Recap: Stephanie brings Mary Alice to Zip's horse farm, and gets Ranger to admit that he assigned Zip to monitor duty because of a college sports rivalry. Ranger is counting the moments until he can make love to Stephanie again.

Ranger

I woke early and looked over at the mass of tangled limbs and hair that was the woman I loved. Her mouth was hanging open and I was tempted to kiss it closed. But we still had 15 hours, 37 minutes and 45 seconds until I could have her again. So instead I got into the shower and let the hot water beat away at my shoulders. Hot water is an amazing thing, and you don't really appreciate it until you go without. I had gone without it far too many times in my life. I desperately hoped those days were over.

As you would expect, the day dragged on, as we were going over the last of the logistics before the rally. Construction of the scaffolding Ram would be in for the rally had already begun, but there was some worry about keeping him in place if the wind was as bad as it was forecast to be. If his sniper skills were needed, he had to be absolutely accurate, considering the threat would likely come from someone in the crowd. It looked like we might have to strap him in from multiple angles to keep him in place 30 feet in the air. That wouldn't be much of a problem, aside from him needing help to get into place and back out when they were done, but it would be an uncomfortable position to hold for hours. Still, it couldn't be helped.

Agent Mankiller pointed to a mockup of the area showing where everything would be. "We'll have entrances with metal detectors here, here, and here, staffed by off-duty TSA personnel. The gates will open 2 hours before the program starts. 20 minutes before he is scheduled to speak, POTUS will arrive here," she pointed to the space behind the scaffolding separating the crowd from the backstage area, "and wait in The Beast until 1 minute before he goes onstage."

"I'm sorry? The Beast?" Stephanie asked.

"It's a completely tricked out limo the President uses. Doors like a Boeing 474, 8 inches of armor plating, 5 inch thick bullet-proof windows, kevlar tires, insulated gas tank, spare packets of blood, oxygen tanks, you name it. It's like if you crossed a Caddy with a tank." Santos piped up. I should have known he would study the most well armored car on the road. He always had liked driving tanks back in the day. There was an incident that involved a young Santos, a bottle of tequila, a bet, and some very destructive donuts in a field that I was planning on embarassing him with on his wedding day, should he ever find a woman crazy enough to agree to a marry him.

Stephanie looked thoughtful. "I don't suppose you ever sell the used ones."

Agent Mankiller looked at her, puzzled. "I don't think so, why?"

"Just thinking it would be nice to have a car I couldn't destroy."

Stephanie

I was surprisingly nervous. Not about the job. I mean, I was nervous about the job, but that wasn't surprising. I was nervous that I was finally going to be able to sleep with Ranger again this afternoon. It was stupid. He's amazing in bed, and he loves me, and I love him. But we had only been together that one time since I said I loved him. Well, also the next morning with the amazing oral. But now I wasn't sure what I was supposed to feel. Would the sex be different? Would it become routine? I wasn't sure.

I didn't really have all that much experience with sex. Joe, Dickie, and Ranger. Joe when I was 16 had been...unsatisfying. You could even make a decent argument it was non-consensual, after all, I never said yes. He just came up to me and I was on the floor before I was really aware of what was going on. He totally deserved that broken leg I gave him.

Dickie was a selfish lover, but I didn't really know enough at the time to realize that. I grew up in a community that said guys were horney and always wanted sex, and women shouldn't want it or they would be sluts. No one ever told me that I should enjoy sex for any reason other than the attention I got from men for it. It was a tool to get love, not an end in itself. Dickie did nothing to dispel that notion. At least it was generally mercifully brief, and the marriage had lasted about as long as your average carnival goldfish.

Joe as an adult was much better, but Ranger was the first man who made me feel like giving me pleasure gave him pleasure. That it wasn't just about him getting his rocks off. Even that first time, when it was paying off a debt, he had been gentle and caring. I'd come at least twice before he even had his pants off. And now he was mine. All mine.

I thought of that morning 4 long days ago. I thought of how how had touched me, caressed me, held me. I shivered at the memory of his fingers exploring every inch of me. Every inch. I smiled. Suddenly I knew how to show him what he meant to me, had always meant to me.

I got up from my computer and put on my jacket. "I'm going to Rite Aid, anyone need anything?" I asked, then headed for the elevator.

Ranger

2 minutes, 51 seconds: "Alright, I think we are done here. I'll see you all on Monday." Everyone else stood and chatted, but I made a beeline for the elevator.

1 minute, 45 seconds: "Ranger, I have a question about the Jones meeting next week."

"Bother me about it next week then."

1 minute, 15 seconds: I rounded the corner to Stephanie's cubical, only to see she wasn't there. "She said she was going to Rite Aid about 20 minutes ago, havn't seen her since." Zip said.

"Thanks. Oh, and after next week you're off monitor duty for at least a month."

"Thanks, man. I apprec.." The door to the staircase closed behind me, cutting him off. Rite Aid was a 3 minute walk from the office. That meant that unless she had spent more than 15 minutes there, she should already be back, and I wasn't waiting for the elevator to go up two lousy flights of stairs.

20 seconds: I fobbed my way into my apartment, glad I didn't have to worry about bothering with a key.

15 seconds: "Babe, are you in here?" "Yes Ranger, I'm in the bed."

I pulled off my gun belt and set in on the counter, and kicked off my boots, leaving them scattered across the floor in a very unmilitary manner.

1 second: I strode into my room, trying to look nonchalant. Until I saw Stephanie on the bed, wearing bright red lingerie. She was so beautiful she took my breath away.

"I thought we might try something new today, if that's OK with you." she said, smiling coquettishly.

I saw what she had gotten at the store on the bedside table. "Babe."

I know, I'm mean. I'll update soon. I'm also working on adding chapter titles to make it easier to navigate the story.