Janet Evanovich is the rightful owner of the Stephanie Plum stories and characters.

It's time once again to publicly thank my wonderful and outstanding beta's; Sonomom and Financebabe. Also my knowledgeable and very patient editor for this story, Majesta Moniet. You give me confidence to post without taking Maalox.

To my dedicated reviewers: Your support is valued beyond measure. I hope that you continue to enjoy the direction of the story. If you don't...let me know!

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

A Total Eclipse of the Heart

….xxx….xxx….xxx….xxx….xxx….xxx….xxx….

Chapter 10

When Stephanie awoke again it was mid afternoon. Ranger was gone but there was a one word note on the pillow; 'Eight'. Her headache was gone, and she was ravenous. It was time to go back upstairs to the apartment and get on with her day. She headed to the bathroom and tried to make herself look as presentable as possible, sans make-up, for her trip back up to seven. She was always conscious of the cameras when she was out and about in the building, but after yesterday's escapades she was sure she would be under extra scrutiny by several pairs of eyes in the control room.

Before she left the apartment, she stopped by the kitchen to see what might be leftover from breakfast. Ella had already been there. The kitchen was clean, but she had left a wrapped bagel with a packet of cream cheese and a large bowl of fresh cut fruit. Stephanie grabbed both and headed to the elevator. Her goal was to make it upstairs without running into anybody. No such luck. As she was juggling the bagel and fruit in her good hand so she could push the elevator buttons with her casted one, a freshly showered, incredibly sexy smelling, Lester reached around to give her a hand. He deftly lifted the food from her arms and ushered her into the elevator.

"Seven?"

She nodded. Once inside the elevator, she turned to him. "Thank you for yesterday."

"No problem, Beautiful."

"I wanted to thank Megan, too. Is she still here?"

"No, she had to work this afternoon, so I took her home a couple of hours ago then came back and worked out in the gym for a while before my shift starts."

"You don't have an apartment here. Where did you two sleep?"

"Binkie took off to visit his family for Thanksgiving. He said we could crash at his place."

The elevator stopped, and they both got out. Stephanie looked a little confused as to why Lester was following her.

He nodded at the apartment door. "Need a key?" He jingled his key ring that held a fob for Ranger's apartment.

"Since I don't have a clue as to where my purse ended up last night, I guess I do. Thanks."

He opened the door and followed her into the apartment. He set her food on the breakfast bar and began to unwrap the fruit bowl. Then he walked over to the cupboard and drawers to get a plate and silverware.

Stephanie stood and watched. She recognized the symptoms. Not that the Merry Men weren't always overly accommodating when it came to her needs, but there was a certain edge to Lester's actions, and he was not his normal chatty self.

Lester continued to muddle around in the kitchen. He got a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and set it next to her food.

Finally, Stephanie couldn't take it anymore and decided to lead him into the conversation. "You said you were in the gym today, didn't you?"

"Yeah." He shrugged his shoulders as if it were inconsequential information.

"And?" She prodded.

"And what?" He kept himself artificially busy with the task of removing the wrap from the bagel. He was avoiding eye contact by trying way too hard to find the elusive end of the stubborn plastic.

Yes. She was sure of it now. This was a man about to eat his words.

"Did you…listen?"

"To what?"

"Oh come on, Lester, who was sparring on the mats today? Was it Cal and Hal? 'Cause they're my favorites! Cal's got that deep voice and Hal, well, he just doesn't hold back. I swear if someone from the porn industry ever heard them together, they'd…"

"It was Woody and Cal."

"Oh, well that's a good combination too. Woody's got that whole sexy, Texan drawl going for him, and every once in a while, he makes those, seemingly innocent, but incredibly hot, references to horses and bulls."

"Okay, Beautiful, you made your point. I closed my eyes while I ran on the treadmill and I listened."

"And?"

"And you were right! Good Christ, I nearly fell off the machine. I'll never be able to go one on one with a man on the mats again. You've totally ruined the last vestige of genuine male competition for me. I'd be too self-conscious of sounding like…like…" He rubbed his hand over his face in frustration.

"Like you're having sex?"

"Hell yes!"

Stephanie was smiling and looking way too eager. "So when are you going to kiss Hector?"

Lester held his hands up in surrender. "Now, I'm not trying to renege on a bet, Beautiful. You know I'm good for my word. But I think Hector's got other ideas about helping me follow through. He was in the gym, too, and he told me he didn't "get involved" with straight guys." Lester's body language shifted from defensive to uncomfortable. "But he did suggest a substitute he thought you might accept as an alternative to the deal."

"A substitute? Who?"

"He thought a better choice would be…your Grandma Mazur."

Lester was turning a little green around the gills at the prospect that Stephanie might go for the change in plans. It was an interesting idea, but she decided to spare him any more agony.

"Forget it, Lester. I have to admit I would have enjoyed watching you make good on your bet by kissing Hector, but nothing good could come from making you kiss my Grandma Mazur. There'd be no stopping her once she got her lips on one of my Merry Men. For her it would become a challenge, like flavor of the month. She'd be so excited by one; she'd want to try them all." She gave him a hug. "I got all I needed from you when you admitted I was right."

The relief on his face was priceless. "You're the best, Beautiful." Lester hesitated for a moment and then his face turned serious. "Steph?"

"Hmmm?" Steph responded as she took a bite of the liberated bagel.

"Something you said last night, bothered me."

Stephanie crinkled her face in confusion. "What?"

"You were looking at Janie Tremont's picture and dossier, and you said...she was everything you're not."

Stephanie swallowed her bite of food and took a drink of the water. "Well, she is, Lester. Hell, she could probably give Jeanne Ellen a run for her money."

"You just don't get it do you?" Lester said, shaking his head.

"What?"

Lester sat down on the stool next to Stephanie and took her hand. He stared over her shoulder, took a minute to formulate his thoughts and finally looked her straight in the eye. "Have you ever noticed that I don't call anyone Beautiful, but you?"

Stephanie thought about it. "I guess I haven't. I mean, you've always called me Beautiful. Right from the first day we met. I just assumed you called all women that or some other pet name."

"But have you ever heard me ever call anyone else Beautiful?" Lester was insistent in his questioning.

"No, I haven't."

"Do you know why?"

Stephanie shook her head.

"It's because no one else gets that name. It's yours. It's who you are to me." He ran his hand through his hair as if he was going to reveal a big secret. "When I meet a woman, sometimes there's just a feeling I get from them...in here," he touched his heart. "And a name just comes to me for that woman. It doesn't matter what her real name is. To me she becomes that name. When I met you it was...Beautiful. The name just popped up in my head and out of my mouth."

Stephanie remembered the day they met. She was dressed in old, ratty blue jeans and a t-shirt, and she had no clue what to expect. She felt anything but beautiful. "Lester, Ranger had hired me to come along with you guys to 'redecorate'! My chest was smashed into a flak vest that was made for a man, and you made fun of me because I didn't even have a gun that day. I must have looked like a fish out of water. I know I felt like one."

"Steph, it's not the way you looked, although the expression on your face was cuter than hell when you saw Tank toss that guy out the window," he smiled. "It's...who you are. You're one of the most beautiful people I have ever known. That's why I call you Beautiful. It fits you." Lester smiled at a memory. "When I was a little boy, my Tia Sienta, made the most wonderful pastries and cakes. She always had something special waiting for me when I would visit. She had a warm smile and she always smelled like cinnamon, so I started calling her Tia Sugar. I'm the only one in the family who calls her that and, for me, she's the only one with that name. I don't call anybody else Sugar."

"What about Megan?" Stephanie asked curiously.

"Weeell," he grinned. "Megan has two names. My mind just can't seem to decide between, Gorgeous and Sexy, because...you know...she is." He wiggled his eyebrows and Stephanie giggled.

"Oh, god Lester, what's the world coming to? I think that's the sweetest thing I think I've ever heard you say."

"My point is, you have no reason to ever believe that you are not good enough, or smart enough, or beautiful enough. Janie Tremont is a good soldier and a pretty woman, but you are who Ranger wants, and you are who we love, and we wouldn't trade you for Janie or a dozen Jeanne Ellens."

Tears pooled in Stephanie's eyes. "I know that, Lester. I really do. I just got really confused yesterday, and I'm not going to let it happen again. I promise." She smiled through her tears and hugged him tightly. "You know, I'm a lucky girl to have such good friends around to kick me in the ass when I step out of line."

"Anytime, Beautiful. Any time."

…XXX…XXX…XXX…XXX…XXX…XXX…XXX…

Stephanie's late afternoon session with Jack went extremely well. They talked through the events of the day before, and he thought that she and Ranger had come to a good decision about staying together and working on her trust issues as a couple. He reminded her, once again, that she had to learn to trust herself first, before she could trust anyone else.

Jack would be leaving the next day. Stephanie was sad that she would be losing his constant support and the company of a new friend, but he assured her he was always just a phone call away. The relationship he had developed with Hector would ensure that he would be a frequent visitor to Trenton, and he hinted that if things continued between them as he hoped, he might become a resident. That made Stephanie very happy. When Jack left, she was excited about getting ready for her date with Ranger.

It was only five-thirty, so she called her mom and went over a few details for their Thanksgiving dinner. Her mother gave her a list of things they would still need in order to properly serve the large number of guests that they were now expecting. Megan had offered to help, so Stephanie called her and left a message to call her back about going to the mall tomorrow to pick up the items.

After the phone calls, she still had plenty of time to get ready because she couldn't get dressed until Ranger told her what to wear. She spent some time cleaning Rex's cage and then headed into the bathroom to shower, shave and work on her hair and make-up.

At seven thirty she stepped out of the bathroom ready to go. Ranger hadn't arrived yet, so she perused the large walk-in closet to see what might be suitable. She flipped through several dresses she thought might be candidates depending on their destination. She reached the section of the closet that held the large selection of negligees that had been purchased but, most of which, she had never worn. Most nights with Ranger, Stephanie never seemed to make it to the closet for sleepwear. He often had her naked and on their way to bed before they entered the room. After a start to the night like that, taking the time to put on a gown, especially one of these, which were designed to beguile and entice, seemed futile, and she frequently slept naked the rest of the night.

Stephanie stepped out of the closet, looked at the clock and decided she had some time to play. She pulled a few of the gowns out and laid them in a chair near the mirror. She tried on a pretty pink sheer baby doll nightie that had ruffles along the short hem and came with a matching thong. Next, she slipped into the black floor length negligee with the matching robe. It had a deep, plunging bodice, and the back was so low cut she could see the very top of her butt. The third garment was a beautifully romantic, green satin and lace chemise nightie, which Stephanie had never seen before. She took it off the hanger and slid the magnificent piece of lingerie over her head. She practically purred as the expensive, silky material glided down her body like water. She turned to look in the mirror just as Ranger walked into the room.

When Ranger saw her, positively glowing in front of the full-length mirror, it was all he could do to contain himself. Not only was she a vision standing there in that nightgown, she looked well rested and happy.

"Perfect." It was the only word that he could form in his current state.

In three long, purposeful strides, he made it to her side, pulled her into his arms and took her breath away with a very passionate kiss. His lips lingered for a brief moment and then left hers to trail down her neck. He dragged his nose back up to her ear and whispered, "That's just a preview."

He stepped back, guided her to the chair and sat her down. Before she could even respond with her own words, he disappeared into the closet and came out carrying a sexy pair of black and silver, classic, peep toe fuck-me pumps with four-inch heels. He kneeled down in front of her, lifted her left foot to rest against his chest and placed both his hands on her thigh, just far enough under the lacy hemline of her gown to be flirtatious and create a spark to send her hormones racing. He ran both hands down the length of her leg and caressed her foot. "Soft," he said, sporting her favorite wolf grin. He picked up one of the shoes and skillfully fitted it onto her foot. He repeated the sensual foreplay with her right leg.

When both shoes had been placed and buckled, he stood and took her hand once more, lifting her from the chair. With the heels, they were now standing practically eye-to-eye and her lips were just inches from his mouth. Ranger couldn't resist running his hands down her sides over the smooth, glossy fabric as he leaned in and captured her mouth with his. Stephanie immediately opened in response and the, now blazing, kiss ignited the feelings that he had already kindled.

Again he pulled away, slowly removed his hands from her body and left the room. In a matter of seconds, he returned holding her knee-length, black cashmere dress coat.

"Put this on."

When Stephanie saw the coat she protested. "Carlos, where are we going? I can't go out dressed like this! I'm wearing practically nothing. This isn't a …"

Ranger put a finger to her lips and looked into her eyes with a look she didn't recognize. "Babe, do you trust me?"

Stephanie thought of their conversation that morning. When Ranger made a promise, he made a plan and he followed through with it. Trust. That was what this whole evening was going to be about. He was helping her trust. She nodded. "Yes, I do."

She slipped her arms into the coat. He buttoned her up and tied the belt. "Thank you." He whispered against her lips as he leaned in and kissed her once more. "It's time to go." He took her hand and grabbed his jacket on their way out the door.

When they got to the garage, Ranger pushed a button on his key fob and the lights to one of his cars blinked.

Stephanie turned to him and tried to lift a single eyebrow. "The Mercedes?"

"I'm a man with a plan, Babe."

When he opened the door and guided her into the car, a wonderful aroma wafted around her. "Carlos, what do you have in here? It smells heavenly!"

"Dinner."

She turned to look in the back. A wicker picnic basket was perched on the back seat.

"You do know it's November, don't you? It's dark and all of forty degrees outside. Where are we going?"

"Patience, Babe."

Stephanie stopped asking, but she continued to wonder about his plans for the evening. As they drove through Trenton she tried but couldn't come up with a single clue about what he was up to.

She was dragged from her thoughts when she felt the car slow and turn into a small parking lot.

"This is my apartment building."

Ranger pulled into a spot at the very back of the lot near the dumpster.

"Why are we here?"

Ranger turned off the engine and got out of the car. He opened her door and offered her his hand. Once she was out, he closed her door and opened the back door to retrieve the picnic basket. He never spoke a word. He led her through the parking lot and into the building. They took the elevator to the second floor.

"I don't understand why we needed to come here. I haven't been to my apartment in over a month. It's probably filthy."

"Taken care of, Babe." He pulled out a key and opened the door.

Stephanie was overwhelmed by the memories that flooded her mind as she stepped into the familiar space. She wandered past Ranger and strolled from room to room. The apartment was spotless. In fact, it looked better than she remembered. She made her way back to Ranger, who was standing in the small dining room.

"Ella?"

Ranger nodded. "She wanted you to come back to a clean apartment."

Stephanie had a sudden disturbing thought. "Why are we here, Carlos?"

"To have dinner."

"But why here? Why my apartment?" She nervously fidgeted with the belt on her coat. "Have you…have you changed your mind about wanting me to stay with you? Is it clean so that I can move back in?" With each question she asked, her heart got heavier and a knot started forming in her stomach.

Ranger saw her panic and grasped the direction in which she was going with her thoughts. He set the basket down on the table and quickly pulled her close.

"Don't go there, querida. That's not what this is about. Come on; let's eat before it gets cold."

Stephanie repeated to herself that she needed to trust him. She buried the concerns, took off her coat and joined him at the table. Together, they emptied the basket of its contents, and dined on the wonderful food that Ella had prepared.

"I have to admit that it feels nice to be here again. I've sort of missed it. As an adult, it's the only place that was ever just mine. I had a roommate in college, and I married Dickie right after. I lived here for six months before I told my parents I'd lost my job at E.E. Martin."

"So, even though you've had some pretty awful things happen to you here, this is still a happy place for you?"

Stephanie smiled. "Yeah, it is. I mean, I could have done without all the dead bodies, the fires, the intrusions…and the snakes." She wrinkled her nose at that the thought of those horrible snakes.

Ranger chuckled. They had finished eating so he grabbed their wine glasses and refilled them. They moved to relax on the couch. Ranger sat at one end in the corner and Stephanie snuggled into his side.

"I have some pretty great memories of living here though."

"What's your favorite memory?"

"That's easy. It was the night you and I made love for the first time." She leaned up to his face for a kiss.

"What's the worst memory?"

"That's a tougher one to answer. I have two." She shifted so that she was facing him. "One of them is the day after we made love. When you left. The other is when I saw you shot by Scrog at that door." She nodded in the direction of the foyer. With her right hand, Stephanie reached under the collar of his shirt and ran her fingers along the scar that still remained on his right shoulder. She placed her left hand lower, on his chest, where the bullet had pierced his flak vest and broken his ribs. She closed her eyes, and the memory of the incident made her shiver. She opened them and looked into Ranger's eyes. When she spoke again, her words were fractured and weak. "I…thought you were…dead. I'd never felt such complete devastation before. There was so…much…blood and…" Tears were forming in her eyes. Ranger tried to kiss them away.

"Don't cry, mi cariño. I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere." He tucked a single curl behind her ear and kissed her warmly. "I have a surprise for you." He wanted to lighten her mood. "Actually, I have three surprises for you. The first one is why we're here."

Stephanie was intrigued and spoke through her sniffs. "What is it?"

"I know that when you were upset yesterday, one of the reasons you panicked was because you thought you were being left with nothing…again."

Stephanie opened her mouth to say something but, once again, he stopped her with his finger to her lips.

"Just let me finish. I know that when you and Orr divorced, he took everything, and left you homeless and pretty much penniless. That's a scary thing to face, and I don't blame you for never wanting to do it again. I've told you that you have your own money, but I don't think that's enough. I think you should own some property too. Something that is always yours, in your name, no matter what happens between us."

Stephanie nodded. "Okay, I get it. What are you thinking? Do you think I should buy a house?"

"You can do that if that's what you want. But in the mean time, I've gone ahead and purchased something for you to start with."

Stephanie's eyes got wide. "What did you buy?"

Ranger looked around the room. "This."

"You bought my apartment?"

"No, I bought the building. In your name."

Stephanie pulled back from his chest. "You bought this building?" She stood up and spread her arms out to encompass the room. This building? This apartment building?" She ran to the door and opened it. "You bought this hallway and Mr. Wolesky's apartment, and Mrs. Bestler's apartment and the elevator and…and…this whole building?"

"You own the parking lot too."

Stephanie closed the door and returned to the couch. She plopped down next to him still shaking her head. "You bought this building?"

He nodded.

"When?"

"This afternoon."

Stephanie was still a little stunned. "I'm sorry, why did you do this again?"

Ranger put his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "Babe, I want you to have that independence you talked about. I never want you to feel again like you did yesterday."

"Carlos, it's a beautiful idea. Really it is. But how can it be mine if you paid for it?"

"If you want to keep the building, we'll set up a payment system. You can begin making payments to me just like you would if you took out a loan from the bank. If that's not good enough for you, with your job and salary at RangeMan, you will more than qualify for a loan from a bank. You can take out a loan and pay me back immediately, then make your monthly payments to the bank instead of me."

"You wouldn't mind if I did that?"

"Not at all. I can have Brandon Hale take care of all the arrangements for you."

"Who's Brandon Hale?"

"My attorney. He'll help you contact the right people and get the best rates." Ranger was happy that she seemed pleased with his surprise and he lifted her hands to kiss them. "I have to tell you though, Babe, I will offer you much better terms than any bank."

She smiled at his suggestive look. "I'll keep that in mind." She settled back into the warmth of his body. "I can't believe I own a building. This is so cool." She sat up abruptly as an idea popped into her head. "As the owner, do I get to make decisions about remodeling the apartments?"

He smiled. "Absolutely."

"Then that bathroom in there is the first thing on my to-do list."

Ranger laughed. "What else would you like to do with your building?"

"I'm going to give Dillon a raise, and then I'm going to install a top of the line security system for the whole building. After what I've put these poor people through over the years, they deserve a little piece of mind."

"I know a guy in the security business, Babe. I bet I can get you a good deal."

"Thank you." She gave him a quick peck on the lips and settled once again into his arms.

They continued to remain in their cuddly embrace, quietly enjoying the moment together. Ranger ran his fingers up and down her arm and played with the fingers on her casted hand. Stephanie was deep in thought, contemplating the reality of being a landlord.

She was reluctant to break the peace and quiet, but after a few minutes she couldn't stop the curiosity bubbling up from inside. "Carlos?"

"Hmmm?"

"What's the second surprise?" She asked as innocently as she could manage.

"That took two minutes longer than I estimated." He teased.

Stephanie playfully slapped his arm. "You know I have no patience for surprises. But you insist on torturing me with them on a regular basis."

"I can't help it, Babe; you draw out my playful side. It's fun to watch you squirm."

"I'll show you squirming. I'll squirm right on over to the other end of this couch." She made a move and he grabbed her by the waist and refused to let her go, despite her playful attempts to escape.

"Do you want your second surprise now or not?" He threatened, in a low voice directly into her ear.

She immediately gave up the fight and turned back to look at his face. "Yes, please."

Ranger set her back from his side and slid off the couch. He went to the dining room to retrieve his jacket.

"Are we leaving?"

"No." He reached into the front pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. He never took his eyes off hers as he kneeled down in front of her for the second time that night.

When Stephanie caught sight of the box, her jaw dropped and her heart stopped beating. A million confusing thoughts ran through her mind within seconds, and she couldn't take her eyes off his gift bearing hand.

"Babe, tesoro de mi corazón (treasure of my heart). What I have in the box is up to you to give a name and meaning to. For me it is a symbol of my never-ending love and trust, which will last throughout this lifetime and into the next. If you accept it only as a gift and believe that much from it, I will be the happiest man on earth." He lifted his free hand to her face and cradled her cheek. "But if you take it and call this ring, promise, engagement or wedding. I will be that much happier. I need you to understand that you are my love, my breath and my light. I make all my decisions with you as my top priority. I don't need an official or a ceremony with witnesses to coax the words from me. I love you now; I'll love you tomorrow; I'll love you forever, and nothing will ever change that. I promise to honor you and cherish you and protect you to my dying breath."

By the time Ranger had finished his stunning soliloquy, Stephanie had tears streaming down her face. Not only was she moved beyond the ability to speak, she could barely breathe. When he opened the box, the gasp she produced used up the rest of her precious air supply.

Ranger was still holding her face and he rubbed his thumb across the ball of her cheek. "Breathe, Babe." He chuckled lowly at her stunned response.

"Carlos," she finally managed to produce some sound, "It's...it's...it's absolutely the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

He took the ring from the box and placed it on her open palm.

Stephanie gazed in awe at the circle of intricately carved platinum, adorned all the way around with evenly set diamonds and sapphires.

"It's yours, Babe, however you choose to accept it."

She tried to sniff some of the tears away. "I love it. It's beautiful." She lifted the ring off her palm and held it out to him. "Will you put it on my finger?"

Ranger took the ring and waited for Stephanie to make her choice.

Their eyes were locked in silent communication. She could see the love and anticipation in his. He could see the staid deliberation in hers. Ranger's focus was so fixed on deciphering the answer through her eyes, he didn't notice until the tips of her fingers touched his own, that it was her left hand which hung suspended before him.

The purest of smiles broke his solemn face. "Babe." He carefully supported her casted hand with his right one, and the honor of placing the ring on her finger fell to his left. When it was firmly in place, he moved both hands around her waist and pulled her toward his, still kneeling, body.

He kissed her wet lips, her wet cheeks and murmured joyful Spanish phrases. Stephanie still didn't know what any of them meant, but she didn't need to in order to have her favorites; the ones that, when spoken against her skin, triggered small vibrations that shot straight to her core.

"I love you, Carlos."

"Dios, mi querida, te amo también." Ranger stood and lifted her off the couch. He ravished her with kisses and touches and Stephanie gave as good as she got. He slowly backed them to the dining room, never allowing more than an inch of separation between their bodies. He reached down to one of the chairs and picked up her coat. When he started to slide it over her shoulders, she stopped kissing him and looked up.

"What are you doing? I have plans for you and they don't involve putting more clothes on!"

"Third surprise, Babe."

"Can it wait?"

"Not on your life."

Stephanie smirked. "You've been a very busy man today."

"I'm about to get a whole lot busier."

They put their coats on and made their way downstairs, out the lobby door and through the parking lot.

"I don't understand why you parked way back here by the dumpster. We passed several empty spots closer to the building when we came in. Where are we going?"

When they reached the car, Ranger led her to the passenger side, opened the back door and motioned her to get in.

"Here?" She looked around to gauge the possibility of an audience.

"Babe, I've parked in this lot more nights than I can count. The only cars that came and went after nine o'clock were yours, mine, Morelli's or your latest stalker's. Every one in that building is asleep. Get in."

Stephanie didn't need to be told twice.

Once the two of them were both comfortably ensconced in the back seat, the engine was running, and the heat was warming the car up nicely, Ranger pulled Stephanie into his lap and placed a kiss on the ring that adorned her hand.

"Babe, you asked me to put this on your left hand."

"Yes, I did."

"Why."

"You said that it was up to me to give a name and meaning to this ring. If I remember my 'Burg' etiquette correctly, a promise ring is given to signify a commitment to a monogamous relationship, and an engagement ring is given, and worn to show that two people have made a pledge to spend their future, building a life together. I want that with you. I want it on my left hand because that's the hand that leads directly to my heart. I want my trust and my heart on the same side this time."

"So you'll marry me, Stephanie Michelle Plum?"

"Yes, Ricardo Carlos Manoso, I will marry you."

"I love you, Babe."

"I know."

Ranger slowly untied the belt on her coat, opened the buttons one at a time and slid the coat off, kissing his way across her shoulder as it fell. Stephanie slid his coat off and started opening the buttons of his shirt.

Ranger pulled her into his naked chest. "I can't get enough of your beautiful skin, amada." He slid the straps of her gown down her arms and kissed his way to the lace that ran just across the tops of her breasts. While his mouth was busy nipping and kissing the tender skin, his hands had moved to her hips. This silky fabric was no challenge to his demands, and it easily glided upward and gathered at her waist to reveal her supple thighs and smooth bare ass.

Reminded of their last time in this car, Stephanie made to turn her back to his chest, but he stopped her.

"No, Babe, I want to see your face." He pulled her back and kissed her. Their tongues danced together, no battle for control, simply an in sync display of mutual desire. His hands were firmly anchored to her exposed cheeks and she groaned in approval as he slid them down the backs of her thighs and shifted her to straddle his lap as he sat back against the seat. He used his teeth and nose to push the green satin away, leaving her left breast exposed. The glorious torture he created with his mouth sent a deep current of ecstasy straight to her womb and it tightened in anticipation. When the stimulation forced her to arch into the ravishment, he moved to her right breast and the repetition of his measures inspired her moans to amplify.

Ranger loved the way her body responded to his touch. He reveled in his ability to draw new reactions and new sounds from her every time they were together. Tonight he was in no hurry. He wanted to explore and tease. He wanted to elicit every ounce of pleasure from her that was possible before sending her over the edge. Right now, he had all the power. She was under his spell, captive to his strategy and that's just where he wanted her.

But Stephanie had ideas of her own. She slid slightly back on his legs to reach between, and started on his pants. He stopped her with his hand.

He continued his amorous assault, but moved his mouth to her neck so he could speak between kisses. "Babe, slow down. We have all night. There's a full tank of gas."

"Carlos?"

"Yeah, Babe,"

She grabbed his face with her hands to get his attention. "You've been gone for two weeks. Two WEEKS! You've had me hot and bothered beyond all rational thought for the last three hours. No more Mr. Romantic! Make love to me now!"

Ranger chuckled and the vibration against her groin nearly made her cum. "You're not going to be one of those nagging, demanding wives are you?"

She put her hand back on the zipper of his pants. "Only about sex. I'll want it often and I'll want it hard. Is that going to be a problem?"

"Hell no."

"Then what are you waiting for, soldier?"

For a split second, he was back in boot camp and face to face with his drill sergeant; but Stephanie was a lot sexier.

"Yes, ma'am."

His plans for a lengthy, sultry seduction quickly dissolved under her sudden command. Somewhere in the back of his mind, way back, he speculated that this shifting of power would be an unremitting tendency in their relationship. God, he loved this woman!

He removed his hand from hers and she continued her mission. His mind wasn't the only thing that had resigned to her authority. His freed cock stood at attention, ready to engage in the campaign, at her order.

Happy with the position of the troops, Stephanie mounted her horse and led the charge. She rode him hard and she rode him fast, demanding in her domination, until the only option left was surrender.

….xxx….xxx….xxx….xxx….xxx….xxx….xxx….

Author's Note: I could definately use some feedback on this chapter. The lingerie and the three surprises were all Ranger' s idea. I swear he had complete control of this chapter.