Disclaimer still applies. Warning for lemony goodness.

~oooOOOooo~

Chapter 4
Two Days After Ranger Returned Home
Stephanie's POV

"Ranger," I whined, gently struggling to get out of the hold he had on my wrists. "We can't do this. You aren't healed enough. Bobby said it'll be two weeks, at least, until you're up for 'activity' like this." I used finger quotes around activity, just like Bobby had done the day before.

Ranger sighed. "Babe, I'm fine. Bobby doesn't know what he's talking about," he grumbled.

I leaned into him and felt him relax as I pressed my lips to his. Ranger was as stubborn as I was, and the only way I was going to convince him was to show him. When he moved his arms up to pull me tighter against him, he hissed against my lips.

"See? Too sore..." I smoothed his eyebrow down with one finger and then moved gently away so I was sitting beside him on the couch.

"I just want to show you how much I love you, Babe. Is that too much to ask?"

I shook my head. "Ranger, you don't need to show me. I already know. You're my Professor Higgins in every way already. If I know what love is, it's because of you. Through your every action, you've taught me how to love and shown me how much you love me. That's enough for now. Trust me, please."

It might have been the please that did it, but whatever it was, he let me snuggle down beside him. I felt a kiss to the top of my head, and then he grabbed the remote and started the movie again.

~oooOOOooo~

One Week After Ranger Returned Home
Ranger's POV

I was determined to show my Babe how happy I was to be home, but she was denying me at every turn.

Stephanie denying me.

Dios, I need her beneath me almost more than I need air at this point. My ribs were still wrapped and it still hurt to move, though, so I know she and Bobby were right in making us wait. But dammit if the wait wasn't killing me! My dick was so hard, I could pound nails.

Lying there beside her on the bed while she dreamed was torture. The sounds she was making alone could kill a man. A conversation I'd had with Lester the day before came back to me, and I had a sudden flash of inspiration.

~oOo~

"Fuck, this is killing me, man," I hissed out after watching Stephanie walk into the bathroom naked.

Lester laughed, his voice coming out loudly, even over the phone. "Poor baby. Sex deprived?"

"Fuck you."

"No thanks, cuz. Save that for your woman." He laughed again. If he'd been in front of me, I'd have hit him.

"That's what I'm talking about, dammit."

"Dude, how old are you? Don't you know that there are things you can do that wouldn't aggravate your ribs as much as sex?"

I was still in a lust- and anger-induced haze, so my mind wasn't functioning on all cylinders. It took me a minute to register what he'd said.

"Wait, what?"

I heard Tank's voice in the background, and Santos said, "Gotta go, man. Good luck!" He hung up, laughing.

~oOo~

Well, fuckin hell. Santos wasn't such a dumb shit after all. It may have taken me all night, but I'd finally realized what he'd meant.

I pulled Stephanie's chin up until I could reach her lips with mine. I slowly began kissing her awake. It didn't take her long to come out of her sleep.

"Mmm, Ranger, what are you doing?" she mumbled sleepily against my lips.

"I'm loving you, Babe. Now kiss me," I demanded as I teased the skin on her naked back with my fingertips.

She shivered and began kissing me, her tongue tracing my lips before slipping between them and finding my own. They twisted around one another, tickling and teasing, as my lips caressed hers. My hand moved down from her back to cup her ass gently. When my fingers slipped between her thighs and found her damp curls, we both shivered.

"Oh, God, Ranger! Please, we can't do this. You aren't—"

I stopped her with another kiss.

"Trust me, Babe, please." She started to speak, so I interrupted again. "Come up here above me, on your knees, with one on either side of my head."

I helped guide her until she was straddling my face. She was holding tightly onto the headboard. When I looked up at her, she was staring down at me, eyes wide with curiosity and lust.

"Ranger?" she squeaked as I used my hand to pull her down until she was hovering just over my lips.

My tongue snaked out and traced her slit. She jerked at the touch and moaned.

"Babe, relax. Just let me love you," I said before pulling her back down to my mouth.

As soon as I felt her relax above me, I thrust my tongue inside her. She was so wet already that she was literally dripping. I pulled my tongue out and traced her lips before sucking one into my mouth. When I nibbled it gently with my teeth, she cried out.

"God! Ranger!" Her thighs tightened around my head for a moment before she relaxed again.

I kissed her pussy, slow and deep, and felt her shaking above me. I moved to her clit and began teasing it with my tongue as my hand made its way between her thighs. I wanted to feel her come around me, so I sucked her clit between my lips, holding it gently with my teeth, at the same time that I thrust two fingers inside her. She was so hot, so wet, and so tight, that if it had been my dick inside her, I'd have come already.

With my fingers curled slightly, I stroked the sensitive spot just to the front at the same time that I bit down gently on her clit. Stephanie screamed my name as she came, and I had to use my other hand to hold her down to me. I kept stroking that spot as I scraped my teeth over and sucked on her clit, and it felt like her orgasm was never going to end. Finally, she was shaking so hard that I thought she was going to fall, so I carefully withdrew my fingers and let her clit slide from between my lips.

"Dios, Babe!" I kissed her sweet pussy once more before helping her slide away from my head and back to the bed beside me.

She opened her mouth to try to speak, but all that came out was a tired squeak.

"Sleep, Steph. Te amo, amante," I whispered as she closed her eyes.

I chuckled silently when she shivered once more before falling back asleep.

~oOo~

Three Weeks After Ranger Returned Home
Stephanie's POV

Ranger had been back from his mission for three weeks, and we were both on edge. I desperately needed to feel him inside me. He'd given me more orgasms with his mouth the last two weeks than I'd had my entire life. I certainly wasn't complaining, but my body felt like it was going to combust soon. I needed to taste him, and I'd finally made up my mind last night that today was the day I was going to repay him for the pleasure he'd been giving me.

I looked at the clock and realized it was time. The core team was done with their meeting, and I knew from talking to Ranger last night that his schedule was clear the rest of the day. He was on desk duty until Bobby and the doctor cleared him, and although he hated it, it made it a lot easier for me to do what I was going to do. I peered into the mirror one last time, fluffed my hair, checked my makeup, and tied the black trench coat around my waist. Grabbing my key fob, I left the apartment and rode the elevator down to the fifth floor.

Standing outside Ranger's office, off to the side so he couldn't see me, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before stepping around into the open doorway.

He looked up and sucked in a breath when he saw me. "Babe?"

I placed a finger on my lips and stepped into the room, turning and shutting his office door. The lock clicked, and it sounded louder than it really was in the quiet of the room. I took another deep breath and then turned around again. He was perfectly still as he watched me standing there, but when I untied the belt and let the coat fall open, he hissed.

His breathing was ragged as he took in the picture I made against the light wood of his door. I could only imagine what I looked like: my dark, wild curls; the black coat and black four-inch FMPs on my feet...all framing the pale skin of my naked body.

I shrugged my shoulders and let the coat fall to the floor, leaving me in nothing but the shoes. I slowly walked toward him and watched his hands clench into fists at his sides. Once I reached him, I carefully straddled his thighs and leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips.

"You've been good, Ranger. I know it's been hard—" I caressed his erection through his cargoes "—but you've been a good patient. I think it's time for a reward, don't you?"

He almost whimpered as I kissed him again and then carefully slid down his body until I was on my knees before him. I ran my hands slowly up his thighs and then back down, feeling the strength of his muscles beneath my hands. I reached forward for the button on his pants and slowly drew the zipper down over the prominent bulge of his erection. His cock was straining against the bottom part of the zipper, dying to spring forward. For a second, I smiled. He was so erect, he might have little markings from the zipper on his penis from the pressure.

I slid my hands up the sides of his thighs to his hips to grasp the waistband of his pants. He lifted his ass just enough so I could slide his pants around his ankles. He was beautiful clothed, but naked, he was extraordinary. His mocha-colored shaft, the slightly darker swelling of his crown... I licked my lips in anticipation and then leaned forward, my mouth just above the tip of his cock, and met his eyes. They were glittering with feral intensity. His excitement turned me on. I could feel heat pool between my legs as a bead of precome formed in the slit at the head of his cock.

I had to taste him, just that little bit. I leaned forward and licked the drop, humming as I then licked my lips with satisfaction.

"Dios, Babe. You're killing me here."

Slowly, I ran my tongue up the underside of his shaft, a long, slow lick that promised much. I liked to tease, but he knew I wouldn't leave him unsatisfied. I stopped to circle my tongue around the head before closing my lips around him. I began a rhythm as old as time, sliding as much of his thick shaft into my mouth as I could. He was like hot marble, hard and smooth, but so very tasty. My hand reached up to hold what I couldn't quite reach, moving in time with my mouth.

I could feel the occasional pulse and twitch in my mouth and under my hand, followed by a barely-muffled satisfied groan. I smiled; there was such power in a job well done. My free hand began to stroke his inner thigh again, tracing nondescript patterns with my fingertips and then traveling to tease the pouch at the base of his cock. I squeezed gently, and his hips bucked upward, nearly making me lose my grip.

I felt his cock buzzing in my mouth; it matched the arousing feelings I had between my legs. I sped up my movements, trying to relax my throat to allow him deeper penetration. I held onto his thighs with both hands, moving quickly up and down and moaning with satisfaction. Then it happened: his control snapped. His hands reached for the back of my head, holding me still as his cock pulsed. I felt a hot, wet surge hit the back of my throat, and I swallowed, trying to not release any.

Glancing up, I could see that his eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling in quick breaths. I continued to suck gently, licking away any excess, and then gave his semi-rigid cock one final kiss before standing back up. I leaned down and helped him bring his pants up to his thighs so he could slip them back on without having to bend over.

Once his pants were buttoned, he looked up at me from under hooded eyes and smiled a full two hundred-watt smile. "Fuck, Babe! That was amazing."

I kissed him before returning the grin. "Mmm, yes, it was!" I ran my tongue over my lips. They felt swollen, and I knew without looking that you would be able to tell they'd been well used. "Okay, buster, back to work for both of us. I'm going to go get dressed and then head to the bonds office to pick up some files."

I turned and walked back to my coat, putting an extra swing to my hips, and when I looked back, Ranger was sitting still, watching me with a stunned expression on his beautiful face. I tied the coat around me, blew him a kiss, and then walked out.

~oooOOOooo~

Five Weeks After Ranger Returned Home
Ranger's POV

I tossed my keys down in the tray by the door and toed off my boots. Steph was hanging out with Mary Lou for the afternoon, so I had the apartment to myself as I carried the bags to the bedroom and grabbed a quick shower. I'd already talked to Ella about dinner for later tonight. As I rinsed off, I started going over what still needed to be done before Stephanie got home.

Home. After tonight, that's what I hoped Steph would call this place. Neither of us was ready to get married. She'd spent almost every night here since I got back from Colombia, though, so I was hoping she'd want to move in permanently.

I toweled off and threw on a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. I was offline for the next twenty-four hours, and I planned to make the most of it. I'd gone to Pleasure Treasures and gotten some new massage oil and scented candles, which I unloaded into the bedside table drawer. When Stephanie showered after a light dinner, I'd spread the candles out around the room. I went ahead and took the new silk sheets out of the other bag and changed the bedding and then remade the bed so she wouldn't see the new sheets until I was ready.

Once the bed was made, I tossed the bags into the trash and sat down on the couch to wait for Steph's arrival. She'd be back anytime, so I knew I wouldn't have long to wait.

Thirty minutes later, I heard the door open and her soft footfalls on the tile in the hallway just before she called out, "Ranger? I'm home."

"In here, Babe," I called. I turned off the TV and stood up to meet her as she walked into the room.

She walked into the living room and slid her arms around my waist. "Mmm, hi," she purred, smiling.

"Hi, yourself. You look like you had fun today."

"I did. Lou and I talked for a long time and had some fun with her boys. We went to the park, so I'm kind of all sweaty and gross." She grimaced, which made me laugh.

I leaned in to kiss her. "I don't mind sweaty and gross, Babe, but trust me..." I looked her up and down as much as I could without pulling away too far. "You are far from gross."

"Do I have time for a shower before dinner?"

I thought for a minute. That would change my plans, but not significantly. "Sure. Ella should have dinner up here in another half hour or so. Don't bother getting dressed when you get out, Babe. Just throw on the robe hanging on the back of the door, okay?"

"Umm, okay." She looked at me curiously, but I just smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Go shower, Babe. Take your time and relax." I kissed her softly again and then turned her away from me and swatted her behind once to get her moving.

"Hey now! No butt stuff," she teased as she wiggled her hips while she hurried to the bedroom.

~oOo~

By the time we finished dinner, I was hard as a rock. Stephanie looked breathtaking—hair drying into loose curls, no makeup, fresh from the shower. The sounds she was making were enough to send me into fits if I let them. I shored up my iron will and pulled her gently from her seat.

"Dessert later, Babe. Go sit on the couch and get comfortable. I'll be back in a couple of minutes." She started to protest, and I kissed her softly. "Trust me. Go!"

She looked at me once and went to sit on the couch. When she closed her eyes to relax, I smiled and walked to the bedroom.

I quickly stripped the comforter off the bed, leaving it draped in the new, dark blue silk sheets, and then set the candles out in various points around the room. After setting out the massage oil, I grabbed the lighter I'd put in the bedside table drawer and lit the candles until the room was bathed in a soft glow. The last thing I did was grab one of our favorite instrumental jazz CDs and turn it on low. I wanted all of Stephanie's senses to be triggered tonight.

Once the room was set, I made my way back into the living room. I sneaked up on Steph and scooped her up into my arms, making her shriek with surprise.

"God, Ranger! Don't do that!" She looked thoughtful for a second. "Are you okay to pick me up?"

I nuzzled her neck and grinned. "Sorry, Babe."

I waited for her to ask what was going on, because my naturally curious Stephanie had been quiet for far too long.

I didn't have to wait long. "So what's going on? Why'd I have to wait out here?"

"Guess who got the all-clear from Bobby and the doctor today?"

"Seriously? Like the all all-clear?" She looked excited, but pensive.

I nodded. "Yeah, Babe. The all all-clear." I put her gently down on the bed and quirked an eyebrow. "That means you're mine tonight, Babe. You okay with that?"

She nodded silently.

"I have a question to ask you, Stephanie."

~oooOOOooo~

Stephanie's POV

I gulped when Ranger told me he had a question. A thousand thoughts flew through my mind, and I wasn't sure how I felt about any of them.

Do I love him? Of course! Do I want to get married again? Have children? Oh, shit, I don't know! Maybe someday, but not today! Damn, what do I tell him?

Ranger smiled and reached a hand down to smooth my forehead. He sat down on the edge of the bed and turned toward me. "Babe, I smell smoke. You're thinking way too hard right now. Just let me finish."

I nodded, trying to reign in my thoughts. "Okay, hit me."

"The last five weeks have been some of the best in my life. Someday, Babe, I'd love to ask you to marry me and watch you grow round with our child, but I know neither of us is ready for that yet."

I let out a breath I'd been holding. "Umm, yeah, me, too." My voice came out as a squeak. "I mean, someday I think I'd like that, too. But not yet," I hurriedly assured him.

"Good." He smiled and continued. "We've spent almost every night together since I've been home, and it's been wonderful." He reached over to the table, picked up something, and then held it out to me. "Babe, would you move in permanently? I want you here with me all the time, not just when I'm hurt and need you or when you're hiding from some psycho stalker."

I looked at the metal keyring in his hand. It had the Wonder Woman logo on one side, with Babe written in fancy script, and the Batman logo on the other. The word Batman was written in simple but pretty block letters.

"Really?" I gulped.

He nodded, blank face sliding into place. I knew then that he was worried about my answer. "It's up to you, of course. I just thought that—"

My Batman was beginning to babble, and while it was cute, I didn't want him to suffer. "Well, I suppose I'll have to get my keys and transfer everything to this one since this is much better than my plain keyring."

I waited for my answer to hit him, and when it did, his smile could have lit up the entire town of Trenton. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me hard, crushing my lips against his. The keyring fell to the floor with an almost inaudible thud, and I wrapped my arms around him, enjoying his strength.

Way too soon, he reluctantly pulled back, smiling when I frowned and tried to reach for him again. "Not yet, Babe. I have plans. Take off your robe and turn over."

I started to question him, but then I saw the massage oil on the table. My body heated in anticipation as I slowly pulled off my robe and tossed it to the chair in the corner of the room before rolling over onto my stomach. Ranger started to straddle my thighs, and I looked over my shoulder to see him fully clothed.

"You don't want to get oil all over your clothes, do you, Ranger?" I was so excited that my voice came out sounding sex kittenish, which was okay with me.

It was okay with Ranger too, apparently, because he quickly stood up and shed his clothes, which left him standing there with nothing but a fully-erect nine inches.

"Absolutely not, Babe." He smirked before smoothly straddling me again.

The last clear thought I had as I heard the snap of the lid and then felt his strong hands moving over my back was that his erection was trapped between our bodies as he leaned forward. With that delicious thought, I gave myself over to the sensations. Ranger massaged my arms, careful not to tickle a particularly sensitive spot on the inside of my elbows, and then he moved to my shoulders and began massaging what few knots were left there after my hot shower and the delicious dinner.

"God, Ranger! Your hands are magic." I whimpered when his hands hit a tight area in the middle of my back.

"Just wait, Babe. You haven't seen anything yet," he murmured in a low, throaty growl, promising seduction.

I was so relaxed that by the time he moved down to the end of the bed to massage my legs and feet, I was nearly boneless. His feathered kisses on my skin made it feel like it was on fire. His hands smoothed up my thighs, and his thumbs came oh-so-close to brushing up against where I wanted him, but he pulled back each time, leaving me needy and trembling.

"Dios, Stephanie, I can see how wet you are from here... Turn over, Babe." His voice was deep and husky, filled with desire.

"Need your help, please. I don't know if I can move." My voice was teasing, but I wasn't sure that I wasn't telling the truth.

With his help, I turned onto my back, and I delighted in watching his eyes darken as they took in my breasts and followed the line of my firm stomach to my curls, which were dripping with the proof of my arousal.

He growled something in Spanish that made me whimper. I wasn't sure what he'd said, aside from pussy—which Les had taught me—cream, name, and control, but whatever it was shook him out of the stillness he'd been in for a moment. I watched as he poured more oil into his hands, rubbing them to heat it slightly before he began at the upper part of my chest. He massaged my breasts, but when he avoided my nipples, I whined.

"Please, Ranger! Touch me," I begged him.

He just shook his head and continued rubbing down my body. The front of my legs got the same treatment as the back. By the time he made his way back up to the tops of my thighs, I had spread my legs, inviting him between them. He moved up my body to kiss me, and his hands found my breasts again. With his slick fingers, he rubbed and then pinched my nipples as he kissed me, until I was writhing under his touch.

His cock was rubbing against me, hitting my clit with every movement he made. I was trembling by the time he lowered his head between my thighs.

"Dios, I love tasting you, Stephanie." His tongue took one long swipe from the bottom of my slit to the top and then circled around my clit a few times. Only his hands on my hips prevented me from coming up off the bed at the touch of his tongue.

He licked and sucked at my lips like he was kissing my mouth; his tongue dove deep, twisted and turned to reach every spot inside me that he could. When his lips closed around my clit and he began to hum, I cried out. My orgasm hit me hard, and I saw spots on the backs of my eyelids. He gave my clit one last kiss, which did nothing to dull the throbbing ache between my legs, and then moved up my body.

"Please," I cried softly. "I need you inside me, Ranger. It's been so long!"

I reached down to grasp his cock, my fingers barely able to wrap around him, and helped guide him to my entrance. Ranger swiftly moved my hand and, with one of his, trapped my wrists above my head, holding me captive. With his other hand, he moved my legs farther apart and thrust slowly into me.

~oooOOOooo~

Ranger's POV

Fuck! Stephanie felt like soft velvet and liquid fire combined as I slid inside her. I felt her drawing me slowly into the silken depths of her pussy, and I had to control myself so I didn't end up like an overeager teenage boy and come before either of us were ready.

I wanted to take this slow, but every thrust sent us both careening quickly to the edge of our control. Once I released them, Stephanie's hands moved to my arms and then up to my shoulders. She reached around to hold me tightly, and the bite of her fingernails into my skin only heightened my arousal. I used my hands to move her legs until they were bent at the knees, her heels resting nearly flat against the backs of her thighs. I moved deeper this way, and I could feel her clenching around me with every thrust.

She pulled me down until her mouth was muffled against my shoulder as she screamed out her release. I felt my balls tighten and knew I wouldn't be far behind her. I needed to mark her as she had marked me with her nails. I wanted the world to know she was mine. My mouth found her neck, and I kissed down until I found the spot where it met her shoulder.

With one final, hard thrust, I felt my come bubbling up and spilling out inside her. I sucked the skin of her shoulder deep into my mouth and bit down, barely hard enough to draw pinpricks of blood. She screamed my name as the pain and pleasure threw her over the edge one last time. As her muscles clenched around my dick, they drew several last ropes of come from me, and I shuddered, trying to catch my breath.

"God, Ranger! That was incredible," Stephanie said a few minutes later when we could both breathe again. "I love you," she whispered, looking up into my eyes.

I was lying beside her with my arms wrapped around her. Her head was buried against my chest, and our legs were tangled under the sheet I'd managed to pull over us.

"I love you, too, amante. Just so you know, Stephanie, it's never been like that for me. Even when we were together before, it wasn't quite like that. I don't know what's different now, but I thank God that it is," I mumbled into her hair.

"Don't you know, Ranger? Love isn't what makes the world go around; it's what makes it worth the ride, and that was definitely a ride worth taking," she said happily.

I nodded, pulling her tighter against me. "That it was, Babe. That it was."

The End