A/N #1: Thank you for all the sweet words. I'm glad you guys have loved this story! :) Be sure to see my note at the bottom!

~*~OoMH~*~

Chapter 11

Stephanie's POV

For a moment when I became aware, I was disoriented. The room was dark. It took me a second to realize it was dark because the curtains in the room were drawn, not because the windows were covered in black plastic. I was in Ranger's bed, and the warm weight across my stomach and pressed against my back was the man himself. He'd wrapped himself around me before I'd fallen asleep, and it seemed like neither of us had moved.

Before I could think about even stretching, he moved the hand on my stomach down and then back up under the T-shirt, stroking my skin softly, and pressed a kiss to my shoulder.

"Finally awake?" he said quietly, sounding amused.

Giving in to the need to move, I nodded even as I reached my arms above my head and pointed my toes to the end of the bed. Once my joints had popped and realigned, I turned over to face Ranger, who never moved his arm, except to press his hand against the warm skin of my back, urging me closer. I looped my arms around his neck.

"I miss the long hair," I mused, teasing the short hairs at the base of his neck. He'd been meeting with different government officials for a few months, ironing out details and whatever else he had to do after ending his contract with them, so he'd just kept his hair nearly buzzed since his last mission.

"Yeah?" At my nod, he smiled. The room was just light enough that I could see his features through the shadows.

"What time is it?" I asked, covering a yawn.

Ranger chuckled low and turned over, reaching for the bedside light. Once the room was bathed in the low light from the small lamp, he checked his cell phone before setting it on the table and turning back to me. "Just before four."

"How long have you been awake?" I knew we'd crashed around noon, but Ranger could've been awake for hours and not woken me.

He hummed, his fingers sweeping back and forth on the skin of my lower back, right above my ass. "About an hour. Bobby sent me a text to make sure we were okay."

I raised an eyebrow, and he shrugged.

"Concussion from the gun to my temple," he said with almost no inflection.

Reaching up, I traced the small bump on the side of his head. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly around the lump in my throat, suddenly replaying that moment in my head, when the guy had knocked him unconscious right in front of me.

Pulling himself up on his forearm, Ranger gazed down at me, his eyes dark. "I'm fine, Babe. Bobby said I've got a hard head."

I giggled, unable to help myself.

Ranger raised a single eyebrow, and I shrugged, unashamed.

After a moment, he moved his hand up to brush a curl away from my face and then tilted my chin up before tracing the spot on my throat from Bob's knife.

"I'm okay," I promised, reaching up to take his hand and put it back where it had been. "Just a scratch. Bobby just wanted the Band-Aid on there in case there was any more bleeding. I checked when I got ready for my shower, and there wasn't."

His eyes closed for a moment, and when he opened them, there was so much emotion there, it literally took my breath away. "I was so scared," he admitted in a whisper. "I was afraid I wasn't going to find you in time, and then when I stepped into that room..."

"Stop, Ranger," I said just as softly. "I'm right here. You found me, and I'm okay. That's the important thing."

"Did you mean it?"

It took me a second to switch topics, and when I realized what he'd meant, I swallowed, nodding. "I did. I've loved you for a long time. I admitted it to myself during the whole thing with Scrog." Looking down, I frowned. "I...I wasn't ready then. Joe was...safe. With him, I didn't have to fight my mother. I knew what I was getting into with him. And I loved him—in my own way," I added, feeling the irony. When Ranger started to speak, I shook my head and continued. "But it wasn't enough—for me or for Joe. That's why we ended it. He wanted the perfect 'Burg wife, and I was anything but. And I finally realized that I did love him, but I wasn't in love with him." Taking a deep breath, I steeled my resolve and said in a rush, "I don't know if I'll ever want to get married, but the thought of settling down with Joe just...I couldn't ever get past the hives. When I think about a future with you, it feels right. I love you, Ranger, but maybe more than that, I'm in lo—"

The rest of my words were swallowed by his kiss as he leaned down and covered my lips with his. His hand at my back pulled me tight against him as our legs entwined, his strong thigh between mine, pressing against me just right. With nothing between us but his boxers, I could feel him hot and hard, and I felt my arousal spike. His lips and teeth and tongue were working magic on mine, nipping, caressing, and teasing. The familiar and comforting, yet arousing scent that I would always associate with Ranger surrounded me, warming me even further.

Pulling back suddenly, he left me gasping, my skin buzzing with heightened arousal.

"Dios," he groaned, his hand moving down to cup the curve of my ass and hold me against his thigh. "Stephanie, I thought..." He swallowed and finally looked into my eyes, his expression earnest and so full of love. "When I woke up after you were taken, my first thought was that I was never going to get the chance to tell you how I feel. I've done my best to show you, but I was waiting until you were ready to tell you. When you were gone, I was afraid I'd waited too long." He took a shuddering breath. "I'm so in love with you, mi amor."

Unable to help myself, I reached between us and into his boxers, wrapping my fingers around his length and delighting in the hiss that escaped as he threw his head back.

"Babe," he groaned, thrusting into my fist once before tangling his fingers in my hair and drawing me in for another kiss.

As I stroked him from base to tip and back again, he angled my head and deepened the kiss. He mimicked my hand on him as he stroked my tongue with his.

Against his lips, I breathed, "Make love to me, Ranger."

No more words were exchanged as he expertly pulled my my shirt off. He dipped his head and wrapped his lips around one nipple as he cupped my other breast in his palm, teasing the nipple with his fingers and making it just as hard as the one in his mouth before switching. I needed more. I needed to feel him inside me, to be connected again in the most intimate way possible. In a fevered rush, I pushed at his boxers until he reached down and had them off within seconds.

He trailed his fingers back up my leg and around to cup me intimately, groaning against my breast when his fingers slipped through my folds. "Christ, Stephanie," he cursed, resting his forehead against my chest. "You're soaked, Babe."

"All for y-you," I stammered as he expertly slid two fingers inside me. "Always for you, Ranger."

When he moved up to kiss me harshly, his gaze was so hot, I nearly melted into the mattress. "Call me Carlos, Stephanie," he implored, moving over me.

Bracing himself on one hand, he used the other to guide himself to my entrance, and at my nod, he slid inside me until our hips were flush against one another.

Tears leaked from my eyes as the connection I'd been missing finally fell into place. I felt whole...complete...for the first time since we'd made love after DeChooch. Ranger began to slowly move as he dipped his head and peppered my face with kisses, catching the tears as they slid down my cheeks.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his thighs, arching into him as he crooned in Spanish. I didn't understand the words, but the meaning was clear. He loved me, and I was his.

When my arousal reached a fever pitch, Ranger was there, angling his hips just right. Everything inside me tightened, and when he slid two fingers roughly over my clit, rolling it between them, I flew over the edge of my orgasm, crying out his name.

With one last thrust, Ranger stilled, burying his face in my neck and shuddering as he came.

~*~OoMH~*~

Once we'd cleaned up—and gotten dirty again in the process—Ranger pulled me into the living room and dropped to the corner of the couch. When he tugged my hand, I slid down onto his lap, turning sideways so I could look at him while we talked.

Pulling out his cell phone, he handed it to me.

"What's this?" I asked, looking at him funny.

"A phone," he answered, deadpan.

"Hah. Mr. Funny Man."

He grinned, shaking his head. "When Bobby texted earlier, he suggested the guys bring up Pino's for dinner. He said to let him know when. If you want that, hit three on speed dial."

I nodded and quickly hit the button.

"Everything okay, boss?"

Grinning, I said, "Everything's fine, Bobby."

"Bomber! How ya doin'?"

"I'm good. Sleep helped," I told him.

He chuckled. "Yes, it usually does. So what's up, Steph?"

"Ranger said something about Pino's and company for dinner?"

"Be there in thirty." Then he hung up.

I rolled my eyes as I gave Ranger back his phone. "I need to find phone etiquette lessons for RangeMan," I grumbled, making Ranger laugh softly.

"Never happen, Babe," he said matter of factly.

Sighing dramatically, I nodded. "I know. But a girl can dream, can't she?"

"Oh, Babe... If that's what you're dreaming about, maybe I need to give you more inspiration..."

Twenty-five minutes later, I looked up, dazed, when a knock sounded at the apartment door. Laughing, I said, "Well, I'm certainly feeling inspired."

Ranger smiled his full two hundred watts my way, making my insides clench at how gorgeous he was.

The smell of a Pino's pie with everything wafted into the living room as Tank, Les, and Bobby came around the corner from the entryway. Tank was carrying three large pizza boxes, Les had a six-pack of Coke and a bag that I knew contained a salad for Ranger, and Bobby had his medical bag.

They called out greetings almost as one, setting the food and bag down on the large coffee table before coming to stand in front of Ranger and me.

Les was the one to reach down and pluck me out of Ranger's arms. "Beautiful!" he exclaimed, squeezing me tight. "Glad you're okay," he murmured into my ear before passing me off to Tank.

"Little girl, it's good to see you awake and looking...well." He raised an eyebrow at me. "Boss treating you okay?"

I laughed softly. "Thanks," I told him, not bothering to answer the teasing question.

"Mmhmm," he said, giving me a knowing look before nudging me toward Bobby.

"How ya feeling, Steph?" Bobby asked, tilting my head up with a finger on my chin so he could look at my neck.

Once he'd released me, I smiled. "I'm good, Bobby. It doesn't hurt, and the sleep helped a lot." My stomach chose that moment to let out a loud growl. "Now I'm just hungry," I said with a laugh.

"Get some pizza, then, while I take a look at Ranger," he instructed, gently shoving me toward the pizza.

I followed his instructions, getting a paper plate from the bag containing Ranger's salad and loading it with three pieces. Then I grabbed Ranger's food and the fork from the bag and waited as Bobby finished looking him over.

"No more dizziness or nausea?"

"I'm fine," Ranger argued, his blank face in place as Bobby probed the spot on his temple, which had gone down considerably in the last eight hours.

Seeming satisfied, Bobby nodded once and backed away.

I took the food and slid onto the couch beside Ranger, handing him his food and fork before pulling my feet up under me. Les held up a Coke and put it on the table in front me, and I nodded my thanks as I took my first bite of pizza.

"Babe," Ranger groaned.

Shrugging, I finished chewing and then swallowed the delicious pizza. "Sorry," I sang, grinning when the other guys looked pained and amused at the same time.

"So who was it?" I asked a few minutes later. I felt Ranger tense beside me, but I wanted—needed—to know. "Why'd they take me?"

I listened as Ranger explained that Bob was actually Jonathan Gray, and he and his team had kidnapped me to keep RangeMan occupied and why.

"So they wanted you busy so they could get into that...Fulcrum building...why?" I asked around another bite of pizza. "And you haven't had any dealings with him before?"

"No," Ranger answered, shaking his head. "Apparently, our reputation precedes us..." He smirked when Lester let out out a cackling laugh and nodded enthusiastically.

I grinned, finding it amusing that Les seemed so proud of that fact. "And the Fulcrum building?"

"A lot of the banks have their information stored there," Tank explained, polishing off his fourth piece before picking up a fifth. "From what we got out of one of his men, that's what they were after."

"And they thought taking me would help them accomplish that?" I shook my head, rolling my eyes.

"Babe, if I'd had to, I'd have pulled off every one of our regular employees to find you, and they counted on that." His eyes took on a hard glint. "What they didn't count on was that the contract workers I'd have called in for security would still have kept them out of the building."

Lester lightened things up again when he grinned and said, "Luckily, they didn't have to find that out. We're just that good."

I picked up my Coke and held it up, toasting him. "Thank God for that." Settling back on the couch, I asked the guys, "Did my panic button not go off? I thought I pressed it, but..."

"It didn't, Bomber," Tank said. "I had Hector check. He went through the log, and there was nothing to indicate that it went off and got turned off."

"Well, I pressed it through my cargos, so I may not have pressed it hard enough. I was trying to do it so they didn't see me." I shrugged. It had all worked out in the end, so I wasn't worried. "How'd they get on the roof? And why didn't we hear them before we did?"

Ranger grimaced and explained about Hawk and his unhappiness over being put on probation. "I was careless," he huffed, shaking his head when I scoffed. "I was, Babe. I thought since we were on my building, we were safe. I was so focused on you...on us...that I didn't pay attention to my instincts, and it nearly got you—"

"Stop, Carlos," I demanded, using his real name to get past his defenses. I set my empty plate on the table before turning to him. "Even you couldn't have predicted that one of your own men would turn on you and set you up." Looking around, I asked the room in general, "Is Hector working at securing the network so something like this can't happen again?"

Tank nodded. "He's already making changes so no one outside this room and a select other few men in the company have access to the camera system like Hawk did. It was secure to the outside before, but when he finishes, it will be just as secure from the inside, as well."

I nodded once, laying a hand on Ranger's thigh. "Sometimes, shit happens. You found me, I wasn't hurt, and a major flaw in the system has been found and is now being dealt with. That's a win in my book."

"But—"

Shaking my head, I cut off his argument. "But nothing. Unless you're prepared to back away from me or keep me locked inside this apartment, there's always the chance of something happening. Last time...in fact, the last two times, it's been my skips who've taken me. Before that, there was Scrog. Before that, it was another of mine. So really, I've got you beat. I kept my cool, I'm getting the training to help stop this kind of thing from happening. But if you beat yourself up about this or let it affect our relationship, you're letting Bob win."

I sat back, looking around at the guys, who were looking at me with respect and amusement, nodding. When I looked back at Ranger, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You're right," he said, opening his eyes and looking back at me, nodding once.

"Good. Just keep saying that, and we'll get along fine," I teased, grinning.

The guys all burst out laughing in deep belly laughs, while Ranger raised an eyebrow. I knew I'd pay for that comment, but I had a feeling Ranger's retribution would be...fun for both of us.

I wanted to know how they'd found me, but I decided I'd had enough of the heavy talk. Determined to change the subject, I said, "So...who's going to dinner with me tomorrow night at my parents' house?"

Much to my amusement, Tank, Bobby, and Lester looked away, finding something else in the room to stare at.

Ranger sighed an honest-to-goodness, 'Burg girl-worthy sigh, and said, "I suppose that would be my job from now on, huh?" At my laugh, he smiled and leaned over. He kissed me once and said against my lips, "Totally worth it, Babe."

I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him...hard. He pulled me onto his lap as his tongue slid between my lips. We kissed until a throat clearing caught my attention, and I backed away, feeling my cheeks heat.

"That's our cue to leave," Les said, grinning. "Unless you want us to stay, Beautiful..."

"Santos," Ranger growled, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Got it, boss." Lester chuckled. "We'll just see ourselves out."

Ranger nodded, and I gasped, letting out a giggle as he stood and began carrying me out of the living room. I gave the guys a finger wave over his shoulder and then settled in.

The door to the apartment clicked shut just before Ranger pushed the bedroom door closed with his foot.

"Good. Now that we're alone," he said, raising an eyebrow as he set me on my feet, "lose the clothes, Babe."

Yippee!

~*~OoMH~*~

A/N #2: YAY! They finally said the ILYs while both fully awake and without a life-and-death threat hanging over their heads. :) AND there was a lemon! I figured it was time. *laugh*

Just to let you guys know...I'm trying out the new version of FictionPad for them, and you're gonna dig it, truly. The mobile is good, and there are some other features that are great too, so be on the lookout for that! :)

I'll see you Thursday for the last chapter! :) – Jen