Call On Me

by LilyGhost

When Ranger goes out of town, he promises to keep the lines of communication open with Stephanie until he can return to her.

Everyone and everything familiar belongs to Janet. The mistakes are mine.

I was running late and I almost took the corner on two wheels as I pulled into my lot. If my car wasn't in such bad shape, I probably would have, but I didn't want to risk it and have my POS die while Ranger was out of town. He'd want me to call Tank and have a fleet vehicle delivered, and I'd rather do pretty much anything else on earth, no matter how painful, than have a conversation with Tank without Ranger there to mediate. So I thought it would be best to slow down to a reasonable speed and calmly park instead of accelerating the car, slamming on the brakes, and jumping out like I really wanted to do.

Ranger had left Trenton last night for something apparently very important to someone. He wasn't specific in his explanation, and I didn't ask for details even though I wanted to. I knew he'd tell me when and if he could, so I settled for him promising to call at seven o'clock every night he was gone. I looked at my watch, it's currently six-fifty-five. Shit.

I hadn't planned on going after Samuel Claiton tonight, but Lula happened to see him at the club she went to with Jackie and immediately called me, since I'm the one with the paperwork on him. It was an easy capture. A little flirting combined with the copious amount of booze he'd already consumed by the time I got there, had him stumbling right to my car with little more than a clumsy grab for my breast, which I quickly sidestepped.

The problem was that the police station had been filled to capacity when I got there. And it took me over twenty minutes to get my body receipt. I'd sighed dramatically, tapped my foot annoyingly, and dropped the name of every officer I know to move the docket lieutenant along, but nothing helped.

And now I'm perilously close to missing Ranger's call. That's if he actually calls. He's known for keeping his word when he makes a promise, but sometimes reality doesn't always cooperate with your plans. If he does call me, there's no way I'm going to miss it. Call me pathetic, but Ranger's voice - and the rest of him, too - has a major hold on me. Especially since we seem to have been getting closer and learning more about each other over the last few weeks. I wouldn't scare him - or myself - by calling us an actual couple, but it feels like we are already one to me.

Of course, I don't know if Ranger agrees with me, but he did promise to check in every night, something he's never done before even when I've called his cell to try to get a hold of him. I shook my head. I don't have time to analyze our past. I hauled ass to my building and skipped the elevator in favor of racing up the stairs. It's probably the first time I've done that without a homicidal maniac chasing me.

I jammed the key into my lock just as my cell started ringing.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I told it, making sure my door was closed and all the deadbolts engaged before I answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Babe."

"You called."

"I told you I would."

I dumped my shoulder bag on the kitchen counter and shrugged my jacket off.

"You did, but I wasn't sure if you'd be able to."

"I am. You sound out of breath."

"I just got home," I told him.

That triggered palpable phone silence.

"Ranger?"

"Where have you been?"

"Thanks to Lula, I got a bead on a skip. I just got back from dropping him off at the station."

I couldn't say how I knew, but I swear he relaxed.

"I wasn't with Joe," I assured him. "In fact, I haven't seen him in almost a month."

"Best news I've heard today."

I gave Rex some grapes and a cracker before heading to my bedroom. If I get to have Ranger all to myself for a little while, I'm going to be comfy so I can fully enjoy it.

"I'm not getting back together with Joe. Today, tomorrow, or twenty years from now."

"I know."

"Do you?" I asked, not wanting any doubt in his mind about that.

"Now I do. So tell me about your skip."

"The apprehension was almost flawless. My only complaint is that if I was as big as Tank or Hal, I could've just slung the idiot over my shoulder and shaved off ten minutes getting him to my car."

"Drunk?"

"Completely."

"Do I have to kill him when I get home?"

"Nope. He made one attempt at getting friendly, but it was sloppy at best."

"Take someone with you next time."

"Lula was there."

"And? I want somebody there who will actually be of some use to you. Call the control room and a man will be made available to you next time you go after an FTA."

"That's not necessary," I told him.

"It is when I'm not there to make sure you're protected."

"That's nice of you, but I'm doing okay."

He let it go, but I knew I'd be getting a tail tomorrow.

"Where are you right now?" He asked me.

"At the moment ... in my bedroom."

"Perfect. And what are you wearing?" He said, his voice sounding amused and extremely sexy.

"Uh-uh. I don't think so. We are not having phone sex the day after you leave, when we weren't even having real sex before you took off to wherever it is you are."

"Had I known you were interested, I would have rectified that before boarding a plane."

"When haven't I been interested?" I said to myself, hopefully low enough so his freaky hearing wouldn't pick up on it.

"Looks like I'll have to do something about that as soon as I get back."

"You know, I never would've pegged you for a man who's all talk."

It's easy to pull the tiger's tail when said tiger isn't in the same state as me.

"Careful, Babe," he warned. "Don't place the bet unless you plan on anteing up."

It's amazing how fast my body can overheat just from one casual statement from him.

"Guess I know what you've been doing so far," I said to him. "I thought you were busy working, but now I'm thinking you're competing in a high stakes poker tournament or something. I don't picture you as the gambling type, though."

"I'm the everything type."

"That's it? No hint as to what super secret spy thing you're up to?"

"I'm not a spy."

"I didn't really think so, but you are out of town without anyone spilling the reason for it."

"A guy I served with years ago has started his own company ..."

"Making spyware. I knew it!"

"Just some new technology that could in theory make my job easier."

"So you're taking things out for a test drive? Or are you being asked for your expertise in order to help him create stuff?"

He went quiet. That's all I needed for me to know that his brain is being picked, and that the guys here will soon be getting new - and no doubt expensive - toys to play with. Maybe Ranger will let me play a little, too.

"When do you think you'll be coming home?" I asked him.

"Miss me already?"

"Yup. I have no one here to lecture me on my safety or to feel me up in the alley."

"I can have Tank take care of one of those for you."

"The alley?"

"Babe."

"No need to get huffy. Tank's cute and all, but I wouldn't risk brick-burn for anyone except you."

"Glad to hear it. And I should be home by Saturday."

My shoulders slumped. Today's only Tuesday.

"Morning or night?" I asked, hoping he didn't notice the disappointment in my voice at how long I have to wait to see him again.

"In time to take you out to dinner."

"We're going on a date?"

"We are."

I heard a muffled voice in the background.

"Duty calls?" I asked him, biting back a sigh.

"Yes. I have to go. I'll call tomorrow. Sleep tight," he said before disconnecting.

How the hell am I supposed to sleep now that I have a date with him planned?

I find it funny - and also fucking frustrating - that when Ranger had been in town, I'd had plenty of time for him but he'd been busy being Batman. And now that he isn't here in person, and I have at least twenty minutes of his undivided attention, things keep happening to make me worry about missing him.

Day two of Ranger's absence - and after a long day of tracking someone who didn't want to be found - Lula asked me to go with her back to the place where she'd spotted Claiton.

"Why?" I asked. "I never go to clubs with you. I'm more of a pizza joint kind of girl."

"You can keep my man's watchdog entertained while I'm convincin' him to ditch the place, his friend, and then his pants."

I cringed. "As much as I'd hate to miss that, I'm going to pass."

"Officer Hottie come crawlin' back and that's why you ain't got time for me?"

"Nope."

"This is the second day in a row you've hightailed it back to that rat trap apartment of yours. What gives?"

"I've got a phone date with Ranger."

"Hunh," she said, obviously mulling that over. "Okay, I can see that. He could talk you into one hell of an orgasm. Picturing that big, bulgin' body in your brain, while his deep voice is whisperin' dirty things in your ear ..." She shivered and started fanning her face. "If that man said one thing to me in Spanish, I'd ..."

"Stop! Do not finish that sentence. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I want details," she called out after me.

She can hope for details all she wants, but I'm not sharing anything. The subtle shift in mine and Ranger's relationship is too new to share. This time, I made it home with ten minutes to spare. I poured myself a glass of wine after changing into my little pj's. To me, it felt more meaningful dressing down for him instead of dressing up. There are no pretenses between Ranger and I ... we're just two people who really enjoy talking to each other, and don't care about much else while we do it.

I sat down on the couch and took a sip of wine as I curled my legs underneath me. I put my glass down and opened the connection when my phone rang.

"Yo," I said a little breathlessly.

"Yo, back. How'd your day go?"

"Good. I've narrowed down my latest skip's location, and I didn't have to witness Lula scaring the pants off a man. But now she thinks you're calling to give me a different kind of oral orgasm."

"It wouldn't be as good as if I was there with you, but you'd still enjoy it."

"No question, but I'd rather have you in the flesh so to speak. I can make it through the week. I have wine, Tastykakes in the kitchen, and daily stops at Tasty Pastry, to tide me over."

"All poor substitutes."

"I agree. Do you happen to know anything about Hal following me all over Bordentown today?"

"I should, since I ordered him to."

"I figured you weren't going to listen to me."

"I always listen to you, but there are times when our opinions on a subject differ. You could save yourself a lot of aggravation and just accept it."

"I could say the same, and you would've spared Hal a boring day ... and Lula."

"He'll deal."

I knew that was the end of this particular discussion.

"What about your day?" I asked him. "Anything you can share?"

"It was interesting, but nothing out of the ordinary."

"To you maybe. If I was there, I'd probably feel like a member of the Justice League."

"I'll be sure to take you with me if Aldo needs my input again."

My heart and body stopped moving simultaneously.

"You'd take me in the wind with you?"

"Yes. You being with me would make these trips feel like something other than work."

"Hmm, do you happen to have any friends building nuclear warheads in Fiji?"

"None that I can admit to. So you've given some thought to going to Fiji with me?"

"I've had multiple thoughts of heading there, the seventh floor of Rangeman, and Tasty Pastry, with you. It's not so much the place as the man."

Shit ... did I just say that out loud?

"You did. And I heard and noted all of it."

"Meaning ...?"

"We've got some things to do and also to discuss when I get back ... like where you want to go for dinner, followed by when we should plan on a vacation."

"I take it back."

"Take what back?" He asked.

"I honestly didn't think you had any, but really ... your phone manners are actually way better than I gave you credit for."

"I can talk when I have to."

"You don't have to now," I reminded him, "but I am curious why you are."

"Because you're important to me. And I don't want you to believe anything different."

"Or maybe you think Joe would use this trip of yours to needle me about you ditching me?"

"That may have figured into it, but what's developed between us has nothing to do with Morelli."

"I know. If someone does ask about us ..."

"It's simple. You're mine and I'm yours. No one needs to know more than that."

Hell, neither do I. I do feel that I owe him something more than that, though. I braced myself and then just spit it out.

"You know I love you, right?"

"I do. Some things don't require words."

"But you never talk, and yet you've said it a bunch of times to me."

"You needed the words, I don't. But I am glad you said them. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

I blew out a breath. "When are you coming home again?"

"Not soon enough. But it's said that anticipation is often better than the reality."

"Not when it comes to you."

"You said that out loud, too," he informed me.

"I know. I intended to."

"Bye, Babe."

"One thing before you go."

"What?"

"Work faster."

I could feel his grin through the phone. "I'm on it."

And then I was left holding my phone, staring at my wine glass, repeating his mine/yours comment with a big, stupid smile splitting my face.

I couldn't help but feel like, once again, the universe was giving me the finger. Or maybe talking about Morelli actually conjured him up, but after weeks of not seeing more than just a glimpse of him, I literally ran into him at Pino's. I'd stopped on my way home to grab a meatball sub before Ranger's call and I was a little distracted, wondering what tonight's conversation would reveal, and my forehead connected with Joe's chest as I was leaving the building.

"Did you just steal that sub from Pino?" He asked me.

"No."

"Why'd you come tearing out of the place then? If you weren't buying your own supper, I'd guess you had a hot date?"

"As a matter of fact, I do have a hot date," I told him. "Sort of."

"I thought Manoso was out of town."

"He is."

There, let him chew on that for a while. When we were dating, it used to drive him crazy when Ranger flirted with me. Let's see how he reacts to thinking there's another man interested in me besides the two of them.

He's the one who suggested taking a break and seeing other people for a while right before I broke things off for good, so I don't feel guilty at all for making him believe that someone other than Ranger finds me attractive. It's a little immature, I know, but considering Joe's said more than once that he's the only guy who'd put up with my crap, I felt a little payback was in order.

"I have to go or I'll be late. Sorry about smacking into you," I said, and started past him.

He grabbed my arm to stop me. "Who is he?"

I saw no reason to lie to him. "Someone I can see spending the rest of my life with," I told him.

I jerked my arm free and kept moving to the Jeep Ranger had Vince drop off this morning.

Not surprising, Hal had to witness - then report - my car breaking down on Route One. Because he'd been told to follow me again, he got it working for me and it's been less temperamental since, but Ranger had been quickly notified. I'm not complaining though, since the Jeep would get me home faster.

My phone buzzed five minutes after my sub was history. I must be completely over Morelli if I was able to wolf down my dinner without giving him a second thought.

"Your car ..." Ranger started the call by saying.

"Isn't that bad," I finished for him.

"It passed bad decades ago. It's currently on its way to the junkyard. I hope you weren't attached to it."

"I've learned never to get attached to my shitboxes."

"Smart. What did Morelli have to say?"

I didn't need to ask how he knew I spoke to Joe. I bet I have good 'ol Hal to thank again.

"Nothing important."

"So fill me in on the unimportant stuff."

"It wasn't my finest moment."

"How so?"

"I told him I had a date."

"You do."

"So I wasn't lying."

"How'd he take it?"

"I didn't stick around long enough to find out."

Especially after telling Joe that I'd found my forever guy.

"Hal said Morelli looked like you had punched him. He was close by, but couldn't hear what prompted it."

"Doesn't Hal have something better to do than track my every move?"

"No. What did you tell Morelli?"

"You probably don't want me to answer that. How about we talk about work again?"

"I don't want to talk about anything except your latest - and hopefully last - conversation with the cop."

"I might've said something about having a date with the guy I wouldn't mind spending forever with."

The line was silent. Well ... he asked for it. I did warn him, so it's not my fault that he might not have been prepared to hear my answer.

"Were you just trying to piss him off?" Ranger asked me.

"No. That was just a bonus."

"So you'd like us to be permanent?"

"Umm, yeah. I would, but we haven't really discussed that."

"We can discuss it now."

"Okay. What happens when you come home?"

"I'm heading straight to your apartment."

"And after that?"

"Aren't we going to dinner?"

"We are, but after we eat ... do we return to my place? Your place? Are we already in a relationship? Or do we have to work up to calling it that?"

"We've never had to 'work up' to anything," he told me. "We'll do whatever feels right for us. If you'd rather sleep in my bed, we'll go to my apartment. If you prefer your own turf, we'll spend the night in yours. We've never followed rules, and we don't have to now."

"That's what I was thinking, too. I don't need the state's seal of approval or any kind of ring, but I do want a commitment."

"You've got one. And if Morelli approaches you again, he may not even live long enough to regret it."

"He didn't seek me out, I literally bumped into him ... which was your fault actually."

"Explain."

"My mind was completely on you and I hadn't been paying attention to my surroundings ... and I sort of bounced off him."

"I would apologize for that, but I'm not sorry that I'm occupying your thoughts."

"Neither am I. I had a good fantasy going."

"Which was?"

"Come home and I'll share it with you."

"That is added incentive."

"I hope so. I'm ready to talk face-to-face."

"We'll get there soon."

"I can't wait, though I am really enjoying this."

"The calls don't have to end once I get home."

"Really?" I asked.

"Really."

"You have to go now, don't you?"

"Unless you want to finally tell me what you're wearing."

"Nothing that sounds at all sexy over the phone, but if you were here, I'd let you remove everything I currently have on."

"Are you going to wish you hadn't said that when I'm back in Trenton?" He asked.

"Nope. Not at all. In fact, I may add a few more layers on Saturday just to draw the moment out."

"Tease."

"I'm not teasing."

"So you say now."

"So I'll say again when you're standing in front of me."

"I'm more than ready to test the truth of that."

"Me, too," I told him.

"I'll see you soon, Babe."

"One can only hope," I said, not caring if he heard the longing in my voice.

"It won't be long."

"I'll be here when you're done in ... Hey, where are you, anyway? You never said."

"Portland."

"Maine or Oregon?"

"Oregon."

"Crap. So there's absolutely no chance of you playing hooky for an afternoon to come back for a visit?"

"No there isn't, but when I get home, I'm staying put until you can leave with me."

"I don't think I'll be able to help you with your James Bond stuff, but I'm willing to try."

"You'd just have to be there."

"You're surprisingly charming, you know that?"

"I'll work on correcting that."

"Very funny. You're calling tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"I'll be waiting."

It didn't matter to me if that sounded a tad desperate. I wanted him to know that I'm here for him if he needs me to be. I would've had a problem admitting it, but he's always been there for me, so I was okay with letting a tiny bit of my emotions show.

"Stay safe," he ordered.

"Same to you."

"Love you."

"Ditto," I couldn't resist saying.

My ear felt hot from the look he was probably shooting his phone.

"Goodnight, Babe."

"Night," I told him, and that happy vibe I had going lasted well into the night and throughout the following day.

On Friday, I finally caught Langdon Miso, and then I hung out with Rex until Ranger called. I would've been laughing at myself, sitting home on a Friday night mooning over a guy, but I was too preoccupied being pleased with how my life's been going lately to ridicule anyone ... even myself.

"I'm starting to miss these phone conversations already," I said, when I answered on the second ring.

"That's only because I'm not with you right now."

"Probably. I'm sure Tank is grateful that you're speaking to me yourself this time, so I'm not nagging him about where you are and what you're doing."

"Tank isn't a people person."

"Neither are you ... unless you actually like the person."

"I do like you."

"I noticed. Your tongue down my throat is pretty hard to ignore."

"My tongue in other places is also hard to ignore."

I squirmed around a little as I flashed back to the times his mouth had gone exploring.

"Stop it." I told him. "I can't think about that when you're stuck on the other side of the country."

"Why?"

"Why do you think?"

"Because we can't do anything about it?"

"Exactly."

Before he could respond, I heard knocking on my door.

"Shit," I whispered.

"What?"

"Someone's at the door," I told him. "If I'm quiet maybe they'll go away."

"Go ahead and answer it. I'm not going anywhere."

I blew out a resigned sigh. "Fine. Let me get rid of them and then we can finish this conversation. It was starting to get real interesting."

Maybe phone sex wasn't so bad after all.

I walked to the door and without glancing through the peephole - something he would've chewed me out for - pulled it open. There stood Ranger looking even better than he did when he left ... and he'd been pretty fucking hot then. I glanced at the phone he was still holding and pulled mine away from my ear, dropping it onto the floor as I threw myself at him.

"You're back," I said, not really believing my eyes, but the muscles I was plastered against were a dead giveaway that he was with me again.

"I am." His hands had gone immediately to my ass to keep me where I was. "I was able to get things wrapped up a day early."

My eyes may not have trusted it, but my body has cell memory where this man's concerned. And it knew by the feel of the thick muscles surrounding me, faint Bulgari scent, and tingling in my neck, that Ranger is indeed home. And I was ready to celebrate his arrival with some full body contact for the next day or two.

"How'd you make that happen?" I asked.

"I was motivated to move Aldo along."

"Was I the motivator?"

"You usually are."

He had yet to put me down, nor did I release him. He kicked the door closed, locked it, and then carried me further into my apartment.

"I missed you," I admitted into his neck.

"I missed you, too," he said, and his mouth thoroughly covered mine.

"I thought we had a dinner date," I breathed out, when his mouth drifted from mine down towards my throat.

"We can go somewhere or stay here. It's your choice."

I made my decision when his tongue licked the spot on my neck he'd just gently closed his teeth on.

"Can I have you tonight and dinner tomorrow?" I asked.

He lifted his head enough to give me a five-hundred-watt smile.

"I'll even order you two desserts," he promised. "You'll need the extra calories to sustain your body for what I've been imagining doing to it the last couple of days."

Two desserts, a naked and motivated Ranger, and a Saturday free to enjoy both? Hallmark can keep their touchy-feeling occasions, this is the kind of date I want to commemorate.

"I'm all for getting reacquainted tonight and celebrating us tomorrow."

"I can work with that," he said, now heading into my bedroom, with me folded around him like human wrapping paper.

I landed on my bed with a slight bounce. He stayed standing beside it, staring down at me. I wasn't the least bit intimidated, more excited and turned on than anything else.

"I hope you can do more than just 'work with it'," I whispered, definitely teasing him this time.

"You don't need hope in this case. I intend to show you repeatedly tonight just how much I've missed you."

My clothes were slowly peeled away, and a hot and heavy body took their place against my skin. I curled all my limbs around him and savored the feeling - savored him - as he went about convincing me that our separation, while brief, won't be happening again if he could help it.