Thanks for the support on this little gem thus far despite the irregular updates. This is one of my faves, even if it doesn't have much plot aside from S&R finally getting their Someday until I reworked the timeline I had set out for this story. I wrote most of this story when I had COVID in 2020 as a bullet point list in some parts, so let's just say that a lot of it read like a crazy fever dream…
Quick recap: In Ch 1, aka Day 1, Steph gave in to the calling, planting a kiss on Ranger's lips. Because he was shocked and slow to respond, Babe nearly got the wrong idea. Luckily, Batman snapped out of the stupor to avoid a misunderstanding. He invited her to dinner and that's when she realized that since she made the first move, that she'd be calling the shots this time around. They ended up having dinner at Shorty's with some of the guys. At the end of the night, Ranger drove Steph home. She didn't miss the opportunity to tease him some more, going as far as to kiss him on the side of the mouth after brushing her ass against his crotch. When Ranger had the door slammed in his face, he realized they were locked in a sexy game. He was onboard. They were both affected by the teasing, neither of them getting much sleep that night. Ranger put in extra time in the gym as Day 2 began and Stephanie surprised both of them when she barged into the gym showers. She got a little inadvertent pleasure, yum!, further igniting the flames. Being a smart woman, Stephanie kept herself out of the Rangeman building for the rest of Day 2. In the wee hours of Day 3, Ranger reciprocated her crashing his shower by crashing her bed. Day 3's steammy activities was the official beginning of S&R's someday. They even had time to thwart a B&E duo in between their festivities. Day 4 started with a little excercise and Ranger telling Steph he had to go to Miami. We left off in the previous chapter with Ranger wondering how they'd survive being two weeks apart in this new relationship of theirs. Here's the continuation…
Let me know your thoughts.
Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE. Mistakes are mine.
Rumor-Part III
Stephanie's POV
Upon opening my eyes, I was greeted with total darkness. The pounding headache and stiff neck had intense pain radiating all over my head. Since I couldn't immediately recall what happened leading up to being kidnapped yet again, because let's be honest I've been taken way too many times to count to not know what this is, I worked on regulating my breathing. I tried to keep my breaths as shallow as possible, not wanting to attract unwanted attention when all my body screamed for was to gasp for air.
As I worked on my breathing, I tried to wiggle my hands and feet. That led me to discovering that I was bound, but possibly had some wiggle room.
A female groan beside me had me instantly freezing.
"You're awake, Princess." I heard a rough male voice murmur somewhere off to my right.
I didn't have much time to gather my bearings when the pitch black darkness was replaced with blaring overhead lights.
A scruffy looking man hovered by the door, inspecting his prey, us, while he rubbed the obvious bulge in his pants.
Oh shit! What is this?! Where am I?!
Even though I felt like my head was going to explode, I searched for any clues. When nothing immediately came to mind, I switched tactics. Thinking hard, I was able to recall my last clear memory before waking up here.
Day 12- Saturday October 12th
My birthday!
"Wait, rewind." Mary Lou ordered as she placed a steaming freshly made coffee cup in front of me.
I wouldn't normally have a Saturday off, well at least not a full day even back when I worked for EE Martin, but as soon as I showed up for my shift this morning I was met with a surprise. The Merry Men on duty had gathered on five before our shifts. As soon as I stepped off the elevator, a chorus of deep masculine voices floated all around me as the men broke out in the most in sync Happy Birthday song I've ever witnessed. After many hugs and kisses, I was promptly told by Tank that I had the day off and was practically shooed out of the Rangeman building. With Ranger in Miami, I didn't make plans for my birthday since I was scheduled to work. I have dinner with my family at six, a yearly tradition, but that's the extent of my obligations for the day. Since I was on my way out of Rangeman when Mary Lou called to wish me a happy birthday, we turned it into an impromptu birthday style breakfast. It's a plus that Lenny and the boys are out of the house, because we got to have uninterrupted BFF time.
"Okay, so let me get this straight: you decided to kiss Ranger in his office on the first and that's how you two became an official item?" Mary Lou scrunched up her brow in confusion as she sat next to me at the small round kitchen table.
I gave her the quick rundown: kiss on day one, barging in on Ranger in the gym showers on day two, his yummy retaliation on day three, and the explosive day four morning we had before he left for Miami.
"That was the extent of our physical interactions." I recounted before I took a sip of my coffee. I explained that Ranger asked me to go with him to Miami, but that I said no.
"Why?" My BFF couldn't understand my reasoning for not wanting to spend two weeks in sunny Miami instead of the mid-October gray Trenton skies. A beachy destination for my birthday has always been a top fantasy. Add in a bare chested, Sun kissed Ranger and… mmmm. I should have said yes to a Florida mini escape.
"It's not that I didn't want to go." I said on a huff. "I couldn't just miss two weeks of work like that." Damn being an adult, having responsibilities and shit.
"I'm sure the big boss would have cleared you." Her sly grin told me just how in the gutter her mind currently was.
"He'll be back in a week." I said through a resigned sigh. Knowing I won't get to spend my birthday with him caused this weird hollow to take residency on my chest.
"You could still have some intimate time with him tonight." Mary Lou was grinning wide. "Slip into something sexy and then call him up…" Her suggestion wasn't lost on me, especially when she added in a breathy voice: "What are you doing, Papi?"
We have been best friends since our school days. She's someone I can tell anything to and won't judge me. So, I shared what the last week has been like between Ranger and I. "We have nightly phone calls before bed." I confessed with a wide grin.
My BFF squealed. "Do tell." She said as she took another sip of coffee.
"Last Saturday, on day five, I worked a distraction job." Since Mare is very aware of what a distraction job entails because I've shared some of the most memorable ones with her, I moved on to the important part of the story. Ranger left on Friday the 4th, so technically we hadn't been apart that long. The distraction went smoothly. I was so excited about the way things went, capturing a high bond skip with zero hiccups, that I FaceTimed Ranger as soon as I got home. With my animated retelling, I was initially unaware that I'd started stripping out of my slutty distraction clothes on autopilot. It wasn't until Ranger groaned throatily that I realized I was down to my FMPs and a thong. Only my FMPs and thong.
"You disconnected the video call before you gave him the full view!" Mary Lou fanned her face, grinning wide. "That was evil and it would ensure that he would retaliate."
It was my turn to smile. "He did on Monday while I was in the middle of a stakeout." Poor Woody. He got caught in the middle of Ranger's spicy retaliation. He was so uncomfortable that he blurted out that I should just sleep with Ranger and end everyone's suffering. I remember smiling sweetly at my Range partner and replying with 'I have'. Woody rolled his eyes and amended his statement to say he meant in the present. When I replied with a simple 'yup', it was the end of the conversation. The Merry Men love sharing their conquests, but the thought of me having sex with the boss makes them squeamish. Go figure.
Her eyes widened with curiosity. "How?"
"Ranger can be very creative with his sexy torture. Instead of messaging me something spicy, he sent me something I found a lot more erotic than a simple naked picture: a video of him cleaning out his Glock."
Her frown returned. "How would that be erotic?" She didn't get it so I had to show her.
The video was seemingly innocent. Ranger was inside one of the holding cells at Rangeman Miami. He was wearing a crisp white dress shirt, which is rare for him. He wears all black almost one hundred perfect of the time, so Ranger in a white shirt? Yummy! He was assisting the FBI with a case, which explained his white dress shirt and loosened tie. Ranger had rolled the sleeves up to just below his elbows, exposing his muscular forearms. What really drove me crazy aside from the white shirt was the shoulder holster hugging his massive, muscular frame. The way his fingers glided over the weapon reminded me of the way he touched me. His voice was deep and seductive as he explained the importance of cleaning your weapon, heavily intertwining innuendo. The contrast between his sinful tone and the objective instructions made me pay attention to his every move.
"I take it back." Mary Lou agreed that the video was in fact hot. When her grin turned mischievous I had a pretty good idea of what she was going to say before she said it. "You could fist those shoulder straps in that holster and ride his weapon."
"Mare!" I gasped at the visual she painted as she straddled my lap and fisted my Rangeman T-shirt in a very vivid demonstration. I'd be a liar if I didn't admit to myself how many times I've pictured exactly that this last week: Ranger sitting in my bedroom chair wearing nothing but that damn sinful shoulder holster with me moving sensually above him. Rising up tantalizingly slow only to slam myself down his shaft. Over and over again until we broke.
"What? It's not like you haven't been fantasizing about it." Mary Lou shrugged, knowing she was spot on. When I didn't object, she continued. "Okay, so what happened after he sent you this video on Monday the seventh. I'm invested now. It's the twelve!" Her excitement was obvious as she returned to her seat.
I shared how the rest of the week we've had this back and forth with messages and calls. At this point I can't even remember who proposed we held off on self gratification, but the anticipation only intensified the heated nature of our virtual chats. And it's left me needing icy cold showers every night, and some mornings, this week.
"What?! You've been essentially sexting and having heated video calls all week, and neither of you has gotten off?!" She was incredulous. "Why would you deny yourself?!"
I shrugged. It was kind of hard to explain how magical and electric it is with Ranger. "It's supposed to intensify the pleasure when we're finally together again." I said as an excuse instead. Pretty sure I heard Lula or Connie say something like that while reading one of their weekly magazines last month.
"Stephanie!" Mare's laugh bounced off her kitchen walls. I'd never noticed how much sound can carry in here when all of her kids are home. "You two already almost spontaneously combust, and you want more?"
"We have a lot of time to catch up on." Was my weak defense.
"So, what's the plan for tonight?!" The way she looked at me told me that she knew I was planning on having a video call with Ranger to close off my day. "It's gotta be special since it's your birthday."
"Well…" I did have something in mind. I'd spent the last several nights coming up with different visuals to send Ranger as our nightly convo opener for tonight.
"Can I see them?" Mare's been my BFF through thick and thin, so why not.
As Mare went through the very risky pictures I took of myself, I stood to refill my coffee cup.
"Oh this one's hot." She flipped the phone so I could see the pic she was looking at. I bought a deep blue lacy bra and panty set at Victoria's Secret on Tuesday. I took a picture wearing only that and my Rangeman utility belt. I got the idea after Ranger sent me his weapon cleaning tips video. "It's perfect."
As she continued scrolling through the possibilities, I sipped my coffee while standing by the counter. I have money to spend, thankfully, so maybe I should just go for it and get the other little number I wanted to tease Ranger with. It's basically a Batman themed corset and panty set that has the cape attached to the shoulder straps. It's very skimpy and would give me added cleavage.
Mary Lou's groan snapped me out of my musings. "This is the one!" My BFF flipped my phone so I could look at the screen. Even from my perch on the counter I could tell she was zeroing in on the pic I took last night, the one where I added my gun strapped to my right thigh along with the utility belt to go with the matching blue lace panty and bra set. I thought I looked pretty good in that shot and apparently so did Mary Lou. I hid my grin behind my mug as I took another sip, thinking about what Ranger's reaction would be. I chose blue because it makes my eyes pop. A little makeup and hair prep and bam!
While I was contemplating how the night would go, the distinctive ping alerting me of an incoming message brought my attention back to the here and now.
"Oh my!" Mare's gasp and bulging eyes caused my stomach to drop. "Uhm, Ranger just sent you a uhm…" Mary Lou gestured to the screen just as another message came in. In her haste to swipe the alert away, she inadvertently opened it. And all I could do was watch in horror rooted to my spot.
It was a video and even as I moved closer after snapping myself out of my initial schock, I could hear Ranger's sexy voice.
"He's huge!" Mare was riveted to the show and I watched myself reach for the phone now resting on the table where she dropped it as if in slow motion. I wasn't fast enough. By the time I locked the screen and regained possession of the device, she'd already had a front row seat to the show. Hell, Grandma Mazur once saw Ranger in the shower and she still swoons over the memory. And he'd been unaroused that time!
After several beats of silence, Mary Lou fanned herself as she stood from her seat. "I didn't know those existed in real life." She continued fanning herself as she brushed past me, chugging a water bottle sitting on the counter next to the sink. "Steph! You've been holding back!" She accused, mischief in her tone.
I didn't say anything, feeling heat flaming my cheeks. I'm sure my whole face is flushed red.
"Does it hurt?" I groaned at Mare's curious question. She was never going to let me live this down. Even though we're close friends, there's some things about my relationship with Ranger that I've kept to myself simply because it's something that should stay between us. "What am I saying, of course not!" Mary Lou grinned wide, nudging me with her shoulder. "Okay, phew!" She fanned herself exaggeratedly before shooting me a playful smirk. "What you need to do now is go to your apartment and reply to him." Mare's mischievous glint caused a small shudder to course through me. "Send him a worthy response."
"You're kicking me out?" I teased as I grabbed my utility belt off the back of the chair I'd been sitting on and extremely thankful to the universe that I didn't have to further discuss Ranger's beyond well endowment with my BFF. As soon as I clipped the belt in place, my BFF groaned.
"No wonder you have Ranger in a desperate state." Lighting fast, my BFF's hand reached out to spank my left asscheek twice. "You've been teasing him with that ass all week!" Another smack sent my hips buckling in a desperate attempt to end the spanking session. She's got a heavy hand.
"Joyce's been busy spreading the rumor that I had plastic surgery." I huffed out as I pocketed my phone and keys, quickly filling Mary Lou in on my latest run in with Barn-she-devil.
"Ha! She wishes." Once again, Mary Lou's hand patted my ass. "These are all natural, Babe."
"Happy Birthday, Steph." Lenny smirked as he barged into the kitchen from the attached garage, which allowed him to catch part of the conversation. "We giving you celebratory spanks, because I'm all for it if so." His cheeky grin told me he was just being playful. He'd never dare get anywhere close to my ass. His balls would not survive it and I'd hate to be the reason why my BFF won't be able to expand her family if she wished. Mare would also destroy his manhood if he dared. So…
"Hey! These are the only ones you can spank." Mary Lou made an 'I'm watching you' gesture with her right hand, effectively continuing the playful mood.
"Yes, Ma'am." Lenny mock saluted, giving me a way too up close insight into their bedroom role playing.
"Gotta go. Things to do and people to see." I recognized my cue to leave, especially when the two shared a heated lip lock. Too much information.
The drive back to my apartment was uneventful. I snagged a parking spot close to the lobby door and quickly bounded up to my second floor apartment.
I greeted Rex on my way in, dropping some cheerios into his bowl. He stared at me through the glass expectantly, but I glared back. "I already fed you this morning." I swear the little cheat huffed in annoyance before scurrying back inside of his soup can.
My next stop was the bathroom. I'd showered this morning, so after a quick lather I'd be ready to retaliate.
After uninterruptedly watching his video, I took a picture of me all sudsy before I rinsed off and sent it to Ranger as payback. I would have noted that someone had been inside of my apartment after I left for my shift earlier but I was too far gone into our lust craze to pay close attention to the signs.
The pounding in my head was extremely painful. Despite the urge to groan in pain, I swallowed the discomfort as I tried to get a sense of my barings. T
Wracking my jumbled brain, I remembered spending my birthday and the rest of the weekend with Ranger before he had to go back to Miami. His surprise was the best gift he could have given me, wanting to extend our time together when he asked if I wanted to tag along once more. I had already agreed to a security gig for Monday night, so I had to decline his invite to Miami. The client had specifically requested a woman and…
I was working, watching our client's back and then nothing. I couldn't remember anything after escorting her from her book signing event near Newark…
What happened? Where did it all go to shit?