A/N: You knew I wouldn't REALLY make you wait for this…

Disclaimer: Ranger and Stephanie don't belong to me, much as I would like them to.

-SMUT WARNING!- … (and yes, this IS your reward for all those nice reviews!)

Chapter 21

Ranger's hands curved around my face and his smile was tender. "I love you, Babe."

He kissed me then. His hands slipped through my hair and down to encircle me, pulling me tight against him as his mouth worked his magic. I burrowed into him, reveling in his strong body. Finding him already hard for me made my knees weak and I melted against him with a moan.

I felt his hands warm through the silk as he slid his hands down my hips and lower, pressing me tighter against him. I rocked against him, making him groan. Then I pulled away and caught his hands, tugging him with me as I walked backwards towards the bedroom. I met his eyes, letting my desire show plain on my face as I touched my tongue to my upper lip. I'd told him with words that I loved him; now I wanted to show him.

Surprise and pleasure flickered across his face and if possible his eyes heated even more. Then he scooped me up and carried me with long strides into the bedroom.

The bedside lamps were on low, lighting the room with a soft glow. Ranger let me down and I reached for him immediately, pushing his jacket off his shoulders. He caught it as it slipped off and with a low chuckle tossed it away. I got his shirt unbuttoned as he kissed me, tugging it impatiently out of his pants. He obediently held first one then the other wrist up for me as I unbuttoned the cuffs, then tugged the shirt off. I pressed one open-mouthed kiss against his chest, then he took over.

He turned me away from him, bringing my hands together in front of my body and wrapping one hand around both wrists to hold them. I could have gotten loose if I'd struggled, but I didn't. He brushed my hair gently over one shoulder to expose the buttons down my back. He worked the first button free carefully, pressing a kiss against the nape of my neck as the dress began to open.

We were standing in front of the wall mirror, and if I turned my head only slightly I found I could watch. The muscular arm holding me so gently looked strong enough to break me in two, framed vividly against the scarlet of my dress. His dark head was bent, his entire focus on working the buttons open. I closed my eyes for a moment as he slowly worked his way lower, fingers and lips so warm against the skin of my back. They flew open and I had to lock my knees when the final button let go and Ranger ran his tongue up the small of my back. My heart stuttered and all my pleasure centers came to sudden, throbbing attention.

"Ranger," I breathed as he straightened and released my wrists. He slipped his hands under the edges of the dress and began to work it over my shoulders, nipping along the skin as it became exposed. I groaned. "Do you know what you do to me?"

The dress slid down my arms, catching on my hips. Ranger chuckled against my neck, sliding his hands around my waist to push the dress further down. "Is it turning you on?"

I had to laugh at his words. Deliberately or not, they sounded like a pick-up line. But my laughter turned into a moan as the dress fell and Ranger's hands spread across the top of my thighs.

His fingertips brushed along the lace top of my stockings then slid up, slowly, to pull my hips firmly back into his body. One long-fingered hand splayed across my belly to anchor me in place and the other crossed up and over to curl around my neck. His lips brushed along my neck scattering kisses and gentle nibbles until he reached the place where neck met shoulder -- and there he bit. I cried out and my knees wobbled. His arms tightened, holding me. He kissed the spot he'd bitten and I trembled.

For a moment we stood motionless, locked together. Then I let my head fall back to rest against his shoulder and his hands began to move.

One hand slid slowly down to trace my breasts along the top of the bra, teasing me. I reached up and behind with one hand, tangling my fingers in his hair and turning my face towards him. He met my lips in a soft kiss. Even as our lips met, his fingers dipped to find one hard nipple and his other hand slid down over my belly to dip beneath the lace of my panties to tease a breath away from where I wanted him.

A small tortured sound escaped from my throat as he continued to tease with fingers and tongue, until I began to rub against his erection in desperation. He shifted his weight, tilting his hips back out of reach. I tried to reach behind me, but was able to no more than brush the front of his pants. No fair!

I twisted, spinning around him to press myself against his bare back, wrapping my arms around his waist and chest before he'd recovered from the surprise move. I rubbed myself against him and let my hands roam -- everywhere.

"Babe!" His protest was half-hearted. I pressed kisses all over his back, nipping the few places where I could. I managed to distract him enough to get his pants undone, but then I found myself back in his arms, face to face.

He kissed me hard and deep, his tongue thrusting against mine in a rhythm that had me writhing against him, and when we broke for air my bra was gone. His hands closed over my breasts, kneading and stroking. When he bent his head to take one nipple in his mouth I teetered over the first edge and felt liquid warmth drench my panties.

Both my nipples were rosy and aching when he guided me back in front of him and turned us toward the mirror.

"I want to watch my hands on you, Babe." His voice was low and rough, and the feel of his breath on my neck made my nipples pucker, and one hand stroked them. "I think I've become a voyeur over the past year," he continued as his other hand moved back down to slip beneath the lace, continuing this time to find me wet and swollen. "Do you know how often I broke in just to watch you sleep?"

My reply was incoherent as his fingers pushed slowly inside me. My legs were trembling. But my eyes were riveted to the mirror. I watched him play with my nipples, plucking and tugging first one then the other. And watched the muscles in his forearm flex as he moved his fingers inside me.

Then I felt his teeth against my neck. I came, hard, and my legs gave way.

The room spun as he lifted me and turned, laying me gently at the foot of the bed. Damp lace slid down my legs and Ranger knelt before me, his palms warm against my inner thighs as he pushed them further apart. He lowered his head, and I gasped at the first touch of his mouth.

His lips closed over me and suckled gently, even as his tongue stroked me. I arched into him, feeling the spasms deep inside as my muscles clenched on nothing. I covered my mouth trying to muffle my cries but finally resorted to biting my hand as I came.

He drew back slightly to kiss up and over my belly before returning to the top of my thigh. I felt his lips trail along the crease where my leg met my body before he sucked the skin tight and bit down, marking me and making me cry out.

One strong arm slid beneath my back as Ranger rose over me, lifting me and dragging me further up on the bed with him.

"Déjeme adentro, querida," he breathed. "Let me in, I can't wait any more."

I opened my legs and reached for him, wrapping my arms around him as he thrust deep. My breath caught on a sob as he started a slow, driving rhythm.

"Dios, Stephanie…my Babe…" was all I could understand before he trailed off into indecipherable Spanish. One hand was between my shoulder blades and the other was fisted in my hair.

I writhed against him, coming apart as orgasm after orgasm swamped me. I heard myself crying his name, felt him tremble, then he surged one final time and emptied himself deep inside me.

Some time later he rolled us to our sides, still holding me close. We lay without speaking until our breathing slowed. I felt Ranger kiss my forehead and dragged my eyes open to give him a shaky smile.

"I love you," I said softly.

"I love you, Stephanie," he whispered against my lips, and then kissed me. For a long while we just held each other, touching and kissing and whispering.

At some point I had to get up, and made a trip to the bathroom on wobbly legs. After I flushed the toilet and washed my hands I used a makeup-remover wipe to clean my face, grinning when I found my lipstick was still mostly intact.

Ranger was in the dressing room when I came out. He'd picked up our scattered clothing and pulled on his boxers, and held up his black dress shirt for me. I slipped my arms into the sleeves and pulled the silk closed over my breasts as Ranger watched, the heat in his eyes making my fingers clumsy when I tried to button it.

Around two in the morning we ventured into the kitchen for something to drink. I was surprised but thrilled when we found Ella had left a container of made-from-scratch chocolate mousse in the refrigerator. Ranger set me up on the counter and stood between my legs to feed me the rich concoction, stealing kisses and the occasional bite of mousse. Near the end of the bowl I stuck my finger in it and smeared chocolate across Ranger's face, leaning down to lick it off. We got a little messy after that and ended up in the shower. He made love to me with the spray pouring over us until we could barely stand and the water ran cold.

Back in bed, we made love once more. I fell asleep wrapped in Ranger's arms with my head on his chest. Lulled by the sound of his heartbeat, I closed my eyes as the first light of dawn gilded the edges of the blinds.

TBC…