Chapter Eight

Stephanie and Ranger made their way out of the house and down the street, scanning for trouble that never seemed too far away. Sirens blared in the distance and they picked up their pace. They ducked into a parking garage and took the stairs at a rapid clip to the top floor, eager to be off the street and out of sight. A SUV with blacked-out windows sat by itself in the far corner. Stephanie figured that must be their ride and briefly wondered where Ranger had sourced such a vehicle on foreign soil. Usually Stephanie, Jack, and Luca had to make do with whatever unreliable POS they could find. Ranger must have some excellent sources. One more sign he wasn't just some guy that played in the corporate security space.

Ranger tugged her towards the railing and they looked out over the city. They could see Alexi's house in the distance. Flashing lights and emergency vehicles were swarming the area. Another police car raced by, sirens screaming.

Ranger turned her to face him. His hand tilted her chin up and inspected her neck. His fingers grazed along her throat, whisper soft.

"How's the neck?"

"I'll live." Stephanie told him as she looked everywhere but at his face.

Exhaustion weighed her down. Her limbs were heavy and her muscles ached from fatigue and fighting. A whole new crop of bruises would bloom on her body before morning. The nearness of Ranger agitated her; it made her weak. She wanted to step into his arms and let him hold her, tell her everything was OK, give up the burden of always being strong. Stephanie couldn't afford a weakness like that, not in this job. She took off his jacket and handed it to him. She wasn't in the mood for comfort, and she didn't have the energy to be mad. He said nothing, he just took it, sensing the peace between them was tenuous.

The muscles in her throat protested when she swallowed, but it was soreness and minor swelling more than anything serious. She resisted the urge to reach up and rub her neck to ease the pain. It could have been a lot worse. The bullet that whizzed by had been so close she would swear it seared her flesh. A little shiver worked down her spine. This was the part she never got used to. A little piece of her thought that was a good thing, the other, knew adrenaline made you do crazy and impetuous things that often ended in regret.

Her ego and pride were bruised more than her neck. Stephanie guessed Nikko had decided she and Ranger had put their differences aside since they were in the house fighting side-by-side. Either that or Nikko just didn't want to be bothered with her right now. She knew that was unfair, but couldn't muster the energy to care. Nikko wasn't stupid. He knew how she felt about Ranger. How could he not? It wasn't like she hadn't just announced to him and anyone in a one block radius she had slept with Ranger in Colombia. Nikko probably shoved them together so they either worked things out or killed each other. Either way, it would solve his problem.

Ranger gave one last glance towards Alexi's and the growing swarm of lights. "Come on. It looks like we may need to lay low for a little while." Ranger tugged her away from the railing towards the SUV.

Ranger opened the door for Stephanie and she climbed in and settled into the seat. Grateful to be sitting, as she cursed her evil shoes. Just once she'd like to see a man have to take out a bunch of armed mobsters with their ass hanging out wearing high-heels.

The events of the day washed over her, and a chill settled in her bones along with the knot in her stomach. Ranger went around and got in the driver's side. Stephanie rested her head back against the seat and closed her eyes for a minute. Scenes from the night flashed through her mind like a film reel. The buzzing in her head grew louder with each passing second, but failed to drown out her thoughts.

"What's the deal with you and Nikko?" Stephanie asked Ranger as she opened her eyes and turned to face him, trying to shut out the images and quell the noise in her head.

Ranger thought about it for a second. "Just ancient history and bad blood I guess."

It was clear there was a lot more to that story.

"A woman?" Stephanie guessed.

Ranger gave a negative shake of his head. "No. More like a misunderstanding."

"Are you going to be able to work with him? Can you trust him?" Stephanie asked. Anything less might be deadly for them both, and she couldn't stomach either of them being hurt. As much as she didn't want to, she would boot Ranger from the team. Ashley's life depended on them, and she would never risk Luca or Jack.

Ranger didn't hesitate. "Nikko might be a son-of-a-bitch, but he always keeps his word. Nikko will do whatever needs to be done. I may not like him, but I trust him."

Stephanie relaxed a little, even as awkwardness crept between them. Memories of their fight pulsed around them. The silence dragged on for a few minutes.

"What's going on?" Ranger asked.

Stephanie gave him a perplexed look.

"Santos called, said you needed help. I said yes. I know nothing but that."

"You agreed without knowing what the operation entailed? Why?"

Ranger tilted his head and gave her a look like she was silly. "Because it was you. I didn't care what it was. If you needed help, the answer was yes. It always will be."

Their eyes locked and the truth of that statement whispered around them. The cab seemed small and intimate, locked away from the world and prying eyes. Just the two of them, their breath fogging the windows, the chaos and noise of the night muted. Stephanie's heart gave a little stutter, and she pushed away the tide of rising need and focused on the business before them. The nearness of him stole her attention, and she forced herself to answer his question as dispassionately as possible. Just the facts, nothing more.

"Alexi kidnapped Senator Ryan's niece. When he discovered who she was, he sold her to an unknown player that is using her as leverage against the Senator to blackmail him into voting for the aid package. Nikko reached out to Nick for help. I'm running the extraction. When we find her anyway. I was at the party to clone Alexi's phone so we can figure out who has her, and where." Stephanie thought her voice sounded far away.

She hoped the whole mess with the Albanians hadn't injected too much chaos. Nikko hadn't planned to show his cards this early, but it couldn't be helped. A dead Alexi might be a favor to the world, but it didn't do them any good.

"Why were you at the party?" Stephanie asked Ranger.

"Rumor is Alexi bought a large shipment of girls from an unknown seller. He's branching out. I'm trying to work my way into the inner circle. See if I can identify the supplier. Cut off the head of the hydra."

"So, this is a government contract?"

"Yes, but with Michail putting him out of business, I don't know how useful Alexi will be." Ranger replied but didn't give any additional details, and Stephanie didn't push.

The alphabet agency wasn't important, it was the why. Ranger was trying to stop human trafficking, and that's what mattered. Her thoughts flickered to Michail. He had no doubt picked up valuable territory in the deal, but he had also put a stop to Alexi trading in flesh. Nikko was right about Michail.

A moment passed and Ranger spoke again. "I'm sorry about the Nikko thing. It stunned me to see him, to see the two of you together. I had no idea you were involved with him or even knew him."

"I don't know him. Not really. The first time I met him was in Colombia." Stephanie left out the part where he'd pressed the barrel of a gun to her head.

"You seemed very comfortable with each other." Ranger countered.

Stephanie thought about it for a minute. Luca had reacted the same way. He didn't understand why she trusted Nikko. Stephanie didn't understand it herself, but she did.

"I can't explain it, but I trust him." Stephanie shrugged. Her gut had never failed her yet, and she wasn't going to justify her decisions.

Ranger gave a soft snort. "Nikko has a way with women, and a soft spot for them. One of these days, it will probably get him killed. You're not wrong, you can trust him. He's loyal to a fault." It seemed more a statement of fact than an indictment.

Ranger ran a hand through his hair and blew out a soft breath. "I was a jealous jackass. I took my anger at him out on you. I was out of line, and it won't happen again. I wish I could take it back, but I know I can't."

Stephanie considered his words. She appreciated his apology, but it didn't quite take the sting out of the way he had treated her.

"I trust Nikko. I owe him. Honestly, I even like him, but this is just business." Stephanie's voice was more a whisper. She hadn't missed the jealous part, but she didn't know what to do about it.

Ranger was right. Against the odds, and her better judgment, she and Nikko had taken to each other, but Nikko was a puzzle Stephanie would never solve. She had a healthy respect for him, but she knew without a doubt their relationship would never be more than colleagues, friends maybe, for a lot of reasons. The most obvious one being she wasn't actually crazy, despite the mounting evidence to the contrary. That and Nikko was in love with his partner. A man like Nikko didn't trust easily or love often. Whatever was between the two of them, they were in it for life. His quiet words had told Stephanie everything she needed to know.

"He is clearly protective of you." Ranger allowed. "Is it just business, though?" This time there was nothing accusatory in his tone, just a need to understand.

Stephanie gave Ranger a look like he wasn't even a hair above stupid. "Of course, it's just business." Stephanie snapped.

"Good, because I don't share and I'm pretty sure we both know you're mine."

Of all the things she had expected Ranger to say, that was not it. Stephanie stopped breathing, telling herself she hadn't just heard what she thought she did. Ranger's face told her differently. She wanted to deny it, to tell him no, but she couldn't. It was too fast, too soon. There were far too many obstacles, and exactly none of that seemed to matter.

The air between them was charged like the atmosphere during a violent thunderstorm. The energy hummed and crackled around them, threatening destruction and renewal. Awareness fluttered through her body, like a thousand birds taking flight, and her lips parted in a little gasp as she sucked in a startled breath.

The silence dragged on for a minute that seemed like an eternity. What was she supposed to do with an admission like that? Stephanie's brain short-circuited, and she stared at him, unable to process his words or even blink. His nearness intoxicating and confusing. The SUV was quiet except for the sound of her ragged breathing. Its interior lit only by the dim glow of the city; the world locked out beyond the dark windows. His words were just sitting there in the space between them, and she knew they should probably talk about what he had said. In that moment, talking was the dead last thing Stephanie wanted to do.

She shifted across the console between them, moving to straddle Ranger, her knees rested on either side of his hips, her hands on his shoulders. One touch and it was over. With him it was always like that. Passion and fire ignited around them, the heat of it misting her skin with sweat. Her heart galloped wildly like a runaway horse thundering through her chest. Her pulse pounded in her temple. The man breached all of her defenses with just one smoldering look.

He was gorgeous and perfect. Stephanie reached up and trailed her fingers down his temple and along his jaw line. Her eyes drawn to his soft, sensuous lips that looked imminently kissable. Her gaze traveled to his eyes, and the heat blazing in them scorched her.

Stephanie licked her dry lips. "I missed you too."

Ranger's hands gripped her thighs and then inched upward under her dress to cup her backside, pulling her against him. His body's response prodded between her thighs. His hardness and need unmistakable. She pressed against him and his eyes fluttered shut for a moment, a groan escaping from low in his throat.

"How can a few days feel like an eternity?" His deep, rich voice was rough, his own confusion echoed in his words.

Stephanie ran her hands through his short, silky hair and tilted his head back, their eyes locked. Part of her missed the long wild hair that screamed just how untamed he was, and part of her liked the fact she knew his secret even though he looked properly polished and sophisticated on the surface. The truth was she liked him in all his personas.

Stephanie leaned down and traced his lips with her tongue. Tentatively tasting him and then deepening the kiss, when his lips parted, in silent invitation. She drank him in, memorizing every inch of him. Every breath, every sound all catalogued in her memory. She inhaled his fresh, crisp scent. The citrus and bergamot tingled her nose, stirring memories, her body flushed hot with anticipation as desire pooled low in her belly.

She sat back and looked him in the eye. She didn't want any confusion or question. "I want you now." Her own voice startled her. It was rough with need, and the command was undeniable.

"You already have me." It came out more a growl that echoed straight through her.

She wanted to clarify she wanted him just for sex, but she would not insult him by denying what they both already knew. This had always been about something bigger, even if she couldn't name it and it made little sense.

Ranger pulled her back down to him, and Stephanie didn't resist. His mouth devoured hers with ferocious intensity, nipping along her bottom lip, demanding entry and surrender. The bold caress of his tongue caused her blood to hum through her veins.

His hands roamed upward over her shoulders and down her arms. Then up her neck where he tangled his hands in her hair, and tugged her head back, arching her neck, allowing him complete access and control. Little pinpricks of pain prickled her scalp as he anchored her in place. Urgency roughening his touch. His hot, wet mouth kissed her throat, and explored the hollow above her collar bone. The desire burning between them was all-consuming and impossible to ignore.

The empty ache continued to build as little breathless cries poured from her lips, even as she tried to contain them. Ranger's hands released her hair and resumed roaming over her body, branding every inch of her flesh with his touch. His mouth dipped lower, and he pressed hot feverish kisses on her chest, as he pulled down the straps of her dress, exposing her breasts to his gaze and his touch. Her nipples pebbled under his perusal as his eyes darkened with appreciation, taking in the sight of her laid bare to him.

"So beautiful." The intensity of his gaze and his words made Stephanie blush.

Ranger leaned forward and took one taut nipple between his teeth and bit down, none too gently. Stephanie gave a sharp gasp at the sudden sting of pain, only to have her cries turn to gasps of pleasure as he soothed her abused nipple with his tongue. Ranger feasted on her breasts, lavishing attention on one than the other.

His hands palmed her backside, stroking her overheated flesh. Teasing and exploring the contours of her body.

"How attached are you to these panties?" He whispered against her skin.

"I'm not. Nikko bought them."

With a feral growl, Ranger ripped them off with one vicious yank.

Ranger slipped his hand between her thighs, and she jerked like she'd been electrocuted. Her need was at a fevered pitch, coupled with the adrenaline. Every sensation heightened, her blood buzzing through her veins. She knew she was verging on desperate and out of control by the obscene sound his fingers made when he roughly pushed into her drenched core. She cried out at the sudden intrusion as she clenched and rippled around him, desperate for more. There would be a time for slow and easy, a time for finesse, but tonight was not that night. His lips found hers, and his tongue stroked into her mouth mimicking his fingers, causing waves of heat to ripple through her.

Stephanie frantically worked his belt with breathless urgency, and they both groaned in unison when she freed him, and stroked his long, hard length. The feel of him pulsing in her hand made need claw at her like a wild animal, trapped and desperate to be free. He was even more impressive than she remembered, and she wanted him now. She yearned for the delicious friction of him moving inside of her, quelling the almost frantic demand snaking through her body, tingling her skin.

Her breath came in hard pants. "More." She demanded.

His fingers working in and out of her with delicate precision pulled her towards the edge of reason and she canted her hips forward, riding his hand as he hit just the right spot, but it wasn't quite enough. If he didn't take her, she was afraid she was going to beg.

Ranger withdrew his hand and pulled her forward. Her raw, sensitive nipples rubbed against the fabric of his shirt, causing heat, liquid, and scary to surge through her. Stephanie shifted over him, her desire coating them both. He was hot, hard, and throbbing, as he pushed against her. She continued to glide back and forth, stirring the pure, raw desire shimmering between them.

Ranger made a guttural sound of pure masculine need. With one fluid movement he yanked her down, while thrusting up burying himself to the hilt. His body surged into hers, removing their separateness, making them one. She screamed his name at the sudden fullness, the overwhelming sensation. He was impossibly deep, and her body stretched and adjusted around him. It was exactly what she craved. The empty ache replaced with pure pleasure. Stephanie's back arched and her eyes closed as they settled into a perfect, punishing rhythm that was just on the right side of pain, reminding her they were both very much alive, blunting the edge of the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"Oh god, that's it." She babbled.

His fingers would leave marks on her hips and she would feel him for days afterward, but she didn't care. This was precisely what she wanted. He fulfilled every desire, every need before she even realized what she wanted. She was more than a little afraid. He was right. She was his. She expected the crushing terror to overwhelm her, rob her of this pleasure, but it didn't. The thought just made her clench harder around him, and she felt herself let go, consumed by the feel of his hands, the heat of his breath on her neck, his heady scent. There would be plenty of time for regret and uncertainty later.

Maybe the words all made sense in her mind, but "oh god, oh please, don't stop," were spilling from her lips in an endless loop. Coherent speech just out of reach as she ground down matching his need with equal intensity. Her sensitive, aching nipples scraped across his shirt with each thrust, the friction driving her closer to the edge.

The surrounding air was humid, filled with a heady combination of Ranger's unique scent and her arousal. The sound of their breathing and joined bodies echoed in the stillness. Ranger was completely clothed except for his most perfect part, making it seem even more carnal and forbidden.

Ranger reached between their bodies, his fingers giving her just the right pressure. She had been so close, teetering on the edge, and the feel of his hand rocketed through her. Ranger was a man of his word. Stephanie came apart, shattering around him, as she roared his name, riding him through wave after wave as her orgasm pulsed through her, just like he promised she would. Ranger quickly followed, his release spilling deep inside. Little aftershocks fluttered through her as she rode the last wave of pleasure.

Stephanie collapsed against him spent and sated. Her head rested in the crook of his neck, as she willed her heart rate to come back down from somewhere in the stratosphere. She could feel the steady thrum of his heart as he made lazy strokes up and down her spine.

She pressed a soft kiss to the side of his neck. A soft laugh escaped her lips.

Stephanie could feel him smile against the side of her head.

"Babe, that's not the reaction I'm hoping for after sex." He teased.

She sat up and looked at him. His eyes were soft, his face relaxed. She cupped his face in her hands, giving him a very thorough kiss.

"One of these days I'm actually going to get you naked." She smiled at him.

Ranger gave a low chuckle. "One of these days I'm going to get you in an actual bed and we're going to do this the proper way."

"I don't know, I'm not complaining about this way." She shifted against him. "What would the proper way entail?"

Ranger gave her his wolf grin. "I'm going to lick, kiss, and taste every single inch of your body."

His words caused her core to tighten and from the satisfied look on his face, he had definitely felt it. He was getting hard again, and Stephanie moved against him, grinding down with a slow roll of her hips.

"If you don't kill me first." He groaned against her lips.

He cupped her face in his hands drawing her to him. His lips mapped her mouth and the column of her throat. His fingers memorized the contours of her face, wanting to make sure she was real, ensuring this moment was seared into both of their souls forever.

Ranger let her set the pace as she rocked against him in a slow sensual dance, enjoying the feel of him, the intimacy of their oneness. His arms wrapped around her as he made little sounds of encouragement. The second time was a little less frantic, but no less exquisite. Her core tightened and clenched around him, as the rhythm stroked that aching, tender spot deep within her.

Ranger leaned forward and pulled one of her nipples into his mouth, his tongue teased around it. He rolled and tugged her other, with the perfect pressure. That man had magic hands, and magic other parts, if she was honest. He was an addiction she had no desire to kick.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed when his teeth grazed her oversensitive nipple, and he gently bit her.

He continued to kiss and nip along her throat, chest, and lips as he used the pad of his thumb to massage slow, tantalizingly perfect circles between them until she shattered into a million little pieces. Every time they did this, she thought it would ease the fire in her, but it didn't. It just stoked it and the fire burned hotter and brighter. Her name tumbled from his lips as he went over the edge. She was in trouble, they both were.

Stephanie eased off of him and tried not to wince at their combined wetness soaking her thighs. They'd been reckless, consumed by need. Not a condom in sight. She'd chosen to blow right past that checkpoint. Something she hadn't done since she was a naïve sixteen-year-old that didn't know any better. She wasn't a teenager anymore, and she definitely wasn't naïve. It scared her to think she'd made that decision. They both had, without reservation.

Ranger was watching her intently. "Is that something we need to talk about?"

Stephanie shook her head. "No, we're covered."

He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "I know things are moving fast, but it doesn't mean it's bad."

Stephanie looked out into the night, trying to wrangle her wild jumble of thoughts. "I know, but my life doesn't lend itself to relationships." She finally said, because she couldn't think of anything else that made sense.

They drove back to the safe house in silence, Ranger holding her hand the entire time. It anchored her to him, his warmth, his heartbeat. It took away the uncertainty and the scariness of the night. She was grateful he seemed to know just what she needed without words, and didn't push her or demand explanations. While her life might not lend itself to relationships, it was pretty clear they were already there.

This thing between them was rapidly hurtling them towards a cliff. She could sense it, but she didn't know how to stop it, or if she even wanted to.