Chapter One

He knew he was dreaming. Didn't make seeing her naked any less gratifying. She really was incredible. And not just the soft ivory skin and supple curves. Or the enchanting blue eyes that held his gaze from within the frame of those glorious chocolate bedroom curls. No. It was the fire in those eyes. Teasing. Defiant. Tempting. Both erotic and shy. Brave yet vulnerable. She was an enigma. A problem he hadn't been able to figure out. An addiction he couldn't give up no matter how hard he tried. God help him.

God help her.

That was probably the prayer he should be saying. Because for as much as having feelings for her terrified him sometimes, it was only too obvious that he was the dangerous one. If he was a good guy he'd step back. Let her get on with her life.

Too bad he wasn't a good guy.

Ranger straightened in the driver's seat of the fleet vehicle he'd been driving nonstop for days. Sleeping in it too, when he couldn't find a shitty motel. Wasn't worth the trouble of getting a room anyway. He was only sleeping for a couple hours a night. His quarry had a two day head start. Because that's how long it had taken the FBI to ask for his help. Bypassing red tape and protocol to do it. This hunt was strictly off book. Considering the number of laws it was breaking, that was probably for the best.

He put the Ford Expedition into gear and pulled away from the drainage ditch curb just off the frontage road. He'd have to find something to eat the next time he stopped for gas. At least that was one hunger he'd be able to satisfy. The one his dream had stoked wasn't going to be so easy. Not that he'd needed something so vivid to make him want her. He wanted her all the time. Day or night. No matter the activity. Hell. He couldn't get through a church service with his family without thinking about the thin, breathless way she screamed when she was under him. If he wasn't going to hell already, that would probably do it. Further evidence that he was a sick puppy.

God, he wanted her. This hunt should have been over days ago. Would have been, if the FBI had called him in the moment they found Alvarez was missing. Instead Ranger was one step behind. Dogging the trail of a man too smart to stay in one place, or rely on known associates, or travel a predictable path. By the time Ranger found the old ex-girlfriend from high school he'd been crashing with, Alvarez was halfway to Knoxville in her car. Which Ranger found on the side of the road with a nice note that said 'fuck you' taped to the steering wheel. Clear indicator that one of his buddies let him know Ranger was on his tail. Most of the time that would encourage a fugitive to give up or act stupid. Not this one.

Didn't matter. There was a reason Ranger was the one they called when shit got hard. He'd been hunting fugitives for years. Made a career out of it as a bounty hunter. And before that, he was an Army Ranger. Special Forces. Specialized Delta unit. Doing everything from search and rescue to hunting bad guys for Uncle Sam. Both on the books and off.

Some of the off was why he was pretty certain hell was in his future.

He'd been closing in on Alvarez as they crossed Texas. Only six hours behind in Dallas. Four in Abilene. If Alvarez followed his usual pattern, Ranger might have gained another hour or two overnight. Good thing he didn't need as much sleep as most people. He could function on next to nothing for quite a while. Ranger had heard his men say before that he wasn't human. A smile tried to surface. Sometimes he wondered that himself.

She drifted through his thoughts again. Damn. If there was ever a reason to want to be human.

Stephanie Plum had been a lot of things to him. A student. A partner. A smartass subordinate. A friend. He'd trusted her. Shared his secrets. His bed. Both in casual, semi-plutonic cohabitation and as a lover. There was even a little corner of his blackened dead heart where she'd carved out a home. Reviving it little by little just by virtue of her grace. She was pure white light. Sunshine made flesh.

And she wasn't his.

He had to remind himself of that more and more since they'd come back from Hawaii. Well. Since he'd come back from Hawaii chasing her fleeing heels after she'd run away from him. From them. It had been a reasonable response to seeing her boyfriend and her lover bloody each other like that. Like a pair of snot nosed punks fighting over a toy in the schoolyard. Because he'd forgotten, in the dreamlike setting so far removed from the realities of home, that Steph wasn't his to keep. As much as he might wish otherwise.

Ranger tried very hard not to do things that were stupid. And having feelings that deep for Stephanie Plum was definitely stupid. She belonged with Morelli.

Sure, the idiot had a tendency to screw things up. Which meant that Steph wasn't officially his about half the time. In fact, it had been months since they'd been exclusive. Some messed up shit about bread or peanut butter. Idiot. If Steph was Ranger's, he wouldn't let something so pointless get in the way of a good thing. Especially since he had so many valid reasons standing in the way already.

What were the chances Steph and Morelli got back together while Ranger was off hunting a runaway for the FBI? Fucking likely. Which meant his window of opportunity would be closed when he got back. Hell. It had probably closed before he left.

For the most part, Stephanie Plum was a good girl. Didn't sleep around or do meaningless sex. And she couldn't bang more than one man at a time. She'd been Ranger's in Hawaii. And even after she'd run away from him like he was the devil and he was sure she'd put distance between them again, she'd still fucked him in a closet while they were breaking and entering. Good times. But then, as he'd predicted, she pulled away. Swore she was off men. He got that. She was protecting herself. It was a smart move. But he was also pretty sure she slept with Morelli after that. He could tell by the way she pulled back even more. He doubted she was still off men. Just him.

Sometimes he regretted not being the kind of man she could be with. He'd give up a hell of a lot to be with her. But that was the problem. The price was too high. Ranger couldn't make her promises or offer emotional intimacy. And she was too good to settle for a sexual relationship without something more on the horizon. No matter how satisfying.

God. He hated that he missed her. It was a distraction he couldn't afford. If he'd at least had his phone, he could have accessed the Rangeman system. Called up her GPS location. Or checked the reports Tank was undoubtedly accruing from the 24 hour surveillance he would have put on her in Ranger's absence. Because like the rest of his men, Tank didn't want to be the one to tell Ranger his woman came to harm doing her dangerous job.

Unfortunately for Ranger, his phone went for a swim in the Delaware when he went after a seven foot tall abomination called Little John. Upside, putting that behemoth face down on the riverbank had been how he'd learned Alvarez was headed south. Downside, he hadn't been able to find an easy replacement, and not knowing for certain that she was safe was a painful itch at the back of his brain.

He had to catch his man. That was the simplest solution. Get Alvarez in cuffs and get him back to Jersey. Then he could go back to dealing with the fucked up shambles he'd made of his own life.

He was pleased when he got to a gas station just outside of El Paso and found that his quarry had stopped to fill up only a half hour before. Meant two things. One, Alvarez was likely going on to Mexico. Figuring that crossing that border would save him because extradition was such a pain in the ass. And two, if nothing went seriously wrong, Ranger would be flying home tonight. Because borders didn't mean shit to him. He was off book already. Which meant as long as he could get Alvarez back into Texas, he'd be able to get him on a plane without filing any pesky paperwork or waiting for government approval. And then he'd be able to check on Steph. A solid plan. As long as there weren't any variables in the wings waiting to fuck with him.

Ranger headed straight for the border crossing and left the Expedition behind. He'd move faster on foot. Run fewer risks. In all likelihood, it was how Alvarez was getting through too. There wasn't a hell of a lot of security in place to screen people entering Mexico. It was only a problem when you wanted to come back to the States. And Ranger knew already he would have to get creative to get back without extradition papers.

Didn't take much to cross into Juarez. Not even a flash of passport or a close inspection from one of the heavily armed border agents on either side of the bridge. Lucky him. Might have been trouble if they realized he was armed. And another stroke of karmic justice, Alvarez was indeed on foot. Ranger spotted him in a crowded square. Scanning the bustling streets like he was looking for something. Ranger followed him to a side street and put his ass on the ground. After that, it was just a matter of reaching out to the right people. Ranger knew some coyotes that could get them back to Texas for the right price.

Ten hours later, he was handing his fugitive off to a couple FBI agents at Newark Liberty International. Picked up the fleet car Tank had put in long term parking. Standard procedure when he went off line with no firm return date. Tank would also handle the Expedition Ranger had left behind. One of the advantages of having a second in command.

Even with the six hours of rest he'd caught on the plane, Ranger was running on empty. He should have been exhausted. Hardly eating for days. Barely sleeping. And yet it wasn't the Zen calm of his quiet apartment and his massive bed that he wanted.

It was peace of mind.

Either that or he was showing signs of insanity.

He hardly had to think about where he was headed. Found himself in the parking lot behind her building. He let himself into her apartment. He did that a lot. She never really seemed to mind all that much. Not that she always knew he was there. Sometimes he'd just stop by to see her. See for himself that she was safe. Change out the trackers he always kept on her.

He smiled. His fascination with her was borderline obsessive.

He didn't know how Stephanie Plum had managed to get so far under his skin. It wasn't like him to get so involved with a woman. He used to manage his sex life differently. It was easier in the service. He hadn't been as cautious then. Most of the women he'd slept with had been random. One night stands he met in bars while he was on leave. He couldn't remember most of them, to be honest.

Things changed when his tour of duty was up. Setting up in one spot made things riskier. One wrong move could upset the balance of a carefully laid life. There were only a few women he'd been willing to trust since he'd come to Trenton, and most of them were as distant and inaccessible as he was. Like Jeanne Ellen Barrows. They'd been ships passing in the night. Lining up on occasion to expel some pent up sexual energy before moving on. No strings. No entanglement. Next to no conversation. A serial string of one night stands. It had gotten old eventually. He respected Jeanne Ellen. She was good at what she did. But they weren't ever all that compatible, even for meaningless sex.

And that was before Steph. Before one night suddenly made meaningless seem pathetic.

He hadn't given up sleeping with other women after that first night with her. She'd gone back to Morelli, after all. He'd made sure of it. She put a careful distance between them and he had let her, because he'd been just as afraid of the power between them as she was. The temptation stayed, though. Got stronger. And every time she broke up with Morelli, every time circumstances lined up and she became a steady fixture in his life again, even for a short time, he'd lost a little more interest in finding another outlet for his needs.

It had actually been over a year since he'd sought out the company of another woman. Steph had been living with Morelli at the time. Ranger had asked her to help him manage security on an aging singer, enjoying the flirting and the sexual tension that had always set their relationship apart. He'd wanted her every night. Even offered to take her home with him when the job was almost over. She'd declined like the good girl she is, though, and gone home to her boyfriend. It wasn't until he'd tried to find release somewhere else that he realized it was still all about her. Had been for a while. Every woman he'd been with for more months than he could count had all been substitutes for what he really wanted. And after she moved out of Morelli's house again shortly after, he'd given it all up and focused everything on her. It was frustrating sometimes, but that had only made it more rewarding when she'd finally let the barrier fall again and had ended up back in his bed.

He stepped into the doorway that led into Steph's bedroom. Her outline barely visible under the covers. Obscured by shadow. He could hear the slow, even rhythm of her breaths breaking the stillness. Sound asleep.

He'd tried really hard not to fall in love with her. A lost cause, it turns out. She'd kind of snuck up on him. Slipped under his guard while he was focusing on the blistering physical attraction between them. Usually when he desired a woman he was able to stay detached. Not this time. There was something disarming about her. He just wished he could put his finger on it. Maybe if he could, he could figure out how to step back and let her go, for her sake.

He pushed that away. He didn't really want to let her go. Not yet, at least. She was like sunshine made flesh sometimes. Cutting through the darkness that made up his life. It wouldn't be fair to hold onto her forever, but for now he just couldn't imagine things being any other way. Even if he did have to share her with that ass Morelli.

Her breathing changed. Became shallow. Cautious. He smiled. She knew he was there. He walked toward the bed and her attention followed him. There was a marked change in her when she recognized him. He wasn't sure if it was his scent. It had been a week since he'd used the shower gel she liked so much. He doubted it was still on him after so many days of driving halfway across country, so many nights sleeping in his car and in cheap motels. Maybe she could just sense his energy like he could sense hers.

He leaned over her and brushed his lips across hers. Hardly touching her. He'd just wanted to kiss her. Wasn't even entirely sure she was awake. Not until her fingers curled into his shirt. She pulled him closer and an elated rush flooded his body. He let out a sigh and gave over to her. Pulled the covers aside so there was nothing between them. She let her thighs fall open when he settled on top of her, letting him in like she had so many times in Hawaii. He didn't know if it was a conscious choice or a natural response, but he didn't really care either way. His hands followed her bare skin under her shirt until he could touch her breasts. She let out an excited noise and he was done for.

He was making love to her before he had a chance to think it through. Question if it was even a good idea. She was just so eager. Almost as hungry for it as he was. He didn't realize until they fell over the edge together just how much he had wanted this. Seemed she'd felt the same, whether she admitted it or not.

He let the contentment wrap around them, kissing her tenderly.

"You missed me," she said in the darkness.

"Yes." It was a profound understatement, given how quickly he had lost control. He hadn't been that eager since their first time. When the tension between them had built up so much for so long that he'd had to drag her into the bedroom and fuck her before he could even think straight enough to start making love. He'd made up for it after. For hours on end. And every time they renewed the connection, whether it had been years or days, he still felt an urgency pulling him in.

"Where were you?" she asked, brushing the side of his face. "You were supposed to check on an account in Whitehorse and never came back. No one's heard from you in days."

"Manhunt. My phone was damaged. Didn't get a chance to get another one."

"That's it? That's all you're going to say?"

He laughed silently. Leave it to Steph to insist on details. None of his other women had bothered. They knew from the beginning that they would never get anything from him. Didn't really care anyway. But then, they had never owned a piece of him like she did. He kissed her gently.

"The guy I was after is named Juan Alvarez. He's supposed to be an informant for the FBI, but he gave them the slip. I was called in as a personal favor. I've hunted Alvarez a few times before when he went FTA. They knew I'd be able to find him off book, and that I had ways of bringing him back without waiting for extradition. I tracked him as far as Juarez before I finally caught up to him. Dragged his ass back across the border. I chartered a plane out of El Paso this afternoon. Handed him over when we got back to Newark."

"You came straight here?"

If she only knew how often he did that. He was never in a big rush to get back to Rangeman. Not unless there was something pressing that needed his immediate attention. Even if she was sleeping, he'd stop in to see her. Just to reassure himself that she was safe. There had been a lot of times when he'd been tempted to climb into her bed like this. He'd just never felt right about it. He hadn't intended to give into the temptation this time either, but when she responded to him like that it had finally gotten the better of him. A smile surfaced. "Lucky for me you were awake." He kissed her again and lifted off her. "I've been traveling rough for a week. I'm gonna go take a shower. Then we can try this again without any clothes on."

And again. And again. He headed for her bathroom trying to hold onto his grin. Once again he'd found the window open after he thought it had closed. If he was really lucky, nothing would get in the way this time. Not even Morelli.

Her bathroom was outdated, like the rest of the apartment. All brown and orange tile and tired accessories. Nothing like the expensive, modern fixtures in his own apartment. He didn't mind it, but he liked it better when they were at Rangeman. Maybe he'd be able to talk her into staying the night at his place next time. Assuming there was a next time.

He reached in the shower to turn on the tap and his eyes fell on the trashcan next to the sink. Something was sitting on top. He stared at it for a second. An empty box. For a pregnancy test.

Steph had taken a pregnancy test.

He ran some quick calculations. He'd looked at the packet of birth control pills when they were in Hawaii. She'd been halfway through. Middle of her cycle. Usually he was compulsive about using condoms, but there had been one night. A moment of weakness when he realized he forgot to slip one into his pocket and she whispered to him on the edge of temptation that she was on the pill.

If Steph was pregnant, there was a better than good chance he was the father.

He shut down his emotions before they could register. It wasn't productive to jump to conclusions. An empty box alone didn't mean much. He thought about searching for the test itself, but all he could think about was her face. He wasn't even breathing.

Ranger stepped back into the bedroom. "Babe? Is there something I should know?"

Her worry turned to panic when she saw what he was holding. She hadn't expected him to find it. From the way she turned white, she probably had been hoping he'd never find out she'd taken it at all. She swallowed. "It was negative."

He ignored the twinge. Didn't want to focus on the fact that it felt a lot like disappointment. That would have made him even more of a selfish ass. Steph being pregnant would screw up her life enough. If it was his, she'd be in deep shit. At least with Morelli, she could be fairly certain he'd marry her. There had never been that implication with Ranger. In fact, he'd made it clear he didn't have any intention of altering his life plan to include marriage or pregnancy. No wonder she didn't want him to know. "But you felt the need to take it for a reason."

She looked like she was going to bolt. Cast a calculating glance at the window. Might have been wondering how fast she could launch herself down the fire escape before he could catch her. She let out a sigh. "I'm a few days late," she finally admitted.

"What's a few?"

"Four. Maybe five."

Five days late. Fuck. That was pretty significant. There could have been any number of possible explanations. Stress. Change in diet or exercise. Though, from what little he knew about it, being on the pill was supposed to regulate beyond other factors. There was always the chance the test was wrong. It takes a while for the hormones to build up. She might have taken it too early. And then, there was the chance that she'd ovulated late. That might have even moved the window of conception so that he couldn't possibly be the father, since they'd gone back to using condoms after the one night.

Which would mean Morelli could have gotten her pregnant.

A possibility that he had no right to hate the way he did.

They just stared at each other for a long time, neither of them moving. Not even when Steph's phone started to ring. It was after two in the morning. Only calls of life and death happened after two, and yet neither one of them could bring themselves to answer it. It stopped ringing for only a moment, and then it started again. Insistent. Steph finally picked it up. "Hello?"

A deep voice said something to her and panic flooded her face again. She held out the phone like she thought Ranger might bite her. Not good. And not just because someone at Rangeman needed him so badly that they dared to call him at Steph's place at two in the morning.

He took the phone and held it to his ear. "What?" If this was anything less than catastrophic, there would be serious consequences.

It was Tank. "Alvarez just killed his babysitter and slipped federal custody."

"When?"

"I got the call a couple minutes ago. They wouldn't give me details, since the case is need-to-know, but I could tell they're losing their shit over it. Insisted they needed you personally." There was an unspoken apology in there.Otherwise I wouldn't have disturbed you while you were occupied. Everyone at Rangeman knew he wouldn't be happy about being interrupted on the rare occasions he and Steph were alone together. No one would ever dare ask him about his relationship with Stephanie, not even Tank, but they all knew there was something between them.

Now there was a chance there was even more between them.

"What should I tell Carson?" Tank asked.

Tell him to go fuck himself.

Ranger tried not to frown. This was the last thing he needed right now. He was still watching Steph. Fear and uncertainly all over her face. If he left her now she'd shut down. Avoid him like the plague for days, maybe weeks.

Not that he really had a choice. Fucking Alvarez.

"I'll be right there." He disconnected and tossed the phone down on the bed, easily within her reach. "I have to go. We're not done here."

She could only stare at him as he turned to leave. Didn't say a word. Not that he gave her any opportunity. Truth is, he probably could have stayed for at least a few more minutes. Carson could shove his impatience up his ass. But if he was being honest with himself, he wasn't any more eager to discuss the implications of this than Steph was.

Things might have just gotten a hell of a lot more complicated between them.