The first eight lines of this Ranger POV chapter are a combination of mine and Janet's words. The rest of it is how I wished "Seven Up" had ended. Everyone and everything familiar belongs to Janet. The mistakes are solely mine. Warnings for a little smut.

My body has surpassed hard and Stephanie's had definitely been in the process of melting against the front of mine, but she's now drawing back ... again.

"Okay, here's the truth," she told me. "I'd really like to sleep with you, but I have this stupid wedding gown ..."

That's not information I can't work around. I swept my lips along her jawline to her ear.

"I could make you forget the gown," I whispered into it.

"You could. But that would create really terrible problems."

Giving in to our mutual attraction would cause us both problems, but the inevitable complications from it are mattering less and less the longer I'm around her.

"You have a moral dilemma," I pointed out.

"Yes."

I kissed her again to give her something more to consider. "You could have something worth the dilemma."

I watched the expressions cross her face as she tried to figure out what I'm implying.

"You're saying that I can have you? Nothing new there. You're always up to - or for - something if it involves us without clothes on, but I have a chance at a serious relationship with a guy who says he loves me. Why would you want to put yourself in the middle of that and risk me wanting something like that with you?" She paused and then rolled her eyes at herself. "What am I saying? You wouldn't. And I wouldn't want you to."

"Are you sure about that?"

"If I'm not, I should be," she replied. "Look at how you are tonight. The short hair, cashmere jacket, black dress pants, classical music in your car ... you change personas like other men change friggin' socks. I'd be crazy to give up an engagement of sorts to a man I've known forever for whatever I could get from someone who's too full of mystery most of the time."

"It's better to change than chance marrying a guy who never will, Steph. If you think living with Morelli will be easier once you both have rings on your fingers, you've got bigger problems than a wedding gown."

"Why do you keep complicating my life?" She asked, burying her face in her hands, her indecision and frustration with me clear.

I've pushed her enough for now. When I come back to this room, it'll be with a different intent.

I peeled her hands away and tilted her chin up so she can see that I'm not fucking around anymore.

"I think the more pressing question is ... why do I want to complicate mine?"

I lowered my head and kissed her again, taking my time in seducing her using only her mouth. Her body will come later. When her breathing became erratic, I stepped back and let myself out, waiting by her door until I heard her lock it behind me. Then I went back to my own room to call Tank for backup.

My presence here in Richmond has somewhat changed. Our original objective was to rescue Dougie and Mooner, but my new goal is to get Stephanie naked, under me, and promising to stay there once we get back to Trenton.

I waited exactly two hours before I slipped back into her motel room. I'd heard her moving around for a while after I'd left, and I wanted her sleepy and her defenses down when I broke in. I opened, closed, and relocked her door without making a sound. I crossed the room, transferred my cell and gun from my pants to the nightstand, and stood by her bed, counting out the seconds until she sensed me near her.

It only took one minute and thirty-two seconds before she stirred this time.

"Ranger?"

"Yes."

"Did something happen, or are you making sure your B&E skills aren't rusty, since you decided not to break into Louie D's house earlier?" She said, flopping over onto her back, her voice still sounding half asleep.

I ignored the question.

"Trouble sleeping?" I asked.

She hesitated with her answer, but then gave me one anyway.

"At first."

I sat on the edge of her bed and fingered the hem of the t-shirt that had lifted, leaving a sliver of skin showing above the waistband of her sexy underwear.

"Because of me?"

She paused again, then just admitted the truth. "Yeah. I couldn't seem to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. I started off in just my panties, thinking that would help cool me down some, but putting at least my shirt back on seemed safer."

"If I can get through a locked door, Babe. A couple layers of material is nothing."

"Yeah ... but while you were in the process of locating skin, one of us may have come to our senses."

"'Coming to our senses' would mean what?"

"That we're a bad idea."

I agree, I just don't give a fuck anymore.

"We are a bad idea," I told her. "But you and Morelli are a worse one."

"Because you know there will be no collecting on the deal if I'm married?"

"My moral code may be a bit skewed, but I would never touch another man's wife."

"Is that what this room break-in is about?" She asked me. "Time's running out, and since you have me alone and already turned on, you're going to do something about it?"

"If you believe that, why aren't you kicking me out?"

She didn't say anything. I took that as a positive sign. I kicked off my boots and nudged her over so I could share her bed.

"What are you doing?" She asked, finally snapping out of her own head.

"Something I should've done a long time ago." I slid my hand into her curls and 'encouraged' her to face me. "Our plans have changed. Tank and Bobby are on their way here as backup and victim transport, so we'll have a little time now and after the rescue to deal with this thing between us. Tomorrow we'll retrieve Dougie and Mooner, then when we get back to Trenton, you're telling Morelli to take the gown and himself and go to hell."

"Ranger ..."

I shut her up with a kiss. I started out gentle to counteract the thoughts I'm currently having on taking her here, then in my apartment back home, and any place else she'll let me. What she was about to tell me doesn't matter. I'm through watching, waiting, and sharing. I've never denied myself something I've wanted, and I want her ... have wanted her since she first approached my table at the diner. I would've preferred to claim her someplace other than a rented room, but I'm not letting her sleep alone tonight or any other night I'm able to be in bed with her.

No more words were needed. Whatever thoughts, guilt, or reservations, she had regarding me or Morelli, were put aside as her desire for me took over. I rolled to my back and tugged her on top of me so I could get rid of her t-shirt. Once that was pulled over her head, I slid both hands down her bare back to her hips, under her panties, and down her legs, taking her thong completely off her body. Then my hands came back up, as I rolled us to put her beneath me.

Her lips were parted, yet she wasn't telling me to stop. If anything, she egged me on by yanking at my shirt, so I ditched it. Her fingers went first to my chest, then they traced my individual ab muscles while mine worked two pleasure points ... one below her waist and one above it.

"Oh, shit ..." she hissed, when I slid a finger into her and finally left her nipples alone to focus solely on making her come.

I smiled into the dark room. "Shit good or shit bad, Babe?" I asked, before kissing her mouth again.

"Gooooood," she said into it.

And it did feel real good when I felt her spasming in my hand three seconds after I put a little tongue into our kiss.

"This isn't part of a deal is it?" She asked me, though she sounded as if she knew it wasn't really a valid question.

I unbuckled my pants and urged her to open her legs wider before answering. As I eased myself inside her still trembling body, I put my mouth close to hers once again so she wouldn't misunderstand me.

"No, Stephanie. This isn't anything except an expression of what I feel for you."

When my dick was almost all the way in, she started panting again, even lifting her hips in order to accept more of me.

"You must feel an awful lot," she said, "because I definitely do."

I've never laughed during sex before, but this woman has inspired a lot of firsts for me.

I kept my thrusts slow but deep to start so she'd still be coherent enough to comprehend my words.

"I feel more than 'a lot' for you, Babe. And this," I said, punctuating my statement with a twist of my hips, "is just the beginning of me proving - and owning - it."

I may be the wrong man for her, but after tonight, I'm going to be the only man for her.