BROKEN ROAD

CHAPTER 28

Ranger and Steph walked along the shoreline hand in hand. They'd been out for about an hour walking, talking, and admiring the power of the ocean.

There had been a lull in their conversation when Stephanie finally spoke up.

"I can tell there's something wrong, Ranger," she said. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"Babe, there's nothing wrong," Ranger replied. It wasn't a lie. Nothing was wrong. He just had something very important on his mind.

"Well, something's up. I can tell." Stephanie had stopped walking and turned to face him. She stared at him intently, searching his face for any kind of sign as to what was going on.

"Is it Lacey? Oh, please tell me it's not Lacey," Stephanie exclaimed.

"Lacey is fine, Babe," Ranger replied.

"Is something wrong with the company?" she asked.

"No, the company is fine."

"Is it one of the guys, Ella, your family, one of your cars? What is it, Ranger? Something is bothering you," Stephanie pressed.

"Babe, for once, everyone and everything is perfect," Ranger stated. Stephanie just stared at him, waiting for a better answer than that.

"I love you, Stephanie," Ranger said.

"I love you, too, Carlos," she said, a little softer but still waiting for him to come clean.

Ranger looked down at his feet and buried his toes in the sand. He chuckled inwardly. Big, bad, ex-army, gun toting, bad-ass was completely speechless in front of a little white girl from the 'Burg. He shoved his hands in his pockets and instantly found his courage.

"Babe, my entire life I've had to fight for everything; as a kid running the streets, as a soldier facing numerous enemies, a businessman running a successful company. All of it has been difficult and most of it has been dangerous. I've never allowed anyone to get close to me, including my own family. I was always too afraid my enemies would use it against me. Hell, you saw that first hand with Julie." Ranger took a deep breath and continued.

"But there's just one thing I can't fight, and that's how I feel for you. I tried to keep you at arm's length, but you got in anyway. The harder I fought against it, the more I wanted you with me. My life is still dangerous, but it would be completely worthless without you."

Ranger pulled the little black box out of his pocket, opened it, and bent down on one knee in front of Stephanie.

"So knowing everything you know about me, I ask you this. Stephanie Michelle Plum, will you marry me?"

Stephanie was in tears as she looked down at Ranger. Her knees buckled and she sank to the sand, level with Ranger. She wrapped her hands around Ranger's and looked at the solitaire diamond ring he offered her.

"Oh, God, Ranger, it's beautiful," she breathed. Then she looked up at Ranger and smiled.

"Yes, Ricardo Carlos Manoso, I will marry you," she cried.

A smile slowly spread across Ranger's face until he was beaming like a man stupid-crazy in love. He took the ring out of the box and placed it on Stephanie's left ring finger. Then he snaked a hand behind her neck and pulled her in for a deep, passionate kiss.

The kiss went on for what felt like years, the entire world disappearing until it was just the two of them left in existence. Their souls soared together across the universe before finally returning to a little beach in New Jersey.

Ranger pulled away and gazed at his future bride. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Without a word, he grabbed her, stood up, and walked back to the house. He opened the sliding door and entered the living room, not putting her down until he reached the fireplace.

"Ranger…" Steph started, but was cut off when he gently put a finger across her lips. He pulled her down until she was sitting on the rug. He quickly started a fire in the fireplace and then joined her on the floor.

He kissed her again, plunging his tongue deep into her mouth, tasting her, claiming her, devouring her. She kissed him back with just as much passion, grabbing onto his arms as if to keep him from running away. Of course, that was something he would never do.

Slowly, he pulled her shirt out of her jeans, up her torso and finally over her head, breaking the kiss only long enough to throw it on the floor. He ran his hands across her back as he reclaimed her lips. His fingers found the clasps of her bra and quickly unhooked them. He slid the straps down her arms until it was free of her body and tossed it to the floor as well.

Meanwhile, Stephanie tugged on Ranger's shirt until it was finally off and joined her discarded garments. They continued to kiss, their naked skin pressed against each other, hands roaming, exploring, wanting.

Ranger leaned against Steph until she felt the rug at her back. Ranger rocked against her as he continued kissing her, his body hard everywhere. When he finally broke their kiss, they were both breathing hard.

Ranger ran his hands across Steph breasts, squeezing and kneading each one until she cried out with ecstasy. He pinched her nipples and shock waves raced through her body. Without thinking, her hips came up off the floor in a wanton invitation which Ranger was all too happy to accept.

He moved his hands down her belly until he reached the button of her jeans. He popped it open and slid down the zipper. He grasped the waistband, along with her panties, and slid both down her legs and off her heated body.

He sat back on his haunches and admired her completed exposed body. She spread her legs slightly in a silent plea to take her. Ranger's erection pressed harder against his jeans as he saw the moisture between her thighs. Ranger bent down and ran his nose through her wet curls, taking in her heady scent.

When he raked his tongue through her slit, she cried out and instinctively bent her legs, spreading herself wide open for him. Not needing to be asked twice, Ranger inserted two fingers into her core and circled her clit with his tongue. She was soaking wet and completely ready for him. Her hips rocked up and down to the rhythm of his fingers and he knew her orgasm was close.

Stephanie was panting hard as she ran her hands through his dark hair. She wanted him inside her. No, she needed him inside her. She wanted to claim him as he claimed her. Two hearts on equal ground, both giving what the other needed.

"Ranger, please," Stephanie begged.

Without a word, Ranger inserted a third finger and sucked on her clit, pinning it between his tongue and the roof of his mouth. Stephanie came immediately, long, loud, and hard. Her orgasm tore through her like a hurricane, her head spinning so rapidly she was afraid it might fly off her shoulders.

Ranger couldn't wait for her body to calm. He needed to be inside her now. As Stephanie's body still trembled from the aftershocks of her orgasm, Ranger shed his jeans and positioned himself on top her. His cock rested against her sex and he could feel the heated moisture begin to coat him. He rubbed his length up and down, through her soaked curls and breach her outer lips. Stephanie cried out and grabbed his arms, feeling the muscles ripple beneath her hands.

He repositioned his hips until the head of his cock was poised at her entrance. Ever so slowly, he gently pushed his cock into her until he completely filled her. Her vaginal walls closed in around him and held him tight, electrifying his sensitive nerve endings.

"Dios, Babe," Ranger groaned. Oh how he had missed this, not just the sex, although it was fantastic, but the intense love he felt for her every time he was buried deep inside her.

Ranger started thrusting back and forth at a slow, even pace. He knew he would make Stephanie orgasm again. She hadn't completely recovered from the first one yet. She was warm and wet and completely yielding to him. She took everything he gave her and still wanted more. He was all too happy to oblige.

Ranger kept up his maddening, steady pace keeping Stephanie just on the edge of oblivion. All he really wanted to do was slam into her, over and over and over again, but he knew he couldn't. Not yet. He didn't want to run the risk of hurting her.

"Harder, Ranger," Stephanie begged. "Harder and faster."

"Babe," he growled. It was all he could manage.

"You won't hurt me," she said, reaching up and taking his face in her hands. Her eyes searched his and found love, concern and an iron-clad control that was quickly slipping away.

"Trust me, Carlos," she said, using his given name, and that was all it took. He closed his eyes as her words echoed in his ears and into his heart. He snaked his hands under her shoulders for better leverage and increased his pace. He could feel her inner walls begin to quiver and her breathing was fast and shallow.

"Harder," she demanded.

Ranger thrust into her, not as hard as he wanted, but hard enough to make Stephanie cry out in pleasure. He thrust hard again and her mind and body shattered.

Ranger could feel her inner walls clamp down on him as her orgasm tore through her body. It was more than he could stand. With a final thrust, he found his own release. He roared her name as he came hard, his seed filling her, mixing with her own juices as they rocked together, their bodies shuddering and their breathing ragged.

When Ranger finally regained control of his breathing and the fog lifted from his brain, he opened his eyes and immediately tensed. Stephanie was crying.

"Shit," he swore. "I hurt you." Ranger tried to lift his body from Stephanie's, but she held on, not letting him move.

"No, you didn't," she whispered softly, running a finger across his lips in an attempt to calm him.

"But you're crying," Ranger stated.

"It's because I love you so much," Stephanie said. "And because I know that I'm going to feel the way I feel right now for the rest of my life."

Ranger bent down and kissed her, gentle at first, but when Stephanie opened her mouth to him, he passionately accepted what he was offered. As he deepened the kiss, their tongues battled for control. Ranger fisted his hands in her hair and Steph held on to his shoulders. He was still inside her and still semi-hard from their first round of love making.

Ranger began to rock back and forth, rubbing against Stephanie's already sensitive clit. She cried out and tightened her grip on Ranger's shoulders.

"You gonna come again for me, Babe?" Ranger whispered. Stephanie's only response was moan as she pushed her head into the floor and her chest up. Ranger looked down at her breasts and grasped a nipple in his mouth. He sucked hard and Stephanie moaned louder, thrusting her hips up to meet Ranger's as he quickened his pace.

Ranger knew it was too soon for him to find his own release. All this was for Stephanie. Her pleasure was the only thing that was important right now. He rotated his hips and ground his groin into Stephanie's hypersensitive sex.

Her breathing became fast and shallow as she felt another orgasm build quickly and steamroll through her body. She cried out over and over as each wave crashed over her.

"That's right, Babe," Ranger whispered. "Take what you need." He thrust into her a couple more times to help prolong her orgasm before finally stilling.

They lay there for a few minutes, both trying to get their breathing under control before Ranger finally lifted himself off of Stephanie and settled down next to her. The loss of Ranger's warm body on hers made her shiver. Ranger reached over and grabbed a blanket from a nearby couch and placed it over her then pulled her across his chest. She warmed instantly and relaxed.

"Are you sure you're okay, Babe?" Ranger asked, rubbing small circles on her back from underneath the blanket.

"Mmmm, never better," she sighed. Her body still hummed after back-to-back orgasms. Only Ranger could make her feel so delicious, so sated, so loved.

Stephanie must have dozed off because when she woke, she was curled up in the blanket, alone. She could hear the clinking of dishes and knew Ranger was in the kitchen. She smiled. Domestic Ranger; who knew?

She rolled onto her back and raised her left hand, inspecting the ring on her finger.

"Do you really like it, Babe?" Ranger asked, as he returned to the living room with a plate of fruit and cheese.

"I absolutely love it," she replied. She sat up, holding the blanket to her naked body. Ranger was wearing sweat pants and a shit-eating grin.

"What?" Steph asked suspiciously.

"The fresh-fucked look is beautiful on you, Babe," he said, sliding a piece of apple into her mouth.

"Charming as ever, Ranger," she said as she bit into the apple, trying to glare at him but ended up giggling instead. Ranger continued to hand feed her various fruit and cheese, taking a piece for himself in between.

Stephanie stopped chewing for a moment, lost in thought.

"What is it, Babe?" Ranger asked.

"I think we should do it here," she replied. Ranger practically snorted.

"I thought we just did. Twice," he smiled.

"Not that you big oaf," she sighed. "The wedding. I think we should have it here."

"You don't want a church wedding?" he asked. Although getting married in a church wasn't at the top of his list, he knew he'd agree to anything Stephanie wanted.

"Been there, done that, not all that impressed," she replied. "I just thought it would be extra special if we had the wedding here."

"I think it's a wonderful idea, Babe," Ranger admitted, smiling. What better place to start their marriage than at the house he bought for her.

"What is it, Ranger? What's wrong?" Stephanie asked as she watched Ranger's face darken.

"I'm sorry, Babe."

Oh, shit, she thought. He's changed his mind.