"Then it's settled. Tonight we take care of business and tomorrow night we make up for tonight."
I laughed, "Sounds like a perfect plan."
Eleven Days Later
Chapter 4
After dinner with my parents, a thorough cleaning job on the apartment, and emptying Rex's cage twice I was bored senseless. I glanced at the clock and it was only 7:00pm, way too early to go to bed. I searched the living room for something to do but everything was done. My bills were paid, the dust bunnies were dead and I was still hopelessly bored.
I settled on the couch, flipped on the TV and grabbed the telephone. First I tried calling Mary Lou. From what I could make out over the screaming in the background, she was too busy to talk. Apparently someone had something stuck in some body part. That didn't sound like a story I needed to know about further so I quickly let her go.
Next I tried Lula. She didn't answer and according to her answering machine she was out on some hot date. I left a message for her to call me then tried Connie. A deep-voiced member of her family answered the phone. He sounded Italian, muscular, and extremely well connected. He informed me that Connie was unavailable and asked if he could take a message. Not wanting to give him my name (hey, he sounded scary) I told him that I would just call her back later.
Resolving not to call Ranger because of our "night off" agreement, I flipped through the TV until I came across Ghostbusters.
Ten minutes into my all time favorite movie I realized that I was doomed. For the first time in my life, I couldn't have cared less about Ghostbusters. I figured this was a sign of severe stress and thought he would surely be understanding to the circumstances. I shut off the TV, jumped off the couch and ran to the bedroom to change clothes. I choose jeans and a t-shirt because they looked easy to disrobe. After all, I was now a woman on a mission.
Once I was dressed, I raced around the apartment grabbing my keys and purse and headed out, but as soon as I swung the door open I froze. Coming down the hallway towards my apartment, with a duffle bag in one hand and a laptop in the other was Ranger.
He raised his eyes to mine and smiled. When he was a foot in front of me he stopped and said, "Would you believe me if I said I just happened to be in the neighborhood?"
The heat immediately raided my body so I answered him. "Right now, I'd pretty much believe anything you said."
Ranger took a giant step forward causing his body to bump mine until I was back inside the apartment. He dropped the duffle bag on the floor, laid the laptop on the counter then scooped me up in his arms. He gazed into my eyes as he gently carried me into the bedroom and arranged me comfortably on the bed.
When the pillows were fluffed, Ranger took a step back and slowly began to undress. Desire seemed to drip from his skin as he made achingly slow movements to discard his clothing. Each button was undone in slow motion, so that I wouldn't miss one second of the show.
When he finally tossed his shirt to the floor, I could see his chest rise and fall with his breath. He was hanging on to his control by a single thread wound so tight it had the potential to snap at any moment.
As he reached down to begin the slow dance to remove his pants he whispered, "Undress for me." His voice was thick and so full of lust it was shaky.
I did as he asked and matched his movements, dragging out the tease for as long as I could manage. His eyes raked over my body causing warm waves to wash through me. His stare no longer scared me, nor did it embarrass me. Now, it simply empowered me. One look from this man and I suddenly felt more comfortable in my own skin. Gone were all the imperfections I frowned at in the mirror. In this moment, I felt more beautiful than the prettiest woman in the world. I felt more confidant than any King, and more powerful than any nation.
I was no longer just Stephanie Plum. In this bed, before this man, I was his. I belonged to him, and him to me. Here between these sheets, we were one.
Ranger took a step toward the bed then reached down, grabbed my legs and yanked me to him. His knees rested against the side of the bed as his hands slid to my feet, causing my legs to slowly part. When they rested against his arms beneath his shoulders, he slid into me.
My arms stretched out beside me and my fingers gripped the bedspread for support. My nails dug into the cloth as Ranger began to thrust slowly into me. All the way out, then completely back in. A slow, torturous ache swelled in my belly and when his hands found my breasts the ache spread to my head.
I panted for air and tried to speak. I wanted to tell him to never stop what he was doing, but the words wouldn't come out. I begged him with my eyes, hoping he would understand. And when he looked at me and whispered, "Oh God." I knew he had heard me somehow. I knew that no matter what, this man wouldn't stop until I was utterly and completely satisfied.
He leaned forward slightly and drove his cock deeper inside. A gasp of air escaped from my lungs and the sensations became too much. My eyes filled with tears. Not tears of pain or sadness, but the kind of tears you shed when you reach such a point of ecstasy you don't think you will be able to survive the fierceness of it.
When Ranger caught sight of the tears he spread my legs wider so he could lean his body into mine. He continued to pump in and out of me while his lips made contact with my neck. He licked and kissed the soft skin below my ear, then stopped to say, "I know babe, I know."
As if his words were permission, I was sent over the edge. I threw my arms around his back and let my fingers dig into his flesh. As I moaned and grunted my body bucked against his, sending him into his own spiraling whirl of pleasure.
We came together with our sweat soaked bodies arching and bending into one piece of writhing skin. We clung to one another until our breathing returned to normal.
When he had recovered enough, Ranger rolled onto the bed, wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his chest. We laid in silence for a few minutes enjoying the bliss of the moment.
As soon as all of our senses had returned, Ranger rolled me over to meet him face to face.
"It's time we stop kidding ourselves babe."
"What do you mean?"
"You and I both know that this is bigger than the both of us. This morning was merely the start of what's about to happen."
I curled into his chest and rested my head against his shoulder. "And just what is about to happen Ranger?"
After placing a kiss to the top of my head he answered, "We're about to come out to the world as a couple."
Unable to resist the chance I said, "We're a couple?"
I could feel the smile spread across his face. "Don't make me tickle you again babe."
Tossing my head back to laugh I said, "I wouldn't dare."
To Be Continued…