Thank you again to everyone who is taking the time to read and review. Your comments have been really encouraging and I appreciate them all!

Chapter 4 Warning - Smut alert! If that kind of thing offends you, please skip this chapter. I'll make sure to sum it up in the next chapter so that you don't miss anything important to the plot.

Any characters you recognize belong to JE. I'm just taking them for a spin and will return them unharmed - I promise!

Previously:

Lester left and I locked and bolted the door behind him. I pealed off the sweaty leather clothes, leaving them laying scattered across the floor as I went into the bathroom. I stood under scalding hot water, my skin turning red. I washed my hair and lathered every inch of my body multiple times. Finally, when my skin was pruny and my hot water was gone, I stepped out of the shower. I dried myself off, pulled on a pair of silk boxers that had "accidentally" found their way home with me once when I had spent the night at Ranger's, and a black tank top. I crawled into bed, hugged a pillow to my body, and let sleep overcome me.

I came awake slowly sometime later. It was still dark outside my window so I knew it wasn't morning yet. I felt a familiar shiver down my back.

"Ranger?" I called out.

"I'm here Babe." Ranger said. He was sitting in a chair watching me sleep.

"How long have you been there?" I asked.

"Not very long. I didn't mean to wake you. I was worried."

I rolled over on my side so that I could see him. "How did the handoff go?"

"Okay. There was a lot of paperwork. Parker seemed to fall down repeatedly on the way in. Turns out he is a real klutz. Anyway, it's done."

I was remembering the encounter and tears started falling. I rolled onto my back and tried to get my emotions under control.

"Babe, what is it? I knew something wasn't right. Are you hurt?" I could hear the tension in Ranger's voice.

"I can't explain it," I told him.

I had my eyes closed but I could hear Ranger removing his utility belt and boots. Next went his socks and cargoes, and finally his T-shirt. I felt the bed dip as he slid under the sheet next to me. He pulled me up so that I was snuggled next to him, my head resting on his broad chest. He kissed my temple gently. "Tell me what's wrong," he said.

"It's just….I don't know. He kissed me. He forced his tongue into my mouth and cut my lip with his teeth. He marked my neck, Ranger. I can't get the feel of him off me. I've been hurt so much worse physically, but I've never felt so violated. It's like his evil is in my skin and it won't come out." I tried to roll away from Ranger. "I'm sorry. I don't want you to touch me. You'll get infected too!' I was crying harder now, but the more I tried to pull away the more tightly Ranger held me.

"Shhh, Babe…Stephanie, you have to listen to me," Ranger said soothingly. "Those marks don't say anything about who you are as a person, except that you are strong and brave and good. You deal with scum like that and put yourself in danger so that other people, in this case, other women, will be safe. You are the antithesis of evil. You are everything that is right and good, Babe. Do you hear me? The only thing that could possibly infect me is your spirit, and for that I would be proud and honored."

I couldn't speak, just shook my head. He didn't know how wrong he was.

"You are safe and I won't let anything bad happen to you, okay?" Ranger was kissing my hair and rubbing my back. "Please try and get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."

Ranger murmured comforting sounds softly in my ear and continued rubbing my back. I felt the tension start to drain away and again sleep overcame me.

I was at the beach. The sun was beating down on me and warming my skin. I love the beach! I was being lulled by the sound of the waves as they ran up onto the sand and then back into the ocean again. Then I heard what sounded like humming. I went to stretch and sit up to see what it was, when I began to wake up. I had been dreaming. My heat source was actually Ranger, not the sun, and the buzzing was Ranger speaking softly into his cell phone. He shut his phone and pulled me into him again.

"Good morning, Babe," he said softly.

"Morning," I said sleepily. I stretched and sat up. "I'll be back," I told Ranger. I got up and went into the bathroom. I looked at my bloodshot eyes in the mirror and groaned. I used the facilities, washed my hands, and didn't even bother trying to do anything about my hair.

Ranger was sitting up against the headboard with his hands behind his head, leaning back and watching me as I came back into the bedroom.

I sat on the edge of the bed. "Thanks for staying, Ranger."

He dragged me up and into his lap, so that I was lying against him again. "It was my pleasure, Babe. The sound effects alone were worth it," he said chuckling. I playfully slapped his chest, and then grabbed a nipple and twisted, laughing as I tried to lunge away from him.

In a heartbeat, Ranger flipped me onto my back and held me down with his body. "I guess somebody is definitely feeling better this morning. Good enough to play with fire, in fact." He leaned his head down so that our foreheads touched, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Then he got serious again. "I meant every word I said last night, Babe. I want you to always remember that, okay?"

I sighed. I guess playtime was over. "I'm not brave at all, Ranger, and as for good, well, that's out the window too. Just ask my mother."

"I don't need to ask your mother, Stephanie. She doesn't even know who you are, not really. She only knows what she wants you to be. I know who you are and I never lie. You know that," Ranger said, staring into my eyes the entire time.

"Can we just agree to disagree, then?" I asked. "I do feel much better after getting some sleep."

Ranger sat up and started moving his hands across my face. He moved my hair and caressed my neck where Parker had bitten me. He laid gentle kisses against my skin, as if he was kissing away the evil. There were bruises on my upper arm where Parker had grabbed me so tight and dragged me after him. Ranger caressed those as well, and kissed the bruises over and over again. He ran his fingertips gently along my lower lip where Parker's teeth had cut me. He kissed me so gently that I almost couldn't feel our lips touch.

I felt a rush of heat and I threw my arms around Ranger and pulled him tighter to me, deepening the kiss from something gentle to something urgent and hungry. "Make love to me, Ranger, please?" My pride bit the dust and all I felt was the need for him to be inside me, to drive away the demons. I was willing to beg if I had to.

"Are you sure, Babe? You had a rough night. You know I want you. I always want you. I don't want to take advantage if you're vulnerable right now…."

I cut him off with another kiss. "Just shut up already will you?" I smiled against his lips.

Ranger let out a low growl and returned my kisses passionately. God that man can kiss! Suddenly the silk boxers and black tank top were sailing across the room. How the hell did that happen? We were body to body, skin to skin, heat radiating off of us like a furnace. I was on my back and Ranger was on his side next to me, with one leg thrown across the top of mine. He leaned over across my body and took my breast into his mouth, sucking gently at first, and then more deeply, scrapping his teeth across the nipple. I got shivers down my spine and arched my back. "God that feels sooooo goooood," I moaned. I could feel Ranger smile. He began attacking my other breast in earnest, while his hand roamed down my belly and then slowly between my legs. I reached down and ran my fingernails across Ranger's belly and down to his hip, and finally to his rock hard cock. I felt him catch his breath as I let my fingers play lightly across the surface. I wrapped my hand around him and squeezed gently at first and then harder. Ranger groaned, looking up into my eyes. "Are you sure?" he asked again. "Yes. Please don't stop now," I answered.

Ranger's fingers found the wet folds of my pussy and he began caressing me, watching my face to gauge my reaction to each movement. I closed my eyes and let the sensations wash over me. I felt my orgasm building tight in my core, as Ranger found my clit with his thumb, rhythmically stroking, then sliding 2 fingers inside me, curling them to find the perfect spot to drive me wild. I couldn't stop my hips from bucking against his hand.

"That's it, Babe. I want you to cum for me. I want to watch you go over the top." Ranger's voice was low and husky with lust.

My breathing was shallow and I could feel myself getting closer. My legs were trembling and Ranger's fingers kept up their onslaught of my pussy. He pushed a third finger inside me, while his thumb continued rubbing against my clit, bringing me ever closer.

Suddenly I was past the point of no return, "Oh God, don't stop. Omigod, omigod, omigod!" I felt like my whole body was on fire as wave after wave of the orgasm swept over me. I opened my eyes and saw Ranger's eyes as black as coal, staring at my face. I threw back my head and closed my eyes again, while my hips bucked and my legs continued to quiver. Ever so slowly I felt my body start to relax, as each of my muscles began letting go as I came back down to earth. Ranger was showering me with kisses…on my face, my neck, across my breasts, and on my belly.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered. "You have no idea what you do to me."

I reached down and began stroking his cock again. It was hard and hot and I could feel him throbbing under my fingers. "I think I have some idea," I said smiling. I slid my body lower on the bed, pushing Ranger's chest so that he dropped back. I trailed wet kisses across his belly, watching him get goosebumps across the wet skin. I kept moving my mouth lower, kissing his belly button and stopping to let my tongue play there for a couple of minutes. I cupped his balls with my hand and gently began massaging and kneading them. Ranger moaned low and deep. "Christ, you're killing me," he said. "Maybe," I answered, "but what a way to go." I smiled into his belly and moved lower still, finally leaving soft kisses along the length of his cock, circling the head with my tongue, teasing the tiny slit there. Ranger groaned again, as I took him into my mouth, as deeply as I could, and began sucking, licking, and tasting every glorious inch. Ranger's hips came off the bed and I could feel him struggling for control.

I heard another deep growl come from Ranger and suddenly I found myself on my back again, Ranger poised above me, his weight on his elbows. I reached down for his cock again, rubbing it against my wet pussy and finally guiding him inside me. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms tightly around him, arching my back and thrusting my breasts out so that he could reach them with his mouth. Ranger began slowly thrusting into me, slowly, excruciatingly, as his mouth found a breast and began sucking, biting the nipple gently. His strokes became more powerful and my hips met his in a perfectly timed rhythm. "Oh God, Ranger," I gasped. I wasn't capable of thoughts more complex than that. I felt that familiar tightening deep in my belly as another orgasm began building. Ranger reached around my waist with one arm, adjusting my position and achieving a different angle as his thrusts became even deeper and harder and faster. "Oh my God. That's it, oh geez…." I was losing the ability to speak at all, the tension rising through my body. "Babe, I'm so close. I want you to cum with me this time. Together." I began to feel myself slip over the edge, as Ranger's mouth again closed in on my breasts, kissing and biting at the nipples, sucking harder. The rhythm of the stroking intensified as Ranger pistoned his hips faster and deeper into me. "Babe," Ranger moaned as his body started to stiffen. I was again experiencing wave after wave of my orgasm and I could barely breathe. I felt him fill me up and warmth spread throughout my groin. He began slowing down, finally stopping, pressed against me, still inside. He gently blew his breath against my sweaty forehead, bumping noses and kissing my lips.

"You okay, Babe?"

"Mmm Hmmm," was all I could manage to get out.

Ranger chuckled, nuzzling my neck. Finally he pulled out of me and rolled onto his back, pulling me with him so that I was leaned up against him, the full length off our bodies still touching. He pulled the sheet back over us. My body was like a mass of Jello and I feared what would happen if there was a fire and I had to move. I think I would just have to lay there and happily die. There was no way these legs were moving any time soon.

"Babe, don't worry. We have a sprinkler system." Ranger laughed.

"Did I say that out loud?" I asked. I got my answer from the amused look on Ranger's face."

I looked at him seriously for a minute. "You did it. You chased all the ugly away. Thank you, Ranger."

"Any time, Babe, any time."