Disclaimer: I don't own Plum characters. A nod of respect goes to Janet Evanovich and her imagination for creating these characters. I'm merely messing around.
Challenge: TBC Holiday Round Robin
My Prompt: Christmas
Rating: R (Adult)
Pairing: Ranger/Steph
A/N: Another challenge that was a part of a Round Robin. Pretty much works as a one shot here.
..::Want and Need::..
Even as a week had come and gone, Stephanie still couldn't get over the fact Joe had blatantly cheated on her. Even if it was with the skank, Terri Gilman and she knew it'd been going on for a while. A long while.
She shifted in the passenger seat next to Ranger for the hundredth time tonight. Her brain just wouldn't shut down. Over and over again she could see the scene replaying in her head. It was enough to drive any sane woman crazy, but Stephanie knew a long time ago she wasn't exactly marching to the same beat as the rest of the world.
Silence with the man in black stretched into eternity. For three hours they had sat in front of this two story brick house in a middle class section of greater Trenton. Ranger was looking for a guy by the name of Shawn Woods but he was crazier than a fox and twice as elusive. Stephanie didn't know what Ranger thought to gain by letting her sit in on the surveillance, but she was just rolling with the flow of things.
She slid her gaze across the console to the six feet of solid muscle in black sitting beside her. The same old worn out argument just didn't hold any value with her anymore. She could keep telling herself that Ranger wouldn't want the same things in life as she wanted. He wouldn't want to be saddled down with a relationship- especially a relationship with her.
Truth of the matter was, no matter how much Stephanie wanted to live in denial when it came to her relationships, one thing was painfully obvious. Denying a relationship and denying the fact you're miserable in the other doesn't make life any easier. It only makes it harder.
Ranger shifted in his seat and pulled out a pair of night vision binoculars. Stephanie could see a shadow moving around the side of the house and Ranger swore under his breath.
"Fuck."
Ranger never swore lightly and true to that, he reached underneath his seat and pulled out his Glock. He wasn't the type of person that kept a gun and no bullets in it (let's not go there right now) and he wasn't the type that carried it as an accessory.
"Stay here."
Stephanie couldn't even get out one word before Ranger was already out of the Explorer and across the street before the door closed. She grabbed the binoculars and stared in Ranger's direction.
His ass was really nice in black, she thought. The kind you could really sink your teeth into.
She watched Ranger until he disappeared into the shadows around the house. Stephanie looked at the clock on the dash. She watched for any sign that Ranger was okay. Minutes ticked by and there was still no sign.
Fuck it, she thought. She could just get out and take a look. No harm, no foul, right?
Stephanie got out of the Explorer and made her way across the street without tripping over her own two feet. The streetlight illuminated the sidewalk and in the distance, a dog barked. She stepped up onto the sidewalk and hid behind a tree leading up to the front door.
She couldn't hear anything. Curious was her middle name. She couldn't help wanting to have a look around the house and maybe see if she could find something on this little rat Ranger was looking for.
Stephanie tiptoed around the side of the house where she'd watch Ranger disappear and put her back flat against the brick as she slid around to the back. There was enough moonlight that she could see as she peeked around the corner. The coast was clear.
She took one step toward and her spidey sense went off the charts. The hand on the back of her neck was her next clue she wasn't alone.
"Didn't I tell you to stay in the Explorer?"
There wasn't anger in his voice, a little disbelief which was hard to believe considering he'd known her long enough to know better than that.
Stephanie turned toward Ranger and tried to smile it off. "I got worried and thought you might need help."
His gaze fell to her waist and the corners of his lips twitched. "You're not carrying a gun."
Stephanie checked her lower back and sure enough, her gun wasn't there. She thought about it for a second and remembered she put it in the glove box in the Explorer when she got in. She shrugged her shoulder, "I figured I could give you moral support."
He wanted to laugh. She knew it by the way he was looking at her. But there was another edge of tension in the air between them and it wasn't the type of tension that was good for laughing. Ranger kept his arms loose at his sides, which told Stephanie she hadn't been off base when she thought he might need some help.
"Who did you see? Did you see Shawn Woods?"
"No," another voice said, sultry and soft, "he saw me."
Oh hell! Stephanie wanted to smack herself in the forehead and cuss her misfortune. It wasn't enough she had to deal with Terri Gilman. Oh no. The Christmas season wasn't that kind to her. Now Jeanne Ellen Burrows was sniffing around in Trenton.
"You look surprised to see me, Steph. Gotten used to no competition?" Jeanne Ellen Burrows stepped out of the shadows with her pale blonde hair and goddess like body and Stephanie felt like sinking into the nearest pothole and dying.
"Cut it out, Jeanne Ellen."
Jeanne Ellen flicked him a look, bemused. "Spoil sport."
"So this little reunion is fun," Stephanie said as she put a hand on her hip. Jealousy flared with her temper, "But don't we have someone to find?"
"Isn't this cute?" Jeanne Ellen said with a smirk. "Batman and Robin. That's a new routine for you Ranger. When you get done showing Robin here the ropes, why don't you look me up later so we can get some real work done."
"Alright, that's it!" Stephanie said, walking away. "Ranger, when you finish up with Ms. Bimbo of the Month, I'll be waiting in the Explorer." Stephanie didn't look over her shoulder as she flipped Jeanne Ellen the bird. "As always Jeanne Ellen it's been a real pleasure."
Jeanne Ellen's laughter followed Stephanie as she marched around the side of the house and across the street to the Explorer. If she had balls, she'd leave Ranger to hitch a ride with Jeanne Ellen. But she valued her life, as shitty as it was at the moment.
Stephanie slipped into the passenger seat and flipped her coat hood up over her head and hid her eyes enough that she could see the road and see the clock. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.
Damn Ranger! God damn him! She hated this burning feeling of jealousy. She had no reason to be jealous. No reason at all. Still, she couldn't help thinking that Ranger should be hers and not Jeanne Ellen's or any other woman, for that matter.
It was a curious feeling and it churned in her gut like a bad omen.
She watched him cross the street with cat-like grace. He blended in with the night and slipped into the Explorer without a sound. Stephanie slumped in the passenger seat and pulled her hood further down. She didn't want to speak to him and didn't want to make eye contact. He seemed to sense this too. Ranger cut a U-turn in the middle of the street and headed back to her apartment.
Traffic was light and considering the time of night, not unexpected. It took a little under an hour to pull into her parking lot and by that time, Stephanie was seething on the inside.
The silence. The guilt. The feeling of insecurity. It was eating her up. What the fuck was "the ball is in your court" supposed to mean anyway?
As soon as the wheels stopped moving, Stephanie was on the move. She hopped out of the Explorer and waved Ranger off.
"I don't need you to come up. I'm sure you and Jeanne Ellen have a lot of catching up to do."
She slammed the SUV door behind her and walked in front of the Explorer. She wanted to not look, to have the strength to walk away. Everything in her body screamed to run as fast as she could to her apartment before she did something really stupid like tell Ranger just how she felt.
Stephanie couldn't let it go though. She wanted one more look before he took off to Jeanne Ellen. The driver's side headlight was blinding as she brought her head up and looked through the windshield. His face was a perfect mask of emotion- which meant nothing showed. His eyes were dark and followed her with an intensity that shivered down her spine.
Stephanie tore her gaze away from him and slipped into her apartment building. She took the stairs two at a time, running off pure adrenaline, and jammed her key into the lock. It came open on the first try and she slammed the door behind her. The tenants of her building wouldn't be disturbed. It was late enough that all hearing aids were on nightstands next to their false teeth in glasses of Efferdent.
Stephanie leaned against the front door, forehead against the cold wood and she beat her fist against the door panel.
"Fuck," she whispered. She thought about Ranger pulling out of her parking lot and driving down Hamilton towards the Tollway. Right into Jeanne Ellen's perfectly toned arms. Stephanie could hear Jeanne Ellen's cackling and see the smirk that spread across her lips. It made Stephanie want to pull her hair out in a jealous rage.
She made a strangled sound in the back of her throat and pushed away from the door. What she needed right now was a hot shower and to go to bed and stop thinking about Ranger and Jeanne Ellen.
Stephanie went to the fridge and grabbed a handful of grapes for Rex. She dropped them in his cage. His little furry butt wiggled from his soup can but he didn't come out to greet her.
"Ungrateful hamster," Stephanie said as she moved into her bedroom and started stripping out of her clothes.
Her coat slipped to the floor and next she kicked off her boots. She yanked her sweater over her head and shimmied out of her jeans. The floor was cold as she went into her small bathroom and turned the shower all the way on hot. Steam filled the air pretty quick and Stephanie stripped the rest of the way and stepped into the shower. The water was warm and inviting and she stood underneath the showerhead for eternity trying to clear out her mind of all thoughts. It wasn't easy.
By the time she stepped out of the shower, she was pruney and exhausted and her mind was still running a mile a minute, which was good considering Stephanie didn't think she could run a mile to save herself. She toweled her curls dry and rubbed some lotion on her arms and legs. She slipped into the last pair of clean panties- black lace, God, that made her feel pathetic and lonely- and an old faded flannel nightshirt was her next fashion accessory and she climbed into bed.
Sleep eluded her. She tossed and turned and beat her pillow several times. The covers got twisted between her legs. They were scratchy and hot and then she was cold. Her hair plastered to her face and she swiped at it time and time again. The minutes ticked off so slow in the dark of night.
The ball was in her court. Her court- did that mean that it was all up to her now? Stephanie assumed that was what it meant, but nothing ever meant what it was supposed to with Ranger. Shit with him was fucking complicated, no matter if it was him muddying the waters or it was her. And right now all she really wanted to do was find Jeanne Ellen and snatch her white blonde hair from the top of her smug head and pitch her over the pier into the Delaware where hopefully she'd freeze and die.
"C'mon, sleep," Stephanie thought desperately, "I just need this night to be over with."
At first she thought she was dreaming. The noise was quiet enough that if she'd been asleep, she never would've heard it. Metal to metal contact. In her dream, Stephanie got up from her bed, feet padding silently against the cold floor. It was the sleep that made her yawn and stretch her arms high over her head and sleep that made her go to the door and unlock it.
She opened the door and leaned against it. Her eyes were half-closed and she mumbled, "What do you want?"
Joe leaned against the hallway wall directly across from her door. "Were you expecting someone else?"
Stephanie made a rude sound in the back of her throat and slammed the door in his face. "Go to hell, Joe Morelli! I don't need you!"
Steph heard the door open behind her and she resisted the urge to throw something in his direction. For now.
"Look, I didn't mean that," Joe said as he closed the door behind him and followed Steph to the breakfast bar. They stood on opposite sides; Steph went to the fridge for a bottle of water.
"I'd offer you one but I didn't invite you in."
Joe snorted, "Don't be like that. I came here to apologize."
"Joe, it's fucking 2 am. Call like a normal human being in the morning so I can slam the receiver down on you and your scummy apology."
"You're such a bitch at 2 am."
Steph made a face at Morelli and flipped him an Italian hand gesture that didn't mean thank you. "You kiss your mother with that nasty Terri STD mouth?"
"At least she uses hers."
She tossed her water bottle at him, water flew everywhere. "Get the fuck out! Get out of my fucking kitchen. Get out of my fucking life. Now! Right now!"
Morelli batted the water bottle away and came around the corner of the bar. "Listen, I didn't mean that. Calm down."
"You're scum, Morelli! Fucking scum!" Steph grabbed a coffee mug and threw it at his head. "Get the fuck out of here before I do something I'll regret!"
Joe laughed and reached for Steph and she lunged for her cookie jar.
Joe's demeanor switched drastically and he let her go as if she were a hot potato. "Oh fuck!"
"That's right!" Steph knocked her cookie jar over and a business card and her .38 Police Special spilled out onto the counter. "It's got fucking bullets in it and it's ready to fire."
"You're fucking crazy!"
"You're about to see fucking crazy!" She grabbed it and pushed Morelli towards the front door. "Don't you dare come back here, Joe Morelli!"
Joe practically ran out the door and down the hall as he called her every dirty name in the book. Steph sat the gun down on the counter and slammed the door behind him. "Good fucking riddance."
She threw all the locks and shuffled back towards the bedroom. She muttered to herself and ran a hand threw her curls to push them out of her eyes. She flopped back down into her bed and snuggled underneath the covers. Her heart was beating double time and she could hear Joe in the back of her head.
Fucking men. Steph couldn't remember why she even bothered. Why she even tried. Why the hell had she thought it was good to get the two men in her life Christmas presents? She could've saved herself all the trouble, saved the money and bought herself a one way ticket to Fiji. She heard it was really nice this time of year.
She rolled over and pulled the extra pillow over her head. She closed her eyes and lulled herself to sleep. At least she was almost asleep when she heard footsteps at her door.
She groaned. Fucking Morelli couldn't take a hint if she cold-cocked him upside the head with the butt of her gun.
Steph rolled out of bed madder than she was before and just as she reached the kitchen, she slid to a stop.
This wasn't Joe Morelli.
He stood in the shadows and dressed in all black. Her heart skipped a beat and even though she was still pissed, just seeing him there meant he wasn't with Jeanne Ellen.
"Jeanne Ellen already kicked you out?"
He crossed his arms over his chest. "Sarcasm doesn't suit you well at 3 am."
"I'm well aware of what time it is," she said, leaning against the bedroom doorframe. "You aren't my first guest tonight. I am hoping you are the last so I can finally get some fucking sleep."
He went still and she watched as his jaw tightened. "Someone was here?"
"Yeah," Steph said, turning away from Ranger and walked into her bedroom. "Morelli."
She heard him walk towards her room, his footfall heavier in the silence of her apartment.
"You might as well go, Ranger. I'm not in the mood to put up with your bullshit, too."
She could hear the amusement in his voice even though her back was to him. "Sounds like it wasn't a make up session."
"Far from it," Steph muttered. She watched him look over his shoulder towards the kitchen where the water bottle was on the floor and water dripped from the counter. The cookie jar top had fallen on the floorboards and busted and the gun was still out.
"Steph," Ranger said as he paused at the door. He stared at her with the intensity of a thousand burning suns and Steph could feel it to the depths of her core. "He didn't hurt you did he?"
"Oh Jesus, no." She leaned over the bed and straightened up the blankets and put the pillows she'd pitched off the bed in frustration back against in the headboard. "He's scum but he ran out of here with his tail tucked between his legs."
"Good."
Steph glanced behind her and gave Ranger a half-smile. "You still haven't explain why you're here and not with the ice princess, Jeanne Ellen." She turned and tucked a wayward curl behind her ear before crossing her arms over her chest. "Did she give you frostbite?"
"Jealous?"
Steph narrowed her eyes and snorted, "You wish."
Ranger took a step into her and Steph realized immediately she needed to move away from him. His nearness would affect her ability to think straight. As she took a step to sidestep him, her foot tangled in her coat on the floor and she stumbled backwards. Ranger reached out to steady her and his fingers brushed against her breasts. Her nipples reacted almost instantaneously, standing out in hard peaks, searching for more attention. His hands remained wrapped around her upper arms and his thumbs rubbed circles on her soft skin even as she tried to pull away from him.
He was so distracting, she'd already forgotten what she was going to say to him. She inhaled and her eyes rolled back in her head. Oh hell, she was in trouble now.
She had to think. Jealous. That's right. He thought she was jealous of Jeanne Ellen and she was. Every time she thought about Jeanne Ellen wrapping herself around Ranger she wanted to murder someone.
"I'm not jealous." Steph stared straight head at Ranger's chest, slowly counting back mentally from twenty so she could get control over her hormones. "We're both adults. You can fuck whoever you want."
She wanted to bring her hands up and run them over all those hard muscles and feel his heart beat underneath her hand. He was standing so close. He was so warm and inviting and his leg was inserted between hers and she was only wearing an old flannel nightgown. It would be so easy to just pull the nightgown over her head and give in to everything she'd always wanted and had been afraid to have.
"Ranger," she whispered and strained painfully to get the words to leave her lips. "You have to go."
His thumbs continued to rub circles on her arms and one hand slid up her arm and cupped the back of her head, tilting her head up to him. "Babe."
His dark hair fell over his eyes giving him more of a mischievous glint. He smelled like heaven, worn leather and Bulgari. Steph had a hard time keeping her eyes open every time she breathed in.
"Hm?"
He massaged her neck. Her knees felt like warm butter and her blood boiled in a wonderfully hot way reserved for when they were moving together as one. And she could remember everything about that night just like it was yesterday and not three years ago.
He leaned into her and his lips came to her ear. His voice was husky as he murmured, "What if I don't want to go?"
Steph's lips formed a perfectly rounded "O" and before she could react, Ranger brought his lips down onto hers. His tongue swept into her mouth and cut off all reason and thought. Stephanie curled her fingers into the front of his t-shirt and moaned against his mouth. She pressed herself hard against him, felt his knee ride up between her legs and he pushed her back onto the bed.
She gasped as her back touched the bed and Ranger lifted his head enough to look into her eyes.
"Tell me this is what you want, Steph." He dipped back to her lips and with feather light strokes, his lips caressed hers, tongue stroking out and flicked her bottom lip. His voice was soft as he kissed along her jawline to the outer shell of her ear, "I'm where I want to be." His breath was hot and shivered down her spine. "Right here."
Oh God, she wanted this. She wanted this like she wanted the air she breathed.
"The ball is in my court," Steph whispered to him and she turned her face into Ranger's. "That is what you meant. You wanted me to make the choice for you."
One corner of his lips curled upward and the crinkle at the corners of his eyes made her melt. "I wanted you to make the choice for yourself and no one else. But my patience only stretches so far."
Stephanie wanted to laugh but instead she brushed some of his hair away from his eyes and kissed him lightly, "It's been a week."
"It's been three years. Almost four, Babe."
"I didn't know we were keeping score." Steph couldn't help feeling a little aggravated with him. Right now, he was ruining the mood for sex and that annoyed the hell out of her.
Ranger seemed to sense that and rolled over. He was a tightly coiled spring, his eyes closed, his breathing even. Steph sat up in the bed and looked out the window. Even with the curtains covering the glass, she could see the shadow of snowflakes falling.
Snow and Christmas time and no sex. Life was shitty in the 'Burg.
She got out of bed and pushed her nightgown back down, smoothing it out nervously. She watched Ranger out of the corner of her eye and his eyes were on her naked legs and the way her flannel nightgown cut up high on her thighs. She could tell because ever inch of her turned hot under his gaze.
"Did you just come here for sex?"
Ranger sat up and gave her a look. His was jaw tightened until Steph thought it might break. "I'm not going to fucking answer that."
Which answered her question. How could she be so stupid? Steph narrowed her eyes and took a step towards him. "Were you just waiting until I would be asleep and sneak in here thinking I was going to just give it up to you because you think I'm jealous?"
She pushed one of her legs between his and put her hands on his shoulders. She flipped her hair over her shoulders and ran her fingers through his and pulled it until he looked up at her. "Do you want me to whisper to you all the times I thought of you while I was in the shower? Or how I thought about that night so many times it was like it never ended?"
Whispering to him in the darkness of her bedroom was turning her on more than she'd like to admit. Every nerve responded to even the slightest movement from Ranger. She found herself breathless even though he hadn't touched her. It was the heat of his eyes, staring at her, mesmerizing her, seducing her. She wanted more than this. Wanted more than just him running back to her when he felt the need to walk the fine line of their relationship to toy with her.
Steph licked her lips and her pulse notched up, fluttering like butterfly wings at the thought of putting her lips on his, dragging them down his chest and taking her hands and undoing his belt. Thoughts of him putting his hands on her had her hot and wet and ready to moan his name. But when she looked into his eyes, there was no raw need radiating from him. His body was hard against hers, his eyes blacker than sin as they looked at her, but he didn't show her anything she hadn't seen before. He was holding back.
Maybe she should too.
Steph leaned into him and breathed into his ear, "Or maybe about how I felt tonight when you dropped me off here to run back to Jeanne Ellen just because she crooked her finger in your direction?"
They stared at each other and Steph's heart pounded hard against her rib cage. Frustrated with her reaction to him, Stephanie pushed him down onto the bed and moved away. It didn't take him long to react and she slipped from his grasp and went to the front door. Ranger was close behind her, nearly on her heels.
She opened the door and gestured from him to the door. "Get out. Jeanne Ellen isn't the only one who can turn you down, Ranger. I can too."
Ranger stared her down and any other time, this would've made her crawl out of her own skin, but tonight, she'd had just about enough of the men in her life. She squared her shoulders and brought her chin up as an act of defiance. An eternity of silence stretched between them, neither willing to look away and let the other win for the night. Steph pushed the door open further and crossed her arms over her chest.
Ranger looked her over once more and when he moved, Steph jumped, startled by the suddenness of it. He moved so quickly that she couldn't get out of the way fast enough. He had his hand on the door and closed it before she could stop him and flipped all the locks in place.
"What are you doing?"
He wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her against the door. The wood was hard against her back and Ranger was even harder and unyielding and plastered against the length of her. "I'm saving you from yourself."
He brought his lips down on hers and it wasn't soft and loving. It was brutal and punishing and it was… ecstasy. She fought against him and tried to peel her lips from his. His teeth sank into her bottom lip and Steph cried out against his mouth. He dragged his hand along her upper thigh and underneath the hem of her nightgown. Her breath caught in her lungs and Ranger dragged his mouth along her jaw. "If I move my fingers two more inches to the right am I going to find you soaking wet and ready for me?" He flicked his tongue over her earlobe and whispered, "…Stephanie."
Her lips parted and her head fell back against the door. It was an internal struggle of whether to push closer to his fingers or push him away. And with the way her fingers were curled into the front of his t-shirt, she couldn't find the strength to let go.
His fingers hooked her panties and pulled them down. It only took a flick of his fingers for them to fall to the floor and he pressed a knee between her legs to spread them further apart. His lips caressed the soft skin of her neck, down to the hollow of her collarbone and he leaned away just far enough to jerk her nightgown slightly to one side. Stephanie felt it give way and faintly heard the skittered of buttons dancing along the floorboards.
She could feel Ranger's eyes raking her from her toes to the tip of her head. She warmed all over and his knuckles brushed over her taut nipples. Steph tried to bite back a moan but her back arched towards his knuckles was enough to signal to him her body wasn't confused about what she wanted. He took her hand and used it to cup his hard length.
"God, Stephanie." Ranger groaned and Steph scraped her fingernails along his pants. He took her lips under his own and Steph continued to caress him. She pressed against him and hooked one of her legs around his. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and took control of the kiss, showing him just how much she wanted him and only him.
He tore his mouth from hers. "Tell me Steph. Tell me what you want."
"You," she said, breathlessly. She cupped him hard in her hand and kissed him on the lips, tongue flicking over his lower one, sucking it into her mouth. "God, I want you."
He picked her up and Steph wrapped her legs around his waist as he steered them in the direction of her bedroom. The bed was soft underneath her back as he laid her down with her legs hanging off the edge of the bed. She watched him under lowered lashes as he kicked off his boots and undid his belt. He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor. He reached down for her and pulled Steph to her feet only for him to push the edges of her nightgown down her shoulders and let the material fall to the floor. He pressed his lips to her shoulder and let his hands run down her arms and interlaced their fingers.
Ranger brought her fingers up and sucked one of them into his mouth. His tongue twirled around the digit, drawing it further into his mouth. She swayed a little, gasped as his teeth grazed the tip and she reached for the closest thing to her- the button of his pants and she popped them open. Her nipples brushed his chest as she leaned in a little further to concentrate on ridding him of his pants.
Steph shoved her hand inside of his pants; fingertips grazed his hip bone and dipped lower, using the tip of her fingernail along the underside of his cock. She licked her lips, wanting to taste him, to feel that velvety softness inside of her mouth. She removed her hand from his boxers and Ranger pulled her finger from his mouth, laid his lips to her palm and Steph started to kneel down.
Ranger was a step ahead of her and pushed her back until her knees hit the edge of the bed and she dropped. He didn't leave her long, leaning over her with a hand on her shoulder to push her back down into the bed and their hips touched. He rocked into her, pants still intact and the roughness of his zipper on her swollen clit caused her to cry out.
Ranger's hand dipped between them and his fingers parted her, sliding through her slit and applied pressure to her clit. He encircled her, moving slow and she could feel the pressure build deep inside her. He kissed her deep, stroking her tongue, moving in the same unhurried motion as he kept his fingers and Steph fisted her hands in his hair. He slipped his finger from her clit and pushed two fingers inside of her, letting his thumb replace his finger at her clit. Her orgasm came hard and fast. She moaned his name over and over again as she rode the waves into a blissed out heaven.
Steph was vaguely aware of fisting her hands into the waistband of his pants and shoving them down and Ranger kicked them the rest of the way off. He braced himself on either side of her and his hard length touched the inside of her thigh. She sighed a little and tensed in anticipation of him sliding into her. And when he slipped inside of her, it was nothing like she remembered and everything fantasies were made of. He stretched her and filled her and slid so deep inside of her, Stephanie couldn't remember what it was like without him.
He held himself perfectly still once he was buried deep inside of her, and rocked against her cervix. He kissed her slowly, and Steph moved her hips against him wanting to feel him move in and out of her. But he held his patience, biting her lip when she rocked her hips harder against his and soothed it with his tongue when she cried out from the heat building between them.
He cupped her hip, and his thumb traced circle on her hip bone as he brought her hips up and more flush to his own. He slid out of her and slid back home and both of them groaned at the sensation. He did it again and Steph nearly crawled of her skin, wanting to get closer to him than was physically possible. She brought her hands down to his hips and dug her fingernails in as she tried to move him deeper, but he used his hand on her hip to push her down into the bed.
Steph hooked her leg around his hips and rode him as he slid out of her. He continued to keep his pace, each time she got close to orgasm, he slowed almost to a stop, rocking their hips together in circles and kissing her as if she were his air.
Ranger slid deep inside of her and Steph could feel it, the teasing edge of orgasm as her inner muscles pulsed around him. Every inch of her body was tight in response.
"Please," she begged against his lips, "please Carlos."
Ranger groaned against her lips and he swelled inside of her. His hips moved quicker, making both of them frantic, and Steph succumbed first. Every muscle, every nerve ending tensed and then exploded. His hand gripped her hip almost painfully as he followed after her, pushing deep inside of her and holding himself there.
Their breathing was the only sound, and Stephanie couldn't bring herself to move. She was deliciously warm all over and tingling from head to toe. Ranger shifted against her and she pressed her lips to his chest.
"Let me move so I don't hurt you."
Stephanie smiled against his chest, a completely goofy, blissful smile and Ranger pressed his lips to her forehead and shifted so all of his weight was on his arms.
Ranger brushed a few curls from her face and in the darkness, she could tell that the hard edge that had been there earlier was gone and a softer version of Ranger stared down at her. In her life, these were the moments she liked to remember the most. When the veneer of Ranger was off and he was just a man- a man she loved and trusted.
"I'm sorry about earlier, Babe."
Steph flashed him a half-smile and shrugged it off. "I'd rather you didn't bring it up." Especially while you're still hard inside of me.
Now that her sight was adjusting, the soft glow of dawn and streetlights came through the blinds and shined down on Ranger's head. The glow gave Ranger the look of a dark angel and the look in his eyes was pure sin.
"This is the only time I can get you to listen." He leaned down to his elbows and his hands came to her cheeks. He stroked her cheekbones with his thumbs. "Just listen to me, Stephanie."
"I'm listening," she said almost impatiently.
Ranger laughed and he moved his hips into hers. Steph gasped and the smile on Ranger's face grew.
"Do you like that?"
Steph licked her lips and her eyes closed. He moved his hips slower and Steph fisted her hands into the blankets.
"Answer one question, babe and I'll give you what you want."
Damnit, she thought. At this point, she'd give away all National secrets if she knew them to get a little bit more of what he was willing to give.
His hand came up to palm her breast, and his thumb brushed over her nipple. It tightened instantly in response, swelling and reaching out for more contact. He breathed on it and another wave of wetness flooded between her legs and coated him. He flushed his hips completely against hers and Steph almost blacked out. She moaned a little. Maybe a lot. She wasn't sure.
"Babe?"
"Hm," she managed to say. Her brain wasn't connected to her body anymore. She was floating somewhere between heaven and hell, and it would be closer to the heaven side if Ranger would move his hips just a little bit more to the left.
"Spend Christmas with me."
She rolled her hip against his and Ranger groaned. His fingers dug into her hip bone to keep her still. "Yes or no, Stephanie?"
"You're blackmail-" Steph moaned as he brought his hand between their bodies and brushed his thumb against her in short strokes that exploded sparks behind her eyelids. "Oh God! Please!"
He ground his hips against her. His lips grazing the outer shell of her ear. "Give me what I want and I'll give you what you need."
Steph slid her fingers into his hair and brought his lips to her own. It was impossible to think but she managed to whisper, "Yes."
..::End::..
Original Posting Date: November 17, 2008
Secondary Posting Date: November 15, 2011
A/N: Thirty days and night of literary abandon- and I'm still going strong! I'm a little ahead of the projected word count so I thought I might take a break and post. Thank you for being patient with me while I write for NaNo.