These are not my characters. They belong to the author Janet Evanovich and thank you for letting us borrow them and run with our fantasies.

Author's Note - This is my first Cupcake HEA. Before you turn your head and go blech!, hear me out. I'm a Babe, however this story is a result of the book Smokin' Seventeen which bugged the crap out of me. If you read it again, you'll see some of what I did. First, Steph is a total slut and not because of any hoodoo from an old lady. Perfect excuse to get some Ranger nookie. Ranger was an arrogant ass. More than once I blanched at his dialogue. "Yes, but it will cost you.", "Are we talking about sex?", "I don't have to bargain for sex, Babe."

Duh! He already did. He gets his, zips up and leaves all satisfied as usual. In this book, Morelli was really sweet through nearly the whole book. He was cute and playful and fun! Ranger? Cute, yes. Playful and fun, not so much. So, I wrote how I felt about the book. This is my take on how I think it should have gone. It's short. Just a few chaps.

Margaret, I know you are scowling from afar and I promise that our little masterpiece will be up next. I was in a mood and blasted this out in a couple of days.

Special thanks to alix33 who will be doing the beta work. You are great!

Humility

Chapter 1

Joe's POV

This had been one busy morning at the station. First, I had to finish that crap load of paperwork I had been sitting on for two days and then the department meeting that had just wrapped up. I had some witnesses I needed to interview like yesterday so I headed out. On the way, Robin mentioned that she had seen Steph and Lula outside when she had come back from lunch. I hurried out to see if I could catch her to say hello and see if she wanted to get together tonight.

Our romantic moment the other night had been interrupted by enormous panties, a possible bladder infection and mention of my crazy Grandma Bella. I was hoping that she was feeling better and we could make up for that night. She drives me crazy and scares the shit out of me, but Jesus I love the woman. I think I would rather drink bottles of maalox than be without her. When I got out to the lot, I didn't see her car. Guess I had missed her. I hopped in my current pos cruiser, a beat up crown vic and headed out of the lot. When I turned and pulled out, I saw Manoso's unmistakable ride parked at the curb a block away and a mop of curly hair disappear into the Porsche on the drivers' side.

I turned in that direction and watched as the car drove a block and turned into an alley. What the fuck is this? I know what happens in alleys with these two. I'd had plenty of reports about the alley next to Vinnie's bonds office. I hated that situation and had changed my mind about asking her to marry me until she got that situation squared. I hoped that he would move on and leave her alone. I knew he didn't really want her or he would have made a serious move and that just never happened. I just couldn't believe that they would have the audacity to make out in an alley two blocks from the police station.

I looked down the alley and he had driven almost to the end so I turned my car into the alley and stopped and watched and waited. Whatever they were doing, Manoso hadn't looked in his rearview mirror and seen me sitting there. The passenger side door suddenly opened and a long barefoot leg emerged and then another and Stephanie was standing there in a red lace thong and a t-shirt and began tip-toeing around the car to the driver's side and I swallowed hard and looked up at the camera attached to my rearview that was running. Jesus Christ, Cupcake. Please don't do this.

I watched as my stomach began to twist into knots. She turned facing me and moved inside to straddle the drivers seat with one leg and then in a couple seconds the leg outside the car and the car itself began moving. Then the beeping started and I thought I was going to fucking lose my mind. Anger and betrayal and hurt filled me up and I reached for the radio and called a car to the alley and got out and started walking toward Manoso's fucking vanity car. You can fuck in it thug, but you're going to jail for doing it in public.

I was able to walk straight up to the door and speak before they knew I was there. I had heard Stephanie say on more than one occasion how Manoso was always telling her to be aware of her surroundings. Well. It looked like the mighty man himself was off his game today. I cleared my throat and told Stephanie to get off of him and step out of the car.

She looked up and yelped and bumped her head on the roof of the car and fuck if I didn't see Manoso's dick slide right out of her. The image was going to be burned into my brain forever. Stephanie slowly stood with a shocked looked on her face and then I watched as her face began to turn red and it spread down her neck and kept going. She still had her panties on. Right now, I was managing my stone face just as well as Manoso. I said, "Put your hands up and step to the trunk of the car and place both hands face down on it and stay there." She gulped and nodded as her eyes began to fill with tears and stepped past me.

I heard footsteps coming down the alley and told Stephanie to do what I told her and that she was under arrest and I saw Manoso going for his zipper and I yelled at him to stop moving and put his hands up and slowly get out of the car. He moved with the precision of a cat and stood before me with a smirk on his face. I stepped to the side so the camera would get a clear picture of him and I heard two voices behind me. "Jesus…What the fuck..?" I wanted the whole sordid fucking deal on video. I wanted there to be no mistake about who cheated on who in this mess.

I kept my eyes on Manoso and told Carl to cuff Stephanie and read her her rights. Carl looked at Stephanie, then down at Manoso's dick and then looked at me and nodded. Big Dog said, "Let her get her clothes on, Morelli."

My anger was past boiling, "Fuck no. She's going just like she is so that everyone will know what a slut she really is. I can't think of a more disrespectful thing to do than to cheat on your man in a public place two blocks from where he makes his living." I heard her sob at my words.

Manoso finally spoke. "Let her put her clothes on. You want to humiliate a woman like this that you claimed to love?"

"Key word is, did. You both are under arrest for public indecency and your hotshot lawyers aren't getting you out of this one. This little rendezvous is on video in my car." I heard another sob behind me and I turned. "Take her on. I've got Manoso."

"Hands behind your back. As I cuffed him, I read him his rights. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be held against you…" I finished his Miranda and pushed him toward my car and opened the back door and pushed him in. I got in the driver's seat and picked up the radio and called for a tow to come to the alley and pick up the Porsche and impound it. Then I took a deep breath and drove to the station.

When I came in the door with Manoso, Stephanie was waiting to be booked and her head was down and I could see tears free flowing and hitting the floor and dropping on to her shirt. Manoso looked at her and turned a glare on me. Cops began to trickle into the booking area as word began to spread through the station. Robin looked at Manoso and down at his pants and her eyes were wide and then she looked at Stephanie and me with sympathy on her face for both of us I guess. She took Stephanie's arm and took her to begin the booking process.

I told the technical guy to get the video from my cruiser and secure it before someone got the chance to tamper with it. Manoso had money and contacts and I wasn't going to take the chance that it would disappear. I also knew that this was the 'Burg' and that there were many people from the 'Burg' that worked in this station and the chances were good that the footage with sound could end up on Youtube before the end of the day. I turned to look at Stephanie's back and almost bare ass and my temper rose again. So be it, Cupcake. You really did make your bed. Didn't you?

Once Robin took Manoso, I started to leave the station and Chief Juniak stepped into the room and I looked up. He said, "Morelli, you sure you don't want to stop this?"

"Absolutely."

"Listen, I understand you're hurt and angry. You know what this is going to do to that young woman. Shit, kid. Her life is going to change."

I said what I had been thinking just a couple minutes before, "Chief, she made her bed and fucked in it. She made a conscious decision to break the law and two damned blocks from this station. If that wasn't an up yours and a disregard for decency and the law, I don't know what is." He stood with hands on his hips and sighed and nodded and turned and walked away.

I got in my car and pulled out my list of people I needed to question and looked at it. What I really wanted to do was shoot my gun off or beat the shit out of a lowlife or something. Kick something, anything. Instead, I backed the car out and put it in gear thinking about the chief's words. I thought, my life changed the minute she fucked him in public and threw us away. How long have they been doing this? Jesus, Morelli you're such a fucking idiot. All the signs were there. I knew they were flirting and various people had told me about the kissing in the bonds office alley. I reached in the glove box and pulled out a new bottle of antacid and took a couple swigs and took a deep breath and drove out of the lot.

Two long days later, I got a call from Stephanie. She had left a message and I could tell that she had been crying. "Joe, I'm sorry that I hurt you. Even though we weren't perfect, I do love you. Ranger is like a bad addiction. He doesn't really want me. After the first time he..sent me back to you. I..know what I need to do. What I did was disrespectful and you're a good man and you deserve better. I'm not good enough for you..I hope you find someone deserving of you and who makes you happy. Goodbye, Joe."

She just confirmed what I already knew. He never really wanted her. Motherfucker had just been playing with her. I should shoot the big cock right off the son-of-a-bitch.

Ranger's POV

I had tried to call Stephanie several times and she wasn't answering her phone. I went to her apartment on the second day after the arrest and let myself in and I heard her crying before I reached her bedroom dooway. This whole thing had gotten messy and fast. The video from Morelli's car had ended up on Youtube within twenty fours hours. So much for TPD security and integrity. I already had my lawyers working on a lawsuit against the department. They could extract dollars from the situation, but they couldn't give a young woman back her life.

I sat in the club chair in her room and waited for her to acknowledge me. When she quieted, I moved to get in bed beside her and hold her. I was surprised when I heard an angry, "Don't!"

"Babe?"

"You have no fault in this. It was all me. But, Ranger he wanted me and he did love me. I broke his heart and if I put myself in his shoes, I would have done the same thing that he did. The Italian part of me would have sent me straight over the edge."

"Babe."

She sat up and glared at me. "Is that the only thing that you can fucking say besides the fact that you don't want me? Jesus, the most I ever heard out of your mouth at one time was your fucking speech before you sent me back to Morelli after you fucked me the first time and were in such a hurry to get away from me the next morning."

"Stephanie?"

"I wish I'd never met you, Ranger. You're like a drug addiction. I know you're bad for me and I can't stay away from you. This is as good a time as any to quit you cold turkey once and for all. Please help me here and go and don't come back. This mess we made, I made, is over. Go find another fuck buddy and playmate."

"Babe…You're upset?"

She screamed at me with tears in her eyes. "You helped me when I needed help and I appreciate that. The only thing you ever did ask for was sex from me. Well, you got your payment and it was good and it changed our relationship. Now, I have to tell you that my life no longer lends itself to toxic friendships; if I even have a friend left. I'm no better than Joyce. I hate myself right now."

I was shocked by her words and the realization of the real pain that I had caused her by my stupid actions and words. It had just sunk in. I wanted to tell her that I didn't mean everything that I had said to her and that I loved her. The truth remained, that I had meant some of it and I wasn't free to be with her now and have the kind of relationship that she really wanted and needed. So, I backed away from the bed and nodded and reluctantly left her apartment and went back to Rangeman.

TBC-