Chapter 16: One More Night
Steph’s POV
This day has been exhausting. If this is a sample of what I have to look forward to for the next year then accepting this position has been a vast mistake. At 6PM, I’m finally free for the day. I’ve been up for over 12 hours, and all I can think about is a nap. I wheel myself upstairs and open the apartment door to the worst surprise ever.
Ranger is packing.
He turns to look at me, and I see his lips twitch.
“When?”
“Wednesday, 0900.”
So I have tonight and tomorrow night. That’s all for the next year. Well, I don’t have time to waste. I strip, right there in the living room, and hobble to the bathroom. “I’m taking a shower. Join me?”
I love that you never have to issue an invitation twice with Ranger.
Before the water is on, Ranger has stripped. His gorgeous mocha latte body is right behind me, covering me, and he takes a moment to put the waterproof cover on my cast before ushering me right into the shower. His hands are everywhere, his fingers stroking between my legs and drawing little circles above my clit. The water is warm, beating down on us, but it feels cold on my skin, overheated skin covered by a hot Ranger. His lips are attached to my neck and I’m sure I’ll have a hickey in the morning. I’m trying to balance on one leg and wrap the other around his waist before I feel him push me against the cold shower wall.
“Don’t.” His eyes are serious. “I have you. You won’t fall.”
Well, that worry is gone. The water is beating down on both our bodies as Ranger’s fingers are doing double duty between my thighs. His thumb is still drawing circles above my clit, but he’s thrusting two fingers inside me at the same time. I’m clutching his hair, his neck, my lips kissing and licking anything I can reach, his ears, his neck, his lips, when he stops. I’m sooo close and he’s almost right where I need him. I can feel him, thick and hot and hard, against my belly. It’s been so long and he’s sooooo large. I need him. I realize the problem, and the answer comes easily.
“I’m safe.” I can see the worry in his eyes. “Please. Don’t stop.” His eyes turn black, and he pins me against the shower wall, wrapping both my legs around his waist.
“Don’t let go.” I nod, and he slides inside. Oh god. . . it’s been so long since I had sex without a condom I forgot how amazing it felt to be bare. And it seems I’m not the only one. The look on Ranger’s face is complete possession, and he starts thrusting hard. I’m meeting him, thrust for thrust, and this is going to be over entirely too soon but who cares. I don’t care. Ranger doesn’t care. This is round one and it’s gonna be good.
The feel of Ranger bare inside me is taking me higher even faster than our one night together did. A month ago can’t compete. I can feel his heat, his weight, and I’m getting wetter with each thrust. My body can only think of how good he feels inside, every ridge and vein stroking me, and my muscles clench and tighten around him. I can feel him breathing against my skin, labored, the hiss that escapes as my muscles tighten around him, coaxing him, milking him, and I can tell he’s close but holding back for me. No worries; the next thrust sends me over the edge, stars in my eyes, so close to a blackout, and it seems as if Ranger is a thousand miles away as he comes with a shout. If not for the burst of wet heat inside me I might not have known he was even there.
We sink down to the floor of the shower and regain our breath. I can feel him looking at me, and when I open my eyes I see him looking uncertain. I know. I haven’t done that since . . . Joe Morelli and Tasty Pastry. 14, maybe 15 years. Same as Ranger. I stroke his face and kiss his lips. His eyes are serious. I’m not changing my mind. I have hope. He’s given me hope, hope that we can be more, that it’s forever between us. If something happens, if something develops, he’ll have to turn me away. I won’t run; I just hope he keeps us. I hope we’re more than Rachel, an obligation. I know he loves Julie, but I want him for keeps.
Ranger finally has enough energy to pull us both up. He carefully washes my hair, taking care not to tangle it, and works the conditioner in gently. I return the favor, including a small head massage which makes him smile. He loads the loofah with Bvlgari and slowly and carefully washes me, taking his time, careful not to miss a spot and again, I return the favor with enthusiasm. He turns off the water as I wrap a towel around my body. Ranger grabs my lotion and carries me to the bed, where he removes the cast cover and slowly rubs lotion into every inch of my skin. This is shaping up to be a wonderful night when we are very rudely interrupted.
GROOOOOWWWWLL!
Ranger blinks twice and looks at my stomach. He glances at me, and I’m sure that I’m red. We look at each other and start laughing.
“Right. Beast first.” He calls Ella and asks for dinner. She’ll be here in 5.
We leave the bedroom to find Ella has set a lovely and romantic dinner. A mini lasagna for me (sigh I bet it’s vegetable) and something with sprouts for Ranger. At least there’s white wine and bread to go with my meal. Ranger has water.
“How did it go?”
“You weren’t listening in?” I was wrong. There’s meat!
“Nope.”
“It was OK. Danny gave me good advice. Hal and Javier have some good ideas. I’m not sure what to think about Mark and Armando.”
Ranger nods. “You’ll do fine.”
“Are you sure about this? I mean, are you absolutely sure you want to leave me in charge?” I’m still nervous about bankrupting the company.
“You’ll do a great job, Babe. I trust no one more.”
“Not even Tank?” I smile.
“You’re first, Babe.” OK, that’s stunning. “Tank’s a very close second.”
“What do you have left to pack?”
“Not much.”
“Do you have to do it tonight?” I get a small smile.
“Got plans?”
“They require you.”
“Babe.”
I’m done with dinner so I drop the towel.
I love that you never have to issue an invitation twice with Ranger.
Ranger’s POV
After Rachel I swore I would never have unprotected sex again. No woman was worth the uncertainty, the heartache, the negotiations over child support, visitation, and parental rights. We have a great relationship now, against all odds, but when Rachel got pregnant, she expected me to stay by her side. I liked Rachel, but I didn’t love her, and I definitely didn’t love her enough to throw my career away. Our breakup was vicious, with hurtful accusations on both sides. Ron and I get along so well because he was actually the catalyst for the two of us coming back together and getting along for Julie’s sake. Until Ron, I was a vast disappointment to her, and her family still dislikes me for the most part, even though I did well by Rachel and Julie.
But when Babe said please, I didn’t think about it any further.
It was the best sex of my life. It was better than the DeChooch deal because it meant more. She trusted me. Fully. With her body. Knowing that there’s always a possibility that the birth control could fail, that she could end up tied to me for the rest of her life. And she still let me enter her bare.
I’m no longer desperate to know what happened between her and the Cop. Whatever it was, it was serious and it was final. Babe is serious about her birth control and condom use. I know the Cop was never bare inside her. She told me that first night, that she’d never let anyone inside her naked since he took her virginity. Not even her husband had that privilege. And yet she just had me take her, bare, against my shower wall. If I’d known how important the moment was going to be, she would have been comfortable in my bed, not posted up against cold tile. What’s between us is serious. It’s permanent. She’s in for keeps and so am I.
I’d give her the ring inside the safe now if I weren’t leaving for a year.
As far as I’m concerned, from this moment on, she’s mine. Fuck the cop. Fuck the ex-husband and any other fucker who comes near her. If I could, I’d tattoo it on her. Ranger’s Property. HANDS OFF. She let me inside her bare. She loves me. She trusts me. She’s mine.
I carry her back to the bed and am surprised when she rolls over on top of me. I’m ready, as always when she’s within a mile of me and naked. I steady her and wait as she lifts slightly and settles me between her legs. She lowers herself slowly onto me. Oh god, round two and condomless again. . . I gotta do something about my stamina. I’m ready to bust now and she’s just getting settled. I wait and enjoy the feeling of being inside her. She’s as tight as any virgin, and I’m having to count to 30 in Arabic in my head to keep from succumbing to the feel of her. Finally she starts moving, bounce bounce swirl bounce bounce swirl, her breasts and hair bounce with her and Jesús, ayúdame (Jesus, help me) I’m not the man I was at 20.
She’s going to unman me. I open my legs a little and it resettles her into my lap, but she hasn’t stopped. She’s moving faster and I’m tweaking her nipples and grabbing her hips and she has a look of pain and ecstasy on her face that’s etched into my memory. I have my fingers on her clit, tapping a counter rhythm to her bounce and the tears are flowing unchecked down her face. She leans forward and makes little gasping noises and I capture a nipple between my teeth. Her eyes open, those gorgeous sapphire blue eyes, and she’s close. I’m up to 50 in Arabic and laving her nipples with my attentions. Her breasts are beautiful, perfect, just enough for my mouth to fully enjoy and I’m suckling like a babe when I feel it.
Her muscles are clenched around me like a vise, she’s stopped moving, just grinding on top of me, a desperate search for release, and I roll her under me and thrust. That does it. I can see her eyes roll back and the shudder rolls through her. I can’t stop my own release and I thrust through it, harder, faster, I’m slamming into her body heedlessly, needing, searching, waiting for my own release and it’s just. . . there, oh Dios, Jesús y todos los santos (God, Jesus, and all the saints) she’s magnificent. I could father an entire state off what I’m shooting right now. I don’t know when it will end. And she’s out cold. Le petit mort.
I’ve never felt more like the man than I do right now.
This is the pattern for the entire night. I’m certain I didn’t get any real sleep. The moment she moves, I’m inside her, sometimes hard and fast, enjoying her screams, the way she pulls my hair, the fingernail marks she’s leaving in my ass and hips, the desperate way she calls my name. I correct her, tell her in this bed, between us, I’m Carlos. I want to hear no other name. Everyone else has Ranger; she alone has Carlos, and I want to hear that name screamed in ecstasy. She’s stunned and blinks, then gives me her 1000W smile. She’s chanting my name, a benediction to my skill, my prowess, and I’m in love with the way it sounds.
I give her plenty of reasons to scream it during the night.
I slide down her body and kiss every inch of skin I find along the way. I find her goosebumps and her ticklish spots and map them in my memory. I remember that she’s ticklish around her belly button, but if playing with her clit at the same time, I can wind her up in 1 minute flat. That information is still accurate so I mark that as confirmed intel and enjoy the gush of warmth I receive. I lick her clit and enjoy her taste, warm and salty and sweet and all mine, my woman. I taste myself in her and I’m harder than ever before. I settle in and suck her lips and her clit. Her legs are moving around everywhere and she has my hair clutched between her fingers. She’s crying and yelling my name, hoarse, and I’m happy. I’m using my entire face, my lips and tongue and fingers, to bring her pleasure. I want her to have le petite mort again. I want it to be great. I want to wipe away any memories of any other man. I want to be the only one. It’s selfish, but it’s what I want after four long years of waiting to have this woman in my bed. I haven’t been completely celibate, but I have been pretty damn close.
Other times, it’s slow, so slow I’m barely moving, inside her just enjoying the way she feels, her softness, the smell of my body, my scent, in her skin. I’m doing my best to mark her, to infuse her with me, my essence, my scent on her skin. I want any man who comes near her to know, subconsciously, that she’s been claimed. She has a man and he is dangerous. He will kill to protect what’s his. This woman is owned. I lift her arms above her head and have her thrust backwards against me. It’s perfect, shallow thrusts that leave her entire front open to my fingers, my hands cupping her breasts and stroking her belly. Again, she trusts me. At first, she thought this might be butt stuff but she didn’t balk. She just let me position her and I felt her relax when I settled behind her and entered from the back.
“I wouldn’t.”
“I know.”
“You were nervous.”
“I wasn’t sure what you were doing.”
I kiss between her shoulder blades and lift her injured leg on top of mine. “I wouldn’t. You aren’t comfortable with it. The day that changes, you tell me.”
I feel the shallow thrusts speed up. She’s desperate for more than what I’m giving, what I’m allowing right now. My hands are cupping her breasts, slowly rubbing her nipples. I’m kissing her neck and between her shoulder blades and her shoulders. Beautiful shoulders with tiny freckles. I’m holding her around the waist and she feels wonderful, spooning and fucking all at the same time. I lift slightly and kiss her and let her move her hands down. She immediately starts rubbing her clit, and I move her hands. Oh no, I want this to last. If it takes hours I’m OK. I want to sink into you. I want to be a part of you. She begins to tweak her own nipples, but I’m covering her sex and I won’t let her near. The tears are rolling down her face and she begins to squeeze me deliberately. Oh, she’s sneaky. Now I’m desperate. She thrusts and squeezes and releases on the retreat and I’m wanting more. We’re both desperate now, and I start playing with her clit and she’s thrusting faster. “Carlos!” It’s not enough. I lift her leg and begin thrusting faster. This isn’t the slow release I wanted, but it’s 0300. I’ll play ball. You’ll pay tomorrow. The release is sweet. She relaxes into me and catches her breath. I pick her up, reapply the cast cover and take her to the shower. She blinks and looks at me, confused.
“Unless you want to sleep in the wet spot. . .” I let the sentence trail off and watch as she blushes. I return to the bedroom, strip the bed and apply new sheets. I’m back in the shower in time to bathe her and myself.
I have one more night. I’ll make it worthwhile.
Steph’s POV
Four hours of sleep. That’s all I got. I don’t even remember getting out the shower. I just know that Carlos shook me awake at 7AM for the Core Team call. I don’t remember a word said, but I do remember Lester saying something about falling asleep on the job and laughing. I’m pretty sure I responded with “Fuck off.”
When I wheeled myself back upstairs that evening, I was met by naked Carlos. My brain simply exploded. He lifted me out the wheelchair onto his dining room table, and for the next hour I had nothing to say. It was spectacular. We had sex on top of the table twice. The first time Carlos had me spread eagle and exposed. His hands travelled up and down my body as my unhappy memories of Dickie and Joyce on the my table were replaced by the feeling of Carlos’s cool dining room table under my back and ass, his incredibly hot body slamming into me, the sound and feeling of his dick and his balls slapping against my body in a frenzy of passion, and the sound of laughter as we ate dinner off that table 30 minutes later.
Joyce can have my unfaithful ex-husband and Ethan Allen dining room table. I have Carlos and his Restoration Hardware special. Both are made for much more active sex.
The second time, we were holding on to each and he was slower, gentler this time. He kissed me gently, my lips, the tip of my nose, my eyelids, my forehead. He was speaking to me in Spanish, making me even more horny, more excited, more desperate. I love when he speaks to me in Spanish. I wish I knew what he was saying. The sex was wonderful because when I locked my legs around his waist, he couldn’t move. He could only thrust as much as I would give. I could feel the muscles in his ass and legs bunch up and relax, feel the muscles in his back roll. I could play with his nipples and cup his balls and play with his butt, which brought a smile to his face.
“No butt stuff, huh?”
“You’ve never said you had anything against it.”
“I don’t. Touch me wherever and however you want, Babe.”
Permission received. I slid my fingers up and down Carlos’s spine, which made him shudder and thrust harder. When I slipped my fingers back down to cup his balls, he whispered for me to stroke right behind them. I had no idea he could get any harder or larger but he did. The thrusts after that were so strong they were almost painful. The orgasm was beautiful. The words he said (in Spanish, of course) and the tears he cried. . .I have no words for it. I cried and wiped his face. It was almost too emotional. He settled us into the shower to calm down and clean up and afterwards, he brought me back into the living room. I had no idea we weren’t done yet.
That night was an education. Carlos decided that the bed was passé, so we didn’t go near it until after midnight. We moved from the dining room table to the floor for tantric sex, wrapped Indian Style around each other on top of a blanket. It was beautiful and intimate and incredible all at the same time because it didn’t require us to move very much. Small shallow thrusts, as natural as breathing, kept us orgasming for hours.
Carlos kissed every part of me he could reach and murmured in Spanish. Every so often he spritzed us with a spray bottle he had nearby and gave me sips of water, but otherwise it was constant thrusting for 4 hours. Long continuous orgasms. If not for the water I would have been dehydrated. The intimacy of the position was unbelievable. Carlos was staring straight into my eyes, kissing me, holding me, loving me, letting me touch and kiss and hold him as much as I wanted. I could lean back and let him have complete run of my body. He slid his hands and fingers everywhere, never breaking rhythm, never losing focus. It was worship, plain and simple and I allowed him to have it.
This is lovemaking. This is not sex. He is making love to me, I am making love to him and I know, without him saying anything, that he loves me. That’s it’s as permanent for him as it is for me. I don’t have the words yet, we’ll talk about that in a year, but I know. Just as I’ve always known and didn’t want to accept that I made my choice 4 years ago in a dingy diner. That I accepted a night’s worth of sex with a man who scared and excited me because I needed to know if I was just overhyping him in my mind or that what I felt was real. That I stalked a gun runner and his crazy family because I would do anything to clear him.
That I would have died a thousand deaths inside if Scrog had killed him.
I have him for the rest of this night, and I refuse to let go until the very last moment. Until he walks out the door. Until he leaves.
Ranger’s POV
I want so badly to tell her I love her where she can understand. I want her to know I’m in, I love her, I will never send her back to the Cop, that if she ends up carrying my child from this night that I will always be by her side.
But I don’t.
I still need to know that she will make the changes. I’m certain she will. She’s never let me down. But it’s the last obstacle standing in the way. I need to know that she takes herself and her safety seriously. If I start thinking about Someday I don’t want it to end prematurely. And for the first time I’m thinking babies with this woman. I’m thinking I wouldn’t mind leaving some small bit of me behind with her. But that’s foolish. If it turns out that she doesn’t make the changes I don’t want to leave my child in danger. A mother who is a danger magnet is not a safe situation. I don’t want to lose her and a child. I’d never heal. I’d go insane. There would be no stopping the murder spree. I’d make Hector look like amateur night.
So I’m giving her everything that I can now. I’m giving her my body, my heart, my soul. I’m showing her my emotions. I haven’t cried since the day I signed away my rights to Julie, and no one except Tank saw those tears. I’m giving her my home, my cars, my very livelihood. I’m leaving her in the company of those I trust most to see to her safety and security. If something should happen to me, she and Julie inherit my personal estate equally and Babe gets all my shares in the company.
I’m giving her my love. Every bit of it and I can see that she knows and she accepts it. She accepts me. I’m prepared to give her anything she wants. She need only ask. I will go anywhere, do anything for her. I just want her by my side. But being by my side is dangerous. It’s not for the faint of heart, and until her I was resigned to being alone. Now, I’m hopeful. For the first time in my life I’m thinking I can have someone in my life that I can acknowledge. It means having a public weakness, a chink in my armor for my enemies to exploit. But I love her enough to take the chance. I love her enough to put it on the line.
I love her enough to put a ring on it.
I need her to love herself enough to allow me to feel free to do that.
Right now, I have 3 more hours. I need a break. My legs are cramping. Steph’s the only woman who can break me. I slide on top of her and start thrusting inside. She’s half asleep, but she smiles and spreads her legs wider. Thank god. I slam into her, roughly, and enjoy the look of surprise on her face. No matter, she meets me thrust for thrust. This is fucking, no gentleness at all, and I’m as wild and feral as she is. No Babe, no going to sleep on me. I have territory to mark; I need you awake and accepting my claim. The orgasm is wild, painful, and perfect. I have teeth marks in my shoulder and I’m sure her fingernail scratches drew blood. Yup, they sting; she drew blood.
“What the hell was that?”
“Rough sex.”
“Can I get a warning next time?”
“No going to sleep.” I get a sleepy blink before she starts laughing.
“Most men would just say ‘Wake up’.”
“Babe.” Seriously. I don’t give a damn what some other stupid fuck might say. This is me and you. I’ll never be like other men. Don’t expect it.
I carry her off to the shower and wash her. I hate doing this. I spend all that time trying to infuse her with my essence then wash it away. No matter, I’ll do it again.
I get her settled on the bed but before I can make a move, she pins me to the bed, then slides down my body. Oh Dios, si! I’ve never met a woman who loves oral as much as Steph, and she lacks a gag reflex. Jesús, ayúdame (Jesus, help me). She takes me into her mouth and I can feel myself sliding down her throat, head being pinched as her lips settle at the base of my dick. If I were a lesser man, I’d cum right now. Bob bob swirl, bob bob swirl, up and down and anything not making it into her mouth is being stroked in her fist and she’s rubbing behind my balls and I’m quickly losing my mind. She continues to bob and swirl, stopping to swallow my entire length then pop up and bob her mouth on the head like a lollipop. How many licks does it take to get to my center? I lost count after 2. Her hand takes over as she pops one, then the other, of my balls into her mouth and sucks on them, then licks behind them.
I’m done. That’s all it took for me to start yelling her name, and before I can move to thrust inside her, she deep throats me completely. I’m shooting right down her throat, and since she made her choice I’m holding her head against my body, trying desperately not to thrust as my legs shake uncontrollably. I feel the tears sliding down my cheeks. Shit! No other woman can eradicate my self-control like Steph can. I have no idea how long that orgasm lasts but at the end of it, I’m still hard. I know I’m good, shit, a fucking stud, but that’s a first. Steph looks thrilled.
“Damn! That actually works!”
I raise an eyebrow. She blushes.
“I read it in Cosmo.”
I make a note to get her a 2 year subscription to the magazine if it teaches her more tricks like that. Since I’m still hard, I roll over and thrust into her. I kiss her playfully, enjoying the taste of me in her mouth. Mine. All mine.
I need some sleep before I hit the road, so this will be it for the evening. This orgasm will have to last us both for one year. I move Steph’s legs behind me and she takes the hint and wraps them around me. I thrust slowly and gently inside her. I can feel it coming and I know that I have to make this last. It’s perfect.
I have enough time for 2 hours worth of sleep. When I wake up, I sense her stir but she doesn’t wake completely. I shower and dress, try to get my head on straight. I spend a moment looking at her, in my bed, naked and wet, her smooth creamy white skin, endless legs, nipples hard and pebbled with my seed spilling from between her thighs. She’s awake and looking at me, finally pulling the sheet up to cover herself. I sit on the bed and pull it back down. I want this image in my head. I need to remember this moment. I settle my hand on her stomach and pray I haven’t left a son or daughter behind.
“If anything develops, tell Tank immediately. He’ll pass the message along when I check in.” She swallows and nods. I know and I decide to tell her. “You are not Rachel. The response would not be the same.” Steph closes her eyes. I see the tears trail into her hair. I’ve relieved her mind. “If I don’t hear anything I will assume nothing happened.” She nods. I lean close to her ear and whisper “Te amo, Stephanie, por siempre y siempre. Toma mi corazón para mí hasta que yo vuelva.” She blinks and I smile and kiss her goodnight. One last look and I’m up and headed out the door. I hear her turn over in the bed and I’m gone into the night.
