AN: Some more for those that asked so nicely…

Any recognizable characters or places are the sole property of their respective owners. No infringement is intended. This plot, however, is all mine.

SPOV

I can't believe I had sex with a total stranger! And then I ducked out while he was sleeping. Holy shit! I fucked and ducked!

Me…

Of course, those would be my first thoughts when I woke up a mere five hours after falling in to my bed. I hadn't even brushed my teeth, just shucked my slutty clothes and crawled under the sheets. Already tender and sore.

I stood and groaned as I stretched. Jesus, he really knew how to work a woman over. I was aching in places I didn't even know existed. It had been a year and a half since I walked in on my douchebag ex-husband boinking some skank on my dining room table.

That asshole…

Whatever, I was over it now.

The intervening time had elapsed with a disturbingly low level of interest in the opposite sex for me. My best girls had repeatedly tried to hook me up with various friends, but I just wasn't interested. Last night my sex drive had awakened with a vengeance. I was really hoping I'd bump into Carlos again sometime in the near future. He didn't seem like the relationship type, what with the fact that he picked me up in a club and wasted no time in seducing me very skillfully, but hopefully he wouldn't be averse to a repeat performance.

Today was a big day for me though. After being laid off from my job, I'd scoured the classifieds and sent out a million resumes. For one hideous moment I'd actually considered taking a job working for my pervert cousin Vinnie. He ran a bail bonds office on Hamilton Blvd, working there seemed like one step above the bottom of the barrel and I would only do it if it was truly the last choice I had. Thankfully I had eventually gotten a few call-backs, one of which was for an office manager position for a security firm just starting up in the area. I had a college degree, no criminal history, a clean driving record and corporate experience, which was apparently enough for the giant of a man who interviewed me and hired me on the spot.

One word that could describe my new coworkers I had spied on my way from my interview, would be, gorgeous. If anything could have perked up my lagging libido it would be working there. Outside of a gym, I'd never seen so many physically perfect men in one place.

Speaking of gyms, the only drawback of my new job was that I was required to use the gym facilities at the office for at least an hour, three times a week. I wasn't very happy about this as the only physical part of my job would be walking back and forth to the copier outside my office. But hey, they were paying me double what my old job did, I guess I could spend a little time on the treadmill.

I stepped over to my closet and pulled out my new work attire. Black on black wasn't my favorite color scheme, but it made getting ready easy. I hobbled into the bathroom and climbed gingerly into the shower. Looking down I saw a massive hickey on my left boob and just like that I was thrown back into his sparsely furnished bedroom and that god of man was looming over me. I could feel his hands and mouth on me and his thick cock inside me. Hear his dirty words and his harsh breathing in my ears. Trust me to have the best sex of my entire life with a one night stand. Honestly though, I don't know if I could survive another go around with him. He was just so…everywhere.

I blew out a breath and grabbed the body wash. Trying to be gentle around my used and abused, yet still tingling, parts. Dismissing the urge to give the shower head a workout, I washed, dried and dressed and tried to block out the delicious flashes of last night my helpful brain was offering up.

I was excited about this job, it was close to home, had pleasant coworkers and benefits up the wazoo. I'd even get a company car after a probationary period and I would be able to get rid of my little Miata. The lease was almost up and if I could save the car payment and insurance premium, I'd be able to move into a nicer apartment in no time.

Pulling into the underground garage, I noticed a car similar to the one the sex god had been driving.

Now is not the time to think about him, Stephanie.

I zipped into my assigned spot, checked my reflection and schooled my features into less 'I'm so excited for this', to more 'I'm going to manage the shit out of this office'. When the elevator doors swished open on the fifth floor I was pleased to see my hirer.

"Tank!"

"Hey Steph." He rumbled as he shook my hand. "Welcome back. Your office is all set up and the new software you requested was installed yesterday." He ushered me into my new office and I got that much more excited. They'd had the room painted and the blinds were wide open, showing a small park and the brownstones across the road.

He lives right over there…Shit, not now.

I swallowed hard and forced myself to focus on the job and not the hot flash I'd just experienced.

I think my hair is sweating.

"Okay Steph, the payroll program is already on the computer," he gestured for me to sit behind my new desk and leaned over me clicking on the icon and walked me through logging everyone's hours. "You'll be in charge of ordering everything but weaponry. We have an extensive armory downstairs, but you don't need to worry about that. Everything that is within your purview is in here." He clicked on another icon and lists and lists of items appeared.

"Not a problem."

"We're looking to expand and Ranger would like you to research suitable office space in Miami, Boston and Houston."

"I never asked, what's the owner's real name? I'm going to feel a bit doofy calling him Ranger."

"Carlos. Actually it's Ricardo Carlos Manoso." I felt a tremor run down my spine and looked in the direction of the voice I'd been hearing in my head since I crept out of his house late, well early this morning.

Shit, he's still fucking gorgeous…and goddamit he's my new boss! Like boss, boss. The guy who is supposed to sign my paycheck…and I fucked him last night. Shit, shit, shit.

He didn't look very happy to see me either. His eyes going from me in the chair to Tank still hovering over me. His expression becoming even sterner.

"Give me the room." He ordered in a scarily quiet voice.

"Steph, I'll catch up with you in a bit. I have to show you around." Tank said as he exited.

"Yeah, okay thanks." I mumbled distractedly. Unable to take my eyes off the other man in the room. He was dressed all in black. Black tight tee-shirt, black cargo pants tucked into black boots. Thickly muscled arms, crossed across an expansive chest. BIG gun. Dark eyes staring at me silently, waiting for me to start talking. Such a closed expression on his face, so different from the frankly appraising look he gave me last night.

"So, uh…hello." I said awkwardly. "It's, uh, nice to see you again."

He didn't say anything, just ran his hand over his face for a second and I found myself fixating on his long fingers.

…that finger was inside me last night…

Shut the fuck up Stephanie.

"I know Tank had to have run a background check on you, but I'm only going to ask you this once. Did you know who I was last night?" He asked in that eerie voice. I was having a lot of trouble reconciling this version of him with the guy I met last night. Last night I had trusted him enough to go home and share something really intimate with him. The version I was seeing right now was definitely radiating danger and a whole lot of contained anger. I would never have gone home with this one. He was also pissing me off to no end.

"No!" I replied indignantly.

"I'm sorry, but I'm finding this whole thing entirely too coincidental. I've come to be a bit paranoid, you see. It's what's kept me alive so far." He growled.

"Look, I had no idea who you were last night. If I remember correctly, you approached me. You asked me to dance…and go home with you…" He dropped his arms and stalked across the small space, turned my chair to face him, placed his clenched fists on the chair's arms and leaned down close to my face.

God, he smells good…

"I don't think this is going to work."

What? "What?" He was just too close.

"You working for me."

"You can't fire me for sleeping with you!" I whisper yelled at him.

"It's my business! And I wouldn't be firing you for sleeping with me, I'd be firing you because I couldn't trust you."

"Trust me? There's a guy out there with a tear-drop tattooed on his cheek. I know what that means! Are you telling me you trust someone who has a gang kill under his belt more than the woman you had sex with last night?" I spat.

"I'd trust him with my life." He said emphatically.

"So let me get this straight. You get such a bad vibe from me that you felt comfortable enough to fall asleep on me while I was still in your house. So deeply so, that you didn't even know I'd left?" By this time his nose was about an inch away from mine and I couldn't stop my eyes from flicking to his lips and back. He knew I did it, of course, and I was pissed at myself for showing so obviously that I was still attracted to him. In fact this whole conversation was kind of turning me on…or maybe it was just his proximity. "Besides I already signed a contract."

"A probationary contract that I have to sign off on, now that I'm back." He countered.

Dammit.

"I really need this job. I, as you're aware, am single, and the prospect of moving back in with my parents being my only option if I'm unemployed makes me want to throw myself off the Lower Trenton Bridge! My probationary period is 90 days. Can we put last night aside and reassess then?" He remained there, so close I could feel the warmth radiating from his body, silently staring me in the eyes. I wanted so badly to back away from him and his fucking intensity, but knew it was critical at this moment to stand my ground. He didn't need to know I was shaking on the inside.

"Fine. 90 days." He finally said. "I will be watching you, though. Don't forget that." He stood back and opened his mouth again as if to say something, but seemed to think better of it. We'll be having a staff meeting at 1200." With that he turned and marched out.

I slumped back in my chair and did a little deep breathing.

What the fuck just happened here?

An hour later Tank stuck his head around the doorway and dragged me around the building for my tour. I have to say we had a pretty impressive set-up, well it will be when it's finished. He showed me the gym and the card-swiper I was supposed to utilize to log my fitness requirements.

"As office personnel you don't need to go in here." He said as we approached the firing range but I'll show you all the same." He swiped us into what looked like a bowling alley. "Do you shoot?"

"No! I hate guns!" He chuckled and guided me quickly back out.

"If you ever want to learn any one of us would be more than happy to teach you. Over there are our holding cells."

"Holding cells? For what?"

"We don't use them much. Don't worry." He said evasively and hustled me into the elevator. We went over the rest of the building. There were apartments for employees, more than half of which were complete and a kitchen and break room combo on two different floors.

"Ella stocks the kitchens and puts out hot food for breakfast, lunch and dinner five days a week. If you work weekends then you're on your own for food." I looked over the offerings and thought about the lunch-time meeting. I grabbed the biggest muffin on the tray and poured a coffee.

"I'm going to get some work started before the meeting. Thanks for showing me around." I said to Tank as I turned…and ran right smack into the sex god, I mean my boss.

"Shi…sorry, uh Ranger. Didn't see you there." If I closed my eyes I wouldn't see the squashed muffin all over his perfectly fitted black shirt, right?

He just glared at me for a second and stalked away. I turned back to Tank and he gave me an amused smile and shook his head. I cleaned up the crumbs, grabbed another muffin and finally got behind my desk to get some work done.

I didn't look up again until 11:55 and consequently had to jog to the conference room on the far side of the floor. Seeing the large room filled with my coworkers was a bit overwhelming. We were all dressed the same, black Rangeman Tee, Black Cargoes, boots, even me. The only difference was, they looked like a well-trained tactical force and I looked like an idiot.

I was the last to arrive, but four different guys jumped up and offered me a seat around the huge oval table. I waved them off and opted to stand by the door instead, half hiding behind the massive muscle-bound guy in front of me. I'm not really the wallflower kind, but the way the boss' eyes grabbed mine as soon as I walked in the room was just too discombobulating to endure for the entire meeting.

"Now that everyone is here…" He said pointedly in my direction. "Let's get this over with. We have hired a new office manager." I waved to everyone. "Stephanie will be in charge of payroll, personnel questions and inventory of everything but armory. Please address all questions on those subjects to her." He moved on with the meeting agenda and I let my attention wander a bit. I watched his employees and how they listened intently to every word he said. He seemed to be a natural leader. Physically he was perfect, but there were even larger men than him in the room, all seemed to be ready and willing to take orders from him.

The meeting adjourned without fuss and I hustled back to my office to slog my way through the massive amount of paperwork that needed to be organized.

Around 2:00 my email pinged. It took me a minute to pull up the message and was a little floored by its contents.

From: C. Manoso

To: All employees

Effective immediately, a non-fraternization policy has been instituted. No Employee of Rangeman INC is to become romantically involved with any other employee, regardless of your position. The consequences of any breach of this policy will result in immediate termination.

C. Manoso

Oookkayyy.

AN: I have no idea if this is how policies like this are written, but I'm going with it.

Let me know what you thought, please?

Love,

EA xoxo