Tank's POV

I laughed as I watched Stephanie stumble into the gym the next morning. She wasn't kidding when she said that she wasn't a morning person. Her eyes were tired and she looked like she might growl at anyone who dared talk to her, but she still looked sexy as hell in her short, tight shorts and sports bra. She approached Ric and I and gave us a mutinous look.

"I'm here. I swear, you must hate me," she groused, and we both laughed out loud.

"It will get easier every day, I promise," I reassured her as I reached out to tuck a riotous curl that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear.

"I need coffee," she murmured, almost as if she was talking to herself.

"After your workout, Babe. You don't want to exercise with that on your stomach. Now, let's get started." Ric and I had decided that we would handle her physical and firearms training and have Bobby work with her on nutrition. We have some of the other guys lined up to teach her various other skills that were important for someone in our line of business to know.

We led her over to the treadmills and got her set at a fast walk. "Thirty minutes at this pace. We'll work you up to a run," Ric explained.

"Treadmills are boring," she whined as she started walking.

"We can do this portion of your workout outside anytime you want to. Just let one of us know," Ric promised and that seemed to placate her.

Ric and I hopped up on either side of her and set our treadmills for a run. Steph was focused and did surprisingly well on her walk with very little whining. We'd both expected much worse. After our time on the treadmill we got her baseline number for sit ups, push ups, and pull ups, and then we spent some time with her on the mats evaluating her self defense skills. What she lacked in skill, and she certainly lacked a lot, she at least made up for with determination and stubbornness.

"I swear you're both trying to kill me," she growled as I took her down to the mats once again. She wiggled her tight little body underneath me and I inhaled sharply and rolled off of her, hoping that I'd been able to hide my reaction to feeling her so close to me. Damn, that woman was sexy. I certainly appreciated her looking all nice with her hair and makeup done up, but she looked even sexier in the gym all sweaty wearing next-to-nothing. I could tell Ric wasn't unaffected either.

"We're not trying to kill you, Babe. We're trying to make sure you don't end up dead. Now, that's enough for today. Go take a long shower and enjoy your coffee. Morning meeting is at 0800 in the conference room, but you can have a pass for today. I'll see you in my office at 9:00 to go through our search programs," Ric explained.

Steph jumped up and smiled a broad smile, the first one we'd seen all morning. "Thanks, Boss Man," she said gratefully before scampering out of the gym

Ric and I both watched her until she was out the door and then turned our gaze toward each other. "I think you and I need to head up to seven for our showers this morning instead of the locker room. She's got me in one hell of a state," Ric growled and I nodded and started toward the door. We'd probably traumatize the guys in the locker room with the mood we were both in after having our hands all over Steph for the past hour.

We ran up the stairs two at a time and practically sprinted into the penthouse. Ric pushed me roughly against the door the moment it was closed and began kissing and nipping at my neck and my chest. I moaned as he bit down on my nipple and knew I'd be lucky to be able to sit down after he'd had his way with me this morning. I wouldn't have it any other way right now. Sometimes Ric was incredibly tender and loving like he had been last night, and other times we were rough and primal. There was no room for sweet and loving this morning.

"You have ninety seconds to be naked and ready for me in the shower," Ric commanded, his voice deep and rumbling against my chest. He pushed me toward the shower and smacked me on the ass. "The clock is ticking."

I took off for the shower at a run, shedding my workout shorts and shoes on the way. I turned the water to hot and jumped in, every inch of my body antsy with anticipation for what was to come. I heard Ric enter the bathroom a few seconds later as I reached down and began stroking my thick erection while letting out low moans. He loved to watch me, and I was in the mood to pull the tiger's tail in hopes of getting him to lose control with me this morning.

Ric's clothes hit the floor in an instant and suddenly he was in the shower behind me. "I should make you get down on your knees and suck my dick, but I can't wait," he growled lowly. He bent me over and I braced myself against the wall knowing full well he was losing his legendary control. He grabbed my hips and bent down and licked me and I felt like my legs would collapse. Only seconds later he spread me open with his fingers, stretching me gently open for him, and then plunged his entire length into me, causing me to let out a whimpering growl and arch my back into him. He leaned down over me and bit onto my shoulder as he pumped into me furiously. This was exactly what I needed - Ric rough, in control and owning me. He reached around and began stroking my dick as he pumped harder into my ass and I mumbled incoherently. "Think Steph would like to watch us? Can you picture her touching herself as she watches me take you? Or maybe underneath you, you fucking her while I fuck you?" he growled, and that was all it took. I exploded all over the shower wall as he stroked me to completion. Only seconds later he groaned and came with a stream of Spanish expletives. "Fuck, Gordito!"

He gave a few more shallow thrusts and then pulled out and turned me toward him, his hands running over me softly. "You okay?" he asked with a concerned look. It was one of the things I loved about him - how he could be so rough and unrestrained with me one minute and the next he was so concerned.

"Never been better, Jefe," I replied with a wink.

Our primal needs satisfied, we washed each other tenderly and then got dressed to head down to the morning meeting. We walked into the conference room a few minutes before 0800, both of us sated and in our zones.

The morning meeting was uneventful. It had been a quiet night for our accounts and we didn't have any high dollar skips outstanding at the moment, so it was business as usual. Ric cleared his throat after the last report was given.

"We have a new employee starting with us today; many of you got to meet her yesterday. Her name is Stephanie, and you are to treat her with respect. I know that having a woman on the team is new, but I think she'll be a great asset. She will be training and assisting with searches and other tasks in the office until I feel confident that she can work safely in the field. Take every opportunity to teach her the skills she needs in order to work here and ensure that you keep her safe. As far as you jokers are concerned, she's off limits. No asking her out on dates, no trying to get her into your bed, and no funny business. You don't follow that order, you'll meet Tank and me both on the mats. Any questions?"

The guys all stared silently at Ric, I'm sure all trying to figure out what was going on. "Dismissed!" he barked, and the men began talking all at once and filed out of the room.

"Think that will keep them from her?" I asked when the room was empty.

"Probably not, but hopefully it will buy us some time to get her comfortable around us."