Discalimer: I don't own these characters, I'm just playing around.

Thank you to all of those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited. Special thanks to my beta Heather (txbabefan)

Chapter 14

Rules of Engagement

Smut...

Carlos POV:

I was nervous, something I didn't normally feel. My Babe laid in bed on her side her hand splayed across my side of the bed, trying to touch me. I sat in the chair in the corner of my room the small blue box in my hand. I flipped it open again to stare at the ring.

It glittered even in the low light. I let out a breath. I didn't think she would say no, but what if she did. I shook my head, here I was an ex-Army Ranger nervous about asking a woman to marry me.

I heard a soft knock on the door and smiled. I palmed the box and walked to the door. Opening it Tank stood in front of me holding a white pastry bag. "Let me see." He said. I snorted and handed him the box. His hand made it look impossibly small as he flicked it open with his thumb.

He whistled lowly. "This must have cost a pretty penny." He said.

"Only the best for Steph." I said. He nodded.

"You ask her Dad?"

"Of course." I scoffed. Now I was scoffing, Jesus there was something wrong with me.

He chuckled and handed me the bag. "She's gonna say yes." He said. I nodded.

"I sure as hell hope so."

"I guess we won't be seeing you two today." Tank said more of a statement than a question. I nodded with a slight smile.

"As long as I can help it." I said. He shook his head and stepped back. I nodded my thanks to him before shutting the door. I walked back into the bedroom and set both the box and bag on the nightstand, slipping back into bed I pulled Steph to me.

Our chest pressed together and she slowly came awake as I kissed and nibbled on her lips. She stretched and purred against me like a cat. Her lips found mine and she kissed me lazily.

"I could wake up like this every morning." She said. I smiled.

"Do you want to?" I asked her. She smiled and kissed me softly.

"Wake up every morning in these soft sheets, wrapped up in my Cuban sex god? Yes." She said. I chuckled

"What if I told you, you could?"

She raised an eyebrow. I reached back and grabbed the box, opening it and settling it between us. "Marry me Babe?" I asked. I had a whole speech prepared but this just seemed right.

I saw the tears in her eyes and she grinned at me. "Yes." She said softly. She cupped my cheek and kissed me. I buried my hands in her hair and kissed her deeper bringing her closer to me.

I pulled away just long enough to slip the ring onto her finger. She looked at it and I saw her eyes light up. The center diamond was three carats and the clearest diamond I could find. The two smaller two carat diamonds on either side were black, not any type of stone but black diamond. The smaller one carat diamonds that were just as clear as the center one.

"I love it Carlos." She said kissing me again. I grinned. "I'm glad Babe."

"Did you get insurance on it?" She asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Just in case something happens to it. You know me." She said.

I shook my head. "Babe, if something happens to it I can afford to get you another."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't like you spending so much money on me Carlos."

"Your my woman and I'm going to spoil you." I said rolling her onto her back. I grinned and kissed her again.

She wrapped her legs around my waist and moaned as I pressed into her. "Carlos." She moaned. "Don't tease me not this morning."

Her hands wove into my hair as she pulled my lips to hers claiming them in a deep kiss. I growled, my hands roaming over her body. My hands grabbed her hips and I found myself angling them before thrusting deep into her.

Steph gasped, arching her back pressing her chest into mine, her breath catching and her legs trembling. She looked like a goddess. My lips found her neck kissing and nipping at the soft sensitive skin. Finding her pulse point her heart beat thundered against my lips. "Carlos." She whimpered.

I rolled my hips in a small circle, thrusting slowly inside of her. The heels of her feet digging into my lower back, spurring me to move faster. I braced one of my hands next to her head and the other found her hip as I thrust deeply into her.

"Oh!" Steph moaned. I grinned and found a rhythm thrusting deep into her, on my knees my body over the top of hers. With each thrust I grinded into her putting all my weight on he arm near her head. Steph's hand found my shoulders, clutching them in her hands I felt her nails bite into my skin as she threw her head back in bliss.

"Carlos!" She moaned. "I'm so close."

I could feel her clenching around me and I knew she was standing on the edge. My hips stilled on a thrust in her, burying me deep. Steph groaned and whimpered. "Why?" She moaned. "Why did you stop Carlos? I was almost there?"

I grinned a wicked grin as I leaned down to claim her lips in a searing kiss. "Because Babe, when you come I'll be coming deep inside you. Filling you up, leaving you trembling and begging for more." I growled my lips finding her jaw line and kissing softly.

She whimpered and drug her nails down my back causing me to thrust into her. Steph knew how to manipulate me, she knew I loved the bite of pain while we were making love to sharped the sensation. She knew all the right buttons to press all of the places to touch, bite, stroke, lick, and kiss.

Her hands found my ass and her nails dug into the tender flesh pulling me into her again. I found myself letting her lead. Guiding me in and out of her, her hips meeting mine thrust for thrust. I found it hard to keep control and make her stop but I found it somewhere. I grabbed her hip with one hand and the other gathering her hands and pinning them above her head adjusting out position so that I was stretched over the top of her.

Her mouth found my chest and she kissed until she came across my nipple. Her teeth nipped at the pebbled peak making me groan, my hips flexing automatically. "Babe." I growled.

"I need you Carlos. You can tease later. Right now I want you to fuck me until I can't walk straight." She purred. That snapped any control I had left. I made sure her hands were pinned securely to the bed, the other securing her hip and I thrust into her.

I pounded into her and I felt one of Steph bucking against my hold. "Carlos I need to touch you!" She yelled. "Please!"

I released her hands. Mine that had been holding her hands secured buried in her hair. I thrust hard into her, grinding my pelvis into her clit. Steph withered under me.

"Oh! Carlos!" She moaned her legs trembling around my waist.

"Come for me Babe." I growled against her neck. As I felt her spasm around me I let go of all my control, snapping my hips up into hers She arched digging her nails into my back leaving marks. I collapsed on top of her catching myself on my arms but Steph pulled me into her body.

I rolled us, Steph laying across my chest. She nuzzled into my neck. She spotted the bakery bag on the nightstand and sat up to look at me. "What are those?"

"Boston Cremes'." I said. She raised an eyebrow and I chuckled. "They're yours Babe."

She grabbed the bag and saw the time on the clock. "Its barely five in the morning Carlos!" She exclaimed. I chuckled and kissed her softly.

"And?"

She glared at me and settled back into my chest to eat her doughnuts. I kissed the top of her head. "When do we need to go to work this morning?" She asked.

"We're not." I answered, looking down at her. "We're taking the day off."

She looked at me and I smiled and kissed her softly, licking my lips. Her lips tasted delicious and I was tempted to lean down and kiss her again, but I didn't because I had already woken Steph up to early and knew better to get in between her and her food.

Once she was finished she cuddled back into my chest. "Are we going to tell our families?"

"My parents anniversary is in a few weeks. My mother has been begging me to bring you home for years now. We could tell them then." I suggested. She smiled before it faded to a look of doubt.

"Do you think you family would like me?" She asked. I smiled softly and kissed her.

"Who doesn't like you Babe?" I asked smiling.

"What about my family?"

"You dad already knows." I said. She looked up at me with surprise.

"How?"

"I asked him for his blessing." I told her. I watched as both her eyebrows.

"How did you manage that?" She asked making me chuckle.

I called the cab company and asked for Frank Plum. He came onto the line and I told him who I was and that I needed a ride. Twenty minutes later the cab pulled up in front of the Rangeman building. I tried to get into the back seat but Frank waved me into the front.

I slid in and he turned off the meter. He pulled away from the curb. "How can I help you son?" He asked.

"Mr. Plum..."

"Frank."

"Call me Carlos." I said. He nodded.

"Very different from the name Ranger I was introduced to you with." He said chuckling. I nodded with a smile.

"Frank," I started. "You know I'm with Stephanie. I've known her for a few years but recently we started dating."

He nodded glancing at me as he turned the corner. I opened my mouth and he stopped me. "Let's get somewhere we can sit down and talk face to face like men. I have a feeling I already know what your going to ask."

Surprised I swallowed and sat back. A few minutes later he pulled up in front of a Café and parked. I followed him inside and he said hello to the waitress as he slid into the booth. "The usual Frank?"

"Yeah, Carlos what do you want?" Frank asked.

"Black coffee." I said. She bustled away and I turned back to Frank.

"Do you love Stephanie?" He asked bluntly.

"Yes sir." I said smiling slightly.

"Cut the sir." He said. "Why didn't you make a move for my girl earlier? She has been on and off with Morelli for years. I know the rumors about you and you and Steph."

I let out a breath. "I've been under contract with the government since before I met Steph. When she walked into the diner the day I met her, I knew there was something special about her. I had just signed another contract the week before.

"Over time I realized just how special Steph was. No matter what I tried she worked her way into my heart and wrapped me around her finger." I said chuckling lightly. "I fought my feelings for a long time. Told myself it was lust, I was just physically attracted to her. Everyone could see I was in love with her, my closest friend pointed it out to me one day tired of my shit. I was in a pissy mood because Steph had gotten back together with the cop."

"And what'd you do about it?" He asked.

"Frank don't get me wrong I've loved Steph for a long time. I just couldn't get involved with her and leave for a mission and never come back." I told him.

He leaned forward. "I was a Ranger, boy. I know Steph wouldn't remember much about me leaving when she was a kid because I got out when she was three. I knew the risk, Helen knew the risk and even it she didn't like it she knew it was my job and accepted it. You and Steph have been in a relationship for years whether you want to admit it or not. Every time you would leave you took a part of her with you. The lost the sparkle in her eyes, she kept going waiting for you to come home but she was a little more reserved less enthusiastic at dinners. My little girl has been in love with you for a long time."

I ran a hand through my hair. "I know." I said softly looking at him. "I thought I was doing what was best but I know it just wasted time between us. The confusing signals, seeing her before I left, hunting her down to see her when I got back. I completed my contract and pulled my head out of my ass."

"I can see that. Where is it?" He asked. I pulled the box from my pocket and slid it across the table to him. He opened it and nodded.

"You have good taste."

"You think she'll like it? I had it designed for her in mind."

"She'll love it." He said with a slight smile. He passed it back over to me.

"If she says yes than I give you my blessing. Steph's not the burg type, if that's what your looking for you need to let her go."

"If I wanted a house wife to stay home barefoot and pregnant I would marry one of the women my mother has been pushing on me since I was a teenager." I told him. He chuckled. Our coffee was brought.

"When I met you, I had a friend of mine check you out. Low and behold he was your commanding officer. Peter and I were in the Ranger's together."

I raised an eyebrow. "Before I left DC to come home from this last mission General Franklin told me to tell his niece he would be visiting soon."

Frank smiled. "Peter's a good man. He doesn't have kids of his own but dotes on Steph."

I smiled and sipped my coffee. "About the wedding." Frank said. "If you decide to have a big wedding, invite very few people from the burg. If you decide to invite Helen and I, I will do everything in my power to keep her from making a scene."

"That will be up to Steph, Frank. Your her family and I'll agree to just about anything to make her happy."

"Just about anything?" He asked.

"Anything that doesn't risk her physical or mental health." I answered. "She's come a long way in these past couple of months."

"That she has, that she has." He said smiling.

"Well I sat down with him and asked him."

"Hmmm." Steph said. I smiled and kissed her.

Steph POV:

It was the day after Carlos's surprise engagement. Rage and I parked in front of the bonds office. I saw his hands tighten around the wheel and I looked at him. "What's wrong?" I asked him.

"They look at me like a slab of meat." He said. "Especially that one."

He motioned towards Lula who was looking at us through the window. I sighed. "I know and I'm sorry. I'll talk to them. They do it to all of the men but they seem to have taken a liking to you."

It sounded like he groaned. "Ever since Ranger claimed me and Tank dumped Lula they've been a little more aggressive with the other men. Let me go in first and then you come in."

He looked at me. "Ranger would kick my ass." He said.

"You come in, check the building. Then you can wait in the car and I'll talk to them."

"Fine." He grunted.

We walked in and Rage went through all of the rooms including knocking on Vinnie's door and going in to see who all was in there. Rage walked out with his lips curled but dropped his blank face. "I'll wait in the car." He said.

I stood in front of Lula and Connie, my hands on my hips. "You two need to dial it back." I said.

"Dial what back?" Connie asked.

"You can't be staring at the guys like they're slabs of meat." I told them.

"Why not?" Lula asked.

"Lula!" I snapped. "Its disrespectful and rude. You two make them uncomfortable and they don't want to even come here anymore. The core team is recieving enough complaints that they're talking about dropping the contract with Vinnie. They're humans just like everyone else."

"Like you have room to talk. We've seen the way you look at Ranger. Why can't we look at the men like that?"

"Ranger is my fiancé." I growled. "He knows he turns heads but its a little ridiculous when he hears the two of you talking about what he's like in bed."

"Well if you would tell us." Lula said.

"Wait fiancé?" Connie said catching on.

"Yeah. He proposed yesterday." I said. "I was coming to share the good news and talk about celebrating but know I'm just pissed off because of the way you treat the guys."

I picked up the stack of files on Connie's desk with Rangeman scrawled across a sticky note. "If your going to look try and be more discrete and don't talk about things like how good they are in bed, how big they are, and what you think they like in front of them."

I turned on my heel and walked out of the office. I slid into the passenger's seat and Rage grinned at me. A full fledged grin.

"Tell them off?" He asked. Looking in the window they look stupefied.

I shook my head. "We'll see if they actual listened. Ranger and the core team are talking about pulling the contract with Vinnie because those two harassing the men. It opens the company up to lawsuits. He wants my advice and asked if I could set them straight. If they don't listen we're looking at signing with Les Sebring."

"I guess Ranger has finally had enough of Vinnie's shit." Rage said.

I nodded. "Apparently Ranger was going to quit Vinnie's the week after he met me, he only stayed because he wanted to help me." I told Rage smiling.

Rage shook his head. "Ranger a regular Romeo." He said.

I rolled my eyes. "He's a man of action." He said. Rage chuckled.