This is a birthday story in honor of The Man of Mystery, which actually started a short series showing the progression of their relationship. The characters belong to Janet. The mistakes are mine.

I parked my latest crapbox in the Rangeman garage. The sun was barely visible in the sky, but I thought showing up at the butt-crack of dawn with cake in hand, would prove to Ranger just how important I think this day is. I'd even considered trying to find someone who could make a whole-grain, low-fat, fruit-filled birthday cake just for him, but decided against it. At least with a cake from Tasty Pastry I knew would get eaten, if only by me.

I fobbed my way into the elevator and went straight to the seventh floor. He might think I'm being a little pushy here, but I figured if he didn't want me to hang around, he could always tell me to leave. Not that I actually would, though. Ranger's the type of person who's always putting everybody and everything before himself and his own needs. He's become such a vital presence in my life, and such a great friend, that I wanted to do something to show just how much I appreciate him.

The elevator opened and I knocked on his door. I could've just used my key to let myself in, but there's a chance he could still be in the shower or naked. And that wouldn't be good. Well, Ranger naked is always good, but I didn't want this day to be about sex. And if I saw him just out of the shower, or out of his clothes, sex would be at the forefront of both our minds.

The door opened and there he stood in all his Rangeman-attired glory. I told my hormones to calm down, since this day wasn't about them, and pushed past Ranger into his apartment.

He closed the door and leaned back against it, his arms crossed over his chest, eyes on the bakery box in my hands.

"What's going on, Babe?" He asked.

I lifted the lid of the box to show him what was inside."What do you think is going on?" I said."It's your birthday ... remember? So I brought cake."

"I don't eat cake," he said."And I don't usually celebrate my birthday."

"See, that's exactly why I'm here," I told him, heading towards the kitchen. I hadn't had much for breakfast and the cake fumes were getting to me."Everyone needs to acknowledge their birthday. And I've seen you eat cookies before, so I know you can manage to eat a piece of your own birthday cake without your arteries clogging. You know, it's a good thing that you met me. Now you have a Burg authority on birthdays to help you."

"And what did you do last year on your birthday that was so out of the ordinary?" He asked.

"I had dinner at my parents' house."

His raised an eyebrow.

"Okay," I said,"so that isn't all that unusual. But I also had cake."

"You always have cake."

I blew out a sigh. This wasn't going the way I had planned.

"Fine, so I may have eaten cake on days that weren't my birthday, too," I told him,"but on my actual birthday ... it's different."

"How so?"

"My mother doesn't say anything negative about me when I show up, and my grandmother mostly behaves herself."

"Your grandmother doesn't know the meaning of the word behave."

"True," I said."But some days she's better than others. Anyway, today is about you, not me. Birthdays may change as you get older, but that doesn't make them any less special if you care about someone."

"I know, Babe. And I appreciate the fact that you want to do something for me, but you don't need to go through any trouble. To me, today is just another day on the calender."

I usually view Ranger as some kind of superhero, my superhero, but there are times like these that I remember he can be just as clueless as any other man. He still doesn't realize what I would do for him. Best not to dwell on that, I thought. In my opinion, that statement didn't deserve a response so I just continued on with why I was here.

"I couldn't think of anything to get you that you didn't already have so ... I'm giving you the gift of me."

His lips tipped up at the corners."The gift of you?"

"Yes. For the next nineteen hours, I'm all yours."

I saw his eyes darken and then move lower, giving my jeans and tank top a once over that jeopardized my underwear.

"That didn't come out the way I meant it," I said quickly.

His smile widened."How did you mean it?"

"That I'm at your disposal. I can run errands, help out with a skip, clean out your closets. Whatever you want."

"If I had you in my bedroom," he told me, his voice lowering seductively,"cleaning closets wouldn't be what you'd be doing."

"Hey, none of that," I said, not willing to be seduced so easily."I'm trying to be a good friend here,"

"What if I want more than a friend?"

A sigh escaped."You never do." I pushed the sadness away at the thought and pasted on a smile."So, what would you like me to do?"

"Just spend the day with me."

"Here?"

"Yes."

"No funny business?" I asked.

"Not unless you ask nicely."

Oh boy."So that's it? No scrubbing toilets or spending time at the gun range? You really don't know how to take advantage of a situation, do you?"

He leaned close and I could smell the hint of Bulgari from his recent shower.

"You've already made me promise no 'funny business'. What else would I want to take advantage of?"

Damn. Maybe I should've made the same promise. Apparently I hadn't thought this all the way through. How was I going to make it through an entire day in close proximity to Ranger, watching him, smelling the combination of his warm mocha skin and evil shower gel, and not jump his bones? Maybe he had found a way to take advantage of the situation after all. I stepped away from him to give myself a little breathing room. We wouldn't make it out of his apartment if he kept that up.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" I asked.

"No. I was about to call Ella when you knocked."

"Well, you can let her know that we have cake so she doesn't need to cook anything."

He moved to the phone and pressed the button for the sixth floor."Breakfast for two this morning," he said to Ella.

"Hey! I wanted cake."

He hung up and came to stand next to me again."You can have cake later."

"Tyrant."

"Sticks and stones, Babe."

Ella showed up ten minutes later. I still don't understand how she manages to get food prepared so fast. Never mind food that tastes good. It takes me a half hour to completely burn whatever it is I'm trying to make.

I don't know if it was due to it being Ranger's birthday, or if Ella's romantic streak was showing because the boss and I were having breakfast together, but she had added a crystal vase with a single red rose to the breakfast tray. Ranger noticed the flower, but didn't comment on it when he took the tray from her.

"Happy birthday," she said to him."I hope you have something special planned."

He glanced over at me before replying."I do," he said.

My face felt like it had caught fire when she gave me a knowing smile. It's still shocking how many people know about our feelings for each other. Even more surprising is the fact that we haven't done anything about them.

"Hi, Ella," I said.

"Good morning, Stephanie. It's good to see you."

She glanced at the bakery box on the kitchen counter and smiled again.

"I'm determined to get him to eat some of it," I said to her.

"If anyone has a chance of getting him to do it, it's you."

I gave a snort."Yeah, right. He's got willpower of steel."

"Don't I know it," she said."I keep trying to tempt him with dessert and he always turns me down."

"Anytime you're in the mood to make something, just give me a call," I snuck a peek at Ranger."He doesn't have to know."

She laughed."Have a good day. And if you need anything just let me know."

"Thanks, Ella," Ranger said, walking her out.

I plowed through the low-fat muffin and non-fat yogurt, seeing the end in sight. But when we were finished eating and I reached for the bakery box, Ranger grabbed my hand and stopped me.

"Not yet, Babe."

"But you said that I could have some later. I assumed that meant after breakfast."

"If you can hold off until supper I promise to make it worth your while."

I was just curious enough to agree."Okay, but it'd better be good."

He smiled, using all one-hundred watts on me."Don't worry, it will be."

I went from being curious to cautious. Nothing new there.

We cleaned up the dishes and headed to the elevator. Ranger locked up behind us as I hit the button for the fifth floor.

"So what am I supposed to while I'm in your office?" I asked, when he took my hand and led me down the hall to it."Do you want me to go over some accounts? Make some phone calls? Have someone whacked?"

"That's the mob," he informed me."Rangeman doesn't 'whack' people."

"Same difference," I said.

I know he probably had quite a few people taken care of over the years, but I also knew that if he did, they deserved it. He's scary, but he has an unshakable sense of right and wrong. After I settled into the chair across from Ranger's desk, he pulled out a laptop and handed it to me.

"In case you get bored."

I put it back down on his desk. Like I could get bored around him? I'd much rather spend the time looking at him than at a monitor.

"I'm not going to get bored. What are you working on?"

He sat down behind his desk."I'm setting up a security system for a long standing Rangeman client. He recently opened a store here and wanted the Trenton branch to handle the security for it."

I read the name on the contract."Oh my God! Do you have any idea who he is? And what they sell here?"

"Alessandro Adamo. And shoes."

"Not just any shoes," I said."They are the most beautiful - and sexiest - shoes anybody could ever own."

"You're this excited about a shoe store?"

"It's not just 'a shoe store'. It's the mothership of all hand-crafted, expensive, pieces of art, that you can wear on your feet."

"Babe, you're scaring me."

"Sorry," I said, trying to get myself under control."I got a little carried away."

"You want to see how this kind of account works?"

"Yes."

The only thing I did at Rangeman was handle computer searches. This was way more interesting. I got up and stood behind him, looking over his shoulder at the papers in his hand. Ranger put the papers down and curled an arm around me, pulling me into his lap. He then spent the rest of the morning explaining how the security side of his business worked. Where the control panel and motion detectors were being placed. How the windows and doors were protected. And the levels of security Rangeman offered to its clients. It was nice having him all to myself. He answered any question I had without making me feel stupid for asking it. And he seemed to be more open than usual. I don't think I've heard say this much at one time in all the years I've known him.

Lunch consisted of sandwiches and bottled water from the control room kitchen eaten in his office. When I worked there, I usually ate with the guys, but today I ate with our boss, and he always takes lunch into his office if he happens to be in the building at the time. I'm not complaining. In fact, I like to think that he didn't want anyone to intrude on the time we had together, even for something like lunch.

Ranger made multiple phone calls and talked business with Tank all without once sending me to my cubby. When he said he wanted me to spend the day with him, he hadn't been kidding. We weren't out of each other's sight for longer than five minutes at a time. I always thought I needed space in any relationship I had. But instead of feeling twitchy and ready to run, I found myself moving even closer to him. Physically and emotionally. It was terrifying for someone like me who has a long history of commitment issues. I was also a little depressed that I was getting this glimpse of what our life could be like together if he'd only give us a chance. I didn't realize how much I wanted that life with him until today. Sure, I was attracted to him, and I did love him, but to know that I was ready to commit fully to him - today if he said the word - was huge.

The afternoon went by quickly. Too quickly in my opinion. I knew we were having dinner together, but I didn't know how much longer he was willing to put up with me. And I wasn't looking forward to going back to my apartment and spending the remainder of the night alone. Again.

Ranger wrapped up his phone call and stood."Let's call it a day, Babe."

"Sure." I hadn't done anything all day, but I suddenly felt drained from all the thinking I've been doing."Where to now?"

"I was thinking about just having dinner on seven, but how about we go out instead? I know a quiet little Italian restaurant not far from here."

"I thought you didn't celebrate your birthday?"

"I'm making an exception tonight."

"Works for me," I told him."But I don't have anything dressy here to change into."

"How about I pick you up an hour from now at your apartment?"

"Okay. I'll see you then."

I took the elevator down to the garage and hurried to my car. My thoughts were jumping back and forth between 'I have a date with Batman!' and 'What the heck am I going to wear?' I have one dress that I've never worn that might work. An hour wasn't much time, and I still had the ten minute drive to my apartment to factor in.

I screeched to a halt in the lot to my building and raced up to the second floor, taking the stairs two at a time. I took a record breaking shower, shaving and exfoliating everything. I didn't think dinner would lead to anything, but I wanted to be prepared just in case it did. For once, my hair came out perfectly on the first try. And five minutes later, my makeup was complete ... three coats of mascara and all. This was the fastest I've moved in a while. And that included last week when one of my skips came at me with a eight-inch bread knife.

I shimmied into my dress and slipped on a pair of 4-inch heels. They weren't Alessandro Adamo pumps, but they did make my legs look pretty good. I was walking back into the kitchen when I heard my door unlock. I stopped so suddenly that I almost gave myself whiplash. Ranger looked incredible. He was wearing black dress pants and a black cashmere sweater. Damn. He put the birthday cake to shame in terms of deliciousness.

"You ready?" He asked me.

"Yep."

He opened the door for me."You look beautiful," he said,

I had on a blue, one shoulder sheath dress that hit a few inches above my knee. It could be considered a simple dress except that it fit me perfectly, and the color of it matched my eyes. At least, that's what the overly perky saleswoman told me.

He put a hand to the small of my back and escorted me out of my apartment and into his Turbo. He was quiet on the drive to the restaurant which was good, because I couldn't hear anything over the sound of my heart beating. Did I mention that I'm on a date with Batman?! This couldn't get any better.

By the time the restaurant came into view, I was completely flustered. This was new territory for us. He and I have eaten out many times together, but this had a more date like feel to it. It felt like we were a couple celebrating a special event. And the day Ranger came into the world would definitely qualify as a special event. He opened the door for me again, and with his hand on my hip, ushered me into the restaurant. He had reserved a table in the back of the place where we had a good view of everything in the restaurant, but still had some privacy. And in under five minutes, we had champagne poured for us and our food ordered. I'd have to take him out with me more often, I thought. Everything got done at breakneck speed whenever he was involved. Well, almost everything. There were a few things that he liked to take his time with. I knew that one personally.

He asked about my recent skips. I left out the one with the bread knife, since I didn't want to ruin the moment. And I asked whether he had talked to his family today. I probably wouldn't have asked anything personal, but after spending the day with him, I felt that there was a chance he'd answer now.

"On my birthday I usually call home and speak to my mother for a few minutes," he said."Everyone else in my family sticks to sending me cards. That's the extent of the birthday celebration. At least with me. I'm not really a party hat/balloon kind of guy."

"No!" I said, a look of fake shock plastered on my face."I don't believe it."

My brain couldn't even come up with an image of Batman wearing a party hat. It was too absurd.

"So why the dinner out with me? I would have been okay with Ella's dinner."

"We don't do a lot together outside of work," he said."And since you were planning on sticking with me for the day, I thought now would be a good time to fix that."

I didn't know how to take that."If you didn't want me hanging around ..."

"Babe, I always want you around," he said."If you hadn't shown up at my door, I probably would've broken into your apartment tonight."

That shut me up. Lucky for me, our food arrived and I was spared from having to come up with something to say to that. Did he mean that he would've just wanted to see me? Or was he hoping to spend the night? He knew Joe and I were over, but he hadn't made a move to change our relationship so far. So I wasn't clear on what he meant.

We ate in comfortable silence, he didn't even feel the need to insult my creamy, cheesy pasta choice. I noticed that the temple didn't take birthdays off, either, because Ranger ordered poached chicken and roasted vegetables. I suppose I shouldn't complain, because eating like that kept him looking like that. And I definitely appreciated the view.

When we were done with our meal, he asked right away for the check.

"What," I said,"no dessert?"

"Forgot about your birthday cake already?"

"It's your cake," I told him."It has your name on it and everything."

There, I thought to myself, try arguing with that logic. He didn't. I guess he was choosing his battles. Or maybe a day spent in my company threw off his game.

He pulled out a credit card when the waitress came back with the bill.

I shook my head at him."Absolutely not," I said."You are not paying for your own birthday dinner."

He raised an eyebrow at me."Who's going to stop me?"

"Me."

"And how are you going to do that?"

Good question. But I couldn't let him buy us both dinner.

"I'll call Tank."

Smug didn't even come close to describing the smile he gave me."Tank couldn't make me either."

"Your mother?"

"You don't have her phone number."

Damn. I hate it when he's right. Which, unfortunately, is ninety-five percent of the time.

He handed the card over to the waitress while I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Stop pouting," he ordered me.

"I'm not pouting," I told him."I'm glaring."

"Well stop," he said."I asked you to dinner, so I'm going to pay for it."

"Fine."

Like he said, it's not like I could do anything to stop him.

He got his receipt and stood, pulling out my chair for me. I wondered if anybody had one of those machines I could borrow that would freeze time, because I would happily stay in this moment for the rest of my life. It was dark by the time we got back into the Porsche. I figured that since Ranger had mentioned cake, he'd be taking me back to Rangeman with him. I figured right. He turned onto Haywood, and five minutes later we were in the elevator on our way back to his apartment.

He headed to the kitchen and I followed closely behind him. My plan of getting him to eat cake was derailed when I saw him pull out a single plate, a knife, and one fork. He took the cake out of the box and cut a piece for me. What surprised me was that it was a good-size piece, too. Not the tiny sliver that I'd been expecting. The reason became clear after we sat down at the table and I managed to get him to eat one bite of it. He took the fork away from me and fed me the rest. Bite by bite he brought the fork to my lips and watched my mouth intently as I slid the cake off of the fork. Anytime the frosting caught on my lips or the corner of my mouth, he used his thumb to wipe the spot clean. Watching him lick frosting from his finger was all the foreplay I needed. The whole cake thing was the most sensual experience I'd ever had. I would never look at a birthday cake the same way again.

I didn't want this sexy game he was playing to end, so I wiped up any remaining frosting and crumbs with my own finger and took my time licking it off. His eyes never left my mouth, and I saw his hand tighten on the fork he was still holding. Take that, Batman, I thought, two can play this game. But just when my mental happy dance was winding down, he pushed back from the table and put the plate and utensils in the dishwasher. Oh well, it had been fun while it lasted.

Ranger came back to the table, but he didn't sit down. He pulled me up beside him instead.

"This has been one of the best days I've had in a while," he said quietly."Thank you."

I was ready to give him more than a day, but I didn't want to screw up any chance I had with him by saying that outloud.

"You're welcome," I told him,"but I didn't do much except eat and bug you all day."

He looked at me for a moment without saying anything. When he did speak his voice was oddly serious.

"Do you like me only because I give you cars?"

"No. Of course not."

"Then why do you assume that I only want you around to do favors for me?"

"I don't know," I admitted."I guess it never occurred to me that someone like you would enjoy my company outside of a bedroom."

He gave his head a small, disbelieving shake."You really don't understand what everyone sees in you, do you?"

"Nope." I'd often questioned what Morelli saw in me, too."I'm just a girl from the Burg. I'm not anything special."

"You are to me, Babe."

He bent his head to give me a light kiss on the lips, but as he pulled back I sunk my fingers into his hair and brought him back to my mouth. I took complete control of the kiss. It was something that I'd never done before. And I had to admit, it was kind of thrilling. I traced his lips with my tongue before sliding between them. And even when our tongues touched, he didn't try to take over. He let me decide where the kiss was going without putting any kind of pressure on me. When I finally did let him go, he looked down at me with a slight frown on his lips.

"I'm not going to ask you to do something that you're not ready for."

"You're not asking," I whispered back."I'm giving. You may not want to hear how much I love you, but I'm ready to show you just how much I do."

Before I was even through saying the last word, he pulled me tight to him and lowered his mouth to mine. This time leaving no question as to who was in control.

"Happy birthday, Ranger," I said when he let me breathe again, my lips brushing his.

He looked down at his watch."It's after seven," he said."That leaves me a little over four hours to enjoy my present."

I'd gotten a firsthand account of just how much he can do in that amount of time, and my feet were already moving towards his bedroom.

"Then you'd better get started unwrapping it," I managed to say before he caught up to me and tossed me onto the bed.

By twelve o' clock, there wasn't a wish between us that hadn't already come true.