip and waited. Tank had informed me that there was a guy in the area that was on his way to assist me in getting my FTA to the cop shop. Tank had also warned me that he was sending over a new guy and to try not to damage him. I knew that Tank meant it as a joke, but I didn't laugh. I was notorious for getting the Merry Men hurt. That's why they now got hazard pay for being in the same room with me.

I saw the black Explorer roll up and I bounced a few times on my skip. He swore a few times and complained that I had a boney ass. I thought that I had a little too much junk in the trunk when it came to my ass. But, maybe I was wrong. I bounced a few more times while I waited for the new guy to get out of the Explorer and make his way over.

I looked up as a shadow fell over me and I felt my breath catch in my throat at the sight of the magnificent man that stood before me. Six and a half feet of pure muscle and man. Head to toe in black. Two dimples appeared on his cheeks as a grin crossed his lips. My heart stopped and I went wet when the grin grew crooked and he wiggled his eyebrows. Damn!

"Bomber?" he asked as he pulled me up, my breasts gently grazing his chest.

"Steph," I chided. "I hate that name."

"Sorry," he said as he looked down at the cuffed man on the ground. "And this would be…"

"Seamore Scagnety," I said as I used the toe of my boot to nudge his leg. "Bastard blew up one of the Broncos that Ranger lets me use occasionally."

"So you need a lift to the police station?" he asked as he effortlessly hauled Scagnety off the ground.

"Yeah," I said with a head nod once my brain started working after seeing his muscles ripple under his shirt. "A ride after would be great, too."

"I'll take you anywhere you wanna go," he said as he sent me a mischievous grin over his shoulder, pushing Scagnety into the back of the Explorer and securing him.

"I may just take you up on that offer," I said quite brazenly, with a wicked smile of my own.

The trip to the cop shop, the trip in the cop shop, and the trip to my apartment took way too long. I needed my shower massager in the worst way. The scent of the man next to me was sending my hormones into over load. It took everything that I had to keep myself from running my tongue up and down his rock hard bicep.

I jumped out of the Explorer as he pulled into a parking slot near the door to my building. My heart beat was already racing as dangerous thoughts ran through my head. It kicked up a notch when I heard another car door slam shut and felt an arm come around my shoulder.

"Tank said that I had to make sure that there weren't any psychos in your apartment before I left you here," he said after I gave him a sideways glance.

"I don't let strangers in my apartment," I said coyly after I realized that he was still a stranger even if he worked for Ranger.

"My name is Achilles," he said with a shrug. "Not a lot more to know then that."

He took my keys from my hand and opened the door after we took the stairs up to the second floor. I stood outside the door and waited for him to do his search. I watched as he came out of my room, smiling from ear to ear.

"I've never seen that many dust bunnies before," he said as he took my hand and pulled me into my apartment.

I faintly heard the door click closed as I watched in slow motion as Achilles slowly backed me against a wall. His dark brown eyes softened slightly as they grew darker and his pupils dilated. It was insane to want a stranger this much, but my body had been screaming for release since Ranger and Joe were both gone. I needed an orgasm that wasn't triggered by my shower massager. I wanted a man buried inside me and I had a feeling that this was just the man to take care of my needs.

"Is there anything else that I can do for you, Steph?" he asked after he got me pinned to the wall with his body, his lips a breath away from mine.

My toes lifted me up, involuntarily, to close the distance between us. His full lips caressed mine, slowly at first. Simply exploring each other as we rolled through our first kiss. He tasted like honey as his tongue slid into my mouth and warred with mine. My hands found their way under his shirt as the need to feel his skin under my hands became overpowering.

He pulled back long enough to relieve us both of our shirts and then his lips settled back down on mine. It was like his lips were meant just for me to kiss. I felt him move his hands up my rib cage and gently caress the side of my exposed breasts. Where had my bra gone?

A moan was ripped from my throat as his hands moved over my breasts, gently massaging their way around my nipples, but never touching them. I was slowly going mad with need and I set myself a simple goal of removing his pants. HOT DAMN! COMMANDO! It must be a RangeMan uniform requirement to not wear underwear. A low growl emanated from his chest as my hands came down and settled on his firm ass. Perfection.

I felt a draft on my legs and realized that my pants had disappeared, leaving me wondering for a brief moment if being a magician was a RangeMan must as well. All thoughts were ripped from my mind as his lips left mine and wandered down my throat, stopping when he felt me inhale sharply as he hit my sweet spot. My knees started to buckle as his tongue swirled over my skin before he brought it into his mouth, marking me for the world to see.

"I think we need to move this into your bedroom," he whispered after he kissed his way back up my neck, his breath tickling my ear. "I'd be more then happy to take you anywhere you wanna go in there."

I nodded because there was no way that I was going to be able to form any words. The floor disappeared below my feet and my legs automatically wrapped around his waist. I felt a rush of desire sweep through my body as his hands trailed up my back and fisted in my hair, pulling me closer as our lips fused together once more.

The sheets on my bed lightly caressed my back as he slid me along the bed, pushing me up towards the head board. I laced my fingers though his hair and felt another growl vibrate through his chest as I nipped his lower lip.

"Please," I whispered shamelessly as he trailed lips back down my neck. "I want to feel you inside me."

"Not yet. Not yet. Not yet," he chanted as he moved across my collar bone.

I gasped as his tongue drew a small circle around my left nipple, his heated breath flowing over the tip and making it pucker painfully. His eyes locked with mine through lowered lashes as he took it into his mouth and sucked hard, causing my hips to lift off of the mattress. His hand slowly caressed down my ribs and gripped my hip as he pushed me back down roughly.

He ran his tongue along my heated skin and settled over my right nipple, paying the same attention to it before he abandoned it and trailed open mouth kisses along my ribs. I was panting by the time his lips reached my hip, knowing that he was so close to where I wanted him had me soaking wet.

His right hand came around my hip and slid down the crease where my leg merged with the rest of my body, a trail of heat was left in the wake of his hand. His fingers lightly ran over ground zero, never venturing in. I felt his breath run over my skin as he chuckled when my hips dropped lower to try to get more contact.

"Don't move," he commanded.

A shiver raced through my body as goose dumps appeared over my skin. The sound of his voice was cold and I suddenly felt the need to be dominated by this man. His fingers started slowly stroking me again and I thought I was going to pass out from being so close to the edge.

Achilles moaned as one of his fingers finally slid inside of me. His name was ripped from my lips as the first wave of my orgasm crashed down on me while his finger slid back and forth over my g-spot. Stars where bursting in front of my eyes as he rode out the orgasm, slowly pulling out and allowing me a few minutes to get my breathing under control.

"You are the most sexy woman I have ever seen," he whispered as he kissed his way back up my body. "I want you to be the sexiest woman I've ever felt."

My eyes slowly fluttered open and Achilles was just inches from my face. His eyes were completely black as they stared down into mine. I opened my mouth to say something, but his tongue slid between my lips and any thoughts of speech were swept away. My hands slid up his back as I pulled him closer, desire flooding my belly as I felt his erection rub against me.

He pushed my arms slowly above my head and pinned then with one hand against the head board. His lips left mine and trailed down my neck as he continued to slowly rub himself against my opening. I was writhing beneath him as his tongue slowly drew circles around my nipple, my hips lifting off of the bed matching his torturous pace.

My walls clenched and I felt another orgasm building steam deep within me. I felt like I was trapped, at his mercy, unable to do anything but wait for him to make a move. My world shattered into little pieces as he slowly slid into me, fireworks exploding before my eyes.

"Jesus," he whispered once my body had stopped shaking. "You are the sexiest woman I've ever felt."

Since the moment that I had laid eyes on him, I had sensed anger and pain. Like there was something deep inside him that he was keeping closed off from the world. Almost like he was trying to protect himself from getting hurt. I wanted to reach inside and comfort the man that was hiding deep down.

I eased my right hand out of his grip above my head and brought it down to caress the side of his face. He seemed to tense for a moment as my hand came to a rest on his cheek. The hard lines of his face slowly started to soften as I skimmed my thumb across his lips. His body sank lower on the bed as his lips came down on mine.

Everything from there on out was slow. Slow, long caresses. Long open mouthed kisses. Whispers in the dark. Both of our bodies slowly sliding together, making love. Our orgasms drove us both over the edge at the same time, each murmuring the others name, like a whispered prayer.

He laid in my arms after that, rubbing his fingers over my stomach in slow circles. It felt like this had been something foreign to him. Like having such a deep contact with someone was forbidden. My eye lids slowly closed as I reveled in the feeling that he had chosen to make contact with me.

I've been watching her thrash about for almost twenty minutes. She was moaning and whispering my name. MY NAME! It was like music to my ears as my pants turned into a death trap. I had moved over to the side of the bed and pressed her hips down on the bed, begging her not to move. She stilled immediately, but her breathing was labored and she continued to whimper under me.

I thought for a moment that she was having a seizure, but I noticed that her cheeks flushed bright pink. HOLY COW! She's having an erotic dream! I started watching her more closely as I sat on the bed next to her. Her head would thrash from side to side as she'd whisper my name. Definitely a sex dream.

My pants were so tight that I though I would explode then and there. She slowly started to calm down and things started to go back to normal. There was an occasional whimper here and there. I thought that it was over until I was about to stand. Her whole body tensed once more and she clearly said my name. It was all I could take. I ran straight into the bathroom and took care of myself before I exploded in my cargos. That would have been messy without underwear on.

I got back to my chair a few minutes later and felt a wave of relief wash over me when I heard the door to the apartment open. I slammed on my blank face as I ran my hands through my hair. I didn't know what the other guys went through. But, I sure as hell wasn't about to embarrass this poor girl any further.

"How is she doing?" Bobby asked as he sat on the side of her bed.

"Hasn't moved a muscle," I lied as I rose out of my chair, praying that they wouldn't suspect anything as I walked out of the apartment and jumped into the elevator.

Now hurry up and run over and check it out! I have one more chapter that I'll post after Em gets it posted over on PPF at the end of the week. - Kate