JE created the characters I have stolen for my own amusement below.

Thank you Jenny (JenRar) for your amazing work as the beta on this chapter. You have not only saved the day when I needed help, but you've saved the readers from a lot of silly mistakes as well.

Chapter 12 – Shhh! The Reward for Being Quiet

Stephanie's POV

"Open wide, Babe. I've got just the thing for that sweet little mouth," Ranger said, before covering my mouth with his once more.

I didn't know where I was getting this shit from. I wasn't a very assertive person in the bedroom, and all of a sudden, around Ranger, I'm starting to sound like a dominatrix ordering him around.

I was distracted by the way his tongue was moving in my mouth, caressing mine, and then moving away before returning to invade my senses once more. I knew his hands were not on me and were doing something lower, but when I felt his hands at his waist, I assumed he was taking off his pants and he was about to ask me to put my mouth on him to keep me quiet. The thought of it had me excited because, I loved the way it felt last night when I was in complete control of what he felt and when he felt it. I wondered if I could make him out of his mind enough to make him unable to keep standing.

Before I could get any further with that thought, Ranger's hands moved under my arms, and he lifted me just enough for me to sit on the edge of the conference room table. I let out a little squeal from the unexpected motion, but I thought it was quiet enough to go unnoticed outside of the room.

Ranger moved his head from side to side, as though disagreeing with me. "Babe, if you're already having trouble staying quiet, then I think we're going to have to go with plan B."

"What's plan B?" I asked, a little breathless.

He gave me a smile that made goose bumps break out on my arms. Then he lifted his right hand, and I noticed his belt was in it. In his left was a plain white handkerchief. I trusted Ranger completely, but I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to try out the whole spanking fetish in the conference room. I wanted to celebrate, and being smacked with leather wasn't exactly what I had in mind.

Ranger must have noticed the look on my face, because he quickly spoke to reassure me. "You know you can trust me, right?"

I nodded yes, despite my fears about what he was going to do. I knew in those places so deep inside of me they had no name that I trusted the man in front of me with all that I am. He smiled at my quick confirmation, and then proceeded to find the middle of his belt and wrap the white cotton around the leather. I was at a loss about what he was doing, so I continued to watch and wait.

"Open that mouth, Babe," he commanded when he finished tying the handkerchief to the belt and held it in front of my face.

Understanding hit me then that he just constructed a make-shift gag to keep me quiet. It wasn't exactly what I'd hoped he would put in my mouth, but I'd never been forced to be quiet before, and I wondered if it would change the way the experience felt.

Obediently, I opened my mouth.

He squeezed the outside edges together to make it thinner, and positioned the belt between my front teeth, before saying, "Bite down."

I relaxed my jaw, surprised that the foreign object fit. I wouldn't call it comfortable, but I didn't feel the need to pull it out either.

He held the two ends, circling them behind my head, and then instructed me to lie back so that they were held in place between my head and the table. My hands and legs were free, yet having my ability to talk removed made me feel very vulnerable.

As if he understood, he leaned down to look in my eyes and said, "Just put your hands on mine and stop me if this gets to be too much."

I nodded that I understood, and the look on his face shifted from the tender concern that I was okay with what was happening, to something a lot more passionate and heated. I had a feeling the teasing I'd been doing over the last few days was about to be turned back on me. I know he liked to threaten that payback was a bitch, and I guess I was about to see how he defined that.

I laid back on the conference room table, trying to focus on anything other than the fact that Ranger wasn't touching me. The air conditioning was running, and I could hear the air being forced through the vent in the corner. The ceiling tiles had texture to them, and in the square directly over my head, I found the pattern of a bunny. Somehow, the idea of RangeMan decorating with small bunnies was funny. I grinned, reminding me I had a gag in my mouth.

Just before my frustration got the better of me, I felt my shirt being lifted, and I looked down to see Ranger methodically unbuttoning it from the bottom up to the top. When he was done, he smiled his appreciation, before unclasping my bra with just two of his talented fingers. Thank God for Victoria Secret's front clasping underwear.

"Remember, Babe," he said, barely above a whisper. "You have to be quiet."

I nodded that I remembered. Honestly, the thick piece of leather in my mouth was enough to drive home that point. I should have known that there was a reason he was warning me. Before I could let out the deep breath I'd taken, he moved to pull my right nipple into his mouth, using deep, long suckles to cause waves of tingles to run through my chest and straight down between my legs. Somehow, he was lavishing my breasts with attention, while keeping his body off of mine. I needed to feel that pressure of him between my legs, and tried to lift my hips to make that clear.

He wasn't going to allow me to lead right now, and when my hips came off the table, he put his forearm across my pelvis and bore down. "Last night, you took your sweet time and nearly drove me insane," he spoke deeply right against my ear. After a nibble against my neck, he continued, "I've warned you about playing with fire."

My mind was screaming, "Then burn me now, damn it!" but I continued to stay silent, hoping my good behavior would be rewarded.

I relaxed the muscles in my lower body, and he lifted his arm, pleased that I was playing along. Ranger pulled down once more and picked up where he left off with his torture of pleasure, by alternating between flicking a nipple with his tongue, and then grabbing it softly between his teeth to pull. Just as an element of pain began to slip in, he would let go and lick over the tender tissue, driving me crazy. He switched from side to side, using his hand on whichever breast was currently being ignored by his mouth.

I tried to clear my mind of anything other than what he was doing, and when I shut my eyes, it just made the sensation that much more powerful. I didn't think I could stand much more of this.

I wondered if I had somehow said that aloud, as he straightened up again and looked down at me. My eyes opened and met his gaze; seeing the look on his face made me wonder what he was thinking about. He was relaxed, there were no lines around his eyes or mouth, yet his expression was intense. Whatever he was feeling, it was strong.

Before I begin to speculate about what might be running through his head, his lips turned up, and I recognized that face as the one that meant I was about to get tormented once more.

He ran his hands down to my ankles and slowly moved them up under my skirt, pausing to run his fingers around the holster at my thigh. Not satisfied with the obstructed view, he pushed my skirt higher so that it bunched up around my waist. I was briefly afraid that the gun was going to sidetrack him and he was going to forget all about the state he had worked me into, but when his eyes shifted and landed on the panties that I thought perfectly matched the holster, his fingers moved to trace the scrap of lace covering me.

He pulled down my panties slowly, not allowing them to turn inside out, and eased them off of me. He set the black material on the table next to my head and spread them out, as though putting them on display. Then he pulled up a rolling chair, and I swallowed involuntarily at the idea that he must be planning on staying down there a while, if he felt the need to get comfortable.

He spent an ungodly amount of time running the calloused tips of his fingers along the juncture of my legs and hips. He would alternate the pressure so that some passes would tickle, while others would leave me wishing he'd move just another inch to the left or right.

I was struggling to keep still since he'd been so clear that was what he expected of me, but when he made the sudden move of filling me with two fingers with no warning, my muscles clamped down and my hips shot up from the wooden table once more.

He pulled them back out and paused, causing a whimper to escape from my lips. I could hear him chuckle, before he asked, "Do you need something from me, Babe?"

Hell, yes, I needed something from him, and if he'd get this damn belt out of my mouth, I'd tell him exactly what that is. As it was, I had to just nod yes as emphatically as I could. He stood up, but was far enough away I couldn't see what his hands were doing.

I tried taking a series of deep breaths to try and remain calm, but I was worked up into a state and knew only one thing was going to help me now. Fortunately, Ranger understood this and grabbed my hips forcefully to pull me so that my ass was on the edge, about to fall off the table. He pulled my legs to wrap around his hips, and then pressed himself just at my opening. He was exactly where I wanted him, but frozen, as though debating what he should do next.

I made what I hoped what a sound of encouragement to make him slide into where I needed him to be. But instead of moving like I wanted him to, he decided to get chatty.

"God, Babe, do you have any idea how sexy you are? Spread out on the conference room table, open for me to feast on, eager for whatever I want to do to you. I'm sorry I pushed you away for so long."

His body lost some of the intensity, and I knew he was focusing on the past and the time we'd both lost trying to play the game of denying what we really wanted from each other. I didn't want him to go down that road. For one, I knew no good could come from focusing on the regrets of the past, but more importantly, I knew it was getting me further away from the orgasm my body was still screaming for.

I couldn't say anything to talk him out of this useless line of thinking, but I needed to get his attention on something else, and quick. Remembering that I still had the use of my hands, I moved them both to rest on my lower stomach. Ranger focused on what I was doing, uncertain if I was going to push him away or try to pull him closer, I decided neither option would get his mind back in the place I needed it to be, so I slowly moved my hands up my ribs, trailing my fingertips softly on my skin until I reached my breasts.

His eyes cut between looking into my eyes, trying to see what I was thinking, and moving back focus on my hands, because he definitely didn't want to miss what they were doing. I circled my nipples with my fingers, mirroring the movements on both sides. When I palmed my breasts and used my thumb and forefinger to pinch and twist my painfully hard nipples, his body began to tighten up once more. His eyes didn't move from my chest again. I decided to up the pressure a little more and lifted my chin, pulling my head back and moaning softly.

His erection moved from my opening up to my clit, and circled the nerves there with just enough pressure to relight the fire between my legs. He was spreading the moisture around and covering himself in it. I had gotten him back where I wanted him, but he still didn't seem to understand that the time for teasing was over, and I needed him in me – now!

Clearly, I needed to be a little more direct, so I stopped toying with my own breasts, lowered my hands back down my torso, across my hips, and allowed them to meet between my legs. I felt like I had somehow regained the power, when his lower lip went between his teeth and I noticed the slightest hint of sweat breaking out across his brow. I upped the ante once more by using my left hand to pull open my lips and letting my right hand glide between them, using the natural lube Ranger had spread there. I pressed my fingers against my clit, rubbing in little circles, and this time, it was Ranger that moaned. I would have loved the ability to ask if he was the one that needed a gag, but since that wasn't possible, I shut my eyes and continued what I was doing, hoping it was driving him crazy enough to move.

Sure enough, after less than a minute of my self torture, Ranger's hips pulled away, making my eyes fly open, unsure as to how my plan had gone so wrong. Before I could get a clue, he thrust forward, sheathing himself in me in one swift, hard stroke. With that single move, I lost the ability to focus on anything, and I shut my eyes, once more content to just hang on while his body moved with mine. I couldn't stop the series of soft noises coming from me. My legs tightened around him, probably making it difficult for him to move, but he never complained, and magically found a way to hit that spot inside of me that short-circuited my optic nerve so that little lights were beginning to dance behind my eyelids. I stopped playing with my clit and put my hands on top of his in an attempt to hold onto something real, so I didn't get lost in the overwhelming sensation.

I'd been taken hard and fast before. Joe always made sure I came, but slow and sensual wasn't exactly his trademark, either. Never when I was being powerfully taken did I feel it was as erotic as it was in this moment. With Ranger, just because the movements were more forceful, it didn't lessen the emotion behind them. I could feel the love pouring from him with each stroke.

Just as I thought I might black out, I felt him slow down and push himself farther in, temporarily taking away my breath. It was at the exact moment that my body exploded, making every muscle lock down and my breath temporarily stop, that I heard Ranger scream out my name, "Stephanie!" He rarely said my name, and on the occasions when he did, it was typically a shortened version, but hearing him roar like that just intensified the pleasure pouring over me.

I couldn't move – hell, I could barely remember to keep drawing breath – and as the waves continued to wash over me, I realized I'd never had an orgasm last like this and wondered if it would ever stop. A single tear escaped from my tightly closed eyes, and I wondered why I would cry at a moment like this. That was the last thought I had before the darkness took over and I lost my tenuous grip on consciousness.

When I came to, I was being cradled in Ranger's lap. My skirt was back down, and my bra and shirt had been returned to their correct places, as well. If it wasn't for the slight bit of residual tingling between my legs, I might have wondered if the whole thing had been a dream. I took a deep breath, before lifting my head to look into the eyes of a very smug looking Ranger.

"Welcome back," he said with a sexy smile.

"What happened?" I asked, happy to realize my mouth was now empty of its gag.

"Well, I was having a good time loving your body, when you decided to push me by loving your body at the same time. Dios, Babe, there's only so much a man can take without snapping, and I may have been a little too hard on you; when you came, you passed out," he explained, confirming my memories were true.

"I had to do something to keep you from pulling away from me again with regret over the time we were apart," I replied.

"So if I want a repeat, all I have to do is start to sound a little remorseful over my past stubbornness?" he teased.

He was enjoying this way too much, but I loved the light feeling between the two of us, so I didn't bother to disagree.

He stopped smiling and asked, "Did I hurt you? I didn't mean to be so rough."

I shook my head firmly. "Absolutely not. It was perfect. It was just…" How could I describe it?

"I know, Babe," he promised, letting me off the hook, since my mind hadn't completely booted up yet. "I know."

Still, I wanted to be sure he understood how different it was, so I tried once more. "It's never felt that intense before. I don't know if it was because I couldn't scream, so I had to keep all of bottled up, or just that we've been fighting this for so long that giving in now has a few years of pent up energy behind it."

"No," he interrupted my guesses. "It's just that I'm that good." We both laughed over his egotistical joke. "But next time, I think the belt may need to go in my mouth," he confessed a little softer.

I remembered the volume with which he yelled my name and turned beet red.

Ranger lifted my chin with a single finger and asked, "Hey, why are you embarrassed? I'm the one the guys at the front desk heard yelling. For all they know, you were sitting in the corner the whole time."

I gave him a look that should have made him understand how unlikely I believed that to be. "Right, and I'm sporting this just fucked glow and am barely able to walk from just sitting in the corner?"

He drew in a sudden breath at my words and replied, "Damn, I love it when things like that come out of your sweet mouth. And you're right; you are definitely sporting one hell of a sexy glow at the moment."

"Do you think we can stay here until it goes away a little?" I wondered aloud.

"How long will that take?" he asked.

I considered it for a minute and shrugged. "I can literally still feel you inside me, so I'm guessing I'll be a walking billboard for sex for a couple of days."

If anything, his smile only grew at that admission. "Good," he said, kissing me softly. "I want every man in this building to know that you aren't just my woman in name. I take care of what's mine, and I want you to look thoroughly taken care of."

"I think you've succeeded on that one," I sarcastically replied.

He got serious and pulled back marginally to press, "I mean it, Steph. I want them to know that we are really together. This isn't a game, or a fling, or some kind of physical only thing. This is for keeps. Every day, I feel you getting deeper and deeper inside me, and I know I won't be able to let you go after this."

Ranger wasn't one to dwell on emotions, but I could hear an edge to his voice that almost reminded me of panic. I framed his face with my hands to get his attention back on me and told him, "I know what you mean, and I'm so glad to hear you say it, because I wouldn't survive you letting me go."

We sealed the confession with a deep, slow kiss of understanding that we were in the same place and discussing it more wasn't necessary. I felt something vibrate against my hip and jumped, pulling us apart.

He reached back to pull his cell phone from the clip at his belt and answered, "Yo."

He listened for a minute, and his blank face returned. "No, we're coming up," he said, before shutting the phone to hang up.

"Let me guess. They've got something on the stalker?" I asked, resenting the interruption to our time.

He rubbed soothing circles on my back and nodded. "They've gone through the information you pulled and have some things to share."

I made a grumbling sound, but stood, knowing the sooner this creep was identified, the sooner we could live without the fear of being shot. I guess that was worth being interrupted.

We went up to five, holding hands. Somehow, after what we'd just shared, it didn't make sense to keep some forced professional distance in the office. We walked into the conference room, and I immediately sat down next to Scar, hoping my flushed face wouldn't be pointed out.

Ranger was talking to Tank at the door with his back to the table where the rest of us waited, until Lester took a temporary leave of his senses and said, "Hey, boss, why is your belt wet in the back and sporting teeth marks? Did somebody try to take a chunk out of your ass?"

Ranger spun around with a face that would have made most men cower in a corner, hugging themselves and rocking back and forth.

Lester looked away directly at me and grinned even bigger. "Whoa, Beautiful, look at you," he said appreciatively. "I guess we've answered the question about whose teeth were near his ass."

I heard Ranger say Lester's name, and I knew that an appointment on the mats was about to be announced, but before he could say anything else, a blur of movement occurred to my right, and the next thing I knew, Lester was on the floor, out cold.

I turned around to see Scar staring at Lester with an expression as cold as any I could imagine. Obviously, he didn't care for the way Les was teasing me. Bobby was slowly making his way over to Les, so I figured if he was this relaxed, there was nothing to worry about. I ignored the scene on the floor for a few minutes and turned to Scar, who was looking at the floor, but not really focused on it.

I stood up and put my hand on his arm, near his elbow. Scar looked up at me with an expression so sad, it made my chest ache. He appeared to be worried, like he thought I was going to reject him for his outburst. I decided to try a different tactic, and I stepped closer, stretched up on my tiptoes, and placed a quick kiss on his chin where the scar was most visible.

"Thank you," I told him simply.

When I pulled back, he had relaxed, and even though he was a little pink in the face, he seemed to be all right. I pointed to his chair, and he sat down beside me once more.

Then he leaned closer and said, "I didn't like the way he was talking to you."

I glanced back down at Les, who seemed to be coming around slowly on the floor. "I can see that," I answered with a smile. "But you can't go around knocking out everybody that picks on me," I warned him.

He shrugged. "Why not?"

I just shook my head. Somehow, I didn't think I'd be able to convince my self-appointed guardian that his response wasn't the right one. And seeing the smile on Ranger's face when Bobby finally got Lester off the floor, I realized he didn't want me to try.