Disclaimer: Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!
A/N: A huge thanks to Alf, May and Skye, three wonderful ladies who keep my scribbles in order. A special thank you to Skye for going the extra mile on this chapter and the extra encouragement she gave me on it and to Jennifer for pointing out the hidden moments with her review.
The Opportunist
Chapter Ten
"No, Joe." Stephanie shook her head and edged her way in Ranger's direction, her dreamy eyes staring into his face and a fevered look rose on her cheeks when she lowered her gaze down his body. When her tongue came out to swipe over her lips, Joe almost lost it. He was going to kill Manoso.
sSsSs
Stephanie swung her gaze back to Morelli and saw a quick flash of pain cross his face. Damn. She made a move toward him and Hector edged between them again. "It's okay." She touched him on the shoulder and directed him to stand aside. Hector didn't back down and stubbornly refused to move with his arms crossed over his chest.
Stephanie turned pleading eyes in Ranger's direction and, without breaking eye contact; he spoke a few Spanish words to Hector in a low voice. Hector relaxed his stance and moved a step to the side.
"I assume you're here to discuss Eula's murder." Stephanie said.
"Yes, but I also want to speak with you, in private." Joe threw the last two words in Ranger's direction, but kept his eyes locked on Stephanie's face.
"No," Ranger said, his relaxed pose belying the tension he felt at Morelli's presence on his property.
"Yes," she turned her eyes to Ranger, "please." Her eyes appealed to him. "Leave Hector."
"Fine," Ranger relented; satisfied that she wouldn't be alone with Morelli. He took two quick steps to reach Stephanie's side, and then tipped her chin up gently with the knuckle on his first finger. He lowered his head and claimed her mouth in a fiery kiss before leaving the room. Not being in the room wasn't a problem; he'd watch and listen to their conversation from his office.
Hector relaxed into a soft leather chair against the wall near the door. His eyes never wavering from the cop.
"Just stay where you are." Stephanie held up her hand to stop Joe's advance mid-stride.
"Cupcake, I just want to hold you. Feel you in my arms. Make sure you're okay." Joe feigned innocence and held his arms wide apart. He started to take another step in Stephanie's direction, but stopped when Hector shot him a narrow glare.
"Back off if you want to have this talk, Joe." Stephanie stood her ground.
Joe dropped his arms to his sides. "Is Manoso's performance in bed so good you can forget what we had?"
Stephanie's eyes flashed with anger. "None of your damn business." She folded her arms under her breasts. Joe's dark eyes zeroed in on the deep purple bruise glaring off the pale skin at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. A blush warmed her face when she realized the neckline of her shirt had shifted and exposed Ranger's love bite.
"I see he didn't waste any time in marking you," Joe sneered.
"I thought you wanted to talk about Eula's murder." Stephanie had come to the end of her patience with his snide remarks. "As you can see, I'm fine. Please don't make this harder than you already have," Stephanie spoke in a soft tight voice.
His eyes continued to rake over her. "Oh, it's hard alright."
Stephanie caught his double entendre and glared at him. "I think it's time you left. Arrange a time with Ranger and we'll come down to the station for a formal interview."
Joe made no move to leave; instead, he studied her face. "This isn't over, Cupcake." He said, and then saluted Hector with his middle finger before he left the room.
Stephanie closed her eyes and released a heavy sigh. Hector came up behind her and gathered her into a warm hug. They remained in the quiet embrace until he turned her around to face him. He held up his index finger to tell her 'wait a minute' and walked over to the entertainment system, selected a CD and pressed some buttons.
The vigorous sound of Latin music filled the room. Hector moved his slim hips and shoulders to the beat of the music. Stephanie watched in fascination when his small body traveled like quicksilver across the room. He pulled her into his arms and he swung her around, his body didn't miss one single, pulsating beat. With a flourish, he released her and motioned for her to join him as his body's movements blended with the music.
Stephanie shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know how."
A smile spread across his features. Hector placed his hands on top of her hips and forced them to sway in time with the music. Both of their heads looked down to watch her hips move in time with his. Soon, her hips were swaying back and forth without any guidance and her feet copied his steps. With each new song, her body released itself more and more to the music and the far away world that it created.
Midway through the CD, Stephanie started to feel freer than she had in days. Together, the music, the movement, Hector's silent lessons, chased the stress away. She laughed out loud as Hector dipped her low enough to brush her hair on the carpet.
A slow, seductive Bachata rhythm started and Hector moved behind her. Arms around her waist, he pulled her back into him. Stephanie heard him hum the song in her ear. She closed her eyes and allowed her body to form to the contours of his. Nothing should feel this good: like sex with clothes on. Hot, Cuban sex…
sSsSs
Ranger watched Morelli leave the property on one of the surveillance cameras and smiled at the look of disgust on the cop's face. He flipped the camera back to the entertainment room. Music and the sound of Stephanie's laughter came over the open mic and he felt his groin tighten in response. God, even her laugh worked magic on him.
He couldn't take his eyes away from the screen. She was pure seduction. The sinuous way her body moved transfixed him and he knew at that moment he loved her. And would for the rest of his life, no matter how much he tried to deny it, especially to himself.
"She sure can dance," Tank said before he noticed the look on Ranger's face. "Aw, man." His voice softened. "She ain't gonna be easy."
Ranger almost laughed. "Most of our clients aren't."
"I wasn't referring to her as a client." Tank gave a weary shake of his head. "Let me get paper and a pen."
Curious, Ranger lifted an eyebrow.
"Figured since we're changing the rules, someone might as well take notes." Tank smiled when he made a show of searching the top of Ranger's neat desk.
"Sit down," Ranger bit out through clenched teeth.
A deep rumble of laughter sounded in Tank's chest. "Face it, my friend, you're in love." Tank relaxed in one of the large chairs opposite the desk.
"We need to get down to business." His body straightened and his facial expression one of firm resolve. "Has Lula called in a report?" To his amazement, Tank crumpled into a fit of hysteria.
Ranger reached up to rub his temples; why did he feel a clusterfuck of a headache would soon be building behind his eyes?
sSsSs
Joe pulled his truck into the parking lot of TPD and shut off the engine. He slumped back in the seat and tried to figure out why he had come to the office instead of going home. As he dropped his head back onto the headrest, he admitted the reason. Today's confrontation with Stephanie still had his pride smarting. This whole matter had become a competition between him and Manoso. A contest of sorts, find the killer and win the prize – Stephanie.
When he opened the car door, the warm air of the evening rushed in to surround him. Time to wrap up this mystery. He entered the building and came face-to-face with Eddie.
"Joe." Eddie tipped his head in greeting.
"Heading home?" Joe asked.
Eddie smiled and slapped Joe on the shoulder. "Sure am. Hey – did you hear about Gaspick's accident? Seems he slipped and busted his nose on the floor in your office, several guys witnessed it." Eddie laughed.
"Oh, shit." Joe said and rubbed his right hand. "Tell the 'witnesses' thanks for me."
"Will do, now get busy and clear our friend." Eddie lowered his voice and leaned in to say, "By the way, nice right hook." He grinned and threw Joe a small salute, then headed off in the direction of his car.
Joe watched Eddie pull out of the lot and felt shame wash over him. The man was right; Stephanie was his friend, not a prize, not something to claim like an object. He turned and made his way to his office. It was time to get serious and find the real killer.
sSsSs
It was late and Ranger released a tired breath. He dropped his head back to rest his eyes while Tank drove back to the house. They'd met with McKinley to go over the appeals and motions to dismiss some of the evidence he had submitted to the courts. McKinley had also filed a complaint with the chief of police about Gaspick's screw up with Ranger's address. Following that meeting, they'd hit the streets to shake down all of their informants and followed up on some leads the guys had gotten.
"Home, sweet home," Tank said when he pulled the SUV into the garage and turned off the engine.
Ranger grunted a short response and climbed out of the truck. When he opened the door to the kitchen from the garage, he stopped and stared. The scene before him wasn't real, it couldn't be. Tank's deep chuckle behind him confirmed his eyes hadn't been wrong.
Every variety of fast food and every flavor of Ben & Jerry's ice cream were on display. The countertops and table were covered with wrappers and half eaten food. Stephanie held up a spoonful of ice cream for Hector to eat.
"Cho-co-late," she said the word with deliberation, almost letter by letter.
Ranger watched Hector's eyes study her mouth with great intensity when she formed the word. "Sho-ka-lot," Hector mimicked.
"Good!" Stephanie exclaimed then shoved the spoon into his mouth.
Hector swallowed the lump of ice cream. He looked at Ranger, and then pointed to Stephanie. "Babe."
sSsSs
Stephanie was floating on a sea of Bulgari and warm silky sheets. On top of that, her skin tingled with happy tremors over the back of her neck, now her shoulder, arm, and wrist – oh God, someone was sucking on her fingers.
The tight beading of her nipples pulled her from sleep and she cracked open her eyes to see Ranger, dressed and sitting on the side of the bed with his tongue wrapped around her index finger, the black depths of his eyes drawing her in.
"Good morning, teacher," he said in a low voice.
She moaned softly and whined, "Mmm, it's too early to get up. Come back to bed."
Ranger let out a low growl. "I wish I could, but we have work to do today." He pressed a hard kiss to her lips and then shot off the bed as if he'd been burned. "You have fifteen minutes to shower, and then I need you in my office." Without waiting for a response, he opened the door and left.
Stephanie smiled to herself and her mind wandered over the night before: hours and hours of hot, wet kisses and wild, feral sex. Ugh, she wasn't sure if she could even walk this morning. When Ranger said he would ruin her for all other men, he'd failed to mention that part of the ruination meant she wouldn't be able to leave his bed at all. She smiled, nice problem to have and one she planned on enjoying for a long time.
When Ranger had come home to find her feeding Hector, he'd had a gleam in his eye Stephanie recognized right away: jealousy. He'd had a rapid conversation with Hector in Spanish, and then he threw her over his shoulder, carried her off to the bedroom and pounced on her. He was like a big, angry cat, circling and playing with her until she was so aroused she'd begged him to take her.
He'd been a green-eyed monster, but it had been worth it. Hector had learned three words last night: chocolate, fries, and Babe. Stephanie got emotional when she remembered his smile when he said Babe for the first time. Three whole words and she had taught them to him.
With a muttered curse, she looked at the time and realized she now only had five minutes to get ready. She was tempted to wait him out and see what he would do, but if he said there was work to be done, chances were he wouldn't be in a playful mood this morning.
She got out of bed and stomped toward the bathroom. Despite the fact that he'd given her another night of amazing sex, she was miffed that he wouldn't allow her to sleep in. They'd gone to bed after four in the morning! She thought of ways to punish him and a naughty smile spread across her face.
sSsSs
Stephanie entered the office with a quick smile in his direction and Ranger worked to calm his heart rate at the sight of her. She'd tamed her wild curls into a loose ponytail from which a few tendrils had escaped and clung to the smooth creamy skin of her neck. The jeans she wore rode low on her hips and fit snug enough to enhance the contours of her ass. The soft blue t-shirt accentuated the color of her eyes and molded perfectly against her slim body. He gave himself a mental shake and changed the direction of his thoughts. "We need to go over the police report," he said in a stern tone. "Word by word, letter by letter."
"Could I have some breakfast first?" Stephanie pleaded. He pointed to a side table where coffee and pastries were set out. "Thanks."
Ranger watched a small smile appear on her face when she noticed the napkin with Babe written in small letters which had been placed over two Boston creams and realized she knew it was a gift from Hector. He watched every single move she made while she poured her coffee and made her way back to the chair.
"What?" she asked as she wiggled back into the chair, careful to balance her coffee and donuts.
Ranger studied her for a moment. "You ready?"
"Yes, sir." She mumbled around the first bite into one of the Boston creams.
Hour after hour, they reviewed the police report, the autopsy report, her statement, and every minute detail she remembered about the scene where she found Eula. If she thought Picky had been redundant, he had nothing on Ranger.
"Ranger, I can't do this anymore." Stephanie hung her head down between her knees, and then threw herself back upright. "I have to get out of here." She looked at the serious man who stared at her from across the desk. "Please."
Ranger pulled his cell phone out and pressed Tank's number. "Get the guys together; we're going to Pino's. Tell Lester and Hal to head on over, you and Bobby can follow us." He hung up and then stood. "Hungry?" He looked at the beautiful woman with her intense gaze directed at him.
"Starving." Her body sagged in relief that the intense interrogation session was over.
Ranger made his way around the desk to stand in front of her chair. He braced his hands on the armrests and bent over placed soft kiss on her lips. "Let's go." He straightened up and held his hand out for her.
sSsSs
The last of Cheryl's patience vanished while she sat at a red light and waited for it to change. She'd spent the entire day trying to come up with a way to meet Stephanie Plum without anyone else around. She drummed her fingertips on the steering wheel; Manoso and his minions were like a black wall of armor. Oncoming traffic slowed and she noticed the black Mercedes followed by a large black SUV stopping on the other side of the intersection. Sitting in the front passenger seat of the Mercedes was the Plum woman; Cheryl smiled at her good fortune and turned into Pino's parking lot hoping that it was their destination. The crazy bitch seemed to be addicted to the place and this might be her best opportunity to get close to the woman. Cheryl hurried to park her car at the end of the lot, grabbed a large tote from the back seat and hustled inside just as the short black caravan pulled into the lot. Perfect.
sSsSs
Ranger parked his car next to one of the Rangeman SUVs. He smiled lifted his hand to touch her tousled curls. "Come on, Babe." She flashed him a small smile.
Side by side, they walked to the restaurant's door. Ranger held it open for her to enter first and gave the outside perimeter one last look before he stepped in behind her. He placed a hand at the small of her back and directed her toward the table where his men were waiting for them. Their order had been placed and a cold mug of beer had been poured for everyone; the day's troubles pushed aside for the next couple of hours.
Stephanie scarfed down an entire meatball sub and two slices of pizza. She drained the last drop of beer from her mug and set it back down on the table. Two beers in under an hour meant it was time for a trip to the bathroom. "Excuse me." She said and pushed back her chair. "I need to go to the ladies room." All of the men at the table rose to escort her. "Oh please, I think I'll be safe enough."
All of the large men dressed in black shot a quick look in Ranger's direction. When he pushed his chair under the table, they all backed off and sat down. Stephanie rolled her eyes and shook her head in surrender.
"Come on, but you're staying outside in the hall." At the door marked 'Women', she gave Ranger a look that said, 'stay out'. He grinned and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
Stephanie blew him a kiss before she pushed open the door. The restroom looked like any other restaurant bathroom: two sinks with a large mirror fastened to the wall above them, two stalls, tampon dispenser mounted on the wall right next to the paper towels and trash can combo. She smiled at the woman standing at one of the sinks brushing her short blond hair, and then did a quick downward glance at the stalls checking for occupants – both empty – so she headed for the first one.
"Oh, use the other one." The lady at the sink said. "That one doesn't seem to be flushing right."
"Thanks," Stephanie moved to the second stall and pulled on the handle. "Damn, it's locked."
"Here, let me help you." The lady offered and came up behind Stephanie then raised her arm.
Stephanie sensed the motion but couldn't react fast enough to avoid the impact of the hard object that crashed into the side of her head and her world went black.
The woman caught Stephanie when she crumpled to soften the sound of her drop to the floor. In a heartbeat, she shoved a small folded piece of paper into the back pocket of Stephanie's jeans.
Without a moment's hesitation, the woman pulled off the short blond wig, shoved it down into her tote and pulled out a second wig. The second one was styled with long straight black hair that hung almost to her waist. She tossed the handles of the tote over her right shoulder and opened the restroom door just wide enough to slip out.
Ranger started to straighten his body away from the wall when the bathroom door opened, expecting Stephanie to walk out. Instead the woman coming out was small with long black hair and a nice pair of legs displayed underneath a short skirt. She smiled at him with down cast eyes and then made her way back through the main part of the restaurant. He had to smile when all of his men turned their heads to follow her progression across the room and out the door.
He gave a quick glance at his watch then stepped closer to the bathroom door. The absence of sound sent his instincts into high alert. With Stephanie Plum, noise was a certainty. He shoved the door open and stopped short. In front of him, Stephanie laid on the floor, her fluffy mass of auburn curls floating on the pool of blood collecting under her head. He grabbed his cell phone, dialed 911 and hurried to the door to yell for his men.
.