Disclaimer: Anything you recognize isn't mine.

AN: Thank you for all your reviews on chapter 4 and my one shot. They made me smile. Hope you enjoy their conversation; I took part of chapter six and added it to this one. I hope it flows well.

There is a smut and language warning.

Ric asked, "Can we sit in the living room?"

We walked into the living room and I sat in a large overstuffed chair, I wasn't sitting on the couch where he could touch me, I'd be a goner.

"Babe, I didn't father Rachel's child. I never slept with her. They lied to us because my cousin wanted to get even with you and me. I don't know why Emilio felt that way; he was spoiled and always wanted his own way. One night I was out in Ranger training and Rachel went into labor so she called her sister Sara who was living with Emilio. He picked her up to take her to the hospital, the only problem was he was stoned and he'd been drinking. Emilio, Rachel and the baby died in the accident. Sara told me the truth after she woke up in ICU a month after the accident. Emilio slept with Rachel and got her pregnant but it was made to appear that I did. I married her because I needed to take care of her, I was responsible. I never loved her and I planned to divorce her after the baby was born. "

I looked up into his eyes and the blank look was gone for the first time. I saw the pain and anguish in his face. I thought of our little girl and I knew I should tell him but I couldn't cause him more pain. "Why didn't you tell me before today? Why didn't you let me know you've been in Trenton all this time?"

I watched his shoulders sag while he looked down at his feet. "Babe I knew when you found out about Rachel and the baby, I had lost you for good. I regretted ending our relationship and sending your letters back. Celia kept telling me how stupid I was. I couldn't leave Rachel alone; I felt responsible for her situation and had a responsibility to the child I thought I fathered. When I came to Trenton, Frank and Mark both told me to contact you. I felt you were better off without me and that I'd hurt you enough."

He looked up at me and saw the tears in my eyes; he reached out and wiped the tears from my face as they fell. "I'd been on a bad mission, I was gone for six months, when I returned I decided they were right and I was going to contact you, but you had gotten married the day before. I took it as a sign we weren't meant to be. A week later I heard you'd caught your husband cheating; then I heard he died. I knew you'd been hurt by every man in your life and I thought… you were better off without me."

I was still crying and swallowed hard and said, "Ric I've always loved you. How could you think I'd be better off without you?" I stood from the couch and walked up to him and he pulled me into his lap and buried his head in my hair. I wrapped my arms around his neck and continued to cry. "Ric, please make love to me. I need you."

His answer was to kiss me gently, soon his tongue traced my lips and I parted them for his tongue. The kiss was quickly escalating and we pulled apart panting. I took his hand, leading him up to my bedroom. We left a trail of clothing on the way. He laid me down on the bed and kissed his way down my body. He stopped at my breasts and took one, then the other into his hot mouth while sucking and biting until I moaned. He stopped again at my belly button and I felt his tongue dip in and suck. It was an intense feeling that I hadn't felt since the last time we were together.

He kissed his way further down my body, skipping where I really wanted him to go. He kissed his way back up the inside of my legs; soon I was writhing and begging, "Please Ric, I need to feel you inside me." I felt him blow on my center and I thought I'd die from the pleasure. His tongue darted out and he licked me; I could feel myself dripping. I was so close to orgasm I was begging incoherently when I felt him suck my clit into his mouth while he shoved two fingers into me. I screamed my release when I felt him pull his fingers out and shift between my legs. His lips crashed down on mine as he was buried deep inside me with one thrust. I loved that I could taste myself on his lips. It had been so long; I screamed my release into his mouth and as I came down I felt him slowly sliding in and out of me. He broke the kiss and whispered, "You're so beautiful when you cum Steph."

He started to quicken his pace and I met him thrust for thrust. I began begging for more, "please… fuck me harder Ric… I need you baby." I felt the orgasm build again and I swear I saw spots as I screamed his name and with another couple of thrusts he was screaming mine as I felt him explode inside me. We were panting as he held me and began peppering my face with soft kisses and I giggled. "Ric I love you so much, please don't ever leave me again."

We lay in bed for a few minutes; I looked at the clock and realized I'd need to get a move on for dinner tonight. We showered together and I inspected his body for scars. He had a few that marred his gorgeous skin and I kissed each one. We washed each other and I ran some gel through my hair. I ran into my closet and dressed in a red tank style dress that clung to every curve and pulled a cute little black pashmina around my shoulders to ward off a chill, then I slid my feet into 4 inch black peep toe FMP's that showed my red nails. I grabbed a small black satin clutch that held the essentials.

I walked down the stairs and there stood the love of my life giving me an appreciative look, "Babe you look stunning."

I grinned and said, "Helen and Joe won't know what hit 'em." He held my hand, helped me into my sexy Audi and drove to his office building on Haywood St. We parked in an underground garage filled with black SUV's as well as a black Porsche 911 Turbo, black Porsche Cayenne and a black Dodge Dakota 4x4 Extended Cab. I looked at him in his all black clothes and he gave me his 1000 watt smile.

Without a word we got out of my white R8 with black accents and rode the elevator to the third floor. We walked into a conference room holding hands. The men in the room looked at me with curiosity while Lester looked pointedly at our hands and smiled. Ranger sat at the head of the table, pulled me into his lap and barked "Report."

Tank and Lester gave a rundown of the charges against Morelli and some intel they pulled together in the hours we were at my house. When they were finished Ranger said, "This is Stephanie Plum, she knows where Morelli will be at 6 pm tonight and has a plan so we can nab him with minimal effort."

He nudged me and I began "My mother has invited Morelli to dinner tonight. I wasn't supposed to know he'd be there, she's been trying to get me to dinner lately and I refused to go. Tonight my Uncle Mark will be there so she knew I'd show. I figured I'd bring one of you into the house as my date while a team surrounds the house. Some of you can enter through the back door in the kitchen and grab him at the dinner table."

The men sat there in stunned silence. A man with a flaming skull tattoo on his forehead spoke first, "You'd be willing to do that? No one from the Burg is willing to give us any info on Morelli. They wouldn't even talk to Connie or Vinnie. Why?"

I took a deep breath and slowly let it out, "Let's just say Morelli isn't my favorite person, he did something to me in high school that was unforgivable. I also don't want to see Vinnie lose the money he posted for bail. He may be a pervert but he's family."

Lester had a shit-eating grin on his face and asked, "Did you really run Morelli over with your granny's 1953 Buick and break his leg?"

I smiled at the memory of Morelli flat on his back after I hit him, "Yeah, he's just lucky I didn't back it up and run over him again."

Tank just stared at me for a moment before he asked, "What did he do to piss you off?"

A dark look clouded Ranger's face. I looked over at my love and he said, "Up to you Babe if you want to tell them." Ranger had heard the story when we first met but no one else knew.

I looked around the room and just knew these men wouldn't betray my trust if I told them. They might kill Morelli however. "If you trust them then so can I. He raped me when I was 16. My Dad wanted to press charges, so he took me to the hospital and had a rape kit done. My mother was more concerned about the scandal. Morelli then wrote about it on the wall of every men's room in the Burg. It was his way of warning off everyone else. I was his property. He left for the Navy the day after it happened. I was the one who had to live with it, I got fired from my job, my mother grounded me and I couldn't go on the Italian class's trip to Italy for Spring Break that year."

The men looked really pissed, actually they just looked scary. Ranger tried to diffuse the situation by saying, "I'm going in with Stephanie. Frank and Mark know us and they'll understand because the bond is $100,000 for the business and as my partners they'll be happy. Neither man is a fan of Morelli's nor will they put up a fuss when we enter. Helen on the other hand… dislikes me."

I broke in and said, "No Ric she hates you, but then again she has never been too happy with me because I'm too much like Aunt Betty."

Tactics were settled then Ranger took my hand and led me to the elevator. We took the elevator to the seventh floor. He used a special key fob to work the elevator as I watched in fascination. He opened the door to his apartment and I walked in and looked around. It was very masculine with dark woods and decorated in shades of brown and cream. I felt a calmness wash over me when I entered. "What do you think?"

"I'm not sure but I think it's very you. I feel calmer when I walk in, I like it."

"I'm glad you like it. I hope that you'll be spending a lot of time here. I'm going to go change for dinner, make yourself at home."

I walked around the apartment and checked out a half bath, home office, kitchen and living room. There was another doorway that Ranger walked through which I assumed led to his bedroom. A few minutes later he walked out dressed in charcoal grey dress pants, black loafers and a red silk button down shirt. I thought to myself he looks yummy.

I saw him smirk as he said, "Thanks Babe."

I blushed and said, "Out loud?" His response was a chuckle.

He pulled me out the door and we walked into the elevator. He then pulled me to him and bent his head to mine and kissed me. It started out soft but quickly heated up and I was moaning into his mouth as his tongue slid across mine. He pulled his mouth away as the elevator dinged and we walked to the 911. I stopped and looked at him, "I want to take my car."

He shook his head as the men came out of the stairwell. "Babe we need to take my car. It has bullet proof glass and it'll be more believable for me to drive my car."

I stood there tapping my foot, "I like my car. I don't need bullet proof glass."

Tank stood by a Hummer with Bobby and Lester watching the discussion. "Babe I'm not going to fight about this."

I smiled and said, "Good," and walked to my car and turned to him. "Are you coming?"

He gave me a wolf grin, "Not yet." I heard the snickers of his men and thought he didn't just go there.

"Fine, be an ass. That's nothing new, throw me my keys. I'll drive myself."

He walked over to me with an amused expression and whispered in my ear, "Babe, I only want to bring one car so I know you'll come home with me tonight. I have plans for later."

"Do we really have to take your car?"

"Yeah, especially in front of my men."

"Whatever," I whispered and louder I said, "Fine, be that way." I stomped over to the 911 turned and pouted. I could hear the snickers and he walked over and opened the door and helped me in. He walked around the car and climbed in. I looked over at him and said, "Are you happy? I look like a shrew."

"You don't look like a shrew. The men will think you're perfect for me and just as stubborn. They'll wonder how I got you to get in my car."

I smiled and asked, "Are you going to tell them?"

With an amused expression he said, "No." We drove the rest of the way in silence. We pulled up in front of the house and saw my mother and grandmother standing on the porch. I know this is going to be ugly.