Disclaimer: I own not one iota of these characters or the Stephanie Plum Universe, lucky Janet!
I'm sitting here in my cousins bail bonds office, chatting with my friends/coworkers. In case you're wondering what kind of work I do in a bail bonds office, I am a bail enforcement agent. Think Dog the Bounty Hunter, but with a lot less grace and a lot more accidents. My name is Stephanie Plum; I'm 28 years old, at least for a few more days. I have brown unruly curly hair and blue eyes, gotta love those Italian Hungarian genes.
As I was saying I'm chatting with my friends, Connie Rosolli our office manager and Lula our file clerk. We were discussing our plans for a girl's night out a.k.a my birthday celebration on Saturday.
Lula makes a realization "White girl we've gotta make this the be all to end all party, we celebrating the beginning of your last year in yo 20's"
"wadda ya mean" the great thing with Lula and Connie they can understand me with my mouth filled with Boston Crème donuts YUM.
"Girl youse gonna turn 29, after that you'll be in yo 30's" she states like it's a no brainer.
"Lula don't remind me you're starting to sound like my mother 'you need to quit your job and marry Joe, your not getting any younger. You don't want to be raising your kids when your in your 60's do you?' I swear if it wasn't for her desserts then she'd never see me. It's not like I would even consider marrying Joe after the Barnyard incident, not to mention what ever diseases he now has on his dick because of Joyce." The girls just nod their heads in unison they had already heard about me walking in on Joe and Joyce on the dining room table two months ago. I swear that bitch just can't screw on a bed.
Connie pips up with her own realization "What about Ranger? There is enough heat between the two of you to melt the North Pole."
Ah, the two men in my life and the bane of my existence, Ranger, Joe and Joyce. I'll start with the bane, Joyce Barnhardt, my nemeses since grade school. The reason for my divorce from Dickie Orr, who she also did on the dining room table, she is now linked to my permanent off status with my on again off again boyfriend Joe Morelli. I should have known with my childhood experience with him that this is how we would end. Then there is Ranger, his real name is Ricardo Carlos Mañoso. He's my mentor, friend, partner, sometimes boss, one time lover and the love of my life. As he has told me in the past one direct way or other non direct ways his life doesn't lend it's self to relationships. But this doesn't stop him from kissing and flirting with me, although I really haven't done much to discourage him. Can't blame me he is a Cuban Sex God.
I just sigh, "Ranger isn't interested in a commitment with me, and he just thinks that all I want is the 'Burg way of life. He doesn't get that the thought of marriage, 2.5 kids and the white picket fences breaks me out into hives. Besides he's been in the wind for the past 6 months." just as if finish that last thought out loud I get the tingly feeling at the base of my neck. That means only one thing Ranger is here. As I look up I see him standing near the front door with his arms crossed over his chest while he leans against the wall.
"Babe" just him saying that plus the wolf grin on his beautiful face is enough to melt me straight to the core.
"Welcome back Ranger" I try to put as much calm and cool persona as I can.
"Do you got a moment?" the way he says this is more like a command rather then a request, especially as he puts his hand to the small of my back to guide me out the door and into the back alley.
As we get to the alley he has pressed me into the brick wall and is kissing me so that my ever loving mind is going right out of my head. Once he has moved from my lips to down to my neck he states "now that is the start of the welcome back that I was hoping for."
I just whisper "I am glad your back, I've missed you."
"I've got a job for you if your interested." he just runs his hands up and down my arms.
I put my hands on his chest and try to give a slight push, just trying to give me a little thinking space between us. "Got the 5 W's for me?" He just raises his eye brow. I give him my attempt at a smirk "you know Who, What, Where, When and Why."
"Why don't you come up to seven tonight and I'll brief you. But Babe you should plan on an all-nighter" and gives me his wolf smirk again. Damn that man can ruin a pair of panties in less then 2 seconds, with just the thought of him in his apartment on the seventh floor in his building, with the awesomeness that is his sheets, again YUM!
"Ok Batman how about I'll see you at seven on seven?" and I just give him a bright smile.
After he leaves and I've gotten my files from Connie without to much of an interrogation from the gossip queens on what just happened in the alley it dawns on me. How am I going to keep my distance from him tonight to keep my sanity and heart safe? I can't keep kissing him without wanting to jump him and I can't jump him and be just another one night stand. I want a future with him and I'll be damned if I keep letting him use my love for him with a condom instead of a ring. Not that I need the ring, just need to have more then he wants to give. I'm just walking this very fine line of what he is willing to give and what I need, I'm going to have to be the sentinel of my heart.
tbc