Chapter 6 – Ruining You for All Other Men
Not My Characters just borrowing them to play for a while.
Stephanie
Thank God it was Saturday, and we could take Adrian back to Bird Fever tonight since they were open until 9, and it was just barely 7pm. We still didn't have any type of carrier for him, but he easily rode on my shoulder down to the garage where Ace and I loaded into a fleet car and made the trek back across town. Adrian was agitated the whole time.
"It's OK, bud. I'm going back home to New Jersey, so you can go on back home, too," I said, wondering why I was explaining myself to a bird. This dude had really taken on a lot of human characteristics.
"No fever," Adrian said, confusing both Ace and me.
Ace glanced over at me. "I mean, at some point if they're not really keeping an eye on him, wouldn't it be better if he was in a place where he was getting better care? He's escaped twice now."
I shook my head. "I'm thinking just keeping him outright is something close to theft."
"Rangeman Adrian!" Adrian said.
We continued driving in silence. When we pulled into the strip mall a few minutes later, and Ace parked in front of what used to be Bird Fever. I couldn't believe what I saw in front of me. Bird Fever was gone. The windows were all cracked and broken, and the door hung off its hinges. The sign had been removed from the brick storefront and there wasn't a scrap of anything left in the store. Even the vinyl decals on the door with the hours of operation had been scraped away.
"No fever. NO FEVER!" screamed Adrian. Well, that makes more sense now.
"Something doesn't seem right," Ace said. "I think we should go in."
"I agree. Adrian, we'll be right back. Stay here, please," I said as we got out of the SUV and drew our weapons. We quickly cleared the building, finding nothing or no one inside. I went behind the counter, just to take one final look and found a few scraps of paper. I pocketed them, and Ace and I made our way back to the car.
"What now?" Ace asked.
"I guess we go back to Rangeman," I said.
"Rangeman! Yes, welcome to Rangeman!" Adrian said. I blew out a sigh.
"Are you going to take him with you?" Ace asked.
"To Trenton? No, I have a hamster. I don't need a bird."
"Do you think Fuller would let us keep him? He could hang out at the monitors and on the Control Room floor most days. There's always someone around. And he seems to really like the guys," Ace said.
"You don't have to convince me," I said. "You have to convince Fuller." My phone pinged and I saw an alert from my travel app. I'd gotten lucky and snagged an earlier flight home. I'd be back in Trenton by lunch. I accepted the changes to my itinerary and then escalated the sext-string Ranger and I had started a few days ago.
"I mean, he was talking all about coming together as a team at our paintball day, wouldn't Adrian be the perfect thing to bring us all together?"
"Mmm," I said with a noncommittal nod of my head. "Not a bad argument." Ace practiced various other angles and arguments the whole way back to the office. When we pulled in the garage and parked, I looked at him. "Good luck," I said.
We got out, and Ace decided his best shot was to take Adrian up with him while he made his appeal to Fuller. We didn't have to go far, because Fuller was waiting by the monitors when we stepped off the elevator.
"I see the bird returning errand was less than successful," Fuller deadpanned.
"What's up, Boss?" Adrian said, and every Rangeman within earshot was snickering.
"Care to enlighten me, Plum?" Fuller turned to me.
"Nope," I said. "Not my circus. My cases are closed, and I'm less than 12 hours from flying back to Trenton."
"Ace?" Fuller said.
Ace launched into the whole story, including how Adrian had already spent over 12 hours at Rangeman and had been an exemplary fowl-type employee. He assured Fuller he would take personal responsibility for Adrian, and would make a monthly schedule of volunteers, assigning a daily handler, who would be responsible for feeding and clean up.
"Five men," Fuller said.
"Sir?"
"If you have 5 other men, right now, who are willing to commit to your bird roster, he can stay." The Rangemen at the monitors and in the cubicles, who had been trying to look like they weren't listening, immediately perked up. 4 hands shot up, and 3 more men stood immediately. Fuller glanced around, nodding and smiling as nearly every Rangeman present began to indicate their interest.
"I guess that's that. Welcome to Rangeman, Adrian," Fuller said.
"I'm sexy, I'm cute, I'm popular to boot!" Adrian said. I burst out laughing. Just when I thought the bird couldn't endear himself to me any more than he had, he pops off with a line from Bring It On.
I said my farewells to the guys on the night shift who would be gone when I left tomorrow. I'd had a great time in Boston, but I was definitely ready to get home to Ranger. We had a score to settle from our latest text-flirtation, and I was psyched about my new idea. The next morning after a quick run in the gym, I collected my luggage and made my way to the Control Room to say my goodbyes. Ace and Zach both gave me hugs, and Fuller gave me a cordial handshake with a heartfelt "Thank You." I was happy to see Adrian was already back in his tiny Rangeman Hoodie, and he rode my shoulder down the elevator and into the garage where my ride to the airport was idling.
"Ok, Adrian. I've gotta go home now," I said, reaching up to stroke his feathers.
"Love you Rangeman Stephanie!" he said and gave me a gentle nip on the ear. I guess it was his version of a kiss.
"I'll be back, bud, and I'll see you later," I assured him. He fluttered over to Ace's shoulder.
"Bye, bitch!" Adrian said, making me laugh as I climbed into the car.
The flight back to Jersey was blessedly dull, and thanks to some sneakiness on my part, there was no black SUV waiting for me at the airport. I had texted the info to my dad that morning and was thrilled to spend the short trip to Haywood catching up with him. Apparently, my mother had literally gone off the deep end, and Dad was seriously considering taking her to regular AA meetings. He reported Grandma was doing great and had moved into the senior home with her honey of 6-months. Dad was enjoying time at the lodge and had been doing a lot more cab time lately. I told him I was sorry I hadn't been around.
"Pumpkin," he patted my thigh. "I only wish you had stood up to her sooner. I wouldn't say no to a dinner with you and Ranger, though." He pulled to a stop on the street in front of Haywood and shifted the car into park.
"It's a date," I said. "I'll find a time and text you." I kissed his cheek and climbed out of the car, grabbing my bags from the backseat. I hesitated and sent a quick text to Lester to make sure he had Ranger occupied. He replied immediately.
Lester: Affirmative, offsite. ETA 25 minutes.
Stephanie: Great, when you're back at the office tell him I'm home and waiting upstairs.
Lester: HUA
I hurried inside and called Ella as soon as I got upstairs, asking if she had time to help me. She promised she'd be up in 10 minutes. I hurried to set the stage, gathering the hardware I needed. I shucked my clothes and wrapped a towel around myself abut 30 seconds before Ella knocked on the door. I should have felt some sort of embarrassment, knowing that she would have essentially a front row seat to our sex lives and know exactly what was about to happen, but I figured she already had cleaned up the sheets and our bedroom after the night of the chocolate syrup buffet, so it wasn't like she thought we were celibate or something. Plus, I couldn't pull this off by myself. So, I opened the door with a smile and brazened through it, knowing it would be worth it when I won the fantasy challenge Ranger had thrown down. Ella followed me quickly into the bathroom and smiled knowingly when she saw what I'd laid on the counter.
"Dear," she said, noticing a slight blush in my cheeks. "I could make your cheeks turn crimson with the stories of when Luis and I were newlyweds. Never lose this part of your relationship, and never feel anything less than proud and empowered by it."
"Thanks, Ella." I made myself make eye contact with her and gave a small smile. She clicked a bracelet around my arm and drew it up to the shower rod, expertly attaching the second bracelet. I raised my eyebrow and she giggled.
"I'm not that prudish, Stephanie." My mouth fell open with a pop. Go, Ella!
I took a small step to the side and she attached my other wrist to a bar across the top of the soap dish at the other side of the shower. I held my towel in place with my armpit, and I planned to drop it after she left. My phone was on the soap dish, as a "just in case" measure. It lit up with a text from Les.
Lester: 5 minutes.
"I'd better be off, then, dearie," Ella said, reading the text. "Just call down if you decide you guys need dinner later," she said as she made her way out the bathroom door.
I heard the door click shut 30 seconds after she left the bathroom, and I lifted my arm just a smidge. The towel dropped away, pooling at my feet, and I waited. A few minutes later I heard the door open and close, and the clink of keys hitting the silver tray on the entrance table. The muffled thud in our bedroom told me Ranger had dropped his gun belt on the side table.
"Babe?" he called, as he walked into the bathroom. He stopped dead in his tracks, taking in the sight before him. I stood in the shower, arms spread wide, handcuffed to the shower rod and soap dish, wearing nothing but a lusty, somewhat triumphant, smile. He pulled off his shirt and closed the distance between us in 3 long strides. Threading his fingers in my hair, he pulled my mouth to his in a ferocious kiss. A low growl escaped this throat and I kissed him back with equal fervor.
"You got a couple details wrong, Babe," he said when he broke the kiss.
"Oh?"
"You've got both wrists restrained, which I like. But you're not dripping wet," he said with a twinkle in his eye.
"Are you sure?" I challenged.
"Babe." Before I could process the intent behind his words, he reached around me and flicked on the faucet, blasting me with ice cold water from the showerhead, and thanks to my restraints I couldn't move a muscle.
"Aahh! Shit!" I shrieked as the icy water pelted my skin. Ranger smirked and stepped out of the bathroom, expertly avoiding the chilly spray. And despite the freezing cold water, my betraying body gushed warm arousal between my legs. Blessedly, the water warmed quickly and a few minutes later Ranger reappeared gloriously naked, stalking toward me with hooded eyes.
"You are right," he said, as he stepped into the shower with me.
"Is that right?" I teased, hoping I wouldn't self-combust from being too turned on.
"This was one of my top 3 fantasies," he said as he dipped his head to draw a nipple into his mouth. I arched forward and a moan escaped my lips. "Naked." Kiss. "Wet." Lick. "Dripping for me." Nip. "And totally at my mercy." His voice was low and husky. He moved his attention to the other nipple and dropped a hand between my legs. A growl escaped his throat when he found me wet and ready. He eased one finger into my wet heat, followed immediately by a second. I moaned again, and ground shamelessly against his hand, getting more desperate by the second.
"So tight. So fucking hot," Ranger ground out, increasing the speed of his fingers, bringing me dangerously close to the edge. When his teeth closed over my nipple I shattered into a climax of white, hot heat.
"Carlos! Oh, God! Holy shit!" I was incoherent with pleasure.
Before I could even begin to come down from my climax, Ranger swept in, pressing my back against the cold tile, water sloshing over us both, keeping my nipples erect despite my release. He expertly lifted my legs, and I wrapped them around his waist. In another instant, he was inside me, and I hissed at his size.
"Dios mio." He stilled for a minute to let me stretch and then he set a pace that told me just how much he'd missed me the last 2 weeks I'd been in Boston. I met him eagerly, stroke for stroke, handcuffs clanging against the metal as I pulled and thrashed, lost in passion. I felt myself sliding over the edge again and scored my teeth across his shoulder as I felt his cock swell inside me and shout my name on his own release.
He slowly let my legs fall to the floor, but kept my body pressed close against his. He went on kissing me for several minutes, and when the water started to run cold, he pulled back and quickly washed us both, before stepping out of the shower to dry. I enjoyed the show while I hung on the rod, goosebumps forming on my skin as the steam receded from the bathroom.
"Are you gonna let me loose or what?" I finally asked.
"I'm thinking about it," Ranger said, flashing my favorite smile. "I'm glad you're home, and I'm wondering if I need to keep you chained up until I've had my fill." He wrapped a towel around his hips and came close, using his tongue to do clever things to the soft pad behind my ear. I shivered, and he released the cuffs. He immediately gathered me close in his arms.
"I missed you so damn much," he breathed. "Maybe not such a long assignment next time."
"I missed you, too," I admitted. "Maybe next time you come with me." We dried off and made our way into the bedroom where Ranger pulled me onto the bed. I easily collapsed into his arms, snuggling close to his chest. We lay like that for a while, talking about nothing and everything until I felt him growing hard against my ass, bringing a new smile to my lips. His teeth lightly nipped my neck and he rolled me onto my back, drawing my leg up and resting it on his shoulder. Then he showed me again just how much he'd missed me.
When we were done, I threw on one of Ranger's t-shirts, and we padded into the kitchen for bottles of water. I boosted myself onto the stool at the counter, and Ranger asked for more details about the assignment and was full on smiling when I filled him in on the saga of Adrian. He checked his phone and sent a quick text.
"Are you planning to bring the teambuilding issues to the Core Meeting tomorrow?" he asked.
"Yes, I have a few ideas of how to update the policy on it," I said. "We need to make sure all the branches are at least budgeting for it," I said. I glanced at the clock, shocked to see it was already after 6. "Are you hungry?"
"For food?" Ranger asked, liking his lips.
"That too," I said, uncrossing my legs. I reached my hand out to stroke his chest, and before I knew it, I had my legs wrapped around his waist and was sitting on the edge of the counter with Ranger balls deep inside me. Heaven.
We finished just a few minutes before there was a knock at the door of the penthouse. I scrambled for the bedroom, and Ranger, swiftly stepping into the gym shorts that had been discarded onto the kitchen floor, went to answer the door. When I reemerged in a cotton tank and sleep shorts, I found Ranger dishing up fried chicken, green beans, and macaroni and cheese. I raised an eyebrow.
"Temple taking the day off?" I teased, getting waters for us.
"Ella said something about you needing extra energy." He looked at me pointedly. "Just how much do you share with her, Babe?"
"Erm, well, she might have played a small part in helping me get things set up today. I can't be responsible for whatever conclusions she may have drawn," I said, batting my eyelashes. Ranger laughed out loud.
"You never disappoint," he said, handing me a plate. We settled at the dining room table and started eating. Ranger told me the story of how his Tia Ella had come to work for Rangeman.
"The first time I was here, Ella asked me if you were paying me," I said. Ranger choked on a green bean and quickly took a drink of water.
"She what?!" I nodded and told him the story. He shook his head and forked some chicken into his mouth.
"So was the reality as good as your fantasy?" I asked. I couldn't help it. I know curiosity killed the cat, but I'd been planning this almost the entire time I was in Boston.
"Babe."
"Oh, come on! I deserve a better answer than that!"
"No."
"No?!"
"It was a thousand times better than I ever imagined."
"Oh." I didn't really have anything else to say to that, so we ate in silence for a few minutes, finishing our meals. "I guess I have my work cut out for me, once I figure out your top two."
"No, Babe. It's my turn to give you one of yours." He pulled me to him, sliding my tank top up. His hands were warm on my skin. "How about a massage to loosen your muscles?" he asked.
"You're doing it again," I said.
"Doing what?"
"Ruining me for all other men."