Free At Last
Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns Stephanie Plum and all of her family and friends. I just like to play around in her world. Anyone you don't recognize is someone from my own imagination, but I'm definitely not making any money here.
A/N: My goodness! The number of reviewers who want Ranger to not be 'shooting blanks' is astounding to me. I didn't realize how many readers seem to want Miss Plum to be preggers already. I truly haven't made up my mind yet, but my original story outline calls for several more chapters before any such decision is even possible. Sorry dearies, you'll just have to wait and see. This super-long chapter is in Ranger's POV. Enjoy! :D
Ranger and I have three things in common. We're the same age. We're both single. And we both were previously married for about ten seconds. That's where the common ground ends. I'm an open book with lots of blank pages. His book is filled with life experience but written in disappearing ink.
Finger Lickin' Fifteen
Chapter 14: Addicts
Early morning is my favorite time of the day. When I'm here in Miami, I usually go for a six or seven mile run along the beach and watch as the sun comes up over the ocean's horizon. There's a specific moment when the sun's rays reflect off the surface of the water at a certain angle and it appears that a large swath of the ocean is on fire. It's one of the most beautiful sights in all of nature.
This morning, though, I had done a rare thing and now I was watching a very different, but also astonishingly beautiful sight. The woman with whom I planned to spend the rest of my life was naked and asleep in my bed with me. Her warm and soft body was completely tangled up with mine. Life for me didn't get much better than this. Stephanie's simple beauty never failed to take my breath away, even when she was sporting the kinds of bruises that were on display at this time.
Although sleeping in late like this wasn't something in which I indulged very often, the powerful combination of extreme fatigue and long-awaited sexual satisfaction had kept both of our bodies in a dormant state way past dawn. Even though it was barely past eight o'clock in the morning, I knew it was time for us to get up and start the day. Unfortunately, there was no way for me to disentangle us without awakening Steph. Oh well, I thought, staying like this for a little while longer certainly wouldn't kill me. In fact, it felt good for me finally to be able to 'feed my addiction' to this woman I now held in my arms.
For far too long, I've barely allowed myself to dream of a life where waking up with my Babe draped across my body like this was a regular occurrence. I ached for it, but it seemed impossible given the fact that she always returned to Morelli, whether or not I pushed her in his direction. A few days ago, as I agonized over the location of Steph's GPS blip on the status screen, I was convinced that I had allowed the 'right moment' - as well as the woman I loved - to slip through my fingers for the last time. Now that I had her with me, I was ready to take the next step in turning my dreams into realities.
While my brain pondered exactly how to proceed during the day's planned activities, another part of my body petitioned for a completely different kind of decision now. Of course, there was never any doubt about which body part would win this internal debate. I was completely and hopelessly addicted to my Babe and, sleeping or not, I had to have her again.
Moving very slowly, I began to kiss and caress Steph's face, neck and shoulders until her body responded by shifting just enough for me to move into the right position for what I wanted to do. Working my way lower and lower toward my primary target, I gave my Babe a decidedly sensual 'wake-up call' which left her gasping. Once she was fully awake, I soon acquired my secondary target deep within her until I was gasping for air, too.
"Carlos ... oh, Carlos," I heard her softly murmuring, over and over again, while we both lay on our backs and caught our breath.
It was a dream-come-true for me to hear my name coming from Stephanie's lips like that and the sound of it definitely put a smile on my face. In the process of feeding my own addiction, I also was making good on my promise to ruin her for all other men. Soon enough, I silently vowed, my Babe wouldn't even be able to remember what Morelli's touch felt like.
When our heart rates and breathing finally returned to normal, I turned toward her and brushed the wayward strands of her wild and sexy hair away from her forehead. Gazing into her gorgeous blue eyes, I knew we had to get out of the bed immediately, because I already wanted her again. These days, it feels as though I'm always ready to be with Steph and this constant state of 'readiness' is unlike anything I've ever experienced before - or at least, not since I was a horny teenager.
"C'mon, Babe, it's shower time," I said, pulling her off of the bed with me and then leading her into the bathroom. "And this time, you get to be in there with me."
I acted quickly because I didn't want Steph to get a good look at herself in the mirror and freak out over her reflection. I love her wild appearance, especially when I know I've played a major role in getting her into such a state of dishevelment. But I do realize that she doesn't share my opinion about her appearance. Luckily for me, I was able to guide my Babe into the large, walk-in shower this morning without her even glancing at the mirror.
One of the most interesting things to me is the way that the fragrance of my shower gel really turns my Babe on - it's almost as though she's addicted to my soap. I like the Bulgari line of products well enough, but honestly, it's just soap. Nevertheless, I'll keep using the stuff forever if she continues to respond to it the way she did this morning. Of course, feeding her sexy addiction meant that our shower took quite a bit longer than I originally had anticipated, but I'm not complaining.
Oddly enough, I felt more energized than ever after our time together in the shower and I was pretty sure that Steph felt the same way, too. I'd never wanted a woman as much as I wanted Stephanie Plum and I began to wonder how, or even if, I could convince her to kick her addiction to refined sugar once and for all. It definitely would be worth the effort and I could promise her that she wouldn't regret such a decision.
"Earth to Carlos," I suddenly heard Steph say to me while I pulled a t-shirt over my head, "Did you hear what I just said?"
Whoa! I hardly ever became distracted like that. "Sorry, Babe. Can you repeat your question?"
She was standing there in just her bra and panties and she grinned wickedly at me before saying, "I can't believe that I caught you daydreaming! I'll have to mark this day on my calendar. By the way, what day is this anyway? I'm all confused - is it Friday or Saturday?"
"It's Friday." I replied, and decided that Steph definitely would have to mark her calendar. I would have to mark mine, too, but not for the reason she'd just stated. If everything went according to my plans, we'd both want to remember this day and all of its events for the rest of our lives. "And I have a favor to ask of you."
"Okay, ask away."
"I know it was mean of me to ditch your snack cakes on the plane," I began, "but as a favor to me, I really would like for you to consider limiting your sugar intake for the duration of our stay here in Miami. Just the processed stuff, not honey or naturally sweet foods like fruit. I promise you, Babe, I'll make it worth your while."
She chewed on her lower lip as she considered my request and then she cut her eyes to me and asked, "Starting when?"
"Starting now." And I gathered her into my arms for another kiss - which, of course, led to our clothes ending up on the floor within a few short moments.
As we headed for the bed again, a loud noise stopped us in our tracks. Steph's stomach growled once more in protest and I think I heard a growl of frustration escape from my own throat. We definitely would have to figure out a regular feeding schedule for my Babe so that we wouldn't continue to be interrupted by her noisy stomach. For now, I let go of her and we reluctantly backed away from each other.
I sighed and held up my hands in surrender, "I'm not even going to try to compete with your hunger pangs, Babe. Do you want to accept a rain check for later?"
"Okay," she said, still short of breath. "Let's eat first, and then I'll decide about the sugar-free diet."
I quickly pulled on a t-shirt and some running shorts before I changed my mind and decided to drag Steph back to bed, food or no food. She put on similar clothes and we both walked out of the dressing room and toward the kitchen. Honestly, I was surprised that she had lasted this long without either coffee or food. We both needed breakfast and we needed it ASAP.
"You'll get to meet Rosalinda when she brings up our food," I told Steph. "I wouldn't be surprised if Shelly came up with her. They're a nice couple."
"I can't wait to compliment her stew. That was the best Cuban food I've ever tasted."
"Don't say that! She'll be on the phone to Ella in a heartbeat and then all we'll get when we return to New Jersey is plain, dry toast."
"I thought you said that Rosie and Ella are the best of friends."
"They are, but they're also very competitive. Be careful with your compliments. That's all I'm saying now."
Stephanie opened her mouth to ask another question, no doubt, but her stomach growled loudly again and we both had to laugh. Yep, it was past time to feed the beast. Picking up my cell phone to call Rosie's extension, I noticed that I had received a flurry of messages from Tank. Being off-line meant that I silenced my phone and only checked on things if I felt like it. Now, I realized, trouble was brewing back in the Burg and a chilling thought occurred to me.
"Babe, when's the last time you checked your phone messages?" I asked.
"Oh, not since we landed," she confessed. "When we arrived at the airport, I only heard part of one message from my dad, but the phone died in the middle of him saying something about being happy for us no matter what my mother thinks. It was very strange, especially considering the fact that this isn't the first time I've gone out of town, or even the first time I've traveled with you. The problem is that I only have my car charger with me, so I'll have to wait until we drive somewhere before I can listen to the whole message."
Damn! This meant that I'd only have a tiny window of time in which to clear things up for Steph before she recharged her phone and heard her father's message in its entirety. Frank Plum was even slicker than I'd thought he was and, in his own way, he was forcing my hand. I silently vowed never to underestimate that sly old fox ever again.
Now, based on the text messages Tank had been sending me, the whole Burg was forcing my hand. My Babe probably would freak out once she listened to her voicemail. Even though the timing was all wrong according to my plans, it was time for me to tell Stephanie everything. I decided that I'd wait until after we'd eaten.
Rosalinda Santos and her husband, Sheldon Markowitz, knocked on the apartment door within five minutes of my call. Rosie was a short, slightly plump woman with flame-red hair and sparkling brown eyes. Shelly was a tall, very thin, bald man with piercing blue eyes. He also was one of the hairiest men I'd ever seen. He had dark, wiry hair all over the rest of his body, except for the top of his head. Clearly, I was in no danger of my Babe drooling over this particular RangeMan employee.
I introduced the couple to Stephanie, who then praised Rosie's Ropa Viejo stew. My Babe impressed all of us as she pronounced the Spanish words perfectly. Rosie nodded to Stephanie and told her how pleased they were to finally meet her. Shelly waved goodbye as Rosie carried in a tray full of my usual breakfast selections - bagels, cream cheese, smoked salmon and slices of fresh fruit. This time, though, there also was a sugar bowl and a plate which held several Boston crème donuts.
I cringed inwardly when I saw the additional selections on the tray. I was going to strangle Ella when I saw her again. The donuts had to be my Trenton housekeeper's doing. She probably had called Rosie and told her all about Stephanie's sugary food preferences. I could just imagine the two older women chatting and gossiping about all the times Steph stayed in my apartment, too.
Stephanie's eyes lit up when she noticed the donuts, but her expression quickly sobered when she made eye contact with me. I almost felt sorry for my Babe as a look of pure anxiety and dismay filled her eyes and she began to chew on her lower lip. We both knew she really wanted - and needed - her 'sugar fix', so I was shocked when I heard her ask for Rosie to remove the donuts from the tray.
"Oh, Rosie! Thanks so much for bringing me some of my favorite breakfast food!" Steph said enthusiastically. "My guess is that a little 'birdie' named Ella must have tipped you off."
"Why, yes, she did!" Rosie admitted. "We have a very good bakery just around the corner from here. I'm sure it's as good as the ones in New Jersey."
Steph leaned over and spoke as though she was letting Rosie in on a secret, "The thing is, Rosie - and I'm sure that Ella didn't know this - is that I'm trying to lose a few pounds. So, you see, donuts and muffins and ... and cake are all forbidden foods for me for the time being," she explained, smiling at Rosie and avoiding further eye contact with me. "I'll just have whatever Rang--, I mean, Carlos, is having while we're here in Miami."
"But Miss Plum, you look gorgeous - and you're so thin!" Rosie gushed, happy to know something that Ella didn't already know. "I find it hard to believe that you're the sort of girl who has to watch her weight."
"I appreciate you saying so, Rosie, but my clothes don't lie," Stephanie said to the older woman. "Don't get me wrong; I'd love to eat those donuts right now, but they wouldn't love me back. In fact, they'd only add inches to my waistline. And since I plan on going to the beach a lot while I'm here, it's probably best if I avoid fattening foods altogether. Anyway, Carlos tells me that fresh fruit is much better for me."
"This is true," Rosie nodded. "Would you like for me to bring up more pineapple and mango slices for you, instead?"
"That would be ... great."
Watching Rosie disappear into the hallway with the plate of donuts had to be one of the most difficult things Stephanie Plum had ever done. Only because I knew my Babe so well did I fully understand the magnitude of the sacrifice she was making. Still, it was funny to hear her saying all the right things about her diet, even though she usually had no intention of following such sound guidance. I almost didn't know what to say next, especially because the idea that Steph was at least going to try to limit her sugar made my pulse race.
As soon as my housekeeper was in the elevator, I pulled Steph close to me in a gentle embrace, kissed her on her forehead and said, "Proud of you, Babe."
She shuddered and gazed up at me. "You'd better make this worth my while, mister, or there will be hell to pay."
Hugging her tighter, I murmured into her hair, **"Marry me and I'll make it worth your while every day and every night of our existence."** The Spanish flowed out so easily before I could stop it.
"Mmm. That sounded very ... romantic," Steph said and she snuggled into my chest, "I love the way Spanish words sound when you say them, Carlos, but didn't you promise to speak English with me?"
"Okay, I apologize."
She was right, of course, and I knew it. At this point, I'd do anything to keep the peace so that my plans would have a better chance of succeeding. I refused to allow myself to make the same kinds of mistakes Morelli had made.
"No, Carlos, you can't just apologize," Steph insisted, "Whenever you speak Spanish in front of me - whether we're alone or if you're talking to someone else - you have to translate."
Thankfully, Rosie's timely knocking on the door saved me from telling Steph what I'd said. My efficient housekeeper bustled in and placed another silver tray on the dining room table. This one contained plates of mango slices and pineapple rings. There was now enough fruit in front of us to keep us healthy and regular for days.
"Ella has been telling me about you forever," Rosie said to Stephanie, "And now I can see for myself why she likes you so much. I hope you'll enjoy your stay here in Miami well enough to come back and visit for a longer period of time. When Pedro told me that you'd be staying on the--"
I cut her off, "Rosie, I'm sure that Stephanie will return to Miami in the future. She loves the beach and the ocean and this is one of the best places in the world to enjoy both. Next time, we'll stay long enough for you to make us both gain a few extra pounds with your cooking."
"Good," she said. "I'm tired of being jealous of my good friend Ella all the time. It will be my pleasure to spoil you for a while."
"We'll look forward to that, too," I said and I smiled at her.
Rosie understood my silent dismissal and headed for the door, "Don't worry about the dishes or anything; I'll come back up after you leave for the day. And I'll let Túlio know about the changes to the food preferences, too. Again, it's wonderful to finally meet you, Miss Stephanie. Enjoy your stay!"
"Who's Túlio?" Steph asked as soon as the door closed behind Rosie.
"My grandfather's chef," I replied and began to eat.
Stephanie raised an eyebrow, but she didn't waste any more time asking questions after that. She really was hungry and she seemed to enjoy the whole-grain bagels with cream cheese and all the fresh fruit. Although my Babe hadn't turned away the sugar bowl, I was happy to see that she sweetened her coffee with only one level teaspoon of sugar instead of her usual heaping tablespoons of the stuff. However, once she'd filled her belly with the nutritious food, Steph's cravings turned back toward me.
Like I said, I couldn't get enough of my Babe and it was obvious that she was going to make me 'pay' for her mostly sugar-free diet. Again, I'm not complaining, but after we both finished our breakfast, we just weren't able to make it all the way to the bedroom. Knowing that our time was limited, I apologized and explained to her that the 'quickie' on the living room couch would have to tide us over until much later.
We cleaned up afterward and started to get ready for the day. I paused while I was shaving to watch Stephanie applying her make-up. Now she was wearing my robe and I loved seeing her in it. I still think she put on too much mascara, but the rest of her 'magic' did a good job of covering her bruised eye. Once again, I was mesmerized by her simple beauty and I had to fight to stay focused and in control of my addiction to her body. This day promised to be another long one, but I knew that the end result would be worth all of the waiting.
I finished threading a belt through the loops of my slacks and buckled it before I changed my mind again and we ended spending the rest of the day in bed. Choosing one of my nicer wristwatches and then a diamond stud for my earlobe was easy, but I deliberated over which shoes to wear. Finally settling on a pair of casual black loafers, I sat down on the leather bench to slide them onto my feet. It was only then that I noticed the way Steph was staring at me.
"What?" I asked as I stood up and checked my appearance in the mirror.
She nodded toward my reflection in the dressing room mirror and said, "That shirt looks very nice on you, but if this is what the folks here at RangeMan of Miami are wearing, then I'm in trouble. Oddly enough, Ella didn't pack any black clothes for me to wear on this trip."
I glanced down at my black slacks and my black-and-white, short-sleeved Cubavera shirt and shrugged. "None of this is part of the uniform; these clothes are just the ones I chose to wear this morning. Everyone wears black at all of my facilities because black is easy. As for you, I think your khaki skirt and that white blouse will be just fine, but you should wear comfortable shoes for when you and Juanita go shopping this afternoon."
"Oh, that's right," she said as she began to rummage through her open suitcase. "I forgot all about Silvio's wife taking me shopping today. If I need to buy a black outfit, I can do that while we're--" Then she stopped and turned to face me. "Wait just a minute! How did you know that I have a skirt and blouse in here?"
"I noticed them when I was removing those Tastycakes." No, I wasn't ready to share my on-line shopping secrets with her just yet.
"Hmm," Steph replied, narrowing her eyes at me. I could tell that she was trying to decide whether or not to believe me, but the moment passed and she wriggled into the pieces of clothing I'd suggested to her. Then she slid her feet into a pair of fancy-looking flip-flips, put on silver hoop earrings, and fluffed her ponytail. My Babe looked hot and I told her so.
"Thanks. Ella made some nice choices for me," Steph said. "It's as though she knew exactly what I'd need for this little impromptu trip. She even packed a fabulous bikini for me."
"A bikini?" I feigned surprise as I attached my small personal arsenal of knives and guns to my body.
"You probably thought they were matching underwear when you were pawing through my bag to find my Butterscotch Krimpets."
Stephanie then turned around and pulled two scraps of cobalt blue material out of her open suitcase. She dangled the pieces in front of her body which enabled me to imagine her clad only in the bathing suit. Clamping down on my libido, I struggled to maintain self-control again so that we'd have a chance to escape the apartment before it became the afternoon.
"Ella is definitely getting a big Christmas bonus this year," I said aloud. I zipped up my suitcase, carried it out of the bedroom and walked toward the den. "Alright, Babe, pack it up. We've got a lot to do before our date tonight. And remember to check around for all of your stuff, because we're not coming back up here for the rest of our stay."
"What? Where are we go--?"
I held up a hand to stop her question and said, "The place I told you about - the one owned by Súarez Enterprises - is located nearby. No worries, Steph; I know you're going to love it. Just be patient with me as I take you around town today. Miami really is my other home and I want you to feel comfortable here."
"So ... we're going sightseeing today?" Steph now had a confused expression on her face.
"Maybe a little," I replied vaguely. "But we have a few official things to deal with before lunch, so we need to pick up the pace here and get moving."
"Wait just another minute, Carlos," Steph put her hands on her hips and squinted at me again. "You said we're off-line now and I thought we came down here to relax. 'Official things' don't really sound very relaxing to me. Besides, if there's a beach nearby, that's where I want to go."
"I'll make you a deal, Babe," I said, thinking fast. "I promise we'll spend the next two days at the beach - all day long for as much time as your skin can bear - if you'll just stick with my plan for today, alright?"
"Hmm, that all depends," Steph tapped her index finger on her chin as she considered this, "What is your plan for today, Carlos? You've been very vague so far and I want details before I make another decision. I need to know what my options are, right?"
Trying hard not to sigh in exasperation, I began to explain, "First, we'll go downstairs and I'll introduce you to Gonzo and the staff here at RangeMan of Miami - or at least, everyone who's on duty right now. Then we need to go downtown to take care of some official business, but that shouldn't take very long. After lunch, Silvio's wife, Juanita, will meet us at the bistro and from there she'll take you shopping for something suitable to wear tonight. I'll take care of other business while you're shopping and when you're finished, we'll briefly visit with my grandfather and settle into our accommodations. Finally, after all that, we'll shower, get dressed and then go out on our date."
"Wow! That's quite a full schedule for being off-line," Steph remarked. "What if I decide just to head to the beach instead of going shopping?"
I shrugged. "Then we wouldn't be able to go out tonight."
"What?" She exclaimed. "Why not?"
"For one thing, the social scene here in Miami is quite a bit dressier than the one back in Trenton, so you really do need to go shopping for something more appropriate," I explained. "Trust me, you'll feel more comfortable wearing a fancier skirt or dress when we go out tonight. Juanita will steer you in the right fashion direction. Secondly, I know how well you clean up, Babe, and I want to show you off. I can hardly wait to get out on the dance floor with you."
Steph stared at me for a moment before she said, "Forgive me, Carlos, but I'm having a difficult time imagining you and me dancing. I'm sure that you'd be fine, but you know how much of a klutz I can be. That's why Joe and I rarely went out to clubs where people danced. Besides, the only dance steps I know are the ones Dickie forced me to learn so that I wouldn't fall on my ass and embarrass him at our wedding reception. The dancing lessons were kind of fun, but Dickie never had time to take me out after we were married and then we were weren't married anymore, so ... I probably forgot how to dance, anyway."
"Don't worry, Babe," I assured her, "The female dancer is only as good as the man who leads her around on the dance floor. Just follow my lead and I promise I won't let you fall on your ass. I have plans for that fine ass of yours, so I'll protect it at all costs."
"Humph!" Steph grumbled. "Well, don't blame me if you end up with battered toes tonight. Really, Carlos, we don't have to go anywhere special; casual dining is totally fine by me. Remember, I'm supposed to be paying for my own way while we're down here. Surely, there must be someplace where I can have a good, cheap meal and still wear my comfy jeans and a t-shirt. I'd even be willing to bet that there's a McDonald's around here somewhere. Two bucks says I'm right - here's my wager." And she pulled the dollar bills out of her pocket to wave them at me.
"Babe."
I couldn't believe that Steph was being such a smartass and trying to negotiate with me like this, but to be fair, the problem was that she had no idea what I was trying to do. Then I also realized that she truly didn't understand about the unofficial dress codes which existed in this little corner of the world. Miami night life was over-the-top glitzy and gaudy. Before I had a chance to explain it all to her, though, she continued to argue her case for going to the beach instead of shopping.
"Carlos, we're in Florida, for crying out loud," she said and walked over to the window. "Look at that view! We both know that it's raining cats and dogs back in New Jersey, but the sun is shining here and it looks like it's going to be a great day to lie out on the warm sand and work on my tan. Seriously, I don't care about going out to some fancy place tonight; all I really want to do is to go to the beach and relax."
I stared at Steph for a moment and then I shook my head in amazement. I walked over to the window and plucked the dollars from her fingers. Stuffing the money back into her shirt pocket, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, kissed the top of her head and said, "And this is why I love you."
"So, there is a McDonald's nearby," she said and smiled up at me, "Does that mean we can go there for dinner tonight so I can lay on the beach this afternoon?"
"No," I replied, hating to disappoint her, "But there's always tomorrow and the next day."
And I meant it. As soon as we finished the business of today, I'd gladly buy a Big Mac and fries for my Babe and lay out on the beach with her for a few days of relaxation in the Florida sunshine. I'd also be quite happy to rub sunscreen all over her beautiful backside, being very careful not to neglect even an inch of her exposed skin. But for now, I had to stay focused on my very important, time-critical missions. We had to go - now.
Steph finished packing her suitcase and then we took the elevator to the fifth floor. I had called Gonzo, so he was waiting for us when the elevator doors slid open. I braced myself for the inevitable grilling he was going to give me, even though I knew it was only going to be the first of many. Really, though, my cousin wasn't going to harass me nearly as much as my sisters would in the near future, so I told myself that this probably wasn't going to be too painful.
"Hey, cousin, it's about time you showed your ugly mug!" Gonzo greeted me with a manly bear-hug and patted me on my back. Then he turned his attention to Stephanie and extended his right hand, "And you must be the infamous Stephanie Plum. I'm Pedro Gonzalez Súarez, Carlos' cousin and second-in-command here at RangeMan of Miami. You may call me Pete or Gonzo; either name is fine."
"Thanks, Gonzo. Please call me Stephanie," she replied and shook his hand.
"I'm very pleased to meet you, Stephanie. I must say, though, that Silvio's description of you simply did not do you justice." He was still holding her hand and he brought it to his lips and slowly kissed the back of it, smiling at her the entire time.
Stephanie turned her head toward me and loudly whispered, "I thought you said he wasn't as big a flirt as Lester."
I shrugged and replied, "I never said he wouldn't flirt with you."
Gonzo laughed and released Steph's hand, "Ah, so you've been properly warned, huh? Well, welcome to Miami, anyway. I trust that you both ... slept well. And I understand that congratulations are in order." Then he smirked at me.
I shot my cousin a warning glance and said, "Yes, that was quite the capture Stephanie made by tackling Cantrell the other day. Wish you could have seen it for yourself. With Steph on our team, we're going to make a lot more money."
Both Gonzo and I knew that wasn't what he was talking about, but he let it slide and then we both escorted Steph around to all the fifth floor offices, ending with the control room. Gonzo introduced her to the men who were on duty at the monitors. Almost everything was the same as in New Jersey, except that here there was a maritime monitor in addition to the regular ones.
Stephanie watched in fascination as one of the guys - a sandy-haired computer genius named Fred - explained the differences between his screen, which showed the action in the waters surrounding the coastline of southern Florida and the Keys, and the land-based screens that she was accustomed to seeing. Here in Miami, many of our clients hired RangeMan to provide security systems for their boats. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough to prevent her from noticing the name of a particular blip on Fred's display.
"Does that ... does that icon say ... the Batcave?" She turned and asked me.
"I'll explain it all in good time, Babe," I replied. "First things first."
Steph raised her eyebrow at me, "What does that mean?"
I raised my eyebrow in return and said, "If you're finished looking at things around the office here, we'll head downtown and I'll tell you what I mean."
As we walked down the hall to the elevator, Gonzo ran up behind us and tapped me on the shoulder. "I know you're off-line, Carlos, but I think I'm going to need your help with Val after all. That stubborn cousin of ours just called me and flatly refused to help with tonight's distraction at the club. He's being a real bitch - pardon my language, Stephanie - and saying that our use of the club and its entertainment is help enough. I reminded him that we're part-owners, too, but then he hung up on me."
"I'll take care of it and get back to you later this afternoon," I said and ushered Steph into the elevator. "And Gonzo, tell Danny Cruz that I'll be waiting for him in the gym bright and early on Monday morning. I'm going to guarantee that yesterday's speeding ticket will be the last one he ever receives while working for RangeMan. Understand?"
As soon as the sliding doors closed, I cornered my Babe and kissed her deeply and passionately before she could ask me any more questions. Doing this now, in full view of the security cameras on board, was the best way I could think of announcing to the men on shift that Stephanie and I were not to be disturbed while we were here in town. Knowing my men, I was sure that the word would spread throughout the organization like wildfire.
When we got to the garage level, it took every ounce of my weakening self-control to keep moving forward. All I wanted to do was return to the seventh floor and stay in bed with Stephanie for the duration of our stay in Miami. From the expression on her face, my sugar-deprived Babe was feeling much the same way. Both of us were like addicts, but I thought that being hooked on each other was an awesome thing. Someday, we'd be able to indulge ourselves - but today wasn't going to be that day.
Focus, focus, focus on the goal ahead, I commanded myself as I beeped open the car's door locks. Stephanie's eyes lit up when I opened the passenger side door of my silver Mercedes E550 Coupe for her. Even though it was just a car, I loved its light gray leather upholstery, dark wood panel accents and the retractable panoramic sunroof, too. Stephanie was right about the fabulous weather here today; driving with the top open was going to be great.
"Now will you please tell me what's going on here, Carlos?" Steph asked after we pulled into the traffic on Biscayne Boulevard and headed south. "I know I saw the Batcave on that screen."
"I'm not ready to answer that one, yet. You can ask again tonight."
She glared at me for a moment and then said, "Alright, then. Be that way. Who is Val? And of what club are you a part-owner? Are you willing to answer those questions, or should I just stick to the weather and local sports?" She was rummaging in her purse and my blood froze when she plugged in the car charger for her cell phone.
"Val is Ricardo Valentino Súarez the Fifth," I explained and I tried to stay calm about the phone messages. "His father is my mother's oldest brother and Papí Súarez's primary heir. The club is called '¡Caliente!' which means 'Hot!' in Spanish. Gonzo and I, as well as another cousin, Cátarina, all gave money to help Val establish the dance club over in South Beach a few years ago. Val and Cat teach a variety of Latin dances to anyone who wants to learn them - mostly tourists - and they also put on a variety show every Friday night. Maybe we'll stop by later and catch part of Val's latest creation."
"Wow!" Steph sounded impressed. "Not only are you the world's best bounty hunter, but you're also a successful soldier of fortune, security systems expert, business mogul and now, club boss, too. You really do have a diversified portfolio, Mr. Mañoso." Then she returned her attention to her cell phone and started to punch in a number.
"Don't call your voicemail!" I said in a commanding tone of voice, surprising her into stillness. "Not yet, anyway. Before you do that, I have to tell you something about ... about your father's phone message."
"Okay, Carlos," she said slowly and placed the cell phone on her lap. "You've got my undivided attention."
I took a deep breath and began to talk, keeping my eyes on the road in front of me. "Yesterday afternoon, when I called your father to inform him of your sudden travel plans, he mistakenly thought that we were ... that we were ... eloping."
"He what?"
"Babe, I know it's hard to believe, but your father actually gave us his permission to get married. He even told me to call him 'Frank' and he practically begged us to elope ASAP."
"Omigod!" It looked like she was beginning to hyperventilate.
I reached over and covered her hand with mine. "Breathe, Steph. Don't freak out on me now. Your father also promised to take care of any ... issues ... with your mother. I'm pretty sure that's what his phone message is all about."
"Omigod!" She repeated and I could feel her trembling.
"Babe, I love you very much!" I tried to reassure her. "And now that I've got you, I don't ever want to lose you. This is not how or where I wanted to do this, but ... Stephanie Michelle Plum, will you consider saying 'yes' when I ask you to marry me?"
"What?" She exclaimed. "What does that mean, Carlos? I don't understand."
Everything had just become so screwed up that, in my mind's eye, I could see Tank shaking his head in pure disgust. Here I was, driving toward downtown Miami, and I had just proposed to propose to the woman I hoped to marry. It wouldn't surprise me if she turned me down flat. A car suddenly swerved into our lane and I snatched my hand away from Steph to maintain control of the Mercedes. I wanted to shoot the tires out from under the idiot driver in front of me, but traffic was too heavy for such antics today.
"Babe ... what that means is that I've screwed up," I began to explain. "Like I said, I already have a ring waiting for you in a safe place. I had wanted to wait for the right moment to propose to you properly, but the timing for everything has somehow slipped beyond my control and it's forcing me to do things out of order. Right now, we're headed to the Dade County courthouse to sign the official papers for a marriage license."
"Whoa! Carlos, I haven't even agreed to this, yet!"
"I know, Steph, but that's why I asked you to consider saying yes. I will ask you again - when the moment is right. Please ... trust me on this."
"But--"
"The only reason we're getting the license now, Babe, is that I'm required to have a three-day waiting period. If I was a New Jersey resident like you are, we could get a marriage license any morning and get married that same day or whenever we felt like it. But for business and tax purposes, I've maintained my legal residency in the state of Florida; therefore, once I obtain a marriage license, I must wait three full days before I can marry you. That is ... if you want to marry me."
"Omigod!"
"That's why it was so important for us to fly through that storm to get here sooner rather than later. By arriving here and obtaining a marriage license on the last business day of the week, we'll have the weekend to talk through all the issues and to think about everything and ... and then we'll have the flexibility to decide what should or shouldn't happen on Tuesday."
I cut my eyes toward Stephanie for a moment, but she only continued to stare at me, open-mouthed and barely able to speak. All of the color had drained from her face and it was easy to see that she was in a mild state of shock. I actually felt the same way now that I had said everything aloud, but I had to concentrate on the ridiculous traffic in order to get us to our destination safely.
"I ... uh ... my .... um ... you ... we ..." These were the sounds coming out of her mouth.
Stephanie seemed to be incapable of putting together a coherent statement for the time being, so I reached across the console again, placed my hand over hers, threaded my fingers between her fingers and held on tight. I had been thinking about all of these things for the better part of the past thirty-six hours, but my Babe's poor brain was trying to process all this information in the span of a few minutes.
"Babe, all we're doing today is applying to get married," I had to keep trying to reassure her. "The marriage license is something we can put on a shelf for the next three days or the next three weeks. We can act on it or ... we can ... rip it up if that's what you want."
"No, Carlos!" She cried. "That's not what I want. I mean ... I want the license, but ... I ... I don't know what I'm doing. Dickie didn't count because he was such a jerk. And I never got this far with Joe."
"I know."
"You know?"
"Every time things got too ... close, Babe, you'd run away from Morelli. And usually, you'd run to me."
"You knew?"
"I counted on it, Babe."
"You did?"
"Yep. Do you feel like running away from me now?"
"No."
"Then what's the problem?"
Her shoulders slumped and she looked embarrassed. "What will my mother do when she finds out? Even my closest friends won't understand. Carlos, everything's moving so fast, I hardly understand it myself! What will everyone think?"
I pulled her hand over to my chest and held it against my heart until it stopped trembling. "Babe, maybe you should listen to your father's phone message now. Then you'll at least know what he thinks."
Steph flipped open her phone and punched in the access code for her voicemail account. I was beginning to realize that this was a big mistake when her grip on my hand became tighter and tighter. She kept saying "Omigod ... omigod!" as she listened to message after message from the people back in Trenton. Finally, she closed her phone and her eyes, leaned back against the headrest and moaned, "I'm doomed!"
"What's happened now?" I asked, worried about the ashen appearance of my Babe's usually healthy complexion. She pulled her hand away from mine and I flexed my fingers until I felt my circulation return to normal.
Steph sighed and began to explain, "My father's message from last night was exactly what you said it would be. However, this morning, my parents had a big fight when my father discovered that my mother had invited Angie Morelli over to the house for coffee and pastries and to figure out a plan to get Joe and me back together again. My father called them 'two old busybodies who needed to mind their own business' and he told both of them to forget about their schemes ... and then he told them why."
I whistled in amazement.
"That's only the first half of it," she continued, her voice sounding hollow. "Apparently, there was a lot of yelling and swearing and crying and now the whole Burg knows that I'm here with you - eloping."
"Whoa!" I almost swerved out of my lane. Now I understood the urgency and tone of the messages Tank had sent me. It seemed that lots of things had deteriorated quickly after we flew away. Tank had texted me that Lula was very upset when she found out that he knew about my plans and hadn't confided in her. I could only imagine the voicemail message she must have left for Stephanie.
"You got that right," she said bitterly. "And there were several more messages from each of my parents - separately, of course. Grandma Mazur, Joe, Mary Lou, Lula, Vinnie, even Valerie all had something to say, too. Everyone's mad at me for not telling them what I was doing. If we go back there now, we're both going to have to wear disguises and flak vests for quite a while."
"I'm real sorry about that, Babe. I didn't think the Burg would implode for at least another week."
Stephanie suddenly turned toward me and I could see she that she'd just had a wild idea. "Why don't we just stay in Florida until spring?" She said. "Maybe by then all this will have blown over and no one will care about my personal life anymore."
"Do you really believe that?"
"No, of course not."
"Babe, you still have the option of turning down my proposal, even though everyone thinks we're already getting married."
"Oh no ... really?" She sounded worried and sad at that bit of news and, for some strange reason, her reaction made me feel better.
"In case you haven't noticed, Steph, I'm addicted to you," I admitted to her. "I'll stand by you and defend you, no matter what happens. Of course, I'll always want to marry you, but if you just want us to live together, I'll adjust. As long as we're together, Babe, we'll be fine. Unfortunately, if we don't get the official marriage license now, we'll have to wait even longer and our time here really is short."
"Why is that?"
"Like it or not, we need to be back in New Jersey by the end of next week. We still have to go to court against the kids who robbed me and it's your testimony about discovering the camera connections that will really condemn them. Besides, my own mother will kill me if I'm not there for my Grandma Rosa's eightieth birthday party next Friday."
Steph shook her head to clear it and said, "But Carlos, don't we need birth certificates and blood tests and all kinds of other documents in order to get a marriage license?"
"I've got all the required documents with me and, no, Florida doesn't require us to have a blood test."
"You have a copy of my birth certificate?" She sounded incredulous.
"Babe."
"Seriously, Ranger, how did you get a copy of my birth certificate?"
"I'm the CEO of RangeMan, remember? I personally conducted your background search before I hired you the first time, Babe. I also have a copy of your first marriage license and certificate, as well as your official divorce papers. That's all we need in order to apply for the license today."
"Oh."
"I have all my documents, too. I'll even let you see them. Here." And I handed her a large manila envelope.
"Good lord!" She said after she flipped through the papers. "Carlos! You weren't even twenty-one and ... and Rachel was ... she was barely eighteen when you got married."
"I already told you all about that."
"Yes, but it's different when you see it writing," Steph opened her mouth to say something, closed it and paused, then finally asked, "Did you ... did you ever love Rachel?"
I shook my head and stared at the rear fender of the car in front of me. "No. It's like I said, I took advantage of Rachel when I was home on leave from the Army. I went to high school with her older sister, Barbara. Rachel was always the tag-along kid sister with a teeny-bopper crush on me, but she grew up nicely."
"How did you ... how did it happen?"
"I literally bumped into Rachel at a frat party on the 'Canes campus and she was very happy to see me again, even though I had spilled beer all down the front of her shirt. The rest of the night, we danced a lot and drank a lot and she flirted shamelessly with me. She finally confessed that she'd always hoped to lose her virginity to me and so, I obliged her."
"Wow."
"Yeah, I was an incredible jerk," I said. It was sad to think that, no matter how much we would try, Steph and I might never be able to have kids of our own, but it took only one night of carelessness for me to ruin Rachel's young life. "Rachel dropped out of college and moved back in with her parents when she discovered that she was pregnant."
"I don't mean to be obnoxious, but ... how did she know it was you?"
"Oh, Rachel was a virgin alright, and I was the first and only man she'd ever been with. When she contacted me, I agreed to marry her so that she and the baby would have access to the military health-care system. Neither of us was ready for marriage or parenthood, but I didn't want any child of mine to be born a bastard."
"Didn't you even try to love her - for the child's sake?"
I shook my head. "No, Babe, to my great shame, I never loved Rachel and you know that I've remained emotionally detached from Julie until recently."
"That's so ... sad."
"What can I say?" I shrugged and continued to explain, but it sounded truly pathetic now. "I was completely focused on my military career at that time and I never wanted a family, Babe. I didn't want anything or anybody to tie me down - ever. I feel differently now, but I can't change the past. My mother and grandmother were devastated when I divorced Rachel right after Julie was born."
"They didn't understand about your devotion to the military?"
I shook my head, "No, Steph. In fact, Abuela Blanca had always hoped that, once the baby arrived, I would decide to leave the Army, return to finish my college degree here at the University of Miami, and settle down in Coral Gables. She felt that I had deprived her of being involved in her first great-granddaughter's life - and she was right. After the divorce, my family and Rachel's family had minimal contact while Julie was a baby and then it dwindled to nothing more than an updated photo every year after Rachel married Ron Martine - that is, until the Scrog incident. Now, Julie has been asking to visit my family. Of course, it's too late for my Abuela Blanca to get to know her and for that, I am deeply sorry."
Steph was silent for a moment and then she asked, "Are you planning to tell Julie about us?"
"Yes, but she's a smart girl, as you well know. She already asked me if you and I were going to get married someday."
"When was that?"
"Right after she met you."
"Oh."
"Listen, Steph," I began, "I may as well tell you now so that you won't be shocked when you start hearing all the stories from my family. I was a wild, spoiled-rotten kid until the Army changed me and then I was a complete jerk with women until I messed up Rachel's life. It wasn't pretty and I'm glad you didn't know me back then."
"You know, I'm not surprised to hear that you were a bad boy."
"Yes, well, you certainly seem to have a thing for us bad boys. From all the stories I've heard about Joe Morelli's younger days, I was more like him than I've ever cared to admit to you before now. In fact, I'm extremely lucky that Rachel was the only girl I ever knocked up. But you, Babe, are the only woman I've ever truly loved."
"What about Jeanne Ellen Burrows?"
I laughed aloud. "What makes you think I'd have anything to do with her?"
"Well, you two seemed to have had some sort of ... past relationship."
"Babe, I'm more in danger of losing you to Jeanne Ellen than you are of losing me to her," I said. "She swings both ways and I don't play that game."
"Oh."
I continued to explain, "Jeanne Ellen was a Marine before she became a bounty hunter and she's extremely proficient at what she does. We've worked together on a few cases and we might work together in the future, but, seriously, all she and I have ever had - or ever will have - is a professional relationship."
"I see."
"Do you? Really?" I asked as I turned in to the courthouse parking garage and pulled into an empty space. Then I faced her and said, "Stephanie Plum, there is no one else in my life. I love you more than life itself and I want to marry you - yesterday, if possible. Since it's not possible, we'll just have to keep moving forward in time and do the best we can."
"But ... but what about all my ... emotional baggage?" She asked. "Aren't you worried about my messed-up past or my commitment issues or my inability to obtain car insurance?"
"Not really, no," I said. "Look, Steph, I realize that you've been deeply involved with Joe Morelli for a very long time - he was our first case together, remember? I know that you were married to Dickie Orr before that, but I'm a divorced father, so I can't pass judgment on you for being previously married, either. As far as I'm concerned, that's all in the past. And I can always get car insurance. What I need to know right now is this: Have I ruined you for all other men, yet?"
My heart flipped when she grinned at me and said, "Yes, Carlos, I think it's safe to say that I'm officially ruined."
"Do you love me, Babe?"
"Yes. Definitely."
"Then let's do this thing and stop fooling around. Life's too short."
Stephanie reached over and placed her cool hand on my warm face. "You're right, Carlos. Life is too short. You could have died at the command of that insane drug lord. Benito Ramirez could have killed me long ago - twice. We both could have died on that plane ride down here. We could have died in that crazy traffic today."
"But we didn't." And I leaned in to kiss her soft lips as I spoke. "We're still alive. And we're here together. And it's good." I pressed the button which caused the sunroof to close and pocketed the car keys.
"But we didn't," she echoed and returned each of my kisses. "We're still alive. And we're here together. And it's good - very, very good."
"So, you love me?" I asked, wanting to hear her reaffirm her answer from before.
"Mm-hmm," she nodded and kissed me again.
"Nice to know, Babe." I gave her a full-on smile and leaned away from her. We had to get out of the car now before I ripped her clothes off and we missed our time window.
Steph licked her lips and gazed at me hungrily. Clearly she felt like feeding her addiction, too, because she asked me, "Do we have to go in right this instant?"
"Here's the deal," I said as I quickly got out of the car. "The county clerk will be leaving for lunch in less than thirty minutes and then she's heading out for an early weekend get-away with her husband, so we need to hurry."
"How do you know all this information about the clerk?" She asked me after I came around to the passenger side of the car to hold the door open for her.
"She's my cousin, Sara Súarez, and I'm the one who's paying for her weekend get-away in exchange for her expediting our paperwork."
"That figures." And she finally took my hand and got out of the car.
"She'll be very curious about you - just like everybody else you're going to meet this week - but since I've already paid her off, she won't blab anything to the rest of the family."
"You have a lot of cousins."
"It's good to know people in key positions." I patted the manila envelope for emphasis.
"Especially when they're related to you," Steph remarked as she smoothed down her skirt and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. She pulled her lipstick out of her purse and applied another layer to her lips. Then she checked her appearance once more in the car window's reflection. Sighing, she turned to me and smiled brightly and my heart flipped again.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
She nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Then she threaded her fingers through mine and squeezed tight.
A/N: I wish I could update faster, but this has been another hectic week for me. (Jeez, aren't they all hectic?) And now we have another half-foot of snow on the ground. I feel like the story's pace isn't as quick as I'd like for it to be, so I hope you'll bear with me as I slowly crank out these longer chapters. I have several other OCs to introduce to you and it just takes time - and lots of words - to set everything up. BTW, did you catch the major clues I dropped this time? Please let me know what you think. Thanks! :D