Lester was standing against the back wall of the elevator when the door slid open and his lips parted in a slow grin at the sight of me. "Hey sexy," he drawled. I managed not to roll my eyes as I stepped inside with him.

"Don't you guys usually take the stairs?" I asked.

"Only when Ranger's in the building," he replied, making me laugh.

"Do you think being afraid of your boss is attractive to women?" I pushed the number four button, and he lifted a brow.

"I've missed that smart mouth," he said with another quick smile, but it was short-lived. "I heard about your apartment, I'm sorry." He sounded sincere and I wasn't used to that from the perpetual jokester.

"Thanks," I said. "I know it wasn't the greatest, but it was mine, you know?" I fought back the rush of emotion. Thinking about my place also made me think about Rex and I was trying really hard not to do that. I'd cried enough in the last twenty-four hours. "I guess on to bigger and better things, right?"

Lester flashed his teeth. "If that's what you're looking for, I'm a bigger and much better thing."

It made me smile and I was sure that was his intention. "Always the charmer," I said, laying on as much sarcasm as possible. The door opened on the fourth floor and he wagged his eyebrows while holding it open so I could step out.

"I'm right across the hall from you, if you need anything," he offered.

"Then I'll be sure to ask Tank if he can reassign me, far far away from you," I quipped and he let the door slide closed. I could still hear his laughter as I headed down the hall.

Number nine was the second to the last apartment on the left and I hit the button on the key fob to unlock the door. There was a quiet click and I pushed it open. It had a small foyer and just inside the door was a sideboard, similar to the one in Ranger's apartment. There was no silver bowl for keys but there was a tall glass vase filled with fresh tulips, which are my favorite. Did Ranger know that, or was it just coincidence?

A small white card was leaning against the vase. I plucked it up to read the handwritten note.

Welcome Stephanie!

I've left some new uniforms for you in your closet and stocked your kitchen with a few essentials,

but if you need or want anything else, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Ella-

My heart did a slow flip, and I fought the urge to cry, again. How much more could he possibly do for me? I stuck my nose in the multi-colored tulips and inhaled their sweet scent before moving into the apartment. A short hallway led to a living room/kitchen combo. There was a utilitarian couch, a coffee table and a stand in the corner which held a good-sized flat screen tv. There was also a matching armchair and an end table housing a shaded lamp.

A granite breakfast bar, with two wooden stools pushed up against the tiled front, separated the living area from the kitchen. The kitchen counters were the same pretty black and green granite as the breakfast bar and I ran my fingers over the shiny, smooth surface. My previous apartment had cheap, chipped Formica counters so this was a huge upgrade.

There was a full-sized fridge and stove as well as a microwave and a k-cup coffee machine. I opened the fridge and found bottles of water, fresh fruit and veggies, eggs, milk, some sort of cheese and a jar of olives. One of the cupboards held bread, peanut butter, several cans of soup, pasta, crackers and two boxes of cereal. It was the healthy twig and stick cereal Ranger probably ate, but still. It was more food than I'd ever had in my cupboards before.

Off the kitchen was a closed door which had to be the bedroom. If the kitchen was so well stocked, I wondered what I would find in the bedroom. I swung the door open and sucked in a breath. The room was huge. It held a king-sized bed, with linens suspiciously similar to Ranger's. Two nightstands sat on either side of the bed, both holding matching lamps and along one wall was a six-drawer dresser, in what looked like cherry wood. It matched the nightstands and the tall, eight-drawer bureau on the opposite wall. At the end of the bed was a matching trunk. I lifted the lid and found extra blankets and pillows.

A ball of anxiety began forming in the pit of my stomach. This was too much. This was way too fucking much, and I wasn't even done yet. There was still the walk-in closet and the en suite bath. I wandered into the closet and found the uniforms Ella mentioned but there were also two more pairs of boots, tennis shoes and a pair of peep-toe red pumps, very similar to some I used to own. Hanging on one rod were a few dress shirts, black slacks and a couple of skirts but what caught my attention was a slinky red maxi dress. The fabric was silky soft, the hem almost floor length and it had thin spaghetti straps to hold it up, which crisscrossed in the back. It matched the heels perfectly.

I didn't know how much more I could take but I entered the bathroom anyway. The contents I found made it very clear how much attention Ranger actually paid to me. There was a walk-in shower, containing the brand of shampoo and soap I liked along with a razor and a loofah.

The countertop was the same granite as the kitchen and above the sink was a mirror spanning the entire wall and up to the ceiling. I opened a couple of drawers and found a new toothbrush, hair ties, a brush, a comb and toothpaste. There was also some make-up and a bottle of Dolce de Vita.

I knew I wouldn't be able to, yet I tried to stop the tears anyway. I went back into the bedroom and opened a dresser drawer, not surprised at this point to find a few pairs of underwear, bras and the tank tops and boyshort panties I preferred to sleep in.

Ranger essentially built me a whole new world in under twelve hours. I needed to talk to him. I didn't know what I would say but I extracted the company phone from my pocket and searched for his number in the contact list. I frowned, not finding it there, then noticed the 'favorites' button. I pressed it and there it was. His was the only one listed under that heading.

A knock on my door stopped me from placing the call. I slid the phone back into my pocket and ran to the door, hoping it was him.

When I pulled it open, I found almost the next best thing. Hector and Zip filled the doorway. "Hola vecina," Hector said with a grin.

My Spanish is limited so I didn't know what vecina meant but I sure was happy to see them. "It means neighbor," Zip translated for me. "We're right next door."

"That's great!" I exclaimed, and yanked Hector to me for a hug, even though it was against company policy. I kissed him on the cheek and then gave Zip the same treatment.

"We heard about your place," Hector acknowledged and held out the bag he'd been holding. "Comfort food," he added. I peered inside. There was a bottle of tequila, margarita mix and a bag of dark chocolate sea salt caramels. This was definitely my kind of comfort.

"I haven't read the whole company handbook yet, but isn't this against the rules?"

"Not inside resident apartments," Zip assured me seriously. I'd been kidding but apparently it was actually in the handbook.

"Well thank you, I appreciate it. But I'm gonna need some help to drink all this."

"That's what we're here for," Hector said as his beautiful whiskey-colored eyes zeroed in on mine. I knew he could tell I'd been crying and I tried to look away because I'd start again if he mentioned it but Hector was very perceptive and said something to make me laugh. "But first you need real food. Can't have you getting drunk on your first day; Tank would kill us."

They took me out to lunch at a local Mexican café, near the building, and I was a halfway through a basket of tortilla chips before I noticed the titanium ring on a very significant finger of Zip's left hand.

"Whoa," I said and reached across the table, grabbing his fingers. "What is this?"

I glanced up and Zip was showing me all his teeth. My gaze winged to Hector and he lifted his shoulder in an attempt to remain indifferent but there was a ghost of a smile playing on his mouth.

"When did this happen?"

Zip cut his golden eyes to Hector and that little grin was still on his face. "He asked last week."

"Wow, that's great. Congratulations!" I tipped my margarita glass in a toast.

"Thank you, Chica," Hector said and then deftly changed the subject to something less personal. He tended to get uncomfortable if pushed too hard about his private life so I tried not to pepper him with questions about when and where the future wedding was going to be and we spent the rest of lunch talking about where they wanted to start with my training tomorrow.

Unfortunately, it was with exercise, but if I was going to make something of this new life I suddenly found myself trying to live, I'd have to give it whatever effort I had.

When we got back to the building, they went over the contract with me and explained the things on which I was a little foggy and as requested, I signed it and had it on Tank's desk at the end of the day.

He didn't say anything when I slid it nervously into his inbox, but I definitely saw approval on his face when he gave me a single nod in response.

When I went back to my apartment, I'd barely gotten through the door and there was another knock. I hadn't heard from Ranger all day but my hopes it was him were dashed when I pulled it back open and Valentine and Happy's imposing frames were waiting on the other side.

"Hello, Stefani," Valentine greeted, in his thick Russian accent. He was six inches over six feet and I had to tilt my head up to see his grinning face. The top of his blond head nearly touched the door frame and so did Happy's bald head. He said, "Hey girl," but didn't smile. Despite his name, Happy wasn't a jovial kind of guy. He did work the muscle in his jaw, making the giant spider tattooed on his cheek look like it was going to crawl away.

"We take you to dinner, da?" Valentine asked and though I suspected it might be a bit of a pity invitation, I agreed. I liked both of them a great deal and it was dinnertime so why not?

They took me to Pino's for meatball subs and thankfully we didn't run into Morelli or anyone else I knew because I wasn't in the mood to hear anything anyone had to say about the current state of my life. We sat in a booth in the back, enjoying our food and I listened to Valentine tell me about the new position he'd just started.

Rangeman had acquired two bomb sniffing dogs, a black lab named Charlie and a German Shepard called Rambo. Valentine was in charge of their training and Happy said he'd had an instant connection to Rambo so he was helping out too. I loved dogs and told them I couldn't wait to meet them. When we finally left the restaurant I realized I hadn't thought about the shitstorm of the previous day the entire time. Between Hector and Zip earlier and now Happy and Valentine, they made me feel like I was already one of the team even though I'd only been employed for a hot second. If this was how it was going to be with everyone, I knew I could get used to it easily.

By the time we got back, it was close to ten so I decided to put myself to bed since I had to get up early. I checked my phone one more time before heading to the shower but still nothing from Ranger.

Once I'd showered and shaved and done all the other before bedtime rituals, I found a brand-new robe on the back of the bathroom door. Unsurprisingly, It was a fluffy blue terrycloth and almost identical to the one I used to have. I wrapped myself in it and shuffled back to my bedroom.

I heard a noise as I pulled down the duvet on my bed and when I lifted my head, found Ranger leaning in the doorway to my bedroom. His hair was tied back from his face with a leather strap and a small diamond glinted in his left ear. He was clad in a black suit, minus the jacket, and the sleeves of the expertly tailored black dress shirt were rolled up to his elbows, displaying the dark mocha skin of his toned forearms. If the ensemble had a tie, it had already been removed and the top two buttons of the shirt were undone, exposing the base of his throat. My mouth went inexplicably dry as I imagined my tongue gliding over the hollow there.

The tiny smile he's mastered utilizing raised the corners of his mouth. "Dangerous to keep looking at me that way, Babe."

I had to swallow and then clear my throat before I could respond. "I can't help it. Have you seen yourself?"

The smile widened. "How was today?"

I somehow dragged my eyes away from him and back to my task. "Good…but overwhelming," I admitted and yanked back the blanket and sheet. "You…you've done so much. It's…it's…" Tears flooded my eyes again and I wondered if I'd be a crying, emotional mess forever. I rubbed my chest, over my heart, as if that would help stop it, and turned back to him.

"It's too much, Ranger. Why do you always do so much for me? I don't know how to begin to thank you and I'll never be able to repay you for all this." A tear escaped and raced down my cheek.

Ranger's eyes narrowed and his tone had a certain bite when he said, "You are important to me, Stephanie, so I will always help you when you need it." He moved into the bedroom and then directly into my personal space. His hands settled on my hips as he peered down at me. "You needed this." The back of his knuckles brushed across my cheek. "And there is no price, ever."

"I wish you wouldn't say things like that."

"Why?"

"Because they make me want to kiss you and kissing you makes me want to do a lot of other things and when you're dressed like this, sexy as hell in this corporate outfit…all I can think about is getting my hands and mouth all over you."

He stared at me and I tried not to get lost in the swirling depths of desire burning in his eyes. And then his mouth was on mine in a crushing kiss. His fingers found the sash holding my robe closed and worked it open quickly. His hands slid inside, skimming around my waist to my back and he pulled me flush against his body, unfurling a ripple of heat which slowly consumed every inch of my skin. Before I even knew what was happening we were in my bed, naked, and he was sheathed to the hilt.

A couple hours later, and for the second night in a row, I fell asleep in the warmth of Ranger's embrace.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

It was early when I woke, the sun not up yet, and even knowing he'd be gone, I reached for him in the dark. I gasped when my hand unexpectedly touched warm, smooth skin.

Ranger's fingers circled my bicep, and he dragged half of me onto his chest. "Morning, Babe," he murmured and then kissed me so deeply and thoroughly I knew I would still be thinking about it days later.

"You're here," I said bluntly after he separated our lips, shocked to find him still in my bed.

"So are you," he replied, and slid his hands along the length of my arms before lifting me fully on top of his body so every inch of us was touching. He was thick and hard, pressing into my abdomen and when his fingers gripped my thighs and tugged me forward, I spread my legs, dropping my knees on either side of his hips. The rush of lust pooling low in my stomach had me lifting up enough to slide down onto his entire length. I braced my palms on his chest when I was fully seated and nearly came when his palms covered my breasts.

Without warning, Ranger flipped us over, staying buried deep. He kissed me again and began to move with deliberate, gentle strokes. In no rush to end the intimacy between us, I tunneled my fingers in his hair and brought his lips back to mine. He kept up the long indulgent kisses and the slow, deep thrusts for several beautiful minutes and I wanted to figure out how to stop time and stay like this with him forever, but sooner than I would have liked, his tempo increased, signaling his imminent release. His fingers curled under my cheeks, squeezing me tight to him as he came and that first hot pulse sent me spiraling into space.

He kept our bodies connected and feathered my jawline and neck with soft, open-mouthed kisses before eventually pulling out and melding himself to my side. It had been a gentle, almost sweet coupling but my breaths were still labored as I came down from the unbelievable high. If this happened every morning, I'd be really motivated to wake up early.

His hand drifted in lazy patterns across my stomach while I lay there, waiting for my pulse to settle. When I could speak without sounding like I'd just run a mile, I said, "I wasn't expecting you to still be here when I woke up."

He moved a palm up my torso, continuing the light touches over my breasts.

"You're awake unusually early," he countered, making me smile.

"True, but aren't you normally kicking someone's ass in the gym or overthrowing a communist government by now?"

The hand on my breast stilled. "Do you want me to go?"

"No! I…I never want you to go." I cringed at how desperate that sounded but Ranger kissed my neck and resumed the soft massaging of my skin.

"I wanted to stay as long as possible this morning because I have to go to Miami today."

My heart sank. I was hoping to have more time with him before he had to leave town again.

"Oh." I knew I wouldn't like the answer, but I asked the question anyway. "Do you know when you'll be back?"

"No," he replied and swiped his tongue over my nipple. "But I'm hoping not more than a week or two." Another lick and my entire body started the delicious tingle only he could produce.

"I guess that's better than the six weeks you were gone last time you had to leave." Ranger's whole mouth came down and I bowed off the bed, arching into the silky, wet heat. "If you keep doing that I'll be tempted to handcuff you to this bed and not let you go."

He lifted his head and gave me the full, wicked wolf grin. All I could think was oh shit, before he flipped me on my stomach, lifted my hips and sank balls deep on a single glide.

The sun was shining by the time he rocked me through another double-whammy orgasm and I was feeling so relaxed I didn't know how I would ever have enough energy to start training today.

Ranger still had plenty of energy. Unfortunately, it was no longer being used for my benefit. He was standing beside the bed and having just slid his dress slacks up over his hips, he shrugged into the shirt from last night and I watched him button it until his chiseled torso was no longer visible.

He found the leather strap I'd dragged from his hair hours before and tied his black locks back from his face. "I need to be at the airport in an hour so I have to go." He slid his hand around the back of my neck, bringing my lips to his for a quick goodbye kiss.

"I have to get moving too," I said, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. "I'm supposed to meet Hector and Zip in a half an hour."

Ranger smiled and kissed me one more time. "Proud of you, Babe," he whispered in my ear and then he was gone.