A/N: I got 17 'yes' votes in less than twelve hours... This is short and smutty, a thank-you to all of you who reviewed!

Disclaimer: Stephanie and Ranger belong to Janet Evanovich. I just like to let them play -- after all, it's good clean fun!

Chapter 2 - Ranger's POV

I squeezed the puff and the Bulgari turned into a mountain of suds. I smiled.

"Close your eyes."

She obeyed, and I used some of the lather on my fingers to gently wash her face, washing away the grime and the remnants of her makeup, her Jersey-girl's camouflage paint. Then I turned her so she could rinse her face, and I started on her back, holding her hair aside with my other hand.

I fervently hoped that she never again felt the need to take a job in fast-food. Her skin was actually sticky with grease. I started scrubbing gently with the puff, gradually increasing the pressure as I worked across her shoulders and down her back until I got the little moans she can't help when something feels really good. I smiled and enjoyed the soft sounds.

The smile slipped when I started down her arms and found the burns. I must have made some sound or movement, because she hurried to explain.

"The fryer grease popped on me a couple of times, before I got the hang of dropping the basket into it. It's okay. They don't hurt."

They were second-degree burns, and she was reassuring me.

Somehow, knowing she took the job to try and please Morelli only made me feel worse. I took a deep breath but couldn't find any words, so I gently continued scrubbing. I rinsed the puff and reloaded it and started at her feet, still behind her. She braced her hands on the tiled wall as I washed her feet one at a time and started up her legs. There was a faintly pink patch of skin where the charred pants leg had been but it was very minor.

She twitched a little when I got to the back of her knees, where she was ticklish and very sensitive. Her breath quickened when I reached her upper thighs. She shifted her weight and I stroked the puff between her legs. Then the puff slipped out of my hand and a finger accidentally slipped inside her. She cried out, arching into my hand, and I groaned as my groin clenched.

Not yet, not yet! a little voice was yelling in the back of my head. Where's your control? Only a few more minutes…

I pulled my finger back reluctantly, doing my best not to hear Steph's soft whimper. I picked up the puff, rinsed and reloaded.

Stepping closer, I pulled Steph to me, her back to my chest, and ran the puff in a line from her belly-button up to her neck. She settled back into me, wiggling her butt against my straining erection, forcing a noise from me that was close to a growl. I started scrubbing – her neck, across her collar bones and down, anchoring her to me with my left hand splayed across her belly. Her head fell back onto my shoulder and I had an unobstructed view as the puff moved down.

I barely brushed the tips of her breasts with the puff and watched her nipples harden and pucker. I made a concerted effort not to skip a single inch of the tender skin, making sure to get all the way around and under each luscious breast – and perhaps I brushed across the tender nipples a couple more times, too.

She was panting now, and she was no longer standing still. "Ranger…!"

I slid my left hand up to her breastbone and moved the puff down. "Almost done…almost," I whispered in her ear as I finished scrubbing the last few inches. Then I dropped the puff and wrapped myself around her as close as I could get. One hand turned her face up so I could take her mouth, and the other slid into the wet curls and plunged back into her heat, stroking hard and fast until she came writhing in my arms.

TBC…

Sorry it's short, but I gotta go take a shower! I have to go to work tomorrow!