Disclaimer--Janet Evanovich characters. I own nothing.
Her Eyes
Ranger woke up in the middle of the night like he had every night since he walked away from Stephanie. When he closed his eyes, all he saw in his dreams were her eyes. Her blue eyes. There were tears in them from the hurt he caused. He never wanted to cause her pain like he did that night. It was almost to much.
She and Morelli were over.
One night before a distraction when Ranger had came to pick her up. He took in every inch of her that night in her short, black, off the shoulder dress. It had tight long sleeves and a cut out in the front with thin rhinestone strands across it. Her hair pulled up with tendrils framing her face, dark smokey eyes, and long rhinestone chain earrings to match her dress.
"Do you think this will work," Stephanie asked.
"Babe."
He remembered kissing her and never wanting that kiss to end, but they had to get to the club.
The skip had a penchant for beautiful women. He had extorted around twenty million dollars from a brokerage firm. Ranger watched her dance with him wanting to break every finger for touching her. Stephanie told him she was warm in that dress and needed to cool off. The skip escorted her outside and he landed right into the arms of Tank, Lester, and Bobby.
He drove her home that night, aware of her soft scent of her perfume. Her long legs in her 4 inch FMPs. Everything about her was flooding his senses. Specially her blue eyes. Tonight, there seemed to be longing in them. He walked her to her apartment and opened the door to let them in. Rex was running in his wheel. Ranger backed her up against the door and claimed her lips. When they finally broke apart, they were breathless.
"Babe."
"Joe and I are through," she was trying to collect her thoughts. "I couldn't do it anymore."
He remembered the tears in her blue eyes looking at him. Searching.
"Not when I," she stopped and started again, "love you."
"Babe, I can't give you more."
"It's all right," she voice was cracking with the emotions she was holding in so he wouldn't see. "It's late. I'm tired."
"Babe."
She was walking to her bedroom door and never looked back as she entered.
He stood there fighting the urge to go after her. Rex was still running in his wheel when he let himself out locking the door behind him. How long he stood leaning against her door he didn't know. He heard Stephanie crying. Hating himself for causing her pain. The pain he saw in her eyes.
Ranger opened her door once, twice, almost three times before he went to his Porsche putting distance between them. He sat there looking up at her dark bedroom window. Did she finally fall asleep? Was she still crying? Were there tears in her eyes?
So, here he was awake again for the fourteenth night in a row. Stephanie's blue eyes haunting his sleep. Those eyes always showed all her emotion. All the depths of her love for him.
It wasn't that he didn't love her. He did. Carlos Manoso was in love with Stephanie Plum. Loved her more than life itself, but what if she got tired of him or his life. He didn't think he could handle her walking away from him if he let her in so he walked away first.
Everything was darker. He even sat in his apartment in the evenings with no lights because they didn't seem as bright since Stephanie wasn't in his world. The apartment was cold and empty. He didn't need to see it to feel it. His heart was heavy.
A few days after he walked away, he went to the bonds office hoping Stephanie would be there. He could see her eyes. She was standing at Connie's desk he could see through the window, but by the time he got out of his truck, she was gone. She went out the backdoor and he heard the motor of her mini pull away. After that day, Tank or Lester stopped at the bonds office for the skip files.
Ranger knew if he closed his eyes again he would only see Stephanie's, so he got out of bed as he had the last few mornings and went to the gym, then for a run.
Without thinking he started running past Stephanie's apartment building. He would stop and look up at the dark bedroom window. Check that her car was in its usual spot. He wanted to go watch her sleep like he did so many times before, but he didn't want to see the hurt in her eyes if she woke up to find him there. What if she sent him away?
So began his day from Hell. He and Tank had an early meeting with a new client. Ranger sat there, listened, and made a few comments. Tank landed the contract despite Ranger's lack of attention The client actually took his lack of disinterest as someone really listening to the client's wishes. After the meeting, he and Tank had heated words. Why waste his time if Ranger wasn't going to do his job as the owner of the company?
Next, he spent part of the morning in the hospital. Hal and Cal went after a skip who put a bullet into Hal's shoulder because he didn't want to go back to jail. It was a clean shot and Hal was going to be fine. So after the hospital, he spent the remainder of his day going after skips since Ranger was down a man now. Actually two, Lester had taken a few days off so he could visit his sister and her new baby.
He ended the evening doing surveillance with Tank and had to sit through a lecture.
"You are miserable. You are tired from lack of sleep."
"Tank, I can't help it. I see her eyes in my sleep."
"Do you think that maybe your mind is trying to tell you something. Ranger, go to her. You love Bombshell and she loves you. End of story."
"It's not that simple."
"Yes, it is. Give the two of you a chance. Stephanie has always been there for you, but if you wait to long to get your head out of your ass, you could lose her forever. Can you live the rest of your life like this because Stephanie is the only one for you and you know it."
The saw the skip finally and gave chase. Ranger was the one who ended up not watching, not being aware of his surroundings because Tanks words were echoing in his brain. He got the skip after a long chase, but didn't see the mud when he went to tackle him. Ranger was now muddy, wet, and miserable.
Tank was laughing at him. If he wasn't so tired and he didn't ache from chasing skips all day, then sitting in the SUV all night, he would have punched him.
He was dropped off at Rangeman by Tank to get out of his wet, smelly clothes before Tank went to the police station with the skip. Ranger looked at the elevator, then at his truck sitting there. He chose the truck.
He silently opened Stephanie's door and heard the welcoming sound of Rex in his cage. His closed his eyes as he leaned against her door. The apartment smelled of vanilla bath gel, and saw her blue eyes in his mind. He kicked off his damp boots and socks, then made his way to the bedroom door.
Standing there he watched her sleep as she had the nightlight on in the bathroom. It cast enough of a glow that he could see her sleeping form. Curls wildly covering the pillow. She had on one of his oversized t-shirts. Stephanie murmured "Ranger" in her sleep.
Stepping closer to the bed, Stephanie must have felt his presence as he saw her eyes flutter, then open. Her blue eyes staring at him. He heard her sniff. Stephanie reached over and turned on the lamp. She saw his muddy cargos and looked up at his face. There was a twinkle in them.
"Is this you're impression of me?"
"Babe."
Stephanie didn't say anything else, but got out of bed walking into the bathroom. He heard the water go on in the shower.
"I guess it's my turn to clean you up," Stephanie lifted his t-shirt up, throwing in the corner and removing his gun belt.
Ranger walked into the steamy bathroom as Stephanie closed the door behind him. The hot water felt good over his weary body. He saw the Bulgari bath gel next to her vanilla scented. They seemed right together.
There were black boxers on the sink when he finally came out of the shower. Slipping them on, he opened the bathroom door. Stephanie was laying in bed drinking hot chocolate that he could smell. He sat down on the bed not sure what to say. She handed Ranger a mug. The hot chocolate actually tasted good to him. He was just watching her eyes over the rim of mug.
It didn't seem as dark even though it was the middle of the night. His heart was lighter. Ranger saw hope in her eyes.
"I couldn't stay away. I love you, Babe. Only you."
"I love you," brushing her lips gently across his. "You look tired. Rough day."
"Yeah, but it's better now," Ranger came around and slid under the blankets with Stephanie. He pulled her into his arms knowing when he woke up again it would actually be her eyes he was looking into. It was home in her eyes.
Her Eyes
By Pat Monahan
She's not afraid; she just likes to use her night light She's a little bit manic, completely organic She's old enough to know, and young enough not to say no She's a Gemini Capricorn Her eyes, that's where hope lies. She got the kinda strength that every man wishes he had. Tells me that she lives about a hundred lives, Her eyes, that's where hope lies. She doesn't know the word 'impossible' And sometimes I think she's truly crazy. Her eyes, that's where hope lies. Her eyes, that's where hope lies. She's not afraid
When she gets paid, true religion gets it all
If they fit right.
Doesn't panic for the most part.
To any chance that she gets for home plate tickets to see the Mets.
Like everybody, she's in over her head,
Dreads Feds, Grateful Dead, and doesn't take meds.
Thinks all men are addicted to porn.
I don't agree with her half the time,
But, damn I'm glad she's mine.
That's where blue skies
Meet the sunrise.
Her eyes, that's where I go
When I go home.
She loved Michael Jackson up until he made Bad.
Scares me to death when she thinks and drives,
Says cowboy hats make her look fat,
and I'm so glad she's mine.
That's where blue skies
Meet the sunrise.
Her eyes, that's where I go
When I go home.
Don't care where I've been and doesn't care where we're goin' to.
She takes me as I am, and that ain't easy.
She's beautiful. So beautiful.
And I love it.
That's where blue skies
Always meet the sunrise.
Her eyes, that's where I go
When I go home.
That's where blue skies
Always meet the sunrise.
Her eyes, that's where I go
When I go home.
she just likes to use her night light.