The initial idea for this story came after first hearing Sam Smith's 'Stay With Me', but it doesn't really follow the lyrics. And the ending for this I hadn't even considered until I was actually typing it out. Everything familiar belongs to Janet. The mistakes are mine.

Something had pulled me from the first relatively sound sleep I've had in weeks. Even before I had my eyes open, I knew what it was. Stephanie's warm body was no longer pressed up against mine. Not only did my dick mourn the loss, but the part of me where my soul used to be, did too. I scanned my bedroom without lifting my head and saw Stephanie quickly putting her now wrinkled dress back on.

"You in a hurry, Babe?" I asked her, sliding my body up from the mattress so my bare back was flat against the headboard.

Steph froze as she was reaching for the zipper that would hide her body from my very interested gaze. I left the bed sheet to pool just below my navel, using what Steph could see of my own body to distract her obviously busy mind. Only Stephanie Plum would leave a secure building in the dead of night ... because of me.

"I thought you were asleep," she said, finally getting her dress closed.

I mentally shrugged. This just gave me more ideas on how I can get her clothes off again.

"I can see that, Steph, but you thought wrong," I told her. "Where are you going?"

"Umm ... my apartment."

I flicked my eyes to the clock on the nightstand. "At two fifty-seven in the morning?" I asked.

"Seems like a good time to me."

"Why?"

"Why does it matter?" She countered.

Good question. One I was almost ready for.

"It matters. Now come here ... and lose the dress."

"No."

"No?"

"Yes."

I smiled. "Now that's the answer I wanted to hear."

Stephanie didn't smile back. There was a full moon right outside the bedroom window, and it added just enough light for me to make out the expressions crossing Stephanie's face. I almost wish I couldn't. She's clearly upset and I know I'm the cause. Or maybe it's the mutual attraction between us that's to blame. Either way, Steph and I have been screwed. Figuratively, literally, and completely in both ways.

Steph just stood there, staring towards the bed. I don't know if she can see me as well as I can see her, but Steph knows the man and the body she'd had only a few hours ago are still lying here in front of her. And Stephanie isn't at all pleased by me - or it - right now. Any other man would have taken offense to being rejected ... I'm not one of them. To me, this is one outcome that held all kinds of promise.

When Stephanie's emotions are running high, whether it be fear, anger, or love, she bolts. Steph hadn't been angry with me when she'd fallen asleep in my arms, and she isn't shooting me any glares at the moment, so either Stephanie's afraid of me or she's scared that she feels too much for me. My guess is it's a combination of both. Stephanie's afraid to love me almost as much as I'd been apprehensive in loving her. I've had to deal with it, and now Stephanie's feeling the heat.

"Ranger, you've played with me enough for one night. I'm just going to go home and try to figure out what the hell happened here."

"I can give you a step-by-step replay if that will help."

"No. We had our night. Well ... part of the night, anyway. Instead of waiting around for the 'Catch you later, Babe' I'll be getting in about two hours, I thought I'd just save us the trouble and take off now."

"Stephanie, you aren't trouble."

She snorted. "Yeah, you're probably the only person who could say that with a straight face."

"Dump the shoes, lose the dress, and I'll prove it to you," I told her.

"As much as I'd like that, Ranger, I can't. You like what amounts to a one-night stand, and I like both me and you too much to become a regular one. I'm going so I'm not tempted to do something we'll both regret in a couple of hours."

"Do I get a say in this?" I asked her.

"You've had all the say in the past, which is why I have to be the one to leave now."

"Stephanie," I said, in the tone she knew better than to argue with, "sit down."

Steph bit her bottom lip and glanced longingly at the door before she walked hesitantly over to me, perching on what looked to be only about an inch of the mattress. No doubt about it, she's spooked. Not by my order, but of what I might say to her. I do regret that, but if this is the only way to get Stephanie to stay with me, I'll make it up to her later.

"I'll admit, one night is what I was originally after," I told Steph, being completely truthful even if I came across as a total asshole. Stephanie can sniff out a lie better than Connie can a doughnut, and I'm not about to fuck this conversation up by not being honest. "But I don't want you to leave."

"I'm not mad at you, Ranger. This happened because of me, too. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, or blame you for me getting naked, but it really can't happen again. Every time I'm with you, things get a little more complicated."

"You mean between you and Morelli?" I asked, thinking that Joe might have approached her recently.

"No. Joe and I are over. I meant between you and me. When we spend a night together, I start looking at you as more of a partner-partner instead of just a professional partner. Our line between friendship and relationship is getting more and more blurred. And, truth is, I'm not sure what to do about it."

"So you waited until I was asleep and decided it was better to run?"

"Don't you dare use that tone on me, Ranger. You're not in any position to throw stones here."

"Touché, Steph. But we're not going to get anything resolved if you leave me for Ben & Jerry."

"Hah ... shows what you know. I've got a container of Häagen Dazs in my freezer right now."

"You know exactly what I'm saying, Babe. Ice cream isn't going to help you with this."

"You have something in common with my pint of 'Caramel Cone' then, because you never help me when it comes to figuring us out, either."

"We can work this out if you agree not to run out on me."

"You want me to stay here for the night?" Steph asked me.

Before Stephanie could sense my intention, I leaned forward and grabbed her, pulling her body over mine. When her heart was beating fast against my chest, I relaxed slightly. This is definitely better than waking up alone.

"You can stay as often - and for as long - as you like, Stephanie. When I gave you a key fob to my building, and this apartment, it was because I wanted you to come to me. Now, I want you to not leave. I won't force you ..."

I grinned and gave her a hard kiss when Stephanie narrowed her eyes at me. So maybe my arms wrapped tight around her, keeping Stephanie held tight to the length of my body, could be construed as holding her captive, but I don't care. I've never played by the rules, and I don't intend to now when it came down to possibly losing Stephanie.

"Okay, so we both know I'd force you," I told Steph, "but would I have to?"

Stephanie tucked her face into my neck and sighed. I felt the warm expulsion of air clear down to my groin. Steph adjusted her legs accordingly, and I silently cursed the material separating my skin from hers.

"No. You don't have to force me to do anything," she said, softly. "And that's caused major problems for me."

"Would you be happier if I left you alone?" I asked her, not taking a full breath as I waited for her answer.

Stephanie's body definitely wants mine, but that may not be enough incentive for her to put up with all the other shit I'd bring into her life if we merged ours.

"No," she said again. "What would make me happy is hearing that you love me without a disclaimer tacked on to the declaration, that you'd seriously consider rings for us both if I ever found myself needing something more permanent. On top of that, you giving me your word, Ranger, that you'll never walk away from me like I was planning on doing tonight."

"I do love you, Stephanie. I always have. It may have started out as a different kind of love, but the feeling was there all the same. There is a ring eleven feet to your left that I bought on your birthday even though I knew I wasn't going to give it to you."

"Why?" She asked, looking down into my face when she planted her hands on my pecs to support her upper body, which forced her lower body into more intimate contact with mine.

"Morelli was still hanging around you then, but the main reason is because we weren't ready. I wanted to be completely sure about us before I told you what I'd done. So whenever you decide you're sure, too, the ring is in the safe over there."

Steph's mouth dropped a little further open with every word I spoke. That could be because I don't usually fill her in on what I'm thinking or was planning. Or maybe Stephanie is as shocked as I was at the time, that I had actually bought her an engagement ring. I also bought condoms for us, so I wasn't completely bullshitting us both with my no ring/yes condoms statement.

"Steph?" I said, sliding my fingers through her curls and cupping the back of her head so she'd look at me. "Talk to me."

Stephanie suddenly rolled off me, breaking all contact between us. Not exactly the result I'd been hoping for when I made that confession. I was just about to roll myself on top of her until we settled this, but Steph's words stopped all coherent thoughts from forming.

"If you get the ring," she said to me, "I'll ditch my dress, and everything underneath it, again."

I'm glad for the slight shadows in the room so there was a chance Stephanie wouldn't see the sudden flash of emotion in my eyes. I got out of bed, feeling Steph's eyes boring into my naked body as I unlocked the safe and took out the small box that I honestly didn't think I'd ever open again.

Steph's blue eyes never strayed from me, and I swear they got wider the closer I came to her. In the past, that wide-eyed look would've been due to my undressed body being so close to her. This time, I'm sure her reaction is caused by the ring in my hand as I flipped the box open with my thumb. The center diamond is almost five carats, with extra diamonds lining the outside of the cushion cut stone as well as the intricate setting holding the large stone in place. And there was still more micro diamonds embedded along the band. I wasn't planning on ever getting married again, but if Stephanie said she'd like to in time, I wanted her to have something special, and also something she won't want to take off her finger and throw at me if I really piss her off at some point.

Steph looked down at the ring I now held between my thumb and index finger, then back to my face.

"Ranger ... I ..." she started to say.

"A deal's a deal, Babe."

Stephanie's pupils dilated when she realized that I was enforcing her words. She isn't getting the ring until her dress is back on the floor where it should have stayed well into the morning. As soon as the bright red fabric, and her black lace lingerie, touched beige carpet, my ring was weighing down Steph's finger and my body was weighing down hers as I sank deep inside it.