Chapter 40
Stephanie had finished wrapping the box with the pregnancy test up and had started to add the photos to the album when Ranger walked in a few hours later. She gathered everything up and slid it into a large box and closed it up.
"Hay." She said leaning back against the couch.
"Hay." He said walking over to sit on the couch right next to her and close his eyes.
She curled up against him and laid her head on his chest. "Long day?" She asked softly.
He gently began rubbing his hand up and down her back. "Long enough."
"Find what you were looking for." She asked knowing that he knew what she meant.
"Nope." He said kissing her curls.
"I am sorry." She whispered.
He leaned his head to the side to look at her, "What are you sorry for?" He asked.
She shrugged, "I know how much stress it causes when you think I am in danger. I also know you hate keeping me in because you know that it drives me crazy." She whispered brushing her hand over his stomach.
He gave a dark chuckle, "You know me pretty well do you, then you know that I will keep you in if I have to." Rubbing her back again as he laid his head back against the couch again.
She laughed and sat up to swing one of her legs over his to straddle him. She watched as his eyes slid open to half-mast. "You also know that I can't be bribed. Not even with great sex." He said hands settling on her waist.
She leaned down to slowly kiss his lips, her hands rubbing up his chest to cup his face. "Bribe? I don't bribe. Convince maybe." She leisurely licked his lips until he opened. Then she kissed him with enough passion to have him hardening against her. His arms sliding up to wrap around her pulling her in gently until there was no room left between them. "Besides I have so much paper work to do…. I don't even have time to convince you." She finished slipping out of arms with a laugh.
His eyes narrowed as he watched her back up away from him. "Come here." He said leaning forward but not standing up from the couch.
She shook her head giggling. He gave her a wolf grin, "Babe don't make me chase you."
She stepped around the coffee table that held the box, "What if I want you to chase me?" She said daring him with a grin. Then took off but only made it to the kitchen when he wrapped his arms around her middle from behind. He pulled her against him, his body curving over hers. His lips touching her ear as she laughs. "Caught you." He whispered.
"Well what are you going to do with me, now that you caught me?" She said, turning in his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck.
He dips his head down to capture her lips and he walks her back to the table. "Take advantage of you." He whispers against her lips and picks her up to sit on the table. He slides his hands down to cup her hips and pulls her towards him, so her core is tight against his hardness.
She laughs high and light making him grin against her neck as he nibbled, "It's not taking advantage if I am begging you to do it." She said pulling on his hair, so she could cover his mouth with hers. She pulled on his jacket, un zipping it and pushing it off. Next, she un-clipped his gun holster and heard it bounce on the ground on top of his jacket. Her hands roamed around his back, up and down and she kissed him back. She slid her hands under his shirt to scrape her nails along his stomach and ribs making him groan as she bit his neck. He pulled his shirt up and over his head leaving his chest free for her to nibble and lick, but when she bit his nipple hard enough for him to jerk and groan again he pulled away.
Within moments Ranger had pulled her shirt up and over her head and unclipped her bra. His mouth searched for her and was hot against her nipple as he reached down with one hand to untie his boots. She didn't know how he did it but soon both of his shoes were off, and he was unbuckling his belt.
It was fast and hot, and not enough. Ranger pulled her towards him, so she slid off the table, his mouth finding hers again as he hooked his fingers into her yoga pants and pushed them slowly down.
"Do you trust me Babe?" he asked against her lips as his hands created fire everywhere they roamed.
"Yes." she gasped, and he turned her to face the table, his hands having even more access as his front pushed against her back. She moaned as one hand slid up to cup her breast and roll her nipples as his mouth found her neck. And when his other hand found her center her legs went weak.
"Carlos. Please." She begged him, her hands reaching for the top of his. But she was surprised when he took her hands and had them cup her own breasts. "Pinch your nipples Babe." He whispered in her ear as one of his hands found her stomach to pull her hard, back against him. So, she could feel every muscle and every hard spot. Then his other hand found her center again and began stroking and dipping making her head fall back on his shoulder.
"Yes, babe Just like that." He said huskily, "Feel everything… everywhere."
"Carlos…. Please." She begged as he stroked her higher and higher. "I need."
"What Babe?" He asked her as she trailed off unable to speak any more, "Do you need me… deep inside of you?" He breathed into her ear.
When all she could do was nod, he walked her closer to the table, then slowly pushed her down so her breasts were flat against the cold surface. "Do you trust me Babe?' He asked again his hands roaming her sides and back. He waited for her to nod before slowly spreading her legs with his hands. Her hips were right at the edge of the table, raised high and open. Her hands gripping each side and she laid her head down, gasping to the table.
Ranger stepped forward and slowly pushed into her from behind, until his stomach was brushing her ass. Her groan was like ecstasy to his ears as he pulled back out to the tip before pushing back in again. He grabbed on to her hips and began to push in and out, faster and faster. All Stephanie could do was hold on and feel every movement, her nipples brushing against the hard surface of the table. His hands holding her hips. The feel of him sliding in and out, it was everything…it was too much… and it was not enough.
"Please." She begged him over and over again. "Please Carlos."
"What Stephanie, what do you need?" He asked as he kept pumping harder and harder, making her scream in desperation.
"I need more." She begged "I need you to touch me." She gasped at the emptiness when he pulled all the way out of her. But within seconds he had turned her around pulled her up on to the table and slid between her thighs.
"This is what you need?' He asked as he pushed back into her again. This time his hands gripping her hips as he slowly moved in and out. Kissing her lips, her neck and rubbing his chest against hers, making her nipples sing in pleasure. "Is this what you want?" He said still moving so slow she thought she would die.
"No." She gasped, "Harder… faster… more." She begged him. And when he slowly pushed her back, so she was laying across the table looking up at him through hooded eyes he began to slam into her with enough force to move the table. She arched up, still begging, "Yess…. Yess more… please." And when his hand reach between them to circle her center in time to him sliding in and out she gasped. "Yesss just like that, please…. please." she said her eyes tightly pressed closed as she groped at the table trying to hold on. "Carlos." She gasped.
Then she exploded around him, the lights behind her eyes blinding. She arched nearly off the table as she screamed, no words able to form. But as she was coming down, he was still moving, pushing... stroking. And when he exploded inside of her a few moments later. She came again, arching her back off the table, her insides pulsing around him, dragging them both into aftershocks.
A few minutes later Ranger lifted his head off her stomach as he looked down at her, his breath coming out like he had just ran. She looked like an angel…. Well a tempting angel anyway. Her hair laid out like a halo over the table, she was naked and pink. He could feel himself getting hard again just looking at her, it was a good thing he was still in her he thought as he pushed back in tight again. He was rewarded by the arch in her spine and the moan that left her lips. "Ranger." She whispered. "I can't.
"Yes, you can." He said pulling out and pushing back in again, "You can, and you will." He said reaching down to pull her up against him, his lips slanting over hers to his hands reaching down to cup her ass and hips to roll her against him.
"I thought you came with me." She moaned and arched pushing her sensitive breasts against his chest inviting him to lean down to catch them with his teeth. She held on to the edge of the table as he rocked them back and forth, "I did." He said switching to the other side.
"Ranger." She gasped as he lifted her off the table before walking back over to the couch, never slipping out of her body. When he sat down on the couch with her straddling him, he slid his knees apart and she felt him hit a new spot. A spot that had her seeing stars.
"Ranger." She groaned, her eyes closing tightly as she felt him shift under her.
"Babe, look at me." He said tightly, trying to hold on when he as surrounded by her tight warmth. When she didn't listen, his hands wrapped around her wrists, "Look at me." He said as he pushed up suddenly making her eyes shoot open. He slid her hands back behind her, so they could grip his knees. "Hold on here." He said and when he felt her fingers tighten around his knees, he pulled her hips forward making her scream out his name.
"Now use my knees to push yourself up." He said sitting back to watch her. He watched through half closed eyes as she slowly moved up and down. He held onto her hips, helping her move. He was already over stimulated from his last orgasm and felling her move, watching her breasts sway, he was ready to cum again. But when he looked down to see himself sliding in and out of her he had to grit his teeth and breath to hold on, "You have to cum Babe." He said urgently," You have to cum now."
He gasped as she rotated her hips in a circle, "I can't." She whispered to him still moving, "To much… I can't."
Ranger slid one of his hands forward to push against her sensitive center and felt her jerk at the new sensation. "Ranger." She said her movements starting to become erratic, "I am so close." She said leaning forward to capture his, biting and stroking in the same rhythm as her hips. Ranger began to move his finger faster to match her movements. With his other hand he reached behind to the small of her back as he slid farther down to give him leverage to jerk up each time she slid down.
"Now Babe." He gritted through teeth as he felt himself Cumming up into her, "I need you to cum. NOW." He yelled the last part. But she needed no help and when she felt him jerk against her, she screamed and arched until her hip bones where pushing against his almost painfully.
This time they both slid down bonelessly, her head falling against his shoulder as his hands ran up and down her back. "Wow." She whispered her arms tucked against his chest.
"Yes babe, that was pretty wow." He whispered. After a few minutes has asked her "How are you feeling about today?"
She shrugged her shoulders, "I took everything that I wanted out of the apartment…. I am sad they did so much damage…. But I am not really missing anything I wanted." She whispered against his chest.
"I am glad, what about your pain?" He whispered, his hand running up and down her side making her shiver.
"Pain?" She asked, kissing his neck.
"Rib." He said quietly.
She gave a small chuckle and turned her face to his chest, "I didn't even notice it …. In case you couldn't tell."
He grinned and kissed her head, "Want to tell me your secret?" He said trying to get her to answer in the same laid-back answers she had been giving him. But he grinned when he felt her teeth nip at his neck.
"Nice try…... Wednesday, I plan on telling you Wednesday night." She said rubbing her nose against his neck.
He tightened his arms around her and kissed her head again, "I guess I can wait then. What do you want for dinner?"
"Food!" she said as she leaned back with a grin, "and information…... gonna tell me what happened at the police station?"
He kissed her again, it seemed like he couldn't stop, "I guess I can tell you what's going on, maybe we should get dressed first?"
"Fine, I wouldn't mind watching you eat naked though." She said slowly standing up and walking towards the bedroom.
He chuckled as he followed, "I wouldn't mind watching you eat naked either, however Ella is coming up with dinner in a few minutes. Do you want her to see us sitting naked at the table?"
"Fine, clothes it is." She said walking away stopping to pick up Rangers shirt off the floor and pulling it on. "So, what happened at the police station?" She asked as she walked into the closet to pull out a pair of sweat pants.
He followed in walking to the bathroom, "Nothing, only one would talk and only after he had a moment with Tank." He called out from the shower.
Stephanie walked over to lean against the door jam in the bathroom, "And they gave you an address that you went to this afternoon?" She asked watching him in the shower.
"Yes, we found most of their equipment and a few more of their men. But the nice lady that you met and the man who hired Timmy were not there." He called out. "From our conversations with the new guys that were arrested the two had went out to lunch. We missed them by no more than 30 minutes."
Stephanie snorted, "Bet you guys loved that… so what is your next step?"
Ranger turned off the water and stepped out toweling himself off, "Tomorrow we see if we can get any more information out of men who were arrested today." He walked over to her and gave her a quick kiss and then light push out of the door way, so he could get by. She followed him into the closet and watched him pull of a pair of sweats and drooled a little when they fell low on his hips. "What are your plans tomorrow?" He asked her pulling on a t-shirt.
She shrugged and walked out of the closet and bedroom into the kitchen, "Nothing crazy, I got some new skips, so I was going to start searching them. I know I have a ton of your searches to do plus a little more paper work for Tank AND I have to finish Bobby with inventory yet." But when she saw him start to relax she knew she had to tell him what he was really asking, "I do have an appointment Wednesday though. It's about 20 minutes away so I will be gone about an hour, an hour and a half."
He was squatting down to pick up his shoes and pants he had left on the floor when he looked up at her, "What's it for?" he asked.
She gave him a grin and walked over to the fridge, "That's your question…. I thought it would be for sure more of a statement…. Like you can't go." She said watching him grab her clothes off the floor next.
He gave her a wolf grin that made her want to walk over, push the cloths out of his hands and put herself in them. "I figured I would ask you first where you want to go… then tell you no." He said.
She laughed loudly at him and turned to look as Ella opened the front door pushing in a cart with trays.
Ella looked at them with a smile on her face, "I love hearing you laugh dear." She said as she walked over to the table and started pulling out trays and dishes. Stephanie walked over to help her still grinning.
"I love it when you bring me food." Stephanie said with a laugh, "What's on the menu tonight?" Ella smiled at her, "Spaghetti, salad and bread." But she frowned as she watched Stephanie turn green at her words. "Umm dear, I was wondering if I could talk to you about some of the food that I buy the guys really quick…. Tank told me you were in charge of the budget now."
Stephanie's eyes widened, "He said what?" she turned to Ranger who was behind her, "Did you know about this?" She asked.
Ranger shook his head, "No, but I can do it if you want." He said.
She shook her head at him, "No I will do it…. And hold it over his head." She mumbled.
Ella laughed at her as Ranger walked towards the bedroom, "Will a few minutes work? I was going to call the Captain anyway… see if he got any new information from the new arrests. Then we can eat?" He asked.
"Fine…. Fine." She said as she watched him walk towards the office after throwing the clothes on their bed. He turned at the office door and looked back at her, "I need to see if I need to lock you up for the next couple of days." He said with a grin.
"Sure." She mumbled at him, when he went into the office Ella walked over to her, "Dear, are you ok?" she asked her gently.
Stephanie looked at her with raised eyebrows, "What do you mean?" Looking back at the office door where she could hear Ranger on the phone.
"Dear, I notice things…. Like the fact that most of the food that you love, that I make you… you haven't been eating…... that you have been sick …." Ella trailed off as Stephanie looked at her with large eyes. "Also, that when I go to restock the things in the apartment…. like tampons… You don't need me to restock them." She finished softly.
Stephanie pushed her towards the door looking behind her agine, but Ranger was still on the phone. "OK you can't tell anyone." She said softly, "But yes, I found out last week that I am pregnant." She watched Ella face light up in excitement. "Shhhhhhhh I mean it…... only Bobby and Hector know right now. Bobby helped me figure it out and Hector helped me when I was panicking at the doctor's office."
Ella looked over her shoulder still grinning, "When are you going to tell Ranger?"
Stephanie smiled, "Wednesday I have an ultrasound. I am going to show him that. I have a whole plan…. We will see if he's excited as you." She said.
"Ohh dear… he will be shocked… but so excited…. I have never seen him happier then he has been with you the last few months. This will just add more happiness." Ella said hugging Stephanie. "You have to tell me what you are craving and what is making you sick, ok."
Stephanie frowned, "Well everything I love makes me sick… all grease and sugar are out. Anything acidy like tomatoes. But I still crave them all." She said.
Ella laughed at her, "Well I will play with some recipes, see what I can come up with. Do you want me to bring you up something new for dinner?" she asked.
Stephanie shook her head no, "I will eat salad and bread sticks, plus I am not that hungry…. Do you really need help with the budget?" she asked.
Ella giggled at her, "No… I got the new budget checked by Tank last quarter, I don't need to change it right now. But he did say that he was going to ask you to write up a new system for it."
Stephanie rolled her eyes, "After years of doing this on their own you would think they could figure out spread sheets." She jumped when she heard Ranger behind her say, "We can do spread sheets…. You just think we do extra work on them."
Stephanie laughed, "It's because you do… you make it ten times harder than it needs to be." She turned back to Ella, "I will talk to Tank about it and let you know." Ella gave them both a smile before leaving.
Ranger walked over to the table to pull out plates, "So what is this appointment you need to go to?" He asked her and grinned when she rolled her eyes, "Did you think I was going to forget?" He asked.
Stephanie gave him a smile, "Nooooo." She said laughing, "You are like an elephant. ….. A really fit elephant that never forgets anything." She sat down and pulled out a plate and loaded it with salad before putting a small amount of Spaghetti on it. After grabbing 4 bread sticks she sighed, "What if I tell you I can't tell you who I am meeting?"
Ranger sat back in his chair, "I would ask why." He said with narrowed eyes.
She took a big bite of salad and chewed slowly. Finally, she swallowed, "Well because it is a secret." She said with a smile.
Ranger raised one eyebrow, "I would ask if you could wait and meet them later, after we catch the last two people we are looking for."
Stephanie bit her lip, "What if I told you that I couldn't wait…. It has to be Wednesday at 6?" She said taking another bite of salad.
Ranger sighed and sat back, "Then I would say that we need to come up with one of our famous compromises."
Stephanie smiled, "We can do that. I can't tell you where I am going though…... or who I am meeting…." She said quickly, and when Ranger went to talk she cut him off and said, "Also only Bobby or Hector can come with... no one else."
Ranger crossed his arms, "That doesn't sound like a compromise." He said gruffly.
She scratched her head while looking thoughtful, "Well how about I take Bobby or Hector with…. I go straight there…. I keep my panic button and just to make you happy I will take a stun gun?" she suggested.
Ranger sat forward to finally start eating, "You need to carry." He said with a smile, "and come straight back after."
Stephanie frowned, "I agree to the coming straight home after, but not to carrying." She said crossing her arms.
Ranger raised an eyebrow again, "I only asked for two things …... and you are saying we were going to compromise." He said.
Stephanie smiled, "That was, I gave you 50% of what you wanted." She laughed. "But seriously I don't want to carry where I am going…... the person I am meeting would never ever hurt me. How about Bobby or Hector carry."
Ranger snorted, "Babe, they always carry…. Nice try."
Stephanie shrugged and grinned, "It was worth a shot…. How about I will take the stun gun and carry my weapon in the truck safe. That way if we need it…it's there?"
Ranger sighed, which told Stephanie that she was pushing him. "Fine. But text me every 30 minutes and let me know when you get there and when you are about to leave."
"Deal." She said with a grin, "So what did the Captain say when you called?" she asked digging back into her salad.
Ranger began to eat as he looked over at her, "That they are not very talkative. I am going to go over there with Tank in the morning. See if we can get them to be more helpful."
Stephanie laughed at him, "I am sure you will be able to get the help you want. Well am I am going to sleep forever tomorrow and then work on five. I am pretty sure that Rodriguez has filled my box up, again." She sighed.
Ranger cleared his throat, "Babe, I have been thinking and talking to Tank. What would you say if we had you do a couple of new things around here?"
Stephanie looked up at him with curiosity, "Like what?" she asked standing up to clear off the table now that she was done eating.
"Well, we were thinking more of the paper work that you seem to be able to do in half the time that Tank and I do it. Maybe review contracts to see if we are missing anything, especially with clients that are female or a couple with kids. You tend to be able to think more like them and have a better understanding of what they want." He said helping her clear the table.
Stephanie snorted, "Well you do have Lester, he is pretty close to female."
Ranger smiled at her, "True… but you are far better female. Seriously though, you are already doing half the things we are thinking of…you just don't get paid."
Stephanie leaned against the counter as Ranger filled the dishwasher. "Ranger it sounds like you are trying to give me more busy work. You know I don't mind helping you and Tank, in fact I kind of like it."
Ranger stood across from her to lean against the counter and cross his arms, "It's not busy work Babe. Especially for you… honestly its torture for Tank and I. We would much rather be out in the field." Ranger walked over to place his hands on her shoulders, "We think that you are the best person for the job… in fact Tank told me that if I didn't ask you. He was going to go behind my back and double what I was going to offer for a paycheck. He said he is never spending four hours doing what you can do in 30 minutes. Says it's a waste of man power."
Stephanie looked at him carefully, "Are you sure that you don't want to find someone more qualified?"
Ranger raised an eyebrow, "Who?" He asked but cut her off when she went to speak, "You have a business degree. You know our business from years of working on and off here. You have already been doing half of what your new job would be for free. Plus, you know our priorities here and we trust you. Trying to hire someone new and hand them all our information is one of the reasons that Tank and I have been putting up the extra work for so long."
Stephanie bit her lip again as she thought about it, "Does this mean that I wouldn't be able to take care of any more skips or do searches?" she asked.
Ranger shrugged, "I was thinking that we would take all of your skips if you still want to do them and you could have a team. And I am sure Rodriguez will take any and all help you are willing to give. He says there is no one as good as you he has worked with."
Stephanie looked at him, "I will think about it." She said looking at him but not really seeing him as she thought.
Ranger gave her a quick kiss and wrapped his arm around her shoulder steering her to the couch, "In full disclosure you would have a new title here, and a new paycheck."
She sat down and stretched her legs over his, so his hands fell onto her feet. "Oh, yea and what title would that be?" She asked reaching for the remote.
"Rangeman's Business and Personal Manger." Ranger said starting to rub her feet as she looked through the channels, "And you would get paid salary not hourly."
Stephanie turned to look at him, "Really... I think we can stay with hourly that we do now and the same pay?" she said with a frown.
Ranger shrugged, "It was voted on by the core team. We all have a stake in the company so we all make decisions."
"The entire core team?" Stephanie questioned, "I thought you and Tank own the majority of the company and made all the decisions."
Ranger shook his head, "No, the four of us started the company together and even though Tank and I own more we decide things together. Most of the time we agree so it's not a big deal, like the vote on you." He said. "Tank is the one that suggested it at the meeting. He came up with your duties and pay."
Stephanie looked at him closely, "So it was Tanks ideal…. To hire me?' She asked him.
He shook his head at her, "No he and I have been talking about it for months, hell years. We have seen the work you do. I was going to take time to butter you up and then sneak it on you in a while. Tank said he was not waiting for me to pussyfoot around it any longer. So, he did everything and brought it to the last meeting." He said laughing.
Stephanie gave a small smile, "Fine I will think about it. Can I get the contract Tank wrote up? I am sure I will want to make some changes." She said turning back to the tv.
Ranger grinned, "Yes Ma'am." He said, "What you think you are going to change?"
Stephanie looked at him, "Probably the salary." She said flatly.
He raised an eyebrow at her, "Knowing you guys." She said, "It is probably entirely way to high."
"Good luck with that." He said turning back to face the tv, "I didn't write up the pay, Tank did."
She grinned at him, "Well since I am the one, he so desperately wants, I guess he won't have a choice." She said with a grin.
"We will see about that." Ranger said not looking at her laughing.
She rolled her eyes at him and grabbed the remote, "I get to pick what we watch." She mumbled.
He only laughed harder.