Trouble in Paradise
By Dayoh
Chapter One
The scent of fresh ocean water drifted through the open windows of the taxi, floating through Stephanie's nostrils, calming her senses. She relaxed into Ranger's side, his arm draping her shoulders like a protective cloak. As the taxi approached a fifteen story resort, created in the center of Cancun Mexico, a smile spread across Stephanie's face. She and Ranger had seven days to enjoy a small piece of paradise; far away from the industrialized metropolis of New Jersey. She felt like a child who'd just stepped into Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, and she was craving a peaceful vacation with Ranger.
"Wow!" Stephanie said enthusiastically, goggling the building. The resort is huge."
Ranger glanced out the window and studied the structure of the building. "By all accounts, it's one of the best resorts in Cancun, close to all the action."
The Royal Palace was within walking distance from the beach, and Stephanie glanced longingly at the crystal clear, blue water, framed by white sand that glistened like snow. It was a beautiful sight.
"I can't wait to get into that water."
"Yeah," Ranger agreed. "We'll definitely get to swim with the fish. They surround you when you're in the water. It's kind of cool."
"You've been to Cancun?" Stephanie asked Ranger.
"I was here years ago, during a spring break college trip."
"You could afford a resort like the Royal Palace when you were in college?"
"No. There were six of us piled up in a roach motel."
"But you had a good time, right?"
"From what I can remember," Ranger admitted. "I was wasted most of the time. It's all a blur now."
The driver pulled the taxi up to the double glass doors of the resort, turned in his seat and smiled at Stephanie and Ranger. Pulling out his wallet, Ranger handed the man a wad of cash, thanking him in Spanish. And then he gave Stephanie a soft nudge. "Let's go."
Climbing out of the car, they were greeted by a tall, slim, brown skinned bellhop who looked to be in his late teens. He walked directly to the trunk of the cab and grabbed their luggage. Placing two large suitcases and one overnight bag on his roll-away platform, he motioned for his guests to follow him into the hotel lobby.
The lobby of the Royal Palace was adequately cooled by an air conditioner and welcoming in design. There were plush, burgundy club chairs scattered throughout the area, and, in the middle of the lobby, there was an oval shaped skylight hovering over four decorated columns. And forest type foliage hanging from the center of the skylight created a tropical atmosphere inside the lobby, creating a feeling of warmth. The young bellhop led Stephanie and Ranger to the front desk and stood to the side, waiting patiently as they checked in.
Ranger handled the check in process while Stephanie took in the sights and sounds of the beautiful hotel lobby. A multitude of vacationer's carried drinks from a bar at the west end of the lobby, while others were gathered in a quaint, retail store at the east end. A medium sized restaurant sat directly across from a set of elevators at the north end of the lobby. And there was a large, glass door next to the bar that probably led to various facilities around the resort. The hotel's brochure had boasted the luxuries of two swimming pools, three restaurants, four bars, and two nightclubs. Bellhops, hotel clerks, and concierges hustled back and forth through the doors, making sure their guests had everything they needed for their stay at the Royal Palace Resort.
"Earth to Babe," Ranger said to Stephanie.
She turned to see a uniformed, Hispanic woman smiling at her from behind the desk. She was dangling a yellow wrist band in her hand.
"This band let's the staff know that you are vacationing under an all-inclusive package," she said to Stephanie.
Stephanie smiled at the pretty woman and offered up her wrist.
"I was just telling Mr. Manoso that you have to keep the band on for the duration of your stay. You can enjoy our restaurants and activities at no extra cost, as long as you're wearing the band."
"Got it," Stephanie said as the woman clamped the plastic band around her wrist. Ranger had paid for the room and their meals in advance, gratuity included.
The clerk stretched a wide, bright toothed grin across her face and passed two, plastic key cards to Ranger. And in a cheery voice she said, "Enjoy your stay at the Royal Palace!"
Ranger and Stephanie thanked the desk clerk and followed the bellhop to the elevator, quietly riding to the tenth floor.
Ranger opened the door to their hotel room and thanked the bellhop by pushing a ten dollar bill into his hand. "Gracias," the youngster said around a professional smile. And then he hurried off to his next project.
"I thought gratuity was included in the package," Stephanie said.
Ranger pushed the door open with his foot and grabbed the suitcases. "I'm in a generous mood."
"Good to know." Stephanie grabbed the overnight bag, filled with shoes, and followed Ranger into the room.
Setting the bag down on the Italian tiled floor, her eyes gaped at the sight of the lavish room. The front door opened into a quaint, sitting area, adorned with a club chair and loveseat that was covered with violet and cream upholstery. And the curtains on the windows were covered in the same material as the furniture. There was a cherry wood coffee table sitting between the chair and love seat, and a cherry wood cabinet supported a 32 inch, wide screen television.
An arched wall divider separated the bedroom from the sitting room. The king sized bed was covered with comforter decorated with thin, stripes of mauve and cream, and the headboard was made of cast iron, regally designed, adding a royal like flare to the bedroom. There were two cherry wood night stands on either side of the bed, and a small chest of drawers for clothes. A private balcony, overlooking the sparkling ocean, allowed the sun to shine through the glass doors, radiating tropical warmth throughout the bedroom. And there was a microwave and mini refrigerator in the corner of the room, sitting next to a mini bar.
Ranger looked at Stephanie expectantly. "You like?"
"It's beautiful. I love it."
"Are you hungry?" he asked. "Most of the restaurants should be serving lunch now."
Stephanie walked up to Ranger and hooked her arms around his neck. "Thank you for the vacation, Ranger. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"I'm glad you're here with me, Babe," Ranger replied softly, wrapping his arms around Stephanie's waist, pulling her snug to his body. He touched his lips to her mouth and gave her a light kiss, followed by a deep, fervent lip lock. And after a few minutes of tongue massaging, they finally came up for air.
Stephanie gazed at Ranger with a knowing look, and he took his queue dutifully. Grabbing the hem of her form-fitted blouse, he yanked the material over her head while she worked on the zipper of his jeans. Then Ranger moved to take off his own shirt, but before he could get it over his head, Stephanie had his pants unzipped and pushed down over his hips. And then she was on her knees, devouring him greedily, as if he were part of an all-you-can-eat buffet.
An hour later, they lay in bed with their limbs entwined, spooned together on top of the comforter, naked and satisfied. The balcony door was open and an ocean breeze drifted though the room, rippling the curtains.
"Are you awake?" Stephanie asked dazedly.
"Yes," Ranger said, snuggling closer to Stephanie. "You ready for another round?"
"Sounds tempting, but I'm really hungry…for food."
She felt Ranger's body shake with quiet laughter. "What? We haven't had lunch and I'm starving."
"Let's get dressed, then." Ranger gave Stephanie's ass a pinch and rolled out of bed. Stephanie followed suite, padding behind Ranger to the bathroom.
The lavatory was clean and attractive. Bright, marbled counter tops, and an Italian tiled, large shower with a wide shower head gave the room a special flare of beauty. Ranger glanced around the bathroom and then turned the shower on full blast. Stephanie pushed her hand under the water, checking the temperature. Then she adjusted the knob that controlled the cold water. Ranger liked his water steaming hot, and she liked it warm, with just a hint of hot.
"Why are you messing with my water, Babe?" Ranger asked.
"Do you mind if I join you?"
Ranger cut his eyes to Stephanie. "Stephanie, if you join me in the shower, you can forget about making it down to lunch."
While contemplating the warning, Stephanie let her eyes travel the length of Ranger's body, stopping just below his belly button. Ranger followed her gaze and smiled wickedly as he watched her lick her lips.
"We could order room service," she said seductively, closing a fist around Ranger's cock, stroking him slowly while holding his gaze.
Ranger let out a low, guttural groan, grabbed Stephanie around the waist, and lifted her off the bathroom floor. He set her naked ass down on the edge of the counter top, the cold marble chilling her skin. As he settled between her thighs, Stephanie held firm to his shaft and continued the deep tissue massage, feeling him expanding in her hands. He was ready for another round. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Stephanie closed her eyes as Ranger pushed past her folds, deep into her warm center. A low moan escaped from her lips, and she draped her arms around Ranger's neck as he rocked his pelvis slowly.
Blowing out a quivering breath, Stephanie threw her head back as Ranger traced warm kisses along her neckline. She locked her ankles around his ass, tightening her thighs around his pumping hips, matching his rhythm stroke for stroke. Ranger cupped her ass with his hands and lifted her a few inches off the counter, carefully guiding her body up and down his shaft, his breath hot and heavy against her face. Stephanie felt her body begin to tremble as an orgasm bubbled to the surface.
Ranger whispered in her ear, "Come for me, Babe, I'm so close."
And that was all it took for Stephanie to lose control. Her muscled tightened around him and she bit down into his shoulder, letting out a strangled cry. Ranger quickly followed with his own orgasm as he held Stephanie close, his muscles tensing to the point of trembling. Finally, they relaxed into each other, taking in deep breaths of air.
A few minutes passed while they recovered, and then Stephanie lifted her head from Ranger's shoulder, her legs still wrapped around his waist. "The water's still running in the shower. We should probably take advantage."
Ranger gave a lazy smile, lifted Stephanie off the counter and carried her to the shower, pushing her under the shower head. "You get started. I'll call downstairs for room service."
Stephanie unhooked her legs from around Ranger's waist and placed her feet on the tiled floor. "I want a cheeseburger and fries," she said under the spray of water as it reigned down on her hair and skin. "And hurry back while the water's still warm."
Lunch arrived thirty minutes later, allowing enough time for Stephanie and Ranger to explore the various massage settings of the removable shower head. They'd just stepped out of the bathroom when someone knocked on the door. Stephanie quickly pulled on a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top to open the door to another Royal Palace staff member. His name tag read, Julio. The man was an older, shorter, and rounder version of their bellhop, but he held the same professional smile as he pushed a cart of covered food through the door.
"Where would you like this, senorita?" Julio asked in the best English he could muster.
"You can leave it here by the door. Thank you." Julio smiled again, turned on his heels and left the room.
Stephanie lifted the lid off one warm plate and inhaled the scent of fried beef and potatoes. She had worked up one hell of an appetite with Ranger. Then she uncovered the second plate and rolled her eyes. Ranger had ordered a grilled chicken breast, brown rice, and sautéed vegetables.
He walked up behind Stephanie and pushed his pelvis into her ass, staring over her shoulder at the food. "Smells good."
"Please tell me you're going to indulge a little this week," Stephanie said, grabbing Ranger's plate and passing it to him. "Christ, you're on vacation. Live a little."
Ranger flashed a full smile and walked towards the loveseat with his plate. "I want to enjoy the ocean this afternoon. I can't get in a good swim if I'm full of red meat, Babe. I'll indulge at dinner, okay?"
"You're going to have dessert?"
"A cold beer sounds more interesting."
"I can live with that," Stephanie said, sitting next to Ranger on the love seat. They both dug in to lunch, devouring their food in silence while watching a show on HBO about people in therapy.
"Now I know why I don't watch a lot of television," Ranger said, scooping up a forkful of vegetables.
Stephanie picked up the remote and switched the station to CNN. "Well, we can always get an update on the horrendous effects of the shitty economy."
"Yeah, while we sit here in a luxurious hotel," Ranger agreed, a hint of cynicism in his tone.
Stephanie took a bite from her burger and switched the television to Oprah.
"Babe."
****
By mid afternoon, Stephanie was stretched out on a beach chair; book in hand, relaxing in the sun under a huge umbrella. Ranger was in the ocean, swimming with the fish, a task she'd decided to forgo for a while. The undigested hamburger in her stomach was making her feel a little lazy. Truth be told, she wasn't too excited with the idea of fish nipping at her feet while she explored the ocean. But Ranger thought it was cool. And she enjoyed watching him in the water, mocha skin glistening in the sun, muscles rippling. She'd never seen Ranger so carefree, actually enjoying life.
The beach front was filled with vacationing families. Kids were laughing and playing and running in the sand, in and out of the water. Teenagers played volleyball with their friends while the parents looked on. And the senior citizens relaxed under umbrellas, sipping on famous beach drinks, reading their favorite novels. Stephanie looked in the direction of the bar which was strategically placed right in the middle of a swimming pool, the bar stools submerged under water. She was ready for a Bahama Mama of her own. She turned her attention back to the beach, searching for Ranger.
He was still relaxing in the water, floating face up, eyes toward the sky. And a beautiful, brown skinned, Latina woman was treading water next to him. She was wearing a large smile on her face and her movements were animated and flirtatious. Stephanie carefully watched the interaction for a couple of minutes, feeling a small pang of jealousy in her gut. She wasn't naive enough to think that women wouldn't flirt with Ranger. He was a gorgeous man with a great body. But, there was something in the way the woman moved, an air of confidence that let Stephanie know she was on the hunt. And while Ranger didn't seem particularly interested in the conversation, he wasn't trying to get away from the attention.
Stephanie suddenly felt the urge to take a nice swim in the ocean, fish be damned.
She untied the jersey wrap from around her waist to reveal a Ralph Lauren, two-piece bikini set. She had splurged on the swimsuit because it fit the curves of her body perfectly. And, she felt sexy as hell in the little black and white number. It also didn't hurt that Ranger had given his personal stamp of approval. He'd tried to get her out of it the minute she'd modeled it in front of him. Stephanie pulled a hair clip, holding her curls at bay, out of her hair, and sauntered towards the water, ass swaying from side to side. Ranger smiled wide when she reached the edge of the water.
Following Ranger's gaze, the woman wading next to him stared at Stephanie through contemptuous eyes. Stephanie gave a finger wave and entered the water apprehensively, looking out for flesh eating fish. Ranger met her half way and scooped her up into his arms. Stephanie milked the attention for all it was worth, wrapping her arms and legs around Rangers body, a show to let the woman know he belonged to her. She realized the display was self-indulgent, but she wanted to send a hands-off message to the Latina beauty.
Ranger carried Stephanie past the woman, ignoring her blatant stare. After a few awkward filled moments, the woman said to Ranger, "Well, it was nice meeting you, Carlos."
Ranger gave the woman a dismissive smile and nod, and then turned his attention back to Stephanie. The woman locked eyes with Stephanie, offering a tight smile. "I'm sorry," she said in saccharine laced tone. "I'm being rude. My name's Serena."
Stephanie returned the smile, locked her arms around Ranger's neck, and said, "I'm Stephanie. Nice to meet you, Serena." Boy, was she laying it on thick, or what?
Stephanie politely turned her back to the woman and looked at Ranger. He was clearly amused with scene. He released her into the water and she began to move her arms and legs, lightly treading the cool water.
"I thought I was going to have to come and get you, Babe," Ranger said, relaxing on his back again, letting his body float on top of the water as the soft waves caressed his skin.
"I just had to let my lunch settle."
This got a smile from Ranger. "I knew the hamburger was a bad idea."
Serena cleared her throat, letting the lovebirds know she was still around. Stephanie turned and gave her a look that screamed you're still here? Go away!
Ranger kept his eyes closed, doing his best to ignore the woman, now that Stephanie was running interference.
"So, are you two dating?" Serena asked coyly.
"Actually, we're celebrating our engagement" Stephanie said quickly, keeping her eyes locked on Serena.
Serena glanced down at Stephanie's left hand as it moved through the crystal clear water and raised a questioning eyebrow.
"I didn't want to take the chance of losing my ring in the ocean," Stephanie lied, knowing what the woman's next question would be.
The woman looked at Ranger, as if waiting for him to confirm that he was indeed off limits, but she got nothing from him. He was feigning deep relaxation now, eyes closed, smirk on his face. He was really enjoying his fiancé's antics.
"Well, I wish you the best," Serena said in a tone that could have easily been interpreted as "I hope you drown in the ocean."
A syrupy smile spread across Stephanie's face and she said, "Thank you. I already have the best." And out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ranger's body tremble with laughter, but she kept her eyes locked on Serena. Take that, bitch.
Serena kicked her legs under the water and swam away dramatically. When she was out of earshot, Stephanie poked Ranger in the stomach and said, "Hey, you can open your eyes now, Casanova."
Ranger smiled wide and opened his eyes. "I thought you were going to invite her to help you shop for a wedding dress," he said around a laugh. "You know, the title of fiancé for you means unlimited fellatio for me."
Stephanie rolled her eyes at Ranger and mirrored his position, floating on top of the water, the sun soaking into her skin. "She was a little aggressive. I think she wanted to drown me when I told her we were engaged."
"She was driving me crazy," Ranger said. "I was wondering when you'd get in the damn water."
"I was thinking about a drink when I noticed. You could have come out of the water if she was bugging you that much. She was very pretty, though."
"I already have a pretty woman, and she's sexy as hell, too."
Stephanie turned her head to Ranger and gave him a warm smile. "You know, I realized something when I saw Serena flirting with you. I have a jealous streak that stems from insecurity."
"Babe, if the tables had been turned, I probably would have drowned the guy…accidentally."
Stephanie smiled at Ranger's humor, but she knew there was probably some truth to his words. Then she said, "Admit it, you enjoy the attention."
Ranger nodded his head, the water rippling beneath him. "Yeah, I enjoy the attention. But I also enjoy being with you. And I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize our relationship."
"A woman would be crazy not to flirt with you. Serena just rubbed me the wrong way, that's all." Stephanie started treading water again, and then she gave Ranger's stomach another poke. "I'm ready for a drink."
Ranger pulled himself to an upright position in the water, treading the soft waves. "I could indulge in a couple of cold beers. Let's hit the bar. And then we'll relax on the beach until it's time for dinner. Sound good?"
"Sounds great," Stephanie said, suddenly noticing an assortment of colorful fish swimming around her feet, nipping at her ankles. She gave a yelp and jumped on Ranger's back.
"They're not going to hurt you," Ranger chuckled. "Come on, let's take a closer look."
Ranger submerged his body under the water, bringing Stephanie along with him. After a few seconds, their heads surfaced, Stephanie hanging on to Ranger's neck for dear life, her body draped around his back. "Cut it out, Ranger! I swear, if you don't get me away from these fish…"
Ranger barked out a laugh and submerged their bodies again, bringing a halt to Stephanie's protest, mid sentence. Once again coming up for air, Stephanie found herself laughing and spitting salt water into Ranger's hair.
"You didn't even wave at the orange and yellow fish right in front of us, Babe. I think he wants to be your friend."
This time, Stephanie held her breath without protest, actually looking forward to the third trip down. She knew she was safe with Ranger…and her new ocean friends.
TBC…