Contains another challenge response for Annie & Kat's challenge

There is a little bit of smut in this one, and it is a little long but I couldn't find a good place to stop. Enjoy!

Chapter 9

After Lester left I started to get ready for bed. I couldn't stop thinking about him or how it felt for him to have his arms around me when we danced or the way he felt pressed up against me when we kissed. I have no idea what time I finally fell asleep, but I do know one thing I have to talk to Les, ASAP. I am not ready to be involved with him or any one else right now. I just want to concentrate on my new job. Maybe once things were settled with that I could start to think about a relationship. I was brought from my thought by my cell phone ringing...Val, guess I should answer it or she will just keep calling.

"Hey Val, what's up?"

"What happened to you last night?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well let's see, you and Les flirting all night, then fighting with Joe. Nice punch by the way but would have hit Teri as well, she is such a..."

"VAL." I shouted into the phone, I knew if I didn't stop her she would just keep going on about Teri and Joe.

"Sorry...so what happened with you and Lester after you left the club?"

"Nothing happened, he brought me back to Rangeman and we talked for a bit."

"Oh come on you mean to tell me you left with him and nothing happened." She sounded shocked.

"Yup." I was dying to change the subject. "Hey Val how about you come over and pick me up, I need to get my car from your place. I still need to get over to my apartment and take care of a few things maybe my big sister would want to help me out?"

"Fine, but I still think there is something you're not telling me."

"Call me when you get here and I'll come down and meet you."

"Okay."

After hanging up with Val, I got ready and by the time I was done she was calling that she was around the corner. I left my apartment and jumped on the elevator and right into Lester.

"Hey Steph in a hurry?" Damn that man and his smile.

"Kind of, Val is waiting downstairs for me."

"Later Steph."

"Bye Lester."

We both went our separate ways once we got off the elevator. Lester went to the gun range and I jumped into Val's car.

"Hey Steph. Was that Lester I just saw you get off the elevator with?"

"Yes, don't make it into something it's not Val."

"Fine, let's go get your car and drop it off at your place. Then we can go grab some lunch and I'll help with the last of your stuff at your apartment."

"Sounds good to me."

Val and I had a great afternoon together, laughing and catching up on gossip. She helped me get the last of my stuff to the car we said our goodbyes and I made my way back to Rangeman. I took my things upstairs and put them away and got ready for bed, I was interrupted by the in the apartment ringing.

"Hello."

"Steph, it's Ranger. Just wanted to let you know to meet me in the control room at 8am. Also, Ella will be stopping by in a bit to bring you your uniforms."

"Okay thanks Ranger, see you in the morning."

"Night Babe."

That was all about 6 months ago, now I am in the best shape of my life and doing a job that I enjoy more than anything. My training was rough, but some how I managed to get through all of the torture and now I can't imagine not doing it everyday. Thank God there was another female to go through the training with me, Lula and I always had the guys laughing at us...until we were trained and then they stopped laughing. The best part of my training was the self defense/combat lessons, it had been a while since I had an orgasm with someone else in the room and I took it out on the guys during these lessons. During my training we would use different weapons and on the last day of my training Tank came into the gym and announced "Gentlemen, today we go to war." I was wondering what the hell meant by that and found out rather quickly that it meant a paint ball battle. I was battered and bruised when the day was over, but I have to admit it was a lot of fun. I even managed to take out a few of the guys.

The training I went through also gave me a chance to get to know the guys, especially Ranger, Tank, Bobby and Lester. I found out my first week with Ranger that he has a daughter Julie from his marriage and he is still in love with his ex-wife Rachel. The reason he never showed up the first night we all went out was because he had flown down to Miami to see Rachel and Julie, he told me they had been growing closer since the death of Rachel's husband Ron about 7 months ago. Ranger and Lester were half brothers and they had 2 brothers and two sisters. Tank is really in love with Lula and I suspect they will get married one day. Bobby has been married to his wife Gina for a few years and they were trying to have a baby. After they all were out of the Ranger's they all signed on to do special missions if need be, they had just finished their last one about 6 months ago. I also found out more about how Rangeman was started and how the guys all became friends. Ranger hates junk food and he seems to like his twigs and bark at every meal. Tank, Bobby and Lester are another story all together...they are junk food addicts. It seems as though sugar is banned from Rangeman, the four of us always find a way around it though. Unfortunately Jack also eats like Ranger, and it really sucks having a partner that has no imagination as far as food is concerned.

Everything was going really good for the first three months, then Ranger called and said he needed me to come to the office. That was the day that changed everything, and the day that I learned that sometimes I can be really stupid.

3 months ago

It had been a long day so far and it was only two in the afternoon. I was out in the field with Ram for most of the day hunting down and elusive skip, when we were called to come into the office for a meeting. So we gave up on our surveillance and headed back to the office. We made our way up to the fifth floor and to the conference room where Ranger, Tank, Lester and Bobby were waiting for us.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I asked.

"We just got a line on a huge bounty that we have been looking for. Wanted for drug possession, kidnapping, and murder."

Ranger handed me the file and I was shocked when I saw it was a woman. "Okay so what do you need us for?"

"We were contracted to find her and bring her in, she is sitting in a jail cell in Fairmont, West Virginia. Lester is driving down to get her and bring her back but we need a female to go with him."

"In other words you need me to go with him."

"Yeah, believe me we do. The last time one of us had to escort a female she said that we tried to make sexual advances. That was the last time we picked up a contract on a female. Now we have you."

"So when are we leaving?"

Lester finally spoke up. "As soon as you are ready, just pack an overnight bag. It is about a 5-6 hour drive so we will spend the night before we pick her up. Hotel reservations have already been made for two rooms, when we get down there we will check in at the local cop shop and then go to the hotel to get some sleep. We will pick her up in the morning and head back."

"Okay, just give me about an hour or so. I want to get a shower and change, I will call you when I am ready."

"Sounds good."

"Thanks Babe."

"No problem Ranger. Les I will see you in a bit."

I made my way to the fourth floor and to my apartment. How the hell am I going to survive that long in a car with him...UGH. I got a shower and packed an overnight bag then called Lester to tell him I was ready and went down to the garage to wait for him.

"Hey Steph all set?"

"Yup, let's hit the road."

"Hey, I am glad I caught you before you left. I made you some goodies and packed you some snacks." Ella said as she came off the elevator and made her way over to us.

"Ella you are a saint, at least we can eat your goodies without having to listen to my brother."

"Thank you Ella."

"You are both quite welcome, have a safe trip."

The drive was fairly quiet for a while then Lester decided to break the silence.

"Steph are you ok"?

"Yeah I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well you are unusually quiet."

"Just thinking about things and I am pretty tired. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Everything okay?"

"Yup, do you mind if I take a little nap?"

"Go right ahead beautiful."

I put my seat back and closed my eyes. I wasn't really tired but being around Lester seems to mess my head up. I am falling for him and there is nothing I can do about it, he is my boss and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize my job.

I did manage to fall asleep and when Lester woke me up I realized we had stopped and we were at a police station.

"Sleeping Beauty awakes." Lester said while laughing at me.

"Ha Ha Ha, very funny, I can't believe I slept the whole trip."

"You must have needed it. Let's head in check things out and then go grab some dinner."

We went into the station and met with the detective that arrested Sally Conklin and he checked over all of our paperwork and told us she would be ready to go when we were. Lester then asked him to recommend some place to grab a bite to eat. We made our way to the restaurant had dinner then finally go to the hotel. Lester checked us in and we went to our rooms, I was checking out my room when there was a knock on the connecting door.

"Hey beautiful, just wanted to make sure your room was ok."

"Yeah, it will do."

"So I was wondering if you wanted to go down to the hotel lounge and maybe grab a drink with me?"

"Aren't you tired, that was a long drive?"

"Yeah, but I just need to unwind a little."

"Sure why not, after that nap in the car I'm not really that tired yet anyway."

We made our way to the hotel lobby and we both ordered a beer.

"So Steph we haven't really talked much lately, how are you liking working at Rangeman?"

"Honestly I love it, I don't think I can see myself doing anything else. At first I thought I was going to hate it, but it turned out to be the best move I ever made."

"I'm glad, you are doing really well in such a short period of time."

"Thanks Les, I appreciate that. I don't think many people thought I could do this job, but I know now that I am proving them wrong."

"Does that include Morelli?"

"Yeah. About the only thing he thought I was good for was marrying him, having his babies and staying home. I don't know where he ever got the impression that is what I wanted, I mean my first marriage was a disaster and I am not sure I ever want to go down that road again. As for kids, I never really thought about having any. I love Val's kids but I can also give them back at the end of the day. I think I like adventure to much to settle down, but then again maybe if I met the right guy that would all change. Who knows maybe someday, I do know that I am the happiest now that I have ever been."

"Good for you Steph, Morelli is an ass."

"What about you Lester, ever think about getting married?"

"No way, I am having to much fun right now. Not many women will put up with the kind of life that I lead. It wasn't to long ago and I was still going out and doing missions, who would want to be married to someone who is gone for months at a time."

"Well I guess when you put it that way I see what you mean."

"But then again like you said maybe someday. You ready to head back to our rooms?"

I looked at my watch and didn't even realize we had been sitting here for two hours.

"I didn't even realize it was getting that late."

We got back to our rooms and once inside I couldn't help thinking that I wish we were sharing a room, I turned to go get ready for bed and noticed Lester standing right next to me.

"Hey, didn't we just say goodnight."

"Yeah but I just wanted to say it again."

I knew if he stayed in my room much longer we would never go to sleep tonight.

"Lester we can't do this."

"What do you think this is Steph. Why are you so afraid to take a chance with me, since the night I kissed you I have not stopped thinking about you. I thought we spent a lot of time getting to know each other when we worked together for those three weeks and now you hardly even say hello to me, what's the problem?"

"What I went through with Dickie and then Joe, I can't do that again. Besides us being together is a little risky don't you think?"

"Steph some of the best things in life are worth the risk, I am not here because I want you in my bed. I want you in every part of my life."

"But…"

He cut me off. "But nothing. I'm not Dickie or Joe." My mouth fell open; Lester just continued." I know how important it is to find someone special and share life with them."

My mouth was still hanging open and I tried to speak but was silenced by Lester's tongue in my mouth. The kiss was heaven. It was warm and wet and soft and…oh god could he kiss. I melted into him and started to kiss him back with the same amount of emotion he was putting into it.

He placed his forearms on the door beside my head. Still whispering, he asks, "Are you sure?" and then he ran his tongue from my ear to my collarbone. I shivered under his touch. "Very."

Pulling back, he stared into my eyes then lowered his lips to mine. His kiss is needy and demanding, I have wanted this ever since that first night he kissed me in my apartment. I moaned and he pressed his body hard against mine, my arms went up around his neck as I returned his kiss. Our tongues dueled for dominance and our breathing had become labored. The need for air pulled us apart.

My head is spinning I know we shouldn't be doing this but God help me I want him with every fiber of my being.

"Steph are you okay?"

I tell him yes and I pull him with me towards the bed. I lean into him and kiss him again, eager to taste more of him. Lester's hands wander to my shirt and he slowly brings it up my body, we break our kiss while he takes it off of me and I do the same to him. I can feel him shiver under my touch and it only turns me on more. With that done his hands found their way to the clasp on my bra, he quickly unhooks it and pulls back enough for it to slide to the floor between us.

I couldn't take it any more and yelled at him to hurry, he pulled back and finished undressing me and then himself. He was watching me with a heated gaze and my body felt like it was on fire, I couldn't wait to feel him inside of me. His hands quickly found their way to the spot I needed him most and I knew it wasn't going to take long for that first orgasm to hit. He dropped to his knees and I almost came instantly at the first touch of his tongue, I wound my fingers in his hair when I felt the first wave of my orgasm hit. He tenderly kissed his way up my body and to my lips, I could taste myself on him and it only made me want him more. He lowered me to the bed not giving me any time to make him feel as good as he just made me feel and he slowly entered me.

I bit my bottom lip and I think I may have even whimpered, I have no idea what I felt because I was already lost.

"Are you ok?" Lester asked me looking concerned.

"Yeah, you just feels so good." I managed to get out.

I met him thrust for thrust and it still wasn't enough, I heard him moan and he started moving faster. Lester leaned down and started whispering in my ear.

"Come for me, come long and hard."

His voice sent shivers down my spine and caused me to reach my climax and spiral completely out of control, I felt him quickly follow me.

We made love two more times that night, the last time was not as frenzied as the first two and we both took our time learning each other's bodies. When Les finally fell asleep I was still wide awake, I laid there thinking about what just happened and I felt like it was a mistake. I had finally gone to sleep and awoke to the alarm an hour later, I was alone in the bed. I got up to look for Les and I heard the shower in his room, so I went to the bathroom in my room and did the same. I just wanted to get this day over with, when I stepped out of the bathroom Lester was waiting for me.

"Morning Beautiful."

"Les, we need to talk about last night."

"Last night was amazing, and so were you."

"Lester please! Last night was a mistake, you are still my boss and I am still not ready for this. I should have stopped it from going any further than that kiss, but I couldn't and for that I am sorry."

"Steph wait, let's talk about this for a minute."

"It's getting late, we need to go get our skip and get on the road."

We both gathered our things and while I made sure the paperwork was in order Lester checked us out of the hotel. I went to the truck to wait for him and I felt like shit, but I knew it was the right thing to do. But I had to wonder, if it were the right thing to do then why does it hurt so bad. At that moment Les jumped in the truck and we were off to pick up our skip and make our way home. The ride home was horrible and you could cut the tension with a knife.

That night has been branded into my memory for the last three months. I was falling in love with him and I ruined it all by telling him that it was a mistake...MISTAKE! HA, that was a huge understatement! Lester is now dating a woman named Miranda, and here I was sitting here alone. See like I said, "Sometimes I can be really stupid."

TBC