Disclaimer: The characters and their world belong to Janet Evanovich. I'm just playing with them for fun, and all mistakes are my own.

AN: A little something for all of you Babes, out there. Happy V-day!


Chapter 9: Enough talking already


Previously:

I let everything I'd ever felt for her show in my eyes – all the love, lust, frustration and pride – and hoped it was enough. "I love you. No bullshit. No qualifiers."

"Oh."

"Your turn, now." I took a deep breath, hoping like Hell I hadn't just made a fool out of myself. "Why did you come after me?"

Her lips lifted in a big, beautiful smile that had my heart thudding in my chest. "Because I love you, silly."


Stephanie's POV

His lips covered mine, in a kiss that told me everything I needed to know at moment. He cared for me. He wanted me. He really, really wanted me.

When we finally broke apart, I was breathing hard and my bikini top was barely covering the important parts. "Oh, God," I gasped as his thumb circled my nipple. "We can't do this here."

Ranger winced as I shifted restlessly on top of him. "If you want me to move you're gonna have to give me a minute," he said, rolling his hips upward against my core.

"Jesus," I moaned as I ground against him. "Do that a couple more times and I'm going to forget Bobby and Manny are lurking around," I gasped.

"They'd better not be," he growled. He took my lips in another fast, hard, kiss, and then gently nudged me to my feet. "Don't want to have to kill my men for seeing anything they shouldn't."

We made it inside in record time – if you discounted a couple of pit-stops for more kissing Ranger was still using the crutch, but I was rapidly learning that nothing slowed him down when he was properly motivated. We landed on the bed in a tangle of limbs, and even though he tried to hide it, there was no mistaking his grimace when I moved to straddle him.

"Wait. I'm pretty sure this isn't what Bobby meant by bed rest," I told him as I reluctantly tried to move off of his lap. Ranger was equally reluctant to see me go, because he clamped his good arm around my waist.

"Babe." The blank face was history, so I had a pretty good idea what he was trying to tell me: I've had worse, and I could give a crap about Brown's orders.

"This just means we'll need to get a little creative." He slowly dragged me forward and rolled his hips upward again, grinding into me until sparks of heat shot straight to my doodah and I really didn't care what Bobby thought either. "You'll maybe have to do most of the work."

OK, that was definitely a plan I could get behind. "Well…" I purred, "I've always been a hard worker."

Though I tried to be gentle, it'd been way too long since we'd been together. For long, frozen moments my whole focus was narrowed down to sweat slick skin moving against skin, Ranger's moan when I finally took him inside of me, and his whispered words in Spanish and English as I rode him. And as our movements became more frantic, our gazes locked and the intensity of the emotions that I saw in those dark, liquid eyes rocked me to my core. Lust. Tenderness. Love. I shuddered, and then came with a long moan, wondering how I'd ever thought he didn't have feelings.

R&S~R&S~R&S

We lay there for a long time – long enough for our bodies to cool and the doubts to creep back in.

"Something's burning, Babe." When I didn't answer, he hitched me closer to his side. "If you're gonna run, consider taking Manny with you."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "I'd have to be able to feel my legs, first." I sighed and turned so we were face to face. "I don't want to go anywhere…."

"But?"

I chewed on my lip nervously, not sure how to even begin. I believed him when he said he loved me, but what did that mean for us?

"What are we, now?" I asked quietly. When his blank face slammed back into place, I bit back a frustrated groan. "Before you start running, I'm not trying to trap you or anything," I huffed out. "I just need to know – are we dating, or are we just friends with benefits?" I'd be fine with the former, but I wasn't sure I could just handle being a booty call.

"We are not fuckbuddies," he told me, his jaw clenching slightly on the last word. "You're mine."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "That's awfully possessive sounding for someone who doesn't do relationships."

"Babe." He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, I was floored by the emotions I saw there – sadness, longing, and more than a little regret. "Between my enemies and my contract, I can't offer you the kind of life you need."

"Hunh," I grunted, not even hiding my frustration. "How do you even know what I want or need if you've never bothered to ask?" God, men were so frustrating. First there was Joe, who wanted me to quit my job so I could have Morelli spawn, and now Ranger was making assumptions too? Ranger really could be an idiot, sometimes.

His lips twitched, slightly. "Yeah, but you love me anyway."

I winced. "Out loud, right?"

He tilted my chin up so we were eye to eye. "What do you want, Babe?"

Huh. Not a question I was usually asked. "I'm not sure I want to get married again, anytime soon" I said slowly. "And I usually want to get my tubes tied after babysitting my nieces." We both chuckled. "I really just want to spend time with someone who loves me and supports my choices."

"Sounds pretty simple," Ranger said, his voice low and thoughtful.

"But pretty hard to deliver on," I said, thinking about my and Joe's train wreck of a relationship

"Most of my reasons for avoiding relationships are still valid." Ranger gently touched his finger to my lips. "Please. Hear me out. I have enemies, and hell, even friends that would love to take you out just to mess with me."

"Yeah," I agreed, remembering Scrog, Orrin and Vlatko. "But you've dealt with more of mine." I shrugged. "How many times have I broken you or one of your men? Or you've had to come to my rescue? You've jumped off a freakin' bridge for me, Ranger."

He studied me for another long moment. "I've done some bad shit, Stephanie. You don't know what kind of man I am."

R&S~R&S~R&S

Ranger's POV

"I know exactly what kind of man you are, and I love you." Babe took a deep breath and held my gaze, as if she were willing me to understand exactly what she was trying to tell me. "Two words, Ranger. Vlatko. Abruzzi. I've seen what you're willing to do to keep me and others safe, and you'll never be able to convince me you aren't a good man."

Dios. Her words hit me like a .50 caliber round to the gut. Killing Abruzzi to protect Babe was just one of many black marks against me; it weighed on me, but I knew I'd do it again if necessary. What I'd never considered is that she'd known all along what I'd done – and still could profess to love me. Mi primo was right – I'd be a fool to not want to be with this woman. She'd had my back and proven more than once that she could be a partner to me. All I had to do was spend the rest of my life trying to deserve her – if I had the balls to, that is.

I took a deep breath, and pulled her close. "OK. You want me, you got me. " I kissed her then, a soft, lingering press of the lips that I hoped conveyed just how grateful I was at that moment. No matter what she said, I wasn't a good man. But if she were willing to love a man like me, I was a selfish enough bastard to keep her. "I want to be with you, but I still don't know what kind of life I can offer you."

She pulled back slightly, and studied me with narrowed eyes. "Could you promise to be faithful?" Her lips twisted into an impish grin. "And maybe say more than three words at a time?"

I barely hid the grin that threatened to spread over my face. "I'll give the talking my best shot." And as for being faithful… "I would never cheat on you. I won't do any of that on/off shit, either, so if Morelli or anyone else tries to move in…"

The poor bastard would wake up in a third world country, she muttered under her breath. I couldn't hold back a chuckle at that. Steph said the damnedest things sometimes, but she knew me well.

I gathered her to me and just breathed her in for several long minutes. The knowledge that she was mine to hold almost floored me. But I still didn't have a clue how this would work. I told her as much. "Still got a year on this contract, Babe."

"I get what that means – especially after this last week."

Yeah. I could be called at any time, and I might not come back.

"And…. OK." She shrugged minutely at my surprised look. "I never gave Joe any crap about his hours or when he went undercover, and I won't start now with your job." Her lips lifted in an impish grin. "How about you do your best not to get shot – again – and I'll give you all the welcome home nookie you can handle when you get back?"

"Deal." I couldn't help the grin that spread over my face. I'd never say no to sex with Stephanie. "If you promise not to go too crazy."

She winked. "No guarantees, but I'll do my best."

"But, if we're going to do this," she began hesitantly, "we'll have to actually talk sometimes." She shuddered comically. "We'll both have to talk about our feelings and you'll need to string together sentences with more than one word."

"Babe."

R&S~R&S~R&S

Stephanie's POV

Hunh, I grunted. "That's what I mean – I need more than 'Babe', Ranger." Even though I was getting better at decoding Ranger-speak, sometimes I wanted to hear real words. "I get it, there's a lot you can't tell me, but your favorite movie, or your favorite dessert aren't classified, right? And this is big – if I get a stalker or pick up a hot case, you'll have to talk to me and not just throw me in a safe house."

"Dumb." He grinned at my disgruntled expression. "I've seen Dumb and Dumber about a dozen times." He pressed a kiss into my curls. "With my training, I've gotten used to keeping things close to my chest."

"But if it's not top secret, or related to one of your missions…." I began.

"If you ask, I'll answer." His expression grew solemn. "I want the same deal – if we have a problem, don't shut me out or run."

I winced. After all of my breakups and fights with Joe, my go-to defense mechanism was hardly a secret. "OK, I'll do my best."

The conversation was getting too way serious for me, so I decided to it lighten it up a little. "Since we're negotiating," I said as I slid my hand down along his side. "I'll train, but like I said, I'm not giving up TastyKakes and I demand lots and lots of sex."

Ranger shuddered as I traced the ridges of his eight pack. "I know better than to get between you and your sugar, Babe. And you'll probably have to define what 'lots and lots' means because I don't think I'll ever be able to get enough of you," he finished as he flipped me on my back and kissed along my neck, his stubble scraping at the tender skin, there. I'd probably have one heck of a case of beard burn, but I really didn't care as long as he…

"Don't stop," I moaned as he kissed along the curve of my breast. "My voicemail box is probably overflowing by now, so we'll have to have dinner at my parents' soon."

"Babe, I've faced terrorist cells less scary than your mom and grandmother." His breath grew labored as I flicked his left nipple with my thumbnail. "But, fine. Just not every week." He drew my nipple into his mouth before releasing it with a pop. "You'll have to carry your gun at all times."

"Jesus," I moaned. When he didn't immediately resume his previous activities, I cracked open one eye. "You're playing dirty, but OK." I gasped as his lips closed over my nipple.

Ranger kissed his way up my chest and neck until we were eye to eye. "Proud of you, Babe."

Those four words made me feel all gooey inside, as usual, but it was past time to get to the really good stuff.

"I'll carry and train with the guys, but please discuss it with me first before you put the guys on guard duty," I told him as I nudged him until he was on his back.

"Fine, but try not to ditch them, Babe." His eyes slid closed and his breath hitched as I licked and nipped around his belly button. "Can we continue this discussion, later?"

My grin turned devilish. "Yup – enough talking already, Rang-" I wasn't sure I should be calling my boyfriend by his street name, but what were the alternatives? "Carlos?"

His eyes went pitch black with lust. "Say it again," he demanded as he grasped my hip with his good hand.

"Carlos!" It came out as a breathless squeak when his hardness nudged at my entrance

"Oh yeah, that's gonna work for me," he said huskily. "Feel free to scream that as much as you like."

"Cocky, cocky," I scolded as I grabbed a condom from the nightstand. But as I sank down onto him, I had a feeling….

R&S~R&S~R&S

My hunch was right. I screamed a lot. In fact, we were so loud that Bobby tried to institute a moratorium on the nookie – so that Ranger could heal up, of course. I would've been mortified it I hadn't been pissed.

The week we spent in Costa Rica was magical, and not just because Ranger ignored Bobby's medical advice. Sure, the sex was better than it had ever been, but my favorite times were when we would just lie together and talk. In the dark of night, Carlos would leave Batman behind and it was then that I fell more and more in love with him. Don't get me wrong – Ranger the badass is hotter than hell, but Carlos, the man who admits to loving 'Dumb and Dumber' and has four older sisters who call him 'Ricky', is just as sexy.

During the day, we lazed by the pool or on the beach or hung out with the guys, and it was in those times that I really saw the shape of the weeks and months to come. If the rest of the RangeMen were like Manny or Bobby, training with the guys wouldn't be a hardship. And if, at the end of the day, I could head up to Seven for dinner with Carlos and maybe fall asleep in his arms, well that sounded like a life I wouldn't mind at all.

But it was on the last day that I really started to believe that Ranger and I were in a real, actual relationship. One that might even last past Thanksgiving. I was trying to stuff everything we'd brought (and a few essential souvenirs I'd picked up) into Stephanie Pardo's luggage when the rings Les had given me caught my eye.

"Cripes, I can't believe I forgot these." I stared down at the rings and wondered how something so…pointy could be so comfortable. The engagement ring Dickie had given me had always felt wrong somehow – like a pair of shoes half a size too small or a Christmas sweater from Great Aunt so and so.

"Uh, I guess these are yours," I told Ranger.

"Keep them." Ranger closed one hand over mine, as if to stop me from wiggling the engagement ring and wedding band off of my finger.

"But you just can't leave these lying around," I protested. Les and Ranger had both been pretty casual about them, but these weren't cheap costume jewelry. A Jersey girl knows real diamonds when they see them.

"Consider it a bonus."

"Ranger," I whined. "A little extra on the paycheck at Christmas is a bonus. A three carat solitaire from Tiffany's is not," I told him as I finally wrestled the rings free.

"Stephanie." He stared at the rings like I'd just handed him a ticking bomb. After several long seconds, he placed them in the palm of my hand and gently folded my fingers over them. "They're yours."

"But-"

"Babe. These are yours." When I just stared at him incredulously, he sighed. "They were custom made for you, and I'll be damned if they're going back in the safe."

I sat down heavily on the end of the bed. "Mine?" When he just nodded, it was like all of the air had been suddenly sucked out of the room. "We're barely dating." And I wasn't entirely sure how I felt, knowing that Ranger had bought a real, actual engagement ring for me before we'd ever so much as gone out on a date. "What if I lose them?" I continued, my breath coming fast. "Garbage and FTA cooties can't be good for platinum." I was sounding a little hysterical but…. Seriously? An engagement ring?

"Babe." Ranger cut off my tirade in only the way he could – with a swift, firm kiss to the lips. "Breathe."

He sat down next to me and drew me close to him. "I've told you before that I've seriously considered marrying you."

Sure he had, when we'd been after Vlatko in Atlantic City. "You also said maybe you'd just considered sharing closet space."

"Well, I'm an ass sometimes," he admitted, dropping another kiss onto the tip of my nose. "Though the offer of the closest space is always open, especially if you get more of the sexy undies."

"Jerk." I whapped him the chest. "The only reason I even need more is because someone can't stop ripping them off of me. " Not that I was complaining – because panty ripping sex was pretty damn hot.

"Yeah." His lips quirked into a fond smile. "We definitely need to buy out that store."

I whapped him on the chest again. "Not so fast, I still want to talk about the ring, Mister. What does it mean?"

"It means the same thing it did yesterday. I love you."

"And?"

"And we take things day by day. We date, and see if we drive each other crazy or not."

"Oh, you do, but in a good way," I told him as something loosened deep inside me. I could handle that plan. We'd date for a while... "And someday?"

"And someday maybe these will go back where they belong." Ranger smiled and kissed the hand that still held the rings. "But keep them safe until then."


Thanks again to everyone who took the time to read and review: Anonymous, Fancfictionstalker, daxandpat,LMH33, JenRar,Lordel, jkgk, .3348, KbellaManoso, Jordana Babe, deviates322, carrotmusic, reddnrad, Selene Aduial, gobucks1, Margaretlulcylu, sbabe, 56 olds, RhoJ, annalyn88, Elkniw73, MnGrammaX3, Barb4psu, alix33, and guest reviewers.