Many, many thanks again for the terrific reviews. I have very limited free time right now so I haven't had a chance to respond to each of you individually but please know I have read every one and don't stop because it feeds my muse!

Mild smut warning...okay maybe a little more than mild...I don't know what it is when I write Ranger's POV – he just takes my brain to naughty places. (I bumped the rating up to M because I can't guarantee this won't happen again)

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Chapter 2

6 months later...

It was early when my eyes snapped open, not even dawn, and as Stephanie thinks being awake at this hour is against the laws of nature, I was mildly surprised to realize it was her tongue tracing a path up the length of my cock that had pulled me from sleep.

But I was not complaining.

I tunneled my hands in her hair and curled them around her ears so she couldn't get away and when the furnace of her mouth fully encased the head and began an inch by inch descent, I think I actually growled like an animal.

I was fairly certain that I wanted to be awakened this way every day for the rest of my life.

"Jesus," I moaned as I exploded into the back of her throat. I watched her swallow every drop and couldn't stop thinking about how sexy she was - so I told her.

She shimmied up my side and settled on to my chest, resting her head in the crook of my neck. "I bet you'd think any woman was sexy who used their mouth for that particular activity." It was cute how she wouldn't actually say the word blowjob after performing what might be the best one I've ever had.

"You are the only sexy woman I care about, Babe." I wrapped my hands around her middle and flipped her onto her back, covering her naked body with mine. She arched into my touch when I sucked in a nipple and licked it with quick little stokes. It was only fair that I show her what I can do with my mouth too.

"You should think about a new career as an alarm clock," I said as I made my way down her bare skin to the wet and pink Mecca between her thighs. She fisted her hands in my hair when I gave her clit a small bite before plunging my tongue inside.

Her strangled cry once again had my dick resembling granite. I lifted my head, extracting her hands from my hair and took in the sight of her squirming beneath me. She brought her hips up off the mattress, seeking the friction I'd dislodged to look at her. "Of course, after that wake up call, I have no desire to get out of this bed so that probably defeats the purpose." I bent my head and gave her another long suck.

"Ranger!" She practically shrieked my name, apparently over the foreplay and completely over listening to me talk. Her face was raw with need, her eyes a deep navy blue of pure lust and it made me not want to hear my own voice anymore either. I moved into position as she pulled her knees up and flexed her fingers into my hips. I kissed her, tangling our tongues together and then I sank balls deep into the blistering wet heat of her core.

Two hours went by before we reluctantly dragged ourselves from each other's arms and from the bed. I made a compelling argument about needing her help washing my back but she wasn't convinced I didn't have an ulterior motive so we showered separately and Ella dropped off a breakfast tray just before Steph came out of the bathroom wearing my robe and nothing else.

"I need to borrow a shirt," she said as she tied the sash around her waist. "Mine seems to have been torn in half...right down the front." The memory of ripping her t-shirt from her body last night was still very fresh in my mind. Sometimes it just takes too much time to get her naked.

I almost asked her for the hundredth time why she didn't keep at least a couple of spare outfits here but since she finally started staying the night on a regular basis I didn't want to press my luck.

"What's mine is yours," I said instead and she slid onto the stool next to me with a grin.

"Oh my God," she whispered reverently as I uncovered the food Ella left for us. "Is that cinnamon roll French toast?"

It's a particular favorite of Steph's so last night I'd asked Ella to make it for this morning. "I believe it is. That stuff will kill you, Babe." I scooped up a forkful of my egg white omelet as she dug into her plate.

"Yes, but I'll die a very, very happy woman."

She did look really happy as she devoured her breakfast and I enjoyed watching her eat every bite. It felt like she was finally getting back to normal – smiling and laughing and giving me shit. This was the Stephanie I fell in love with and the one I wanted to be with for the foreseeable future.

Faster than I thought humanly possible, her plate was clean and she all but licked the syrup off it before slowly setting her fork down and somberly turning to me with a grim expression on her face.

"I know I told you that you're the only one I want to be with - and I'm sorry if this hurts – but I'm leaving you for Ella."

I laughed out loud and then grabbed the lapel of the robe, drawing her closer so I could kiss her.

"What are your plans today - besides leaving me for the maker of French toast?"

Her gaze dropped to her lap. She bit the corner of her bottom lip and got up to put our dishes in the sink. Avoidance – that meant it was either something she knew would make me uncomfortable or it was something she really didn't want to do.

"I have a couple of skips that I couldn't find yesterday. Lula and I are going to do some hunting for them again today." She kept her eyes trained on the sink and began scrubbing the plates. Hmmm…that wouldn't make either of us upset – but I didn't probe. She'd tell me eventually.

"You're taking Happy with you, right?" I'd assigned one of my men to her because her gun hand was out of commission. The cast had been off for a while and she probably didn't need the backup anymore but I'd kept him on her detail anyway – I'll admit, more for my peace of mind than anything else.

She finally looked up from the dishes and smiled at me. "Are you ever going to tell me why you guys gave him the nickname? He's the least happy person I've ever met. Lula has spent hours trying to get him to crack a smile but he doesn't ever let his guard down. Was it for the irony?"

Poor Happy. Hours spent in the company of Lula probably made him walk a little closer to the crazy line he was known to sometimes straddle. Happy could, at times, be described as a loose cannon, but I trusted him explicitly and with his six foot six frame, shaved head and the giant spider tattooed on his face, his intimidation factor was beyond high. I knew none of Steph's FTA's would mess with her if he was hanging around. But she was right – I've known him ten years and I think I might be the only person to have ever seen him smile – and that was only once.

"It's not a nickname," I confessed.

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "Really? His parents actually named him Happy?"

"Yep. You know how babies usually start crying when they're born? Legend has it that Happy's first sound was a laugh."

"What the hell happened between then and now?"

I knew of course, and it was bad, but it wasn't my story to tell. "You'll have to ask him."

She laughed a little and rolled her eyes. "I knew you were going to say that. Maybe Lula can get it out of him. She's persistent."

"She's something alright. But I doubt Lula could be the one to break him. You, on the other hand, are a different story. Happy likes you."

"How can you tell?"

"How could he not?"

"I am very likable."

"You're more than likable, Babe."

I left the stool and met her at the counter. Reaching around, I set my empty mug of tea in the sink and then slid my arms around her waist from behind. Moving her hair out of the way with my cheek, I kissed her neck and nipped at the skin right below her ear. That's one of the places that drive her crazy and since I had every intention of getting her back in my bed, I concentrated my efforts in that particular spot.

"Ranger." My name was a protest, but she tilted her head to give me better access as she said it so I didn't pay much attention. I dragged my mouth up her neck and across her jaw line seeking the soft pout of her lips. She turned around to face me and I took advantage of the access, slipping my hand inside her robe to cover a breast at the same time as our tongues touched in a brain melting kiss. The woman was a master kisser.

I was throbbing beneath the sweats I'd thrown on after my shower and was just about to lift her up and take her right on the counter when she broke away. "I'm supposed to meet Lula in forty five minutes."

"I don't need forty five minutes, Babe."

She laughed and put her hands on my bare chest. When she pushed me away to get some distance between us her palms scraped against my nipples which did nothing but spike my desire.

"Believe me, I know. And it's incredibly tempting, but I still have to go home and change before I pick her up."

Lula – cock blocker extraordinaire. "Alright, but only if you let me take you to dinner tonight and then have my wicked way with you for dessert."

That comment should have made her smile but she pressed her lips together in a tight line and her eyes darted away from my face. I crossed my arms over my chest and took a step back. I had a feeling I wasn't going to like whatever was about to come out of her mouth. "What is it, Steph?"

She blew out a breath and then met my wary eyes. "I was going to talk to you about dinner…my Mother called yesterday."

That was fast. I'd only talked to her two days ago. I didn't think she'd be that quick since they hadn't said one word to each other in six months. "You finally talked to her?"

"No, I wasn't home. There was a message on my machine…she wants me to come to dinner tonight." She tried to hide it but I could see the hope of reconciliation in her eyes. It was laced with warranted suspicion and doubt, but it was there.

I reached out and touched her hair, twisting a long curl around my finger. "Then I'll take a rain check. You should go to your parent's tonight."

"I was kinda hoping you would go with me," she said softly. And I was hoping she would ask. I let her hair drop back into place.

"I have some business in New York today, but I should be back before six so I can meet you there."

Her shoulders sagged in relief as if she thought I would say no. When is she going to learn that I would never deny her anything? Especially something like this.

"Are you sure? It's going to be really awkward. And Grandma will probably try to grope you."

"If you want me with you, I'll be there, Steph. And I'm pretty sure I can handle your Grandma. I'll gag her and handcuff her to the dining room table if I have to. Your Dad will probably give me a medal."

The corners of her lips turned up in a small smile. "I know you know this, but I love you."

"I do know, but it's still nice to hear. I love you back."

That got me a full smile but it didn't last long. Her eyes dropped to the floor and she fiddled with the sash of my robe. I crossed my arms over my chest again. "Is there something else?"

She stuffed her hands into the pockets and looked up at me. "I'm going to see Joe today."

That I was not expecting. I kept my mouth shut and ground my back molars together. I was thinking about telling Tank he'd have to handle New York without me today when she spoke again.

"You're doing that thing with your jaw."

"What thing?" I asked, slightly surprised at the change of subject.

"The thing where it looks like you want to punch something but you know you can't so you work this muscle right here until you get it under control." She touched my face at the jaw line. "It seems to happen whenever Morelli's name is mentioned or when Lester does something stupid."

I smiled at that. I must do it a lot since Lester is always doing something stupid. "You have me all figured out, don't you?"

She made a scoffing sound and rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure if I had a thousand years I still wouldn't be able to unravel all your mysteries."

"Why are you seeing Joe, Stephanie?" I brought us back on point abruptly.

Now she crossed her arms over her chest in an obvious defensive posture. "I'm gonna give his ring back."

Fuck. I decided I shouldn't say up which orifice I thought Joe should shove his ring. "Are you sure you don't want to sell it and buy the entire Macy's shoe department?" I flashed her all my teeth and gave her an eyebrow wag so she couldn't see how much the thought of her being within a foot of Morelli irritated the shit out me.

"That's almost as tempting as getting you naked right here in the kitchen but…it's the right thing to do."

"Yeah, probably - but I still think you should give serious consideration to the shoe thing."

"So noted." She grinned and then looked at the clock hanging on the wall. "I gotta go, I'm gonna be late." She darted around me and tried to head for the bedroom but I grabbed her by the sleeve and twirled her back into my arms.

"One more taste before you go," I said and then lowered my lips to hers. The kiss quickly escalated into something I wasn't willing to stop without serious objection from her. When I peeled off her robe and it dropped to the floor she hadn't made a sound so I did what I wanted to before and boosted her onto the counter. She was freeing me of the confines of my sweat pants before I even reached for them and our mouths met in another furious kiss as I thrust inside her.

I was feeling very possessive and the need to remind her that she was mine was pushing me into a frantic pace. I slid my hands under her ass and dug my fingers into her cheeks, pulling her tighter to me with every rapid stroke. I knew I should slow down but she was meeting each drive with equal fervor and it was bringing me to the point of detonation sooner than I wanted. I tried to stop but Steph's slender fingertips curled into my shoulders until I thought she was going to draw blood and then her internal muscles clenched around me with a powerful orgasm. I was helplessly shuddering with my own a second later.

I stayed inside her not wanting to lose the intimate contact that I constantly craved, but when our erratic breaths returned to near normalcy, I slowly pulled out and set her on the floor. I yanked up my sweats and picked up the robe off the floor. I draped it over her shoulders before kissing her one last time. "I'll see you at six," I said and pushed her towards the bedroom before I said 'fuck it' to everything and kept her naked in my bed for the rest of the day.

She stopped at the threshold to my sitting room and turned to face me. "Joe knows I'm yours – you didn't have to leave your mark." She touched the small hickey I left on her neck with a sly grin and then disappeared inside my bedroom before I had a chance to respond.

I hadn't meant to do it – but I'd been a little out of control.

Okay, maybe I did it on purpose.

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I sat down on the bumper and Tank gripped my jaw with just a little too much force as he twisted my head into the overhead light in the back of the Explorer to get a better look. "This needs stitches." His tone was harsh and he wasn't gentle when he wiped at the cut on my cheek with an alcohol pad.

He spent a few seconds cleaning off the blood before speaking again. "I assume you don't want to go to the hospital."

"Correct. You can do it."

"Lester would be better. His hands are smaller."

We glanced across the parking lot to where Lester and Ace were standing, talking quietly while keeping watch over the man on the ground, handcuffed at their feet.

"I don't want Lester anywhere near my face. He'd probably make the stitches in the shape of a heart just to fuck with me."

Tank let out a small grunt of agreement. "We could try to butterfly it until Bobby gets back from his trip tomorrow." I'd let Bobby off for two weeks so he could go to the Caribbean with Cleona. He hadn't checked in once so we assumed he was either dead or hadn't taken his dick out of her long enough to pick up a phone.

"Just fucking sew it up, Tank."

He exhaled a short breath, which for Tank was the equivalent of an exasperated sigh. He retrieved the necessary items from the medical kit that came standard in all Rangeman vehicles and set about closing the gash on my face.

It took ten stitches and when he was done he cracked the cold pack from the box and handed it to me. I held it to my cheek and hoped it would keep the swelling down. Dinner with Stephanie's parents would be even more awkward if I showed up looking like I'd been in a bar fight.

"You wanna tell me what happened in there?"

I cut my eyes to Lester and Ace and then back to Tank. "We got our skip, just like we always do," I said, knowing that wasn't what he meant. I hoped he would let it go, but I was shit out of luck today.

"I haven't seen anyone get the drop on you like that in at least ten years. You're fortunate he didn't get that knife in your gut."

I could try to deny it, but he was right. I was distracted and lost my focus long enough that the guy was not only able to pull a weapon on me but actually do some damage with it. I don't even remember the last time that happened.

"Stephanie is giving Morelli his ring back today."

"Shit," Tank said and I nodded.

"And we're having dinner with her parents."

"Christ. You should have let the guy stab you in the stomach; it would have been less painful."

I barked out a laugh and looked at our FTA squirming on the ground. Lester kicked him lightly on the shoulder and he stilled his movements.

"It won't happen again," I said locking eyes with my second in command.

"I know," he agreed. "I assume you're aware you broke at least three of his ribs after he got his knife in your face."

I would have broken both his arms if Ace hadn't pulled me off. "Yeah. I was a little upset."

Tank gave me a rare full smile and gestured to Lester and Ace. It was time to load up our prisoner and take him back to Trenton. "Stephanie will be upset when she sees this. She hates it when you get hurt."

I knew the feeling. "I think she'll have too many other things holding her attention to worry about it very much."

"I can't argue with that and I am really glad I'm not you today."

"Lucky bastard," I said and Tank laughed until we were all buckled in the car and heading back to New Jersey.