*****Alas, they aren't on the run anymore and Sullivan is gone. This isn't the end though. I've decided to do a sequel. Hope that you enjoyed On the Run. I just have to say how much I appreciated all of your great reviews. To the girls at Babe_Squad – Thanks Babes for all of your encouragement and faith in this story. Angie – you're the best beta ever!!! If it wasn't for you, this story may never have been finished and definitely wouldn't have been written as well. By the way - ****Major Smut Warning*****

"Babe, I smell something burning." He gave her another soft kiss before answering the fears that she hadn't voiced. "Everything will work out just fine. We love each other and that's the only thing that really matters."

And she knew in her heart that he was right, it was the only thing that mattered.

Chapter 16

"Returning Home"

Stephanie watched as the seaplane landed in the narrow waterway. Ranger had called his former commanding officer and discovered that Sullivan was still listed as one of the governments most wanted. Even more amazing was that there was a million dollar bond for his capture. She was so touched, when the men insisted that she receive fifty percent of the bond. They were all adamant that it was her quick thinking that had saved the day.

So, here they were watching as the General Hatfield unloaded from the plane to retrieve the prisoner. Each of the men saluted then shook the hand of the man that they respected as more than a father.

Ranger's hand was the last one that the General clasped. A moment passed between the two men as they seemed to have a silent dialogue, then Ranger turned and provided an introduction of Stephanie. "Sir, I'd like you to meet the woman who single handedly brought down Sullivan, Stephanie Plum."

General Hatfield aimed his eagle eyes at her and seemed to measured her worth. "Miss Plum, it's an honor to meet you and your country thanks you for your assistance in this matter."

Stephanie squared her shoulders and responded politely, "Thank you, sir and you can call me Stephanie or Steph. Not to dispute Ranger, but I wasn't alone in the capture. I just got lucky."

His stern disposition cracked and he slanted her a warm smile. "Well, sometimes it's better to be lucky." He seemed satisfied in his inspection of her, as he cast a glance at Ranger asking quietly, "She the reason you told me no?"

Ranger started to deny it, but couldn't. "No, sir, at least not completely. Let's just say, she's icing on the cake."

The General threw back his head with a hearty laugh. "I'd say she's definitely icing." Turning back to Stephanie, he asked, "You feel the same about him?"

She smiled warmly at Ranger, "Yes, sir, Ranger's always been my dessert."

He smiled widely at her answer, then gave them a curt nod and turned to take his leave. She watched as he handed off a brief case to Tank, while giving him some instructions, before striding to the waiting plane.

Sullivan had been shackled and loaded in the backseat. The boat that he'd arrived in had been refueled. The men, that came with the General, had provided towing equipment for returning the damaged boat.

"Babe, the guys are going to retrieve the truck from the marina, get their stuff from the cabin and head back to Trenton. I thought that we'd return the boat in the morning to the marina, so that we could spend another night at the cabin before returning to Trenton tomorrow, if you want." His voice held hope that she'd agree. It was important to him, that they have some time alone. He had a few things he wanted to settle between them before going back to the real world.

She wrapped her arms loosely around his waist as his came around her shoulders and squeezing lightly. "That sounds great. I'm not ready to leave our cabin, just yet."

It took several hours of squaring away all the details, but now they were back at the cabin walking hand in hand up the winding stairs. Each was quiet, deep in thought. She wasn't sure what Ranger was contemplating, but she knew that hers was the warm spray of the shower.

As they walked through the doors, she began stripping, leaving her clothes on the floor where they landed. She was so tired that she didn't even look to see if Ranger followed. Naked and starting the water, she turned to see a fully clothed Ranger. She tried, unsuccessfully to quirk an eyebrow at him. "Coming?"

His eyes traveled the length of her body, "God, I certainly hope so. I was just enjoying the view, Babe."

She stepped into the shower as he started to shed his clothes. When he pulled down his shorts, his impressive length sprung free, hard and ready. He stepped into the shower and pulled her back against him, enjoying the feel of her silky skin pressed tightly with his.

He took the puff off the shower head and squeezed a generous portion of Bvlgari. He lathered her body to the music of her moans. He thought that if he got any harder, he would bust. Her body was made for him and he intended to have it very soon.

She turned and took the puff from him, tossing it over her shoulder. She used her hands to gather the soap from her body. Using her bare hands, she washed every inch of his body avoiding his straining dick. Reaching behind him, she added some soap to her already slick hands.

As her hand closed over him, she reveled in the sharp intake of his breath. She increased her rhythm as he let out a string of Spanish curses.

"Dios, Babe, you….have…to stop. I'm going to cum."

She watched as he came undone by her ministrations. She squeezed and ran her thumb over the tip of his cock. "Uh uh, I want to watch you go over." She was drunk on the power she had over his body.

If her soft hands pumping his cock wasn't enough, the husky tone of her voice and words shot molten liquid through his veins. It was more than he could take and he shot hot cum in her hands and onto her stomach. He pulled her roughly to him, entwining his fingers in her damp hair.

Stroking his tongue around the shell of her ear, he whispered, "Payback's a bitch, Babe." He dropped to his knees, running his hands down her thighs and calves, stopping to hitch one leg over his shoulder. Using his thumbs, he parted her and blew his warm breath on her center.

Leaning against the shower stall, she threaded her hands through his hair as he laid assault to her clit. His tongue circled her nub, then dipped inside her; she came hard against his mouth. He devoured her warm juices that flowed freely. He wanted to give her the most intense orgasm of her life. Licking upward, he asked, "Do you trust me, querida?"

Her head was thrashing against the shower wall as she answered breathlessly, "With my life."

He opened her wide, taking her clit between his teeth, sucking hard. Inserting two fingers, he pumped in an out until she gushed onto his fingers. When he added a third finger, she trembled and rode out the fresh wave of pleasure.

He eased out one finger and slid it to her forbidden hole, massaging the swollen area. Her body tensed instantly. "Babe, trust me. I want to pleasure you." He felt her relax as he pumped two fingers in and out of her soaked pussy, while rubbing her untouched flesh with his third finger.

He was driving her insane with his ministrations. She wasn't sure about what he was doing to her ass, but had to admit it actually felt good. She didn't have time to analyze her feelings, because his tongue flicked her clit two times and she came with a screeched that echoed off the bathroom walls.

As she was riding out the new wave of pleasure, he sucked the juices and began pumping wilding in and out of her pussy. When her body started shaking with another orgasm, he slid the third finger in where no man had touched and she came unglued, screaming from the intense pleasure.

Ranger knew that her very vocal expressions were that of pleasure and not pain. He eased out his fingers, but continued to suck her clit until she came down from her orgasm. He delivered one last intimate kiss to her warm flesh before rising to hold her close. "Babe, was that okay?" He was worried that he had scared her off with his fantasy.

"Mmmmm….wow. I….never….thought that………. would feel so…… good."

He could tell she was slightly uncomfortable talking about it, so instead of pushing the issue further, he gently angled her under the shower spray. While he feathered kisses over her face, he wet her hair, then reached for the shampoo and lathered her riotous curls.

She moaned at the feeling of his fingers as they massaged her scalp while he washed and conditioned her hair. She couldn't believe that after such a powerful orgasm that she was revving up for him again, the pressure building at her center. By the feel of him pulsing against her stomach, he was more than ready for round two as well.

They dried each other quickly between soft caresses and a few love nips, until Ranger couldn't take it anymore. He bent, wrapped his arms under her ass, tucked his shoulder in her stomach and lifted her over his shoulder.

She giggled and smacked him on the ass as she dangled upside down. "Are you going caveman on me?" She felt his growl low in his chest against her bare thighs.

He threw her down on the bed and landed on top, pinning her under him. "No. Me, Tarzan. You, Sheena."

She started to laugh again, but was silenced by the dark, passion she saw in his eyes. He dipped his head and rolled his face on her stomach, inhaling deep.

His voice was tight with unrestrained passion when he spoke. "Steph, mi amore, only you make me feel like this. I can't get enough of you."

He was placing small kisses over her hip bones and down her thighs as he continued.

"You're in my heart, Babe." He was now inching his mouth along her side and toward the curve of her breast. "For so long, I thought I could live without you in my life, but I was so wrong."

His words and actions were shooting fire through her veins. His husky voice drifted over her like soft, warm butter.

He licked and sucked her right nipple then switched to give the other the same attention. By the time he made his way back up to her jaw, and then her mouth, she was a mass of quivering need.

"I want to share everything with you, every fantasy, every hope, every dream." His voice was barely a whisper as his tongue blazed a trail around her ear. "Usted es la mujer del corazón"

This time she didn't have to ask for a translation. He was telling her that she was the wife of his heart. And this time, she knew how to respond. As he pierced her hot core with his throbbing member, she chanted it over and over. "El marido del corazón." Her words powered him on and he pounded into her with such force that she thought she would die from the sheer pleasure of his strong body.

Just when she thought he was going for the big finish, he pulled out and flipped her over, dragging her up and onto her knees. She had a tense moment when she thought he had 'other' intentions.

"Relax, Babe." He eased into her warmth then sat back on his haunches, pushing himself deep within her velvet depth. "Ride me, take what you want, I'm yours."

Slowly, she began to rise and fall, her rhythm was one as old as time. Her slickness and the friction of this position, caused the release of several intense orgasms. She'd lost count of the number of times she had cum. At this point, she didn't care about anything but the feel of his rigid staff between her inner muscles.

If she kept up this slow torture, he was going to cum before he was ready. It'd never been like this before for him. He wanted to give her everything. It wasn't an option for him to just take his own pleasure; he needed to hear her scream with ecstasy.

He held her with one hand, while reaching for her clit with the other and circled the tender nub. He felt her shudder through her orgasm, but it wasn't enough. "Again, baby, cum again."

She rode faster, harder and took control of all movement as he released her hip. He increased the pressure to her clit while he twisted and pulled at her nipple.

Hot white light flashed behind her eyelids as her senses exploded and she screamed his name, "Ranger!"

He pulled her back to his chest, wrapping her in the cocoon of his arms and pumped his own release into her hot core. On a worshipful whisper, he said, "Babe, my love."

He lay them gently down on the bed and spooned her from behind. There were no words that either could speak that would express the love that they shared in that moment.

He stroked a hand up her long, lean body, coming to a rest on her wet cheeks. Wiping away the tears of release, he caressed her softly, languidly, pressing butterfly kisses to her shoulder blades, murmuring words of love in his native tongue.

The sun was waning in the sky casting shadows about the room, making him realize that they hadn't eaten all day. Her stomach must've realized it at the same time by its' angry retort.

"C'mon, Babe, I'll make us something to eat." He shifted to get up but she restrained him.

"Just a minute more, I have something I want to say."

He stilled and hooked his chin on her shoulder, waiting and wondering what could be more important than her grumbling stomach. Usually, for her, it took precedent over everything else. "Okay."

"What we just shared, I just needed you to know that it has never been like that for me." She shook her head when he started to speak. "No, just listen. I'm not good with the words, but you draw something out of me that nobody has ever been able to remotely touch before. And it's not just absolutely the greatest sex I've ever had; it's all of it together. I feel loved and cherished when you're inside me, beside me, whenever you're near. I just wanted you to know how special this is to me."

"Querida, mi amore, it's the same for me. I meant it when I said that I wanted to share everything with you. My love, my life. I want you to live with me, make a life with me. Will you, Babe?" He cleared his throat, the emotions were strangling him. It was important to him that they take this step and make a life together.

"You know I'm not very good at sharing space with someone, right? I'm messy, impulsive, independent, stubborn and grumpy in the mornings."

He smiled, "Yeah, but those are some of your more endearing traits."

She smiled at his attempt at lightheartedness. "Seriously, I'm not easy to live with."

He turned her so he could see her face and saw the worry etched there. "What really bothers you about moving in with me?"

Her hand came up to caress his face, "I'm scared I'm going to mess it up. Before,….. with others, I knew that I could move on, if things didn't work out. With you, there wouldn't be any moving on. It would crush me, if one day you woke up and decided that you didn't want me in your life."

"Babe, don't you realize, it's the same for me? I know that this is something that I want more than I've ever wanted anything. Please, Babe, say yes." His voice was pleading, passionate and convincing.

She couldn't believe that he had used the please card. She couldn't say no to him when he said please. "Yes, but…" He silenced her with a hard kiss.

"Babe, we can worry about the concerns later, right now….we have to feed that thing. It's so loud, I can't hear myself think."

She punched him lightly on his hard bicep before taking the black silk shirt he held up for her. After pulling her arms through, he reached over and buttoned three buttons in the middle, leaving most of her cleavage exposed. The shirt tail swung back and forth, her soft curls winking at him. A slow satisfied smile spread across his face as he pulled on a pair of gym shorts, commando of course.

When she reached for a pair of panties, he shook his head, "Babe, that's my favorite outfit."

She smirked as she tossed the panties back in the drawer, "What? The just fucked looked?" She was teasing him of course, but he pinned her with a dark look.

"No. The soft, radiant look of a woman who's been thouroughly loved by her man."

Weak kneed, she pressed her hand to her stomach to quell the butterflies. "Don't do that, it takes my breath away."

He chuckled and pulled her toward the kitchen.

****Ok – so, I really thought that I would get everything I wanted to do in one chapter. However, there was just too much that I wanted to do before ending this story….so, there will be a chapter 17…..coming soon.