Not mine…all the genius of the beautiful characters is JE's.
Fredda (Rangergirl1234), thank you so much for your fast turnaround and careful eye as the beta on this story. I am so lucky as you are doing the hard work of proofing the raw chapters I send.
Chapter 25 - Connections
Stephanie's POV
"Do I have to get in that?" I asked when the nurse I liked from yesterday came in with a wheelchair and a smile.
"Babe," Ranger said in an attempt to intimidate me.
"Don't give me that. The last time you were in the hospital I believe Lester ended up sitting in the chair and you pushed him out because the nurse said for you to leave someone had to be in that chair." I countered, making him smile at the memory.
Bobby walked in with a folder full of what I assumed were my discharge papers. "Come on Bomber get in the chair and then we can get you back to the office. The guys are going to be disappointed if you miss their attempt at a welcome home party."
I stood up quickly at the mention of a party and then looked at Carlos with narrowed eyes and threatened, "If there's no cake, it doesn't count as a party. You didn't ban sugar for this little gathering did you?"
"I stayed out of the arrangements and told Ella to do whatever she thought was best when the guys asked if they could do something for you." He confessed while holding my elbow and looking at me as though he expected me to fall over at any moment.
I knew he had gotten used to protecting me from the episodes of dizziness that had plagued me after the virus, but since the antibiotics had done the trick to blast my inner ear infection, I hadn't had any trouble. The shower I took this morning with his "help" should have proved to him I was not as prone to equilibrium issues. Even though his control was firmly in place to not do anything on my banned activities list, I still tried to push the envelope as far as possible. I think I would have won, except the night nurse came in to check on me and interrupted my advances. After that Ranger was firmly in control and kept us focused on getting me clean while keeping the bandages and my cast dry.
I sat down in the chair and allowed Ranger to push me out with Bobby leading the way. When we got down to the lobby Lester was standing in front of an SUV with mirrored sunglasses on, scanning the area for possible threats. When he saw me his face lit up with a smile and he opened the back door.
Carlos put a hand on my shoulder just as I was about to stand up in order to keep me in the chair for the last twenty feet. "See, Cuz, some people understand how to abide by hospital regulations and take the ride out in the chair."
I didn't hear a response, but I guessed Lester got a look from his cousin as he said nothing further on the subject.
The ride back was quiet in typical RangeMan style. I was in the middle of the backseat, practically in Carlos' lap. I had been sitting on the passenger side when I entered the truck, but when he got in on the other side he reached over without saying a word, and pulled me to him. I was most comfortable beside him, so I didn't complain.
When we pulled into the garage Carlos kept my hand in his so that I would follow him out of the SUV and together we rode the elevator. A sling immobilized my casted arm and kept my shoulder still. It also served as a buffer so that avid huggers wouldn't jostle it too much, as it was still really tender. The stitches on my left arm weren't as sore today and I was looking forward to having them removed next week. I'd always have the scar from the burn and the knife, but overall, I knew it was a miracle I had gotten out of there with so little damage.
As soon as the elevator doors opened on five, cheers erupted telling me the guys had been carefully watching the monitors for our arrival. It was overwhelming to see all the guys so excited and happy. There were two men in the control room that I didn't know. I had seen them before and knew they were contract workers. "None of the guys wanted to miss seeing you come home, so I had to call in some extra staff to keep the place running." Carlos explained softly in my ear.
Cal came up to me first and hugged me to the side to avoid my injuries. "Welcome home, Angel," he said, pressing a kiss on my cheek. When he pulled back he added, "If you get bored sitting upstairs, come down and see me. We'll grab Binkie to make us some coffee."
I couldn't help but grin at his reference to the perfect cup of coffee title I had given to Binkie, and to the fact that my friend seemed happier than I'd ever seen him before. After he backed away I was passed from one Merry Man to the next and tried to keep my tears at bay, but by the end I could feel them beginning to fall. It was so overwhelming to think that the guys were this excited to have me home.
Ranger was waiting at the end of the line and pulled me to him, wrapping his strong arms around me and leaning down just enough to ask, "Happy tears?"
I nodded, trying to pull myself back together. The sound of Ella's cart with the single squeaky wheel helped me focus on something other than my overwhelmed feelings and I was able to dry my face and turn back around.
I liked that Carlos let me spin around, but his arms stayed around me, pulling my back to his front and resting his chin lightly on the top of my head. Ella's cart, which usually brought big caldrons of soup and plates or bowls, was covered with an enormous cake that had "Welcome Back Stephanie!" written on the top made entirely out of icing flowers arranged to make the letters. It meant almost every slice would have a huge amount of sugar topping and it made my mouth water at the thought of having a slice.
We cut into the cake and Ranger led us over to a chair in the corner of the conference room and pulled me into his lap. He took the plate and fork, which would normally be cause for a fight in my book, but since I knew he wasn't going to eat it I let him have it. He began to feed me small bites until I grinned at him, looked down at the fork and shook my head before directing him by saying, "Bigger."
He laughed full on and it got the attention of the guys crowded around us. I guess they weren't used to him laughing either. Fortunately, he acquiesced to my request for a larger bite and he offered me nearly more than I could manage. It was at the corner of the piece so it was more icing than cake. As soon as the sugar began to melt in my mouth, I moaned and shut my eyes, enjoying the whole experience of eating Ella's delicious cake and taking my time to finish the entire bite before reentering reality.
When I opened them again Ranger was looking at me and my cake was gone. I looked around thinking he had hidden it to play a joke on me but his hands were empty. "Where's my cake?" I asked.
He moved to speak softly into my ear. "I ate it," he confessed, with no remorse evident in his tone.
"Why?" I pushed, still concentrating on my missing dessert.
"Because what you just did on my lap has me in such a state we can't leave until I can get it under control. And I was afraid if I gave you any more my condition might resolve itself and then we couldn't leave until everyone else was finished." He replied before licking my neck just behind my ear and causing me to shiver.
He had a self-satisfied grin on his face when he pulled back because of the reaction he got from me from such a small gesture. Not willing to bow to his sexual superiority just yet, I intentionally repositioned myself in his lap so that my rear end was directly over the bulge in his cargos. I moved ever so slightly until his hand gripped my waist.
In as innocent a manner as I was possible of, I turned my face to him, waiting to see what he would say. "Playing with fire, Babe," he cautioned.
I leaned back into his chest and replied, "Any chance I could get burned when we get upstairs?"
"Not if Brown insists on staying with us tonight." He told me, with a hint of bitterness seeping into his voice.
"Leave Bobby to me," I told him, getting a raised eyebrow in response. "When will you guys learn to trust me?" I scolded him, earning myself a smile on his gorgeous face. I couldn't resist leaning forward and kissing him. I realized somehow after all I'd been through with the virus and Castillo, I felt much like a vessel that had been cast by a potter and put through the fire to harden and perfect it. Now I was useful; I could serve the purpose I was created for. I felt like I'd proven to myself that I could survive in Ranger's world and if I worked hard at it, I could contribute there too. I didn't know if I'd ever feel secure enough to call myself Ranger's equal, but I definitely felt as though I deserved to be happy and nothing gave me happiness like Carlos.
I was beginning to feel tired by the time the welcome back party wound down. I had my head resting on Carlos' shoulder and he seemed perfectly content to just hold me in the chair in the corner. Finally Bobby took mercy on me and announced that the guys needed to back off because I wasn't cleared for duty yet, and I needed to get some rest. The few that were still in the conference room came around to welcome me back one more time and then reluctantly left.
I stood up and felt the exhaustion of everything I'd been though overwhelm me once more. I took a couple small steps and then stumbled slightly. Ranger's reflexes were instantaneous and he caught me before I could fall.
"Babe?" He asked with an edge of panic to his voice. Bobby was by our side in an instant with his hand around my wrist.
"I'm fine," I tried to assure them both, but could tell my words were falling on deaf ears. "I'm not dizzy; I was just suddenly exhausted and could really use a nap." I told them a little more firmly.
Bobby continued to monitor my pulse which I could feel escalating with my frustration level but he eventually let go of my wrist and spoke to Ranger, "Let's get her to bed and see if that doesn't help. If she's still having trouble walking after a period of rest then I'll call her doctor again and we can see what he wants to do."
"No doctors!" I practically screamed. I couldn't help but notice Binkie appeared at the door looking concerned.
"I'm fine," I said to him, and appreciated the fact that my words were registering on his face.
"Do they know that?" He replied, pointing to the two guys lording over me.
"They've been told, but they refuse to listen to me." I told him, thankful to have someone talk to me.
"Do you need help getting upstairs? You look exhausted." Binkie said with a wink so fast I nearly missed it. The rest of his face was devoid of any smile. I suddenly realized all this time I had assumed he was quiet and rather bland as far as the Merry Men went, but in reality, he was every bit as much of a jokester, I'd just missed it. No wonder Cal found him so interesting.
Binkie's suggestion that I needed help that wasn't being provided was too much for Ranger and he practically growled, "No, she has all the help she needs." With that, he picked me up bridal style and carried me to the elevator and the three of us rode to the seventh floor. I don't know why, but being in his arms, against the warmth of his body, I no longer felt as tired.
Ranger's POV
I took Steph straight to the bedroom and laid her in the center of the bed that Ella had already turned back the sheets on. Bobby followed us in and took her temperature, pulse, and blood pressure before asking if she needed any pain medication.
"No, now that I'm stretched out in bed, I feel much better." She replied. Bobby was packing up his bag and she called to him once more, causing him to spin around in surprise.
"Can I talk to you about my recovery? I mean, what I should expect." She began with a coy tone to her voice I'd not heard before. Something told me this was about to be a good show, so I sat down on the bed next to her and waited to see what she had in mind.
"Of course," Bobby replied eager to help her in any way, totally unaware he was possibly walking into a trap.
"I know I need a little more rest, especially while I have the stitches in place. And I know I can't do any field work, and no skips with my hand in the cast." She began, laying out her restrictions clearly.
"That's right; it sounds like you understand things," he agreed, unsure where the question was.
"When I was in that house I couldn't help but think that the one training session I had with Cal probably saved me from the harm he was able to inflict being much worse." She began talking slowly, as though she were concerned, but I could see her eyes practically dancing and I found her impossible to look away from.
"Bomber, we may have gotten you free, but in my mind, you rescued yourself." He assured her and my heart swelled with pride as I agreed with him.
"If that's true, I think you can understand how anxious I am to learn some more things that might be helpful if I were ever in a situation like that again." She continued, keeping his attention focused on her.
"You know the guys and I would be more than glad to work with you, but what you can do right with self-defense now is pretty limited." He replied.
"I know, but I was thinking if while my hand and shoulder were healing I might be able to do other things like some more advanced computer searches and maybe some more B&E skills like what Ranger had taught me in my apartment." She began casting her net.
"Absolutely, there is no reason you can't start small and work your way up." He replied so quickly he didn't realize what she was doing.
"Do you think it might be safe when I think I'm up for it to spend a little time in the gym maybe walking on a treadmill? I mean, I can't do self defense, but if I'm in slightly better shape when I'm ready to learn more physical skills, I'd think it would help, right?" She asked sounding so sincere.
"Walking would be a great form of exercise for you. And, I would think you would be the best judge for when you are ready for that." He counseled her.
"If I got bored walking, could I ride the stationary bike or use the Stairmaster?" She asked and I began to suspect I knew where this trap was going to spring.
"Yes, but those might get your heart rate up higher so you'd need to be careful to watch how you felt while you were using them. But again, your body will tell you when you've had enough, and there is no reason for you to avoid aerobic workouts just because your hand is in a cast. I mean, the guys modify their routines all the time when they are injured in order to stay in shape." He assured her.
"That's great, Bobby. Thanks." She answered happily. I wasn't sure why she stopped there, but I wasn't going to ask and ruin whatever she had up her sleeve.
She started to pull at the covers and Bobby helped her get them up so that she was comfortable. I stood up to follow him out but she reached for me and stopped my progress. "Where are you going?" She asked me.
I looked to Bobby and he was watching me for my response as well. "I was going out to the living room so that you could get some rest."
"I don't think I'm quite ready to go to sleep yet, so I was hoping you'd stay." She replied, winking at me so that Bobby couldn't see her. God, that simple suggestive motion was enough to make my body begin to respond to her, so I sat down quickly.
Bobby spoke up, "Do I need to remind you two that she is on limited activity and too much activity is not something that is in her best interest right now. I think it would be better if you gave her some room to sleep and left her in here alone," he advised.
Her grip on my arm tightened as she responded, "But you said I could decide what I was up for based on how I felt, and I feel like Carlos should definitely stay in here with me."
"He can stay," Bobby said before adding, "But no sex."
"Why not? You said it was safe to use the Stairmaster, and I know from heart patients that when they are able to climb a single set of stairs that they are clear for sex, so why am I am different. As long as we don't do anything to hurt my hand or shoulder, why should I refrain from a little aerobic workout?" She pressed.
Bobby's mouth opened to respond and then shut again quickly. "Steph…" he began a second time, but could not come up with anything else.
"I rest better when I'm relaxed, and no one gets me relaxed like Carlos," She told him with her voice getting slightly lower and her eyes closing somewhat in a very provocative way.
"But, your shoulder and arm shouldn't be moved," he tried offering as an argument for abstinence.
"I think we can be…" she paused slightly before looking at me to finish by saying, "creative."
He stood there silently watching us at a loss as to what to say. She had already trapped him with the conversation about working out. There was no other logical argument to be made to deter us, so I pulled her closer to me being very careful of her arm in the sling.
"You've been great Bobby, but I'll be okay. I'll bet Gina would love to see you." She added and he quickly disappeared.
"What was that?" I asked her when the door to the apartment closed.
She burst out laughing, "That was me proving that you can trust me when I tell you I can get rid of one of your guys."
My cell phone buzzed and I answered it knowing it must be important since I had already told the guys I was offline to stay with Stephanie. "Yo."
Brown's voice came through, "I didn't want to go back upstairs and bother you, but you do remember she's due for her next dose of her antibiotic, don't you?" If I didn't know better I'd say he was embarrassed, but my men didn't get embarrassed, so that couldn't be right.
"Affirmative," I replied, slipping away from Steph and going into the kitchen to grab her medication and a bottle of water. "Relax Brown," I directed him. "You should know I'd never do anything to hurt her."
He made a grunt that I assumed meant he knew that but before he disconnected I heard him say, "Four damn weeks."
I handed Steph the water and the pill and said, "Do you have any idea why Bobby would mad about something that would be happening in four weeks?"
"What?" She asked apparently needing the context, which I shared with her, making her laugh once more. "You realize Isabelle was born two weeks ago, so I'm guessing he's irritated thinking that we are up here fooling around when Gina is not supposed to have sex again for four more weeks. The doctors make you wait six weeks after you've had a baby," She explained. Suddenly, the strange look on his face before he left made sense and I felt sorry for the man. I couldn't imagine being in bed with Steph for that long but being unable to touch her.
I returned to the kitchen to grab another bottle of water to keep by the bedside and picked up a banana on the way, hoping I could convince her to eat a little something good for her before going to sleep. I remembered she had still not gotten her full appetite back after the virus and I wanted to be sure her strength was restored.
When I walked back in the bedroom she was laying back with her eyes closed. I couldn't tell if she was asleep yet or not but I stopped in my tracks to look at her for a moment. God, she was beautiful. Her crazy hair was spread over the pillow and she looked so peaceful. While I was watching her a line appeared on her forehead and she began to scratch at the sling immobilizing her arm.
I walked over quickly and cupped her cheek with my hand to let her know I was there. Her eyes shot open but once they focused on my face she smiled softly at me. "Do you want to get out of that sling?" I asked, knowing she didn't need to wear it all the time.
She nodded and sat up so that I could help to get her arm out with minimal movement. As I sat it on the nightstand I watched her straighten her arm enjoying the motion. She lifted her arm slightly to the side and I knew it probably both felt good to stretch and was slightly sore from the wound there.
When she was satisfied from having stretched a little she scooted closer to me and lifted her good hand up to run her fingers through my hair. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, allowing myself to relax in the fact that she was safe and home with me. While I was absorbing the peace that she always brought to me her voice came through by asking, "How are you doing?"
My eyes opened in surprise. She had no doubt been to hell and back and her greatest concern at the moment was whether or not I was okay. "I'm fine, Babe." I told her.
"No, how are you doing?" She pressed further. "There's no way you're going to convince me that you are okay with everything that's happened over the last week."
I couldn't control the reaction of anger that flashed across my face. "No, I'll never be okay with what happened to you." I corrected.
"Then tell me how you're doing." She tried one more time.
Realizing this might be a more lengthy conversation I bent over to untie my boots in order to join her fully on the bed. While I worked, I talked. "I'm doing better now that I know you are safe."
"Did this whole experience make you rethink us?" She asked with an uncertain edge to her voice.
"Yes," I replied honestly refusing to look at her face because I knew she was probably misunderstanding my honest answer. I walked around the bed and climbed in, moving to be right beside her and then pulled her over to lean against me so I could explain myself.
"When I realized you were gone I had a hard time getting myself together enough to be useful. Hell, Tank had to suggest getting the security feed and I had to take a few minutes to myself outside just to pull myself together enough to walk back through the office to the truck out back. It was all I could do to keep my emotions in check."
While I opened up she put her hand on my thigh and slowly traced imaginary patterns on my leg. "I beat myself up thinking of how I had kept you at arms length for years in order to keep you safe, but the moment I decide to let you completely in, my biggest fear was realized and an enemy tried to use you to get to me."
She didn't say anything, probably worried if she interrupted I wouldn't keep talking. "But when I saw your face on that first transmission from Castillo I was amazed at how strong you looked. You were keeping your emotions under control. You were cataloging the room and the threats and you showed no weakness at all. I was so proud of you, Babe."
As I said that she quit moving her hand and lightly squeezed my thigh instead. "Seeing that, I knew that you would be alright as long as we did our job and got to you in time. You made me stronger, better somehow. I had to admit that I needed you and even though it was killing me to see what those bastards were trying to do to you, I knew that I couldn't go back to the distance we used to share."
When I realized I was doing all the talking I turned the tables on her and asked, "How are you doing?"
"I was scared, but I refused to fall apart because of it. I kept telling myself I just needed to keep it together and stay strong because I knew you would find me. I tried to do what I thought you would do in the same situation, and it got me through it." She explained, making me smile at the thought that she was trying to act like me.
"The cut and the burn weren't the worst part." She went on. "The worst part was knowing you were watching parts of what was happening and probably thinking the worst. I knew it wasn't as bad as it looked, but I couldn't tell you that without tipping off Castillo." She paused for a short second before continuing, "I'm sorry about worrying you."
"Babe," I interrupted. "Stop. I can't begin to tell you how proud of you I am. What Bobby said earlier was right. We might have gotten there in time to cut the restraints and get you out of the position you were in, but your level head and fast thinking is what saved you."
"I don't want you to get too carried away with this," she said as though she were intentionally trying to change the subject to deflect the attention from her, "But I wasn't completely pulling Bobby's leg when I asked about working out. I realized when I was in that helpless position that I couldn't allow that to ever happen again. I am going to need to get better at defending myself so that neither of us has to go through something like that again."
"Do you want to go running with me in the morning?" I asked as a joke.
She squeezed my leg twice as hard at my humor and said, "Not tomorrow, but maybe soon."
We sat in companionable silence for a few moments each lost in our thoughts and drawing strength from the fact we were together. She broke the silence once more, "Carlos, I don't think I need a nap right now."
"What do you need, Babe?" I asked, sincerely hoping there was something I could do for her.
"You," she replied simply.
"You have me," I replied honestly, not understanding what she meant. "What else do you need?" I tried to think of things that she might enjoy that wouldn't be too stressful but before I could get past watching a movie she turned to look me in the eye.
"You, Carlos, I only want you." And before I could say anything else she kissed me. This wasn't a slow kiss of lovers enjoying their time together. There was an urgency, a pleading in her lips that my body responded to immediately. When her lips left mine to journey down my neck she spoke between kisses and said, "I need you to make love to me."
I began to respond on instinct but before it went too far I remembered her injuries and pulled back. "I don't want to hurt you, Stephanie."
Stephanie's POV
Clearly it was going to take a little convincing that he wasn't going to hurt me. Of course, at this point even if he did hurt me I didn't care, I just needed the connection.
"You aren't going to hurt me," I encouraged kissing him once more. He kissed me in return but I could feel him holding back to keep things from moving too far and I wasn't going to let him do that. I had fought with everything I had to get back to him and I needed this.
"Damn it Carlos!" I said with a hint of anger seeping into my voice. "I need this. I've had people telling me what I can and cannot do for too long and I need to be in control." I said, hoping it softened my initial outburst.
He pulled back and looked into my eyes trying to read what was going on. He must have found the answer he needed there because he nodded and then scooted down on the bed and laid on his back before opening his arms to me. I climbed on top of him and straddled his waist, slowly lowering myself down to be sure I wasn't going to hurt myself. Realizing I could let my right hand lie on the bed beside us and just use my left hand to support myself I kissed him again. It wasn't hurried or aggressive, but it did let him know of the hunger I felt to have him. He made no attempt to stop me or question anything I needed after that.
I sat up again to begin the process of getting rid of the clothes between us but my one hand was useless, especially since I was right handed and my left hand couldn't get the belt unbuckled at the waist of his pants no matter how much I wanted too. "Let me help," he said, pushing me back slightly so that he could sit up. From that position he pulled his tight shirt off and threw it on the floor and then pointed to the buttons on my shirt. "May I?" he asked with his fingers poised to begin, but waiting for my permission first.
I nodded unsure of how my voice would sound if I tried using it. He made quick work of my shirt and it was tossed on his with one hand while his other reached behind me to unclasp my bra with a single hand. The whole time he kept his eyes focused on mine. I could already feel the connection beginning and yearned for it to be even more intense. I moved from his lap to allow him to get his pants undone, but even then he turned his face so that we were still looking at each other.
I never would have thought looking into his eyes would be more of a turn on than looking at his body being slowly revealed from under his clothes, yet my body was responding to the bond between us and I couldn't look away and risk breaking it. After adding his pants to the growing pile, he moved his hands to the waist of mine and began to tug at them. I pushed up to make it easier and when he got them to my knees I sat back to allow him to remove them completely. Then he returned to his previous position and once again opened his arms to me indicating I could have the control if I still needed it.
Climbing back to my perch over his waist I could feel the evidence of his reaction to me and it spurred me on. I leaned down slowly once more, keeping my eyes open until our lips touched. I would have sworn a spark flew between us when we began to kiss and I shut my eyes and released a deep moan. Carlos' hands went to my hair and buried themselves in my curls. I didn't want to rush, but my body was screaming for more. I knew my body was still recovering and my energy was not what it needed to be to survive our usual pace of making love. But I had to feel him inside me. I had to know that despite his attempt, Castillo had completely failed in taking us away from each other. I lifted my hips and then lowered them, pressing my center against the hardness between us. I knew he could feel my moisture and he understood how much I wanted this.
When I lifted up again he moved his hand between us and positioned his shaft so that I could draw him into me easily. As I settled against him we both made noises from the fast change in position as I clamped my muscles down around him, assuring myself that he was there. I felt some tears slip from my eyes and didn't bother to brush them away knowing more would come in their place.
Carlos noticed and lifted his hand to my cheek getting my focus back on his face. "Happy tears?" He asked with a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
I nodded, hoping he understood happy didn't begin to cover how I felt now. We moved slowly, with no reason to hurry and every desire to extend this moment. I anchored myself by putting my good hand on his chest, allowing me to see his face as our bodies moved as one. Our thrusts were slow but deep. I felt the loss of him each time I lifted up and then welcomed him anew with every return. I had no idea how long we moved this way. There are times when words will not convey what one feels, and in this case our bodies were trying to communicate what our limited vocabulary could not.
It was torture of the sweetest kind and I was basking in it, in him. "Babe," Carlos said in a breathy tone. His voice saying that single word so packed with other messages I could hardly receive them all. It also broke the trance enough that my body began to demand more. I lowered myself back to his face in order to kiss him once more. The angle shifted as well and it felt as though he were touching new places inside me, setting a fire even hotter than it had been before.
He held my face between his hands as our tempo increased, turning this from a dance of a slow sensual nature to one of greater speed, laced with heated desire. I shut my eyes tightly and screamed his name as the orgasm shot through me so suddenly I couldn't brace myself for its impact. From the sound of the growl Carlos released I'd say he felt the same way. Our hips did not stop but they did slow and return to the slower deeper strokes we began with as we struggled to control our breathing.
I forced myself to relax and open my eyes to see Carlos was still staring at me. "How do you feel now?" He asked, not teasing but not worried about the answer either.
I smiled and took a shaky breath before replying, "Loved."
His face then matched my own as he pulled me back to him for another slow lingering kiss. I knew I needed to shift my position as I could feel my hand beginning to swell against the cast from having it positioned down for so long. Despite not wanting to, I pulled myself away and laid beside Carlos, pleased when he rolled me slightly to spoon behind me. His arms gripped me tightly and I sighed at the feel of the one place that was home to me. The apartment was nice, and I certainly felt comfortable here, but nothing spoke of home to me like these arms. I wanted to stay awake and revel in the feel of them but my exhaustion caught up with me suddenly and I was powerless to resist it any longer.
Just before I slipped into slumber I heard Carlos' voice tell me, "Sleep, Babe, I'll be right here." And I knew in my heart he would be. We may have come together because of a weakened condition brought on by a fever, but the bond between us now showed no signs of such a beginning. We had been tested by being forced to face our worst fears in a relationship and we had survived. It may have been Castillo's intent to separate us forever, but he had failed on every level. Not only had we survived, but we were stronger than ever.
I drifted to sleep with a smile on my face, knowing I was probably the only person who believed their real life was so much better than what their dreams could manufacture. For once in my life I couldn't wait to wake up.