I'm only borrowing from the genius of JE. The characters aren't mine.

Jenny (JenRar) thank you so much for rescuing me from my grammatical mistakes and run-on sentences as the beta on this chapter.

Chapter 9 – Rules were Meant to be Broken

Ranger's POV

"Where do you want me?" Stephanie asked suggestively as she stepped out of the bathroom with her hair up in a clip.

She was wearing a pair of silk boxers rolled up at the waist – I was nearly positive they'd been in my dresser and not in her bags – and a tank top that was painted on her like a second skin. It was the sexiest thing I'd ever seen. I wanted to close the distance between us, grab that feeble clip from her hair, and run my fingers through her wild curls, allowing them to spring free. Then I wanted to bend her over the bed and …

"Ah, Ranger," she said, interrupting my thoughts before they got too much further away from me. "Are you all right?"

"Fine, Babe," I quickly responded, trying to keep my cover that all was well. Pointing at the bed, I instructed, "Just lay on the bed on your stomach, and I'll see if I can't work off my debt."

With a playful grin, she walked to the bed and climbed up on her knees, before getting on all fours and arranging herself in the right position. While she was still on her hands and knees with her luscious ass in the air, she turned her head to look at where I was standing at the foot of the bed and asked, "Is this where you want me?"

My mouth was dry, and my hands were clammy. Oh hell yes, this was where I wanted her. Fortunately, I was still in control of my mouth enough to keep from saying that, and instead, I only said, "That's fine, as long as you're comfortable."

She lowered herself down on the bed, and I adjusted my cargos for the second time since she'd stepped into the bedroom. I ducked into the bathroom for a bottle of baby oil, rubbing some onto my hands, and then looking down with a smile that she couldn't see. "Babe, if you want me to rub your back, you need to take off your shirt."

"Umm," she started without much success, before spitting out her hesitation, "I'm not wearing anything under the shirt."

"I'm failing to see the problem here," I replied, getting a kick out of how modest she could be in the privacy of my apartment. I mean, it was just the two of us, and I'd seen everything before. Then a thought struck me, and I asked, "Don't you trust me?"

She jerked up and pulled the tank top over her head, before lying back down so quickly, I wasn't even able to sneak a peak of her heavenly breasts. "I trust you," she admitted in a shy sounding voice that was as much of a turn on as her virtual nakedness.

I leaned over the bed, put my hands on her shoulders, and began to massage the muscles there. She was tight, which helped me to focus on getting rid of the knots, instead of the fact that her beautiful skin was bare in front of me.

After a moan that made me hard enough to cut diamonds, she lifted her head and said, "You're going to hurt your back bending over like that. Just straddle me so you'll be more comfortable."

It took me a minute to realize she was offering me exactly what I wanted. I toed off my shoes and carefully lowered myself so that I was sitting at the back of her thighs up on my knees. I hoped she wouldn't notice the erection that was hitting just south of the perfectly rounded ass currently serving as my cushion.

"This feels so good," she said on a long, low exhale, only intensifying the way I was suffering being so close to what I wanted, and yet so far from it. My hands were still pressing into the knots at her shoulders, but my mind was nowhere near her upper torso.

"Tell me something," she said, adjusting her chin so that it rested on her folded arms, allowing her to talk more easily.

"What?" I asked, assuming there was another question rolling around in her mind that she wanted me to answer.

"I don't care; just talk to me," she clarified, before falling silent, waiting for me to talk.

I lowered my hands to her shoulder blades, and then said, "I'm allergic to chocolate."

She sucked in a sudden breath and twisted her head to get a glimpse of me, before saying, "That is the most tragic thing I've ever heard."

I felt like I should explain it a little more. "More than a small taste, and I get a migraine. It didn't bother me growing up and I used to love it, but then I hit eighteen and noticed every time Abuela Rosa made a chocolate cake, I would get a killer headache. It was the only common thing I could come up with to explain the pain every time it occurred, so I went to a doctor, and he confirmed it. The way my body processed the caffeine in cocoa was taxing to the blood vessels in my head and caused the pain."

"So that's why you don't eat sweets?" she asked.

I shrugged, and then remembered she couldn't see me and told her, "It's why I don't eat chocolate. When I gave that up to prevent the headaches, I was entering the army. I had to start eating better in order to keep up the physical demands of my training, and I didn't get the chance to have many sweets, so I got out of the habit of eating them. Now, I avoid them most of the time because it takes so much work to maintain my conditioning, and I don't want to have to increase the effort just to satisfy a sweet tooth."

"I'm sorry you can't have chocolate..." She repeated her earlier sentiment in a voice that sounded as though she were getting sleepy.

I moved farther down to her lower back and found it just as tight as her shoulders had been. "Have you been in pain?" I couldn't help but ask. "You've got knots in your muscles that would have a lot of people reaching for anti-inflammatory medication."

She shook her head. "No pills. You get used to it, and it goes away on its own."

"Have you done much stretching? I think some slow, controlled movement might help to loosen these muscles so that you don't have to be uncomfortable," I said, trying to convince her.

"Stretching and controlled movement sounds a lot like exercise," she rebutted, but I could see the smile on her face, and even with her eyes closed, I could tell she was happily teasing.

"You know, some of the guys have done yoga for this very reason. It's a form of exercise, yes, but it would do your muscles a world of good," I replied.

"Who does yoga?" she asked, opening her eyes. I knew she was interested if she was battling sleep long enough to get more information.

"Cal used to. I know Bobby and Lester have both done it, but I think it was more to pick up girls than for any form of conditioning. Hector goes to a male only gym and takes a class, and I think Scar used to do one form of yoga, but I'm not sure if he still does it." I rattled off the list, trying to make the point that a lot of people had done it, so it was a legitimate form of exercise.

She lifted her torso slightly and repeated, "Scar did yoga?"

I tamped down the jealousy that passed over me when her continued interest in Scar hit me. They'd spent the entire afternoon together, and now, practically naked in my bed with me on top of her, she was still talking about him. Of course, last night, she was the one that spoke of how we would be monogamous during the testing of our relationship, so I didn't have a reason to feel threatened. Honestly, if there was a guy that was worse at sharing his feeling than I was, it would be Scar. I made a sound of affirmation, and she laid down once more.

"So were you mad about how I got the guys to eat the doughnuts this morning?" she asked, reminding me about her stunt with my men.

I couldn't stop myself from smiling at the memory. "No, I wasn't mad, but I was feeling a little left out."

"You can't have a Boston Cream because it has chocolate on it," she replied.

"I didn't want the doughnut; I wanted the clean up afterward," I confessed.

"Yea, I'd love to lick something off your face, too. But with you, I don't think I'd use my finger. I'm pretty sure I'd have to use my tongue for that job," she replied, and then her face started to turn red. I got the impression she'd answered me honestly and then was embarrassed by her forward words.

I moved down a little more and worked the muscles on her hips. "So we've been trying this out for a day now. How do you think we're doing?" I asked, hoping the endorphins I was releasing in her with the massage would get her to respond without filtering her thoughts.

She made a happy sound that tested the strength of the zipper in my pants, and then sighed. "I don't know about you, but it's easier than I thought. I mean, you're talking and sharing, we're working and making progress with the stalker... It feels natural."

"So that's a good, right?" I felt like there was a 'but' that she hadn't gotten to yet.

"It is a good thing, but it almost seems too easy. We had a conversation on the roof and both admitted to having feelings for each other and that we'd try being open about it and seeing what happens, and then we just did it. I keep waiting for something to happen to ruin it all. I mean, this is me we're talking about, and nothing this good and simple happens to me," she explained.

I understood exactly what she meant. In all honesty, I'd felt much the same way. If it was this easy, why had I been so hell bent on avoiding relationships all this time? Then I had a thought. "Maybe it's because we've already paid our dues, Babe. We've both seen each other at our worst, and we have trust between us that can only be built when someone has repeatedly proven themselves to you. We've done the hard parts of learning to accept each other for who we really are and learning how to support each other, so maybe it's time for us to reap the benefit of all that we've already done. This only has to be hard if we make it that way. I'm in a relationship with my best friend; I think it's supposed to be simple when there is a solid friendship first."

She was silent for a long time after my speech. I started rethinking what I'd said, wondering if I'd misspoken or assumed more than I should between us.

"The thing is," she started, finally breaking the silence, "I'm feeling a lot more for you than just friendship."

"Me, too," I agreed, running my hands up from the bottom of her spine to her neck and pulling out that clip that I resented for hiding her hair from me.

"And I'm at that point where I have to either put up some pretty quick walls to protect myself, or I'm going to be so far gone that I don't know how I'll survive if this doesn't last," She arched her back to lift her head and added, "I'm scared of missing this chance to have everything I've ever wanted, and I'm terrified of jumping at the chance and falling so hard it kills me."

I lowered my chest to her back and pulled her to me. "Babe, I feel the same way. But I'm at the point where I can't fight to keep the walls up anymore; I'm tired of fighting the pull between us. We know we're great as friends, but I believe we will be even better by opening up and having it all. I'm just as scared as you, but I think we owe it to ourselves to jump together."

Steph moved her hand to wrap it around my wrist near her collarbone. "You aren't going to get tired of me and wish you had your freedom?"

I shook my head no and replied, "You aren't going to get tired of my quiet approach and wish you had someone who would talk more?"

She made a sound of disagreement, before pushing, "You aren't going to get irritated that I don't like my gun and I can't defend myself in a real fight?"

I nearly chuckled at that question and countered, "You aren't going to get tired of me pushing you to carry a weapon and insisting that you let me defend you when there's a need?"

"You want to defend me?" She turned our banter around, catching me off guard.

"I want to protect you from harm and fight for you when it's needed. I want to push anyone the hell away from you when they try to dictate what you can do, and then clear the path to give you the chance to follow whatever dream you want to chase. I want to watch you fly, and when you're soaring, I want to share in your joy. I don't want a half ass shell attempt to be partners. I want an all consuming passion that burns in us both while we share it all with each other." I had to stop talking and swallow. I didn't usually make speeches, and I hoped I hadn't said too much and made this awkward, but after holding back around her for so long, it felt good to finally just let go.

"I want to walk in your office and sit on your desk at night to insist you shut it down and take a break. And when you're stumped and don't know what to do, I want to be the sounding board you use to sort it out. I want you to fight for me when I need it, but I want you to recognize that sometimes, the battles are mine alone and give me the room to fight them. And if things don't go well, I want you to pick me up and help me to figure out what went wrong. I want to cry and laugh and dream with you in bed at night, and I want to work and argue and smile and celebrate with you during the day. I want it all, but I only want it with you." When she finished her confession, I was dumbfounded. We were on exactly the same page.

It was time to show some of the courage I'd possessed my whole life and not back down from my fear of what my next sentence would do to the mood. There was one more thing to add in order to know I'd been completely honest with her. It might seem too soon, but I'd been holding this truth back for three years.

"I love you, Stephanie."

I felt her chest expand as she took in a sudden breath at my words, "I love you, too, Ranger."

I moved off of her so that I wasn't pinning her to the bed, and then flipped her over. "Ric, Babe," I corrected her, staring into the deepest blue I'd ever seen in her eyes. "My friends call my Ric."

She nodded slowly that she'd heard and would do it, but she didn't move enough to break the eye contact. "I love you, too, Ric," she finally said.

At those words, it felt like something in my chest fell apart. It felt so overwhelming that it bordered on pain. Strange that she was the one wearing only a skimpy pair of silk shorts and I was still in my uniform, but I felt completely stripped down in front of her in this moment.

She lifted a hand to touch the side of my face. Her smooth fingers moved to trace my jaw line, and then slipped behind my head to pull out the tie that held my hair back. She ran her fingers through it, and I shut my eyes, feeling completely exposed.

"Ranger," she said, and I tightened my eyes, stubbornly keeping them closed. She realized her mistake and corrected herself. "Ric."

I looked at her and saw such warmth and acceptance in her eyes.

"Do you remember that comment I made about holding off on anything physical until after we had the stalker sorted out?" she asked, and my heart began to race at what she might be implying.

"I remember," I said, not wanting to stop whatever it was she wanted to say.

"I think in light of what we just said, there really isn't much of a point in waiting, do you?" she asked, voicing what I'd so wanted to hear.

I started to lean forward to kiss her, but then stopped myself. "Are you sure, Babe?"

"I'm completely sure, Ric," she answered, trying out my name once more.

There was no way I could explain what it did to me to hear her use my real name. I couldn't tell her, but I could definitely show her.

With that thought, I slowly lowered myself down to her and tried to lightly touch my lips to hers. I wanted her to know this was more than just a physical connection for me. But once our mouths connected, she moved both hands to back of my neck and pulled me down, clearly saying she wasn't interested in light, slow touches.

I wanted to give Stephanie anything she wanted, but I wasn't going to rush through this, as though the brief moment of coming was the purpose. Stephanie and I were both physical people, and we had the potential to be dynamic lovers, so I wanted to savor this time at the start of our relationship. I wanted to make it absolutely unbelievable and unforgettable for her.

I kissed her back, allowing the urgency she needed to convey to come through. I didn't hold back as I pushed my tongue out to tease her bottom lip, and when she opened her mouth to take a breath, I pushed my way in to explore and savor her again.

Her hands left my neck and moved down my back to work at the shirt I was wearing. I could tell she was anxious to get it off and figured it would only help things along if I caught up to her state of undress. I pulled away and smiled at the groan of displeasure she let escape.

"Too many layers," I explained, and she nodded her agreement quickly. I stood up and threw my shirt on the floor, just as her hands grabbed the boxers she was wearing. I dropped the buckle of my belt and covered one of her hands with mine to stop her progress. She was confused, but the wrinkles in her brow disappeared when I said, "That's my job."

She nodded that she would wait, and then crossed her arms awkwardly over her chest, as though trying to hide behind them. Why this woman would be self-conscious about her body was beyond me, but I was going to make it a life goal to get rid of what ever hang-ups she had about her appearance. And when I set my mind to something, I didn't stop until I achieved it.

I shed my pants and socks, and since I'd not worn underwear since high school, I was completely naked in front of her. Careful to keep my hands to my side, I wanted to show her between us there was no reason for modesty. I crawled up from the foot of the bed until my hands could grip the rolled waist of the boxers. I pulled them down centimeters at the time, using the gradual unveiling of her body as a means to build up the already unbearable tension in the air.

I realized as I continued to reveal the milky flesh that had been hidden behind the dark silk that I hadn't come to any hair, and I wondered if she had waxed or shaved, because I remembered a small patch of curls from the last time we were together. By the time the boxers were at her thighs, I couldn't take my eyes off the smooth skin in front of me. I'd never seen anything this sexy. I lost the ability to continue the slow torture of removing the pants, and I found myself backing up in order to pull them off and toss them aside.

I put my hands on top of her feet and slowly moved over her ankles, up her calves, and across her knees. She demurely bent a knee and lifted it to slightly cross her legs. I moved my hands to her thighs and pulled her legs apart once more, unable to take such sexy displays and unwilling to allow her to attempt to hide from me. I shifted my hands to the backs of her thighs and lifted her legs one at the time to drape them over my shoulders.

"Ric…" she said as a soft plea.

"I'm here, Babe, but I'm not rushing through this. You are the sexiest thing I've ever seen, and it may take me all night to show you what I'm feeling right now. I'm going to start here and work my way over your body so that you never doubt how adored you are and how much I love every part of you – your crazy curls, your mile long legs, your responsive nerves, and your warm heart."

"Oh, Ric," she murmured, trying to speak once more, but her voice cracked, and my heart felt as though it broke in that sliver of sound.

"Shhh." I tried to soothe her, running one hand up to touch her cheek and using the other to run under her bottom to shift the angle of her hips.

She leaned into my touch briefly, but when I pushed her legs apart once more and pulled her hips up again so that she was open in front of my mouth, she stilled, as though tensing up. I wanted her to relax so that she could enjoy this as much as I knew I was going to, so I slowed down once more and took my hand away from her face and put it over her lower stomach. I planted soft kisses on her inner thigh, and when I felt her legs begin to relax, I moved back to focus on her core.

At first, I just hovered nearly touching her skin, but only allowing the breath from my mouth to make contact. I felt her shiver in anticipation, and that gave me the encouragement I needed to move forward and run my tongue from the tender tissue just below her opening, across the sensitive hole, over her clit, and finally ending by gently scraping my teeth where her curls used to be.

"Oh Rick, please," she babbled, making wonderful sounds to my ears.

"Please what?" I asked, knowing I'd do anything she asked of me at this moment. I knew she'd probably say I was torturing her with my slow approach, but in fact, the torture was all on me to hold back from ravaging her the way my body wanted me to.

She shook her head from side to side, and I smiled, knowing that talking was not on the table for her right now. To think I'd made the woman who loved to talk speechless was a heady feeling, and I wanted to know what other extremes I could push her to.

I traced the same path my tongue had taken with a finger. The muscles in her legs completely relaxed at that movement, and I grinned as the weight finally rested on me like I wanted. She was opening herself to me and trusting me with her body, and I realized there was nothing as sexy as her belief that I would care for her in this vulnerable position.

I used a single finger to softly trace the skin around her opening. With each successive circle, I moved slightly in so that the rotations brought me more and more into the warmth of her body. I rested my forehead on her pubic bone and drew in a deep breath, letting the scent of her roll over me. Everything about this experience was stimulating some sense of mine and overwhelming me with desire.

The smell of her heat, the feel of her skin, and the moisture of her body on my fingers mixed with the soft sounds she would make each time I pushed forward into her. My tongue came out, and I realized I needed to taste her again in order to have all my senses alive with her pleasure. I slid my tongue in with my finger and could instantly pick up the tangy taste that was only Stephanie's. Like the ocean, it was slightly salty, but warm and invigorating at the same time. Using a second finger in the place of my tongue, I used my mouth on her clit instead and had to move to stay with her when her hips bucked up from the unexpected assault.

"Yes, Ric," she said with a little more volume, and I knew then, I wanted to hear my name being shouted from her rosy lips.

I began to pump my fingers, curling them on each withdrawal to insure they passed the most sensitive area inside. She began to tense up again, and I knew this had nothing to do with embarrassment over her body. I let my teeth graze over her tender tissue, and then opened my mouth and drew her in forcefully, before alternating between sucking to bring her to the edge and licking to soothe back some of the sensation.

"God, Ric, please…I need…I need…" She was back to babbling, and it was getting louder.

I added a third finger and stopped the softer licks to her clit, concentrating on drawing her into my mouth to bring her over the top.

A hand gripped at my hair, and then I heard it. "Yes! Ric, Ohhhhh!" and the muscles around my finger clamped down in orgasm, making my dick complain that it was missing out on the tightness her body was capable of.

I pulled back to sooth her once more with the flat of my tongue and slowed my movements inside until I could feel her shivers begin to subside. She made a soft whimpering noise, and I decided I needed to hear that again. If that was her sound of relaxed satisfaction, I needed to hear a lot more of it.

I removed my fingers from her and slid them straight into my mouth, taking my time to clean off every drop of her from my skin. When I finished, I looked up and saw her watching me. I couldn't stop the smirk that came over my face. "Ready?" I asked, with an eyebrow raised for effect.

Her eyes opened wider, and she wondered, "Ready for what?"

I moved to stalk up her hips, over her stomach, and up to her chest. "Ready for more, Babe – so much more," I explained.

Her face flushed with a beautiful blush, and I thought I'd never seen her look as beautiful as she did in this moment.

Then she did something even in my wildest fantasies I hadn't imagined. She raised her hands to rest flat against my chest and pushed hard to indicate she wanted me to roll off of her. I moved immediately, never wanting to force something on her that she didn't want. But she followed my movement, and when my back was flat on the bed, she was straddling my hips with a smile on her face.

"I'm ready for more, Batman," she teased with her superhero name for me. "The question is, are you?"