This chapter has adult themes. Not very graphic but don't read if you're easily offended.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I'm sorry I haven't had time to respond to them all but each and every one is very much appreciated. :-)


Ranger's POV

The plane was about to begin it's descent to Miami airport so I sent Hector a text letting him know I would be arriving within an hour. I knew he was staying with Babe and the last thing I wanted was to have him pull a knife on me thinking I was an intruder. The mission I had just completed was not without complications and went longer than anticipated. I was desperate to see my Babe, I needed to be near her so I could calm and centre myself. We had been in a relationship now for just over a year and I was determined to never spend this much time away from her ever again.

It was just after midnight when I slipped in the house, and heaved a silent sigh of relief when Hector emerged from the shadows of the hallway, making his presence known. The lights were off and his voice was low, no doubt so as to not wake Babe who was most likely asleep upstairs.

"Welcome home mi hermano".

"Gracias Hector, it's good to be home. How is she?"

"Her face is brave, but I can see the worry in her heart. She missed you."

I ran my fingers through my hair, a gesture of part frustration part relief. It had been frustrating to have to accept this mission, but I couldn't in conscience deny it. I knew I was by far the best possible person to achieve success due to being one of the few people alive who could identify the players. The targets took longer than anticipated to locate and neutralise, but the job was finally completed and I could return home. Of course Uncle Sam decided to apply enormous pressure on me to re-sign while they had me in their clutches, but I could honestly say I wasn't the least bit interested. I had done this final job out of duty, and for a shit load of money, but as I pointed out to the suits in the final debrief, no one is irreplaceable. If I had been on another mission, injured, or dead, they would have had to send someone else. So other than training and consulting, I was done. For good.

I turned to look at him and the ambient light from outside must have revealed the bruising to my cheek.

"You took a hit. Are you injured?"

"No. Just some superficial scrapes." At least they were now. Things got a little ugly and out of hand at one stage when I was outnumbered by the target's bodyguards.

Hector accepted my answer without further questions, and tilted his head towards the fridge as he turned to head back towards his room down the hallway.

"Leftovers are in the fridge if you're hungry. And just so you know, I sleep with the door open so I can hear Angelita if she needs me."

I knew Hector was warning me to keep myself under control. He knew as well as anyone the needs that sometimes consume us after missions or violent takedowns, and sexual release could be sometimes be rough or even verging on brutal. He also knows I would sooner cut off my arm than ever hurt Stephanie in that way, but I appreciated his protectiveness of her. I had no intention of having sex with Babe this evening, I didn't even want to wake her, I just needed to be in her presence to calm and re-centre myself.

As Hector left I helped myself to a glass of juice from the fridge before showering in the downstairs bathroom and making my way upstairs.

R/S R/S R/S R/S R/S

I don't know how long I had been sitting in the chair by the open French doors. I'd showered and changed into a pair of long cotton drawstring lounge pants, and sat watching Babe sleep for some time. It was a warm night so she'd kicked off all the covers and was sprawled over the bed, lying there in one of those cute little pyjama sets, with spaghetti strap camisole and tiny little shorts. I closed my eyes to get myself under control trying to steer my mind in a different direction as it remembered every dip and curve of her body, the taste of her lips, the softness of her skin under my hands. Unfortunately I was fighting a losing battle and my dick became hard and ready for action despite my best efforts to get it to stand down. I had just decided I should remove myself from the room and the temptation lying in front of me when the sound of movement made my eyes snap open and my senses go on high alert.

Babe had begun to roll over then suddenly stopped, waking to realise there was someone sitting in her room.

"Ranger?" she whispered, sounding hopeful.

"Babe."

She moved quickly, bouncing up to a sitting position and then to her feet, but she froze before taking a step towards me. She could obviously feel the tension radiating from me. I hadn't realised until now just how tightly wound I still was.

"Are you OK? Is everything all right?" I could hear the worry and doubt in her voice, as though she was second guessing my presence and my feelings towards her. This was one of the things that had worried me on my mission when it took longer than expected. I couldn't contact her and I wondered how it would affect her and our relationship. We had come so far over the last year. I had asked her to marry me twice, both times she said someday, but was still concerned I would miss the army and the adrenalin rush from missions and change my mind. Perhaps this was what she was expecting or anticipating now.

She took a tentative step towards me, innately understanding that slow careful movements were soothing and calming to me at present. She approached the chair and stood in front of me laying her hand gently against the side of my face. I took her hand and placed a gentle kiss in the centre of her palm, and didn't stop her when she kissed me gently and positioned herself to sit straddled across my lap.

Her scent and the softness of her body against mine both relaxed me and aroused me further. She ran her fingertips lightly over my face, noting the scrapes to my cheek before exploring my body for further injuries. As her hands moved down my bare chest I caught them in my own, preventing further exploration, and attempted again to control the reactions in my body.

She sat perfectly still, but the heat from her core was seeping through the thin cotton pants we both wore, and testing the limits of my resolve.

"You've been hurt." She stated with concern.

"Nothing serious. Just some scrapes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

She remained silent for a moment assessing the truthfulness of my answer and seemed to be choosing her next words carefully.

"I missed you." She confessed, as though admitting such a thing may displease me, when the opposite was in fact the truth. Perhaps she thought I might think her needy or clingy, but to hear her say that made my heart soar.

"I missed you too." I whispered, laying a gentle kiss on her lips.

"I can tell." She replied, and I could feel her lips turn to a smile as she gently kissed my jaw and rocked her hips so she ground against my throbbing erection.

"Babe. As much as I want you right now this is not a good idea." I choked out, barely daring to breathe.

"Why?" She asked, stilling her movements and waiting for my answer.

"Because I'm on edge, and I don't want to hurt you." I swallowed hard and battled the consuming desire to throw her on the bed and have my way with her.

"Do you feel the need to hurt me, … or someone?" She asked, trying to understand.

"No. Not at all. It's just you deserve tenderness and loving, but at the moment my body is screaming for hard and fast."

Fuck. This was a monumental mistake coming here. I should have waited until I had decompressed and got myself under control. What the hell was I thinking? You missed her you idiot. You needed to know she was still here waiting for you, that's why you're here.

Babe gently withdrew her hands from mine, but instead of drawing away from me as I anticipated she threaded them through my hair and drew me in for a teasing but demanding kiss which further tested my control.

Pushing her breasts against my bare chest she proceeded to trace the shell of my ear with her hot little tongue. I could feel her pert nipples against me, pushing through the flimsy fabric of her pyjama top.

"And what if I don't want slow and tender? What if I also want hard and fast?"

"Babe, you're on very dangerous ground here." I growled in warning. Did she have any idea how close to losing control I was?

"Oh I know it's dangerous" she moaned, grinding herself onto me so hard that the wetness from between her legs seeped through the thin fabric of our pants, and made my cock beg to be given control of the situation " … and hard. I know you would never intentionally hurt me. Tell me what you want. Let me be what you need." She whispered.

My hands gripped her hips, trying to still her movements, but my brain short circuited when she gently scraped the nails of her left hand down my chest and over my nipple and tugged on my ear lobe with her teeth. My brain and body were in turmoil, engulfed in a silent war for dominance. A small voice in the back of my mind was warning me not to give in to my urges, reminding me that Babe and I had travelled a long road to repair our relationship and I might scare her with the intensity of my sexual need at the present. The voice didn't stand a chance however as Babe seemed to throw all her inhibitions to the wind and meet me head on. Her own arousal was undeniable, and the way she moved, the way she touched me and the way in which she took control crushed any remaining resistance.


Stephanies POV

Ranger stood suddenly and I had to wrap my arms and legs around him to hang on. I wanted this, I needed this, and wanted to give him what he needed as well. Every night I dreamt of him, and my sexual fantasies had resulted in a state of almost constant frustration that my shower massager had no hope of alleviating. And tonight, he was here, back safe and sound and it was obvious he needed me as well. My kisses became demanding and he returned them will equal force and fervour. Somehow he managed to divest us both of our pants and placed me on my knees on the bed, stripping off my camisole. I ran my hands over his magnificent abs and trailed my fingers towards his groin but Ranger abruptly interrupted my explorations, deftly grabbing me and shifting me so I faced the headboard, still positioned on my knees. He moved behind me and pressed his chest to my back, running his strong hands down my arms to capture my hands, placing each on the timber bed frame, leaning me forward so I was essentially on all fours. My heart was pounding with nervousness and excitement. I had always resisted sex in this position because of my aversion to "butt" stuff, and Ranger knew this.

I was feeling exposed and vulnerable as Ranger nudged my legs apart, settling himself between them, then caressed my butt cheeks, my hips, my waist, and up until his hands cradled my breasts. As he leaned forward, covering my back with his broad chest, he placed a hand on the headboard next to mine to brace himself, before ravishing my neck and whispering in my ear.

"Do you trust me Babe?"

I only nodded in response because I didn't trust my voice.

"You need to say it Babe. I need to hear you." And he gently sucked the spot below my ear which never failed to ignite my body and make my hormones run riot.

Swallowing my nerves I eventually managed to answer.

"I trust you Carlos." And I felt him move and apply a condom before plunging into me.


Rangers' POV.

I lay on my back, spent and waiting for my heart rate to return to normal. I was a lucky man. Babe lay tucked under my arm, head resting on my shoulders, exhausted but content. We had fucked long and hard, both needing the same type of release, and it wasn't until we collapsed after the third round that I realised the door to her room was still open and Hector had probably heard more than he bargained for. At least I could count on him to be discrete. The sex had been just rough enough to be edgy and arousing but not frightening to Babe. She discovered that positions she had previously be afraid of could actually provide increased pleasure and satisfaction. Our sex life was always healthy but tonight our activities seemed to transcend another whole level, physically demonstrating trust and willingness to meet each other's needs, and at the same time respecting boundaries. I knew it sounded clichéd but it was like two halves had become one, I would never be whole without her.


Stephanie's POV

I woke to the call of Mother Nature insisting I should use the bathroom. After taking care of business I slipped back into bed and Carlos' waiting arms. Snuggling in closer, I relished the memories of our reconnection last night and the fact that he was home safe and sound. I had closed the bedroom door on my way to the bathroom, feeling mortified at what Hector may have heard last night, and couldn't help asking Carlos even though I already knew the answer.

"Do you think Hector heard us last night?"

"Undoubtedly."

Any embarrassment I felt was quickly purged from my mind as Carlos rolled me onto my back and began to pleasure me with his magic hands and lips. This time our love making was slow and tender.

It was late morning by the time we emerged from the bedroom to find that Hector had left to run some errands. The note said he would be back for lunch and I was in the kitchen searching for suitable items for a late breakfast while Carlos finished in the shower. I had hoped Carlos would be with me before Hec returned. No such luck. Hector strode into the room as I was filling the kettle.

"Morning Angelita. Or is it afternoon?" And he gave me a smirk while making a show of looking at his watch. He placed a box from our favorite gourmet takeaway on the counter just as Ranger walked in.

"I bought lunch, lots of protein, to restore your energy." Hec explained, gesturing towards the food.

Ranger's lips twitched as though he was thinking of smiling before he grabbed me and dipped me for a bone melting kiss. When he stood me back up I had to grab onto is shirt to steady myself.

"Thanks mi hermano. She will need it." Ranger smirked as I blushed with embarrassment. Men!

Trying to avoid any further teasing or discussion about last night, I busied myself with making everyone coffee. We sat out on the patio and enjoyed an early lunch while Hector brought Ranger up to speed with everything that had been going on in Miami and Rangeman during his absence. Before long, the warm summer air combined with last night's strenuous activities and Hector's delicious lunch offerings, had me relaxed and drowsy. I couldn't contain the yawn that escaped as I stretched in contentment.

"Babe why don't you go and have a nap." Suggested Carlos, as he lifted my hand to his lips.

"Yes. You will need your energy for tonight." Added Hector suggestively, the innuendo causing me to blush again.

"For dancing Chica." And I couldn't help but smile as he winked at me when I stood to leave.

All of a sudden the prospect off tonight had taken on a whole new appeal. Ranger was back and although I would prefer to have him to myself, it would be nice to spend time with him and the guys for the Fourth of July party.

TBC