Chapter 39—Ranger Mañoso 101
Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
Although the draperies were closed, the early morning light seeped through them, brightening the darkened room. Still lying in bed, Stephanie stretched her body like a cat just waking from a long slumber. Only Steph hadn't been sleeping for very long.
She and Marc… no, she and Carlos had made love most of the night and it was unlike any sexual experience she'd ever had, even when comparing it to that singular time with Ranger. The difference was that she was in love. And the man she was in love with, loved her too. The sex was phenomenal; she'd expected that. But the depth of emotion they both felt for one another pushed their passion to new heights that neither of them had ever been to before. There was no holding back, no competition, no embarrassment and, best of all, no doubts or guilt.
Their first time was quick, passionate and explosive. Neither of them could wait. After they got their breathing under control, Stephanie told Carlos she was going to take a bath.
As she got to the bathroom door, she glanced back at his deliciously naked hard body as he lay relaxed on the bed. With a saucy wink, she disappeared into the luxurious master bathroom intending to soak in the large claw-footed tub. Carlos had other ideas. He joined her before she even turned on the water. Dragging her into the shower, he turned them so the initial cold spray hit his back as he massaged her neck with his questing lips. They took turns thoroughly soaping each other's body, spending an unnecessarily long, but satisfying time in the process.
When they stepped out of the shower, neither of them bothered to wrap themselves in a towel. Stephanie tackled her damp tangled curls while Carlos shaved. They watched each other in the large gilded mirror that was still fogged around the edges, silly smiles plastered on their faces. But soon, the sexual tension got to be too much for them.
Racing back to the bed, they fell into the messy pile of sheets, their arms and legs entangled with each other. Mouths kissed whatever body part was closest; hands fondled and stroked bare skin concentrating on erogenous zones and areas that elicited the loudest moans and groans. If anyone had been listening, they would have heard cries of 'Don't' and 'Stop,' but the two lovers knew what really was being said was, 'Don't stop!'
The second time was still passionate and explosive, but certainly not quick. They took their time reacquainting themselves with each other's bodies, each acutely attuned to what delighted the other.
When they began their third time, they expected it to be another hot passionate sexual encounter, but emotion took over for both of them. Each touch, each kiss was slow and quiet, almost reverential. Carlos couldn't take his eyes off Stephanie as she fell under his magic touch, stroking and caressing her to one orgasm after another. When Carlos entered Stephanie it was more from a desire to become one with her, rather than slake a sexual need. Their eyes locked on one another as Carlos slid his hard cock into her, each reveling in watching the other's facial expressions radiate pleasure and becoming even more aroused by the sighs and whispers of ecstasy their kisses and moving bodies caused.
Covering her body with his, overcome with emotion, Carlos poured out his love for her in words of Spanish. He was on the verge of losing control as evidenced by his eyes shining with unspilt tears. Stephanie knew, without a doubt, that Carlos loved her and that this was the first time she had ever made love before. All the other times, even the time with Ranger, had been only sex. And Carlos was certain that he'd never experienced this emotional high before. When he spilled his seed within her, his tears spilled from his eyes unabashedly. They lay side by side, basking in the sexual and emotional afterglow of the moment, unable to bear breaking contact.
Their lovemaking continued through the night, with them only resting or sleeping for an hour or so between orgasms. In the beginning, it was Carlos initiating their sexual encounters, but when he started to slow down, Stephanie picked up the pace. She found Carlos liked her on top, a novel and rewarding experience for her. He let her control their movements and tempo, thrilling in her sensuality and wanton lust for him. He never imagined to find her so compatible with his desires and tastes, but it was like they were in sync with each other without the need to speak or give direction.
Their last encounter happened just after dawn. Carlos woke Stephanie up with kisses starting at her ear and moving south. Stephanie was thrilled that Carlos loved to kiss and kiss everywhere. He never appeared to be in a rush or go straight in for the kill. He took his sweet time and enjoyed the journey as well as the destination. By the time he reached her breasts, she couldn't feign sleep anymore and got in the game. Pushing him onto his back, she slid her body down his rock hard length kissing as much of his creamy mocha latte skin as she could until her tongue dipped into his belly button and then followed the thin trail of curling hairs downward. Carlos inhaled sharply as she took him into her mouth and gave him the same kind of pleasure he'd given her over and over. He could only take so much of her devoted ministrations before he rolled her under him. It was Stephanie's turn to gasp out loud when, with one smooth stroke, he filled her completely. The sex was just as amazing as the first time had been.
After they'd sated themselves, Carlos playfully slapped her butt cheeks and told her he was going for a run on the beach. Steph smiled and burrowed back under the covers. She liked that he didn't even ask her to join him. He was learning.
When he returned, they showered again, and then headed downstairs for the lodge's breakfast buffet. Steph packed away a huge plateful of scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, hash browns, pancakes covered with butter and maple syrup, and a few pieces of juicy cantaloupe. Carlos satisfied his appetite with a few hefty spoonfuls of scrambled eggs, a slice of unbuttered whole grain toast and a half plate full of sliced fruit topped with plain Greek yogurt.
Back in their room, Steph went through her overnight bag searching for any unworn clothes. When she'd packed, she thought she'd only be gone for one night and hadn't packed very much. Sniffing each item of clothing, she selected the freshest and started to dress. Again, Carlos had other ideas. Good thing they hadn't made up the bed yet.
A few hours and several orgasms later, they raced each other down the stairs laughing and sliding up to the reception desk just under the wire of the lodge's check out time. Carlos couldn't believe how silly he was acting, but after that amazing night of sex and intimacy, he was feeling light and playful and Stephanie's enthusiasm was contagious. Carlos loaded up the Porsche with their bags and they headed out to the Interstate to continue their drive east to Trenton.
Steph pulled her cell phone out intending to call Tank and let him know when they would arrive, but Carlos snatched it out of her hand.
"Hey, I was just calling Tank," Steph cried, reaching for her phone.
Carlos pocketed it and turned his head slowly from side to side, his lips mouthing, 'No.' He didn't want to give anyone time to gather a party together again. When he met his friends and family, he wanted it on his own terms.
Over the next several hours as they drove towards Trenton, Carlos and Stephanie discussed their past and future life together. He asked searching questions about his past and Steph did her best to answer all that she could. They both realized how little Ranger had shared with her regarding the details of his life, reaffirming Carlos' opinion that he didn't want to return to Ranger's solitary existence. He didn't see himself becoming an open book to just anyone, but he knew he didn't want to keep secrets from the woman he loved.
At Carlos' insistence, Stephanie reluctantly recounted some of the more dangerous incidents she'd been involved in as a bounty hunter and as a victim of stalkers and crazies. She told him about their first meeting when Ranger agreed to be her mentor. He was amused by her tales of his mentorship trials and tribulations. Carlos learned her first skip had been her old boyfriend, Joe, which floored him and raised a whole new set of questions.
When she described her violent run-ins with Benito Ramirez, he had to pull the car over and calm down. Fearing an even worse reaction, she sped through an abbreviated version of the traumas that Clyde Cone, Spiro and Con Stiva, the Comstock Street Slayers and Victor Gorvich had put her through. She briefly mentioned the DeChooch case, which took she and Ranger to Richmond, Virginia to rescue two of her high school friends, Mooner and Dougie. Carlos could tell she was holding something back and finally coaxed her into revealing the 'deal' they'd made for his assistance in bringing in Eddie DeChooch. Carlos uttered an expletive when he realized their first time making love was him 'collecting' on an asinine, contrived debt.
After his emotional reaction to the hell Ramirez had put her through, Steph purposely put off telling him about Scrog. Maybe later.
As she related the above incidents, she also told him about his involvement in many of the cases and included accounts of the tremendous resources and manpower he'd expended to keep her safe. She was glad he could laugh about her being the impetus for the loss of many of his vehicles and for 'breaking' his men, such as Tank's broken leg and sore nuts, Hal's 'stunning' and Cal's concussion.
Three quarters of the way through her recital of the terrifying episode with Eddie Abruzzi, she stopped. Everything she knew about Abruzzi's untimely death was conjecture. After hearing about Abruzzi's threats and torture of Stephanie and her sister Valerie, Carlos was beginning to gain a new perspective into his former self. He wanted to kill Abruzzi after just hearing about his heinous deeds; he didn't think he'd have much guilt over killing the scum if he'd actually experienced the events. Carlos could see she was too upset to continue that discussion and changed subjects, asking her about her family.
Steph told him humorous details about her parents and about Valerie's two marriages, and in particular, warned him about her Grandma Mazur. She also told him what she knew of his family.
Sonia had invited her to the Mañoso family Sunday dinner about a month ago and Steph met not only Carlos' father and siblings, but all their spouses and children and various aunts, uncles and cousins. She'd even met Carlos' grandmother, Abuela Rosa. Names had become a blur, so she could only tell him about his immediate family members and even then, she didn't know that much about them. During her visit, they'd wanted to hear all about her jungle adventures in Venezuela and the tribe Carlos had lived with and then all about finding him in San Francisco.
The Mañosos were a very different family from hers. Noisy, boisterous and very affectionate, she had a hard time reconciling their warm embrace of her with the stoic impassive Ranger. As she related to Carlos the information she'd learned about his family, she was laughing inside imagining the first time they saw him. He would be mobbed and fussed over like the returning prodigal son he was. He would hate it!
She told him all she could about RangeMan and the men who worked for him. Listening to the things she thought were important for him to know, he realized how different men and women were. Tank had given him the facts and figures; Stephanie told him personal things about each man, their temperaments and histories. He learned the only other woman he employed was Ella Guzman, his housekeeper, who was more like a trusted family member than an employee. Stephanie made sure he knew what made these people tick, how to win them over and erase any doubts they may have concerning him returning as head of RangeMan, Inc.
He knew he wanted Stephanie in his life. He hadn't known she could be such a valuable asset to him in his business dealings. That thought gave him some new ideas to mull over. She'd told him about Pax's job offer with the DEA, but she hadn't indicated which way she was leaning. He needed to know her desires before he went too far with his plans for her. He knew she was fiercely independent and refused to be controlled or manipulated in any way. He had his work cut out for him.
They'd both been silent for awhile when Steph starting bouncing up and down and yelling for him to get off the freeway. Carlos finally figured out she was hungry and had seen a sign for cheesesteaks. They'd been so pre-occupied with their conversation, neither had realized how much time had passed and they were now in Pennsylvania. Hoping there was more on the menu than fat-filled beef and canned orange foam, Carlos exited the Interstate and wound his way through the surface streets to give his lover what she desired: a cheesesteak 'wit' Cheez Whiz and a large Coke. He settled on a mushroom pepper steak, promising himself to do an extra hour of cardio tomorrow. What one does for love, he sighed to himself.
Back on the freeway with Trenton looming in the distance, Carlos started thinking about the people he'd be meeting for the first time. Since they'd know things about him and about their past interactions, he'd be at a disadvantage. In particular, he was curious to learn more about his role in breaking up Steph and her old boyfriend.
He reached over the console for her hand. She readily clasped his, their fingers entwining. It felt so easy and natural, which was a new experience for both of them.
"Do you feel up to talking about Joe?" he asked.
Steph momentarily stiffened. The last time she'd seen Joe was at Pino's with Pax. The chance encounter hadn't gone well. She could just imagine the snide comments Joe would make about her returning with 'dead man walking' Ranger. If Carlos was present when Joe said something like that, then all hell would break loose. In the past, Ranger and Joe had always maintained a professional respect for each other and had managed to avoid any physical confrontation. Now, she wasn't sure how Carlos would react to Joe's aggressive, obnoxious behavior of late. And she didn't want to find out.
"Is it really necessary? We broke up over a year ago," Steph replied, her body involuntarily fidgeting.
"I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just have a few questions."
Steph nodded and stared out the passenger window, taking a sip of her soda every few minutes.
"How long were you together?"
Steph sighed. "About four years, on and off."
"Were you just dating, engaged or what?"
Steph snorted. "Yes, yes and yes." She turned to look at Carlos. "It's compli…"
Carlos chimed in, "…cated. Yeah, I heard that one before. How big is he?"
Steph chuckled. "He's slightly taller than you, but you have more muscle." She didn't think Carlos was worried about Joe, but was just trying to make her smile. It worked. "If you're thinking of duking it out with him, know that he had a reputation as a barroom brawler in his younger days. And, by the way, he's now a cop, so he carries a gun."
"A cop? Wouldn't I run into him being in the security and fugitive apprehension business?"
"Occasionally," she admitted. "He's a detective for the Trenton Police Department. I think you and he ran into each other, though, mainly because of me and my bounty hunting escapades." Steph grimaced. "He's not fond of you and you barely tolerate him."
"Would my poaching on his girlfriend have anything to do with his not being 'fond' of me?"
Steph spewed soda through her nose. Carlos' reference to 'poaching' was too close for comfort. "I don't think Joe knew about that, but he knew you looked at me the same way he did and that was enough to raise his territorial hackles. He used to call you a loose cannon and hinted that he thought you didn't operate on the up and up."
"Was he the only one who thought that about me?"
Steph shook her head. "No one knew… knows very much about you, and well, you know people. They like to talk about what they don't know, so there has been lots of speculation about you and your men."
"RangeMan is an extremely successful company, so I must be doing something right. I don't care if people talk about me; as long as I have a clear conscience."
Steph stated emphatically, "I've been working for RangeMan for over a year now and I can tell you that Tank runs a tight, above-board ship. He makes sure everyone follows your strict company policies and stays this side of the law. Anyone who steps a toe over the line, gets called to the mats."
That sounded about right for a bunch of macho ex-soldiers. Cutting pay could be a disincentive for undisciplined behavior, but losing face in a physical confrontation would be even worse. Carlos grinned, "Please tell me Tank never took you to the mats?" Steph smiled at the thought, then shook her head.
Carlos went back to his original line of questioning. "You said Joe had a professional respect for me?"
"Well, there were times you and your company could be useful to the police department, so he knew he had to work with you. But he hated that I worked with you and did everything he could to stop it."
"What's 'everything'?" Carlos' jaw tightened as he imagined the things an angry man might do to 'persuade' a woman to obey him.
Steph noticed Carlos' rigid posture and tried to reassure him. "Joe never hit me, he just yelled a lot. He tried repeatedly to get me to quit bounty hunting. He complained whenever he knew you had anything to do with one of my cases or when I would help you. There was one time you were forced to hide out in my one-bedroom apartment – we were NOT sleeping together – and Joe decided to move in too, all in the name of protecting me. That was too much testosterone and chest beating for me so I left."
"I could see where that might have led to an interesting night. I can't imagine that I would have tolerated you sleeping with him while I was there."
"You pretty much said that to me that night and I figured Joe planned on sharing my bed with me. I had to get out of there so I climbed down the fire escape, but Tank ratted me out. I went to my parents' house for the night. I have no idea what you and Joe finally did." She gave him an odd look.
"Even though I don't remember any of this, I can assure you, your old boyfriend and I did not share a bed." Carlos shot me a serious look. "Does Joe know you and I slept together—that time you were broken up?"
She shook her head. "I never told him. It wouldn't have served any purpose."
Steph's jaw clenched and released. "I don't want you to think I cheat on my boyfriends. If I can say one thing in my defense, Joe and I had a weird ambiguous relationship. When I wanted a commitment from him, he wasn't ready and vice versa. We broke up every few months. I don't know what he did when we were apart; I was too afraid to ask. And he didn't ask what I did either."
After a minute's contemplation, she continued, "I admit I was attracted to you and had a hard time keeping our relationship purely professional, despite the guilt I felt. The funny thing is, Joe always seem to be running into his old girlfriend, supposedly because of his work. I think we both had a problem maintaining strict fidelity with each other, which should have been a red flag for both of us."
Steph blew out a big breath. "My first husband cheated on me with my childhood nemesis before the ink was dry on our marriage license and that really got to me. By the way, if I catch you anywhere around a red-headed barracuda named Joyce Barnhardt, cover your jewels, because I'll kick first and ask questions later." That got an arched eyebrow from Carlos. "Anyway, I tried hard to keep my distance from you, but you had this force field around you that sucked me in every time."
"My animal magnetism?" he said with a grin.
Steph rolled her eyes. "Something like that."
"What's Joe's last name?"
"Back to him again? Morelli. Joseph Morelli, the quintessential Italian Stallion. He used to be a womanizing, brawling, hard drinking son of a gun. The classic bad boy all mothers warned their daughters to stay away from."
Carlos shot her a quizzical look, and Steph rolled her eyes. "Yes. I was sucked in by his charms, movie star good looks and questionable reputation. So, sue me!"
"Am I seeing a pattern here?"
With a snicker in her voice, Steph quipped, "Are you saying you think you're charming and good looking?" She looked sideways at Carlos, "I'll give you the badass reputation, but as for the others..."
His hand snaked out and tickled her just under her arm and down across her ribs, reducing her to giggles and squirms. She slapped his hand away and pushed herself up against the passenger door.
"Uncle, uncle. Okay, you are a little charming and somewhat good looking." Carlos started to reach for her again. She shrieked in mock fear and shouted, "Alright! You're a LOT more charming and MUCH better looking than Joe."
"Damn skippy!" he said with a straight face, but there was a twinkle in his eye.
"Uh, Carlos… I wouldn't use that phrase around your men, if I were you. It's OK for me, but…"
"Too pansy-assed for a badass, huh?" he dead-panned.
Steph grinned. "Well, I would never call you a pansy, but you can be an as…" Carlos' hand snaked toward her ribs again and she flinched, giggled and recovered, "austere man, you know, a man of few words. You tend to let your quiet but intimidating presence speak for you."
"So, you see me as the strong silent type?"
"That would be part of my description of you."
"What else would you say about me?"
"Are you fishing for compliments, Batman?"
"Querida."
Steph leaned over and kissed his cheek and said in a low sexy voice, "I would say that you are a fantastic lover with a skillful pair of hands, a magic pair of lips and a magnificently large…"
Carlos arched his eyebrow at her again and interrupted, "I get the picture."
A wide grin spread across her face. "Oooh, can I have a picture? Lula would go absolutely ape over a picture of your..."
"Querida, please." Carlos lifted his hand and pinched the bridge between his eyes.
"Okay, I'll stop. But it is magnificent." Steph let her hand trail south across his ribs.
Carlos grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. "What am I going to do with you?"
"I have a few ideas," she quipped, lifting her eyebrows up several times in quick succession.
He was enjoying their easy banter and obvious loving connection. He kissed her hand again and laid it against his cheek. "The harder question is, What would I do without you, Querida?"
"Don't ever try to find out. Now that I've got you, you're mine and I'm not letting you go." Steph entwined her fingers with his for emphasis.
"Right back at you, especially the MINE part. Joe may have been okay with sharing you, but I don't share. To be clear, I consider us a couple. I will never cheat on you and I expect the same from you. Trust and honesty are paramount to me." He pulled her hand back up to his lips and kissed her palm. "I love you, Stephanie," he said, knowing that those few words didn't come close to expressing the depth and intensity of his feelings for her. He made himself a solemn vow never to be separated from her, ever again.
Her heart swelled at his declaration of love and even his possessiveness was touching. Ranger had said something similar to her, but of course, back then it was all theoretical. Just having him be so physically attentive was surprising enough, but to have him open up and share his feelings with her was astounding. Would all this have happened if he hadn't lost his memory? Would it all go away if he regained it? She snuggled in closer to him.
"You're 'it' for me, the only one I want, Carlos. I just love saying your name. Carrrlos," she said, trilling the 'r'. "Will you miss being called Marc?"
He shook his head. "I'm glad to finally know and use my real name. Now, I have to make it mine again."
They drove in silence for awhile. They were approaching Philadelphia and rush hour traffic was picking up. Trenton was only about forty minutes away.
"Querida, I have one more question." He waited until he had her full attention. "Why did you leave Morelli?"
Steph was quiet for several minutes. "We wanted different things. I like working and he wanted me to be a housewife. He wanted kids and I don't think I do." Steph's eyes got big and she spun around to face Carlos. "Do you? Do you want kids? I mean, besides Julie?"
"I haven't given much thought to children. I was stunned to learn I had a teenage daughter. I guess I could go either way, depending on what you wanted."
"So, if I don't want kids, you're okay with that?"
"Yes, Querida, I'm okay with that."
"I do have a dependent, though. He means a lot to me. His name is Rex."
Carlos looked at her with questioning eyes. Steph smiled and said, "He's a hamster."
Carlos let out a hearty laugh. "So I'm going to be a stepdad to a rodent?"
"A hamster. He's cute and adorable and doesn't take up too much space. And he's a great listener."
"Whatever you say. How do you feel about Julie? I'd like to get to know her and spend some time with her. Will that be a problem?"
"Absolutely not. I love Julie. She's definitely your daughter. A real fighter!"
"You know her? You've spent time with her? Tell me what she's like?"
Steph hesitated. Was now the time to tell him about Scrog? Was there any good time? "I've met Julie a few times, but they were under unusual circumstances."
"You aren't going to tell me it's complicated?"
Steph blew out a big breath. "The last time I saw Julie was at your 'funeral' and it wasn't a very happy event, I can tell you." Carlos nodded, trying to imagine his family's reaction to learning he was dead. So much had happened back home while he was with the Ye'kuana and then in San Francisco.
She continued, "The first time we met was a bit more 'out there.' It was about three years ago. Julie was ten. She lives in Miami with your ex-wife Rachel and her husband Ronald Martine. Ron adopted Julie when she was just a toddler. The Martines also have a couple of kids of their own. Julie is happy and well adjusted. She is a smart, beautiful young girl and takes after you in looks and stubbornness." She smiled at Carlos to take the sting out of her last comment.
"Before I go any further, Carlos, you need to know that it all turned out okay and Julie is fine. Anyway, Julie was kidnapped by an unbalanced man named Edward Scrog. Scrog became obsessed by you and in his crazy mind, wanted to become you. Not like you, but actually become you. He stalked you and found out about me and about Julie. He thought if he possessed what you had and then got rid of you, his life would be 'perfect' like yours." At that last statement, Carlos let out a single sharp laugh and muttered, "Perfect?"
At first his voice was incredulous. "Please tell me you're pulling my leg? This is like something out of a bad movie." Then his voice became hard and insistent. "What happened? Did he hurt Julie… or you?"
She shook her head. "Julie was drugged and scared, but he didn't hurt her. You were so proud of her and so was I. She kept her wits about her and she ended up saving your life. She is definitely your daughter, even if you didn't spend much time with her when she was a child. You can change that now. She wants to get to know you."
Carlos had his hand over his mouth as she talked, a concerned look in his eyes. "Start at the beginning and tell me the whole story," he stated, his voice flat, his expression blank.
Steph began with her first meeting with Carmen Mañoso and wrapped up with Julie shooting Scrog. As she finished, Carlos rubbed the scar on his neck and shook his head. "Dios, I put you in incredible danger, and Julie…"
"Don't go there, Carlos. You were not responsible for that. There are sick people out there. No one can control that kind of thing. Shit happens. We deal with it the best way we know how. I would do what I did again in a heartbeat, and so would Julie. When you walked into my apartment to face Scrog, that's when I knew for sure that I loved you. And then, when Scrog shot you, I thought I'd lost you and I went crazy." He reached out and stroked her hair and then rubbed her shoulder, waiting for her to calm down.
Finally, she was able to continue. "We went back to just being friends after that, but everything changed for me. It just took me time to realize you were the only man for me, even if all I would ever have from you is your friendship. You've saved my life so many times. I owe you my life several times over."
"We have quite some history together, don't we?" Carlos said.
"Yep. And I am expecting quite some future with you, too."
"I hope our future doesn't have any more stalkers or crazies in it. But I guess I'd better get used to carrying a gun, just in case."
"Make that two guns and a knife."
"Querida."