Chapter 30

I hate waiting. It's worse than anything else; in the middle of the action, no matter how scary the situation is, you're too busy to be scared or to play the 'what if' game.

It wasn't as if I was scared, or even nervous, now that I'd spoken to Aly; I was just plain old bored. The time was dragging by like a baby lion would drag a buffalo corpse. Slowly.

I was in the games room with Lester Bobby and Tank. We were curled up on the couches, watching Brittany strut her stuff on MTV.

'Do you have the camera?' I asked Tank for the hundredth time.

'Yes! I have the fricking camera! But how am I going to know when to take pictures if you won't tell me what's going on?'

'Trust me.' I said, chuckling to myself, 'you'll know when to start clicking. Make sure you take plenty of photos, this is going to be fun!'

Tank sighed in mock aggravation and muttered a few choice phrases under his breath.

I felt a familiar tingle run down my body, and I slowly turned around. In the doorway was Ric and Aly, flanked by Jeanne Ellen. I moved fluidly off the couch and was instinctively moving towards Aly. Aly flashed me a hundred watt smile and launched herself into my arms, I caught her easily and lifted her up, she tightened her legs around my waist.

'Stephie!'

'Hey Aly Cat!'

'Hey! Wow, you look even beautifuler than you do in your pictures! I didn't think that was possible but it must be, because you are! Wow! Awesome nails! Can you paint mine later? We could listen to music and paint nails and eat ice cream! You do have Ben and Jerry's right?' The words poured out of her like her mouth couldn't keep up with her brain.

'Of course I have Ben and Jerry's, Kitten! This is me we're talking about!'

'True, but I wasn't sure if Daddy would let you contaminate the compound with non-rabbit food!'

'Me either, but I guess he knows what'll happen to him if he doesn't let me get my ice-creamy goodness! We could listen to music and do nails and stuff after dinner if you want?'

'Yeah, that'd be wicked!'

'Good! It's a plan, Stan!'

'My name's not Stan, silly!'

'I know that, but 'Sounds like a plan, Aly' doesn't rhyme!'

'Hmm, I guess that's true, but Stan is the icky boy at school that picks his nose and eats his bogeys.'

'Ewwww! Ok, I won't call you Stan anymore!'

Click. Click. Click.

What was that? I twisted towards the sound of the clicking. Oh. Tank was taking pictures. I turned a bit more so I could see what he was taking a picture of.

I burst into laughter and so did Aly. Ric's jaw was near the vicinity of the floor. He looked completely shocked, dazed even. Dumbfounded. Never before would I have thought to apply these terms to Ranger, me – yes, Range – never.

I was laughing so much I felt my arms begin to feel weak; I collapsed on to the couch, pulling Aly on top of me, my arms still wrapped round her.

'Huh?' said Ric, sounding like me. The boys were laughing now too, and Ric still looked like someone had told him his mother was pink lepricorn. The thought made me giggle, and before I knew it I was overtaken with gales of laugher once again.

'Babe. Explain.'

'Can't.' I managed to gasp between laughter. 'Kitten.' I said, trying to tell Aly to explain to Ric.

'I'll explain cos Stephie's busy laughing right now. Remember when you came to visit a little while ago and I borrowed your phone to play games?'

Ric made an affirmative noise.

'Well, I kinda borrowed Stephie's number from your phone, and put it in my phone. Anyway, I phoned Stephie after the head thing cos I wanted to check it was ok for me to come stay, she said I didn't need her permission and we just got talking generally. I asked if I could phone again and she said yep. We didn't tell you cos we thought it'd be funner this way.'

'More fun.' Ric corrected his daughter's grammar absently.

'Uh huh. And isn't it fun?' his daughter said, eyes wide and innocent looking, a beautiful smile crossing her face.

Ric smiled at his daughter, 'it's fun.' He agreed. Then he picked Alyher up and slung her over his left shoulder.

'Hey! Put me down!'

'Nope.' Her Daddy said. He continued on towards me. Uh oh. Before I could run away he wrapped his iron arms around me and lifted me into his arms. He carried Aly and me easily, as if we were little more than a sack of potatoes. Ric carried us out of the playroom and towards the pool.

'Uh oh.' I said.

'Paybacks are a bitch.' Ric murmured in a low voice, so that Aly couldn't hear.

I gulped. We reached the deep end of the pool and without hesitation he tossed us in, one after the other. Splash. Splash.

I swam to the surface and looked up at a very smug-looking Ric. I exchanged glances with Aly, and wicked smiles formed briefly across our faces before they were wiped away to be replaced with looks of mock annoyance. As one, Aly and I offered our hand to Ric. And as one, we yanked as hard as we could, pulling Ric tumbling into the pool with a startled yell.

I wanted to cackle wildly, but I restrained myself, instead I leaned forward and breathed into Ric's ear 'Paybacks are a bitch.'

'Wiseass.' He muttered sulkily.

'Are you sulking?' I asked, amusement obvious in my voice.

'No.'

'Yes you are!' said Aly.

I decided to change tactics, 'don't be mad,' I whined.

'We're sowwy!' Aly said. I swam next to her and we pressed our cheeks next to each other, both of us wearing patented innocent expressions, fluttering our eyelashes.

Ric looked between the two of us, with our oh so innocent expressions. 'I think introducing you two might have been a mistake.' He said finally.

Click.

We all turned to look at the side of the pool where Tank was standing, gleefully clicking away. The three of us exchanged glances. Ric pulled himself out of the pool.

'Can I see that?' Ric asked, taking the camera away from Tank.

Aly and I held a hopeful hand out to Tank and he reached forward to help us out. We tugged as hard as we could, and Ric pushed from behind.

Tank made one helluva cannonball. Water splashed everywhere.

Ric carefully put the camera on the bench by the side of the pool, then he dived gracefully back in. Let the games begin.

We played in the pool for ages, but eventually I dragged myself out of the pool because I was going pruney. Not a great look for me.

I went up to our room and eased into the shower, turning the water up to hot. I heard the door slide open, and a moment later Ric was in the shower with me. He wrapped his arms about my waist and pulled me back so that my back was to his front. He kissed me lightly on my neck.

'I love you.' He said.

'I love you.' I whispered.

'I haven't had a hello kiss yet.' He breathed huskily.

'Let me remedy that,' I replied, twisting in his arms to face him. I kissed his lips lightly with my own, and then I nibbled his bottom lip lightly. I leaned back to look in his eyes; they were warm molten chocolate, turning rapidly darker by the second, darkened by desire.

I smiled and kissed him again, this time I let the kiss deepen. I stroked my tongue against his, massaging his tongue, invading his mouth, taking it for my own. I explored the roof of his mouth and the definition of his teeth. My hands searched for, and found, his nipples. I rolled them in my fingers, pinching them lightly. He moaned into my mouth, and I felt a rush of wetness between my legs that had nothing to do with the shower and everything to do with the man.

We kissed hungrily and his hands slid down my wet body, stroking and teasing my curves. Eventually his fingers found my opening, he eased two fingers inside of me and groaned when he felt how ready I was for him.

'Babe. I don't think I can be gentle. I need you. I need to–'

I silenced him with my lips and wrapped my legs around his hips. I found his cock and guided it to my entrance. Ric buried himself inside me with one long stroke. His hand frantically sought my clit, stroking me, trying to push me higher. But I was already so high, the muscles in my thighs and my stomach were quivering and spasming. My body was on fire, and I had never felt so good.

With one last thrust Ric dived off the edge, and he took me screaming with him.

We lay piled in a tangle of limbs, satisfied and exhausted, on the floor of the shower.

'Welcome home Ric.'