Warning for lemony goodness.

~oOo~

Chapter 14: Admissions
Two Weeks Later
Ranger's POV

I closed my eyes briefly when my plane touched down in Trenton. It had been ten weeks since I'd left for Boston, and a lot had changed. Most of the changes had occurred in my heart and in my relationship with Stephanie. Before leaving, I'd known I had feelings for her, although I hadn't admitted them aloud or really acted on them. Over the last two and a half months, though, those feelings had intensified, and now I knew with certainty that I loved her. No "in my own way," as I'd stupidly told her in the past. Nothing holding me back. Not only did I love her, but I was in love with her. All that was left to do was to tell her. I wasn't sure how I planned to do that, but I had an idea. First though, I needed to get to RangeMan and see her.

I climbed off the plane and saw Tank standing there beside the Cayenne. "Hey, man, thanks for picking me up. I wanted my being home to be a surprise for Steph," I told him.

"No worries," he said, clapping my shoulder once. "She and Santos are out picking up skips. We should have a couple of hours to finish her office with the stuff you had delivered before she gets back."

"Great. Let's go, then," I said, climbing into the driver's seat.

As I drove away from the airport, Tank asked, "So Boston's all secure?" At my nod, he continued. "Anything more on Harper?"

I shook my head. "He's in custody, as is the widow. Both are awaiting trial on murder and conspiracy to commit. Jackson moved up the ladder, replacing Harper. Being second-in-command made it easy for him to slip into the top spot, and the rest of the guys already respect him. He'll be fine."

"Good. Well, all of us are gonna be glad you're back. I know Lula will be..." He laughed. "She was complaining the other night about not seeing me as much. I have a date planned for this Friday, and we may not make it out of the house all weekend," he said with a smirk.

"You give me until then, and I promise to not call this weekend. I'll have some plans of my own with Steph, if I have anything to say about it," I said, grinning back at him.

He laughed. "Somehow, I don't think she'll have an issue with that." He grew serious. "She's worked hard, Carlos. She's still the Bombshell we all know and love, but something's changed. She's more serious about her job and all it entails. She mentioned at the beginning of all her training that it was about time she grew up, and from what I can see, she has."

I sat silently for several minutes and then glanced at him. "I just hope she hasn't grown away from me."

Tank was saved from replying when we pulled into the RangeMan garage.

I grabbed my bag from the back and then we walked together to the elevator. Tank went to his office while I grabbed the keys he'd left for me on my desk, and then I headed up the stairs to seven. Dropping the bag in the bedroom, I looked around. Little pieces of Steph's life were scattered around the room, leaving me with an odd, warm sensation low in my belly. A T-shirt hanging over the back of the chair, a book left on the pillow, a bottle of fingernail polish on the nightstand—none of it looked out of place.

I called down to the control room and asked to speak to Cal. When he came on the line, I made my request.

"Yo. Meet me at Steph's cubical in ten. Need your help with some things."

"Got it, boss," he said before hanging up.

I took the paperwork from my bag, made sure the keys from Tank were in my pocket, and then headed back down to five. Nodding at the guys in the break and control rooms, I walked down the hall to Steph's cube after grabbing an empty box from the hallway.

Cal was already waiting for me.

"Hey, I need some help finishing up Steph's office before she gets back. Grab her computer and follow me."

I gathered up her few personal items from the top of the desk—a picture of her family from last Christmas, another of us outside the bonds office, the coffee mug I'd given her that said "Bond Enforcement Agents Do It Better" with a pair of handcuffs attached to the o in Do, and an empty water bottle.

When I opened the drawer, I found her purse, some spare makeup and hair ties, and a little stuffed Batman doll I'd never seen before. Picking it up, I found a note attached and couldn't resist reading.

~oOo~

Even when he's far away, he'll always be near.

Lula

~oOo~

My heart jumped to my throat and I quickly put the doll into the box I was carrying. I couldn't take the time now to ponder what it might mean. Emptying the rest of the drawers, I waited until Cal had gathered up the computer, and then we headed down to Steph's new office, which was right across the hall from mine and down a bit from Tank's. I unlocked the door, flipped on the light, and moved out of Cal's way so he could set her computer down on the new desk I'd had delivered.

I set the box down and looked around. Everything looked perfect. The supple leather couch was a deep red and stood out against the cream-colored walls. The desk, filing cabinets, and bookshelf were a dark wood tone that went well with both. The new office chair that sat behind the desk was guaranteed to make her work more comfortable. I glanced around and saw the pictures I'd had printed and framed standing up against the wall by the couch. That was my big project—figuring out where to put them and hanging them myself.

Walking over, I began sorting through them. I picked up my favorite and moved to hang it right above her bookshelf, where she'd see it while sitting at her desk. I carefully hung the other pictures on the wall and then unloaded the rest of her things from the box. I put the Batman doll up on the bookshelf so she could see it, made sure the computer was all hooked up, and then grabbed the name plate off the desk to secure it to her door.

Turning off the lights, I grabbed the box and locked her door. I walked across to my office and tossed the box into the corner. One of the keys Tank had given me went onto my key chain, and the other went to my desk to give Steph when she returned. Knowing there was nothing else I could do, I turned my computer on and started catching up on business I'd missed while I was gone.

Two hours later, I heard her voice coming from down the hall, joking with Santos about him being the one to step in it this time. He grumbled something about going to his apartment, and then it was quiet for a minute.

I watched for her, but before she even appeared, I heard her gasp. Suddenly, her footsteps quickened, and there she was, standing in the doorway to my office. I stood up, but before I could move from behind the desk, she ran over to me and flung herself into my arms.

"Carlos! You're back!"

My arms moved automatically around her to steady her and I pressed my lips to her temple.

"I am, Babe," I said softly, pulling her even closer.

She tried to pull me over to the couch. "Come on, Batman. Come sit and tell me about the trip home."

"Not yet, Steph. Come with me. I need to show you something." I took her hand and pulled her to me, wrapping my arm around her waist as I walked her out of the office to the door across the hall.

She looked at me with questions in her eyes until she turned her head and saw the name on the door.

"Ranger?" her voice squeaked.

"Yeah, Babe. It's yours." I pressed the key into her hand. "Go ahead, open the door."

With shaking hands, she moved to unlock it. When she had it open and had turned on the lights, she took a step forward and then stopped. I pushed her forward gently and closed the door behind me, wrapping my arms around her from behind to steady her.

"The new job demands a new office, Babe. You're management now. You deserve this."

She turned her head to look up at me. "When did you do this?"

"The guys have been secretly working on it for a while now—painting the walls, moving in the furniture I picked out and had delivered, that type of thing. Cal and I finished moving in your computer and personal things this morning while you and Lester were out. I hung the pictures myself."

She moved out of my arms to explore the office. "Ranger, the furniture's beautiful!" Walking around the chairs in front of her desk, she sank down onto the couch. "Geez, Louise! This is more comfortable than my old bed!" Without looking at me, I heard her mutter, "Although not more comfortable than yours."

"Babe." I grinned at her, amused at her ability to speak out loud without realizing it.

"Damn ESP," she grumbled.

I laughed. "No ESP, Steph. You said that one out loud." I walked over and pulled her up and into my arms, my lips brushing against hers softly. "Come on, check everything out."

I pulled her to the first picture.

"Oh, Ranger, it's beautiful! The beach at Point Pleasant is always so gorgeous. This is from my favorite thinking spot, isn't it? I can tell by where the rocks are on the right."

"This one, I had Tank take for me when he went over there last week. I told him exactly where to stand to get the right shot. I'm glad you like it," I whispered into her ear, feeling her shiver as my breath moved across her ear.

I moved her around to the other side of the desk. "Remember this place?" I asked, pointing to the next picture.

"The diner! Professor Higgins, what a thoughtful picture," she said softly.

"My pleasure, Eliza." I smiled, watching her beautiful face as she looked at the picture.

Finally, I guided her around the desk again. I sat down in her chair and pulled her onto my lap. Turning so we were facing across the room, I saw her look up at the last picture—the one that meant the most to me.

"Oh! Look at the stars! Where'd you get this one?"

"I took it, Babe. Five weeks ago in Boston, the night I realized I'd fallen in love with you," I said quietly.

She whipped her head around to look me in the eyes. "You...You love me?"

"Babe, I've loved you almost since the first time I laid eyes on you. I realized while I was gone that all my reservations, all my worries...they meant nothing anymore. All that mattered to me was you. I'm in love with you, Stephanie. You are my life now."

Tears welled up in her eyes, and I brought my thumbs up to brush them away softly.

"Oh, Carlos!" she whispered. "I've waited so long to hear you say that. I've loved you for so long. I knew before you left that I was in love with you, but I didn't want to risk our friendship by telling you then."

With a groan, I kissed her, one hand moving up to tangle in her curls while the other wrapped around her waist, pulling her body and lips tighter to mine.

She whimpered against my mouth as she felt my cock stirring in my pants beneath her. She began rocking her hips, forcing our clothed bodies to rub against one another. After several minutes of the heaven we'd wrapped ourselves in, she moved her mouth from mine to my ear and whispered, "I want you, Carlos. Right here, right now."

I moved my hand from the back of her head and lifted her to her feet. "Pants off now," I growled softly, pulling my dick out of my cargoes.

I moved everything to the sides of the desk, leaving a spot in the middle clear. As soon as she had her pants off, I grabbed her and lifted her up onto the desk. I positioned her at the edge and drove my cock forward until I was buried completely inside her.

Sliding one arm underneath her shoulders to pull her harder to me, I braced the other on her thigh to keep her there. We were both acting purely on animal instinct, letting the need for each other that had built up over the last two and a half months consume us. I knew the time for tenderness would come later. All I could think about now was claiming her as mine.

We were breathing hard and Steph was beginning to tremble. I knew her release would come soon, so I drove into her harder and faster with every thrust.

"Dios, Babe!" I growled quietly.

Using the hand behind her back, I pulled her almost upright. My other hand slid down between our bodies to where we were joined, and I rolled her clit as I bit down gently where her neck met her shoulder. With a cry, she clenched around me as she flew over the edge.

Hearing my name fall from her lips as she squeezed around my cock made my balls tighten, and I couldn't hold back my release.

"Tues mi corazón, mi vida, mi alma," I said, my voice rough, before claiming her mouth. I'd never been more sure of anything than when I told her she was my heart, my life, and my soul.

Until her trembling began to slow down and she was barely clenching around my softening cock, I continued to move in her. Finally, I picked her up and sat down in her chair, pulling her with me so I was cradling her in my arms.

"I love you, Babe." The words had never come easier than they did in that moment.

"And I, you, Carlos," she murmured as she wrapped her arms around me.

We stayed like that for almost ten minutes before we heard a knock on the door.

"Beautiful. Boss. You guys decent?" Lester's voice called. "We wanna see the office!"

"Five minutes," I shouted, standing Steph on her feet so she could grab her pants.

We heard laughing outside the door as we hurriedly got dressed so we could finally let in the wolves.