SPOV

It's strange how a person can come to miss inanimate objects. That's the only way I could describe what I felt when Tank turned onto Haywood and the familiar seven-story nondescript building came into view.

I'd spent three years of my life coming and going from that building. I made friends there. No, that's wrong. I found my family inside that concrete, glass, and steel. Some of the best memories I coveted took place behind that bulletproof glass. Hell, I'd fallen in love inside that building.

When I left Trenton, I never thought I'd see the building or its occupants again. Watching it grow closer caused a sudden and overwhelming sense of loss and longing to wash over me. They were the same feelings I experienced when I drove away from it for what I thought would be the last time.

Unprepared for the emotions welling inside me and the associated pain it created, I pressed a hand against my sternum. My movement wasn't missed under Carlos' watchful gaze.

"Babe? Are you okay?"

I gave a slow nod. "I just wasn't prepared for the emotions which seeing the building conjured."

Of course, I hadn't been prepared to face Ranger tonight, either. I knew there was a chance he would show up at the party, and I thought I'd been ready to face my past. I wasn't. Looking back, I realize that nothing could have equipped me to face the love of my life again.

The moment I laid eyes on him felt eerily like the sensations I'm experiencing now.

"Two years is a long time to be gone," Tank said almost conversationally, pulling me out of my thoughts. I almost snorted at his statement.

No kidding.

Tank hit his fob and waited for the security gate to open, giving us access to the underground garage. He drove through, then angled into the parking spot reserved for Ranger's turbo. Once he put the Escalade in park, he shifted on his hip to look at me. "Let me have your keys, and I'll get one of the guys to go with me to pick up your car."

Happy to have something to distract me, I opened my purse and fished through it. No surprise that even in this tiny bag, my keys ended up buried at the bottom. I pulled out the small ring and handed it to Tank.

He looked at the lone door key and fob, then cut his attention back to me. "Where's your car key?"

His question made me smile as pride surged through me. I'd come a long way since my bounty-hunting days when all I could afford was random, rusty POS cars that tended to blow up semi-regularly. "It's keyless entry and keyless start."

His brows winged up in surprise. "You finally own a car that is less than two decades old?"

My smile widened. "It's less than a decade old, and I've had it going on eighteen months." I had no intention of telling them about the car accident that led me to my latest purchase. No need to upset either of them.

Approximately six months after moving to DC, I was waiting at a traffic light, minding my own business, when a Jeep going the opposite direction blew the red light and was tagged by a box truck. The resulting impact sent the Jeep spinning out of control. When it finally came to rest it had not only collided with the front end of my car, but the momentum pushed it up over the hood and partially onto my roof.

Thankfully, I hadn't been seriously hurt, but the fire department did have to cut me free.

That was the first time I'd learned how working for the FBI had its benefits. Within a month of the accident, I received settlement offers from the trucking company and the Jeep driver's insurance company. It turned out that my supervisor's boss involved a lawyer friend who had threatened a lawsuit on my behalf.

Eager to settle before the lawsuit landed in court, both insurance companies offered settlements. Between the two, it was more than enough for me to purchase a brand-new car. Knowing how badly new cars depreciate and considering my horrible luck with vehicles, I chose instead to go with a good used, low-mile SUV that was only a couple of years old.

"It's the dark blue Hyundai Santa Fe."

Tank dropped the key in the console. "I'm on it."

It took Ranger and Tank's help to get me and my dress out of the back seat. We waited for Tank to climb back into the Escalade, back out, and pull away before we headed inside the building.

The moment the elevator doors opened, my stomach knotted. The smells. The sounds. The feel. It was all the same. We stepped inside, and to ensure my dress didn't catch in the doors, I moved to the back of the carriage. When I turned to face the front, my attention landed on Carlos entering the code that would take us to the seventh floor.

The moment the elevator began to move, my stomach dropped, and I pressed a hand against my belly.

"You sure you're, okay?" Carlos asked.

I managed a nervous grin as I met his gaze. "Just feeling a bit overwhelmed at being back here."

My admission had him closing the distance between us. He curled a finger under my chin, tilting my face to meet his stare. "No pressure, Babe. Nothing is going to happen tonight that you don't want to happen. I promise."

While I did take some comfort in his assurance, it didn't completely ease my nerves. What did I want to happen tonight? We were far from being done with our conversation, but the need for him to hold me, to touch me, and to make love to me loomed large.

The elevator opened to Seven, and he fobbed open the penthouse door. Again, it felt as if I'd only left here yesterday. The décor, the smells, everything was the same.

"I'm sure you want to get out of that dress. Let's see what's still in the closet that's yours," he said as he dropped the fob in the silver dish on the sideboard near the door. After some careful navigating around the furniture, I stepped into the bedroom, and I swear my heart stopped at the sight of his California king bed. So many memories were made between those luxurious sheets.

He stopped in the doorway to the walk-in closet and looked back at me. "I meant what I said, Steph. Nothing happens tonight that you don't want to happen."

I tore my attention away from the bed, fought back the swell of emotions, and met his stare. "What if I don't know what I want?"

He crossed to me n two steps and cupped my face in his palms. "Then we take things nice and slow," he whispered before he brushed a soft kiss across my lips. "We still have a lot of baggage to unpack. So, that should probably come before anything physical, right?"

"Right," I managed to say despite the lump in my throat. Old Ranger would have deliberately tried to steer me away from any conversation and directly into bed. The fact that he was pulling the option of sex from tonight's activities spoke volumes about how serious he was about making things right.

He let go and took a step back, leaving me bereft of his touch. "Okay. How about I unzip this dress, and while I'm in the closet finding you some clothes, you strip down and grab a shower? I'm sure you'd feel better getting all the pomp and circumstance cleaned off."

Just the thought of standing under the spray in his magnificent shower nearly had me moaning in response. He was also right about getting tonight's party cleaned off me. It would be much easier to have a serious conversation without all the remnants of the party lingering between us.

Being a complete gentleman, Carlos unzipped my dress, pressed a kiss to the base of my neck between my shoulders, then turned and disappeared into the walk-in closet. Taking the opportunity, I shrugged off the dress and made a beeline for the bathroom. Once inside, I stripped completely and stepped into the shower.

Oh, how I'd missed standing under the powerful spray. Granted, the shower at my apartment wasn't terrible, but I'd yet to find anything that compared to the water pressure and longevity of the penthouse shower.

A few minutes later, the bathroom door opening caught my attention. "Babe," Carlos called. "I found a few things for you. Since I wasn't sure what you'd want to wear, I brought a couple of choices. I'll leave them on the counter."

I paused under the spray and considered his words. Just how many articles of clothing had I left here? "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said, then closed the door.

Once again, I was expecting him to try and join me and found myself slightly disappointed that he didn't. At the same time, his action served as yet another reminder that he was serious about finishing our talk.

Despite wanting to live under his shower head, I washed quickly, only indulging for a few minutes in the aroma of his shower gel. I stepped out, dried off, and stared at the clothing selections. Everything he'd brought me was Rangeman issued, which made sense as to why they were still in his closet.

I wanted to be comfortable without being too sexy or giving the wrong idea. So, despite the temptation of dressing in one of his t-shirts and a pair of panties, I chose a black Rangeman t-shirt in my size, leggings, and Rangeman embroidered panties.

Under the sink, I found my favorite hair products and a new toothbrush.

Once I was clean and comfortable, I made my way out to the bedroom, where I found Carlos sitting on the end of the bed, still dressed in his party clothes, sans the butterfly jacket. My dress was gone from where I'd left it puddled on the floor.

"I gave your dress and my jacket to Ella to deal with," he said

I nodded. "Okay." Don't get me wrong when I say this, because the dress was gorgeous, but I'd be okay with never seeing it again.

He pushed up from where he sat. "Now that you're done, I'll take a quick shower." Then he motioned to the room. "How about you take the bed? I'll sleep on the couch. We can talk in the morning when we're more rested."

"I can sleep on the couch," I replied. "I wouldn't want to kick you out of your bed." Why suddenly did the situation feel so awkward and stilted? Yes, there were still a lot of unanswered questions and unresolved emotions between us, but we'd been doing okay till now.

"Your decision, Babe," he replied. "I'm fine with either." Then he turned, scooped up a pair of sleep pants I hadn't noticed before, and disappeared into the bathroom.

Once the door closed, I shifted my attention to the bed. The right thing to do would be to sleep on the couch, but the temptation of those twelve-hundred-count sheets was too much, and I couldn't stop myself. I shut off the overhead light and then slid under the comforter.

With the closet door partially closed, the light from inside spilled out, creating a soft glow in the room.

I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling and considering my choices. I know he thought it would be better if we talked in the morning; after a good night's sleep. However, being tired would make him more vulnerable and more apt to open up to me. Besides, I wouldn't be able to sleep when I still had so many questions. I pushed into a sitting position and adjusted the pillows so I could lean against the headboard.

Still efficient as ever, within a few minutes, the silence in the room grew as he shut off the water. If I was going to change my mind about staying in bed, I needed to do it now. Old Stephanie desperately wanted to leave, not just the room but the apartment and the building. Old Stephanie didn't want to face more pain that we both knew would come with an open and honest conversation.

No more running away. No more living in denial land. New Stephanie…the person I'd become when I moved to DC, quickly hog-tied Old Stephanie, gagged her, and threw her into the corner.

New Stephanie knew I not only deserved to have my questions answered but also deserved to have a chance at a happy ever after. New Stephanie would face the pain and find a way to grow from it, no matter what eventually happened between Carlos and me.

It wasn't even five minutes later when the bathroom door opened, and Carlos emerged dressed in only his sleep pants. Even in the dim light from the closet, I could detect the hard planes his gorgeous mocha latte skin covered, and my body reacted. Yes, he was still sexy as hell, but more than that, he was really here with me, and maybe with a little luck and a lot of honesty, he might be mine again.

He stopped short and stared at me. The expression on his face hinted at amusement. "Changed your mind about the couch?"

There was no turning back now. "I did."

"Good. I'll see you in the morning, Babe." He started for the door.

"Carlos?"

He stopped and turned to face me again. "Yes?"

"I'm not all that sleepy. How about you come to bed, and we'll continue our talk?"