I wrote this for a challenge on another site. I hope you enjoy.

Reunion

By Lisababe

I stepped inside the front doors of the posh hotel; the reception desk seemed an ocean away. I took a deep breath and stepped behind a large potted plant. I looked around the huge lobby and didn't see anyone familiar, so I walked across the plush paisley carpet to the reception desk. I asked myself one more time, why I was torturing myself, but I just had to know. A young woman in a navy blue suit looked up as I approached her.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, could you tell me if you have a guest by the name of Joseph Morelli?"

"Yes one moment please."

I looked toward the elevator doors, and quickly turned my back. Joe and a woman stepped off the elevator, thankfully too absorbed in each other, to notice me. A part of me wanted to make a scene, but I had swallowed anger for so long, I was just too bitter to care. I heard Joe laugh, and watched as they walked past me and through the front doors of the hotel. Joe hailed a cab, and opened the door for the tall blond at his side; she looked at him and leaned forward, brushing her lips across his. He wrapped his arms around her, slid his hands down her back, and cupped her ass in his hands. The kiss seemed to go on forever, and in that time I saw the last ten years of my wasted life pass before my eyes. Finally, he pulled away, and they disappeared inside the waiting cab.

I heard the receptionist's voice and I turned and looked at her.

"Mr. Morelli checked in late last night with his wife. Would you like to leave him a message?"

She grabbed a stack of post it notes on the desk.

"Tell him that when he's done fucking his whore, he can fuck himself. Sign it, Happy Anniversary Cupcake." Her mouth dropped open as I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked out of the hotel.

I stood up and reached across the desk to shake his hand. He hadn't changed over the years. I wondered if he still did business with Ranger, but since Ranger had moved to Miami over ten years ago, I really doubted he had much use for a lawyer in Trenton.

"Thank you Mr. Palmer."

"No problem Stephanie. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider? You are entitled to half of Joe's pension."

"I don't want anything but my freedom."

"I understand, but I wouldn't be your advocate if I didn't look out for your financial future."

"I appreciate that, but I want no future ties with Joe, I just want this to be over."

He patted my hand, and I turned and walked toward the door.

"Stephanie."

I turned and looked at him.

"Did you know Carlos is back in town?"

I felt my heart flop over in my chest. It had been over ten years since I last saw him, but the thought of him still had an effect on me.

"No sir, I wasn't aware of that."

"I just saw him a little over an hour ago."

"Is he doing well?"

He smiled. "Very well."

"Good, thank you Mr. Palmer."

"You're welcome Stephanie. I'll get these papers to Mr. Morelli's attorney."

I walked up on the steps and poised my hand to rap on the door when it swung open. Lula grinned. "Girl where you been, the natives are restless. Damn you look nice all dressed up."

I looked down at my skirt and noticed wrinkles, which I attempted to smooth with my hand. "I had an appointment earlier."

"I hope it had something to do with exterminating that rat fink cop outta your life."

I stepped into the foyer, and braced myself for the attack. I heard a scream and saw a brown blur come careening around the corner. They each grabbed me around a leg, and looked up at me, bouncing up and down like badly sprung jack-in-the-boxes.

"Steppie, mama said you were coming, where you been?" Lola was five, and as close to a mini- me as Lula would ever get, right down to the spandex leopard leotard she was sporting on her chubby little frame.

"I had some errands to run, I'm sorry I'm late."

I felt a tug on my hand and looked down at the perfect replica of mini Tank. "What have you been into Terrence?"

"I pooed in the tub today." He stated proudly.

"Awesome." I looked up at Lula and she frowned at me.

"What, at least he was in the right room."

Lola pulled on my hand toward the dining room, looking up at me. "Uncle Ranger is here, come on."

I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at Lula.

I mimed the word "No."

Tank appeared in the doorway to the dining room and looked at me. I must have had the deer in the headlight look, because he grabbed both kids by the hand and tugged them into the next room.

"Lula…"

"Steph, he's back in town you were bound to run into one another sooner or later, I just made sure it was sooner. He looks damn fine, he hasn't aged one minute. Morelli has fucked you over for the last ten years; it's time you made up for some lost time."

"Lula you don't understand, I need time."

"You're gonna make time alright. You're gonna walk in there like you own this fucking place, sit down at that table and act like you're takin up where you left off ten years ago."

I felt my head start to spin, remembering the last time I saw him. The pain was as fresh as if it had been yesterday. I backed toward the foyer and grabbed the door handle. "It's not happening, not tonight. I can't do this." I started to make a run for it when I heard his voice.

"Babe."

I looked at him standing in the doorway to the dining room, and the whole world faded away. He looked the same other than a few more lines etched around his eyes. His hair was short, and he was wearing black corporate attire. It may have been ten years, but my body was reacting as if we had just rolled out from between the sheets.

"Ranger, it's good to see you." My voice sounded hollow, and lifeless. I had Joe Morelli to thank for that. He had sucked the life out of me for the last ten years, and I was a fool for letting it happen.

He walked over to me, placed his fingers under my chin and pulled my mouth up to his. He kissed me slow and deep, allowing the heat to build to scorching just as he pulled away. "It's good to see you Babe."

I wanted to fist my hands in his hair and pull him down on the rug. I wanted him inside of me, giving me what I should have had, if I had just listened to my heart, instead of my head years ago. However, we were different people, in a different time. I walked away because he wouldn't offer me a commitment, and some things never change.

"You just visiting?"

"I'm selling out of RangeMan in Boston, it will require an expansion of our Trenton office, so we'll see."

"How's Julie?"

"She's in her third year of medical school." I could see the pride in his expression.

"That's wonderful."

"How are you holding up Steph?"

I glanced away as the emotion took hold of my heart. He was the same, still concerned about my welfare.

"I'm gonna be fine. Our marriage has been over for a long time. I was just too stubborn to admit I failed a second time."

"Babe, it takes two to make a marriage work."

"Yes it does, and I should have known before I ever married him that it would come to this."

"You have to stop blaming yourself, and move on."

"I'm really trying." I said.

"Food always made you feel better. You ready for some dinner?"

I smiled as he laced his fingers through mine and pulled me with him toward the dining room. "Sounds good."

I hugged Lula. "Thanks for dinner, it was delicious."

"That Betty Crocker cookbook you got us is the shit."

I laughed and my heart raced as I caught Ranger looking at me.

I hugged Tank and turned to go. They followed me into the foyer, and I turned to look at Ranger. "It was nice seeing you again. Take care."

I looked at Lula. "Call me, we'll do lunch next week."

"Sure thing girl. T and Lola have preschool two days next week."

Lola leaped off the couch throwing her Barbie doll in the air, as she made a B-line toward me. I bent down and she jumped into my arms. She placed her little chubby hands on both sides of my face. "Steppie you wouldn't take mama shopping without me would you?"

I winked at Lula. "Baby you know I wouldn't. How about I pick you up at preschool next week and we go to the mall?"

"Cool, I need some new shoes."

I glanced at Ranger. He was leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed on his chest, as if he was thoroughly enjoying the exchange. "Girls always need new shoes."

Tank groaned, and Lula shot him a dirty look.

Tank pulled Lula into his arms and kissed her. "Baby you know you have way too many shoes."

"I can never have too many shoes."

Lola wiggled out of my arms, and skipped back in the living room. Terrence came running out of the dining room with his pants around his ankles. "Daddy poo, NOW."

"Oh shit." Tank muttered as he raced over, scooped Terrence up in his arms, and disappeared into the dining room.

I looked at Lula. "Call me."

I brushed past Ranger and felt an electrical jolt all the way to my toes. I slipped out the font door and walked down the steps. I heard the door close, and I knew he was behind me. I slowly turned around and stared into his familiar dark eyes. It didn't matter how many years had gone by, I still sensed his presence.

"Steph where are you staying?"

"I leased a townhouse not far from here."

"Let me drive you home."

I glanced at the curb. "I have my car."

He gave me the patented blank stare, another thing that hadn't changed.

"Okay."

"Give me your keys." I didn't want to know the possible consequences of him driving me home so I decided to take a rain check on that thought. Denial had always been a close friend of mine.

He slid behind the wheel of my beat up Jeep Wrangler, and looked over at me. "Some things never change, you're still driving a hunk of shit."

"Stop you'll give her a complex."

"Her?"

"Yeah, she runs better if I treat her like a person."

"Babe."

We drove in silence, but it didn't feel uncomfortable, it felt like old times, and the next thing I knew he was shaking me awake. I opened my eyes and saw him smiling from the illumination of the dashboard. "Come on I'll walk you inside."

He followed me inside and cased every room as always. He met me back in the kitchen where I was retrieving two beers from the fridge. He glanced at the hamster on the counter and raised an eyebrow in my direction. I laughed. "Meet Ralph, Rex's replacement."

"How long have you had him?"

"Rex died a few years after Joe and I married. I just got Ralph when I moved in here."

He smiled. "Some things never change."

"Yeah, and some things do." I handed him a beer and nodded toward the living room.

I sat down on the couch and he settled in a chair across from me.

I took a pull from my beer and held it in my hand watching the foam bubble on top of the amber liquid. I finally looked up, and found him intently watching me. "What?"

"You haven't aged at all."

"Neither have you."

"It's hard to believe it's been ten years." He said.

"It feels like it to me."

"Have you been that unhappy Babe?"

"It was good in the beginning, but then I started suffocating."

"And you hung on for ten years?"

"You of all people know how stubborn I can be."

"So how's the job?" He asked.

"I like insurance work. Investigating clients who try to rip off Workman's Comp are my favorite."

"So do you do other investigative work on the side?"

"No I'm too busy with insurance fraud."

"Sounds like a good job."

"It's interesting and it pays well."

"So how's life with you?"

"Busy."

"How's your personal life, and don't tell me you don't have one because I know better."

He stared at me, as though he was contemplating how much I really knew.

"I'm not seeing anyone."

"But you were, a few years back."

"It was never serious."

"Not what I heard."

"Then you heard wrong."

I was ashamed. I hadn't seen him in ten years and the thought that he might not have had sex in that time was making me giddy. However, the logical part of me was taking into consideration his magnetic sex appeal.. I'd be a damn fool to think he hadn't got his rocks off in ten years, and an even bigger fool to think it was because of me.

I tried to cover a yawn. He stood up, and carried his empty bottle into the kitchen. I scooted off the couch and met him in the hallway.

"I need to go, I'll send one of the guys back with your car."

I nodded and he headed for the door. He stopped half way there, and turned around.

"What's your biggest regret?" He asked.

I wanted to feign confusion, but I knew exactly what he wanted to hear.

"You are."

"I thought I couldn't give you what he could, and look what he did to you."

"It was my decision to walk away from you."

"But I wouldn't offer you more so you would stay."

I slowly walked over to him, and stood on my tiptoes. I licked the seam of his lips until he groaned and crushed me in his arms. He slammed me against the wall, and slid his hard thigh between mine. My hands moved over him familiarizing myself with every contour and plane of his body, trying to quench a thirst that I hadn't fulfilled since the last time he touched me. He suddenly pulled away, and stepped back, raking his hand through his hair. I wanted to scream in frustration. It had been months since I had experienced a social orgasm, and I was almost there.

"I won't hurt you. It's too soon for this. You need time."

"Time my ass. I've waited ten fucking years for this."

"You're confused this is just a rebound."

I sagged against the wall and stared at him in disbelief. He had no idea how I felt, and I had no way of knowing if he would ever believe me anyway.

"I can't count the nights that I dreamed of you. Mornings that I woke up, and thought I smelled your scent on my skin. I slept with him, but every time I closed my eyes you were there. Not a day went by that I didn't think about what it would have been like if I had taken a risk on you."

"Babe."

"You couldn't have done anything worse to me, because I've lived in my own personal hell that I created."

"What do you want from me?"

"If I learned anything in the last ten years it's that promises don't always make you happy."

"They do if they aren't broken."

"Stay with me, I don't care about tomorrow, I just need tonight."

I reached my hand toward him, and he met me halfway lacing his fingers through mine. I pulled him toward the stairs, and started the climb to my bedroom pulling him up the stairs behind me. Halfway up, his arms wrapped around me from behind and I felt his mouth descend on my neck. I closed my eyes as he tortured me dragging his mouth across my collarbone, alternating between nips of his teeth, and feather soft kisses.

"Babe, tell me what you dreamed about me."

I groaned as he inched his hands under my skirt and pushed it up toward my waist.

"I dreamed that you touched me, just like you are now."

"Where were we?"

"Everywhere, in bed, in the shower, on the stairs, against the wall."

"Damn we've been busy the last ten years."

I moaned as he slipped his hand under the waistband of my panties and found my clit. He traced lazy circles around it, pulling the strength from me. I dropped down on my knees on the stairs, and he followed me bracing his knees on the riser below me. "Babe where's your bedroom?"

My head arched back on his shoulder as his long fingers slipped inside of me. I shamelessly rode his hand as he stroked me. "No, here, now." He grabbed the front of my panties and ripped them away, and slipped his fingers inside of me from behind.

"You like that Babe?"

"Oh God yes."

He worked his other hand under my blouse and raked his fingernail across my nipple. I arched my ass against him, feeling his hard arousal rubbing against me, begging to fill me. I reached back and wrapped my arm around his neck pulling his mouth down to mine. When his tongue touched mine, I caught fire. The emotion of the kiss, brought us full circle, taking us back ten years to a time when nothing was lost, it was all just beginning. I felt my body come apart, even as he continued to stroke inside of me. I pulled away and looked at him.

"I need you inside of me."

He lowered his mouth on mine again, nibbling and teasing my bottom lip, making me even more needy for the feel of him buried inside of me. I heard the rasp of his zipper and felt him guide himself to my entrance. I leaned forward and braced my hands on the stair in front of me. I closed my eyes as he slid inside of me. He leaned over me and palmed my breast, teasing but not moving inside of me.

"Babe tell me what you want.."

I arched my back and moved my hips against him, until his cock was just barely inside of me.

"Fuck me Ranger, fuck me now."

He growled low in his throat as he thrust inside of me, filling me. He was where he belonged, inside of me, making me whole again. He grasped my hips in his hands, thrusting in and out of me, orbiting me toward the blissful release that I could only find with him. He bottomed out against my cervix, torturing me with a sensation that was pleasure bordering on pain. He teased my G-spot with every downward thrust. I came apart beneath him, pulling him with me in the tide of my release.

I turned my head and captured his lips with mine, when I pulled away I cupped his jaw in my hand and took a chance. "I love you Ranger."

That's all I've ever wanted from you. I love you too."

He lowered his mouth to mine, and the emotion of the kiss spoke volumes. He pulled away and looked at me.

"Can we move this to your bed, my knees are killing me. I'm too old to be fucking on the stairs."

I grinned. "So Batman has a little arthritis settling in his knees."

His lips hovered over mine, his eyes darkening to jet-black. "Nothing that can slow me down."

He stood up, and reached down and picked me up. He slung me over his shoulder, so I had a nice view of his perfect ass. His muscles flexed as he raced up the stairs, to the point I wanted to sink my teeth in his ass cheek. He tossed me on the bed, and covered my body with his. I looked up at him and cupped his face in my hands.

"God how I've missed you."

"The feeling is mutual."

I bit my bottom lip. "So just how much did you miss me?"

"More than you'll ever know."

He kissed me, teasing me with his tongue until I was arching against him, begging for him to take me again.

He slowly slipped inside of me, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Babe, I promise the next ten years will make up for the last."

I whispered against his lips.

"Just what I've been wanting, something to look forward too."