Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or places in this story. Thanks to Janet for all the great Plum novels. This is a first attempt and will take me a while to complete. Let me know what you think and if want to read more. Thanks! And as always, thanks to Rach, Steph and Jenn for all of their help with rewording and keeping me true to the characters! Couldn't do it without you! Thanks to all the people who keep reading my story and leave the wonderful comments. They keep me going.
Chapter 10
My mind reeled as we made our way down the street and into the hotel. I wasn't sure how far I would allow myself to take things. Ranger released my hand, keyed us into our room, stopping just inside the door.
"Wait here." I nodded and watched as he efficiently swept through the rooms looking for anything out of place.
"All clear," he said making his way down the stairs to me. With every step he took, my heart beat louder, faster, till I was sure the guests in the hotel lobby could hear it. I set the box of truffles down on the bar, giving myself something else to concentrate on instead of his nearing body. I relaxed into him as he came up from behind me, pulling me close.
"Why don't you go shower, get comfortable and join me on the balcony so we can relax before bed," he murmured while kissing my neck. I nodded again in response, afraid that if I opened my mouth, I would invite him to join me. "I have plans for you," he whispered, nipping lightly at my ear before releasing me. Oh Boy!
Forty minutes later, I emerged from the multi-showerhead wonder, clean, shaven and most importantly, relaxed. I wrapped myself in a towel and debated if I should allow my hair to dry au natural or attempt to work some magic. My brain told me I should be trying to repel Ranger's interest, but I've never been known for making smart choices. I stood at the mirror applying anti-frizz hair serum and hair gel when Ranger knocked.
"Yeah?" I asked through the door.
"Steph, mind if I shower while you finish doing whatever it is you're doing?" He asked.
"Sure. I'm just taming my hair," I said, unlocking and opening the door for him.
He looked me up and down before issuing me his multidimensional response of "Babe." I turned my back while Ranger got undressed, but the traitorous mirror gave me a rear view show as he disappeared into the shower. I dried my hair as quickly as possible, trying to avoid the euphoric haze caused by my favorite drug of choice - Bulgari and warm Ranger. Just as I was finishing, I heard him shut the water off.
I ran out of the bathroom and into the nearest closet. I'm good, I thought, I found mine on the first attempt. Okay so it was a fifty-fifty shot, but I had chosen correctly all the same. I pushed the door open further, taking in the rainbow of colors and fabrics that hung before me. Wow! Ella had out done herself. I couldn't wait to try on all the clothes that she had packed for me. I couldn't help touching every article as I passed by it before stopping in front of a bay of drawers in search of what she had planned for me to sleep in. I pulled open drawer after drawer hoping to find pajamas, anything that would offer me more than a single barrier to protect my betraying body from Ranger, but no such luck.
I slipped into a gown, panties and slippers. I grabbed a robe as I exited the dressing room, running straight into a lounge pant clad Ranger. He was shirtless and from what I could feel, no boxers. Yummy! I felt his eyes run the length of my body, taking in my mid-thigh, pale blue eyelet lace gown. I felt my breath catch in my chest just before he leaned in, kissing my bare shoulder.
"Join me on the balcony," He said, before placing another kiss at the base of my neck. "There's a bottle of wine chilling out there." Unable to form a coherent response, he took my hand and led me down the stairs and out onto the balcony.
The sun was setting as we stepped outside; I pulled on my robe to ward off the chill of the night air. Ranger led me over to a chaise lounge made for two. I watched as he uncorked the bottle and poured us each a glass. I sipped my wine and watched as he sat back on the lounger and pulled me close to him. I sighed and relaxed into his warmth. I looked out over the city, taking in its beauty. I inhaled contentedly as the Eiffel tower lit up before me.
"It's beautiful," I sighed.
"Would you like to have dinner there one night?"
"Can we?"
"Sure, Babe, whatever you like." I thought about that for a few moments. I wanted to look around to make sure we were alone to see if his comment was directed at Bounty Hunter Stephanie or Wife Stephanie. "It'll help our cover." Ouch, guess that answered my question. Ranger angled himself to refill my glass.
"So what is the game plan for tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow, we sleep in. We rest. We'll have dinner at Le Troquet. The concierge made our reservation for six. Is there something you want to do?"
"Maybe we can take in some of the sights before the guys arrive. Will we see them tomorrow?"
"No. Monday." Ranger placed his glass on the table next to us and grabbed me, nestling me between his legs. I snuggled back against him. "What's been bothering you today?"
"It's nothing really." He tilted my head back to where he could look down into my eyes.
"It's not nothing. I can see that in your eyes."
"If you can see it, then why ask?" Our eyes held for a moment longer before I sighed in defeat, "Why did you ask me?"
"Explain."
"What's there to explain?" I asked, pulling away from him and making my way to the foot of the lounger. "Why did you ask me for my help? Why not ask someone more qualified, like Jean Ellen."
He sat quiet for a few moments as if he was dissecting the question and formulating the correct answer. "I asked you, Stephanie, because I needed you. Not Jean Ellen. You."
What the hell did that mean? He needed me. I attempted to take a page out of the book of Ranger. "Wha? Ex... Hmm... Explain," I finally stammered out.
"I needed the skills you have. Skills that only you possess." He pulled me back against him. "Are you telling me that's all that is bothering you?" He began kissing my neck, alternating between kisses, nips and gentle licks.
"Quit distracting me," I said breathlessly.
"Babe."
"The rest isn't important right now."
"Later then." It wasn't a question, but I nodded in acknowledgment. Ranger rested his head back against the lounge and I settled my head on his chest as we quietly watched the city of romance carry on around us.
I woke up as Ranger pulled the covers up over my body, tucking me into our bed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you," I said, still in a sleep induced haze.
"Its okay, Babe." He walked to the other side of the bed and climbed in, "you need to rest." I scooted closer to him in the bed, wanting to be nearer. "Good night, Steph." He placed a chaste kiss to my cheek before closing his eyes.
I laid there awake, listening to his breathing slow. When I thought he was finally asleep, I whispered, "Good night, Carlos. I love you." I placed a gentle kiss to his lips before allowing myself to fall into a deep and dreamless sleep.
I awoke disoriented the next morning. It took me a few moments to piece together exactly where I was and what I was doing there. I was acutely aware that I was using a mocha latte mercenary as a body pillow. I allowed myself to look up into his face and was greeted by a full thousand watt, heart stopping smile.
"Looks like I groped you in my sleep again," I mumbled. Heat gravitated from his body to some very private places on my own. "What time is it?"
"It's almost ten."
"You slept in with me?"
"I accepted the more gratifying option."
"Oh." What can you stay to a remark like that? Batman enjoys me groping him.
Planting a kiss on the top of my head, he teased, "Get up, get dressed, something comfortable. We're taking the day to enjoy the city." The words no more escaped his lips before he rolled us over, pinning me beneath him. He kissed me softly at first, before speaking again, "there are places I want to take you." His lips quickly found their way back to my own as his arms wrapped around me, cradling my head in his hands. He kissed me deeply, thoroughly, as if his next breath could only come from me. After what seemed like an eternity, but still not long enough, we pulled away from each other.
"If I don't stop now, then I won't stop at all," he said as he placed his forehead against mine. It felt like he was asking for permission and my mind and body went to war while he struggled to regain control. I was on the verge of giving in when, with a final kiss to my brow, he removed his body from mine and left the comforts of our bed.
"Where are you taking me this morning, Ricardo?" I asked as we made our way out of the Metro.
"Les Duex Magots." I stopped dead in my tracks. Did I hear him correctly? Did he mention insects? He turned to see what had stopped my forward progress. "Babe, trust me."
"Trust you? We're going to have breakfast somewhere with Magots in the name. You're kidding me right?"
He chuckled softly, "no bugs, Babe. Just good food that I'm sure you will enjoy. It's right around the corner, you'll see."
Five minutes later, we were seated on the sidewalk of Les Duex Magots. I opened my menu wary of what I would fine. I sighed, all in French again. Next time we go undercover, it better be to someplace that the signs and menus are multi-lingual. "Are you going to order for me again?"
"If you like, or I can translate for you so you can order on your own." His offer to translate the menu for me made me smile. The ever dutiful husband, he plays his part well. Ranger scooted his seat closer to mine and pointed out things he thought I would enjoy. I settled for Croque Madame, which I learned was a sandwich with egg, ham and cheese. Ranger did his normal health nut thing, ordering an omelet with veggies. To my surprise, he ordered a basket of assorted pastries for us - oh alright, for me - to try while our dishes were being prepared.
"You pronounced your selection well, Babe, like you've spoken French for years."
"Thanks," I said, winking at him. The waitress returned with our drinks and pastries before either of us spoke again. "Tomorrow, we're going to the conference on international weapons trade, correct?"
"Yes. I look forward to introducing you to my colleagues. I know many of them are looking forward to meeting you."
"You've told them about me?" I felt panic start rising up my throat. Surely he didn't tell them about my luck with cars, kidnappings, stalkers and psychos that seem to find me no matter how I deter them.
"Yes, Love. I've told them all about you. How you have been with my company for the last few years, starting out as a skip tracer and working your way up to handling all of our new accounts. I've told them how people flock to your boisterous personality. And finally, I've told them how you stole my heart and refused to give it back, leaving me no other option but to marry you." My mouth dropped open. I had no words. Nothing. Thankfully I was reprieved by the return of the waitress' delivery of our meals.
"Thank you." After taking in all the good things he said, that was all I could come up with. He could have told them anything, made up anything, but he lead them believe that I was good at my job, strong willed and overall a well-liked person. All the things I hoped to be. Ranger smiled at me, warming my heart.
"What would you like to do with the rest of our day?"
"It's Paris. How am I supposed to choose where to start?"
"Tell you what; we'll take one of those open air bus tours so that you can get a feel for the city. We can hop on and off wherever you want."
"I know I want to see Notre Dame and the Louvre." Ranger nodded in agreement; probably he was making a mental list of what I wanted and designing a plan of action for the most efficient route to achieve it. "Oh, and I was wondering..." I lowered my voice to almost a whisper.
"Yes?" He said encouraging me on.
"What about the Moulin Rouge? Does it really look like it did in the movie?" Ranger stared at me for a beat before chuckling.
"Babe, you want me to take you to explore the red light district?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye. I nodded sheepishly.
"I just want to see the outside. We don't have to go in. I just wondered if it really had the windmill."
We finished our meals in silence. The waitress returned once more to drop off the check. Once the bill was paid, we walked down the street, hand in hand towards the bus terminal near Printemps department store.
Ranger purchased two passes for the Grand Tour. We boarded the bus and headed to the upper deck so we could enjoy an unobstructed view of the city. After a ten minute wait and a mental note to return later and look around inside the store, the bus pulled away from curb and headed towards the Opera Garnier. The driver told stories about the historical and unusual places that we passed. After a brief interlude at the Opera house, we went to the Palais Royal Garden's.
"Can we get off here and walk around?" I asked.
"Sure, babe."
We spent an hour strolling through the flowers, mostly in silence. There were a thousand things I could have dwelled on, but I somehow managed to just enjoy the moment, walking hand in hand with Ranger. We stopped in front of the massive fountain, the centerpiece of the main garden.
"It's beautiful here. Thanks for bringing me," I said smiling up at Ranger.
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." I turned to face him. Something behind him caught my attention, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. "Ready to head back to the bus?" I nodded as he brushed a quick kiss across my lips, pulling me to him. He placed a kiss into my hair line and whispered, "Babe, is there a woman with dark hair behind us?" I looked around, spotted the woman and nodded in reply.
He grabbed my hand and said, "Don't let go."
He led us back down the path we'd come before. When we reached a secluded section of the garden, Ranger stopped to kiss me passionately and began moving us off the path until his back was to a ten foot hedgerow that surrounded the area. He broke from the kiss and cradled me in a hug and I could feel the tension pulsing through his body.
With my head turned into his chest, I whispered, "Do you know her?"
"No. We picked her up as we left the cafe. I didn't pay her any attention until she followed us off the bus. She appears to be sketching the garden, but she's been taking every path we do." As if on cue, the dark-haired woman came back into view. I felt my heart race as Ranger said, "come on," and set us in motion once again.
We made it to the bus loading area just as it pulled in. We climbed to the top and sat in the last row. The woman in question sat down at the front of the upper level. "When we get to the next stop I want you to make your way forward alone." Oh goody, I thought. I just love being bait. "I'll be close behind you. Trust me."
The next stop was the Louvre and the driver was spouting interesting facts about Li Pei's masterpiece the Pyramide du Louvre, in the courtyard of Paris' most renowned museum, The Louvre. I tuned him out after the first few minutes.
As the bus rolled to a stop in front of the museum's courtyard, I stood to make my way forward. I glanced back and Ranger and mouthed, "Be careful."
The bastard just smirked and said, "Babe."
As soon as I passed our mystery stalker she stood and followed me down the bus steps. I wasn't sure where to go and while I knew that Ranger would be close behind me, I wanted the assurance of having him next to me. I casually stopped next to a trash bin and started rooting my handbag as if I was searching for something.
I looked up when I heard Ranger's voice from a few feet away as he quietly asked the woman "Is there a reason you're following my wife and I?" His menacing tone would make an insubordinate pee his pants. She seemed startled by his question and stood stone still.
"I'll ask you one last time why you are following us before I turn you over to the police."
"I'm sorry." She stammered with a heavy French accent. "You caught my attention this morning, the way you look at each other, your interactions; I wanted to sketch the two of you." She opened the satchel she carried and presented Ranger a partially completed sketch of two people. They could have been anyone, not necessarily us. "I wanted to watch more of how you react to each other. It is magical, no?"
I looked skeptically at Ranger. He seemed to be in his zone processing the information, trying to determine if he believed her story or not. She truly did seem harmless, but who am I to judge. "I don't want you to follow us any longer. If we catch sight of you again, I will turn you over to the authorities. Understand?"
She nodded before addressing him again, "I'm sorry to have caused you any worry. I really only wanted to capture the energy the two of you share. I work for Galerie Twenty-One. I often visit Les Duex Magots looking for new subjects to sketch. Let me leave you my card. If you would like to see the finished drawing, please stop by." She fished a business card out of her handbag and handed it to Ranger before quickly walking away. Ranger placed the card inside his pocket before coming up to me.
I tried to sound casual when I said, "I think I've had enough for today. Are you ready to head back?"
"I'll call for a car."
He placed a call to the hotel and then dialed another number. Someone must have picked up on the other end, but all he said was our shadow's name and business address. I decided it was a good thing we were in the security business. It pays to have connections.
We wandered around the massive glass pyramid to kill time and I couldn't shake the feeling that everyone's eyes were on us. I was trying to work out why someone would be tailing us, but I had a feeling Ranger knew the puzzle pieces better than I did.
"Do you believe her?" I finally asked.
"She didn't give me the impression she was lying. We'll know more soon."
We returned to the hotel at three so I would have plenty of time to get ready for dinner at La Troquet. Ranger chose to spend time in the gym while I pampered myself before getting ready for dinner. I changed into the white silk robe from the night before and went to inspect the closet. I couldn't wait for Ranger to see the dress I'd planned on wearing. It was a strapless linen dress with a splash of floral in shades of pink that hugged my torso like a second skin but flared away from my hips, leaving some of my secrets hidden. Since I had the perfect dress, it required that I have the perfect shoes and of course perfect shoes required my toes get a new coat of paint. I retrieved two travel polish remover pads and a bottle of bright pink nail polish from my makeup bag and made my way out to the balcony to sit. After removing and reapplying the polish, I nestled back into one of the loungers, turned on music from my iPhone and closed my eyes.
My eyes shot open as I struggled to get up from the chair. Ranger was sitting beside me, his hand inches from the promise land, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Ranger!"
He looked into my eyes. "The breeze blew the lower part of your robe apart. I was just fixing it." I rolled my eyes at him. He wasn't fixing it. His hand was curled around my hip. It felt nice, warm, and sent tingling sensations through my body, making my heart race and my doodah jump to attention. He pulled the two lower halves of the robe back together, in a feeble attempt to prove his point, and I groaned at the loss of his intimate touch.
"Do you know what you do to me?" he asked. Hopefully the same thing he does to me, I thought. "What do I do to you, Babe?" Damn ESP.
I pulled away from him and placed my feet on the ground. "I'd better get ready. Not long before we have to leave for dinner."
He stood and gave me a hand up, standing so close that I had to slide up his body to prevent toppling back into the chair. His warm breath tickled my ear as he purred, "All you have to do is say the word, Steph and I'll show you what you do to me."