Thank you for all your reviews, alerts, follows and favourites. I feel very humbled by your support and encouragement.
Special thanks to margaret aka whymelucylu for throwing down the gauntlet and challenging me to write and ultimately publish.
I'm taking a different course at this pivotal moment towards a HEA of the Babe kind.
They're not mine but I will enjoy playing with them.
Something's Burning Chapter 2
"Here's something else to worry about," he said, his voice deep and husky.
With one warm, large hand at the nape of my neck, he drew me in to his warm, hard body and kissed me, soft at first, then serious and demanding. He drew me in closer and brought his luscious lips to mine again, in a deeper kiss as desire washed over me, hot and liquid and steamy and scary all at the same time.
"Oh boy," I whispered.
"Yeah, think about it."
"You are all I think about…. Yum."
"Babe?"
Ranger held me at arms length staring intently into my eyes, as if he was trying to read my mind. I dropped my face, feeling more than a bit embarrassed looking down at my shoes.
"Oops. Out loud?" I squeaked, blushing furiously.
Oh. My. God. Why is it so? I can't believe my internal editor did not automatically kick in and save me the utter humiliation I feel at this precise moment. Well… Good move Plum! Just blurt it out there! Oh-ohhh … Now I've really blown my cover. Mr Tall Dark and Dangerous will probably toss me on the discard pile for that little slip of Too Much Information. I chewed my bottom lip noting that he hadn't moved and I could feel him looking at me.
But, to be really honest, my lips are still tingling. That was some kiss, hot and luscious and certainly not a gentle peck or a 'Hi there" or a sweet 'Hello' to your cousin and certainly not your Auntie Mary or Uncle Pedro! Hmmm…, I thought, Mr Tall, Dark and Dangerous can really kiss!
"Something's burning, Babe. And yes, I can … and thanks for the compliment," he chuckled.
Oh! My! God! What have I done? I've broken him. He chuckled! Ranger? Chuckling?
"Tall and dark, eh? I can handle that. But Dangerous, Babe? You have no idea!"
I froze just fleetingly until one finger gently lifted my chin while he bent down and kissed me again, hard and hot and deep until I felt I my panties would combust. Slowly he pulled away, leaving me breathless and weak-kneed with both his warm hands on either side of my face, his hard body pressed firmly to mine. He too seemed a little breathless holding me close and tight, resting his forehead to mine briefly as I looked up into his dark, dilated eyes. His warm hands were now gently rubbing up and down my arms and then my back leaving a warm, tingling sensation. Okay, forget utter humiliation, substitute lust, total and absolute lust … and desire. Desire in spades. Oh I wish …
I had fisted my hands in his oh so tight painted on black t-shirt.
"Playing with fire, Babe. You'd better be careful what you wish for."
"Well, perhaps I want to get burned…" I said brazenly, looking him directly in the eye.
…oOo…
Ranger's POV
Ever had one of those days where you know something feels off and you get that feeling that something is going to happen, in a not so good kind of way? Well, this must be my day. Rather weird for me to admit this as I don't do this emotional shit but I have to admit, something was looming. I knew that type of feeling from experience in my Ranger days with the Army and subsequent undisclosed missions. It's what has kept me alive, always being aware of my surroundings. But this was different yet still in a tangible way.
So I was poised, primed and vigilant, looking and listening intently, all my senses on high alert, subconsciously scanning my environment all day, even here in my building.
Tank came into my office and I could tell he recognised my hyper awareness. We've known each other a long time and served closely together as Army Rangers and on a number of those undisclosed missions. He's my wingman, my 2IC and always has my back. We can read each other and have that uncanny ability to communicate semi telepathically, well-practised in the field which has saved our asses many times and ensured the success of those missions.
"Boss …," he countered blankly with a slight tilt of his chin.
My reply was the same but then our silent conversation was interrupted as Lester rushed in after a short, sharp rap on my office door.
"Boss. That Beemer you had this morning," he began briskly, then hesitated slightly, "It's … gone off the screen. No signal, man," he replied more assertively.
Tank and I locked eyes and Lester instantly recognised my disquiet.
Ah shit! Not another one. Unbelievable, remarkable even. That explained my sense of foreboding and impending doom. Instantly the control room activated into military mode, like the well-oiled machine we are. Tank barked out orders for last sightings and the previous routes she'd made over the course of the day. Fortunately, I'd had the sense to put a tracker on her car, especially considering the spectacular demise of the Porsche Boxter recently.
That ominous feeling was still there and I knew inherently it had more to do with a certain blue-eyed, curly haired brunette than the loss of another vehicle. Who would have thought that those dazzling blue eyes would captivate me so completely yet so unsuspectingly. I rolled my eyes ever so slightly but it caught the shrewd eyes of my 2IC. Keeping that well-mastered blank look on his visage, he did a quick about face and left the control room striding into his office, closing the door behind him. A booming laugh could be heard from the confines of his office causing everyone in the control room to pause in shock. It takes a lot to make Tank laugh out loud and it's a rare event to be witnessed but there was no mistake about that. He emerged looking calm giving me a raised eyebrow and a smirking wink!
"Mats! 0500!"
He just grinned smugly. I know, the rolling of my eyes could only come from one person and he knew it too.
No point rushing down the stairs until I had details, so I paced impatiently in the control room. They all knew who had the BMW. She had won the respect and the hearts of my men. Her resilience has been proven over and over again and her Houdini-like escapes have had us in awe of her determination and uncanny survival skills.
After further tracking and confirmation I knew she was at the Plum residence, probably heading to her apartment from there. Deciding to check on her personally, I parked my black Mercedes in the parking lot of her apartment and waited, leaning on the car. Sure enough, she arrived in a different vehicle, driven by her friend Mary Lou. Hmm, this should be interesting I thought to myself, smiling on the inside. I could have some fun here but knowing Stephanie, there would be a plausible yet always inconceivable reason.
There was a brief conversation with both of them watching me as they spoke. As Stephanie emerged from the car, looking directly at me while she said a quick goodbye and thanks to her friend, I wondered how she managed to be able to recover so well despite the hard knocks and sizable speed humps which seem to hit her almost relentlessly. She seemed to be a magnet for disaster yet she was able to bounce right back and come out of it relatively unharmed, physically anyway.
She certainly had spunk, with so much spirit and determination and here she was looking at me with a multitude of expressions and emotions crossing her face as Mary Lou made her escape. She was so expressive. Her body language reflected her facial expressions and I recognised fear and hesitation, doubt, angst, worry, frustration, disappointment, desire (?!), yes, desire and finally resolve as she slowly crossed the dimly lit parking lot to stand in front of me. I watched her curiously, intrigued, maintaining my masked demeanour, waiting with bated breath. She really was stunning and I was totally enraptured as I watched her come closer especially after those glimpses of her emotional turmoil. I decided to cut her some slack.
"Where's the BMW, Babe?"
"I sort of had a problem, or two," she muttered as she retrieved what I recognised as the number plate and a charred piece of dashboard, (huh!), the registration plate, from her bag, handing them over to me with a shuddering breath.
"This is all that's left of it," she confessed looking up at me with clarity and those beautiful blue eyes, glistening in the lamplight. I raised an eyebrow and couldn't help the smile twitching in the corners of my mouth. She looked totally mortified and I couldn't help myself but see the funny side of this. She looked more beautiful and I was entranced and drawn into those limpid sapphire blue eyes.
"And this is what's left of the car?" I confirmed, curiously, smiling and beginning to grin. Un-fucking-believable! How does she do this? She looks unharmed as I gave her a quick cursory once over.
She nodded. "… It was … stolen."
"And they left you the plates and the registration tag. Nice touch," I replied, nodding and I stepped closer towards her.
A large tear slid down her cheek glistening from the ambient lighting.I turned to place the plates in the back seat of the Mercedes.
"It was a car, Babe. It wasn't important." Just a car.
"It's not just the car," she whined, "It's everything. It's been a really crappy day and I have all these, these … problems."
Another tear joined the other one. I couldn't help myself but be drawn to her like a moth to a flame. She looked so delectable with her glistening blue eyes and her sweet, pouty lips. I leaned forward and said, my voice deeper and huskier with desire,
"Here's something else to worry about."
Placing my hand behind her neck I drew her into my body and kissed her, soft at first, then serious and demanding. I held her closer and brought those sweet luscious lips to mine again, in a deeper kiss as lust and desire washed over me. I wanted to devour her.
"Oh boy," she whispered.
"Yeah, think about it." I said wistfully.
"You are all I think about…. Yum."
"Babe?" I looked at her intently, scanning her face and saw nothing but sincerity, love and then shock.
"Oops. Out loud?" she squeaked, blushing furiously.
Oh. That's so enchanting, blushing so coyly. Her face once again displayed a myriad of emotions as I watched her intently, curious and fascinated by her expressiveness. She chewed her bottom lip in that sexy way, that luscious, slightly swollen pouty lip and I saw desire, then fear and shock.
She whimpered rather wistfully and then groaned muttering quietly, as she once again voiced her thoughts unwittingly. Cute. I had said the Porsche was temptation but never did I realise that temptation was standing right here in front of me, a beautiful, stunningly blue eyed Temptress. Her face was so animated as she spoke, albeit softly.
"That was some kiss, hot and luscious and certainly not a gentle peck or a 'Hi there" or a sweet 'Hello' to your cousin and certainly not your Auntie Mary or Uncle Pedro! Hmmm…, Mr Tall, Dark and Dangerous can really kiss!"
"Something's burning, Babe. And yes, I can … and thanks for the compliment," I chuckled. I couldn't help myself.
"Tall and dark, eh? I can handle that. But Dangerous, Babe? You have no idea!"
She froze just fleetingly as she realised her overt moment of TMI. I gently lifted her chin with one finger bending down to kiss her again, hard and hot and deep until I felt I like I couldn't get enough of her. Slowly I pulled away, leaving her breathless, flushed and weak-kneed with both my hands on either side of her face, my hard body pressed firmly to hers. I too seemed a little breathless and held her close and tight, resting my forehead to hers. I gently rubbed up and down her arms and then her back enjoying the sensations it created for her, for me. I couldn't let her go.
"Okay, forget utter humiliation, substitute lust, total and absolute lust … and desire. Desire in spades. Oh I wish …"
She had fisted her hands in into my t-shirt. Oh… fuck, Babe, I groaned to myself. TMI. What's a man to do? Madre Dios!
"Playing with fire, Babe. You'd better be careful what you wish for."
"Well, perhaps I want to get burned…" she said brazenly, looking me directly in the eye.
I couldn't help myself. I took those luscious, pouty lips and kissed her hard and deep. She moaned and opened her mouth to me and I plundered her mouth hungrily. She gave back just as good and hard as I grabbed her ass and lifted her off her feet, leaning against her against the wall with my hand in her curly hair. As I released her gently form my lips, reluctantly, I had to make a confession.
"Babe, I have wanted to do that for a long time. Since I first saw you, in the diner, from that day I knew you would be mine. I have watched you and thought about you, lusted after you. You, Babe are temptation. You are my temptation. You are my desire. "
Then I kissed her again, gently and reverently and when I looked into her eyes they were glistening.
Before anything else could be disclosed, our moment of lust and revelation was suddenly interrupted by a scream from above, more yelling and a roar followed by the sound of breaking glass. I quickly took stock of our surroundings having been totally immersed in my Babe, my Temptress. My phone buzzed on my hip.
"Yo!"
It was Tank warning me of a break-in at Steph's apartment saying the police scanners reported a neighbour being assaulted as her apartment had been trashed. While I listened I had pulled her close to me, my body protecting hers from any possible danger and threats. She was holding on tightly.
"I got you, Babe."
In no time one of my black vehicles sped into the parking lot closely followed by a police car and a POS unmarked car. Oh, yeah. This is going to be good. All vehicles opened simultaneously and of course, one fired up Officer Morelli, Tank and Lester, on alert, but grinning and Eddie Gazarra with Big Dog.
"Cupcake? What the hell?!"