I do not own any of these characters, although I would really like to meet
up with Ranger in a dark room somewhere. I simply borrow and gently use
them for my amusement.
Chapter Nine
I walked through the door a few minutes after six, right in to a firestorm of Stephanie anger. After I tossed my keys into the dish and did a cursory shuffle of the mail Ella had brought up earlier, I looked up and locked eyes with her. "You're looking a little crazy, Babe."
"I'm leaving now," she said. "I'm going to the mall, and I just waited around so I could say thank you. I appreciate the use of your apartment, and I'm going to mess the shower gel big-time, but I have to go. So it would be good if you made sure no one stun-gunned me."
I returned the letters to the silver tray. "No."
"No?" She actually sounded surprised by my answer.
"Junkman is still out there." My whole body was tense. I needed to talk her down, or I had the feeling that I might end up physically restraining her. As much fun as that might be, under other circumstances, I didn't think that it was a good idea right now.
"Have you made any progress?" she asked warily.
"We have a name," I said. "Norman Carver."
Steph shook her head. "Norman's not going to be at the mall. And excuse me, you're blocking the door."
I continued to use my bulk to block the door. "Give it a rest."
"Give it a rest, yourself," she said. She gave me a shot to the shoulder. "Get out of my way."
Not even hard enough to make me blink. Then she shoved me again, and I lost my patience. I had spent all day trying to solve her problem, and had come up virtually empty-handed. I was usually patient enough to let cases fall out until there was a break, but I didn't have time to do that with Junkman. My frustration met Stephanie's frustration head one.
I shoved back, pinning her to the wall with my body. I enjoyed the contact despite my mood.
"I've had a long, unsatisfying day," I threatened. "I'm low on patience. Don't push me."
She was immobilized. She stared at me, blue eyes wide, and I saw a touch of fear in them. I also saw desire. I was so tempted to lean in and kiss her, because I knew that if I did, neither of us would have the self-control to stop. But I resisted.
"This really pisses me off," she spat out.
I continued to lean into her, my cheek was resting against the side of her head, taking in that faint smell of Stephanie mixed with my shower gel. My hands were pressed flat against the wall, framing Steph's shoulders. Then she did something totally unexpected that took my breath away. In the midst of trying to frighten and intimidate her- and I can be pretty damn scary- she snuggled into me and brushed a light kiss across my neck.
I came very close to throwing her over my shoulder and taking her to the bed. I wanted to show her the fire she was playing with. She was baiting me. "No fair," I said.
She shifted her body under mine, and I couldn't help but react.
"I've got the weight and the muscle," I said, my voice husky and showing the strain of being so close to her. "But I'm starting to think you've got the power."
"Do I have enough power to persuade you to take me shopping?" Stephanie asked in an innocent tone.
Amazing how quickly she can change the mood. "God doesn't have that much power. Did Ella bring dinner up?"
"About ten minutes ago. It's in the kitchen."
I pushed away from her, ruffling her hair, and went to the kitchen in search of food. I knew her cranky, cooped-up spell had passed. I deliberately left the door unattended, knowing the car keys were in the dish.
"Arrogant bastard," she yelled after me.
I turned and flashed her the full-on smile.
Stephanie was still at the breakfast table when I came out of my bedroom. I was dressed for bear, wearing a fully loaded utility belt and an unzipped flak jacket. "Try not to get too crazy today," I asked, heading for the door. I really hoped that the temper tantrum last night would not be repeated today. My men did not have the same arsenal to use against her as I did. One of them might really have to use his stun gun on her.
"Yeah," she said, sulking. "And you should try not to get shot."
It was a disturbing good-bye because we both meant what we said.
Chapter Nine
I walked through the door a few minutes after six, right in to a firestorm of Stephanie anger. After I tossed my keys into the dish and did a cursory shuffle of the mail Ella had brought up earlier, I looked up and locked eyes with her. "You're looking a little crazy, Babe."
"I'm leaving now," she said. "I'm going to the mall, and I just waited around so I could say thank you. I appreciate the use of your apartment, and I'm going to mess the shower gel big-time, but I have to go. So it would be good if you made sure no one stun-gunned me."
I returned the letters to the silver tray. "No."
"No?" She actually sounded surprised by my answer.
"Junkman is still out there." My whole body was tense. I needed to talk her down, or I had the feeling that I might end up physically restraining her. As much fun as that might be, under other circumstances, I didn't think that it was a good idea right now.
"Have you made any progress?" she asked warily.
"We have a name," I said. "Norman Carver."
Steph shook her head. "Norman's not going to be at the mall. And excuse me, you're blocking the door."
I continued to use my bulk to block the door. "Give it a rest."
"Give it a rest, yourself," she said. She gave me a shot to the shoulder. "Get out of my way."
Not even hard enough to make me blink. Then she shoved me again, and I lost my patience. I had spent all day trying to solve her problem, and had come up virtually empty-handed. I was usually patient enough to let cases fall out until there was a break, but I didn't have time to do that with Junkman. My frustration met Stephanie's frustration head one.
I shoved back, pinning her to the wall with my body. I enjoyed the contact despite my mood.
"I've had a long, unsatisfying day," I threatened. "I'm low on patience. Don't push me."
She was immobilized. She stared at me, blue eyes wide, and I saw a touch of fear in them. I also saw desire. I was so tempted to lean in and kiss her, because I knew that if I did, neither of us would have the self-control to stop. But I resisted.
"This really pisses me off," she spat out.
I continued to lean into her, my cheek was resting against the side of her head, taking in that faint smell of Stephanie mixed with my shower gel. My hands were pressed flat against the wall, framing Steph's shoulders. Then she did something totally unexpected that took my breath away. In the midst of trying to frighten and intimidate her- and I can be pretty damn scary- she snuggled into me and brushed a light kiss across my neck.
I came very close to throwing her over my shoulder and taking her to the bed. I wanted to show her the fire she was playing with. She was baiting me. "No fair," I said.
She shifted her body under mine, and I couldn't help but react.
"I've got the weight and the muscle," I said, my voice husky and showing the strain of being so close to her. "But I'm starting to think you've got the power."
"Do I have enough power to persuade you to take me shopping?" Stephanie asked in an innocent tone.
Amazing how quickly she can change the mood. "God doesn't have that much power. Did Ella bring dinner up?"
"About ten minutes ago. It's in the kitchen."
I pushed away from her, ruffling her hair, and went to the kitchen in search of food. I knew her cranky, cooped-up spell had passed. I deliberately left the door unattended, knowing the car keys were in the dish.
"Arrogant bastard," she yelled after me.
I turned and flashed her the full-on smile.
Stephanie was still at the breakfast table when I came out of my bedroom. I was dressed for bear, wearing a fully loaded utility belt and an unzipped flak jacket. "Try not to get too crazy today," I asked, heading for the door. I really hoped that the temper tantrum last night would not be repeated today. My men did not have the same arsenal to use against her as I did. One of them might really have to use his stun gun on her.
"Yeah," she said, sulking. "And you should try not to get shot."
It was a disturbing good-bye because we both meant what we said.
