Disclaimer: All the characters you recognize from the Stephanie Plum books belong to Janet Evanovich.

A/N: This story isn't beta-ed. Any grammar faults or spelling errors are not to be considered flaws but inhence the individual beauty :)

Chapter 1

„Ma'am? Ma'am, can you hear me?"

"You call me ma'am one more time; you are dead," Steph growled with her eyes still close.

Why me, she thought. I've had this car barely a week and now this. Why did this stupid cat have to cross the freeway right in front of me? Why now of all minutes of the day? That's so not fair. My mother will iron the toilette paper when she hears about that. Oh, and Morelli, can't wait to hear what he has to say about this. Ranger of course will just Babe me, what else. Damn Monday. I hate Mondays.

"Miss, I hate to interrupt your inner dialogue; but could you please open your eyes for me so I can check them out?" a friendly voice to her left suddenly spoke again.

Wait, I know that voice. That's the idiot who called me ma'am.

"That's right, and this idiot is also a medic and would like to make sure that you are OK," the voice smiled.

A medic, huh? Steph curiously popped one eye open and peeked at the man crouching in her open driver's door with concern troubling his eyes. Latino, devastatingly sexy, skin tone coffee with just the right amount of cream, eyes like hot molten chocolate. Steph let her eye trail down his crouched form. Definitely merry men material. What is it with me and hot latinos?

The heartfelt laughter next to her made Steph blush. Why couldn't she keep her thoughts to herself?

"Well, I feel flattered that you think I'm sexy, devastatingly at that. I don't know who this Morelli or the merry men are; but this hot latino with the molten chocolate eyes is definitely glad to make your acquaintance," the unknown man to her left gave her a fully-fledged all white teeth and dancing eyes smile. Steph couldn't help but pop her second eye open to get the full effect. God he was handsome; sparkling eyes with laugh lines, high cheekbones, strong wide jaw and dimples in an otherwise rough manly face.

"Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Miguel Roque Pérez at your service," the man bowed his head and with an impish twinkle in his eyes added, "Miss."

It was so cute Steph had to laugh at that and stretched her hand out to him. "Stephanie Plum, unrivaled queen of chaos and destruction. Pleased to meet you."

"Well Queen Stephanie, how about I help you out of your car and we assess the damage that stupid cat has done to you?" Pérez nodded encouragingly making Steph smile again. Clearly for him the cat was at fault – a man after her heart.

Once she had divested her ancient Ford Fiesta the full damage became visible. When the cat appeared in front of her, she had jerked the steering wheel around, avoided the cat by inches; but therefore sailed over the hard shoulder into the fence of the field next to the Freeway. This car would go nowhere anymore aside from car heaven.

"Damn, I liked this car. I really like it," Steph pressed her lips together.

"The only important thing is that nothing has happened to you. That's all that counts," Pérez stated matter of fact and bent over to grab his medic bag from where he had dropped it next to the Fiesta.

Wow, buns to die for, Steph thought cocking her head and blushed as her savior straightened up with a throaty laugh.

"You definitely are one in a million, Queen Stephanie," Pérez chuckled.

He started by checking her pupils, then very gently palpated her scalp, moved her neck cautiously in all directions, continued down her arms, her wrists, before he asked her to breathe while putting pressure on different ribs. He was as cautious and thorough as Bobby if not more.

"You have very gentle hands," Steph murmured in a daze when the examination was finished. For some reason she didn't understand this foreigner was wreaking havoc on her hormones.

Miguel Roque Pérez smiling looked up and caught Steph's eyes, mesmerized by their electric blue color.

"I would need to look for a new job if my hands lost their gentleness. They are the main tools in my profession," he finally answered before clearing his throat and shaking his head as though to restart his brain. This woman was making his heart drum and it was all he could do not to step closer to her.

"Very good," he continued all professional medic again. "Everything seems to be fine. Nonetheless I'd recommend seeing a doctor at a hospital."

"No hospital," Steph interrupted him in panic making Pérez chuckle.

"Guess with Queen Stephanie being master of destruction you'd had your fair share of hospital visits, eh?" He laughed. "Seriously though, you got quite shaken up. I don't want to leave you alone out here. Can I get your somewhere? Or do you want to call a friend to pick you up? I'll wait with you until they arrive."

Steph looked at him and once more got lost in his warm brown eyes. She felt a tucking at her heart that adamantly demanded to spend more time with the stranger in front of her and before doubts and fears could even arise she took Chief Pérez' offered hand and followed him to his SUV.

The drive back to Trenton took nearly an hour thanks to the rush-hour traffic and by the time CMSgt. Pérez stopped in front of Steph's apartment building she had laughed so much and felt more carefree and happy as she could remember ever have been. Roque, 39 years old, has been with the Air Force for more than twenty years now. He was an Air Force Pararescueman, a PJ, stationed at an outpost near Baghlan, Afghanistan and stateside to attend his youngest sister's wedding here in Trenton. Her husband- to-be was an accountant and one of the most boring people in the world; but he made his sister happy so Roque took up with him, not that he had much of a chance. As a kid he had a hamster named Beetle, his first time was with Lucy May Lu behind the gym, he loved pizza and ice cream and he was bachelor because as he put it, he missed the exit when it was time to leave the service. And, wonder oh wonder, Roque was a real chatty cathy. The whole drive home they didn't stop talking once and now they were in her parking lot and Steph couldn't stop staring at his hands. They were big and rough looking; but she had felt first-hand how soft and gentle he used them. And then there were those eyes, warm and dreamy and smiling, and his lips; luscious, perfectly formed lips that begged to be kissed.

"You want to come up for a cup of coffee?" Steph suddenly heard her voice though it sounded a notch deeper than usual. Shit, I'm behaving like a cat in heat.

Next to her Roque nearly suffocated laughing.

"No Steph," he still chuckled, letting his left index-finger trail slowly along her hairline, down her cheek, along her jaw before he secured her chin between his thumb and index-finger. "Not like a cat in heat. You just don't want this to end and neither want I," he whispered. Their heads were close, their eyes locked and the sexual tension in the truck was palpable.

"Besides," he announced loudly, leaning back, opening the driver's door and jogging around the front of the truck. "I need to meet Rex the combat hamster," Roque finished with a cute grin as he helped Steph down.

He could have kissed her, she realized. He wanted it, she could see the longing in his eyes; but he held back. CMSgt. Miguel Roque Pérez seemed to be an honorable man and Steph had not the spark of a doubt in her that she'd have kissed him back.

Three hours later they didn't just have coffee but also Chinese take-out and felt like they've know each other for years. As the last dish was rinsed and dried the temperature in Steph's small kitchen was rising once more.

"Guess, you have to go now," Steph stood with her back to Roque who was leaning against the counter next to Rex' cage. She didn't want him to leave. Never in her life had she felt like this before; but everything in her screamed to keep him with her and never let him go.

His answer came hesitant and sounded as unhappy as Steph felt. "My sister is waiting for me."

The atmosphere turned heavy and contrite.

"Steph," Roque started.

"No, it's OK, really."

The last thing she needed was another I'm-not-relationship-material speech.

"Steph," but she cut him off again.

"Listen Roque, it's OK. We met, we had a nice evening, game over. That's fine."

By now she just wanted him to leave so she could let the tears loose that were starting to burn in her eyes. No need for him to see how hard this was on her.

"Steph, listen to me please," he stepped forward and cupped her face. When he was sure he had her attention he continued, "I don't want to go."

"You don't?" She croaked.

"No; but you need to be aware that I'm not a man for just one night. I don't do casual sex. If I stay, I want to stay the whole night and have breakfast with you in the morning. Then we'll take it from there."

Roque closed the last inches between their bodies and softly brushed his lips over Steph's, causing her heart to miss a beat.

"If I stay," he murmured against her mouth, "I need to know that this is gonna be more for you than just a one-night-stand, that you want more than that."