Yay! Another chapter! Sorry I've been lax in my updating. I've been battling with writer's block and having to deal with my recent addiction to True Blood which has thrown me off a little plus trying to read as many books in two different series's before I go back to school is pretty time consuming. So I apologize and I'm letting you all know that there might not be an update until after next week. I move in on Sunday and classes start Monday, so I hope to have something to post, but I make no promises.

So without further ado... please enjoy!

Not mine.


"So I was thinking that maybe you'd like to go out tonight. Like a date." Ranger said, putting his hands in his pockets. I couldn't believe it. He was nervous. In all the time that I've known Ranger, I've never actually seen him nervous.

I smiled. "I'd really like that."

He smiled back. "Good."

"Did you actually think I'd say no?" I asked him as we were walking back to the house.

"It crossed my mind. You always find a way to surprise me, Stephanie Plum."

"Good to know. So is it fancy or can I wear a nice skirt or…?"

"Wear whatever you like. You look beautiful in anything."

"That's very sweet, but I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb."

He grinned again. "Don't worry. I have you covered for every occasion."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Dress and find out."

"You're really not going to tell me?"

"Nope."

"Mean."

He smiled widely now.

Five hours later, I was staring at my closet, hoping the right outfit would jump up and attack me.

Unfortunately, it didn't.

"Well it's official." Mari said when she came into my room. "I hate him."

"Who?"

"My brother. He wouldn't tell me anything. He just smiled and said 'nice try'. It's not like I was spying for you!"

"But you were."

She huffed. "Semantics."

Lula and Connie followed in after her. "So Tank's got nothing." Lula said. "Batman's keeping this one to himself."

I sighed and put my hands on my hips. "Thanks for the help, guys, but I still don't know what I'm going to wear."

"What about the black dress? It's fancy for a really nice restaurant but simple enough to be casual. It fits both categories."

I looked at the dress. "I like it."

Soon after, I shooed them out to get ready. After pampering myself within an inch of my sanity, I deemed myself ready. I slipped the dress on, gave my hair one final fluff and smiled. Damn, I looked good.

Ranger knocked on my door a few seconds later. I opened the door and licked my lips. He was looking sexy in a black suit with a grey shirt. His hair was down, exactly how I liked it.

Ranger smiled at me. "I got these for you." He said, pulling a bouquet of red roses from behind his back.

I laughed. "They're beautiful. But I don't…" I laughed again when he pulled a vase from behind his back. "So thoughtful…" I took the roses, added water and sat them on the nightstand.

"Good place."

"I think so."

"Ready?" He held out his arm.

I took it. "Ready."

Ranger took me to a lovely Italian place that reminded me of Rossini's with the red paint and low lighting. It was very romantic and my dress was perfect. The waiter led us to a table in the back and I wasn't surprised when Ranger put his back to the wall.

"I have to ask, did you have multiple reservations tonight and based on what I was wearing, that's where we'd go?"

He laughed and took a sip of the wine the waiter had just brought over. "Something like that."

"You know, you could've just picked one place and told me what to wear."

"I wanted you to feel relaxed, Babe, not have you worry about whether your dress fits a certain code. I wanted you to look sexy without the anxiety of looking out of place." He looked me over and his eyes darkened. "And if I do say so, you passed with flying colors."

I blushed. "You don't look half bad yourself."

He grinned. The waitress dropped her tray. I snickered. "Do you know what your smile does to people?"

He glanced at the waitress before looking back at me. "What do you mean?"

"You smile and every woman and gay man within a mile radius drops something or runs into a wall."

"They really should watch where they're walking then."

"Well they can't help it. You're so much sexier when you smile."

He leaned closer to me. "You don't seem to be affected."

"That's because I'm immune. Your charms don't work on me."

"Oh really." He leaned in and licked my earlobe.

I shivered.

"Not so immune now, are you." He grinned at me.

"At least I can still remember my name after you do that."

Ranger leaned back and laughed now. "You never disappoint."

The rest of the night was spent talking and flirting. It was the best date I'd had in fifteen years. After dinner, we met up with the rest of the gang for some dancing. I always knew that Ranger would be a superb dancer. Anything you can do rhythmically horizontally, you can do well vertically.

When we got back to the house, Ranger walked me to my door.

"It was very sweet of you to walk me." I said with a joking smile on my face.

"My pleasure. I had a really great time."

"Me too."

We stood there for a second, and then Ranger took my hand. "I've been waiting to do this all night." And he leaned in and kissed me.

Ranger can kiss many different ways, depending on his mood. This one, however, was oddly deceptive. It was sweet and tender with a side of hot and spicy. I could tell he wanted me, but we both knew that it would go no further than the door.

When we pulled away, Ranger smiled. "That was worth the wait."

I couldn't talk, so I nodded. His smile got bigger. "Goodnight, Babe."

"Night." As I stumbled into my bedroom, I could hear him chuckle.

I sighed tiredly. It had been a long, but great day. Not bothering with anything more than taking off my shoes, I slid into the bed.

And slept.


"I don't know how much longer I can sit here." I heard a voice whisper. "Go wake her up."

"Shhh!" That came from someone else. "I think she's coming around."

"Who knew she was such a heavy sleeper?"

"Give her some credit! It's early."

I groaned and rolled onto my back. And screamed.

"What the hell guys!"

Mari, Connie and Lula all looked at me bashfully. "It was Lula's idea." Connie said.

"Hey!"

I rubbed my eyes. "What time is it?"

"A little after seven." Mari said, handing me a cup of coffee. "Freshly brewed."

I yawned and took a sip. "So, what's up?"

"How'd it go?"

I looked at them blankly. My brain wasn't firing on all pistons yet. "Huh?"

"The date! How'd it go!"

Oh right. I should've guessed. "You couldn't wait till breakfast?"

They looked at each other. "No."

"How do you know that Ranger wasn't in here naked?"

"Because Bobby and I heard him all night pacing the guest bedroom."

"And while we're on that subject, why isn't he here?" Lula asked.

"Because." I said, blushing.

"Oh shit. It doesn't work anymore. I knew this would happen to a sexy man like him!"

I rolled my eyes. "It works just fine."

"Thank goodness." She sighed with relief. "So why then…?"

"We're taking things slow."

"Slow?" Lula looked less than impressed. "The man doesn't know the meaning of the word slow."

"Well he must have learned it because he didn't even pressure me to let him in."

Connie and Lula looked shocked. Mari just smiled into her cup.

"I don't get it." Lula said.

"Me either. I mean he always looks at her like he's going to take her against the wall any second." Connie replied.

I just sipped my coffee and waited for them to finish.

Mari sat down her empty cup. "Why don't you leave us alone for a second?"

"But…"

"Out."

Connie and Lula reluctantly got up and left, sighing the whole way. Then Mari turned to me.

"He really loves you." She said.

I just blinked at her.

"I know all about my brother's reputation. Carlos doesn't do relationships. He just uses women for sex. Normally I'd find that appalling, but the women want it as much as he does, so there's equal fault here. But with you he's taking his time. He's doing the opposite of what he normally does. He really wants this to work."
There was no need to mention that we've already had sex, right? "I really want this to work too."

She nodded. "I can see that. He's a hard person to love. Sometimes it's downright excruciating because he doesn't share a lot of anything. But in the end, it's worth it. I'm telling you all of this because I like you and I don't want one little thing to screw up what is probably the best thing to happen to my brother since Julie."

I warmed at the comment. "I appreciate the confidence."

"You've earned it. I've never seen him act like this before and I hope he never stops. It was hard while he was away in the Rangers. When we'd see him at the occasional holiday, he only seemed to be about half there. But with you, it's like he found the other piece of himself. He's my brother again. He's whole. And there is no way I can thank you for that."

"There's no need to thank me." Ranger did that every day by breathing.

"Well in any case, I want you to know that I think of you as my sister and I always will, no matter what."

In a rare sign of affection, I hugged her. "I think of you as my sister too."

When she leaned away, she wiped a few tears off her face. She went to the door and got Lula and Connie from their rooms. "Now, I want to hear all about your date. Where did he take you?"

"Well, we went to this really cute Italian restaurant…" I started as Connie and Lula took seats on the bed.

And we sat there, like sisters, the friends I already considered my sisters and my new one, talking and laughing.