My name is Stephanie Plum.

I'm blue eyed, curly brown haired and I'm covered in soot.

I work for my cousin Vinnie as a bond enforcement agent. I round up hooligans who don't show their faces for their court dates and take them to clink so they can reschedule. We call them skips.

Being a bounty hunter doesn't make you very popular. I don't care a great deal about being popular but sometimes a skip holds a grudge and I usually end up covered in trash or have my car blown to smithereens. And that's why I'm currently covered in soot.

Luckily for me, I have the help of Carlos Manoso, A.K.A Ranger.

Ranger is Cuban-American and the Batman of New Jersey. He's 6'ft of Mocha-latte toned and ripped muscle with long black hair and dark brown eyes. He only wears black and most of his shirts looked painted on.

He's the owner of a security company, Rangeman, where only the best (and me) are hired. He's also a bounty hunter and is the only reason I am able to fire a gun without shooting myself.

Ranger is my mentor, friend and lover all in one. This meant I was one of the few lucky women who got to see this Adonis naked.

Another one was my grandma.

"Babe."

Ranger was the first to greet me as I entered the bonds office. If I wasn't covered from head to foot in car dust I would have been in a better mood.

"Hey." I replied, throwing my body receipt on the reception desk. I snatched up a tissue from a nearby tissue box and wiped my face.

"I take it the Land-rover didn't survive."

I nodded. Whenever I needed a car, Ranger was always more than willing to provide me with one. His men at Rangeman, loved to place down bets on how long a car lasted with me as the driver. Most of my skips held grudges.

I looked up at him. "The guy I went after was arrested for possessing illegal fireworks."

His lips twitched ever so slightly as he plucked another tissue and rubbed it against my cheek. I could smell his shower gel; Bulgari green tea. "At least you got him to the PD."

That made me smile.

Ranger and I were used to keeping our distance from each other because of my testosterone filled ex-boyfriend, Joe Morelli.

I had known Morelli all my life. We had a couple of phases where our relationship went on and off again. But when he told me about his new promotion- which involved relocating to California- he expected me to go with him, marry him and pop out half a dozen kids.

Yeah. That was so not happening.

It was hard being in love with 2 men but with Morelli out of the picture, I felt all the pressure lift off my shoulders.

Even though I loved Ranger, I wasn't 100% sure he felt the same way.

He did say he loved me- in his own way.

"Do you need a ride?" Ranger asked.

I hesitated. Getting into a car with Ranger put my hormone levels up on red alert. But it was better than walking so I nodded.

He smiled. "Does the day need ending with a Pino's?"

I made a puppy dog pout.

Xxxxxx

We both walked out of the bonds office where Ranger unlocked his black Porsche turbo before opening the passenger door for me.

"Mr. Manoso!"

We both turned to see a man who looked around our age walking towards us.

He was the same height as Ranger but not as muscular; his olive skin was smooth and flawless while his platinum blond hair shone in the setting sun. He was dressed in a pair of blank pants with a matching waistcoat on top of a crisp white short sleeved dress shirt. His shoes were black, shiny and looked pricey.

"Mr. Roth." Ranger replied as they shook hands. "I wasn't expecting to see you around here."

"I already told you, please call me Everette." Roth grinned. "I'm glad I caught you. I had some last minute requests. I hope it's no bother."

Ranger shook his head. "Of course not."

Roth's grin widened before his eyes landed on me. They were silver grey and seemed to sparkle like his smile.

"Hello." He looked back at Ranger. "Mr. Manoso, aren't you going to introduce me to this lovely lady?"

I felt my face flush.

"This is Stephanie, she's a friend." Ranger said bluntly. "Stephanie, this is Everette. He's a new client."

Friend? That kind of hurt…

"Hello," I smiled painfully.

Roth stepped closer towards me. "Well no wonder the sky has been grey today; all the blue is in your eyes."

I blushed harder.

"Oh please!" I giggled.

He looked me up and down. "And why are you covered in soot? You're messing with perfection!"

Roth looked back at Ranger. "Will tomorrow be all right to discuss…everything?"

Ranger had his poker face on. He gave a nod but didn't say a word.

"By the way, Stephanie, something's wrong with my cell phone," Roth said, taking out an iPhone…whatever and grinning at me again. "It might have something to do with not having your phone number in it…."

I couldn't control my giggling as he unlocked it and handed it over to me. "I bet you say that to every woman you meet." I said, handing it back to him after I punched in my number.

"Only the pretty ones." He winked before turning to shake hand with Ranger. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Manoso." Roth turned back to me and picked up my hand. "And I hope to see you," He kissed it. "Very soon, Stephanie."

He walked away.

….What just happened?

Did I just get flirted with by a total stranger? A good looking total stranger who asked for my number?

"I can't believe you fell for those clichéd pickup lines." Ranger said, walking around to the driver's side.

I frowned at him before getting into the car. "It's more than anything that you've said to me that was meaningful."

He glanced at me after he started the engine. "I don't do corny or stereotypical."

I opened my mouth to protest.

"You never said what kind of pizza you wanted."

He always knows how to shut me up…

Damn.

XXXXXX

I sat in my usual chair inside the bonds office. Connie, the receptionist and human Betty Boop, only had one skip for me; a middle aged pervert who liked to flash what the stork brought.

I had nothing better to do afterwards so I decided to spend the rest of the day hanging out with her and Lula, my best friend and sometimes partner.

Lula is a former ho who now works as a filing clerk. She's an African-American plus sized woman who defies the laws of common logic by squeezing herself into size 10 spandex and animal prints. She also likes to change her hair colour and style every single week.

This week she was wearing black leopard print jeans with a glitzy yellow tank top. She had styled her hair into golden streaked cornrows that went down to the nape of her neck. This look was made for Lula and for Lula only.

"By the way, Steph," Connie said, leaning forward on her desk. "Who was that guy who went all Prince Charmin' on ya?"

Lula looked at her then to me. "Wha' Prince Charmin'?"

I felt my face go red. "He's just a new client of Ranger's."

Connie grinned like the Cheshire Cat. "Then what were you doin' with his phone?"

Lula laughed and folded her arms as she smirked at me. "Yeah, what were you doin' with his phone?"

I gave up and let out a sigh. "His name's Everette and he asked for my number. Now quit bugging me!"

My phone vibrated.

I took it out to see I had received a text from an unknown number.

Hi Stephanie, it's Everette Roth.

I was wondering if you'd like to go to dinner with me this Friday or whenever you are free.

Please say yes!

I froze with my eyes locked on the screen.

He had asked me out…

The good looking guy who had seen me covered from head to toe in soot had actually asked me…no, begged me to go on a date with him!

"Earth to Stephanie!" Lula hollered. "What's the matter?"

I handed her my phone. They were going to find out anyway.

"Oh my God….He asked you out?!"

Connie's eyes bulged. "Shut. Up! For real?!"

Lula handed her my phone.

Connie read the text and grinned at me. "Stephanie Plum, you lucky gal!"

XXXX

I had no idea how many dresses and outfits I had ummed and aahed about but I decided on a white sleeveless dress with a cerise sash and matching fake corsage and pink shoes. For accessories I had put on a golden ball necklace and baby pink earrings.

I let my hair hang in natural curly waves while I did my makeup with winter pink lipstick and black mascara and eyeliner.

Roth said he would pick me up outside my apartment building at 6. I grabbed my purse and said goodbye to my hamster, Rex, before walking out the front door.

I stood outside the main entrance; it wasn't long until a BMW 7 pulled up in front of me.

Roth stepped out of the driver's side. He was dressed in a black suit and tie with a red shirt. He grinned as he looked me up and down.

"Pardon me ma'am, are you lost because Heaven is a loooong way away from here."

I knew that was incredibly cheesy but my cheeks reddened as I let out a shy laugh.

"Seriously though Stephanie, you look beautiful." Roth smiled, gesturing me towards the passenger side.

"Thank you. You look great as well." I replied.

His smile widened as he opened the door for me before walking back to the driver's side. He roared the engine to life before driving out of the parking lot.

We chattered for about 20 minutes before we approached an incredible fancy restaurant. Its name was lit up with gold lights; The Golden Plaza.

I had heard many stories about the Golden Plaza but I never even set eyes on the place. Some people from my childhood home, the Burg, claimed that they had a meal there. They said the waiters took orders on iPads and the cutlery was made out of pure gold. I always suspected they were tiny little fibs but I was about to find out for myself!

"Do you eat here very often?" I asked, gazing at the building through the car window.

Roth shrugged a shoulder. "Sometimes, but to be honest I prefer McDonalds and Cluck-in-a-bucket." He smiled at me again. "I think it's important to make a first date memorable."

I looked at the restaurant again to hide a growing grin I couldn't supress.

I loved how he was honest.

True, he might have been going out of his way to impress me but he sounded genuine and easy going.

He stopped the car outside the entrance where the valet opened the door for me. I stepped out and Roth handed him the car keys along with a couple of dollar bills.

He offered me his arm. I took it and we walked inside.

Xxxx

As we entered the dining hall, I let out a silent gasp at the incredible ambiance.

The whole room was floored with white marble and laid with scarlet red rugs. The walls were pure white with golden beams against them while a crystal chandelier hung from above.

The tables and chairs were made of fine varnished mahogany. The seats were cushioned with gold padding as matching table cloths draped over the tables.

Roth pulled my seat out for me once the waiter showed us to our table. It was right next to the window where we had a perfect view of the setting sun.

"Do you have a particular favourite when it comes to food?" He asked, handing me a menu.

I blushed again. "Pizza, but I doubt they would serve it in a nice place like this."

Roth laughed. "They're always open for suggestions."

I looked at the menu and was relieved to see it was written in simple English. I browsed through it before looking at the Italian section and decided on Pecan Pesto Shells with Sausage. Roth had ordered us a white wine which tasted fantastic.

"I just realised, Stephanie, that I've never asked you what you did for living."

I cringed at that. "I'm mostly a Bond Enforcement Agent for my cousin. I sometimes work for Ranger…Manoso, at Rangeman too."

He blinked at me and grinned. "Bond Enforcement? I never would have guessed."

I decided not to tell him about the people I go after. "I prefer working at Rangeman. I don't know how my cousin attracts some kinds of people."

"I know what you mean. I own a few hotels around the state which were passed on to me from my father. You wouldn't believe the kind of guests we used to get."

"You're in the hospitality industry?"

He nodded. "It wasn't really my first choice as a career. But when my father died, I was his only next of kin who was able to take over."

"Is that why you hired Rangeman security?"

"Not for the hotels. It's for my house in Saddle River. My mother really likes New Jersey so I decided on buying a house here so she could come more often. The security is an extra safety measure since Mom is getting older, I want her to feel secure."

That made me sentimental. "That's sweet."

Roth Blushed. "She drives me crazy most of the time, but she's always been there for me."

The sun had set by the time our food had arrived.

The pesto and sausage was delicious, especially when it was washed down with Roth's choice of wine.

"You probably get this a lot," Roth said, cutting off a piece of his steak. "But I thought you'd be married with kids. I was worried about that when I first laid eyes on you."

I made a face.

"Well, you're half right. I was married- for barely a year."

He blinked at me. "Really?"

I nodded. "I caught my ex…Erm…y'know…cheating, on my dining table."

Roth shook his head in disbelief. "What an idiot."

I shrugged. "We were divorced within 15 minutes. But it made me think that I didn't need a guy in my life- until the neighbourhood I grew up in, the Burg as it's known as, suddenly decided I needed to rethink that."

"An entire neighbourhood?"

"You do it, they know about it. I started seeing my old boyfriend, Joe, who used to be a cop at the Trenton PD, but when he got a promotion, it involved him relocating to California. He expected me to go with him and- to cut things short- change completely; quit my job, leave home, marry him and have kids."

He smiled suddenly. "The only thing I'd want to change about you is your last name."

My entire face burned. I was probably the shade of a tomato right now. "Isn't it a bit soon to decide that? You don't even know me- or know why I was covered in soot the other day."

"Maybe, but if you like something, why change it?"

I smiled back. "So have you ever been married or had any girlfriends?"

His face fell a little. "I've had a few relationships and I was married briefly…but…well to simplify it, I've been unlucky in that area; they were either in love with my money or went to extremes on my privacy."

"That's awful."

He shrugged. "Things may change. This is my first date in 2 years." His smile returned and his eyes moved to look me up and down. "I love how you decided to wear white. It symbolises hope, freshness goodness, truth, honesty, innocence, purity and light."

"You're in to symbolism?"

"Yeah, it is very interesting. They say you can tell a lot by a person by the colour they wear."

I glanced at my corsage. "What about pink? What does that represent?"

"It can mean a lot of things; illusion, tenderness, delicacy…" He flashed me a grin. "Compassion, beauty, love, romance."

I smiled and felt my cheeks tinge a shade darker as I eyed his clothes. "What about black and red?"

He laughed. "Red can signify demanding, urgency, youth, warmth, excitement, passion and romance."

He winked.

"Black: formality, power, mystery, sophistication, mourning, magic, elegance, death and respect. Not that I'm one to brag."

I let out a forced laugh. Black reminded me of Ranger.

Hell, black was all he wore and the symbolism suited him perfectly!

I shoved the thoughts aside as the waiter pushed a serving trolley towards our table with our desserts.

XXXXXXX

Roth had paid the bill once we had finished.

He told the valet that we would be walking to the car as he collected the keys. "It's a beautiful evening, why waste it?"

I kind of wished that he hadn't decided to do that. It was starting to get cold and a light breeze blew past us, making me shiver.

Something hung over my shoulders as I rubbed my arms; I looked to see Roth had placed his jacket over me.

"You didn't need to do that." I said but smiling my thanks.

"It's nothing." He shrugged. "Besides, my mother would never let me hear the end of it if I didn't act like a gentleman."

He drove me back to my apartment once we found the car. We were silent for most of the ride but made small comments about the food and wine we had.

He pulled up to the parking lot of the building, parked the car and walked me to the main door.

"I had a great time, Stephanie." He said, his eyes shining.

Warmth spread through my chest. "So did I. Thank you, Everette."

"Could we perhaps…arrange to meet on another day?"

My heart thumped. "Yeah, definitely." I grinned.

Roth's face lit up. "Great! Then I suppose I'll see you soon. Goodnight, Stephanie."

"Goodnight, Everette."

He lifted his hand up to caress my cheek. For a moment, he hesitated before bringing his face closer to mine until our lips joined into a sweet kiss.

Holy moly…who was this guy? I hadn't even known for a day and I just had my first date with him and now he was kissing me!

Maybe it was the cheesy pick-up lines…then there's me thinking that I wasn't the kind of girl who fell for them…

After we parted, the silver grey in Everette's eyes shone like 2 moons in the night sky. His lips were formed in a gentle smile. He gave me one last adoring look before walking back to his car.

A grin plastered on my face as I walked in to the lobby. On the way up to my apartment, I felt like a teenager again after her first date; perky and bright with butterflies in my stomach as I wondered about our next date.

I let out a happy sigh as I opened my front door and tossed the keys on to the small table in the foyer and flicked on the lights.

A scream escaped me when my eyes landed on a dark figure looming in the doorway towards to the living room.

"Babe, it's just me."

I breathed out with relief when I heard Ranger's voice and irritation crawled over my skin. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Ranger walked into the light with his arms folded. "I wanted to make sure you got back from your date safely."

I blinked at him. "How did you know I was on a date?"

The corners of his lips twitched. "Lula."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "I should have known."

He frowned at me. His eyes never left mine.

"I'm guessing by the smile you had on a moment ago, the date when well."

I sensed the sudden change in his mood; it was like a giant neon sign was flashing: I don't like this at all in bright letters.

Taking a deep breath, I gave him a smile and said, "I had wonderful time. He took me to The Golden Plaza. A lot of people from the Burg claim they have eaten there but it turns out, I'm the only one who has."

His expression didn't shift. "The Golden Plaza? I see he's the kind who likes to show off on a first date."

I frowned at him. "Or the kind who likes to make it special. What's your problem, Ranger? You always kept your distance when I was with Morelli but now…you're just being an ass."

Ranger stepped closer towards me. "I'm only wary of Roth, Stephanie. I thought your spidey senses would go off around him."

"Why?" I scoffed. "Because he uses corny pickup lines and compliments me with a good sense humour?"

Ranger went quiet for a beat before saying, "I suppose you like the kind of guys who are very forward; especially when it comes to kissing on a first date."

That's it. I've had enough.

"Ranger, I'm not going to let you spoil my good mood. You can see I got home safely and now I think you should leave."

I folded my arms as we stared at each other. Several moments had passed when he finally relented and walked towards the front door.

He looked over his shoulder at me. "Just be wary, Babe."

And then he left.