A/N: I don't own them, I don't make any money off of this and most of all the characters you recognize belong to Janet Evanovich.
Before you start complaining, I know that I'm in the wrong season here, but hey, it's winter in down under. Good enough for me!
Babe fic and not always nice to Morelli.
There's some innuendo, but no actual descriptive material!
Thanks to Sharon, Annie and Dove for all their help.
I love you, baby
by Katrin
It had been a stressful month. The criminals were skipping like never before and we barely managed to get them all back into the system in time. Vinnie was happy as a pig in shit with the business booming, but Ranger and I had to work our asses off. Add to that it was freezing cold; weather where nobody wanted to go out in. That was probably the reason for all the skips. They didn't just want to leave their warm houses to go to court; but to leave their houses to go to a not so nice, not so warm cell, they wanted even less. Kinda understandable if you ask me.
Anyway, it was a Tuesday morning, the sky was a sunny blue, but it was misleading. It looked like a nice sunny day, but it was freezing cold. And that in late February at that. I wanted spring. I wanted to leave my mittens at home, wanted the scarf to be unnecessary, but I figured I'd have to wait another month or two for that. Problem was, the weather broadcast had promised snow again. You see, when I was still in school and around the Christmas holidays nothing could've made me more happy. But when I have to work there's not much I hate as much as sluggish snow.
I was on my way into the office to exchange body receipts for checks and get the files for my next skips. The black Bronco I pulled up behind brought an instant smile to my face. Ranger was in.
Ranger's my mentor, tormentor and best friend, but lately we've been dating. He hasn't taken me to bed again yet, but we're getting closer. We've both been waiting for the right moment, afraid to destroy our friendship, but eager to explore the possibilities and our feelings.
Ranger's always there to catch me when things head south. He's the first to check on me when my car gets blown up. Again. Or when I have a stalker. He's always there for me. Compare that to the man my mom wanted me to marry. I loved him, but I loved him differently than I love Ranger. I was never really sure if Joe was faithful or not, but on Christmas Eve he showed the whole Burg that he was not. To make a long story short he was kissing a girl for all he was worth and for all the world to see. And my mom witnessed it. That was the end of her hopes to get me married.
She hadn't even hung up her coat when she was on the phone, calling Joe to tell him he was no longer invited for Christmas dinner. I'd been staying with my dad while mom was out and couldn't believe my ears. She'd hung up and called Connie, demanding she give him Ranger's number. Yes, my mom invited Ranger for Christmas dinner.
When I got home he was waiting for me in my apartment, sitting on the couch and listening to a CD that wasn't mine, looking all relaxed.
That was the day we started dating. He went with me to dinner at my parents and not just on Christmas. We've come a long way since then.
So now I was walking into the office, body receipts in hand and couldn't wait to see Ranger.
Just as I entered Ranger came out of Vinnie's office and my smile broadened.
"Morning, Ranger."
"Babe. Gotta talk to you outside for a minute."
I threw the receipts on Connie's desk and made my way out after him. Come to think of it that was way too easy. Neither Connie nor Lula had asked any questions. Huh, they hadn't even said hi.
"Lula called in sick and Connie's down at the station bonding someone out."
"Huh?"
"You were talking."
Ranger was guiding me into the alley right next to the bonds office where he pushed me up against the wall.
He grinned at me and then proceeded to kiss me senseless. Literally. My legs were mush and I was unable to stand when he pulled back.
When the fog lifted and my brain was working again he grinned that small smug grin of his.
"Morning, Babe."
"Hmm."
"Go home and pack a beauty case. I'll be over in an hour to pack your suit case."
"You what?"
"We're going on vacation."
"Vacation? What about the skips? We can't go on vacation!"
"We're going. Tank called in some contract workers to cover for us."
"But you're bleeding money for me again."
"Wrong. I haven't been on vacation since I joined, only the occasional weekend I spent in Miami but even then I've mostly worked. And you've been looking pale lately. Tank decided we needed a break. Connie wouldn't have given you a new file anyway."
"That's the most I've ever heard you say."
"Babe."
"Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise."
"Come on, you know you want to tell me. I need to know what to pack. Pretty, pretty please?" Hey, I'd resolve to begging if it got me the results I wanted!
"That's why I'm coming over to pack your suitcases."
"What about Rex? And Bob?"
"Babe. Bob is at Morelli's and Tank told me to bring Rex over so he can take care of him."
"What?"
"Tank wants to get me out of the office desperately. One hour, Babe." With a last kiss he left, leaving me standing befuddled in the alley.
When the fog had lifted I realized what was going on. I had to get a move on. I hurried back to my car and burned rubber when I pulled into traffic. The traffic gods were with me so I made it back to my apartment in record time. Looking at my watch I realized I had a little over half an hour to pack my cosmetics.
I threw all the necessities into the bag, mousse, make up, blow dryer. For good measure I threw in a box of condoms as well. With Ranger you just never know what you might need. I had just finished when I heard the locks of my front door tumble. Ranger was here.
"In the bathroom," I called out.
"I know." When I looked up I banged my head against his chest. Batman is like smoke sometimes.
"You almost finished here?"
"Yep."
"Good. Go pack up Rex, I'll take care of the rest." He grinned the wolf smile at me.
"But you can't go through my panties drawer."
"You bet I can. And it'll be my pleasure, too. Now go take care of Rex."
Like the good girl I am, well sometimes, I took my beauty case and went into the kitchen to get Rex shavings and hamster pellets. Setting my cosmetics down I checked my fridge for stuff that might spoil, but found nothing other than two bottles of Corona and an empty pizza box. Does this tell you something about my eating habits?
I unplugged the coffee machine, took care of the thermostat and bagged the garbage to take down with us, then set the bags down by the front door. Then I called my mom to tell her I'd be out of town for a vacation. Thankfully nobody was at home so I just left her a message on the answering machine, telling her I'd swing by as soon as I got back and not to worry.
When I was finished with all the mundane preparations you engage in when you plan on leaving your home for a while Ranger emerged from my bedroom, loaded down with two huge suitcases and a dress bag.
"You ready to go, Babe?"
"Yeah, but I guess we'll have to make two trips down to the car."
Just at that moment my locks tumbled again and in walked Tank.
"Bombshell."
"What? Are you so desperate to get us out of your hair, so to speak, that you came to check that we'd leave?"
"Nope. Saving you the trip to RangeMan so you can go directly. And I'll take care of your garbage, so just leave." Damn, Lula would kill me if I married him, but he's taking out the garbage. He's even volunteering.
"Babe. I'd have taken it out but my hands are kinda full."
"Stupid ESP."
"No Bombshell, you thought out loud again." Tank grinned at me.
"All right, already. Let's get started."
I grabbed my purse and my beauty case just like instructed and traipsed after Ranger into the elevator which was thankfully empty today. Mrs. Bestler wasn't on the job, so we just rode down in silence. The door opened and Ranger guided me out to his Porsche Cayenne.
"Just where are we going?"
"You'll see. Figured I'd need it for all the luggage and it's got four wheel drive." Surprisingly he managed to stash all my luggage on top of his in the cargo area.
"I think I'd prefer to stay home, come to think about it."
"Too late for that. Now get in before I make you." He was holding the passenger door open for me and I got in, albeit slowly and not really convinced that what I was about to do was for my own good. He strapped me in and then went around the car to his own side. As soon as he sat he turned on the CD player and soft classical music filled the car.
"Relax Babe, you'll enjoy what I've planned for you. There's no need for you to worry about anything."
"Uh-huh."
He drove out of the lot. I watched the familiar scenes of Trenton fly by and before we had even reached the city limits I was out like a light. The soft purring of the Cayenne, combined with the comforting music I had me fast asleep.
I woke several hours later to the swerving of the car and Ranger's quiet swearing. Looking at him I saw fine lines of tension around his eyes and he looked to be highly concentrated.
I looked out the windshield and understood why he had to concentrate so hard. There wasn't even a street visible, just an empty space between masses of trees. Firs and pines and other assorted conifers. What surprised me most was the snow covering them, snow so stark white it looked like it had just fallen down from the sky, but there were no dark snow clouds in sight anywhere. We didn't have snow that sparkling in Trenton. Even the supposed road we were following was covered in snow, undisturbed snow. There weren't any tire tracks visible, only small paths of what looked like animal tracks.
The sun had already started to set, it's color differing between a dark purple and an intense orange, and it made the snow sparkle, the breaking light more beautiful than anything I had ever seen before. I was speechless.
"You like?"
"It's beautiful. Just how far outside of Trenton are we? And how much longer till we get wherever we're going? I'm getting hungry."
"About a mile and a half. We're going to a log house I own. And we're about 240 miles outside of Trenton, near Norwich, in New York."
"Let me guess, there's no water and electricity out there."
"Yep."
"You know, I'm not a nature kind of girl." I had some serious doubts about that vacation coming on.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of you."
He pulled the car around a bend and I saw a little log house in the middle of the rather large clearing. The roof was covered with about a yard thick layer of snow.
Ranger pulled up to the shed as close as possible and I looked down at my shoes. Sure, I was wearing my Doc Martens, but in this amount of snow I might sink down until I was hip deep in snow. Not my idea of fun when I'm wearing jeans. This amount of snow seriously called for snow-shoes.
"Uh, just how am I supposed to get into the cabin without freezing to death?"
"I'll carry you."
"What? Carry me? How?" My voice was rising to unknown highs and hysteria was settling in.
"I'm gonna go all caveman on you and swing you over my shoulder."
Before I could say anything else Ranger was pushing his door open and dropped into the snow. He shoved his way through the snow and came over to my door. Wrenching it open he looked up at me.
"Trust me."
I nodded and moved towards him and like he'd said he swung me over his shoulder, presenting me with a great view of his delectable ass. Looking back to the car I saw the non-skid chains adorning the tires.
"Stopped while you were sleeping."
"Huh."
He dropped me onto the porch underneath a little overhang, where it was blissfully snow free.
"Be right back." With that he gave me a set of keys and went back to the car to get our bags and boxes and whatever else he had stashed in there.
"What should I do?"
"Key open the door and get inside, but get your shoes off first. We don't want any snow inside."
I did as I was told, opened the door, toed off my boots and then made my way inside. What awaited me was a pretty large room that only had one other door in it. Everything else was on display. I made my way further inside and realized it was pretty cold, but then I spotted a huge fire place, complete with an enormous stack of wood. I just hoped Ranger knew how to get it going, but then he was ex-army. He could probably start a fire without even lighting a match.
I looked around, noticing the raw wood the walls were done in. The floor was wooden as well, probably smoothed by years of use, covered with rugs mostly. There was a small kitchen with a stove, a stack of wood nearby as well as a small table with four chairs situated around.
The sectional, done in a deep brown leather that looked extremely comfortable, was positioned to face a large window, looking over the clearing to where the forest started, but still standing pretty close to the fireplace. Right next to the couch there were two overstuffed chairs and a coffee table, all part of a matching set.
In another corner stood a king-sized bed. Looked like Ranger and I would once again share a bed and the thought made me tingle all over. I didn't mind it, he was a great partner to share a bed with. He didn't hog the pillows or the comforter and he made a great heater. Something I'd definitely need sooner rather than later if he took much longer to get a fire going.
I made my way over to the only door in the cabin. Stepping into the room I'd struck gold. Bingo, the bathroom. In one corner, facing another large window stood an antique tub, complete with the golden lions' paws holding it up. In front of it was lying a soft blue rug that felt as soft as it looked. There was a toilet tucked into a corner, and even a sink with a mirror was there. Between the tub and the sink was a monstrous oven to warm up the room and the water. The room was utilitarian, but at the same time, it seemed intimate and romantic. It was rather small, but there were enough surfaces to light the whole room with candles. Worked for me.
I took care of business, figured out how to flush which really surprised me, considering there was supposed to be no water and made my way back into the main room.
Just when I started to wonder what took Ranger so long I heard a rustle coming from the door and turned around to find Ranger standing next to a mountain of bags and boxes. In boxer shorts.
"It's freezing."
"I've had worse. But you're looking as though you're ready to freeze to death."
"Uh-huh. Just get a fire going and for Chrissake pull on jeans or something. I don't want you to get sick while we're on vacation."
Ranger started sorting out the boxes and bags and whatever else he'd brought in from the car until he found an army duffel bag. He pulled out sweatpants; you guessed it, with 'army' written down the leg.
Dressed again he set out to get a blazing fire going and after some time I could feel it starting to warm up. Thank God.
"Ranger?"
"Yeah?"
"I noticed the toilet flushes. Where's all that water going?"
"There's a septic tank about a mile from here. There are some more cabins like this around and they all have pipes to that tank. There's a special truck that comes two or three times a year to empty it. Nobody knows that we're connected to that tank, though. And the other cabins aren't lived in that time of year."
"Good. Just why was there water in the toilet tank anyway?"
"Tank came up here a few days ago to check that everything's okay and he brought groceries and water. Much easier if you don't have as much luggage as we had. He really prepared this vacation for us. He even made a fire in the fireplace to get the worst of the cold out of the cabin."
"And here I always thought you'd been a boy scout in your childhood."
"Hardly, Babe, hardly."
While the fire was warming up we started to stash away all the groceries he'd brought along.
"Just how long do you plan on staying. That's enough to feed an army."
"I planned on staying a week, two weeks tops, but there should be enough for a month at least, in case we have to wait before we can leave."
"What do you mean, wait before we can leave?"
"We could get snowed in."
"What? But we could call Tank or someone to come and get us."
He looked at me and grinned. "Nope. We don't have any reception up here. At least cell phones. Makes for an uninterrupted vacation. Before you panic, there's a satellite phone we can use in an emergency but I'd rather not."
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"What? No cell phone reception means my mom can't nag me."
"Babe."
"Hey, I take every minute of peace I can get. She's finally backed off from marrying me off to Morelli, but she's already looking for new candidates to make an honest woman out of me."
Ranger came over from were he was working and engulfed me in a hug. "That bad?"
"She'd make you the president if you'd marry me and got me pregnant shortly after. ASAP. She's never asked what I want. Nearly nobody has ever asked what I want." I buried my face in his chest, embarrassed by my sudden outburst. I could already feel my cheeks burning.
"What do you want?" Ranger asked in a gentle voice, a voice you'd use to soothe an upset kid. But it was exactly what I needed. I needed someone to just comfort me and hold me, and if this someone was Ranger, even better.
"I'm not really sure. All my life the Burg's told me what to want. But I know what I don't want," I mumbled into his chest.
"Okay, then tell me what you don't want, Babe."
"I don't want to be a housewife, just doing laundry, cooking and cleaning. I don't want to stay at home all day waiting for hubby to come home from work. I don't want to be a soccer mom."
"And that's what you mom wants for you?"
"Yeah."
"Ever thought that maybe your mom wants all that for you because it is what's made her happy? She probably can't imagine leading a life like you do and being happy about it."
"Never thought about it that way."
"Why don't you take the chance and think about it while we're on vacation? You can think about what you want in your life. There's nobody here to pressure you, nothing to distract you and nobody to interrupt you."
If he only knew. The vision of him alone was enough to distract me, but living in such close quarters with Ranger would be something else entirely.
"Okay."
Ranger pressed a soft kiss against my forehead and got back to putting the groceries away.
"Uh, Ranger?"
"Yeah?"
"What about water?"
"There's a spring nearby, but it might be frozen up. If that's the case we'll melt snow to take baths. I brought water for drinking and cooking along and there should be juice and milk somewhere as well. And if my memory serves me right there should be some wine left in the pantry."
"What about coffee?"
"You ever worked with a hand filter?"
"Nope."
"Well, that's how coffee's brewed in the mountains."
"Good enough for me. Sounds like you know what you're talking about. I've just got one question though."
"Shoot."
"Why here? Why do you have a vacation home in the middle of nowhere with no real comfort at all and not some fancy mansion on some great beach? Why do you leave all the comfort behind you? It's really nice here and comfy, but it's hard work."
"It's really simple. Having no comfort makes you appreciate it even more when you've got it. And the chances of someone getting to me here are very slim to non-existent. Only five people know about this house. There are no official reports about it. We can really kick back here. Sure, I'm still armed, but I don't need to be as alert as I'd have to be in some big city where lying low is simply impossible."
"Makes sense. So who knows about this place?" He'd made me really curious.
"Tank, Lester, Bobby, you and me."
"Wow."
"The guys helped me build it. They sometimes come up here for a weekend or a few days to hang out and relax."
"Uh, don't get me wrong, but why's there only one bed? You guys don't, uh, do each other, uh, do you?" I was blushing furiously.
Ranger chuckled and came over to me. He placed his hands on my upper arms and pulled me to him.
"Babe. Back when we were in the Rangers that was sometimes the only way to get some relief besides jerking off. And that can get pretty boring if you're doing it all the time. So yes, the guys and I've had sex. But that was before I met you. Since then there hasn't been anything. I have no idea what they get up to these days and I don't care, but I don't participate anymore. And before you ask, we're all clean. There's no HIV, no other STD's, nothing. We're all checked out every six months, so there's nothing for you to worry about."
"Okay."
"Okay? That's all you're saying?"
"Uh-huh. I'm too busy picturing the scene you painted," I said with a groan. If he only knew how hot and bothered that scene made me.
"Babe."
"I seem to remember you promised to feed me. Seeing as we skipped lunch." My stomach took the opportunity to voice its opinion with a low growling.
"All right already. I'll feed you. What would you like to eat?"
"No idea what you've got, so surprise me."
"Pasta okay with you?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Babe."
"You won't make me help you, will you? I manage to burn water when I can control the heat. You don't really expect me not to burn everything when I have to control a fire to control the heat? No way!"
"Will you cut the veggies for the sauce at least?"
"Sure, I can do that. That's about as much as my mom will let me help in fear I might ruin dinner."
We worked along each other in silence and only a half hour later dinner was ready and heavenly smells filled the whole cabin. It had started to get dark outside, so Ranger had lit a bunch of candles and a kerosene lantern, which basked everything in a soft light.
I set the table and Ranger went to get a bottle of wine. I placed candles on the table and together with the flickering light from the fireplace it was just like a romantic candle light dinner. And in a way it was, just without the dressing up and styling, the nerves, the new dress. I had changed into sweats and woolen socks, together with a sweatshirt I'd pulled out of Ranger's bag. It was comfy.
Dinner passed with quiet conversation about our families. We joked and laughed and I got to know Ranger from a whole new perspective. He was more carefree, lighter, and even playful. He teased me about my moaning, I kissed away the sauce that escaped down his chin. It felt natural. I didn't worry I would say something wrong that could drive him away, I could just be who I am. And it felt really good.
When we were finished we did the dishes side by side, Ranger grabbed the bottle of wine and our glasses and then we settled into the couch together.
"What's the plan for the rest of the night, Ranger?" I cuddled into his side, my head on his shoulder and Ranger pulled a throw blanket over us.
"Up to you. There's cards and board games, we could talk, go to bed. It's totally up to you."
"Okay, I don't want to move, I'm way too comfy for that. What about twenty questions?"
"Babe."
"What? You know so much about me, but I know so little about you. I promise I'll only ask questions you can answer without killing me."
"Okay, but turn about is fair play!"
"Good. Let's start with something easy. When did you lose your virginity and to whom?"
"When I was fourteen and to my older cousin's friend's sister. Same question."
"I was sixteen and to Morelli, but then you already knew that."
"True. Just figured I'd start with something easy." I looked up at him and saw him grinning.
"Ass," I said teasingly. "So, next question. What's your favorite dessert?"
"Babe."
"Come on, there has to be something you liked to eat before you went all health guru. You can't tell me that you were born and only ate healthy food since then."
"True. As a kid I always liked flan, but only when Abuela made it. It's been a long time since I ate some." He sounded almost wistful. Wonder what's up with that. "Which dessert do you not like, Babe."
"That's a tough question. You know I love sugar and therefore all desserts, but I absolutely hate semolina pudding. It feels like sperm on my tongue and on certain occasions that's fine with me, but I don't want it at the dinner table."
"Babe."
"You've never had my mom's semolina pudding. And she always served it when we were sick, you know, easier to swallow and all, but it made being sick so much worse. I always went to school even when I was sick, just so I wouldn't have to eat it. And Val totally loved it. She begged my mom to cook it for her. When I knew it in advance I always arranged for dinner at Mary Lou's."
"Okay, I get it. Next question, please."
"What's your favorite book to read?"
"I like Nicolás Guillén. He's a Cuban poet who wrote to voice his social protests. Don't have much time to read these days, but I really enjoyed Lord of the Rings, too."
"You read Lord of the Rings? With dwarfs and hobbits and all? And Legolas? And Frodo?"
"Julie dragged me to the movie theater with her when the movie first came out and I liked the film, so I bought the book."
"You went to the movie theater with Julie? Just how many bodyguards did you take along with you?"
"Enough."
I moved around until I was lying with my head in Ranger's lap, looking up at him. He brought his hand up and gently smoothed the hair out of my face.
"What's your favorite book, Babe?"
"I've never read much, but I sure did like the Karma Sutra. Mary Lou got it from her cousin and when she had finished it she gave it to me to read. Gave me an idea what Morelli didn't know."
"Just how old were you when you read the Karma Sutra?"
"Seventeen, I think. I took it to school with me every day for fear that my mom would find it while cleaning. Mare eventually told me to just wrap it in newsprint, as well as the rest of the books for school and title it biology or something. I had it lying on my desk and my mom never said anything so I guess she never looked into it. Mare eventually wanted it back, but while I had it I used every free second to read."
"Babe."
"What? My mom grounded me for three solid months when she found out about the happenings at the Tasty Pastry. I lost my job because of that. What do you think would've happened if she'd found that book?"
"Probably best you never found out then."
"Absolutely. Next question. What kind of music do you listen to?"
"I love Salsa, but when I'm driving or to unwind I listen to classical music usually. Helps to calm me down. What about you?"
"Mostly Metallica, especially to get revved up before I try and get a FTA back into the system. And the sound track of Ghostbusters never fails to calm me down."
"Babe."
"I love that movie."
"Uh-huh."
"Next question. Favorite restaurant?"
"Miguel's."
"Never heard of it."
"That's what I thought," Ranger said while slowly tracing the shell of my ear. "You know Celia, my sister. She and her husband own it. It's on the outskirts of Newark and they only serve traditional Cuban dishes. Reminds me of Abuela's cooking. I'll have to take you there some time when we get back."
"Sounds good to me."
"What's your favorite restaurant and why?"
"Rossini's. Definitely Rossini's. Why? They serve the best tiramisu in Trenton and you get to dress up when you go there. And it's usually a special occasion when your guy takes you out to Rossini's. Well, Dickie proposed there, but everybody knows how that turned out. But other than that every time I went there was a really special occasion."
"Even when I took you there?"
"Especially when you took me to Rossini's." I couldn't help but grin up at him and what looked like worry lines around his eyes smoothed out.
"Babe."
"I enjoy spending time with you," I whispered, afraid he'd hear what I said and the meaning behind it, and at the same time scared he wouldn't hear, wouldn't understand me.
"I enjoy spending time with you, too." I felt the tension build between us, but I didn't want to go there, so I took the coward's way out.
"What do you do in your free time?"
"I don't have free time to begin with."
"Ranger. You aren't always on the job, despite what you're trying to tell me. There has to be something you do for fun. What is it? Beat up Tank? Secure a third world country? Visit with the president?"
"Babe."
"Don't try to talk your way out of it. Distraction and denial is my resort. So spill."
"Whenever I have a little free time and need to unwind I come over to watch you sleep. It relaxes me more than any hobby ever could."
"What about day time activities?"
"Doesn't happen often enough but usually I try and teach a certain blue-eyed curly-haired bounty hunter a new trick."
"You spend time with me for fun?"
"Yep. Something wrong with that?" Ranger looked down at me.
"Nope. Just surprising." I leaned up and reached over to get my glass. The wine had been delicious and I wanted some more of it. I admit I also did it to evade his stare.
"What do you do for fun, Babe?"
"That's a tough one. Shopping's definitely on that list and spending time with you. But also girls' night out and watching Ghostbusters and most definitely eating."
"Babe."
"A girl's gotta have priorities. Never forget that!"
Ranger leaned down to kiss me, really kiss me and somehow I ended up straddling his lap, the blanket wrapped around us and his arms anchoring me to his chest.
"I realized I'm pretty high on your list of priorities."
"Uh-huh."
Ranger kissed me again, this time with a little more pressure, a little more tongue and it made me swoon. If I hadn't been sitting down already I might have had a problem, but Ranger was keeping me steady.
He pulled back and gave me a minute to regain my composure.
"Ready to continue, Babe."
"All right, why did you send me back to Morelli? You had to have known he was screwing around behind my back."
I leaned my head against his chest, unable to hold eye contact with him, but needing the feel and smell of him to comfort me at the same time.
"At that point I honestly didn't know it. And believe me, there's been nothing in my life that I've regretted more than sending you back to him."
"But why did you do it?"
"I was scared shitless of what I felt that night. I felt so good, so complete, at home. I had no idea what to do about it and that scared me to death. I had no idea how to deal with these feelings. It's nothing I've ever felt before, so overwhelming and consuming. I'm so sorry for sending you back to him. Please believe me, Babe."
I looked up at him and saw the love in his eyes, the hurt he had put upon himself, the anguish he'd put us both through, but also hope. Hope that I'd forgive him, and maybe even more.
I could only nod at him as tears started running down my face. I could do nothing to hold them back, but I felt like I needed to cry my hurt out so Ranger and I could make a fresh start. Without baggage from the past, without bad memories, only lessons learned, points taken.
Ranger cuddled me tight against his chest and rocked me until the tears subsided, not caring about the tears and snot staining his shirt. Morelli would've had a cow.
I tried to pull myself back together when I realized that Ranger was whispering "Te amo," over and over into my ear.
"I love you, baby"
He stilled all movements and his eyes looked about ready to bug out of his head.
"I love you."
"God, I thought I'd never hear you say that. I never thought you'd be able to forgive me. I'd been such an ass that morning, and I was so happy that you even talked to me afterwards." He was working himself up.
"Shh, calm down. I love you and nothing's gonna change that. We all make mistakes and I forgive you yours."
"I love you, Babe. I love you so much." With that he picked me up and carried me to the bed. I clung to him, my arms around his neck and my legs slung around his waist, afraid that either of us would lose it if I let go.
He set me down next to the bed and kissed me again.
He pushed a shirt of his into my hand. "Change into this, please." The look in his eyes would have had me agreeing to almost everything.
I nodded and started undressing, following his example. He changed into his boxer shorts and got into bed, just as I was getting in on my side.
It was dark in the cabin, the candles having burned down some time ago and all that was lighting it was the fire still going, throwing flickering shadows over everything.
I glanced at Ranger. He looked so vulnerable it made my heart ache. God, the pain we'd put ourselves through, believing the other didn't feel the same way.
I scooted over until I was cuddled up to him, my back to his chest. Ranger had both his arms wrapped around me, almost like he was afraid I'd leave him. It felt possessive. It felt good.
Listening to his breathing evening out I fell asleep, secure in the knowledge Ranger would always take care of me.
When I woke the next morning it was to a warm, but empty space right behind me. Ranger couldn't have been gone long. Wonder what he was doing?
I heard a crackle and realized he was out of bed getting the fire going. Sticking my nose out of the warm cocoon we'd created with all the blankets around us I realized just how cool it was. The cabin had cooled down a lot during the night.
"There's a sharp wind blowing. Cools things down a lot faster."
"Come back to bed."
"Just a minute."
When the fire was to his satisfaction he came back to bed. Thankfully he was wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt or it might have been like cuddling with an ice cube. It was bad enough as it was. He was cold, so cold I shrieked when his icy hands made contact with my warm stomach.
"Damn, what did you do that for?"
"Thaw me out, Babe."
"What, big bad ex-army man is cold? Hand me a calendar, please."
Ranger chuckled and cuddled up behind me. Within minutes I fell asleep again.
When I woke this time it was to a warm hand rubbing circles on my stomach.
"Hmm."
"You ready for breakfast, Babe?"
"Always. What's on the menu?"
"You could always eat me, but there's also omelets, cereal, bagels toasted over an open fire."
"I'd like to test the country version of bagels. And please don't forget my coffee."
"All right. Where do you want your breakfast? In bed, in the kitchen, or on the couch?"
"Kitchen sounds good."
With a kiss Ranger got out of bed and set out to get dressed, treating me to lots of naked yummy Ranger skin before covering it all up again. He made his way through the bathroom and when he emerged to take care of breakfast I got out of bed as well.
I used to be shy about dressing and undressing in front of him, but after all the emotions we'd shared last night I didn't have it in me to feel embarrassed.
I rooted through the bags Ranger'd packed for me, looking for fresh undies, but all I could find were my lacy bras and panties, the things you put on when you're feeling sexy or expecting to get lucky. Not your everyday I'll-roll-in-garbage-anyway-panties. Oh well, maybe I'd get lucky later on.
When I was finished in the bathroom Ranger had breakfast waiting for me. Damn, I'd wanted to see how this toasting over an open fire works, but I figured there'd be more possibilities to see it.
The smell of fresh coffee filled the cabin and it was pleasurably warm. Ranger was preparing something while standing at the counter. He looked nice doing whatever he did, so normal. Human.
I realized in that moment that it was exactly what I wanted, what I was yearning for, what my secret longing was. I wanted a life with Ranger. It didn't matter where. All that suddenly mattered was being with him, and being with him only. I didn't care where we'd make our life together. I'd even stay with him here in the cabin, as long as it made him happy. That was the only condition I had, Ranger had to be happy. His happiness stood above everything else.
"Smell something burning, Babe."
"Huh?" I'd totally forgotten he was in the same room.
"Want to share?"
"Not yet. Maybe later."
Ranger settled down in the chair opposite mine and I took the chance to look at him. He'd shaved, so his cheeks were smooth again. A five o'clock shadow can be sexy, and on Ranger it definitely was, but I liked it when his skin was all silken.
"You're staring." How could I not?
"Nope. Just enjoying the view."
"Babe. Dig in before it gets cold."
Ranger didn't need to tell me twice. The feast he'd prepared had my mouth watering on its own accord. There were the promised bagels, scrambled eggs, a variety of jams, lox and cream cheese. And sitting next to my plate was a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. He'd prepared everything one could want for breakfast.
I happily dug in and couldn't contain my moans. Everything he'd prepared was delicious.
"What's the plan for the day?"
"Considering that it's pretty windy we should probably stay inside. There's enough water in the boiler in the bathroom and wood in the cabin to last at least another two days so we're good for now. What we do, though, is up to you."
"Okay. Let me think on that while I finish my coffee."
I finished my coffee and once again we did the dishes side by side.
"Could you show me some self-defense moves? Something to detain a skip more easily?"
"Sure. Let's just finish up here and then we can get started."
We finished cleaning up the kitchen, changed into appropriate clothing and got down to it. Yum. Ranger decided it was warm enough for him to forgo the shirt, which treated me to lots of well muscled, smooth Ranger chest. Let me tell you, it made it so much harder to concentrate.
While I was still deciding on what to change into Ranger had already cleared a large space in the middle of the cabin, so we'd have enough room to practice without bumping into sharp edges of tables or something like that. I finally decided on sweats and one of my own RangeMan shirts. That was one lesson I'd learned rather quick. The tighter your clothing the lesser the chance your skip or anybody else for that matter can get a good grip at you. They have to grip an arm or something to get leverage, no more pulling me close by my clothing.
"Babe."
"I'm coming."
Ranger threw me a wolf grin and I blushed.
"Not that way!"
"Let's get started anyway."
I don't know how long we practiced, but I felt like I was getting the hang of it. From the feel of it, Ranger was losing his hang though. Whenever he brushed up against me with his hard body I'd shiver, his naked chest against my bare arms making me hyper aware of his presence.
Ranger was showing me moves to get free if being attacked, attack if the skip should make a run for it and everything I might need, but my arms were getting heavier by the minute. My movements slowed as well, and of course, Ranger picked up on it.
"Getting tired, Babe?"
"Uh-huh. My arms feel like lead."
"We should probably stop then or you won't be able to move later."
He pulled me against him so we were front to front and rubbed his knuckles up and down my sides. The sensation made me shiver and before I knew it Ranger pulled me tight and kissed me. It was a slow, sensual kiss, one that makes you forget your name but doesn't lead to the bedroom. It was a fantastic kiss.
Ranger was the first to pull back. I'd have kissed him forever if he would let me.
"Come on, I'll give you a massage." With that he led me back to the bed.
"Undress as far as you're comfortable with. Before you ask, no I won't undress."
"All right." I shed the shirt and got face down onto the bed. I figured he could remove the bra to rub my back down and wouldn't see anything. I felt too vulnerable to strip completely.
Ranger settled over my butt, his legs alongside mine. "Can I remove your bra, Babe?"
"Uh-huh."
I felt him open the clasp and push the straps down my shoulders. I lifted up a little and with a little pull the bra was gone.
I wriggled my ass a little to get more comfortable and Ranger let out a barely audible groan.
"Babe."
He started at my shoulders, trailing his fingers softly over my skin. His warm fingers felt good, knowing exactly where my trouble spots were, where to knead. He worked his way down my arms, and back up again and down once more and by the time he took care of my shoulders I was like a big fat mellow cat basking in his attention and almost asleep.
I felt like I was floating when he worked the tension out of my back and before Ranger was even finished I was fast asleep.
I woke up some time later to a loud growling. I heard it again and realized it was my stomach protesting over the lack of nutrition. When I opened my eyes I looked straight into Ranger's. He was lying on his side right beside me, watching me sleep.
As soon as he noticed I was awake he kissed me again, slow and sweet.
"Hmm."
"Like that?" Ranger nuzzled his face into my neck.
"Oh yeah," I sighed.
"Let's feed you before we do anything else."
"Hmm."
"Too mellow to care?"
He fluttered soft kisses all over my face and it was definitely warming me up. It was a tough decision to decide between eating and making out with Ranger, but in the end my growling stomach won.
"Damn, Babe. Just what kind of beast do you have in there? That's way worse than a mountain lion."
"It's not my fault I slept through lunch. You could've woken me, you know."
"What would've been the fun in that? I like watching you sleep."
"Are you going to feed me now?"
"Yep. Lunch is all ready."
I got out of bed and realized I was wearing one of Ranger's shirts. Huh? I could swear I fell asleep topless.
"Didn't want you to cool down too much."
"Thanks, Batman." I went over to kiss him, to show him just how much I appreciated it. He'd probably seen my upper half naked, but he'd see it again soon anyway, so why worry about it?
When he pulled back my curiosity overtook my thinking. "What's for lunch?"
"I prepared sandwiches. And I brought chips to eat with them." He looked really proud of himself.
"Chips?"
"Uhm, well, Ella told me," He admitted sheepishly.
"Ella deserves a raise. I can't believe you're actually feeding me saturated fats."
"Babe."
He'd set the table and again it was looking incredibly delicious. We dug in and before long I was full. I couldn't have eaten another sandwich for the death of me, but Batman knew how to make a good sandwich.
"Let's do the dishes after dinner. That way we can save some water."
"Okay. What have you planned for the afternoon?"
"I thought, maybe we could continue our game of twenty questions?"
"Sure. I'd like that." With that I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the sofa. I pushed him into it and then settled down, my head in his lap once again and Ranger pulled the blanket over me.
"So where were we?
"I believe the last question was why I you sent me back to Joe."
"That means it's my turn to ask a question. Why did you go back to him?"
"I didn't want to be lonely, I guess. And it was so apparent you didn't want me. Guess my subconscious decided it was better to be with Joe than be alone, even if I wanted to be with you."
"You mean that if I'd asked you for a relationship that morning you would've said yes?"
"Uh-huh."
"But you were so scared of me when I got there."
"Scared I wouldn't be able to live. You said you'd ruin me and I believed you. I was scared after being with you nobody else would ever be good enough again. And I was right. You really ruined me that night, and everything after that has been a poor substitute for something I thought I'd never get again."
"I'm so sorry I put you through that, Babe. When you went back to Morelli it ripped my heart out, but there was nobody to blame but myself. But if I hurt you so much, why did you stay around? Why did you let me kiss you all the time?"
"I was taking whatever I could get. I wanted as much as possible, and if that meant the occasional kiss in an alley, so be it. It was better than nothing at all."
"Oh Babe."
Once again he scooped me up into his arms, just holding me tight. In that moment we connected on a higher level, a level I didn't understand then and might never understand, but I felt it. I felt drawn to him, to his arms, to the love and security Ranger could provide for me.
And then he kissed me again, whisper soft at first, his lips barely touching mine, but when I didn't pull back his kisses grew more forceful, more demanding. Before I knew it I was flat on my back.
Ranger made love to me the whole afternoon and well into the evening. We only took a short break to have a snack before he carried me over to the bed. That night he really ruined me. He showed me things no man had ever shown me before, encouraged me to try things I'd have never thought possible. And it was unbelievable.
The next morning I woke up on top of Ranger, his most prized possession nestled between us and ready for action. He took the opportunity to ruin me some more.
When we finally made it out of bed I was happy, sore and tired, but from the looks of it Ranger wasn't doing any better. We were both walking stiffly, so Ranger suggested we take a bath together.
That was an experience I'd never forget in my life. We were both sitting in the tub, washing each other. Having Ranger wash my hair was a sensual experience and from the sounds of it he enjoyed it when I was washing his hair too. After some more fooling around we made it out of the bathroom, both squeaky clean and happy.
We spent the day lounging around, talking and teasing each other, getting to know each other better. We ate some more and after dinner we settled down for a game of strip poker. Only rule was you had to undress the other using only your teeth. We had a lot of fun that stretched far into the night again.
The following morning I woke to Ranger trailing kisses down my spine. When we finally got out of bed it was midmorning. And when Ranger wanted to cook breakfast he realized that there was not enough wood left.
"Babe, we need to go outside today."
"Okay. How's the weather?" I had no idea. We'd been so busy the day before I'd not even once looked out the window.
"No wind today and it's sunny. The perfect weather to go outside and enjoy the snow."
"Uh-huh, if you don't mind freezing to death."
"Look into the bag on the foot of the bed. There's two snow suits in it. The black one's for me and the blue one's yours."
I rooted around and was amazed when I pulled out the promised snow suit.
"What am I supposed to wear underneath?"
"There's some thermo undies in one of your bags. And thick socks please. Your snow boots are right beside the door. Don't forget the mittens and the scarf."
I found everything right where he said it would be and pulled it all on. I probably looked like an Inuit, but I didn't care as long as I didn't freeze to death. While I was still tying my boots Ranger appeared beside me and despite the multiple layers of clothing he still looked hot.
"Yum."
"Babe."
He kissed me a last time, then produced a jar with what looked like yellow jelly in it.
"To keep your skin from getting too dry and to keep those lips of yours kissable."
I closed my eyes and let him smooth it all over my face and when he announced he was finished I repaid the favor.
When we were as prepared as we were going to get we went outside. Ranger had been right. It was beautiful outside. The mass of snow had only grown since we arrived and the car was covered with about a foot of snow. That would be fun to dig free once we wanted to leave.
Ranger went around the cabin and I followed him. Nestled between the cabin and the border of the forest was a shed that seemed to hold enough wood for all the stoves inside. It was hard work to get there as I kept sinking into the snow. There was enough snow for Bob to drown in it. Ranger didn't seem to have as many problems as I had, so I just gave up and formed some snow balls.
I took aim and threw one, but it whizzed over him as he bent down to do whatever he was doing. When Ranger straightened back up I realized he'd been forming snow balls himself. Shit! I was in trouble. Big trouble.
Lightening quick he turned around and threw a snow ball. Problem was, his aim was honed by years of training to expect the unexpected and he caught me square in the chest. Despite all the padding it nearly knocked the wind out of me and I had to stumble to keep my balance.
"The war's on, Batman!"
With that all hell broke loose. We were throwing snow balls, trying to find cover and getting closer all at the same time. It was chaos. It was fun.
I don't know how long we were throwing snow balls, but I was laughing my ass off by the time Ranger reached me and rubbed my face with snow.
"Hey, you aren't supposed to do that."
"Don't worry. You're beautiful, and more so right now with your cheeks pink from the cold. Your eyes are sparkling and just the tip of your nose is a soft pink as well."
Why am I the only one whose skin is affected by the cold? Ranger's skin looked yummy as always.
"I surrender, but seeing as I'm already covered in snow, let's do some snow angels."
Ranger lifted me up and then set me down a few yards away where the snow was still untouched. Not even an animal had left it's prints.
"You can start already, I'll just go and get the camera."
I used the time until he came back and produced several angels and when he'd taken enough pictures of me I talked him into doing one himself and took a whole bunch of pictures of it.
I didn't remember the last time I'd had so much fun! Ranger teased me about the snow on my cap and I pushed some snow into his jacket for that. I couldn't remember a time when I'd seen Ranger so carefree and playful. I really enjoyed this side of him.
When I'd exhausted myself Ranger finally got around to getting wood inside on a sled and melting snow so we could take a bath later. While he was doing that I built a snowman and positioned it right next to the little porch so it was facing the road we'd taken to get there.
We were both finished at about the same time and my stomach was growling. Definitely time to eat.
We brushed the snow off each other before we went inside where the warmth engulfed us. I hadn't realized it when we were still outside, but I was ice cold.
Ranger helped me strip off my snow suit and then hung it onto a hanger right beside the fireplace so it would be dry and warm when we wanted to go outside again.
"Wrap the blanket around you and scoot as closely to the fire as you can stand it. I'll bring you a cup of hot cider in a minute."
I looked at my hands and they were blue. Oops! No wonder I didn't feel them anymore.
When Ranger joined me on the rug in front of the fireplace he came bearing hot cider and a big plate of sandwiches. Yum. We cuddled up to each other and spent the afternoon on the couch, watching the fire, and when the sun set and it began to snow we turned so we could watch the snow fall. For the first time in a very long time I felt at peace with myself.
The rest of our vacation, we stayed two weeks altogether, was great. We played around in the snow, made love and talked. Ranger fed me whenever I felt like it and the closeness I felt to him gave me a sense of security.
One day, it was sometime the second week of our stay Ranger produced snow shoes from somewhere in the shed. He showed me how to walk with them and then we took a hike. Ranger had packed a backpack with drinks and snacks and we took off. It was another beautiful day with the sun shining and no wind. We didn't walk too far, two or three miles maybe, but walking with snow shoes is something else entirely. When we got back to the cabin that afternoon I was exhausted. There were muscles screaming at me I didn't even know I head, but Ranger knew just where to rub to make it all better.
After two weeks of bliss it was time to go back to Trenton. I didn't want to go back, but I knew I had to. Ranger wasn't too happy to go either.
When we were on the road I tried to fall asleep; tried to forget that everything would go back to the way things were before our vacation, but I wasn't successful.
"What's bothering you?"
"I don't know." It was a lie and we both knew it.
"Have you thought about what you want?"
"You." There, it was out. I just hoped he wouldn't hand me my heart back on a platter.
Ranger stopped the car. When he came to a stop he turned in his seat to look at me.
"What?"
"All I want is you. I don't care about the rest. If you don't want to marry then that's fine with me and if you want to marry me I'll marry you. I don't even care where we'd live as long as I can be with you."
"I'm yours. You're mine."
"Huh?"
"I'm yours. You're mine. We're exclusive, in a relationship. Call it what you want, but there won't be anybody else for either of us."
"I'm yours?" I still had some trouble believing he actually meant it.
"You're mine and I'll prove it to you as long as it takes." He cradled my face in his hands. "I'm in love with you Stephanie Plum."
"I'm in love with you, too."
"Move in with me."
"Yes."
"Good. Everything else we'll take one thing at a time until we've sorted everything out. That okay with you?"
I was too baffled to speak so I nodded at him. Ranger kissed me like he wanted to rip my clothes of right where we were but he restrained himself and settled back into his seat.
"Think you can nap now?"
"Uh-huh."
"Good. I'll wake you when we're there."
Ranger kept his word. I moved in with him the same day. We had the Merry Men to help us, so we didn't have any problems. I didn't have much stuff to begin with; all my furniture went to the Salvation Army and that left only my clothes and smaller stuff I wanted to take.
That had been five years ago. We're still living together, we still take it one step at a time, take things as they come. We didn't get married and we don't plan on it, just as we decided we don't want kids. Julie comes to visit us occasionally and we sometimes take my nieces for a day or two. I've gotten much better at my job since we stayed at the cabin. Since then we went up every year at the same time we went when Tank sent us for the first time. We use the time to regroup, just spend time with each other.
We're both thankful that Tank forced us to take that vacation all these years back, and he knows it.
Life's been great for us.
The End.
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