A/N: This entire chapter is smut, smut, and nothing but smut. Seriously, 3,900 words of it. I thought our favorite pair deserved a long, steamy night. I hope you enjoy, but if you prefer to skip it, you won't miss much of the plot.
Chapter Eight
They walked hand-in-hand back to the house. Stephanie knew she should probably be all kinds of freaked out by what happened on the beach, and by what they were planning to do when they got to the house. This wasn't a swept away moment, this was deliberate. The speed with which they were hurtling towards intimacy, should have been terrifying. But it wasn't. She vaguely thought she should use the walk across the sand, to talk some sense into herself. This was madness. Yet, it didn't feel like madness.
It felt like the most natural thing in the world. She didn't really know anything about Pardo, yet somehow instinctively her body did. Her body knew him at some raw, primal level. It responded to him in a way she had never responded to any other man. He made her feel safe, and perfect. Her inhibitions gone. She felt like a different person with him. It was like he could see inside of her, that he knew her true self. The one not constrained by expectations and guilt.
That was silly. Surely it was just the wine and the mind-blowing orgasm on the beach that was talking, but even as she thought it, she knew it wasn't true. Something was different. She'd felt it from the first time she'd locked eyes with him in the food court. It was like he had slithered inside her mind, and read her deepest, most private thoughts. There was a knowledge and acceptance of who he knew she really was. It had been almost disconcerting to realize someone knew you better than you knew yourself. Her authentic self bared with no filters, didn't scare him. Indeed, it seemed to draw them together, like they were intertwined with the same thread.
Instead of being embarrassed by what they had done on the beach, it had ignited a fire in her that was burning hot and out of control. It had unleased her in ways she had never felt before, and couldn't quite name.
When they reached the house, Pardo didn't say anything, he just led her into the bedroom. Stephanie looked around, her eyes settling on the huge king bed, that dominated the space. Graced with a light blue cover and fluffy pillows, it looked inviting. Suddenly it felt real, and she felt a flush of desire wash over her. No indecision, no hesitation just absolute raw desire pulsed through her. A little voice in the back of her head that sounded suspiciously like her mother kept saying this wasn't the proper thing to do. She thought about it for a minute, and she knew that little voice had nothing of value to say. She wanted this. She wanted him. To hell with proper.
Pardo lit a couple of candles bathing the room in a soft glow that flickered and danced across the walls. When she looked up, he was studying her, his expression neutral and unreadable.
He reached out and traced a finger along her temple, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. Her breath hitched. She was pretty sure she could feel her own pulse, her heart was beating so loud, she thought he had to hear it.
"Stephanie, we don't have to do this." His voice was quiet and calm.
She knew she was looking at him like he might have grown a second head. Of course, they didn't have to do it, she wanted to do it. A moment of indecision cut through her. Was he having second thoughts? Because she was pretty sure if that man didn't hurry and touch her, she was going to explode from pent-up need. The beach had only served to stoke her desire, making her pulse and quiver, desperate for more. Much more.
"Do you not want to?" She hated that her voice sounded hesitant.
She saw something like disbelief cross his features, suddenly his hands cupping her face. "That's not really a question for you, is it? Of course, I want you." His voice was a growl, his eyes searching her face.
OK, she thought, that answered that. Part of her was still a little surprised that a man as physically perfect as Pardo, found her attractive. But he very clearly did, the proof of that was pressing into her belly. So really, what was he waiting for. Her entire body was humming with anticipation.
She thought he must have heard her thoughts, because he leaned down and kissed her. Electricity and awareness pulsed through her as their lips met. Time seemed suspended and the only thing she was aware of was her body. Desire liquid and hot twisted through her like a tornado, upending the last vestige of restraint.
She heard his sharp intake of breath, like the touch of their lips had burned him as much as it had her. He pulled back and they stared at each other for a moment. He was simply beautiful. The dark quality of his gaze, his powerful stature, his long hair haloed around him, giving him a slightly uncivilized air. He was big and intensely masculine.
"Dios mío!" She heard him whisper as he shook his head ever so slightly.
Desire swirled around them and the air felt heavy, like a raging wildfire with little embers of desire licking and burning their skin. Suddenly the room felt too hot. Stephanie's heart was pounding, and she wondered why she had ever denied herself this? Then she realized she'd never felt whatever this was. Sure, she'd felt desire, but she'd never felt this all-consuming need that burned and licked her skin with wild abandon. This was primal, and this was real.
Ranger leaned in again, his body molding perfectly against hers. She could feel the hardness of him pressed against her, his hands gripped her hips, and conveyed demand. But when he kissed her, it was soft and restrained. She knew he was holding back, not wanting to come on too strong or scare her. She could feel the tension in his body, as he struggled to hold back. Stephanie didn't want soft. She didn't want slow. She definitely didn't want restrained.
She skimmed her hands across the muscular smoothness of his shoulders and down his back, gripping his hips and pulling him against her, hard. She could feel him pushing against her belly, his heat scorching her. First impressions hadn't done him any justice. A full body shudder worked its way through her as she pressed into to him, feeling even more of his hard length. She was pretty sure, he could make her forget her own name. The kiss suddenly turned ravenous, both of them desperate for more contact as he rocked his hips against hers.
She felt his hand slide over her breast cupping her through the fabric of her dress. Her nipple pebbled as he lightly stroked her with his thumb. The sound of need spilling from her throat.
He kissed and gently bit her neck, then licked where he had nipped, and sucked a rosy mark against her skin. She could feel his warm breath against her cheek as his lips grazed her jaw. His intoxicating smell enveloped her. She was quite sure nothing had ever been as perfect as this moment.
Ranger's hands skimmed down her arms, over her hips, and started inching her dress up. She raised her arms as he pulled it up and over her head.
He whispered "perfect" as his gaze drifted over her body. His fingertips traced lines down her chest to the swell of her breast. His fingers teased along the top of her bra. He took his time exploring her through the fabric. The roughness of the material enhancing the sensation, making her nipples even more sensitive to his touch. Whenever his fingers ran over her nipples, a delicious little shiver would go through her and her breath would hitch ever so slightly.
Ranger reached behind her and unhooked her bra, slowing pulling the straps down, like he was enjoying unwrapping her. Taking his time, savoring the moment, memorizing the swell, the dip, and the contour of her bare flesh as her breasts tumbled free.
She heard herself breathe a luxurious sigh. The unhurried pace, the focus, the reverence stole her breath, as he continued to worship every inch of her, like he'd never seen anything quite so perfect or fascinating. A whisper of a thought went through her head, it was entirely possible, he might ruin her for every other man. That his touch and the feel of his hands on her body, would be the only thing it ever remembered. She tried to push the thought away. Dismiss it as outrageous.
Ranger cupped her bare breast rolling her nipple between his thumb and his forefinger, as his head bent down and his mouth found her other breast. He grazed his teeth across her, giving her nipple a sharp tug, that elicited a little gasp that echoed in the room. The thought didn't seem quite so outrageous anymore.
She ran her hands over his back as he licked and grazed the skin of her neck and chest, leaving his mark on her pale flesh. His tongue teased and tormented, alternately licking and squeezing as he worked his way to her nipple in an excruciatingly slow dance. Her breasts felt heavy, throbbing and straining to be touched. She raked her hands through his silky hair arching her back, offering more of herself, as a whimper escaped.
Ranger pushed his powerful thigh between her legs, and sucked hard on her nipple. She felt a corresponding pulse deep within her, and heat pooled between her thighs as she pressed against his muscular leg in an effort to ease the building ache. The soft fabric of his slacks grazed her delicate skin, magnifying the sensation. Stephanie's thighs clenched around his leg as he gave her nipple his full attention. She knew he felt her response when she heard the guttural sound of appreciation and he pressed his leg harder against her core. Her desire coating them both.
Ranger slid one hand down her rib cage, over her abdomen and between her thighs. He slipped two fingers inside her, finding the exact spot to make her cry out and go blind from pleasure. She heard him breath "wow" as he continued to feast on her breast. She knew she was completely drenched, and it was no secret she was completely lost to him.
When his fingers started making lazy circles, delicious warmth rushed through her body.
"Holy shit" she exclaimed. "Oh god." Actual sentences and coherent thought were long gone.
Her breath was coming in short pants, as the tension continued to build until the heat in her body exploded, and pleasure consumed her in delicious waves. Her entire body quaked and trembled. She would have collapsed if he didn't hold her up. His strong, solid arms wrapped around her as the last little quakes trembled and shook her.
As her breathing slowed, she took a step back and locked eyes with him. He had the look of a man satisfied with a job well done. It was clear he took deep satisfaction in tearing through her defenses and shattering her reserve. Until this moment, Stephanie thought she had actually had good sex, she'd been wrong. This man was magic. His single-minded focus had literally brought her to her knees.
She reached out and unbuttoned his shirt with slow deliberate movements. His ragged breath echoed in the room. She could feel his anticipation, but he remained motionless and let her explore him. Stephanie pushed his shirt off his broad shoulders, and her eyes drank him in. He was even more beautiful than she had imagined. Her fingers traced his collar bone and then down the valley of his chest. Her tongue replaced her fingers, pressing kisses in the hollow of his throat, giving his collarbone a sharp nip, eliciting a guttural growl. His chest and abs were hard and unforgiving as she traced the lines of his body enjoying the feel of him. Relishing the freedom to touch him, and explore him.
She followed the line of dark hair down his abdomen. Her fingers gently grazed his waistband. His hard abs fluttered under her fingertips. Stephanie worked his belt loose, slowly sliding it out. Ranger's breath hitched as she unbuttoned his slacks, slowly pulling the zipper down, the sound inordinately loud in the quiet room. She pushed his slacks down, skimming her hands over his muscular thighs. He sprang free from the confines and she sucked in a sharp breath, as she was treated to the sight and feel of him hot and hard against her. The sound he made low in in his throat when she stroked down his hard length echoed through her causing her to flutter and clench. It was such a primal sound of appreciation. She could tell he was struggling for control as she felt a shudder go through him.
His desire evident as a little bead of moisture glistened, and she felt him get impossibly hard as he throbbed against her hand. Everything about him was impressive and powerful. Just the sight of him in all his obscenely male glory made her mouth water. It brought out such a raw and uninhibited need in her. The things she wanted to do to this man and have him do to her, should have made her blush. Instead, it just made her bold.
Stephanie wanted to feel him, touch him, taste him. She dropped to her knees in front of him, tracing him with her tongue and fingers, exploring every inch of him. The salty tang causing her to moan. She felt him tremble, as she took him in her mouth. She wasn't sure who this woman was, but she liked her. Wild and free of inhibitions and doubt. This woman was powerful and sexy. This woman was on fire.
Oh, holy hell, Ranger thought as she dropped to her knees and used that perfect, beautiful mouth on him. As he looked down and fisted his hand in her wild mane of hair, he thought this was the fantasy he'd had so many times. This very moment, with her mouth wrapped around him, her sexy little moans sending vibrations right through him. This was it. But this moment, was a thousand times better than he could have ever imagined.
He closed his eyes, focusing on the sensation of her hot, wet mouth and that wicked tongue. It made his knees weak. He thought it was possible his heart might beat right out of his chest. God, he wasn't going to make it to the main event if she did much more of that. And Ranger really wanted to make it to the main event. He desperately wanted to have wild, passionate, exquisitely raw, brain melting sex with her.
He gently pulled her away. The sound of protest she made when he pulled out of her mouth with a little wet pop, made him smile. She was absolutely exquisite. He hauled her up, and locked eyes with.
"I need you, now." He could hear the rough urgency in his own voice, and he saw her smile.
A perfect feminine smile of a woman that knew she had the power to drive him right to the edge. He wished he could see that smile on her face every night.
He turned her around simply with the intention of herding her onto that big king bed. When he came up behind her and pressed into her, pushing her forward towards the bed, his hard length pressed against her backside. He heard her gasp, and he felt the sudden tension in her body. Anger rolled through Ranger, not at her, but because he knew someone had hurt her. He could tell by the sudden tension in her muscles and the hitch in her breathing, that like so many women she had gone through a bad experience. Ranger knew trauma was always stored in the body, and could make itself known at the most inopportune times. He knew from experience, the body always remembered the abuse, the terror, and the pain.
He stroked his fingers lightly down her back, but stayed pressed against her. He kept his body still except for his fingers that continued stroke down her spine.
"Stephanie, listen to me. You are in control. You decide what we do. I'm not going to do anything that you don't want."
He could feel her breathing starting to even out as he continued to stroke his fingers lightly down her back.
"If you don't want to do something, all you have to do is say no. Or say red, and I will stop. No questions and no hesitation. OK?"
She nodded, but he could still feel tension in her body. Fuck he thought. Some bastard had done this to her. Made her skittish and nervous. Ranger really wanted to find and kill that bastard. Instead, he continued in the same calm voice. He reminded himself, she didn't know him. Being nervous was natural, and probably any sane woman would be a little leery about now.
"If I do something you're not sure about, then you say maybe or yellow. Then we slow down and explore together. You get to decide if it is yes or no at each step."
He stroked his hands over the swell of her backside, grazing her lightly, testing her. He could feel her hesitation. "Like that?" He questioned.
"Maybe." She whispered. "It's not something I do. Well, it's something I've never done before." Her voice sounded surprised that his touch hadn't been unwelcome.
"OK, maybe one day you want to try it, and maybe you don't."
Ranger relaxed a little. Good, she trusted him enough to voice her wants and her boundaries. He moved his hand and continued to stroke lightly down her spine.
"But is it something you want? Something you like?" He could hear the hesitation in her voice. The fear of not pleasing him.
It was pretty clear to Ranger this had been an ongoing point of contention. One that some asshole had used to make her feel inadequate. Ranger pushed down the disgust that rolled over him. Whoever had done that was the inadequate one, not her.
Ranger chuckled softly. "What I want, is to do things that you love. That your body craves, that make you come apart in my arms, and go blind with pleasure. If that isn't one of them, then no, I don't want to do it."
He felt her relax. Ranger leaned close to her ear. "If I do something you do like. Then all you have to say is yes, oh god, oh fuck, Jesus, don't stop, or any combination of things you want to say, to let me know you like it, and I'll give you more."
He pressed a kiss to top of her shoulder. "I'll give you everything."
He felt a shudder go through her body at his words, and he smiled.
"Are you good with that."
"Yes. Very." She breathed.
It was clear she was uncomfortable with him behind her, out of her sight. He had a feeling it had something to do with the current no go zone. That was OK, someday she'd tell him why and they'd work on trust. Ranger didn't even stop to question the fact he was already planning to see her again. Right now, it didn't matter because he wanted her face-to-face anyway. There was no way he was going to miss the look on her face, or the feel of her lips. He wanted to see the flush of her skin and watch her fall apart. He wanted to remember every single minute of this night.
He turned her around, and he could feel the tension ease from her, but her eyes were downcast.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled.
Ranger reached out and gently took her chin in his hand.
"For what? Being the most beautiful, intriguing woman, I've ever met?" She raised her eyes to meet his and he saw her shy smile. "For being unforgettable?"
He knew he shouldn't have said that last part, but he knew it was true. Ranger was never forgetting this woman the rest of his life, no matter how hard he might try.
He leaned in and kissed her. Nipping at her lip. She threaded her hands into his hair, hungrily embracing his lips. Her mouth roughly moved against his, as he pushed her back on the bed, following her down. The was no hesitation, only a gasp of pleasure as his fingertips grazed down her belly, going lower parting her legs, making room for him.
In one swift movement he buried his entire thick length into her slick heat. Suddenly they were one.
"Oh god!" her short nails raked across his back as she arched into him. His skin sizzled with need, everywhere their bodies touched. Ranger was lost to her, and he knew it.
He forced himself to give her body a minute to adjust and accommodate him. The second she wrapped her legs around him and ground her hips against him, his control shredded. He was consumed by her fire, completely undone, as her heat burned around him.
He laced his fingers with hers, rocking into her gently, as her delicious little sounds of pleasure made him blind with need, pushing him to a brutal, frenzied pace until she shattered around him. A deep guttural groan tore from his chest as his release surged through him. The world shifted around him as he collapsed down on her, emotion, unfamiliar and unwanted, swirled in his chest, confusing and unbalancing him.
Slowly Ranger became aware of his surroundings, as his vision returned and his heart rate slowed. His faced was tucked into the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent. He felt her wrap her arms around him and lightly stroke his back. Ranger thought it was entirely possible that this is what he had been missing his entire life.
He rolled them, so she was sprawled on top of him. He enjoyed the weight of her body against his, and he wasn't quite ready to let her go, even though he would have to. Tonight, had been amazing, but once it was over, he would go back to his orderly life, and Stephanie would move on with hers.
He would find another way to get to Sly Novak, but unease still tugged at the back of his mind. Stephanie could be in danger, simply by working there. She had good instincts. She already suspected something wasn't quite right. If she started asking questions of the wrong people, it could go bad for her. That curiosity could get her killed.
Whatever else happened from here on out, he would protect her. Nausea rolled through him at the thought of anyone hurting her. He would protect her from Novak, but who would protect her from him? That was the real question. He knew without a doubt he had royally fucked things up with her already. They should have never done this. He should have never lied to her about who he was.
She was only supposed to be a means to an end. She wasn't supposed to be everything. He could feel her breathing slow as she drifted off to sleep. Her trust in him absolute. Little did she know that tomorrow Marc Pardo would disappear from her life forever.