****No Ownership, no fee. Danger, Danger, Will Robinson!!! Smut abounds in each and every chapter. If it offends – move on to another story!!! This chapter was one of the first chapter's that played out in my mind. I can't wait to get it onto paper and hope that you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed imagining it. Thanks Angie for all your support and encouragement.

She straddled him and held out her hands for him to remove the mask holding her wrists together. When he'd untied her, she answered. "So I won't be the only one with rug burn in the morning." She slid down onto his already hard dick and moved to a beat that only they knew.

Chapter 8

"Throw Them Away"

Ranger found her in one of the few places she ever worked; the kitchen. He wanted to laugh, but knew it'd be wise not to. She was covered in flour and something sticky that he couldn't identify from where he stood in the doorway. Why she'd volunteered to make the pumpkin pies for her mom's house and the capirotada for his, he'd never know, especially considering her dislike for cooking.

He walked in behind her and pinned her to the counter, grasping her hips. "Mmmm. You smell like cinnamon and vanilla. What can I do to help?"

His touch was driving her crazy. "Back off first, you're distracting me."

Ranger stepped back, holding his hands in the air. They both laughed at his easy surrender. She looked at the clock and realized the time. It was nearly ten in the morning, and if she didn't get in the shower soon, they'd never make it to his mom's house.

"Pour that mixture into those two pie shells, while I take out the capirotada." Carefully she took out the bread pudding and then turned to retrieve the two pumpkin pies. After she had them in the oven, Ranger gently pushed her towards the bedroom, indicating that she go get ready.

She couldn't leave the pies in the oven. She'd never live it down if they burned. "Ranger, what are you doing? I can't leave the pies. They'll burn."

"Babe, go take your shower. I'll watch the pies." He gave her an affectionate pat on the ass when she gave him a skeptical look. "It'll be fine. I promise not to let them burn."

As Stephanie left the room, she saw him retrieve another pan from the cupboard and wondered idly what he was up to.

Stephanie showered and shaved quickly. She dried her curls into soft waves that fell around her shoulder blades. After applying her make-up, she went to put on her holiday attire. As she slid into her cream colored cashmere sweater with the satin shawl collar, she thought about how nice it was to be able to afford designer clothes. Her chocolate slacks with the wide legs displayed her suede Manolo's perfectly. She spritzed with Dolce and went to see how Ranger did with the pies.

What she saw made her mouth drop open in astonishment. Not only had Ranger put all the pies in their perspective carriers, but he had somehow managed to make chocolate oatmeal cookies in the process. She knew he'd made them for her because they were one of her favorites.

Ranger walked over and shoved one of the cookies in her mouth. "C'mon let's go before you make a smart remark and ruin it."

She didn't dare laugh and risk losing her cookie.

They barely made it in time for dinner with Ranger's family, but the meal and socializing was good. It was such a relief that Ranger's family had finally accepted Stephanie and everyone enjoyed the visit. When lunch had been eaten and the dishes cleared away, Ranger and Stephanie took off for the Plum family dinner.

After stuffing themselves for the second time that day, Stephanie and Ranger sat around the table with her family and talked about the upcoming Christmas holiday. Valerie worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Stephanie could see that she was trying to get up her courage to ask her something. Finally, Stephanie couldn't stand the suspense any longer.

"Spill it, Val. I know you want something, so what is it?" Stephanie saw the worry and tried to smile in encouragement.

Valerie sighed loudly, "I need a babysitter for tomorrow. It's Black Friday, and I really need to go shopping because of all the sales. Money's tight this year and I need all the help I can get. Mom's taking Mary Alice and Lisa and Albert's mom is going to keep Angie. I was wondering if you'd watch Corrina. She's really easy to care for right now, since she's not mobile yet."

Stephanie could see the panic on Val's face at not having a babysitter and volunteered before she'd thought it through. The relief was palpable in Val's body language, but Stephanie could see something was still bothering her. She raised her eyebrows at Val, indicating for her to continue.

"Okay, well, here's the deal. I really need to be at Macy's for their early bird sale."

Stephanie frowned, not really seeing where this was going.

Valerie finished in a rush, "Iknowhowmuchyoulikeyou'."

Now, it was Stephanie's turn to panic as she shrieked, "Five?" She felt Ranger's stomach move with laughter. He'd just been sitting there with his arm around Stephanie, listening as he played with her hair. He seemed to find it entertaining that she was upset about having to get up at the butt crack of dawn. When she gave him a glare, he cleared his throat and joined the conversation.

"Val, I might be able to help. I'm going to be up at four to cover a shift on the monitors with Tank. I can come down and get the baby. I'll take her upstairs and put her in bed with Stephanie." He leaned down and kissed his shocked wife's lips.

Valerie beamed at Ranger, "Oh, thank you. That'll be a big help." Valerie's demeanor had changed to all bubbly as she started talking about the girls Christmas lists. "I've just got to narrow it down a bit before going shopping in the morning."

Stephanie was still sitting in stunned silence when Ranger held his hand out for the paper Valerie was holding. "May I? Stephanie and I haven't decided what to get the girls yet. Their lists will help us decide."

Stephanie watched as Ranger perused the list, initialing the most expensive items from each girl's column with R/S. When he handed the list back to Valerie, Stephanie could see her immediate objection to his choices.

"Oh, no, I can't let you buy those, they're too expensive." Her cheeks colored with embarrassment, the subject of money never being a comfortable thing to discuss among the Plum family.

Ranger laid his hand gently over Val's, "Val, Steph and I don't have any children. Christmas is about seeing the delight in their little eyes when they receive a gift. Please, allow us to do this; it would give us pleasure to do so."

Stephanie knew he had Val with the word please. It seemed that no one could deny him when he said that word. Well, no female that is.

Valerie nodded and thanked him again. Stephanie knew that Christmas was going to be hard for them, but with Ranger's generosity the financial burden was going to be relived some, letting Valerie and Albert enjoy the holiday without the added stress of worrying about money. Stephanie's heart fluttered at her husband's thoughtfulness.

Ranger was watching the monitors when he saw his sister-in-laws car pull up to the gate. When he went to retrieve the baby, she'd had a list a mile long regarding all the 'what if's'. He reassured her by telling her that Ella was at home. Since Ella had raised five boys, they both felt she could offer assistance if needed. That seemed to ease Valerie's concerns; she left quickly after that, headed out towards a day of hectic shopping with a big smile on her face.

Ranger carried the sleeping baby in her carrier up to the seventh floor apartment. Quietly, he entered the apartment; he didn't want to wake the baby or his Babe. Setting the carrier on the floor, he arranged several pillows onto his side of the bed and then lined the floor with more.

When he was satisfied that he'd taken every precaution for the possibility of the baby rolling off the bed, he gently lifted her from the carrier. Ranger looked down at the innocence he held in his arms. The fragrance of baby powder and formula wafted through his nostrils. The feel and smell tugged at his heart and he got that same jolt of protectiveness he felt when he watched his Babe sleeping.

He nestled Corrina beside Stephanie, he brushed his hand over his wife's face moving a few wild curls from her forehead. "Babe, I've got to go back to work. Don't forget the baby's in bed with you." Deep longing stirred within, as he watched her stretch and rub the sleep from her eyes. All he really wanted to do was to get back in bed and enjoy her warmth.

She smiled sleepily, "Mmmm, okay." When she saw the hunger in his eyes, she asked, "Are you sure you have to go downstairs right away?"

Ranger knelt beside the bed, cradled Stephanie's face in his hands and gave her a tender kiss, caressing her tongue with his. When both of their breathing was ragged, he pulled back enough to rest his forehead against hers. "I'll be back around lunch. Ella will be up around seven to wake you and bring your breakfast. Don't hesitate to ask her for help. She'd love to get her hands on that baby."

He smiled as he lovingly watched his wife snuggled back down under the covers, gently cradling Corrina in the curve of her body. Reluctantly, he left the apartment to go back to the fifth floor and monitor duty.

The first image Ranger saw, when he entered the apartment later that morning, was his wife's luscious ass sticking up in the air as she knelt over the baby. He smiled broadly at the image she struck as she blew raspberries on Corrina's bare stomach. Corrina squealed in delight, kicking her little legs and waving her arms frantically at the tickling sensation. Ranger walked over and stretched out on the floor beside them.

Stephanie smiled at Ranger pulled down the baby's shirt, and moved over to straddle her husband. "I stink. Will you watch Corrina while I take a quick shower?"

He squeezed her hips with his large hands and gave her a smug look. "Babe, there's nothing quick about your showers."

Her cheeks immediately colored, as she thought about the new shower massager Ranger had installed after the old one had burned out. He'd told her it was a small sacrifice to make, considering she'd taught him some inventive ways to share the experience.

He loved the slight coloring that stained her cheeks and looked for every opportunity to enjoy its occurrence. "I'll make you a deal. You forgo the massager and I'll make it up to you after Valerie comes to get the munchkin."

She gave him a quick kiss and jumped up to go to the bathroom. Before she disappeared from his view, she answered, "I'm going to hold you to that deal."

As she stepped through the entrance to the living room, the scene of Ranger playing with the baby had tears welling in the corner of her eyes. He was entertaining Corrina with a rattle.

Stephanie just stood there and watched as images of him as a father flashed through her brain, causing her heart to flutter with an unaccustomed yearning.

When the baby started to get fussy, he picked her up, lay on his back and placed Corrina on top of his legs. What he did next made her smile even wider. He had Corrina positioned so that she lay on top of the bottom part of his legs, holding her little hands to keep her in place as he started doing crunches. Leave it to Ranger to figure out how to make entertaining a baby into an exercise routine.

He knew she was watching him, but didn't really mind. Even though he knew she'd tease him endlessly later. He was really enjoying spending time with the baby.

Stephanie came into the room and scooped the baby from Ranger's legs and swishing her through the air causing Corrina to squeal with delight. "I believe somebody else needs a bath."

Ranger stayed in the floor and finished his crunches and then went to the bedroom to change clothes. He heard Stephanie talking to Corrina and he couldn't resist the urge to watch.

When he stepped into the bathroom, the sight stopped him dead in his tracks. Not in her skimpiest distraction outfit, was she more arousing than she was at that moment. She sat on the floor beside the tub and rinsed the soap off of Corrina. She wore knit tap pants and one of his black t-shirts while her hair cascaded over her shoulder. The picture she made was breath taking. Then she turned her head and smiled at him; he had to remind himself to breath.

"Ranger, do you think you could get her bottle out of the fridge and put it in the warmer. It's on the counter."

He nodded and left the bathroom without speaking because the lump in his throat made it impossible for him to respond. He retrieved the bottle and set it in the warmer, listening to Stephanie making mommy sounds in the bedroom. Stephanie cooed and talked to Corrina the whole time she was drying and dressing the baby.

The timer went off on the warmer; he took the bottle to the couch to wait for them to finish in the bedroom. Stephanie came into the living room carrying Corrina, who made happy noises and patted Stephanie's face. Corrina had one little hand tangled in Stephanie's hair.

Stephanie curled into Ranger's side, reaching to take the bottle from him. She didn't know when he'd turned on the stereo, but soft classical music wafted through the room as she fed the baby. Corrina's head was resting on Ranger's chest, she looked up and smiled around the nipple of her bottle at him, milk dribbling out the side of her mouth. Stephanie smiled with contentment as he wiped Corrina's mouth with a cloth.

It wasn't long until Corrina's eyes drifted shut. Stephanie stood to place Corrina in her carrier just as the intercom buzzed announcing Valerie's arrival and the end to their adventures in babysitting.

Ranger watched as Stephanie closed the door behind her sister and turned back to face him. She had a gleam in her eyes; he knew he was about to have some fun. She stalked towards him; he let her back him against the wall. She placed her hands on his chest and ran them up his already twitching muscles. Fire hummed through his veins and his heart quickened at her touch.

She brought her mouth up the side of his neck, placing open mouthed kisses along the chocolaty skin. When her mouth reached his ear, she breathed the words he said to her long ago, "Pay up time."

Ranger growled, scooped her up and carried her to their bedroom. He had them both stripped in a blink of an eye. They melted into each other, falling onto the bed with a slight bounce. Ranger wanted to touch every inch of her skin. With light strokes, he ran his hands over her legs, tracing circles behind her knees where he knew she was most sensitive.

She lay on her side and watched with growing arousal as Ranger worshiped her body with his hands. She moaned out loud as he made a path to the cheeks of her ass. His fingertips were light as they continued their journey to her lower back, then upwards to her arms, settling finally at her neck. She didn't think she could be more aroused than she was in that moment. She was drowning in the depth of his eyes.

When he had her limp and quivering, he leaned down and whispered seductively, "Now it's time for your massage." He loved the shocked look that appeared in her eyes. "I'm a man of my word. I made a deal and I plan on keeping it."

She was nearly to tears as he massaged her inner muscles with his fingers and then used his tongue. She'd had so many orgasms at this point, that she wasn't sure she remembered her own name. All she could do was mindlessly murmur his name and plead with him. For what she was begging for, she wasn't quite sure. Finally, he put her out of her misery by entering her with one long, powerful stroke.

He placed his hands on the sides of her face, asking with a plea in his voice, "Look at me, Babe. Your eyes are so beautiful when you cum."

She opened her eyes and was startled by the intensity she saw reflected back at her. They moved together in love and passion. He took her hands in his as they went over the edge at the same time.

He lay there playing with her curls without a care or thought in his head when she turned to him.

"Let's get dressed and go home. I want to spend the rest of the weekend at our house."

He understood. When they were at their house, it was as if they were back at the cabin, secluded and in their own world. They both got up and started gathering items to take with them. They kept most of their clothes at the apartment, but had a separate wardrobe for the house. The only items that they really carried back and forth were some of Stephanie's cosmetics and her birth control.

He walked into the bathroom where she was standing with the packet of pills in her hand, staring intently at them. He walked up behind her. Their eyes met in the mirror before he turned her to face him. He lifted her easily, placing her on the counter. She looked at the pills again and then back at him.

The package of pills was a new one. She was supposed to punch out the first pill today. When she moved her hand to get the pill out, his hand covered hers, stopping the movement. Their eyes met, silently communicating that they were both ready to take this huge step in their relationship. With no words and hands clasped tightly, they tossed the packet into the trash can.

Ranger brought his hands up to cup her face. "Let's let nature take its course. No pressure, no worries. When it happens, it happens. I want this, Babe. Do you?"

Her eyes stung with unshed tears as she nodded. His mouth covered hers and they were lost in each other again. It was several pleasurable hours later before they finally made it out of the apartment and towards their home.