Disclaimer: All characters are borrowed from JE, the title is borrowed from Bon Jovi

Warning: Bad language and adult content

Thank you verymuch for all your great reviews, I love them!!

A specail thank you for Stayce for editing, ass-kickin' and pep-talking!

Keep the Faith

Chapter 15

Ranger paused, his eyes searching mine. He didn't blink for a full minute, but then I couldn't help the grin that spread over my face.

"Not funny," he said and tried to pull me close again. Not exactly the reaction I'd hoped for, but I thought I at least had him hesitate for a bit. It was silly to expect him to run away screaming like a girl, after all.

I put my hand on his chest. "I wasn't kidding…." He must have heard something in my voice, because he immediately became serious. "I really do owe Harry the Hammer a favor."

He sat up and ran a hand through his hair. "Fuck, Stephanie. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought we went over this," I said and tried to get up but he held me back by my arm.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, pulling me towards him. Bastard, he knew an 'I'm sorry' from him melts me into a puddle.

"I really did listen," he tried to convince me as he nuzzled my shoulder. He pulled me back onto the mattress with him and ran his hands up my arms.

"I wanted to tell you," I said, and I couldn't help it, now I needed to talk. Ranger's hands were on me and he was clearly feeling friendly and I wanted to talk. Ungh!

I pulled myself free and sat up. "I wanted to tell you right away, but you were on your mission."

Ranger was still on his back and raised an eyebrow, "You made a deal with Harry while I was away?"

"Well, no," I bit my lower lip. "I made the deal a while ago, but he only called last week to call in his marker."

The almost-smile disappeared from his face and he sat up. "How long ago?"

Shit. I couldn't lie now, I'd only make it worse. But if I told him the truth he'd be pissed. For the first time, I almost wished I had to throw up right that second.

My distraction skills are pretty well honed, having grown up in the Burg and all. Unfortunately, none of them work on Ranger. "A while ago," I tried.

Ranger reached out and put his hand under my chin, lifting it up until I couldn't avoid looking up. "Before I went away?"

I swallowed and closed my eyes. "Six months ago," I all but whispered and Ranger's hand dropped to my collarbone.

"You thought asking me to do Joyce would distract me enough to not ask questions?"

I bit my lip again and for a moment contemplated nodding and lighten the mood with a 'gotcha' or something, but then I opened my eyes and met his. His face didn't give away whether he was about to smile or yell. "No, that part is true. That's my end of the bargain, to get Joyce away from Vinnie."

Ranger pulled his hand from me and ran it over his chin, obviously trying to stay calm. I thought he was doing a good job, if I'd just found out he had been keeping something from me for six months, I would have freaked. But then, that's me. For all I knew, Ranger could be freaking on the inside.
At any rate, I decided to wait for him to speak. He took a deep breath and I fought the urge to squirm. You could have cut the tension between us with a knife. I wondered why I'd decided it was a good time to talk, I could probably be enjoying a Ranger-induced orgasm by now.

"What was his end?" Ranger finally asked.

Oh thank God! No 'how could you keep this from me', no 'I can't understand you', an easy question.

"He let me have his suite at the Taj Mahal," I said and ran my tongue over my suddenly dry lips.

"That was it?" he asked and raised an eyebrow, his eyes never leaving mine. I nodded.

"He never called you before last week?" I shook my head 'no'.

"So what you're saying is," he took my hand in his and gently pulled me towards him, "if we'd talked about this sooner, we could've avoided a lot of…stress?" He lay back down and linked his hands behind my back.

I rested my head on his chest and nodded. "Basically."

"So what were you thinking about all day?" I asked, trying to change the subject and find out why he'd let me wait at the same time.

I felt more than heard Ranger chuckle and enjoyed the sensation of his chest moving up and down under my head. "Nice try. I want to know more about this deal."

I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see it. "I just told you," I said and splayed my hands on his chest, feeling his toned muscles under his shirt.

Ranger did his version of a sigh. "I'm gonna give you until you're feeling better, but sooner or later, you're gonna have to tell me."

I looked up, "I was gonna…"

Ranger put his index finger over my mouth. "Shh, I know. But now I'm listening and now I want to know it all, okay?"

I opened my mouth and closed my lips over his finger, sucking it gently. Immediately, Ranger's expression softened. "Not playing fair, Babe," he whispered and pulled his finger out to replace it with his mouth.

The kiss was soft, tender, not growing into more. And it was the sweetest kiss, because it felt like a promise. When he'd kissed me earlier, it was with a 'I can't help it' passion. Now his kiss felt like he was saying 'I'm home'. For the first time, I allowed myself to hope he'd finally come to his senses.

Ranger broke the kiss and rested his chin on my head. I wanted to ask him, I needed to find out where we stood, but I didnt' want to break this peaceful moment.

What if he just told me that he was holding me because he thought I was sick? What if he said that he'd be back to keeping his distance as soon as Dr. Mahoney declared me healthy? If that were to happen, I wanted to postpone it as long as possible.

"Tell me what you were thinking about first," I bargained.

I could feel him smile against my hair and wrapped my arm around him. With my head against his chest, I could feel his heart beat. He was fully dressed, but I could feel the warmth of his skin seep through his clothes into me. I closed my eyes to freeze the moment, still not daring to hope. I knew I was behaving like the world's biggest sap, and I didn't care.

Ranger ran his hand through my hair, his fingertips gently massaging, starting tiny explosions that sent heat through my entire body.

"I went to your apartment first," he said, tucking a curl behind my ear and running his fingers down my neck. "When you weren't there I called Bobby to get your status. So I thought I'd wait for you."

"You weren't there when I got back at one."

I felt his head shake as he ran his fingertips over my shoulder. "I was only there for an hour. Then I drove."

I lifted my head to see his face. He put one hand under his head and looked straight up at the ceiling. "You mean you drove here?" I asked.

He shook his head slightly. "No. I drove. It's what I do when I need to think."

That made perfect sense, given that he always went into his zone when driving. It just hadn't come up before, I would have pictured Ranger to be the brooding in a dark room kind of guy.

"Where'd you go?"

The corners of his mouth quirked up in an almost smile. "I was almost in Connecticut. I told you, I had a lot to think about."

I propped myself up on my elbow, just watching Ranger and listening to him. This was it, I thought, here it comes. I tried to tell myself that no matter, what I'd love him and he'd love me, but there was no consolation there.

Ranger took a deep breath and absently stroked my upper arm before he sat up and scooted off the bed. He was pacing in front of me before I really knew what was going on. Batman and his sonic speed.

"I think I was wrong," he said, stopping to look at me. For Ranger, this was huge. Ranger prides himself on thinking everything over, reaching a decision only after careful consideration, so it's not cockiness when he thinks he's usually right. This was the first time I'd ever heard him admit to being wrong. My breath caught in my throat.

"I thought if I just stayed out of your life, you'd be safe. It turns out you would be safe … from me, except I can't manage to stay out of your life." He ran a hand through his hair. "And on top of that, I can't protect you when I'm keeping my distance."

The flutter of hope in my stomach felt like a swarm of butterflies. I hadn't imagined it, he had changed his mind! That was what he was saying, right? I really tried to listen but I had to know for sure. And I thought it best to go with a tease to lighten the mood a little. Mostly because I didn't know how to express what I felt.

"You mean you want me to take you back?" I asked and sat up, sitting on the edge of the bed.

He smiled his full-on smile, the one that lit up his entire face and crouched down in front of me.

"In a nutshell," he said softly and pulled me close, burying his face in my stomach.

I wrapped my arms around him. I wanted nothing more than to just go back to where we'd been. But at the same time, I knew I never wanted to go through this again, I had to make absolutely sure he meant it. "That seems a little sudden…" I cautioned.

He nodded, his head in my lap. "I know. What you said earlier? That's about what I was thinking. I was an ass. I hurt you. I'm sorry." And he hugged me tighter.

Okay, so now he was saying exactly what I wanted him to say, so why was I still suspicious? It was too sudden. But Ranger would never lie to me, he was just not known for changing his mind.

I bent down and kissed his head, deeply inhaling his scent, a scent that would always make me feel safe for some reason. Ranger wouldn't say he changed his mind just to make me feel better.

So that left the question what exactly had changed his mind?

"And all you did was drive and think?"

Ranger pulled back until he sat on his haunches and his arms lay on my thighs. "Am I missing something? I thought this is what you wanted."

I smiled. It must have been the first time I would have described his expression as 'puzzled'.

"Of course it's what I want," I assured him. "It's just kind of sudden, after a few hours of driving."

The corners of his mouth quirked up. "There may have been some talking, too…"

I knew it! I raised my eyebrows in a silent question.

Ranger blew out some air. "Tank and I had a talk," he finally said and looked down at his hand rubbing my thigh.

"What did he say?"

Ranger looked up and flashed me a smile. "That I was an ass."

I rolled my eyes as I imagined the conversation. I could see Tank having a man-to-man with Ranger, but I could also imagine Ranger confronting him about what he had witnessed in my apartment.

"Did he tell you that you were an ass for thinking you needed to protect me from you or for thinking he was with me?"

Ranger stood up and leaned in to cup my face in his hands. "I didn't want to believe you were with him. I was…"

"Jealous?" I offered. I knew Ranger was convinced he didn't get jealous.

"Maybe," he conceded and kissed me, just a brush of his lips over mine.

"Did he say anything else? I find it hard to believe Tank told you that you were an ass and left it at that."

Ranger took a deep breath, stroking my cheek with his fingers. "He made me realize there was another way. I didn't have to stay away from you to protect you from me, I could work on me, re-condition myself, in a sense."

Now I was curious and raised my eyebrows. "Re-condition?"

"Yeah," Ranger said, chuckling softly. "Like an old dog learning new tricks. Learn that you are a part of my life and that you never trigger a defense reflex."

I let that sink in for a moment. If I understood correctly, he wasn't saying he changed his mind, but he found a solution. Since he'd been afraid to hurt me out of reflex, it sounded like exactly what he needed. Of course, I never felt threatened or in any danger, but it wouldn't do any good to tell Ranger.

"Like an added Steph-safety?" I asked instead, just to make sure I fully understood him.

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, in a way. So what do you think?" he asked, leaning his forehead against mine. "You think you can chalk it up to me fucking up and try again?"

I wanted to scream 'Yes!', but in the back of my mind, I still had doubts. "You think you can learn to not be a danger to me anymore?"

He did his sigh again, pushed me back onto my back and lay down next to me. He took my hand and laced his fingers with mine placing it on my belly. With his hand propped up on one hand, he looked at me for a long minute and our eyes held.

"Are you willing to give us another chance? I'll work on this, I think I can do it. But not without you."

Trust Ranger to sum up so much so easily. Tears were stinging my eyes at the sincerity I saw in his.

I swallowed hard and nodded. "I am," I whispered and pulled his head down with my free hand.

His lips were warm and soft on mine and I fisted my hand in his hair as I my tongue outlined his mouth.

I moaned against his mouth when he parted his lips and our tongues touched. A spark of electricity traveled down to my breasts and made my nipples contract.

Ranger let go of my hand and rolled over, so that I was half covered under him, and he pulled my head towards him as he deepened the kiss.

I ran my hand down his face, drowning in the kiss.

When a cell phone rang in the distance, I half expected Ranger to pull away, but if he heard it, he didn't let it show. His hand snuck under my shirt and cupped my breast.

I shivered and arched against his hand, letting my own hand wander down his chest to work on his shirt. I had this urgent need to feel his skin.

Ranger pulled away long enough to lock eyes with me, and I could read the desire in his before he pulled his shirt over his head.

Immediately, I splayed my hand on his chest, moaning at the sensation I thought I'd never feel again.

Ranger pulled my shirt up until he pulled away and freed me from it in one swift movement, a moment later my bra was gone.

"Not wasting any time, are you?" I asked breathlessly and he smiled at me as he lowered his head to my breast.

"I've wasted too much already," he said and ran his tongue over my pebbled nipple, making me shiver. He placed open mouthed kisses between my breasts, on his way to give my other nipple the same kind of attention, and my skin was on fire.

He ran his hand down my neck and let it take over as his mouth wandered up to claim mine once again. Without breaking the kiss, he rolled himself on top of me, parting my legs with his knee, balancing his weight on his elbows. His tongue darted forward and he thoroughly explored my mouth, our tongues dancing with one another. The kiss seemed endless, each of us angling our heads to deepen it, explore further. I snaked my arms around his neck, pulling him closer against me.

Ranger lifted his hips up a little and let his hand move down my chest to my hips, expertly popping the button and sliding down the zipper, then his hand slid lower and I moaned into his mouth when his fingers touched that spot.

He broke the kiss and watched my reaction to his hand. Desire washed over me hot and demanding and I lifted my hips to get rid of my pants. Ranger pushed them down for me, hooking his thumb in my panties to pull them down in the same swoop.

Before he could lie back down, I grabbed his belt and loosened it, Ranger got the hint and pushed his pants down impatiently. Since he was going commando, the action freed his already massive erection and I licked my lips at the sight of it.

I gasped when he lowered himself to the bed again and I finally felt him on me everywhere, no annoying fabric between us.

His hands were exploring as if he hadn't touched me in months, stroking and caressing, kneading and petting, and I writhed under them as my own hands did the same to his body. He settled himself between my thighs, feathering kisses up my jaw and down my neck, lingering at the juncture to my shoulder, laving my skin until I shuddered under him.

I knew I wouldn't last long, and I certainly didn't need much in the way of foreplay. Looking at Ranger excited me, being touched my him set me on fire, being skin to skin with him had me close to imploding.

His mouth went lower to my collarbones and the swell of my breasts, suckling and biting gently, and I arched my hips into his.

"Not yet," he breathed against my skin. "I've missed this for too long."

"So have I," I complained, my voice almost a whine. "And I can't wait any longer."
"What are you waiting for exactly?" Ranger asked as he lifted his head and met my eyes. "This?" He dipped a finger into my folds and I gasped.

"Or this?" He started moving his finger inside me and the tightly coiled desire exploded in my belly.

"Yes, yes, all of it," I managed to press out, needing to feel him more than I could remember ever needing him.

I could feel Ranger's smile against my skin as his mouth wandered down over my stomach. I whimpered when he removed his finger, I was so close. He swirled his tongue around my navel and I contemplated begging.

I was now sobbing with need and my eyes were squeezed shut. A small scream escaped me when I felt his tongue between my legs and I pushed my hips against it.

Ranger used his hands to hold my hips on the mattress as he began to explore with his tongue, dipping in and out of my folds, swirling it. When he sucked on my clit I came so hard, fireworks were exploding behind my closed lids and I could have sworn I was airborne.

It felt like I was regaining consciousness when I slowly opened my eyes and met Ranger's. He smiled as he grazed my hips with his teeth and took his time working his way upwards again.

I fisted my hands in his hair, trying to push my pelvis against him, but he wouldn't have it. He pushed me into the mattress with his free hand and French-kissed my navel.

Heat started pooling in my core again and I was panting. I tried to pull him up to me and this time, I could feel Ranger chuckle against my skin.

"Ranger, please, I need you," I begged and tried to move against him one more time. "I need you inside me now."

He growled low in his throat and claimed my mouth with his, our tongues dueling until I felt like I was going to explode. I threw my head back and screamed as Ranger suddenly plunged into me, burying himself in me to the hilt.

I wrapped my legs around his waist while he held perfectly still for a moment, giving me time to adjust to his size.

"Look at me," he said breathlessly, using his hand to turn my face towards him. His eyes never left mine as he slowly pulled back, only to thrust into me again. I rocked my hips against him, adjusting to his rhythm.

I tried to hold his eyes, but as he thrust into me again and again, I could feel the tidal wave of another climax arriving and I dug my nails into his back as I arched off the bed and clung to him, screaming his name.

"Dios," Ranger exclaimed close to my ear when I slowly came down, and he picked up his rhythm again. Within moments, I was whimpering, begging him for release and as he pounded into me again and again and again, we were climbing together. I could feel Ranger's ragged breath on my skin whenever he released my mouth, and his entire body shivering against me as he thrust into me one final time with my name on his lips and such a force that I hit that spot between pleasure and pain that seems so unbearable until you get to the other side and I sobbed with pleasure.

We clung to each other for the longest time afterwards, waiting for our heart rates to return to normal and our breathing to allow us to talk. I felt Ranger's heart beat against me, as if we were one, and I wanted to freeze this moment forever.

At that moment, I was happy. I was sure Heaven itself couldn't feel better.

I don't know if I passed out for a minute, or if it just took some time for all my senses to return, but when I opened my eyes, Ranger was nuzzling my neck. He was balancing his weight on his elbows on either side of my head and he was still buried deep inside me. As far as I was concerned, we never had to move again.

"I love you," He whispered when he locked eyes with me, then he lowered his head and claimed my mouth in a tender, gentle, passionate kiss that made my insides melt all over again.

I had butterflies in my stomach, these three words out of his mouth would never become ordinary for me.

"I love you too," I said when the kiss broke. He looked down at me and I drank in the sight of him so close to me and the only thought in my head was 'mine'.

I shuddered when he rolled away from me, suddenly feeling incomplete. But he brought me with him so that as he came to lie on his back, I lay over his chest.

Ranger's steady heartbeat under me and the completely relaxed state my body was in almost lulled me into sleep, until I could feel Ranger stir under me.

He kissed my temple as he gently lifted me off of him and onto the pillow. All I could muster by way of protest was a weal whimper.

"Get some rest, Babe. I'll be back as soon as I can," he whispered into my ear, lightly kissing the shell as he slowly drew away.

I vaguely remembered that it wasn't all that late yet and that he probably had to go back to work, but I clung to his promise that he'd be back and smiled without opening my eyes.

I heard him pull his clothes back on but I was asleep before he left the bedroom.

When I woke up again, the room around me was completely dark, and yet I immediately knew where I was and what had woken me.

Ranger slid in next to me and gathered me into his arms. He kissed the top of my head and I looked up. I could barely see his face in the dark, but I could sense that he was smiling.

"Welcome back," I whispered. I noticed he'd slipped into bed naked and smiled.

"I never left," he said, shifting so that he could brush his lips over mine. "I went back to work, but my mind stayed here with you. You're the one that's dangerous for me."

"Don't ever doubt it," I said and slid my leg over his, propping myself up until I was straddling him. "And I'm ready for some more makeup sex."

I had no idea what time it was, and I didn't care. I wasn't dizzy and I didn't feel nauseous and the man I loved was trapped under me. I'd be damned if I didn't take advantage of the situation.

I could see Ranger's teeth sparkle white as his mouth split into a grin and his hands settled on my hips.

"Funny, that's just what I was thinking."

We made love until the grey light of dawn crept through the blinds and we lay totally spent and slack-limbed in each other's arms, and if I hadn't known before, I was now absolutely sure sex with Ranger would never be routine or even boring. I had lost count of the number of orgasms I had during the night and I had a feeling I'd be wearing a stupid 'just fucked' grin for days, and that's how long I'd be limping too.

Ranger's breathing became even and for the first time, he fell asleep before me, so I got to watch him sleep as the light slowly filled the room, and I couldn't remember ever feeling happier.

The next morning was the complete opposite of the last morning I'd spent at Ranger's apartment.

Ranger pulled me into his lap when I got back from getting some peanut butter from the kitchen and proceeded to feed me breakfast.

I was just licking cream cheese off his finger when he became serious again. "So we're good?" he asked.

I nodded. "We're better than good."

"You still want me to ruin Joyce for all other men?" He winked.

"I'd beat her and you to death with a shovel if you so much as touch her," I declared and planted my lips on his mouth for a cream cheese kiss. I could feel him smile against my mouth.

"That's settled then," he said when I released him.

"And speaking of settled," I said, refilling our coffee cups. "You never said there were any more threats, am I cleared to go out without baby sitters?"

"I prefer to think of them as bodyguards," Ranger said and took a sip of his coffee.

I tried to glare at him but couldn't quite pull it off, I was too happy. "You didn't answer my question."

He rolled his eyes in a way that would have made any Burg girl proud and pulled me closer. "If I had my way, you'd never go unprotected. But no, we haven't heard anything."

"Good," I said, ignoring his other comment. "'Cause I have a ton of skips I need to locate and apprehend."

"Just be careful," Ranger said. "And always carry."

"Yes Daddy," I promised, and now it was Ranger's turn to pretend to glare at me.

"Don't make me hurt you," he warned and pinched my ass. I squeaked and tried to jump off of his lap, but he held me tight.

"Are you taking today off to make sure I behave?" It was already past nine and I had hopes of spending the whole day with Ranger. My skips weren't all that important anyway, it only mattered to me that I could go after them if I wanted to.

Ranger blew out a breath and nuzzled my neck. "Wish I could. I have a meeting downtown." He looked up at me. "Oh, look at that pout."

I knew I wasn't pouting but I enjoyed him running his tongue over my lips just the same. I locked my hands behind his head and drew him closer to me.

Before the kiss could reignite some of the fires from the night before, Ranger put his hands on my forearms and pulled away.
"And I have to get ready for it now or else I never leave."

"Tell me the bad news," I teased but slid off his lap. With a lost kiss into my hair, he disappeared into the bedroom. I wondered if I should keep him company in the shower, but decided against it when every muscle protested as I was reaching for another bagel. Maybe I needed just a little rest.

Ranger reappeared, dressed in a charcoal black suit, his hair still wet from the shower. I ran my eyes over him and licked my lips as I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Hurry home," I whispered, brushing my lips over his. He pulled me closer with a low growl and took control of the kiss, plunging his tongue between my lips and stroking my tongue with his until I moaned into his mouth.

I could feel the effect the kiss had on him press into my abdomen, his hands were holding me flush against him.

He pulled away with an almost sigh and touched his forehead to mine. "You make me want to be late, babe."

I smiled. "Can't have that. Batman late must be one of the signs of the apocalypse."

"Wiseass," he said with a smile of his own and released me. "Promise me you'll be careful? I've got a car for you in the garage. Just say the word and I have one of my men come with you."

"I promise," I said and meant it.

"Call me if you need anything," he said and gave me a goodbye kiss, no tongue and no hands.

"You know I will."

I sighed as I watched him leave in his obviously tailored suit, the pants just tight enough to hug all his…assets, and yet loose enough to be fashionable. He turned just before he opened the door and caught my stare.

"Hold that thought until tonight," he said and winked before he opened the door and left.

Once I'd cleared away the breakfast dishes I realized I couldn't procrastinate any longer and got myself into the bathroom for a shower.

The hot water helped my soreness a lot and a half hour later, I was washed and shaved and exfoliated and ready to start the day. All I had to do was get to my desk a few flights down and start collecting info on my skips. Piece of cake, really.

That little nagging voice in my head spoke up and said things were too perfect, something was about to go wrong, but I told it to stop being such a pessimist and shut the fuck up.

TBC

A/N: So now you probably think all is well in Plum-Land, huh?