Round Robin

Chapter 16 (CornFedFiddler)

STEPHANIE

Ranger and I sat at the small table in his apartment, a delicious dinner lovingly prepared by Ella set before us. Ranger had meticulously plated his food and began methodically eating it. I put some whipped potatoes on my plate and pushed them around with the back of my spoon, my anxiety making it impossible to eat.

"Babe," Ranger said, acknowledging my lack of appetite. Where my stomach had once been sat a knot of nerves, the uncertainty of my stalker's identity weighing on my mind. The danger he posed had become a constant stressor.

I laid my spoon down and scrubbed my hands over my face in frustration.

"We can't keep doing this. I can't keep doing this."

Ranger raised an eyebrow but said nothing. I felt my chest constrict.

"You're letting me take advantage of your kindness. The housing, the food, the lawyer, the bodyguards… I can't begin to pay you back for all this. Not to mention the car that got blown up, no thanks to me."

"You don't know that" Ranger said. "I have enemies too."

Sure, he did… And free puppies grew on trees. I thunked my palm against my forehead, and Ranger shook his head in response.

"Ung," I grunted. "Just stop. I appreciate all your help. Truly, I do. But I never should have asked. I've put you and everyone around you in danger. You're bleeding money to protect me, and for what? Two months ago, I was a stranger."

An emotion—may be hurt—flashed across Ranger's face. I did a double-take, but it was gone as fast as it had come.

"Stop," Ranger said, his voice hard.

I slammed my palms down on the table, causing the flatware on the table to jump and clatter around. I stood.

"I can't!" I argued, tears in my eyes. "You don't deserve this!"

Ranger stood and closed the distance between us. He gripped my upper arms tightly, his penetrating gaze causing me to swallow hard. He dropped his protective mask, allowing me to see the sadness in his eyes.

"Stop."

I looked up into his eyes and saw a thousand unspoken words written there. I swallowed hard.

"I don't deserve you," he continued, taking my hands in his.

"Don't be silly…" I argued, looking away.

"Shh…" he said, cutting me off and placing a finger over my lips.

"I don't deserve you, but I'm willing to spend every day trying to make myself worthy of you."

The knot in my stomach began to dance around low in my belly, slowly deteriorating into butterflies. I looked away from his intense gaze and tried to refocus. The stalker. I needed to distance myself from Ranger for his safety.

"But…"

"No," he cut off, placing his palm on my cheek. "No price, Babe."

I gave him a look of confusion.

"There is no price for what we give to one another," he said, stroking my cheek with his thumb. "People do crazy things for people they love."

"Love?" I asked, dumbstruck.

Ranger nodded once.

"You love… Me?" I squeaked; my eyes wide.

He gave a crooked grin and placed his hands on my backside, pulling me into him.

"I suppose I do."

"Holy crap," I whispered.

Ranger held me close to his chest, wrapping an arm around my back. Our lips connected, and I could feel fire rush from my hair follicles to my toes. He deepened the kiss, and whatever I'd been stressing about before melted away completely. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pushed my body into his, feeling his hard body against mine.

Ranger walked me backward until my hips were pressed against the bar. He broke from the kiss and our eyes held, his brown eyes warm pools of melted chocolate as we both gasped for breath. He lifted me onto the bar top, where he stood between my legs. I bent to him, and we kissed again, this time a soft, lingering kiss.

Ranger's hands grasped the hemline of my shirt. We broke from the kiss, and he pulled the shirt over my head. His eyes were questioning, silently asking permission.

"Yes," I sighed, grabbing his RangeMan shirt and ripping it over his head.

He was uncharacteristically nervous as he began working at the buckle of his utility belt, his fingers fumbling awkwardly to remove it.

His words from earlier flooded my mind.

He loved me.

I felt the skin on my face flush with heat. This was uncharted territory for me. Did I even know what love was?

"Ranger?" I choked nervously.

His eyes met mine.

"I think I do, too."

His brown eyes were questioning, not understanding my meaning.

"I think I love you, too, Ranger," I said awkwardly.

The silence between us was deafening as he studied my face. Fearing he wasn't finding what he was looking for, I began to panic.

"I mean, I don't think I've loved anybody before," I tried to explain, awkwardly filling the intense silence. "I don't know… I…."

"Carlos," he said.

"What?" I said, confused as to where this conversation was going.

"My name is Carlos," he said, a twinkle in his eye.

"Carlos…" I repeated slowly, hesitantly. "I love you, Carlos."

Ranger beamed a two-hundred-watt smile, then he put his hand on the back of my neck, drawing me into a fierce kiss. My body felt as if an electric pulse was humming through it as he eased me back onto the countertop. He swiftly undid my jeans and ripped them from my body, leaving me in my undergarments. He placed a hand on my neck, running his palm between my breasts. I arched my back to meet him as he continued over my naval and to my underwear. He hooked his fingers into the waistline of my panties and tugged them down to my knees.

Ranger began kissing at my knee, working his way up to where I longed for him. I spread my legs slightly in excited anticipation, allowing my underwear to fall to the floor. He gazed at me from between my legs, his look one of affection. I was nearly panting with anticipation as I drew my knees up, placing my feet flat on the counter's surface.

"What do you want, Babe?" he asked, his voice husky.

"You," I begged.

He bent and gently began working slow magic with his tongue, my legs trembling and my back arching as he tantalized every nerve below my waistline. Within minutes, he had me begging for relief as my legs shook, my fingers tangled into his hair. With one swift motion, he inserted two fingers into my body as he passionately kissed between my legs.

Fireworks exploded in my vision and my entire body convulsed violently as I cried out. Ranger slowed as I rode out the orgasm, taking me to toe-curling places I'd never been. When I had finished, I lay on the counter trembling and panting. There were no words for what I had just experienced.

Ranger laid his head on my stomach, and I stroked his soft hair as I tried to process what had just happened between us.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Babe," Ranger admitted, his voice husky but thick with emotion.

"I feel the same about you," I acknowledged, tears stinging my eyes. "You're like the peanut butter to my olives."

I felt him grin.

"You mean jelly?" he asked, peering up at me between my breasts.

I shook my head.

"I meant what I said. Nothing beats peanut butter and olive sandwich."

Ranger put his palms on the counter and hovered over me, looking amused. He studied my bra greedily. I pushed myself onto my elbows, our lips connecting in a kiss. I tasted myself in his kiss and felt my body tremble with the memory. I placed my hands at his waist and shoved down his pants, feeling a rush of excitement when I realized he was commando. He was ready for me, and I shamelessly ogled all his perfect parts with anticipation of the pleasure to come.

Ranger unclasped my bra and, in one swift motion, rolled me onto my stomach on the counter. He playfully nipped at the pale skin of my backside, placing a light, playful swat onto my delicate skin. I jumped, both surprised by his act but increasingly turned on by this playful turn.

"Mine," he growled possessively, tracing a finger through the wetness between my legs.

I shuddered.

"You like that, Babe?" he asked, swirling his finger over the area again with more pressure.

"Oh!" I cried out, grinding myself into his finger.

I heard him unwrap a condom and moments later, he pulled my body down the counter until my hips were at the edge with my tiptoes barely grazing the floor.

"Is this okay?" he asked gently, seeking permission.

"Please."

"Say my name," he growled, running his thumbnail down my spine.

I shivered in anticipation.

"Carlos, please," I begged, looking over my shoulder into his eyes. "I want you… now and always."

His finger ceased tantalizing my clit, and I pathetically whimpered for more. He held my gaze as he put his finger in his mouth, tasting me on his finger. I nearly had a stroke watching him swirl his tongue around his finger, and I could feel warm liquid drip down the inside of my thighs, my body betraying my desire for him.

Ranger spanked me lightly again before he dug his fingers into my hips and pushed in slowly. I moaned as he filled me, my body tightening around him. He held our bodies pressed together as he suckled on my shoulder, goose flesh rising on my skin with the sensation. He began rhythmically pounding into me, each thrust like a jolt of lightning in my core. I could feel my breaths becoming shallower as I felt myself

I braced myself, my elbows on the counter and my fingertips curled around the edge. Ranger released my hips and reached around my body, taking my breasts in his hands to tease my nipples. He took the skin on my neck into his mouth, and his teeth sunk into my skin. I fell over the edge for a second time, and he quickly moved a finger to my clit, rhythmically rubbing it to intensify my climax. I collapsed onto the counter, the overload of sensations driving me to quake and cry out. Moments later, Ranger cried out in ecstasy, too. He held me tightly to his body as his climax pulsed inside me.

We lay sprawled over the counter for several minutes as we struggled to catch our breath. Ranger stood first, then he pulled me to his chest.

"I don't care how many serial killers, stalkers, or drug dealers I have to remove to make it happen," Ranger implored. "I want you in my life."

Early Wednesday morning, I was sitting in Ranger's office drinking coffee and poring over the clues we had collected that could point to my stalker's identity.

"What does your day hold?" Ranger asked, typing something into his computer.

"I figured I'd go to work," I confessed.

The skin between Ranger's eyebrows wrinkled with tension as he frowned.

"Do you think that's a good idea?"

"No," I admitted. "I feel like a jerk putting your guys in danger and wasting their day, but I'm going stir crazy sitting here, doing nothing."

Ranger thought about it for a few moments.

"Would you consider making a few batches of jam or jelly instead?" he asked, looking amused. "I can have Lester take you to the Trenton farmer's market today."

Before I could respond, my phone rang. I checked the readout.

Eddie Gazzara.

"Hey," I greeted pleasantly. "What's up?"

"Mornin' Steph," he greeted. "I was checking to see if you'd thought about going to Morelli's viewing or funeral."

I nearly choked on my coffee.

"What? Why?"

"I thought maybe you needed someone to go with you," he explained. "Shirley and I could be there for support."

"Eddie, they are accusing me of murdering Morelli. The last thing I want to do is be seen at his funeral. Can you imagine what people would say?"

"Eh, do murderers go to the funerals of their victims? I don't think so," Eddie whined into the phone. "This would be a feather in your cap."

"I'm going to pass, but thanks for thinking of me, Eddie."

"Of course. Let me know if you need anything, Steph."

We disconnected the call, and Ranger gave me a look from his desk.

"Gazzara?"

I nodded.

"He wanted to know if I needed Shirley and him to escort me to the funeral."

Ranger's brow furrowed.

"Could the stalker be Eddie?" Ranger asked.

I thought about it for a few seconds, then I laughed.

"No way. Eddie and I have known each other since pre-school. We were both in Ms. Anne's 4-year-old class together. We went to the same church… took the first communion together. He's married to my cousin. He's more like an annoying brother than a friend."

Ranger didn't look like he was buying it.

"Until we can clear them with certainty, I don't think we can rule anyone out."

"Ranger," I sighed, my tone approaching annoyed. "Eddie? Seriously?"

Ranger gave a single nod.

"You call him. He's known you a long time. He has a lot of information on you that others don't."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I didn't want to believe this could be someone close to me, but all the signs pointed to a friend or acquaintance. I frowned at this depressing fact.

"I could probably be convinced to make jam today."