The Test
No warnings of any kind….
Chapter Forty Two
Stephanie entered the quiet cool of Ranger's apartment and called "Ric?"
Hearing no response she headed for the bedroom and stopped abruptly as she saw the items laid out on the bed.
She was mesmerized by the dress. It was incredible and absolutely stunning…she'd never seen anything like it. Stephanie held it up and noticed the label read "Notte by Marchesa" and the tags showed it had been purchased at Bergdorf Goodmans. Holy shit! No wonder she'd never seen anything like it! She'd never dared to even browse at Bergdorfs!
The thought of wearing a dress like this…more importantly of having Ric see her in a dress like this took her breath away. The dress was a vivid cobalt blue with a strapless sweetheart neckline and two bands of ribbon that formed an almost sculpted layered bow over the bodice which molded tightly to the waist.
Below that the dress fell, "no" Stephanie corrected herself this dress flowed all the way to the floor. She plucked at the skirt and the cool fabric slipped between her fingers…a beautiful blue silk waterfall that simply begged to be draped across her body.
There was a matching silk evening bag next to the dress but it was the nearby box that caught her eye. Stephanie held her breath as she lifted the lid and saw a dazzling pair of Manolo Blahnik jeweled satin pumps.
The perfect foil for the dress the shoes were a majestic metallic silver with a four inch heel and a square of sparkling crystals encrusting the toe. She touched the shoes reverently and then moved impatiently on to the next box.
Knowing how much Ranger enjoyed seeing her in her sexy lingerie she'd been surprised there wasn't a box from Victoria's Secret until she opened the next item and saw it was from La Perla and held a gorgeous lacy strapless bra with matching panties.
Both pieces were made of sheer panels blended with the most delicate silk and the color reminded her of the seashells she used to gather at Point Pleasant…a sort of pink tinted beige that made her dream of a tropical paradise with Ranger lying naked on the beach…
Stephanie pulled herself away from dreams of a very hot, wet and hard Ranger waiting for her in a cabana and came reluctantly back to reality as she gingerly picked up the last box.
It was small and the box revealed that it came from a very exclusive jeweler and Stephanie was immediately concerned about the cost as she opened the box and saw a small folded note that read
"Did you know that stones have meaning, Babe? Rubies mean romance, devotion and passion. They also hold positive energy and are said to reinforce love. These stones symbolize the feelings I have for you and the hope that our love will grow stronger with every passing day..."
Stephanie's eyes filled with tears as she read Ranger's heartfelt words and knew they mirrored the feelings in her own heart.
Then she looked down and gasped as she saw the flash of glowing rubies and dazzling diamonds displayed in the magnificent necklace with its matching bracelet and drop earrings…they were so beautiful…and so old…they belonged in a museum or on a Queen or something.
It was impossible to hold back the tears of joy that now flowed freely as she thought about the way Ranger always made her feel like Cinderella at the ball…only she never needed to worry about the clock turning to midnight...
She was still shedding tears of happiness as she pulled out her phone to call Ric and thank him but when she opened her phone there was a post it saying
You're welcome, Babe but remember, there is no price and I plan to spend rest of my life spoiling you. I love you. Now, go get ready!
R.
Laughing now she snapped her phone shut and looked at the clock before shrieking "That can't be the time!" as she ran for the shower.
Seventy five minutes later Stephanie gave her resplendent reflection one last check in the mirror and headed out to the elevator. She was dying to see Ranger…
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