Author's Note: Good evening, everyone. So, tomorrow morning, I'm hitting the thrift store with my big sister. I desperately need some more winter skirts but mainly, I'm going for workout gear. My mother offered me her rarely used gym membership key (not in a malicious way…) and since I was happier when I worked out regularly (weight training my senior year of high school), I'm going for it starting Monday morning.

At almost 6 feet tall, I'm a little over 220 pounds with a large frame, which isn't horrible but there's a hell of a lot of room for improvement and as long as I get to keep most of my curves, I'm all for trimming the excess me off my middle. Wish me well in my upcoming quest. Enjoy today's chapter.

Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"

"How'd he get in?"

"Picked the lock."

"How'd you get in?"

"Picked the lock…look, get yourself a couple of deadbolts…and lock that shit up."

-Ranger and Stephanie in One for the Money (2012)


The bathroom door opened and she came out in a towel and a cloud of fragrant steam. While I could still smell the mango/mint product she got from Bath and Body Works, the scent of my body wash was stronger. She had blushed when she unpacked it but it was so damned sexy to me. Steph was walking around smelling like me and she told me that it made her feel safe, like I was right there with her at all times.

Needless to say, she wasn't surprised nor had she complained when I tackled her to her bed for the rest of the morning.

Opening the top drawer, she pulled out a set of cotton underwear, white with pink and gray horizontal stripes and then pulled a dark gray Bon Jovi t-shirt from the 3rd drawer. She pulled out a pair of dark wash hip huggers from the 2nd drawer and from the 4th, a pair of my socks. There was a Wonder Woman cookie jar on the counter, a second "Hamster Mansion" in the office, and 1/3 of the closet had been taken over by her things, mostly an impressive collection of shoes. In response, I had a go pack in her closet, my preferred groceries in her fridge and the few products I used to stay presentable in her bathroom.

Not even with Rachel had it been so natural, so matter of fact that our possessions were mingling like our physical selves…

"What're you thinking about?"

"Us."

"Good things?"

"Very."

"Awesome.", she sighed happily before calmly dropping her towel and giving me a look. To go with that look, she practically slithered onto the bed, plucking the copy of Nat Geo out of my hands on her way to cup my face. A thumb ran over my lips before she captured them, her hands tugging down the boxers I had on eagerly. Small bolts of electricity went through me as her fingers expertly found my nipples and soon I was harder than granite, instinctively seeking her…

"I wanna ride you. Is that okay?" she asked against my mouth.

Fuck. Yes.

The grin on her face indicated that I had spoken aloud but I just moved the blankets aside, my hands steadying her as she got settled onto me. I rolled my hips up into her and she pushed me harder against the headboard, giving me a warning look. Before I could ask, all thought was wiped from my mind as she slowly, purposely clenched her inner walls.

"Shit…" I hissed through gritted teeth, her wicked laugh right in my ear…

/

"…Carlos?"

Gradually, my vision cleared and I saw a now fully clothed and very pleased Stephanie sitting at the foot of the bed. Topping her outfit was the Windbreaker and tonight's gloves were snow white with black stripes, matching the 2 inch heels she had on.

"Well, for once, Cosmo wasn't full of shit. I'll have to send a thank you note to the editor…"

"I love you. Not just because you literally fucked me senseless but…just everything. I fucking love you, Babe."

"And I love you, too, Soldier Boy. I gotta bounce. We're all meeting up at Mary Lou's before heading out."

"You dressed?"

She pointed to her uptwisted hair, indicating her daggers and showed the hilt of her taser in her right pocket.

"Good girl. Have a great time and call me if you need anything."

"Les, Bobby, and Tank are coming too so I think we're good with backup. I'll call just because."

I nodded and chuckled as she pressed a goodbye kiss to my ankle, staining it with raspberry red lipstick.