Ranger's POV
A pleasant weight settling on my chest awakened me. I had never felt that way about a woman before Stephanie. She was the light in my darkness—the soothing balm to my nightmares.
I was always quiet and never shared details of my life, but I couldn't resist telling Stephanie about myself. However, I never mentioned joining the Rangers after serving with the Army.
Stephanie's mother wanted her to marry for money, making me wonder if Stephanie knew I was wealthy, and curious about her reaction once she found out. "Babe, are you awake?" I asked. The beautiful woman in my arms doesn't seem like a gold digger.
She tilted her head, resting her chin on my pecs. "Yes." Stephanie shifted until we aligned perfectly. I groaned as she lowered herself onto my morning erection. She raised and lowered herself several times before asking, "Is something wrong?"
"No," I quickly replied. Now wasn't the time for conversation. Chasing that orgasm was more important than my insecurities. I grabbed Stephanie's hips to help her rise and lower. Stephanie's vaginal wall clenched my penis. She kept flexing the muscles, causing me to explode inside her and Stephanie to moan her release. Stephanie collapsed against my chest.
"What's on your mind, Batman? Don't bother telling me it's nothing because I can see you're conflicted about something." Dios! Stephanie could read me. I never experienced that with another woman.
"It was about the Melendez capture last night," I said, using that scenario to set up my question about money.
"Did he get released today?" Stephanie asked.
"No. Melendez violated parole and attacked another woman a few days ago. The judge won't allow him to post bail," I explained.
"Okay, then what is it?" Stephanie held her head up to look me in the eyes, patiently waiting for me to explain.
I stroked my hand down her back and replied, "I received forty thousand for capturing Melendez. Since you technically restrained him, your cut is twenty thousand."
"No," Stephanie said, shaking her head. "I don't want it. When I capture Morelli, I'll have ten grand in my account. I can live off that for the next four months."
"Babe, please take the money," I pushed.
Sighing, Stephanie replied, "Carlos, I only need seven thousand dollars to pay off the Miata to get it back and another fifteen hundred to pay off my credit card. That's all I want. Enough to pay my debts."
"Are you certain they will let you purchase the repoed vehicle?" I asked.
"Yes. Daddy negotiated with the Mazda finance department. He said I had two weeks to come up with the money," Stephanie replied. "I wouldn't let him pay the balance."
"Why not?" I questioned.
"Because I never earned it," Stephanie replied, shrugging. She shifted to the side, resting her head on my shoulder. "Money would be great, but it doesn't buy love or happiness. I've seen too many cases where it corrupted people."
"Oh?"
Stephanie looked into my eyes through her lashes. Dios! We had sex five times in the past ten hours, and I was getting aroused by her sexiness. Stephanie had no idea how sexually appealing she was. Her looking at me that way drew me closer like a moth to a flame. I loved her more than ever. Sex, though admittedly it was too soon for our relationship, was phenomenal and solidified our bond. My life would be empty without her.
"Mmhmm," she sighed. "Do you remember when I mentioned the town whore?"
"Yes," I answered, knowing she referenced Joyce Barnhardt.
"She's trying to find husband number three. The more money they have, the happier Joyce gets. Most of the men give Joyce the house and cars in the divorce. She takes half the money, too," Stephanie explained.
"Does any of that matter to you?" I cautiously asked.
"Nope, otherwise, I would have turned a blind eye to Dickie's affair," Stephanie replied. I relaxed, knowing Stephanie wasn't a gold digger. Nothing in her background check indicated she was thirsty for money. Stephanie lived within her means. I was still wondering how she managed to make her severance pay and savings last for six months. Her ability to pinch pennies was astounding, especially when I caught a glimpse of her shoe collection.
"Are you serious about marrying me when you capture Morelli?" I asked.
"Carlos, when I give my word, I never change my mind," Stephanie replied. She kissed my chest before wiggling out of my arms. I reluctantly let her leave the bed. A few minutes later, I heard the toilet flush and the shower start. Peeking from behind the door, Stephanie asked, "Are you coming?"
"Babe," I growled. She giggled when I raced toward her. I lifted her into the tub and stood beneath the showerhead with Stephanie flush against my chest. She wrapped her legs around my waist. I couldn't resist pushing into her. Our names bounced off the bathroom tiles after the water started running cold.
Stephanie and I quickly cleaned our hair and bodies. We didn't want to stay under the cold water longer than necessary. I held out a towel for Stephanie. She grabbed another towel from beneath the sink for me. Stephanie's eyes glazed over as I slowly dried myself. She snapped from her stupor when I wrapped the towel around my waist.
"Do you have a change of clothes?" Stephanie wondered, following me from the bathroom back to her bedroom.
"I brought an overnight bag," I replied. Stephanie laughed, realizing I was always prepared.
"Carlos, I've been thinking. Having sex this soon after meeting someone is completely out of character. It usually takes me months to trust someone enough for intimacy. I promise to marry you, but I want us to get to know each other better before making our relationship permanent. Would that be a problem?" Stephanie chewed on her lip, hoping I wouldn't get mad about stretching out our relationship before making a lifetime decision.
"Babe," I said, cupping her cheek. She sighed and turned into my palm. Her lips brushed my palm before she faced me.
"It's okay if you want to end this," Stephanie quietly said. She averted her eyes. They darted around the room as she avoided looking at me. Eventually, Stephanie settled on watching her toes.
"That's not what I was going to say," I replied, gently raising her face and brushing away the tear.
"No?" Her eyes sparkled with hope.
"No, Babe. I can wait until you're ready," I explained. "There's no need to rush into things. However, just say the word, and we can meet with the justice of the peace."
"Okay," Stephanie replied, pleased I supported her choice. It gave me more time to prove to Stephanie she could trust me. The woman was my soulmate. We belonged together, and she knows it. I want her to guide our relationship.
"I hope your request to delay the inevitable isn't because of other people's perception of what is acceptable," I observed. Stephanie's face flushed, indicating my assumption was likely correct. I pressed my lips against hers. She moaned when my tongue stroked her bottom lip. Stephanie opened it for me. I broke the kiss when I needed to breathe. "Someday," I whispered.
"Yes, someday," Stephanie breathily agreed.
I yanked the towel free and helped select her clothes for the day. She blushed as I slowly dressed her, making it as sexy as undressing her. "What are you doing today?" I asked.
"Going after Morelli. I will break into his apartment to see if I can locate him. What are you doing?" Stephanie asked, giggling when I kissed her belly. I buttoned her dark jeans and pulled up the zipper.
"If you have to ask, I'm not doing it right," I teased.
"Not dressing me, silly. Today. What's on your agenda for today?" Stephanie asked.
Smiling, I covered Stephanie's purple sports bra with a blue t-shirt. The colour accentuated her eyes. I loved her blue eyes and porcelain skin. Her hair was wild and felt silky smooth tangled around my fingers.
While she put on her socks, I got dressed. Stephanie raised her brows when I never pulled on boxers. I grinned as I attached my weapons. Since I had an extra webbed belt, I gave it to Stephanie. "What am I supposed to do with this?" Stephanie asked.
"Mimic me," I joked. Stephanie rolled her eyes but threaded the belt through her belt loops. I showed her how to attach her gun and handcuffs. My Babe looked incredibly sexy while armed for protection. "Please take this, too," I pleaded, passing Stephanie a knife.
"Where do I put it?" Stephanie asked. "I can draw my gun, but pulling a knife isn't natural for me." She seemed embarrassed by her confession.
I pulled an ankle sheath from my duffle and helped Stephanie attach it to her left ankle. She moved it until the knife was on the inside of her leg. "Is that easier for you?" I asked.
Stephanie smiled and nodded when I caught her eye. "Thank you. Are you sure you don't need it?"
"Positive. I have another one to use," I answered, adding my favourite knife to the web holster on my belt. Stephanie walked around her bedroom after pulling on a pair of dockers. I patiently waited for her to explain what she was doing, though I expected it was trying to walk naturally with a weapon attached to her ankle.
"Am I favouring my leg?" Stephanie asked. I was too busy watching the sway of her ass. Stephanie stopped and stood with one hand on her hip. "You were busy staring at my ass again," she accused.
Holding up my hands in surrender, I replied, "Busted." She released her stance and walked to me. Her hand brushed along my chest. I stopped her from leaving the bedroom by pulling her tightly against me. Stephanie raised to her toes to press her lips on mine. I kissed her chastely but no less passionate than our other times.
"Well?" she breathlessly asked. "Were my hips uneven?"
Chuckling, I replied, "No. Your ass and hips swayed perfectly."
"Come on, Batman. I need your help with a little breaking and entering," Stephanie teased.
"I thought you knew where Morelli was staying," I said.
Stephanie shrugged. "That was yesterday. He probably relocated. I know Joe's family won't help me find him." She grinned when another thought entered her mind. "What if I took his car?"
"Babe," I sighed.
"I think it will work," Stephanie reasoned. She explained her plan, and I have to admit it was good. Before opening the apartment door to leave, Stephanie exclaimed, "What about my Miata?"
I gently turned Stephanie to look into her eyes. "Babe, we can visit Vinnie's and the bank. Ask them for a bank draft for the Mazda dealership. We can take care of everything else before we return to Morelli's home."
"Sounds like a plan," Stephanie teased. She dragged me to the elevator in a hurry to get everything handled. I loved the woman more than ever. Dios! I silently prayed she would remain safe.
Stephanie let me drive her to take care of all her business before we returned to her apartment for lunch. The Mazda dealership promised to have her car ready for the following afternoon. She had to drive her piece of crap Nova until swapping it for Morelli's Cherokee.
My pager went off while we ate lunch. "Why do you have a pager? You know a mobile phone would do the same," Stephanie questioned.
"The pager is for business purposes. I give that number to my confidential informers," I explained. Stephanie nodded, but her eyes betrayed her confusion. She grabbed her phone to call the number I provided. My mobile phone rang.
"You gave me your private number? I thought…," she attempted to explain.
"Steph, only you and a few of my closest friends have my number," I replied. I instinctively understood. "Babe, I trust you."
"Why?" Her question made me wonder what damaged her confidence. I was an excellent judge of character, having seen many different types of humans in the world as part of my black ops missions.
"Your life might be an open book in the Burg, but I know you would never say anything about me or what we discussed," I replied, tucking a loose curl behind her left ear. Stephanie turned into my touch. I doubt she realized her reaction was natural. "Babe."
Stephanie looked into my eyes. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. I had to know what happened since this morning. We went everywhere together. Except when I left the apartment to grab our lunch, she never left my side.
Sighing, Stephanie said, "My mom knows I'm chasing after Morelli. She wants me to quit my job. Mom said it wasn't a job for a proper Burg girl."
"Is that all?" I asked.
"No. Mom also said you fucked Joyce Barnhardt when you arrived in town," Stephanie whispered before confessing, "I can't lose another man to that whore."
I kissed Stephanie more passionately than ever, pouring all my feelings from my lips to hers. She broke the kiss and stepped back. "Did you?" she timidly asked, unwilling to let me distract her.
"Stephanie, look into my eyes. You are the only woman I met in Trenton that I wanted in my bed. Barnhardt is a walking billboard for Botox and plastic surgery," I replied. "Only you, Babe. I only want you. Joyce tried but never succeeded. I know and avoid her type." I held Stephanie close and whispered in Spanish, telling her how much she already meant to me.
"I'm sorry for letting my mom's words get inside my head. She means well but is also too focused on how the other women in the Burg perceive her. Mom wants to be a good mother. To prove she got me to toe the line. I've been breaking the Burg rules since the day I was born," Stephanie attempted to explain. "I'm letting my insecurities get the better of me. You could get any woman you want. You're handsome. I bet women drop what they're holding when they see you. The ladies in the bank walked into the walls. Why me?"
"Your heart is pure, and you are a kind, loving and empathic woman. Other women might look better on the outside, but inside, where it counts, they are vipers and users like Joyce Barnhardt. Your inner beauty shines through, and that's why I want you. Only you," I explained, hoping my words sunk through her skull. "Babe, I have not nor will I ever sleep with Barnhardt."
"I'm sorry for being insecure. My mom has a way of drawing that to the surface and accentuating it with flashing neon lights," Stephanie attempted to explain her mind.
I cleared the remnants of our lunch and tossed the trash in the kitchen garbage can. After washing my hands, I returned to Stephanie in the living room. She grimaced and accepted my hand to help her off the couch.
"Sorry," she apologized again. I promised to show Stephanie how much I love her already. Dios! I wished we met before I hooked up with Rachel. Stephanie was my other half. I wasn't one to believe in destiny or love at first sight, but meeting Stephanie was the exception to the rule.
"Everything will work out as it should," I said, attempting to remove the girlish thoughts from my mind. However, I wasn't fooling Stephanie.
"Sure," Stephanie flippantly replied. "I bet we'll have to navigate that obstacle course for the next few years." Her eyes danced in amusement. I loved everything about her. My Babe was resilient.