A/N: Explicit language, adult situations, and definite smut.

Chapter Seven

They drove the short distance to the beach house, winding through the mainly deserted streets. The relaxed feel of the town giving way to sand and the smell of the ocean. When they pulled into a driveway, the house wasn't what Stephanie was expecting, but then when it came to Pardo, nothing seemed certain. It was small cottage style oceanfront house in cedar shake with screened-in wrap around porches. Somehow, she'd been expecting all glass, hard angles, clean lines and minimalistic furnishings. Instead, it was charming. Overstuffed furniture in the colors of the sea, light hardwood floors, and cream-colored walls.

"Want to eat on the porch?" He asked her as he unloaded the bags.

"Absolutely." Stephanie wasn't wasting one moment inside, not with that beautiful view.

"Go on out, and I'll bring you some wine." Ranger was smiling at her. He could feel her enthusiasm and excitement. It made him smile, and tugged at something he thought was dead and buried a long time ago.

He could tell she liked the ocean. She might even like being here with him. He reminded himself, he was here to get information. This was not a date. A little voice in the back of his head scoffed at that, but he ignored it. Still, he couldn't help but feel her excitement pull at him. Maybe, he thought, just for this evening, he could enjoy being here with her.

Ranger had things. Possessions and properties because they were useful, and sometimes because they made life easier. But right here, in this moment with Stephanie, seeing that verve for life, watching her face light up as the ocean breeze tousled her hair. Watching her close her eyes and take a deep breath, drawing in the salty air, this little cottage was more than just a property. It was his favorite place. It made him happy, because it made her happy. He literally had no idea what do about that. Ranger didn't do happy. Ranger did practical.

Ranger opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. He found the corkscrew and opened the bottle, taking a couple of wine glasses from the cabinet he poured the amber liquid into the glass. He took a tentative sip. It felt light and fruity on his tongue. It seemed like something she would like. Ranger shook his head. Seriously, what was he doing. He needed to keep his eye on the objective for the evening and not get sucked in by her apparently effortless charm.

Ranger took the glasses out to the porch and handed her one. Their fingers brushed and he felt a warm tingle go up his arm. She took a sip of the wine and gave him a tentative smile.

"It's good." He could almost hear the appreciation in her voice. It was all he could do not to reach out and run his thumb over her bottom lip. Somehow, he thought tasting the wine on her lips would make it the rarest and best wine he had ever tasted. He stood transfixed, staring at her mouth. He realized he was probably staring at her mouth with a little too much interest, probably making her uncomfortable.

Ranger had been watching her for weeks. Learning how she moved, her habits, her daily pattern, and he felt like he knew her. Stephanie had just met him today. It was entirely possible the way he was looking at her would make her think he was some weird stalker, because, well, he kind of was. He needed to dial it back. While he might know a lot about her, she knew nothing about Marc Pardo. Spooking her in the first ten minutes was really not the way to go. Ranger wondered why it was that he couldn't seem to manage even the basics of covert behavior around this woman. When did Ranger get so bad at his damn job? Because she's not a job a little voice whispered in his ear. The little voice sounded a lot like Vinita.

Stephanie gestured towards the ocean. "It is beautiful. I'd be out here every weekend and all summer." She laughed and Ranger felt his gut tighten. "I'd never get any work done."

"It is tempting." He replied. Stephanie had a feeling he wasn't talking about the beach anymore. It felt like his mood had changed. He was still smiling at her, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He seemed sad, or maybe even a little angry.

She wasn't sure why, but she reached out and put her hand on his chest. "Is everything OK?"

She saw surprise flash across his face. He caught her hand and raised it to his lips, brushing a delicate kiss across the palm. "Everything is perfect."

Stephanie saw his eyes darken, and heat pooled between her thighs. Yeah, who was she kidding. She would owe Father John two thousand Hail Marys by the end of this night, and that was just fine by her.

Ranger watched and assessed. Stephanie's eyes were bright, her skin was flushed, and her hair was starting to curl in the humid air. She was morphing into the woman in his fantasy right before his eyes. He could picture that wild tumble of hair fanned out around her as he moved over her. He could see the delicate flutter of her pulse in her neck. She wanted this just as much as he did.

Of course, to be fair she wanted Marc Pardo. A businessman she thought had bumped into her accidentally. Not a mercenary that had basically been stalking her, looking for intel on Raymond Skagal and E.E. Martin. Sly Novak had been in the wind for months, and the rumor was he was using E.E. Martin and Raymond Skagal to launder money. Ranger had been hired to bring Novak in, and the best way to do that was follow the money, and cut off his funding. It was hard to stay on the run when you were broke.

Ranger had been so close to blowing the whole thing open. He'd gained Brian Fry's trust. Fry had wanted out. Novak was getting too greedy and they were taking too many chances. Ranger had leveraged that fear, and promised to help Fry, even though he knew full well Novack would never just let Fry out. Fry's only real option was to be a cooperating witness. Sometimes Ranger wondered if he had downplayed the danger. He had encouraged Fry to copy files that would prove the money laundering, and then bam, Fry had died in a fiery one car accident. His contact and all the evidence had literally gone up in smoke. Now he was using Stephanie to get to Skagal.

Somehow, what had seemed like a great idea at the time, didn't seem so great anymore. If Stephanie was innocent, he could be putting her in danger. If she was in on it, he'd be helping send her to jail. Somehow neither of those things sat well with him, as he looked over at this vibrant woman. He didn't want to use her. He didn't want to hurt her or abuse her trust. He didn't want to do anything that would dim that light in her eyes. Ranger gave himself a mental head slap. Life was full of shitty conflicts, and that was just that.

"Let me get the food." He dropped her hand and stalked off.

Ranger was going to blow months of work and a big pay day if he couldn't get his damn dick under control. Ranger ignored the fact that his damn dick wasn't the only thing raging out of control. It was like his brain-to-mouth connection had snapped, and something entirely foreign had taken over, and was driving his words and actions. It almost felt like his heart, but that was impossible because he didn't have one of those.

Ranger pinched the bridge of his nose and took a couple of deep breaths, scoffing at the utter stupidity of his thoughts. He gave himself a lecture about responsibility and common sense as he gathered mallets, plates, and utensils.

By the time he went back out, he was in control again. At least that is what he told himself, and he figured it he said it enough times it might actually turn out to be true.

"Can I help?" She asked.

Stephanie was probably starting to think he was inept since he'd been in there so long trying to wrestle his body and thoughts under control

"No, I've got it." He smiled at her.

Ranger brought out the food and refilled her wine.

Stephanie held out her glass and laughed. "Thank you, but if I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get me drunk."

"Not drunk," Ranger said. "Just relaxed and maybe naked." He winked and gave her a wolf grin. Stephanie was pretty sure the earth tilted, as she took a big gulp of the wine to steady her nerves.

He motioned to the table and she took a seat. Stephanie was glad because the way her knees were quaking after that little revelation, she was afraid they might give out. Damn, that man was hot, and when he gave her that grin, getting naked started to look like a damn good idea.

Ranger couldn't help but laugh and enjoy himself as she pounded the crabs with the mallet, bits of shell flying everywhere. The woman lived and ate with gusto.

"I know you work at E.E. Martin, what do you do there?" He asked as she sucked the crab meat out of one of the legs, the sight and sound making him think about her sucking something else. He almost groaned out loud as he felt his balls tighten. Ranger wasn't sure, but he thought it was a safe bet he had lost control of both his damn mind and his body.

When she licked the butter off of her finger, Ranger thought it was entirely possible he might have actually seen stars as the blood rushed to his dick so fast, he felt light headed. This woman was going to kill him, of that he was certain.

"Well, I just got a promotion, about a month ago to the head of the buying and marketing department." Ranger could tell by the way she said it she was excited about her new job.

"Are you enjoying it?"

She thought about it for a minute and scrunched up her nose. "Mostly."

That wasn't what Ranger had been expecting her to say. "Why mostly?"

He saw sadness cross her features. "The job opened up because the guy that was there before, he died. It was terrible. An absolutely horrific car accident. I don't know. Sometimes it feels like I benefited from his tragedy and it just doesn't feel good." She shrugged, like she didn't know how else to explain it.

Somehow that didn't feel like a woman that was part of a money laundering scheme, but Ranger reminded himself, most women were skilled in the art of deception.

"I'm also a little frustrated that there are things I don't seem to understand. I mean I've only been in the job about a month, but some of the financials make no sense."

Ranger perked up at that. "How so?" He tried to keep his voice casual, but his heart was beating harder. If Stephanie had found accounting discrepancies that meant she had access to the data. It also meant she could be in danger if she asked too many questions, but he pushed that thought aside.

She waived her hand dismissively. "It's nothing, I'm sure. It just seems like the expenses are out of whack, and then there are these vendors that my boss wanted me to add to the system. I went by one of the addresses listed today and it was basically a vacant warehouse. I don't know, I clearly just don't have a good handle on the operations yet."

Ranger nodded. Unease slithered through him. So that is what she had been doing at the warehouse. It seemed Stephanie Plum had some good instincts. Unfortunately, she also seemed to be the curious sort, and that could end up going very bad. Curiosity killed the cat, and he really hoped that's all it killed.

"I'm sure it just takes some time to really understand all the angles. I'm pretty good at accounting if you want me to take a look at some of the spreadsheets. Sometimes it helps to just have a second set of eyes. I'd be happy to give you my input." He gave her his best innocent grin.

Ranger toyed with the idea of just telling her, but he held back. The better option was to keep eyes on her, keep her safe, and hopefully get her out of the middle of this. The less she knew the better. The last guy he had leveraged for information, had ended up BBQed.

"I'm sure you have much better things to do than help me figure out math." She grinned back at him.

He just shrugged. "Really, I'm happy to, if it gets you to have dinner with me again." Ok, he had no idea where that had come from. It just popped out.

Stephanie's breath hitched. "I think I'd like that." She heard herself say. Stephanie blamed her complete lack of self-control on the wine. She knew she should be pumping the brakes not mashing down on the gas pedal.

They stared at each other for a moment. The air around them seemed to crackle with awareness. Ranger knew he needed to move the conversation to something else or he was in mortal danger of leaning across the table and kissing her. He had a bad feeling, once he kissed her things would never be the same, because one kiss would never be enough. He would crave everything about her. He was very afraid that Stephanie Plum had the ability to ruin him, and completely upend his life plan, and that just scared the shit out of him. He needed distance, and fast.

"How long have you lived in Trenton?" It wasn't like Ranger didn't know the answer, but it was a safe dinner topic.

"Forever. I've never lived anywhere else. Born and raised here. I'll probably die here too." She rolled her eyes. "What about you? Where did you live before you came to Trenton?"

There it was Ranger thought. That damn curiosity again. "Mainly Miami." He heard himself say. He was shocked that he'd told her that. Told her the truth. Seriously what was wrong with him?

"Miami! Oh, I bet that place is amazing. I've always wanted to go. It always seems so vibrant and full of life. I can't even imagine the sights and the sounds. The dancing." She laughed. It was a low throaty laugh that wrapped itself around Ranger. It almost felt like that dull ache pulsing through him was longing. He quickly shoved it away.

"Miami is a great city. You really should go sometime. I do a fair amount of business there, and I always enjoy it." Ranger really wasn't sure what was wrong with him. His mouth had disengaged from his brain and was spilling all sorts of information he shouldn't' be sharing.

"Maybe the next time I go, you could come with me?" Ranger snapped his mouth shut with such force his teeth clacked.

He was completely out of control around this woman. This is not a date he reminded himself. But that was the problem. He actually wanted it to be a date. It had been a long time since he had met a woman as interesting as Stephanie. He couldn't remember when, hell maybe never. Sure, she was attractive which made her every man's type, but that wasn't really it. Ranger knew a lot of attractive women. Most of which used that to their advantage. She seemed oblivious.

The fact she didn't seem to know she was one of the hottest women on the planet was cute, but it was more than that. Her optimism was infectious. And so is Ebola he reminded himself sternly. Still, he couldn't quite keep the smile off his face at the way her eyes lit up and she seemed to actually be considering a trip to Miami.

He could just imagine the look on her face, that childlike wonder, as she took in the sights and the sounds, the smells. He would take her dancing. He could picture the sway of her hips moving in time to the sultry rhythm, the wild abandon of her movements as she closed her eyes and felt the beat, the sweat glistening on her skin. He could almost feel her in his arms.

She was giving him a shy smile and it was going straight through him, ripping through years of carefully crafted defenses.

"Maybe." The husky quality of her voice took his thoughts to places they had no business going.

If he didn't do something to distract himself, in about another ten seconds he was going to sweep her up and carry her to that big bed, where he would spend the night making it his mission to ruin her for all other men. He knew his thoughts were written all over his face by the way her eyes kept darting to the door, and the flush that had spread across her skin. He could see her pulse beating wildly, and the slight flare of her nostrils as she took in a ragged breath.

The sun had set, the gorgeous amber glow lighting the last of the evening. A beautiful full moon was rising. "Want to go down the beach?" Ranger's voice was rough.

Stephanie nodded because she was pretty sure that is all she could manage. He pulled a jacket off the hook just inside the door and handed it to her. His eyes searched her face, for what she couldn't be sure. He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and time slowed. She thought he might kiss her, and her breath hitched a little, but instead he turned away to retrieve a jacket for himself, the moment lost. Then again, maybe it had just been in her head, she had imagined it because she desperately wanted him to kiss her.

Stephanie shrugged the jacket on. It had just a hint of his delicious smell, and she pulled it around her, letting it surround her and tickle her nose. Ranger grabbed a blanket and they headed down to the beach.

They both slipped off their shoes and sunk into the sand that was still warm from the sun as they made their way across the beach towards the water. The sound of waves crashing around them provided the rhythm and the back drop, the occasional cry of a seagull pierced the air as they walked in silence. His hand slipped into hers, and they walked that way for a while.

The beach was deserted. The house was situated in an area that was mainly private summer homes with a few rentals interspersed. The summer homes had not been opened for the season, and the tourists had not yet arrived. The locals were safely ensconced in their homes on the other side of town, which left Stephanie and Ranger to enjoy the beach in peace. Their own private piece of paradise.

So far, the evening had been perfect. Stephanie was surprised she hadn't thought about Morelli a single time during dinner. Pardo had been interested in her work, and just plain interesting. Although she got the feeling, he was holding a lot back. She supposed that was normal for a first date, but a little prickle of unease nipped in the back of her mind.

Ranger stopped and spread out the blanket on the sand. They sat down side-by-side watching the last colors in the sky fade, and the twinkle of moonlight spread across the waves, the stars popping out in the night sky one by one.

Stephanie looked over at Pardo. He was watching her intently. His expression unreadable. Bathed in the moonlight he was all beautiful angles and shadows. She saw his expression change and she knew with absolute terrifying certainty that he was going to kiss her. Their eyes locked, and her lips parted ever so slightly as her breath hitched. He leaned into her. A whisper of a thought went through her head that this was probably a mistake. A man like that could consume you.

When his mouth sealed over hers, it was everything she thought it would be and more. The kiss started out soft and sweet. His lips teasing ever so lightly over hers, with gentle but insistent pressure. There was nothing hurried or frantic in the way he kissed her. Just the desire to taste and savor her. His mouth explored her at a leisurely pace, his tongue delving in and memorizing her. She felt his tongue stroke across her bottom lip and the simmering desire in her stirred.

He reached behind her head and gripped her hair tilting her head back, giving him better access, anchoring her right where he wanted her. The kiss turned deep, as he plundered her mouth with his tongue. She heard the sound of need escape from her throat as he explored her and teased her senses. The simmering desire had ignited into a fire that was starting to burn low and hot in her belly as her body arched towards his begging to be touched. Begging for more.

He tilted her head back further as his lips skimmed across her throat to the pulse point just below her ear. The rational portion of her brain misfired as his hot breath tickled her ear, and his fingertips inched the fabric of her dress higher until the tops of her thighs were exposed. Stephanie desperately wanted him to touch her. To help ease the ache that was throbbing between her thighs, but he didn't. His hand just rested on her bare thigh, burning her skin. So close, but not close enough.

Ranger knew it was a mistake, the minute he kissed her. Her lips were soft, and she tasted even sweeter than he could have imagined. Everything about her felt sweet, light, and spontaneous. She tasted and smelled like happy. She was everything he wasn't.

He needed to find another way to get information on E.E. Martin. A woman like this deserved far more care and attention than he could ever give her. A woman like this would never settle for occasional and casual. Not to mention, he'd lied his way into her life. Ghosting her would be far less painful in the long run than finding out she'd slept with some guy that had given her a fake name. He needed to end this, now.

When he tried to pull back, he heard the sound of protest she made, and felt her hand snake behind his head pulling him closer. All his good intentions went right out the window along with his self-control when she pulled his hand between her thighs, making what she wanted known.

He heard his own sharp intake of breath as he cupped and rubbed her through her flimsy lace panties. He could feel her heat and the dampness from her arousal as he stroked her. She was pushing against his hand, frantically trying to bring him closer. The feral sound she made low in her throat had him pushing her back on the blanket and dragging her panties down her legs.

Ranger moved to kneel between her legs. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the tender flesh of on the inside of her knee.

"Open your legs for me." Ranger's deep rich voice slid over her making her skin tingle.

Stephanie let her knees fall open. She saw his gaze lower, blazing with predatory hunger.

"Wider." His voice was rough. The bite of command in his voice was unmistakable. She felt a little thrill as her body throbbed with the need to obey. She was not this girl, was she? Somehow, with Marc Pardo she was. Everything about him ignited her blood, burning away her inhibitions. He made her feel powerful, sexy, and bold.

Stephanie complied. The ocean breeze felt cool on her overheated skin. She had never spread her legs so obscenely wide in front of a man before. She felt the flush on her cheeks and desire slicked her thighs.

"God, you are beautiful." Ranger breathed. "Perfect."

Her hair a wild mass around her head, her cheeks flushed, her breathing labored. Ranger was pretty sure she was the most beautiful woman, he had ever laid eyes on. Wild, glorious, welcoming perfection. Completely open and vulnerable to him, inviting him to touch her, savor her. Bathed in moonlight she looked like an enchanting sea goddess come to life.

This woman and this moment would be the one imprinted in his memory forever. The one that would star in all his future fantasies. Sadly, fantasies would be all he had after tonight to remind him of a time where his heart melted, and a woman made him feel something beyond just lust. He knew with certainty; he would never betray this woman's trust. He would find another way.

He positioned his shoulders under her thighs kissing the inside of her right thigh, then nipping the inside of her left, eliciting a moan from her as her legs trembled. He slowly, torturously, kissed his way closer and closer as her muscles fluttered and clenched. The empty aching need in her body growing. Her skin was flushed with heat, and her hips were bucking in an effort to bring him closer. His forearms pinned her thighs, keeping them open as he used his thumbs to explore her, and part her slowly, gradually, insistently. The confident way he intimately touched her both embarrassed Stephanie and ignited her.

She felt him push two fingers inside of her pulling them forward, massaging the sensitive spot that made her shudder against his hand and push down on him begging for more, opening even further for him. Ranger kept working his magic fingers until her legs were quaking from need.

He lowered his mouth to her. She tasted even better than he had ever imagined, and he had spent a lot of time imaging this moment. Real life was so much better than he could have ever conjured up in his mind. He wrapped his arms around her legs pulling her closer. He just couldn't quite get enough of her. The feel of her driving him half crazed with need.

"Oh god." She exclaimed as she fisted her hands in his silky hair and pushed against his hot mouth. His wicked tongue and talented fingers dancing in concert bringing her to the edge, where all coherent thought was lost. His guttural sounds of pleasure vibrated through her, snapping the last of her control as she gasped and shuddered through her release. As he continued to coax every last tremor from her body, her soft cries were swallowed by the sound of the crashing waves, and carried away on the ocean breeze.

"Wow." She breathed as Ranger kissed her most intimate of places and moved up her body, feathering kisses as he went. Rolling to lay beside her, Ranger propped himself on his elbow and looked down on her. Her eyes were closed and she was still breathing hard. He leaned down and kissed her long and deep.

When he separated from her, she was smiling. "God, Marc, that was amazing."

And just like that, Ranger felt like she'd punched him in his gut. She thought he was someone else, called him by another name. He closed his eyes and willed the feeling to pass. When he opened his eyes, she was looking at him with a concerned expression.

Ranger couldn't handle conversation right now, and Ranger didn't care if this was a mistake. He wanted this woman, even if it was just for one night. This wasn't about E. E. Martin anymore; this was about being with a woman that ignited something inside of him that both thrilled and scared him. Ranger hadn't felt this way in a long time. Maybe ever. He knew he should have more self-control, but right now, that was the last thing he wanted from either of them.

He nipped her bottom lip, then kissed her with what he knew felt a little like desperation. When he separated from her, he feathered kisses along her jaw and down her neck, and she arched her back exposing her neck. The submission to the ministrations of his mouth, made his blood race like fire. The need to possess her washed over him. To mark her and make her his.

He wanted his touch to be the only one she ever remembered. He wanted to dominate her thoughts and own her body. He wanted this night to ruin her for all other men, because he was a greedy, selfish bastard, and he knew no other woman would ever make him feel quite like he did in this moment. He had a burning need to be the same for her. The first and last man she would ever think of. His own thoughts startled him. Ranger didn't do emotion, and he certainly didn't do commitment.

He felt her shudder when he whispered along the curve of her neck. "Do you want to stay tonight?"

Stephanie locked eyes with him, and she was gone. Gone to the moment and gone to him. "Yes." She heard herself say.