Pay Day
AN: I've recently become obsessed with these books and this is my first fan fiction for them. This takes place after Book 16. I will if I feel like it make stuff up, so just go with the flow, remember it's fan fiction from my point of view! Paragraphs in italics are flashbacks or memories.
Disclaimer: This fictional story is based on the books and characters from Janet Evanovich and the Stephanie Plum Series. The following story came from my own brain. Please use for all other chapters.
Stephanie
I was driving home from taking grandma to a morning viewing…after all I had nothing else to entertain myself with now that the office was brunt to a crisp, when I got the call.
"Stephanie…is this you."
I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop a smile. "Did you call Stephanie?"
"Well yeah but you know all you skinny white girls sound alike."
"You think? But not the big white girls?" I asked seriously curious.
"Yeesh of course not. What's wrong with you, all big people have more authority in their voice then you skinny people. I thought everyone knew that."
"Huh…you learn something new every day." Lula was a trip, big loud and proud and she was a very good friend of mine…though I was still trying to figure out how that had happened. "So what's up."
"That's right I called you for a reason. You have to hurry up and get down to the office."
"We don't have an office anymore Lula remember."
"Oh course I remember! I got a memory like an elephant. Shoot you have to when you a ho, got to remember the likes and dislikes and if they liked being spanked or giving the spanking."
"What?"
"….Nothing just get down to the office I'm out front."
Lula disconnected before I could respond. I swung a U and headed in the other direction, after all it wasn't like I had anything else to do. After those goons had burned down the office and the kidnapping Vinnie had made up with his wife but her father Harry the Hammer aka the mobster refused to go back into business with Vinnie and had only agreed not to kill him. Our credit all sucked so we couldn't even go in together on a loan. After about 3 days of sulking I'd went to the mall my second favorite place the 1st being a bakery and got a job at Victoria's Secret. It was close to what I'd been doing before and hey it was a job…I kinda had a reputation for destruction around town but they figured the curse had been broken when the office burned.
It was a job…and as jobs go it wasn't that bad….just one problem, it was only part time. However through my wonderful skill of begging, I'd convinced a few people to give their weekend shifts to me so that helped, but it was getting old. Either they'd need to hire me in full time or I'd have to get a second job… it was bad enough I was eating dinner most nights with my parents…jeesh. Maybe I shouldn't have been so hasty to discount my mothers idea of working at the button factory.
It didn't take me that long to pull onto the street where our office used to be. My eyes kinda bugged out a little. There were construction trucks, cranes and cement rollers parked on both sides of the street. I heard a car horn and focused forward. Lula was parked a little ways up and was waving her arms in the universal sign for "here! I'm right here". Hard to believe I hadn't spotted her since she had on a yellow tank top two sizes to small and fire engine red leggings three sizes to small. Her hair was a light brown so it won at being the most subtle thing about her today. Huh…maybe that's why I didn't see her. You get kinda used to the close but the hair…we'll it was usually very hard to ignore.
I slowly pulled up behind the Firebird and realized that Connie was standing behind her…she'd been blocked by Lula's… abundance of beauty is what I'd call it. I turned off the car and stepped out and walked over to the pair.
"What is all this?"
"That's what I want to know. That's why I called you two. I was feeling depressed and wanted a doughnut…or two from the bakery around the corner."
"You came all the way over here for a doughnut?" Connie asked, not really sounding that surprised just mildly curious."
"Well yeah…I figured this here bakery held certain memories, and like I said I needed some cheering up. So I swung on by only to see all these trucks and stuff working on the building."
"So what's going on." I repeated.
"Girl…what's wrong with you. This the second time you've been slow. Didn't I say that's why I called you down cause I didn't know."
I rolled my eyes and leaned forward a little to focus on Connie. "How about you…any idea."
Connie lifted her eyes from where she'd been studying her nails. "I got a chip in this one…I'm a little pissed about it, I just got these done."
I rolled my eyes so hard I thought one had torn loose and pointed a finger at the burned building that was apparently being rebuilt. "Do you know anything about that."
"Shame no one takes pride in their workmanship no more, you can't even get a good manicure in this town." Lula said. Me and Connie ignored her.
"Oh yeah…I know a little something about it. Vinnie called me two days ago, excited wanted to know if I wanted to come back and work if the office came back on line. I told him hell yes! After all where else can I do a little bit of shooting, and watch my soaps. Anyway he wouldn't tell me all the details. Just said that he had an investor that was going to restart the company."
"He didn't call me."
"Me either." Lula said almost sounding like her feelings were hurt."
"Actually he said he wanted to make sure it was a sure thing before he got everyone together. Said once he was sure he'd call a meeting and give us all the details."
"Well I'll be damned! Who would have thought that little weasel could have convinced someone to sponsor his little perverted ass." We all were silent for a minute thinking Lula was right…who would have thought it.
Finally Lula shook her head and smiled. I was happy to see it, I'd been worried there for a while that she might go back to her old profession to make ends meet.
"Well I don't know about ya'll but I'm about to get more doughnuts since this here is something to celebrate, then I think I'll pick up some hair dye."
"Didn't you just dye your hair?" Connie asked. "Remember I saw you last week and it was dark purple."
"Yeah what's up with this color…isn't it a little sedate for you." I know I shouldn't have asked but my curiosity was one of my bad traits.
"Well you know when I thought I'd be jobless I was a little depressed so that's what the dark purple and this lack luster brown was about. But now I got to express myself properly." She was already getting in the car and once she shut the door she rolled down the window. "See ya'll later. Connie you tell pencil dick Vinnie he better be calling us soon. I can't take being depressed to much longer it's effecting my appetite…a girl like me could waste away. Also move it so I can go."
It was Connie's turn to roll her heavily made up eyes. "Fine I guess I'll go get some doughnuts too. Bye Stephanie."
I waved good bye to them both and watched them leave. I guess I was in a little shock…after all part of me hated being a bounty hunter, the danger the stress…the embarrassment…the dogs…the food/trash that always ended up on me. I had gotten a little used to being clean and not making a complete fool out of myself. Another part of me was extremely happy, I think I'd become one of those closet adrenaline junkies. They say if you do something for 30 days straight it becomes a habit…I think catching the bad guys and getting into a lot of shit was my new habit. I let a smile split my lips and turned back to the car and my smile slipped a little. I was still driving Rangers car…must have been a record for me not destroying one of his cars…I'd had it over a month. Maybe working here really had been a curse.
Morelli/Ranger
Almost two weeks later I was at home about to walk out the door when my phone range. I looked at it… debated whether to take… it then figured why not, as I locked the door.
"How's it going cupcake?"
"Decent…how about you."
"Good the regular, couple of murders, one kidnapping, you know the regular."
"Good glad to hear it's going well, so…what do I owe this call to…you must be feeling a little randy or something."
"Yeah or something…I like to say horny…I'm a direct guy like that….you want to come over."
"Negative for a lot of reasons, main one being I'm on my way to work."
"Damn…okay then I was just calling for my weekly check in. Seeing if you were staying out of trouble."
"Yeah, besides keeping grandma from opening the closed caskets at viewings I've been totally out of trouble."
"Hmmm, must be a record, or it could be that you don't have a homicidal job anymore."
I blew some hair out of my eye and shook my head. "Don't start."
"Okay…but I'm just saying. Anyway what's the deal…I see the office is being rebuilt."
"I don't know yet, we got a meeting with Vinnie tomorrow night, he's supposed to tell who financed him."
"Hmmm, that will be interesting."
"Yeah it will, let's hope he had enough sense not get us involved with the mob…again."
We both paused in silence as we thought that chances were good that was exactly what he'd done.
"Yeah let's hope." Morelli didn't say it which much conviction…maybe that's what made him a great cop. You had to be doubtful and super realistic to be a good cop in New Jersey. "Anyway…I heard you're still driving Rangers car…what's up with that."
"You heard?" I was curious to know from where though with this being the Burg it could have been a different hundred sources. But I was curious since I hadn't seen or ran into him in two weeks and we'd broken up a month ago.
"You forget I investigate for a living…plus I have sources. Have you seen him lately?"
"No."
"Talked to him."
"No, not since the night of the hobbits when he called to say he'd be out of town for two weeks, he's a good month overdue."
"So…why are you still driving his car?"
"Because no one's told me to give it back yet!" I was raising my voice a little. "I had no car, no job…at first and I'm only working part time…I'll drive it until it's pried from my hands."
"Yeah about your job…you want to do a private showing of your merchandise tonight when you get off, I'm off duty."
"Uhh, is that all your mind can think about is sex." Honestly…I wouldn't have minded some sex a month was a lonnnnggg time without any.
"Hey sometimes it's the only thing worth thinking about." We both considered that statement in silence for a while. "So how about it."
"No…I'll pass…yeah I'll pass."
"So we're still broken up."
"Yep."
"You had to think about passing though…Maybe I'm wearing you down."
"Maybe…or maybe I'm just human and horny or need a slice of cake."
He laughed low in his throat and I felt a little tingle down south…maybe I did need to make a detour when I got off work."
"I gotta go." I said quickly.
"Okay cupcake, stay out of trouble." He hung up and I fought not to bang my head against the wheel.
He'd shown up after the rescue with some thongs in his hand he'd wanted me to model…and I had not that they'd ever even touched my body but you get the idea. As usual it had been great, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd time we'd done it. I'd thought things were back on track but in just two weeks we'd had another argument.
I'd been at his house on a Saturday morning and we were both sitting on the couch, Bob in the corner sleeping off his multi material breakfast. A little couch, a little bagel, dog food and a piece of tennis ball he'd found on his walk, when Joe made the stupid comment.
"So you think you'll have time to pick up the house this morning."
We hadn't been up that long and I'd only had two sips of coffee so at first I just really thought my brain wasn't working.
"Huh?"
He waved his hand, the one already clutching the remote towards the floor and kitchen. "You know this…it's starting to be a real mess."
"Huh?"
He shrugged like I'd just made a full comment. "I mean I thought you would have tackled it last night…wait I distracted you last night." He let the big satisfied smile fill his face and took another gulp of coffee before continuing. "But still this place needs cleaning."
My brain had clicked on sometime during this last insane comment and my first thought was… what the hell! I like to think my Italian rage is mostly kept in check…mostly… after all I never yell at any of my crazy family members…I haven't killed Luna and I'm the only one in the state who has an aversion to shooting folks, even those who are shooting at me. So I consider myself a fairly calm person. That being the case I calmly sat down my mug on the cluttered coffee table right beside the feet he'd propped up on it. I figured this way at the worst it might burn his feet if he bumped it, instead of me tossing it in his face.
"Let me get this straight you gave me a pass from cleaning your house last night because you were busy using me for sex."
"Now now cupcake…I'd say we used each other." At this point he was still oblivious of the bomb sitting next to him on the couch.
"Now you want me to clean up a house that was like this before I even got here?"
"Well yeah." He sat his coffee down but still held the remote the little line in his forehead showed that he was finally getting the feeling that something wasn't right with this convo. "I mean…you knew I'd been on that 3 day stake out, I only got like 6 hours off each day, for sleeping, eating, shitting you name it. So I figured you wouldn't mind helping out a little, I mean I used all my energy pleasuring you so I thought it was the least you could do."
"What does any of that have to do with you assuming I should clean it, I'm barely up and you're telling me to clean your house." My voice was only up one octave…see told you I was calm.
"What? I didn't tell you…I asked were you going to get around to it and besides it not like you spent all week doing anything like me."
"What!" Now I was up, one hand clenching wishing I had that cup of coffee…one hand on my hip. "What do you mean by that? I'm working you know."
"Part time." He mumbled.
"Who cares!" Okay so my voice jumped up two octaves this time. "Are you trying to say that my job isn't as important so I should clean your house that I had nothing to do with it being dirty like I'm a maid?"
"You know…if you had a job as a maid it would pay more and you could still keep the part time hours."
I did my best imitation of Lula and her eyes bugging out, then I remembered to breathe, then I let him have it at about decibel 10 "Why you cave man jack ass. I'm not your maid or a housewife. I work! Part time, full time I work! How dare you expect me to clean up after barely stepping in the house! Did they hit you in the head on this stake out getting rid of the brain cells you had left?"
Now he was up to, looking pissed but confused about what was really going on. "What is the big deal? Would it kill you to be a little more domestic? I mean you don't have that crazy ass job anymore so you should think about being a housewife."
"And whose wife would I be…yours?" I'd dropped back down to a 7.
"Well…yeah I guess. I mean as long as you don't plan on joining the academy or being a cop or something else stupid. I don't mind you working, you can keep the job at the mall or wherever else you want to work….I mean until eventually we have kids…though that wouldn't be right away."
"What…you don't want to have kids with me now?"
"Huh…you want kids right away?"
"No…but you act like it would be a bad thing…and what do you mean work until…what about after."
"There is no after you'd be a stay at home mom."
"Why! What if I want to work." I was back up to a 10.
"Cause Burg moms who have husbands don't work once they get kids." Now his hands were waving around. He bumped into the table and both our mugs fell on the floor. We both kinda looked and Bob ran over to investigate. After a couple of sniffs he took a step back then forward to take a couple of licks, he shook his head and finally backed away .We both looked up at each other after watching Bob's taste test.
"Well." I said.
"Well what."
"Take it back about you thinking I should be responsible for cleaning the house, that I don't do anything just because I'm not a cop, and that I would have to be a full time mom."
"What the hell else would you be if not a full time mom?"
"A part time mom!" I yelled. "You would be a part time dad and you add it all together and we'd be full time parents! So take it back."
"No, I want a full time mom for any kids I have."
"Well fine!"
"Fine!"
"Clean up your own mess." I shouted going to the kitchen to retrieve my purse. I'd dropped it after being attacked for sex shortly after walking in. He followed.
"I will! Since you obviously won't. Maybe I'll get someone else who wants to clean and supply sex!"
"Kiss my ass!"
"I did that last night!" he yelled after me as I'd stormed out the house.
So that was the break up after the two week make up. I didn't know what the hell was wrong with him. I mean yeah I knew how he was raised but it was 2011 and overall Joe really wasn't that chauvinistic…at least 90% of the time but those 10% was a dozy. My mom was the model mother, model house wife and I loved her for it. Even my sister with her horse kid was actually a great house maker and mom. But that wasn't me….at least not now maybe not ever. I could see myself being a mom…maybe but even if I was I'd be the crazy mom that embarrassed her kid all the time, it was just destiny. And while I didn't mind cleaning, I wasn't going to be a maid. I'd want my husband to help out on a regular. I wasn't kidding I wanted a more 50/50 type union. I mean yeah women had their certain jobs, men had there's or at least they should agree to divide everything 50/50.
Take the fact that Joe was a better cook. So maybe he should take the cooking more often than not them maybe I wouldn't mind taking the cleaning most of the time. But the way he made it sound it was all or nothing.
"Men suck." I parked and locked the car and walked into the mall. Thinking they sure did suck….sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a way that made all your bones turn to jelly. "Damn it…maybe I should think about using that two for one dildo Lula got me a while back" I'd kept everything from the store but never had the courage to use them. Damn Catholic guilt. It was bad enough I could barely use my hands on myself when I needed to.
I walked into Vicki's S (my little nick name for the store) and waved hello to my fellow co-workers. It was going to be a long night cause looking at these nighties were making me even hotter. Jeez. It ended up being a slow night, I mean it was Thursday for goodness sake. Now Fridays were a different story. People never planned ahead so you'd get the mad rush for freak me clothes right before Friday night dates. I was working until close which was 10 pm. It was around 8:45 and I was picking up the fitting rooms…folks were such slobs. Regardless it proved that I could clean up if I wanted too…I just didn't want to clean up Morelli stupid house. "Damn you I'm not going to be a live-in maid." I mumbled bent over with my butt to the door. I felt it two seconds before…
"Babe…you know they say only crazy folks talk to themselves."
"Jesus!" I jumped and tired to turn at the same time…I stumbled of course and Ranger reached out to steady me…I swear I felt like I had sun burn when he let go. He just looked at me, expressionless though I was pretty sure his eyes were smiling. "You can't sneak up on me like that!"
"Apparently I can….what's up?"
"Work…I'm working. What's up with you? You know two weeks was a long time ago." I spied barely a shrug of his right shoulder. I think it was a shrug or a tic…naw couldn't be a tic…Ranger had control of every delicious muscle in his body.
"Babe it was work…took longer than I expected. I'm now back. Anything I should know?"
"Hunh, no my life has been really normal and boring since the office burned down. Everyone around town is saying the curse has been broken…I think my mother is spreading that rumor."
"No shit?" Ranger said real surprise in his voice. "Hard to envision you...normal….boring in the same sentence."
"Yeah I know a little depressing."
I must have sounded depressed because he stepped forward and lifted my chin tracing my mouth with his thumb. "You could never be boring."
"You…aren't supposed to be in here."
Now the corners of his mouth went up. "You have a lot of rules today. I can't scare, I can't be in here. Next you'll be telling me I can't kiss you."
I didn't breathe for a few seconds, hence I didn't speak either. Ranger is sexy and seductive just by being in the same room with you. If he actually looked at you with desire in his eyes he could make you cum on the spot. Ranger actively flirting was like increasing your odds of having a heart attack if you at Cluck -in-a Bucket everyday. This was getting out of control and he really hadn't touched me.
"Yes…I mean no you can't do that either."
He leaned his head down closer. "You know I'm not really into folks telling what I can and can't do." I felt my face tipping up like it was being pulled to an opposing magnet…then the bastard stepped back.
"What's that in your hand babe?"
I was a little dazed but I tried to pull myself together, I figured Ranger couldn't find my mute idiot act sexy…not that I wanted him to find me sexy….right….right? "Oh I'm putting these away." I was holding several negligees, a red one made up of lace criss crosses was the one most visible.
"Hmm." He snagged the red one out of my semi lifeless hand and held it up to me. "I don't think this is your size…to bad I'd have you model it for me."
"I couldn't do that."
"Now you're telling me what you can and can't do. Never mind…I didn't want to see you in it anyway."
My heart did a little dip of disappointment. "I prefer you naked…I don't like anything in my way." He said. Now my heart was in my throat.
While I was gulping trying to dislodge the obstruction in my throat to speak he stepped forward and grabbed the back of my head. I was shocked almost senseless cause it wasn't the usual semi contained Ranger kiss, it was firm and demanding and even though I didn't know what he wanted I suddenly wanted to give. Give blood, a lung a kidney whatever he wanted from me.
My knees gave way and the next thing you know I was gripping the front of his black tee shirt with both hands. When I felt hands shape my butt, then my waist and move north to the Rocky Mountains better known as my nipples I strangled out some words. "What are you doing!"
"Doing a body check babe, I got to see for myself that you've kept out of trouble and safe for a whole month and a half." He ran a pass or two over the tips, making my legs want to collapse while he kissed my neck.
"You…should really stop now, we're in a fitting room for goodness sakes."
"And you should really stop talking. Here let me help you with that." And next thing I know tongue is back in my mouth, then mine is in his, then his hands where down south again, heading for the plains and valleys. I think I was having an out of body experience. Like I could feel his hands on the back of my thighs going up and pushing up my skirt, but this just couldn't be happening to me in the Victoria's Secret fitting room! He palmed my ass cheeks and paused.
"What?" I said breathless.
"Babe…a thong…"
"What? It's not like I chase bad guys anymore so I don't have to worry about irritation from running. And besides it's store policy that we have to dress a little sexy." I was a little defensive. I wasn't used to wearing skirts on a daily…I'd had to get back in the habit. And today I had on a fairly short black fitted skirt and a pink button up dress shirt. Vicki S colors. The fact that my thong was lacy and blue…well it was suppose to be my secret.
He had his head in the crock of my neck and I could feel him silently laugh. "How could you ever think you were boring?" He said softly before nipping my ear. I gave a little jerk and he slide one of his long fingers inside me at the same time.
"Eepp!" Or I made some kind of sound that had me sounding to close to Carl the monkey. Ranger covered my mouth again with a slow kiss, making my body confused as everything below the waist was picking up speed. I had my hands around his neck now roping him in.
"Put your left leg up on the bench." He whispered in the same ear he'd bitten. I blindly did and in the back of my mind I knew there was something wrong with that….something like I shouldn't but again it was a vague thought way in the back of my mind. Then all thought went out the window when he added a second finger.
"Oh my G-" I never got the last word out as he pulled my neck back with my hair and kissed a trail of pleasure down my neck and chest… and when the heck had my shirt come undone? He put his thumb to my clit and I no longer cared about the buttons on my shirt just the one button in-between my legs.
It was kinda lucky my neck was stretched, it kind kept in the moans trying to come up my throat. His fingers were pumping his thumb was rubbing and suddenly I felt a hot mouth wrap about a nipple through my blue lace bra. I let out a little cry like a trapped animal. I guess I was, and Ranger was the hunter. I withered some more as his mouth continued to pull at me through the fabric.
"Babe?" Translated "the bra too?"
"I….what…..it's a….matching set." I panted out. He brought his head up shaking his head…I think he was silently laughing at me again. Then our eyes locked and all I saw was serious lust in them and my muscles clenched around him big time. I saw the heat flare up another level in his eyes…I clenched again fighting to breathe, my finger nails digging through the shirt and into his shoulders.
Then he increased the pace and my eyes rolled in back in my head, I think I gasped to scream out but his tongue was back in my mouth and then it was just heat all over my body, his wonderful fingers and thumb, his thrusting tongue and my muffled screams.
Later I finally felt my eyeballs shift back down to normal level. I blinked a couple of times to make sure they were in the right place. Ranger was kissing my neck, my left foot was not on the bench but wrapped around his lower legs. I let it drop to the floor for all the good it did me, my legs felt like jelly.
He locked eyes with me and stepped back just enough that I was forced to try and steady myself…his hand was still between my legs…not moving but still dangerous. "That was quick."
I actually blushed….Jersey girls never blush after the age of 12. "Hey…it's been a minute don't judge me."
He gave me a swift brush of a kiss. "Never that. Just saying…I made you cum in 3 minutes."
"No!" My face must have shown some of my horror for he started the silent laughing again, but it caused his fingers to move too and next thing you now the sexual tension was back in full swing.
"Babe you might want to button your blouse before I get any more ideas…my hands are kinda full right now."
I blushed again cause he was talking about the fact that his hand was still in my unmentionable spot and the other was on my waist helping to keep me upright. I started working on my buttons ducking my head so he couldn't see my flaming face. I was a disgrace to the Burg blushing like this.
"It couldn't have been 3 minutes we've been in this room for at least 20 minutes."
"Wrong, convo took about two minutes, your orgasm took about 3."
"Jeez you're kidding me. It felt like forever…still feels like your hands are there."
Ranger gave a real smile and gave an upward thrust. "Yeah…their still there."
"Umm yeah…about that…." How did you politely ask someone to remove their fingers after they'd just given you the quickest and biggest finger orgasm you'd ever had?
"So why so quick…Morelli?" I guess Ranger was semi like a regular man after all he didn't take hints to well, since he didn't remove his hand. He also didn't communicate so clearly. Luckily I was about as well versed in "ranger language" (more like non language) as any one was and I read between the lines. "You must be quick because you aren't getting any from Morelli" is what he'd said with his five words.
"Yeah Morelli" There let him read between the lines for once.
"I thought when I left that was heading towards on again."
"Yeah, then it was off again barely two weeks later."
"His loss…my gain." He was silent for a beat "Any thing else going on you want to tell me about? You like this job?"
I wondered at the change of subject but shrugged. "Yeah it's decent, I haven't killed anyone, made a mess or gotten kidnapped, though that might change soon. Vinnie found some sap to rebuild and open up shop. We have a meeting tomorrow for him to tell us all the details."
"You think you'll go back to working with him?"
"Maybe…I'm not sure yet. I kinda like being safe…true it's boring but I'm safe"
"Babe…I told you…you'll never be boring." He took another step back finally sliding his fingers out of me. Swiftly jerking my skirt down.
"Yeah well…." She didn't know what to say to that, plus she was kinda missing those fingers already. She watched him take another step back and she frowned. "You're leaving?"
"Yeah I just came to see with my own eyes that you were in one peace."
"What? I can stay out of trouble?"
He just looked at me, shook his head and turned to go, suddenly he turned back and did something totally unexpected from him. He took those two marvelous finger friends of mine and put them in his month…sucking. My mouth fell open and stayed that way, he was looking at me…I was looking at him. Then it was done and his hand was on the door.
"Later….you still owe me." And he walked out.
Shock and Awe
I'm not even sure if the door was completely shut when I fell down to the little bench that people usually used to squeeze themselves into a one size to small outfit. My mouth was still on my chest….did he….just…lick me off his fingers….did he…what. Shit I felt like I was in the twilight zone.
Things like this didn't happen to me. I mean folks blew up my car, strange unwanted men routinely broke into my apartment but I didn't have sexy dangerous men who'd been missing over a month accost me in a fitting room, give me a 3 minute mind blowing orgasm then lick my juices off their hands while looking at me like I was a sundae. If all that wasn't enough to make me need an inhaler, he'd said I still owed him. The last words that he spoken before he'd poofed to one of his ranger, danger missions.
Morelli I could see doing something like this. He was more of a sex anywhere anytime type of guy. But Ranger…well it just wasn't natural. He was never this direct or aggressive with me in the past…what did that mean? He'd once told me that if he wanted to and put even a little effort into it he could make me leave Morelli for good…I'd believed him then and now I was scared shitless. I had a feeling that he was on the hunt…and I was the prey.
He'd played nice guy in the past, never really pushing me, letting every move we made or didn't make be up to me…but it seemed the gloves were off. "Shit…I'm fucked." Figuratively and literally if Ranger had his way…and when Ranger really wanted his way…he got his way.
"Fuck." I rarely cussed using the big grown up words, but this seemed like a good time for some big grown up cuss words. A sudden knock on the door had me almost peeing myself.
"Stephanie! What are you doing in there? It's been ten minutes. We got a last minute rush, we need you on the floor."
"Kay…be right there."
Shit…less than ten minutes in Rangers presence had turned me into a legless, barely breathing, jumbled thinking mess. This was why Ranger was dangerous….even if he wanted a life time, hell just a month even…I wasn't sure I would survive.
I'd gone home feed Rex a grape and a little piece of apple before showering and heading to bed. I'd tossed and turned, having hot flashes. My body wanted those fingers…wanted that…
"Ugh" I tossed off the thin blanket and pulled out a dildo. I would do it tonight and then I wouldn't be so susceptible to people fingering me in a fitting room. I rinsed it off in the bathroom took it back to the bed…and couldn't do it. It was hard to use a substitute like this when you knew someone like Ranger was waiting to "collect" from you. I'd thrown it back into my bottom dresser draw and went back to tossing and turning.
The next day I worked an early shift…just as well as we had the meeting with Vinnie tonight at 7. I was tired as hell and cranky too. I got off at 5 and headed to my parents for Friday night dinner. Grandma didn't burn the table this time, and dad missed when he'd lunged at her with his fork. All in all a good night. I left a little after 6:30 and headed for home. I figured I'd change out of my clothes real quick and head to the office. He hadn't said it would be there but then again where else would it be?
I changed into some jeans and a purple stretchy top. Fed my kid and opened the door to head out at 6:45…Lula and Connie pushed past me into the apartment.
"How'd you know it was us? I didn't even knock…you're not psychic are you? I thought we were friends I'd be mad if you were psychic and didn't tell me." Lula took the bucket of chicken she had in her hand to my kitchen.
"Hey." Connie said as a way of greeting.
"What are you guys doing here?" I shut the door and followed them to the kitchen.
"I swear I think the no sex is frying her brain. By the way do you want a piece of this chicken?"
Connie already had her hand in the bucket as Lula spoke. "I got extra spicy and I knew you didn't have no food in this place. You can't have a meeting with no food."
"No thanks, remember it's Friday night I had dinner with the folks."
"That's right Vinnie should have had the meeting over there. Your mom lays out a real nice table."
"You know Vinnie is banned from my mom's house, are you saying Vinnie told you to come here?"
"Yeah. He said the meeting was at your house." Connie said biting into a wing that looked mutated it was so big.
"What an ass."
"He didn't tell you?"
"No he didn't tell me." I grabbed a piece of chicken and bit down. Last time I'd had Vinnie in my house he'd put on a pair of my panties. I wasn't sure I wanted him here again. And that little toad didn't even ask me. Bastard…men were all bastards. The bastard walked in 5 minutes to 7pm.
"You have a lot of nerve." He ignored me and migrated to the kitchen.
"Chicken, good I was starving. Lucille has me on this healthy food shit. She says if I have a clean body maybe it will make me have a clean mind and I won't want to do all that freaky stuff anymore."
Connie snorted, Lula mouth dropped and I just shook my head. "Good luck on that one." I said. "Okay come on spill it, I don't want you in my house longer then necessary Vinnie. I bought a new dress last week and I don't want you borrowing it."
"Gee a guy borrows a pair of panties once and people never let it go."
"Speed it up Vinnie…I got a date at nine." Connie said, licking her fingers.
"Well. It's basically like the company who had us before, well before they wanted to kill me. They own the bails bondsmen company, but I run and manage it. They only care about the bottom line and will stay out of the day to day operations. They got enough backing to get us up and running until money starts rolling in."
"That's great!" And I meant it…it was great. Part of me was itching to get back into action. Who knows though maybe I'd only do it part time and keep the non deadly job too, I figured I needed to start keeping my options open.
"So who took a chance on your kinky ass?" Lula wanted to know and then there was a knock on the door.
Vinnie looked more shifty than normal. "Umm that's probably our business partner now."
I glanced at my watch…seven a clock on the dot. We all shuffled into the living room and I got the door.
Ranger gave me a nod and walked in. Once again my mouth was hanging open. This was becoming a bad habit one I'd never had until Ranger started doing all these un-Ranger things. He never knocked ever. Ranger was always on time though….Ranger had on his business face, which was his everyday face but without the slight laugh in his eyes he usually had when he saw me. Ranger was our business partner….
"Oh shit." My thoughts exactly, I was glad Lula had articulated what I was thinking. I closed the door and Vinnie and Connie took a seat on my couch the rest of us stood up. "You the one who gone be over Vinnie and us?" Lula continued… one hand on her hip as she balanced on 4 inch spiked heels.
"Yeah." Okay so he was back to his usually un- talkative self.
"This is cool." Connie said a slight smile on her face.
"Ranger was kind enough get my ass off out the frying pan and back in business."
"So what? Are we like Rangeman employees now? Cause I heard they all got to eat healthy stuff and I can't live off that stuff. Everything not healthy for everyone and carrots aren't healthy for me."
I saw his eye twitch a little….it was the same reaction I often had with Lula. "Okay listen up folks, this is how it's going to work. Mostly I'll be a silent owner, Vinnie is getting a decent cut of the profits and he'll supervise and run it like usual. I like making money so we'll probably add more additional high bonds then you guys are used too."
"Doesn't that mean more dangerous bonds." I added to the conversation for the first time.
"Yeah, possibly. The difference is the office will have the backing of Rangeman for any tough take downs."
"So that means we can call you whenever we want…hmmm I like that idea." Lula said flirting.
"Negative, Rangeman sources should only be used when absolutely necessary. My guys are expensive, they'll be no using them for minor emergencies or pizza runs."
"Hey now…sometimes a pizza run is an emergency."
Ranger ignored her but I saw his mouth twitch a little. "Any other questions? The office will be up and running as of next Wednesday."
Lula raised her hand like she was in school…this was another first. Lula always spoke first and never waited on anything. Then again Ranger had that effect of keeping everyone in line without even trying. He gave the smallest of sighs and nodded her way.
"Will we have to wear all black? Cause I gotta tell you ole Lula prefers bright colors to match my sunny personality. Plus all black don't show off my figure to its best advantage."
Lula had a point. Last time she'd dressed up in Rangeman colors she'd looked like a Dominatrix that you didn't want to mess with.
"No, the office will run exactly like before. In fact none of you can let anyone know that I'm the owner. Everyone needs to think things are the same as usual. That I come around to help out on an odd job or two."
"Or when Stephanie is in trouble." Connie murmured.
"Yeah or that." Ranger agreed. "They'll be problems if I find out any of you shared this information."
Everyone's eyes got big and they rushed to reassure him.
"Don't worry about me, us ex ho's know how to keep a secret, rarely any of my johns wives ever found out about em."
"Yeah no worries here…it's in my genes to keep a secret." Connie was referring to her whole family being 7th generation mob. If you couldn't be trusted…well you didn't fair well in that family.
"Hell I've already forgotten." Vinnie said and stood up. "Okay well I gotta split the wife don't trust me to be gone longer than thirty to forty minutes at a time. I expect all you bums to be in the office Wednesday morning."
"Hey Vinnie don't forget you promised me a couch, a vibrating couch." To Lula's credit he had promised her that.
"Shit." Vinnie said before slamming out the door. Connie got up too.
"Okay it all sounds good, I got to go too, don't want to keep my date waiting." She left and Ranger was right on her heels, I followed and stopped him at the door.
"Why'd you do this?"
He tugged my hair and then actually smiled. "You know why." We let that hang there in the air for a minute. "Plus I'm always looking for opportunities."
Oh boy that statement could mean a couple of things. "Ranger…I don't think this is a good idea."
"Babe think of it as me doing community service. Vinnie is a worm but he serves a need of the community."
"I never took you for the altruistic type."
"I'm not." He swooped in and took a kiss. It had some tongue and only ended when Lula faked coughed in the back ground.
"Soo not a good idea." I said wanting to fan myself.
He smiled again. "You owe me." And walked out.
I shuffled back to Lula who had taken a seat on the couch and dropped down beside her.
"Whoa, if a man like him, kissed me like that, anything he suggested would be a good idea…hell even the real kinky stuff."
I was afraid to think what Lula considered "real kinky stuff" seeing as a lot stuff she'd one in the past and thought normal was in my "to kinky book."
"It's not that simple."
"Shit…I'm sure Ranger could figure it all out for you. Anyway isn't this exciting. Me and you will be Thelma and Louise again.
"Hunh, more like dumb and dumber."
"Wait now am I the dumb or the dumber one? Don't forget I'm in school.
"I don't know if I'm going to take the job back."
"What! Here you go talking crazy again. Geez I really need you to get some from Morelli or something. Your brain just not thinking right."
"That's the problem. Morellia hates me working with or around Ranger. If he found out Ranger owned the company I'm not sure he could get past it."
"But you guys are broken up, you're always broken up or almost broken up. What does it matter what he thinks and besides your just working for him, it's not like you guys are getting down in the sheets…though if it was me Ranger looked at like that, I'd never leave my sheets. I'd be his personal ho."
"Yeah but Morelli knows that if I spend enough prolonged time with Ranger we'd probably be in the sheets." I almost told her about the mall. But Lula wasn't the best at keeping these types of secrets. As it was it would be a miracle if Ranger didn't have her assassinated within a month of being on his payroll. "And like you said eventually I'll end up back in Morelli's bed. I can't sleep with them both."
"See that's your problem, remember I told you that before, you got to many rules that don't make sense. It's 2011, you not married and right now you not even in a relationship and even if you were you should do like my voluptuous twin Beyonce says. If he liked it then he should have put a ring on it. Until Morelli does that which let's be honest I'm starting to think he never will. You fair game to everyone else. As much as you like cake I'm surprised you're not having yours and eating it too.
"Uhh it's not that simple. Ranger isn't offering me long term either. He's the man of mystery and danger."
"All the more reason to ride him as long as he'll let you. Besides Ranger treats you as good or better than Morelli."
I raised an eyebrow in question.
"What? I've been thinking it for a while but I didn't want to stick my nose in, cause you know I'm not the nosy sort but since you asked."
"I didn't ask." I mumbled.
"Ranger treats you good girl, really the prefect man. You don't have to clean up after him, he's not all in your space, you know how men get clingy. He's tall, dark and handsome, and I can only imagine his package is huge. He's successful with his own business…true we not sure it's all on the up and up but this here is Trenton so who's business is? He's always protecting you and rarely ask for anything in return. The biggest thing is he gives you cars…smoking cars. Hell for the cars alone I'd let him have his way with me."
For a minute I just looked at her….everything she said was truth. I could always ask him for help or a favor and he always delivered. "I don't want to use him for his cars."
"Hell why not? If you become a bounty hunter again you know you gone start blowing them up and you gone need a hook up, your car insurance is shot, and your credit is barely better than mine.
" But I don't want to be his kept woman, I might as well be his hoe."
Lula looked at me like she thought my brain cells were not working good again. She stood up and put both hands on her ample hips. "Let me tell you something. I know about being a ho, you'd never be his ho. Now you might be a kept woman in a sense but women would kill to be kept by him. Let me tell you the number one difference between a ho and a kept woman. A kept woman or a mistress has the affection of a man. A ho has nothing but the money he puts in her hand. You really dumb if you don't know Ranger cares about you. I've not once heard even the tiniest rumor of him treating any other woman like he treats you."
I sighed feeling like an idiot hoping I hadn't inadvertently hurt Lula's feelings. "I know he does…he says…well I just know he does. But I want more from any man I'm with…I want a real relationship.
"Hunh…well then it's your job to make him want one too and if you do your job right in the bed room he just might." Lula walked in the kitchen and grabbed the bucket with the two remaining pieces of chicken left in it and walked out the door.
The rest of the weekend was uneventful. The same for Monday. I'd been going back and forth on if I should revisit being a bounty hunter. I was still undecided. My mom thought I'd be crazy to go back and she said she was lighting a candle for me every night in the hopes the Virgin Mary gave me some sense. Grandma was excited and putting in a bid already to go on a stake out with me, provided I was after someone young and sexy. I'd agreed I'd take her, since I knew the chances of us ever having a young and sexy skip was pretty low.
It was Tuesday and I was working the morning shift until 5, it was 4:30pm and I had an half hour to go. It was slow so I was day dreaming at the counter. I didn't know where I wanted to go with my life. I was still thinking about the things Lula had said. She was dead on, which was another oddity. Joe didn't seem like he'd ever get around to putting a ring on my finger. We'd consistently been doing the on again off again thing for a little over 3 years now. He did seem to be slowly moving in the direction of wanting a wife, the problem was the kind he wanted was the kind I didn't want to be.
"Hey Stephanie!"
I jerked out of my daze to Sue Patelli shouting my name. "Sorry did you say something?"
"Yeah I did about 4 times. Boy you were out of it. Look why don't you leave early."
"I'm sorry I'll snap out of it."
"No seriously, I'll punch you out at 5 so you get all your time. It's dead in here anyway. Plus Tina always comes in early…she's a work freak so if a rush happens she'll pitch in."
"Okay thanks, sorry again I got a lot on my mind."
"Yeah I heard the office is suppose to be opening up soon, I imagine your trying to figure out if you're going back or not…are you? My granny says they have a pool at the senior center going on if you're crazy enough to take the job back again. Most hope you will, they say it's been boring since you stopped blowing up stuff."
I didn't know what to say to all that. "Uh I don't know….what's the odds looking like."
"Right now the odds are 3 to 1 that you'll go back. Most think it's that Hungarian blood that makes you do extra crazy things. Look you can tell me…I just want to tell my granny so she can make a little change. She says she's saving up for the annual Seniors cruise to the Bahamas."
I grabbed my purse and shook my head…seniors went to the Bahamas? And 3:1 go figure I figured it was fifty fifty…did someone know something I didn't? "Sorry Sue I swear I honestly don't know yet. Thanks for letting me leave a little early."
Sue shrugged looking a little bummed she wouldn't get the inside scoop. "Okay no prob, see you."
"Yeah see ya." I didn't know if I'd see her on Thursday which was my regular work day or if I'd see her the next time I came in for new undies.
I went home and found some beer in my fridge which surprised me, I didn't think I'd gone shopping in a while. But who knew, Lula was right I hadn't been thinking right for a while now. I was hoping it was the no sex instead of something more serious like a brain tumor. I flopped on the couch and found a movie and zoned out. I had two problems both with two options. Safe Job, unsafe job, man number 1 man number two. I'd better figure out the job fast seeing as how I was suppose to report to work in the morning. The man thing…well hell who knew. I hadn't heard from Ranger since the meeting in my living room. I'd even called him on Sunday but my call had been routed to Tank. So I'd said I wanted to know if Ranger wanted his car back. Tank had put me on hold and then told me to "keep it for now." I'd been pissed that he hadn't taken my call…that had never happened before. But I'd played it off and hung up. I'd honestly expected a call later. You know I was reasonable …mostly. Maybe he was busy. It still pissed me off. I mean why kind of guy gives a girl a finger job, buys her job, says she owes him and never calls?
On the other hand the other man had called me almost every day. True...it had been to see if I wanted to supply sex, but after I told him no he'd at least asked about my day etc. I knew he was getting desperate since he'd even hinted at going to dinner with me Friday night. He knew I'd feel bad if he sat through that circus and might give him pity sex. I'd declined the offer.
See what I was dealing with? Neither was an easy choice, kinda like the jobs. "Ugh…men."
I don't know when I fell asleep but I know I woke up around 10:30. I gave Rex a night snack then jumped in the shower. That definitely woke me up. I changed into some boy cut undies and a white tank. I fell in the bed and found my nap hadn't answered any of my questions. Should I be setting my clock to wake up in the morning or not? And what was I going to do with Ranger? Even if I didn't go back to running down back alleys and doing flying tackles he would still want to collect. I'd had to admit I wasn't even sure how I felt about that. My first response was to get extra hot in certain areas of my anatomy. But then the panic and uncertainty set in.
"Shit." I really needed to come up with a more creative cuss word to say when I was feeling anxious. Otherwise I had a feeling I'd be saying shit a lot. I decided I wouldn't set my clock, I'd go to sleep…if I could and if I woke up around 9ish I'd go into the office if I slept past 10 then that meant I wasn't suppose to take the job. "Shit." I closed my eyes and figured eventually I'd fall asleep. My phone rang and I shot up in the bed, I think I'd been actually slipping into sleep. I looked at my clock and saw it was 11:30, I didn't even look to see who it was, I was pissed that I might have missed out on getting a nights rest after all this time.
"What!"
"Babe…"
"Ranger…it's you." Shit, shit, shit and more shit.
"Yeah…"
"What's up, it's kinda late." There were several long beats of silence.
"Did I interrupt something."
"Just my first night of sleep in about 4 days….that's all."
"Good… I need you here."
Now it was my turn to be silent for a few beats. I couldn't figure out what that statement meant. He'd said it in a tone that was a little bit below his business voice and a little bit higher than his "I want to get you out your panties voice. So what the hell did that mean? "Here as in Rangeman?"
"Yeah."
"When?" Why do humans ask questions they all ready know the answer to?
"Now"
"Umm, it's late…what's this about."
"Babe…you owe me." And he disconnected.
AN. This is going to be to be a 2 to 4 chapter story tops…I'll see how it goes Hope you enjoyed…I was so not ever suppose to start any kind of new fan fiction smh but this made me obsessive, a testament to Janet. I haven't been this obsessed with any book, or show in a good 7 years. I will be finishing the story on here I mayhave to modify chapter 2 because it will have the heaviest sexual content in the story. We'll see, but the sex is really not the story: They did add a Stephanie Plum category under books on adultfanfiction so I posted there as well. There could end up be little to no difference in the two I have to see how the story writes itself. Thanks for all the reviews and interest I appreciate it. Deep Serenity.