Hi All, I hope you enjoy this. It is my first foray into fanfiction. While I am such a Cupcake this song made me think of Ranger. There had been so many commercials for Eli Stone on tv that I popped my old George Michael Faith cd in. I heard A Last Request and had to write my musings down.

Thanks to Janet Evanovich for such great characters and to George Michael for such a sexy song.

Seduced by Ranger. Again.

I had been staring at my computer screen for twenty minutes, not making sense of the words I was seeing. Instead my mind was on Morelli. I broke up with him the night before last. Again. He was trying to talk to me about my job. Again. My last skip had been a doozy. Joe and Ranger had to work together to protect me. Again. In the end, they both had come riding in on their white stallions to save me. Again.

Morelli actually handled the conversation quite well. I could tell he was trying to hold his temper. His hands only flew around a couple of times. He repeatedly told me it was not so much that he hated my job. Rather, it was that he hated the danger I always seemed to find while doing my job. When he suggested I work for RangeMan full time I wasn't sure I was ever going to get my jaw off his living room floor. What the hell was that about? After a quick smirk at my reaction, Morelli explained. "Look Steph, you know I don't like him and that I think he's a little left of center. But I also know he cares about you and will keep you out of dangerous situations. As long as you're in your cubicle at RangeMan doing research you're safe."

This time it was my Italian temper that was out of control. Everyone, especially Joe, knows how much I hate it when he tries to tell me what to do. I think that was why he was so calm during our "conversation". He didn't want me to see it as him ordering me how to live my life. Fat chance. I can't help myself. There are some parts of Morelli's macho Italian make up that I adored. Like how he can make my nipples contract with a single look. Other aspects, like telling me what to do, well I'm not so fond of those aspects. So after some huffing and puffing at him, I went upstairs, gathered some of my things and announced I'm moving out.

Everyone knows well get back together. I know it. Morelli knows it. Lula and Connie know it. Ranger knows it. Well, everyone except my mother, that is. I think deep down even she knows it. She's just afraid that that Morelli might be my last chance for a normal Burg life. She hasn't figured out yet that I'm not a normal Burg woman. I do think it's funny that she believes it takes a man with a gun to tame me. Everyone knows we'll get back together because in the end we truly do love one another. As we have been able to improve our relationship over the past few years, meaning I break up with him less frequently, everyone knows one of these days we'll figure out how to make it work.

I pulled myself back to the present when I realized I could see Ranger's reflection on my monitor. I saw a slow grin, ok, a twitch of his lips, as he said "Earth to Babe." I swiveled around in my chair to face him and answered him with a "Yo."

"Working late tonight, Babe?"

I looked at the clock on my wall. Yikes. It was 7:30. "Not really. I just lost track of time."

"Why don't you come up to the apartment and have dinner with me?" When I hesitated, Ranger told me "I've already asked Ella to prepare dinner for two."

"Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?"

"With you Babe, never."

We walked into Ranger's apartment and immediately the aroma of a delicious meal hit me. I was kind of hoping Ella had prepared for three people. I hadn't eaten very much since I broke up with Joe and now my appetite was back full force.

Ranger slipped his keys onto the dish on the sideboard. Today's fresh flowers were roses. A smile played at the corners of Ranger's mouth as he cut a look to me. "I see Ella is at work. The roses are for you. Ella likes you and wishes you'd come back and stay with me again."

"And what about you, Ranger? Do you want me to come and stay." Crap! I did it again. I never, ever win when I try to do the flirty thing with Ranger.

A small, gentle smile appeared as Ranger told me "Always. You know you're always welcome here."

The he leaned down and gave me a gentle kiss on my cheek. Then he straightened up, turned around and said "Let's see what's for dinner" as he headed for the kitchen. That was it! No flirting back. No letting me know that I was out of my league when I tried to flirt with him. Just a "Let's see what's for dinner." After turning the radio on softly Ranger entered the kitchen.

I followed Ranger and we found dinner waiting. There was the ever present salad. Thank god, or at least Ella, that wasn't the main course. She had also prepared chicken with rosemary and other herbs. It didn't make up for the missing skin, truly my favorite part of chicken. There was also rice pilaf and fresh green beans. For a healthy meal, it smelled pretty good. And Ella had left us a nice chilled bottle of Pinot Grigio.

Ranger and I discussed our day as we ate our dinner. It was the same old, same old. Ranger had morning meetings at RangeMan. Just before lunch he got a tip that one of his FTAs had been spotted on Stark Street. Swooping in like Batman, Ranger got his man, as always. I didn't tell Ranger that I'd spent the day trying to work while reviewing my life, wondering when I was going to get over reacting to Morelli so drastically.

"So, how long do you think it'll last this time, Babe?"

Huh? How does he do that? "How long what will last?"

"This split from Morelli."

"What makes you so sure I'll go back? And how did you know, anyway? Ugh!! Are you tracking me again?" I asked as I started to go for my pocketbook. Chuckling, Ranger grabbed hold of my arm and held me in my seat.

"The tracker's always there. I never know when I'll have to find you quickly, but that's not how I know. I saw Morelli at the station when I brought in my FTA. He wanted to let me know that this is temporary, that the two of you would be back together again."

"What did you say?"

"I told him I know."

There is nothing more aggravating than the two men in my life discussing, and then agreeing!, which one of them I'll end up with. But like I said, everyone knows that in the end I will be with Morelli.

This, naturally, did not sit well with me. I decided after helping Ranger pick up our dinner dishes I was going home to Rex, the only male that doesn't drive me crazy. Of course, he doesn't drive me crazy in the good way either.

Trying to keep the conversation light until I made my getaway, I asked Ranger about the music on the radio. "I thought you only listened to classical at home? I'm having a hard time reconciling the big bad bounty listening to pop music."

"Babe, like the 500 pound gorilla, the big bad bounty hunter can listen to what ever he wants to." I couldn't miss the teasing glint in his eyes.

From the radio I heard a soothing female voice announce "Coming up after our station identification break, we'll be listening to A Last Request by George Michael." Trying not to smile Ranger asked me "Do you know this one, Babe?" as he backed me against the wall. He leaned in, kissed my cheek, just in front of my ear, then began to whisper into my ear:

it's late
time for bed
so I sit and I wait
for that gin and tonic
to go to your head

Ok, I thought, I must be in some alternate universe or something. Batman singing? George Michael? Nooo…. Of course, it is a very sexy song, and Ranger is a very sexy man….I felt his lips curve into a smile as he continued


I know
it's a devious plan
but it's the only way that I know
to get those big bad car keys
out of your hand

Oh no. He wasn't really singing. He was whispering the words into my ear. I could feel his lips move against my ear as he whispered the words to me, and then I felt his warm breathe on my ear, my neck, mmmmmm.


you know
that I remain a gentle man
but even so
there's only so much
a gentleman can stand
sleep with me
oh sleep with me tonight

And then instrumental on the song began. I love the horn in this song. It is just so damn sexy. I think Ranger thinks so too because he took advantage of the opportunity to start kissing my neck, my ear and my jaw before taking possession of my mouth. Between the kissing and his instrument pressing against me I don't know how I stopped myself from moaning. I think he knew how I was feeling because his shirt front was balled up in my fists as I clung to him, pulling him closer. While he let me plaster myself to him he also pulled his face away from mine, just far enough for me to look into those dark, mesmerizing eyes. We each took in the passion we could see in the other's eyes. Ranger's lips began moving, but no sound was coming from his gorgeous, sensuous lips. He was simply mouthing George Michael's appeal.


my cards are on your table
my dreams are in your bed
if I was able
I'd be there instead

sleep with me tonight

No sooner had my arms begun to move upwards toward his neck then Ranger picked me up in his arms. I heard "Oh, babe…" come out as an uneven sigh as he buried his face in my hair and headed for his bedroom.