Chapter Thirty
A/N: Smut warning. Explicit language.
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Twenty minutes later, Stephanie was showered and so was Ranger. Sadly, not together, but then twenty minutes wouldn't have been near long enough for her to do half the things she wanted to do to him.
Ranger was in his dressing area when she came in to grab clothes from Ranger's closet.
Their eyes met and she saw his gaze flicker to her clothes hanging next to his. Stephanie felt a blush stain her cheeks. Their toothbrushes were lined up together in the bathroom, a regular his and hers photo op.
Suddenly it felt way too domestic and way too weird to be getting dressed together. Stephanie dropped her eyes to the carpet and pulled the towel a little tighter around her, wishing it covered a little more.
When she looked up, Ranger looked like he was thinking about smiling. His attention was focused on the top of her towel and slowly moved to the bottom hem. His brown eyes dilated black, and she took a stronger grip on her towel. Yeah, this had mistake written all over it in bright neon marker.
Her fear was if she got too close, she would get sucked into his force field, drop the towel and jump him, right there in the closet. And it was becoming clear, jumping Ranger was a dangerous deal, and an addictive one. A deal that would not end well, at least not for her. He'd made it clear that his emotional involvement would always have limitations, but damn if she even remembered why she cared at the moment, as she stared at his rock-hard chest and that inviting little trail that headed south.
Ranger was standing there shirtless. His cargo pants zipped, but not buttoned, riding low on his hips. Her eyes trailed from his broad chest, down to his washboard abs, following the little trail of dark hair lower. She knew from experience there was nothing under those cargo pants, nothing but pure magic anyway. And there was enough of that to make her eyes roll back in her head, and give her a religious experience. Her breath hitched a little, at the sight of him growing hard under her gaze. He was all beautiful angles, and rippling muscles. Sheer male perfection. Stephanie bit her bottom lip to keep from whimpering.
Ranger crooked his finger at her. "Come here."
Every nerve in Stephanie's body had gone taut at the command in his voice, and her body obeyed before she even registered what she was doing. He fisted his hand in her towel and yanked her the rest of the way, until she was flush against him.
He ran his fingertips along the swell of her breast, and along the edge of the towel.
"We don't have time." She made a half-hearted protest. Right now, Stephanie was pretty sure whatever impending disaster Montero wanted to tell her about could wait, but an orgasm couldn't.
"I can be quick." Ranger traced her bottom lip with deceptive insouciance. "And still make you scream my name."
Their eyes locked. The look of raw desire and possessiveness stole her breath.
His mouth settled over hers. When his tongue touched hers need washed over her with such intensity, she felt her legs tremble. He backed her against the wall and pressed into her, pushing his hard leg between her thighs he molded against her. The rough fabric of his cargo pants chafed the delicate skin of her inner thighs. The delicious friction caused heat to pool liquid and hot. When he pressed against her, she moaned. Desire running from her neck, through her chest, down to her inner thighs as she pressed against his leg trying to ease the building ache.
Ranger took hold of her hands, and pried her fingers off the death grip she had on the towel. He gave her a questioning look.
"Yes. Definitely yes." She whispered in response.
He slid his hands up the underside of her arms, bringing them above her head, where he pinned them with one hand. With his hard body pressed against hers, she was completely immobile. Her body's carnal response to his dominance and strength shocked her. Her breasts felt heavy, begging to be touched as they brushed against his hard chest. The roughness of the towel rubbed against her sensitive nipples, sending a little tremor through her. She could feel her almost primal need coating her inner thighs.
With one hand Ranger feathered his fingertips down her arm until her reached the top of her towel. He deftly unknotted the towel and it fell away. The cool air suddenly hitting her skin caused her to shiver. She had no idea how the room could feel so hot, and she could still shiver.
"God, look at you." Heat shimmered in his eyes as they roamed over her body.
Her cheeks started to burn under his intense gaze. His eyes trailed over her body, falling on her breasts. Her nipples pebbled and she felt her knees go weak with desire. His hand came up to twist and tease her taut nipple, eliciting a gasp from her. When his gaze flickered to her face, she felt exposed to him, and a little self-conscious. Stephanie averted her eyes.
"Don't." His voice a rough command. "You are fucking perfect." Her eyes snapped back to his face.
There was something different in the way he looked at her. There was something about this that made her think it wasn't just sex, it was something more. He leaned down, and when he kissed her, it was soft, slow, and far more intimate than she would have thought possible.
Ranger broke from the kiss, and his mouth traced a line of fire from her shoulder to her throat, his tongue tracing her collarbone and dipping into the hollow at the base of her throat. His lips trailed down her body, teeth grazing each nipple and sucking them into his mouth. His teeth yanking and scraping over her nipple bordered just on the right edge of pain. She arched her back off of the wall and pressed her breast against his hot mouth. A feral sound escaped from low in her throat as she tried to bring him closer. With each flick of his tongue, Stephanie felt the need to be touched and filled continue to build. She was grateful she was pressed against the wall, anchored by his hard body. She wasn't sure her legs would actually hold her.
Ranger let go of her hands and slid further down her body exploring her with his mouth. His tongue traced a path down her abdomen to her navel, circling it before dipping in. Then his mouth continued his exploration lower until he was on his knees in front of her. He palmed the back of her thigh and hooked her leg over his shoulder, pushing her legs apart. Stephanie closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall, focusing on his touch. Her knees almost buckled when she felt his hot mouth against her as desire liquid and hot flooded through her.
"More. Oh god, more. Please don't stop." Her voice was heavy with need. His hum of agreement sent vibrations straight through her causing her toes to curl, and her hands to grip his shoulders for support.
His hand slid up her inner thigh and his fingers found exactly the spot where she wanted him to go.
"So beautifully wet." He breathed against her.
"Only for you." Stephanie really couldn't believe she'd confessed that out loud.
"Mine." She thought she heard him say. His voice was almost inaudible. "I don't want anyone else to ever call you babe."
She could feel herself clenching around his fingers, trying to pull him further inside. She was so close, so on edge. A little more pressure that's all she needed. She pushed herself down on his fingers silently begging.
She could feel the silky strands of his hair tickling and stroking the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. Stephanie dug her nails into his hair and pulled him closer. Ranger's arm slid across her hips pressing her back into the wall, he anchored her in place. His wicked tongue, flicking and delving in just the right rhythm. Her hips bucked forward against his arm. Fire and adrenaline surged through her as she gripped his head, alternately pulling him closer and pushing him away as the sensations became too much. The guttural groans and sounds of pure male appreciation he made, washed over her and proved to be her final undoing.
Stephanie's orgasm ripped through her like a freight train with wave after wave of release. She cried out, her body going limp. If Ranger's arm hadn't been across her waist holding her up, she would have crumpled to the floor. Her legs were quaking and threatened to give way.
Ranger slid up her body, fluttering kisses as he went, his fingers still coaxing the last little waves from her body. He took her mouth with intention. His tongue dipped between her lips to caress hers. His taste was intoxicating. She slipped her arms around his neck, and drank him in. Stephanie heard the unmistakable sound of his zipper, and shivered with anticipation, her legs still trembling. She felt him heavy and thick against her as he sprang free from the confines of his cargo pants.
Ranger let out a strangled moan when she reached down and took him in her hand. She trailed her fingers along his silky length. She felt him twitch as she stroked him from base to tip, using her finger to trail through the moisture that betrayed his need.
He pushed his hips forward a few times into her hand. "So beautiful." He murmured as he gripped her wrists and pulled them away from him, bringing them to his mouth and kissing each wrist before letting them go. Stephanie made a little sound of protest.
He gave her a wicked grin and then grabbed her backside sliding his hand down the back of thighs. He pulled her up, her back resting against the wall. She let her hands slide down his back, feeling his sweat covered skin and his taut muscles. His sheer strength evident in the way he effortlessly held her. Stephanie wrapped her legs around his waist.
"This is what I want." He growled.
Suddenly he was inside of her.
"Oh yes." She practically wailed.
She could feel herself stretching and clenching around him, trying to accommodate him. God, that man was pure, perfect sin. Her legs gripped his waist, and her nails dug into his shoulders, leaving crescent-shaped marks.
Ranger gave her a moment to adjust, and then started to move. He knew he should go slow, but that just wasn't possible. The pace was brutal and laced with an almost frantic need. They both knew this thing between them couldn't last.
Stephanie raked her nails over Ranger's back leaving welts as she begged him for more, her heels digging into him as she met each of his thrusts. The angle provided just the right amount of friction, as he rubbed against her. Each and every time he pushed deep, he stroked across places she didn't even know existed. The world spun around her so rapidly she had no idea which way was up anymore. Ranger was right about one thing. He could make her scream his name. Repeatedly.
She clung to him as her climax tore through her, shudders ricocheting through her body. She knew Ranger was close. She could feel the tension coiling through his body, and hear the shift in his breathing. A few more thrusts, and she felt his release as he slammed into her and roared her name. He was breathing hard, and she could feel his heart pounding, as the last pulses wracked his body.
Stephanie unhooked her legs and he let her slide to the ground, still holding her close. Ranger was the sort of lover who could make a woman forget she valued commitment. She let her head rest on his chest, as she listened to his heartbeat. She wondered if it was his head or heart that would win the battle waging inside of him.
A few minutes later, they took the elevator down to five. A knot of dread started to form in her stomach. With each step that Stephanie took towards the conference room, the knot grew. The weight of Ranger's hand on her low back gave her strength and comfort.
Montero looked up when they entered. He looked exhausted, like he had been up for about forty-eight hours straight. She could see the fatigue around his eyes. Even those startling cerulean blue eyes had lost some of their luster. He nodded to them by way of greeting, because speaking any unnecessary words would take too much effort. She hoped she didn't look too much like a woman that had just had an earth-shattering orgasm. Lips swollen, skin flushed, eyes bright. If Montero noticed he didn't show it. Stephanie momentarily regretted making him wait, even for a minute, he looked world weary. Like a man that had seen way too many bad things, and not enough of the good.
Montero moved to face Stephanie, standing directly in front of her. She felt Ranger's hand drop as he moved away. She immediately missed him. Stephanie tilted her head up. Montero's expression gave nothing away. He just looked grim.
"I'm sorry, I know it is early, but I didn't think this should wait." Montero started. Stephanie steeled her spine as he continued. Her heart hammering in her chest, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She was pretty sure she was holding her breath.
"It's over. We took Vito into custody this morning. Mostly without incident."
Stephanie knew Montero was still talking, but she couldn't quite make out the words. Her vision tunneled and he knees gave way. A rush of relief swamped her. Montero caught her around the waist and held her close to his body until she got her balance. He eased her down to sit down in a chair.
Ranger was to her in a flash, crouching down beside her. "Babe, look at me." She did. "This is a good thing." She could see the concern in his eyes.
Stephanie was nodding. "I know. I'm OK. I just thought it was going to be more bad news." Her voice was strangled and she realized there were tears rolling down her face and she furiously swiped them away.
Ranger rubbed her back and they both gave her a minute. She was grateful, neither Ranger nor Montero seemed uncomfortable by her emotion. They simply respected her need for space and time to process the enormity of what Montero had just said.
"I'm sorry." Stephanie finally responded as she looked between Ranger and Montero.
"Don't be. It's been a lot." Montero told her. "I'd be more worried about you Plum if you didn't have that reaction." Despite his obvious exhaustion, he gave her a smile, and she really appreciated the effort. And she realized she was grateful for everything he had done to end this thing, and get Vito off the street.
He pulled out a chair and sat down facing her. Even in his exhausted state she could feel the energy buzzing around him. She wondered when he had last slept. He seemed to be running on coffee and adrenaline. His hair looked like he'd run his hand through it about a hundred times, but not much else.
"How?" Stephanie asked. Ranger stood up and moved behind her. He placed a protective hand on her neck. She could feel his warmth and strength. She instinctively pressed back against his hand. She felt his answering gentle squeeze.
"In exchange for immunity, Terry Gilman agreed to be a cooperating witness. She gathered all the information on Vito's money laundering operation at E.E. Martin and presented it to us. She also provided proof that Vito ordered the hit on you, and detective Morelli. She is prepared to testify."
Stephanie held up her hand. "Vito ordered a hit on Morelli?"
"Yes. Apparently, Ms. Gilman's….." Montero broke eye contact and his voice trailed off while he looked for the right word. "Relationship with the detective was of some concern."
Stephanie could tell Montero was trying to be spare her feelings. He didn't need to. That ship had sailed a long time ago. Her only regret was not listening to her gut sooner. She was surprised to find she wasn't even angry. They had all been a victim of the expectations of other people. They had made themselves miserable all for a shot at respectability.
"With all the evidence from Ms. Gilman, we have an airtight case against Vito. Tiny and Lyons have both taken plea deals for their role in the money laundering scheme, Skagal's murder, and the attacks on you. The four men that Vito hired are all dead. Novak is dead, although it is unlikely Vito will ever be tried for Novak's murder. Even so, Vito will go to prison for the rest of his life." Montero shrugged. "It is unlikely we will need you to testify."
Montero stopped and took her hand, his perfect eyes darted up to meet hers and his smile shifted into something softer. "Plum, you are the reason we even had a case. If it wasn't for you, Vito would have gotten away with it. Maybe even Novak. I'm sorry you were hurt, and that you were caught up in this mess. You were amazing through this whole thing, and I know you will be OK."
Stephanie guessed that was the U.S. Marshal's version of a pep talk. Although in all fairness, Montero did seem sincere. Like he actually cared, that maybe she was more than just a means to an end to build a case. While Stephanie appreciated his kind words, it didn't change the fact this whole thing had almost gotten her killed and she was out of a job. Both her professional and personal lives were in shambles. Stephanie smiled back at him, but she couldn't bring herself to agree with his assessment. She had a feeling she was a long way from being OK.
As Ranger listened, he thought Montero might be a little optimistic about Vito. Ranger thought it was highly unlikely Terry would be testifying against Vito or anybody for that matter. He had a feeling Vito wouldn't live too long. Either the Trenton PD would take him out or look the other way while Terry did. They didn't take kindly to putting a hit out on one of their own. Not that Ranger blamed them.
"What about Terry?" Ranger asked. "Does Steph have to worry about her?"
Montero released her hand and shook his head. "No, I don't think so. She got full immunity, but it is conditional. Ms. Plum's safety was part of the conditions set forth in the agreement. Given Ms. Gilman's condition, I don't think she would do anything to jeopardize her agreement."
Still Ranger thought keeping an eye on Stephanie wouldn't be a bad idea. He realized it probably had a lot more to do with his own peace of mind than Terry, but he decided he didn't want to think too hard about why that was. Montero was right. It was over. Everybody was dead, behind bars, or about to be dead. Terry had won the Morelli contest. So why did Ranger feel a little sick to his stomach. Why was he not glad they could all get on with their lives? Why did he already miss Stephanie? Ranger pushed the feeling down.
"Look Plum, I've got to go. I need to get Vito processed and transferred into federal custody, but I'll be in touch shortly and we can close everything out." With that Montero stood up and gave her shoulder a squeeze and turned to leave. Ranger walked with him to the door and they stood there a minute talking in low tones. It sounded like business.
"Montero." Stephanie called. He stopped and turned back around to face her. "Thank you. Now get some rest. You look like crap." Stephanie grinned at him.
"Yes ma'am." Montero grinned back, and then he was gone.
Well Stephanie thought this was it. Her eyes cut to Ranger and he was watching her with his arms crossed over his chest, that completely unreadable expression on his face. She kind of wanted to grab him and shake him until he said something or gave her a clue. Of course, knowing Ranger, she may as well shake a magic eight ball to get answers. His response would probably be about as illuminating. She and Ranger were oil and water. He was the Man of Mystery, and she was Ms. Curiosity. They both knew this.
As Stephanie faced off with him. She felt a different kind of dread building. A heavy pressure pushed down on her chest, and she waited for him to say something. Anything.
"I'd like Hector to install some security upgrades at your apartment."
OK, that hadn't been exactly what she was hoping for. Maybe she should be more specific next time she threw a plea out into the universe.
"Why, I thought Montero said I wasn't in danger?" Stephanie responded.
"He's probably right, but a five-year-old could break into your apartment. Just a better lock on your door, some things like that."
Stephanie raised one shoulder in a half shrug. "OK."
"I'll get one of the guys to take your car and Rex over. Once you pack your things, I'll drive you home."
Well, that had hurt more than she thought it would, but she worked to match Ranger's expression and kept her face blank.
"I don't have anything here other than Rex and my laptop. I'll get my bag and I'll be ready."
Ranger nodded.
"Why do you have women's clothes anyway?" Stephanie asked.
That got an almost smile out of Ranger. "RangeMan doesn't employ women, but sometimes a woman is better suited to a particular job. There are some independent contractors we work with. Even though they don't work for RangeMan, they represent us when they are on the job so they wear a RangeMan uniform."
Well, that solved that mystery. She doubted the pajamas or the lingerie would come in handy for a contractor, but then again, maybe those women had more than a professional relationship with Ranger. A man like him would have lovers. Stephanie pushed the thought out of her head. It wasn't any of her business. He'd been clear about that.
"I'll get my bag." Stephanie hurried off before he could see the tears gathering in her eyes.
Shit, what was wrong with her. What did she think he was going to do? Beg her to stay. Pledge undying love because they'd know each other a week, and had a couple of toe-curling orgasms. Stephanie rolled her eyes. No matter how good the sex was, he wasn't going to change his whole philosophy on life. Stephanie looked down at the fob in her hand as she swiped her way to the seventh floor. She would have to remember to give that back too.
Stephanie walked through Ranger's quiet apartment. It was as cool and aloof as the man. The only sound was the light rain pinging against the glass. In deference to the rain, Stephanie picked up the RangeMan windbreaker and tugged it on. She grabbed her bag and her laptop and took one last look around Ranger's perfect apartment. Nothing here belonged to her, least of all Ranger.