A/N: Sorry you had to wait so long for this! I get hung up on the weirdest things…

Disclaimer: Characters from the books are property of JE. Everything else is mine.

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Chapter 25 – Interlude

The heavenly scent of coffee teased Steph from the abyss of sleep. With effort, she peeled one eye open to locate the source and spotted Ranger standing by the window. He seemed to be looking outside through a small gap in the curtains. A cup of steaming coffee was cradled in one strong, long-fingered hand.

He was naked.

Steph blinked and her other eye opened, anxious not to miss anything.

She had to bite her lip to keep from moaning. The damned man was unfairly good-looking by anyone's standards. Fresh from the shower, his hair still damp and tousled, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. The air conditioner kicked on and now she could catch the faint scent of Bulgari and clean male wafting across the room. Places low in her body tightened.

Ranger must have felt her gaze. The corner of his mouth curved up even before he turned his head to meet her eyes. "Good morning, Babe."

"It is so far," she agreed, her voice still husky from sleep. "Got any coffee left for me?"

"Beside you."

Steph pushed up on one elbow and looked around. Sure enough, on the corner of the nightstand next to her a cup waited. It was still steaming hot and already had cream and sugar in it just the way she liked it. The curve of Ranger's lips became a full-fledged smile as he leaned his shoulder against the wall and watched her suck down half of it before she slowed.

"What were you doing?" she asked a moment later.

"Looking for clouds. The forecast says afternoon thunderstorms are possible but right now the sky is clear and nearly as blue as your eyes. Are you hungry for breakfast?"

It took a moment for Steph to register the change in subject and answer the question. "Not yet. Are you?"

Ranger came over and sat on the edge of the bed. Stephanie couldn't help but appreciate the flex of muscle across his body as he stretched one arm out to put his cup on the nightstand.

"What shift do you work tonight?"

"Three to close."

"What time do you need to be there?"

"Probably two-thirty, so I can change clothes and help get the set-up done. Why"

Ranger took her cup and set it next to his. His eyes kept her mesmerized as he slowly peeled the sheet away from her body. "It's only ten-thirty," he said as she watched his eyes darken, "and I'm hungry for something else."

He watched her eyes slip down his length as he moved over her, caught her small gasp at what she saw. His smile turned predatory as he settled himself between her thighs.

"I haven't showered yet," she protested breathlessly, half-heartedly.

"We can take one later," he said, and lowered his head.

Her mouth tasted of sweet coffee and he kissed her long and deep, until her lips were swollen and pink and her body rubbed eagerly against his. Her neck arched for him as he scraped his teeth along her skin, and her whole body shuddered when he closed his lips over one puckered nipple. Steph's hands slid over his shoulders and tangled in his hair.

His attentions over the course of the night had left her ultra-sensitive, so he moved slowly and tried to be gentle. The sounds Steph was making had him achingly hard and he nearly groaned in relief when she dug her fingers into his back, urging him on.

He did groan when he was fully sheathed in her heat, felt her arch up beneath him to take him deep. Bracing his weight on one forearm, he slid the other hand under her to hold her in place and began to move. Long, slow strokes meant to make the torturous pleasure last – but when she shattered he surrendered and let her pull him over the edge with her.

They held each other without words as their hearts slowed to normal. Then Ranger's stomach growled and Stephanie burst out laughing.

"I guess it's time for breakfast!" she teased, and giggled at Ranger's sheepish grin.

They showered together, indulging in a little hanky-panky under the warm water, and had a second cup of coffee while they dressed. Steph's shirt from the day before was badly wrinkled so Ranger loaned her a t-shirt and they went in search of food..

Since it was nearly noon they had a leisurely brunch at a pancake house before taking a meandering route back toward the downtown area and Babes. It was one thirty and Bear was moving something in the walk-in cooler when Stephanie opened the back door with her seldom-used key.

"Look what the Devil dragged in!" Bear greeting them with a chuckle. "I was just trying to remember if I'd seen you come back in last night or not."

"Not after we went out to eat," Steph said with a smile for the older man. "We only came back to get Ranger's SUV." She turned to Ranger and added, "I'm going to get ready for work." And she took off up the back stairs.

When Steph turned the corner out of sight, Bear turned to Ranger. "Are you going to stick around tonight?"

"I was thinking about it. Why?"

Bear grinned. "I figured we could swap lies between customers, and maybe I could get you to tell me some stories about Stephanie. Some of the newspaper stories I read were a little confusing."

Ranger just chuckled.

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As a general rule Sundays were slow. There were regulars that came in to watch sports on Bear's big-screen TV, drink beer, and eat burgers. Small groups of students came in, most of which stuck to food and soft drinks with only the occasional beer or frozen drink. Ranger took the barstool where he'd made his dramatic appearance and kept up an easy conversation with Bear, occasionally punctuated with soft laughter. When it was slow Steph joined them, drinking Coke on ice, a little bemused at seeing such a relaxed side of Ranger.

Owl and Doc stopped in for a beer and listened in for a while, curious to meet this mysterious friend of Stephanie's.

Steph was cleaning off a table about two hours before closing time when Bear changed subjects on Ranger.

"Are you staying in a hotel?" he asked.

Ranger nodded.

"There's a decent queen-size air mattress across the hall in that apartment Rabbit and Angel used Friday night, if you'd rather stay here with Jersey. There are clean sheets on the folding table in the laundry room – you know where that is, don't you? And the pillows are still sitting on the bed."

"Thank you," Ranger said. "I appreciate the offer."

Bear waved it off. "Just make yourself at home," he said, and went to wait on a customer.

Ranger thought about it and turned to look at Stephanie. She turned to meet his gaze with a questioning look within a few moments, and the corner of Ranger's lips quirked. He got up and met her heading back to the bar.

He stepped close and explained Bear's offer quietly, and Stephanie smiled.

"I'd like that, if you don't mind. There's no point in you spending money on a room, and if you'll drive me to the store we won't have to go out to eat."

"You'd cook for me?" Ranger asked her with a bemused smile.

Stephanie's cheeks colored slightly. "If you'll keep in mind that I'm still a beginner, yes."

Ranger bent to kiss her and a five-voice chorus of "ooohs!" rose from a table of college boys. Steph hid her face in Ranger's shoulder and he hugged her, chuckling. "I'm going to get my things and check out of the motel, and I'll be back."

"Okay." Steph smiled up at Ranger as he let her go. She had herself back under control now, and shot the rowdy boys a scowl worthy of the Devil. They grinned back at her but settled down, and Ranger left still smiling.

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It got busy for a while after that. Stephanie didn't actually see Ranger again until Bear was locking the door behind the last customer, and then she was surprised to see him coming out from behind the bar with a bus tub.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a bemused tone.

"Helping." The corners of his eyes crinkled slightly. "More hands, less time."

He'd watched Stephanie and Angel go through their close routine once, so he did what Angel had done – load the dishes, glasses, and trash in the tub and the condiments on a big tray. Steph went behind washing the tables and chairs down with disinfectant cleaner and putting the chairs up on the tables upside down. Bear took charge of the duties behind the bar and handed Ranger a broom with a big grin. Ranger took it in good humor. They made a good team. Everything was done in very short order and Bear shooed them upstairs before he did his final round to check the locks.

When Steph opened her door she found Ranger had been busy up here, too. The platform bed and recliner had both been moved slightly to make room for the queen-sized air mattress, and it was already in place and made up with sheets, a blanket, and pillows.

"Wow…" Steph stopped in surprise and Ranger had to push her a little further into the apartment so he could close the door. "I thought you just went to get your stuff from the hotel."

"You were busy. I decided to make myself useful." He guided her toward the bathroom, knowing she liked to take a shower after work. He wanted one himself. The bar was nice, and cleaner than average, but the smells of beer and fried foods did cling. "I got a few things, too, so we can have a snack after our shower."

They shared a shower, keeping it short because they were both a little tired. The apartment was cool this time of night, so they both pulled on clothes – workout pants for Ranger, sweatpants for Steph, and t-shirts for them both – so they'd be comfortable until they went to bed.

Steph found her little refrigerator stocked with more than just a few things for snacks, and she shot Ranger a look over her shoulder.

"I stopped for milk, and decided I might as well save a trip. I'll still take you if there's anything else you want."

Opening a cabinet door she found coffee, granola, pop-tarts, even hot chocolate mix and a variety bag of snack-size candy bars. "I can't imagine what that would be," she muttered to herself with a bemused smile. "You even got some more olives."

Ranger pulled a small pre-made tray of snacks out of the fridge and they sat down at the table. They ate cheese and crackers and thin slices of pepperoni, carrot sticks and raw broccoli. Steph finished off the old jar of olives, surprised yet again when Ranger stole a few.

She cleaned up the small mess and wiped off the table while Ranger did whatever his nightly bathroom things were. When he came out she took her own turn, cleaning the last traces of makeup from her face with a makeup remover wipe, brushing her teeth, and running her fingers through her almost-dry hair.

When she came out of the bathroom she spotted his discarded clothes first. The workout pants and t-shirt were tossed over the arm of the recliner. Ranger was in bed, propped on one elbow, with his head cocked towards the door as if he was listening to something.

She stopped and listened, too. She could faintly hear the beat of rock playing somewhere. "It's just Bear," she told Ranger. "He's got a weight machine downstairs near the laundry room. It's his way of relaxing, I guess. It's not unusual for him to spend some time there before he goes to sleep."

Ranger looked up at her, smiling when he saw what she wasn't wearing. "I can think of better ways," he said softly.

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TBC…