CHAPTER NINECHAPTER NINE

Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie, I said to myself as I eyed the dress that Ella had brought to the seventh floor. She was optimistic about my dress size again, and apparently still hadn't noticed my height because this dress was short. Way too short.

The dress, if you could call it that, was white and stretchy. It had a mock turtleneck and long clingy sleeves, and I felt like I was wrestling an octopus when I struggled to pull it over my head and arms. I saw myself staring back from Ranger's dressing room mirror, with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. This wasn't going to cut it.

I punched Ranger's extension in the bedroom phone, and heard him pick up. He was still dealing with problems with his high-profile client, but this was an emergency.

"Yo."

"Ranger, this dress is not going to work. It's like a second skin and it's see-through!"

"Babe. Deal with it." And he disconnected me. Damn, I thought, as I took inventory.

If I pulled very hard, the dress almost covered my female parts. But my black Rangeman bra and panties were very evident through the sheer fabric. Naturally, Ranger hadn't provided a bra and panty set to match the dress. Men just don't understand these things.

I wrestled the dress up and removed my bra and panties. Better, but now it revealed a clear outline of my nipples and showed every contour of my body.

I forced my eyes downwards, and saw the hint of rough texture of hair down there, and turned around to see another treat. The outline of my butt crack showed. If I was very lucky and very still, the dress wouldn't ride up to fully reveal my ass.

I strapped on the white patent leather four-inch heels and wrapped myself in one of Ranger's windbreakers. Best to keep this hidden as long as possible. I topped off my mascara and checked my hair one last time. I was touching up my lip gloss when I heard the front door open.

"Babe. What are you hiding under that jacket?" Ranger pressed himself to my back and his hands went for the zipper. I blocked his hands.

"Better not look now, Ranger, or we'll never get out of here."

I saw the corners of his mouth turn up as his eyes caught my bra and panties on the floor. I thought I heard a faint growl, and I wasn't sure if it came from my nervous stomach or from Ranger. His eyes were dark, and he looked hungry. For me. His hand reached down to pull up the bottom of the windbreaker but I slapped his hand away.

I glared at him. "All I can say is, you're going to pay for this." I grabbed my purse and walked out the door.

We met a full crew of Merry Men in the parking garage and they loaded into SUV's. I climbed very carefully into the Turbo with Ranger, and tried to discreetly pull the dress back down over my tush. I could feel Ranger's wolf smile and ignored him.

Tonight's job was at a new posh nightclub. Ranger pulled into a parking spot on the street that had just been vacated by Tank in his SUV. The crew quickly gathered at the Porsche, but I sat perusing the FTA's file, trying to delay this as long as possible.

"Babe. Time to go."

I was afraid to look over at Ranger. I opened my car door and a car whizzed past, nearly taking the Porsche's door with it. I slammed the door shut and realized I would never get out of the car on my side. Cars whizzed by at frightening speeds. I sighed. I would have to climb through Ranger's side, and I knew the dress was going to fight me.

With one quick motion, I swung my leg over Ranger and tried to land my foot on the sidewalk. Ranger had other ideas. He reached up to grab me and suddenly I was sitting astride him. My eyes glazed over as I realized my naked doodah was resting against the rough fabric of his black cargo pants.

"Forget something, Babe?" Ranger was grinning and holding up the wire. Damn! Where was that going to go?

I held my breath as Ranger unzipped the jacket. I looked down and saw that he was eye level with Nipple #1. He let out a slow breath and pulled the jacket off of me. I fidgeted, uncomfortable under his searing stare. His hands gripped my hips.

"Stop wiggling," he said through gritted teeth. Good, he deserved it. I wiggled once more for good measure and his breath caught in his throat. He held the wire in his hand, but looked at me confused. He wasn't sure where to put it, either.

Ranger started at the top, but the neck of the dress was too tight to maneuver. That left the bottom, and the only option for Ranger was to wrestle the second skin back up over my ass. I hardly noticed because I was too busy trying not to wiggle my doodah on the growing bulge in his pants. A girl could only take so much.

Ranger managed to peel the dress up high enough to tape the wire and tiny transmitter just underneath my breast. Mr. Self Control couldn't resist teasing a nipple with his tongue while his thumb stroked my doodah. I let out a half-moan, half-whimper and leaned my head back in ecstasy.

Somewhere back in reality, I heard a loud fake cough and a thump on the car window. Shit! The Merry Men were out there being treated to a full moon. My full moon, that is, and Tank was trying to let us know.

I quickly tugged the dress back down and tumbled onto the sidewalk. The Merry Men had arranged themselves in a protective circle around the Porsche with their backs to the car. Beyond the Merry Men, a line of onlookers was trying to get a glimpse of the car's occupants. Naturally, they were curious to see what kind of people traveled with an all-black clad crew of muscle men. I was quite the contrast in my white Band-Aid.

"Look, it's the Bombshell Bounty Hunter!"

"Does she have both her men with her?"

"Looks like she's got a whole male harem!"

"Quick, somebody ask her what perfume she wears! I'm gonna get me some of that!"

I caught a glimpse of a few familiar faces in the crowd and could already hear my mother's phone ringing with the latest Burg gossip. I probably wouldn't see another pineapple upside down cake for the rest of my life.

Tank grimaced as he parted for me to get through, and I knew he had made the others turn around. Hal was three shades of crimson, which probably covered every inch of his skin. Lester had a wide grin on his face. And a fork in his pants. Damn, I was never going to live this one down.

At least the skip was an easy target. He was ready to follow me outside after five minutes. Tank and Hal cuffed him and hauled him to their SUV and Ranger steered me back to the Porsche. Easy money.

We climbed into the car and Ranger dialed Joe from his cell phone. When Joe answered, Ranger said simply, "Pino's?" And then he disconnected. Short and to the point, as always. "Let's go, Babe."

Dinner conversation centered on whether or not Joe and Ranger would take me to the Halloween party the following week, and if so, whether or not they would agree to wear tights with their costumes. I really didn't want to go alone, and the thought of them dressed as superheroes was frighteningly amusing.

Joe was easy to convince. I suspected he wanted to go in the first place. Once Joe agreed to go, Ranger fell into step right behind him. He probably just didn't want Joe to have me all to himself. Ranger even volunteered to have Ella make our costumes.