Chapter Twelve

Ranger picked Stephanie's ridiculously flimsy and inadequate locks and popped the chain. He always found it fascinating that people believed that little chain did anything to protect them or slow down an intruder. It was mostly there for show and often gave people, women in particular, a false sense of security.

He made a mental note to have Hector come over later today and install new locks. He looked around her sparsely furnished apartment as he clicked on his penlight so he didn't accidentally whack his shin on some random piece of furniture. All in, it was a security nightmare. Bad locks, fire escape accessible from the street that led straight to her bedroom, poor interior lighting, and non-existent exterior lighting in the parking lot. Some of those things he couldn't do anything about, but some he could.

He wondered how long she would be in this job before she lost her sense of safety and security. She would see a lot of bad things in this line of business, and he just hoped she was ready for it. Dead bodies, the business end of a gun, and strung-out junkies with needles stuck in their blown-out veins were pretty common. He hoped like hell she never lost that light in her eyes.

Maybe he could work a deal with Vinnie. Screen the skips she took, and have RangeMan take up the slack. No, he chastised himself. His job was to give her the skills she needed, not save her from all the bad things in the world, as much as he might want to try. If that was his plan, he should turn around and walk out of her apartment and never look back, because Ranger was one of the worst.

Ranger pulled out the bag from his jacket and flicked on the electric kettle. The little rat like thing watched him with curiosity. It sat on its haunches and weaved around, scenting the air. Ranger unzipped the breast pocket of his jacket and fished around with his finger and came up with the half a walnut he'd swiped from the break room. The furry little thing stood up with its pink paws pressed to the glass, trying to get a better look. He wondered what went through its tiny rat brain. Probably scanning for food, danger, or sex. Ranger winced a little. That sounded just like every guy he knew. Men could be simple creatures. Ranger held out the walnut and the furry rodent scurried over.

"There you go buddy." Ranger cooed as it reached out and wrapped its tiny paws around the walnut.

A moment passed, and it shoved the walnut into its cheek and scurried off into what looked like a soup can. It was kind of cute, even if it was missing a tail. Ranger refilled the rat thing's water bottle and pulled down a mug from the cabinet. Even Stephanie's coffee mugs were a hodgepodge of various ceramic and glass mugs, some with clever sayings or advertisements.

Ranger pulled out the one that said 'If you are agitated and confused, my work here is done.' That summed up Stephanie Plum about perfectly.

Ranger quietly approached her closed bedroom door, turned the knob, and eased the door open. The faint glow from the streetlight illuminated the room with enough light to reveal Stephanie's sleeping form on the bed.

She was on her back, the covers a twisted mess that belied a restless night. Her hair fanned out around her like a dark halo against her sheets. Her slow and even breathing was the only sound that disturbed the darkness. Ranger took a moment to drink in the sight of her tangled in the bedsheets without a care in the world marring her features. Something about her eased the ever-present tension and soothed his nerves that rattled and hummed with pent up energy.

There in the predawn stillness, he let his guard down and looked his fill. A little ember glowed and pulsed in his chest. She was this crazy contradiction of delicate and fierce, and despite how badly he'd fucked up their first meeting, she still looked at him with those big blue eyes and that expressive face that telegraphed every thought and emotion. Her mouth might say one thing, but her body said something different.

Ranger gave an irritated shake of his head. None of that mattered, not anymore. She had put her trust in Ranger to train her and help keep her safe and that was exactly what he planned to do. And that started with him keeping his hands off of her and his tongue in his own mouth.

Ranger moved across the room and stood over her. She appeared almost angelic in her sleep, her features relaxed, her face scrubbed clean. She looked so young and vulnerable, and he couldn't quite stop his hand from reaching out. His fingertips trailed across the silkiness of her cheek. She smiled and pressed her face into his palm. When she sighed his name, his knees went weak.

Even in her sleep, she recognized his touch, welcomed it even. A tightness formed in his chest at the realization. He wondered if she dreamed about him the same way he did her. Did their souls meet at night in their dreams, where they could roam free, far away from all the pressures, expectations, and responsibilities that kept them apart during the day? He wondered when he'd become so philosophical and melancholy. Probably about the time the little curly haired wolverine had blown into his life and upended order in favor of chaos, changing what he thought he wanted, and absconding with his sanity.

It took all his willpower not to slide in beside her and gather her in his arms and hold her for a little while, at least until she remembered she didn't like him very much. He permitted himself one more stroke across her soft cheek. It was that space that lived only in the briefest of moments between sleeping and waking when all things were possible, including being the kind of man that a woman like that deserved. A guy she could love, or at least like, just a little.

Ranger exhaled a soft sigh and flicked on the bedside lamp, casting a dim glow across the room. He reached down and gave her a gentle shake.

"Come on, babe. Time to wake-up."

Someone was in her room. Part of Stephanie's mind registered she should be concerned. The other part of her recognized the familiar presence, and she smiled and leaned into the gentle stroke of his fingers across her cheek. Her sleep hazed mind mumbled his name, wanting him to be real, but knowing he wasn't. He hadn't been real the other hundred times she had felt his touch.

A gentle shake and his deep, rumbly voice caused her to pop one eye open and promptly close it against the glare of the lamp. Her arm came up and rested over her eyes. It really was Ranger telling her she needed to get up. When she had pictured him in her bedroom, it hadn't exactly been like this. She briefly considered she should be shocked, maybe even angry that he had broken into her apartment again, dragging her out of a perfectly delightful dream, but Ranger letting himself into her apartment had become the new normal. She may as well give him a key, but that would probably take the fun out of it for Ranger.

A little frisson of awareness tingled through her body. Maybe she hadn't imagined that soft, stroking touch down her cheek like she was delicate and precious. She thought about it for a second. Nah, that was just her imagination. It had to be. This Ranger was all business snapping at her with that no nonsense voice of his.

"What are you doing here?" She mumbled and tried to open her eyes.

They were bleary and nearly glued shut from sleep, but she could make out his dark form. She closed her eyes again, shutting out the light in the room, and willing him to either go away or climb into bed with her, but for the love of all things holy, she needed him to stop talking.

"Time for our run," came his deep, rich voice. Ranger didn't sound sleepy. He sounded suspiciously like a drill sergeant.

Stephanie groaned. "Go away."

She thought he'd been joking about the whole running thing, but she should have known better. Ranger didn't really seem like a guy with a well-developed sense of humor.

That earned her another shake, this one far less gentle.

What the actual fuck. Stephanie made a noise of discontent.

"What time is it, anyway?" Stephanie asked.

Ranger knew the huskiness in her voice came from sleep, but the sound curled low in his belly, anyway.

"Late, after five." Came Ranger's reply.

"Just five more minutes." Stephanie begged and snuggled into the covers.

In one swift, fluid motion, Ranger yanked the covers off of her, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from both of them.

Stephanie's was from the sudden burst of cold air that yanked her out of her sleepy bliss, and Ranger's tumbled from his lips because Stephanie was in the sheerest tank top he'd ever seen and a tiny pair of panties that left exactly nothing to the imagination.

Stephanie's eyes popped open; all remnants of sleep erased. The way Ranger was staring at her reminded her of a predator stalking its next meal. Goosebumps pebbled her skin, and her nipples contracted to hard peaks, and not because of the cold. A delicious shiver worked its way through her from the top of her head, to the tip of her toes, and back again, settling between her thighs.

"Jesus Christ." Ranger whispered, as he yanked his eyes away from the dark shadow of her nipples straining against her tank top.

His gaze travelled further down and that was worse, way worse. Her long pale legs showcased against the sheets, and that scrap of red fucking lace that would be permanently etched in his memory right along with the imprint of the zipper on his cock. He should do something, anything. Run, hide, throw himself out the window. Look the fuck away. Ranger was paralyzed. Rational thought had left right along with the blood to his brain.

Stephanie scooted into a sitting position with her back against the headboard, but made no attempt to cover herself. She wasn't sure where this bold woman had come from. Later she would tell herself it had been her sleep addled brain. It was way too early to think clearly. Stephanie just watched him, noticing how his eyes had gone dark, and the flare of his nostrils as he scented her. Fire licked across her skin as his gaze travelled over her and she wondered if he was going to kiss her, taste her like he had promised. Her knees dropped open ever so slightly, inviting him to settle between them without even checking with her proper self.

That movement snapped Ranger out of his stupor and galvanized him into action. Ranger lunged forward and yanked the comforter back up to her waist, and stepped back. His hand was over his mouth like he was physically restraining himself from saying something he desperately wanted to utter.

A beat went by and they just stared at each other. The air around them pulsed with frustration and pent-up need. Ranger picked up a steaming mug from the dresser and handed it to her.

"Here, drink this." His voice cracked a little.

Stephanie wrapped her hands around the warm mug and took a big sip, expecting coffee. Her nose scrunched up, and she considered spitting whatever the disgusting liquid was back in the mug. She had no idea what the foul-tasting brew was, other than it definitely wasn't coffee.

"Swallow it."

Stephanie immediately obeyed the unmistakable command in Ranger's voice, and swallowed down the god-awful stuff, vaguely wondering if he was trying to poison her. The gulping sound echoed in the quiet of the morning.

"What is that? It tastes like grass, and not even the good kind." She asked as she screwed up her face and tried to get the taste out of her mouth.

"Green tea."

Stephanie eyed Ranger over the rim of her mug. Even in the dim light, everything about him made her heart race and her blood hum. It didn't help he was standing in her bedroom and her thoughts had taken a distinctly carnal turn. His voice echoed in her head. "It's inevitable. Next time, I want you naked. I want to see you and taste you. All of you."

When her eyes landed on the substantial bulge in Ranger's pants, the command to swallow took an unexpectedly awkward turn, and her faced flamed right along with the rest of her body. Her thoughts echoed in the space between them and Ranger made a half-growl, half-groan noise low in his throat.

In her defense, his crotch was at eye level, and it was hard to miss. She would have sworn it was bigger than usual, and that was saying something. Little Ricky, her ass. The sheer maleness of that man was bordering on obscene. Stephanie's mouth went dry, and she licked her lips, and tried to ignore the dampness that had turned into a flash flood.

Ranger raked his hand down his face. "You're trying to kill me. There is no other explanation." Ranger muttered and turned on his heel and headed for the door like the hounds of hell were chasing him.

"Five minutes." He barked over his shoulder as he closed her bedroom door with just a little more force than was necessary.

"Five minutes or what?" Stephanie called after him.

She rolled her eyes. What was he going to do? Drag her out of bed? Or better yet, climb in with her. She debated with herself for about a minute and then decided it was better not to find out, and swung her legs to the floor. She quickly dressed, brushed her teeth, and threw her hair into a ponytail. She grabbed Ranger's SEALs hat on the way out the door and settled it on her head.

Ranger was waiting for her in the kitchen. He glanced up when she walked in, his eyes taking a leisurely stroll over her. A smile tipped up at the corner of his mouth. He was back to being calm and unruffled, and a little skitter of disappointment snaked through her because she still felt like fire was streaking through her veins.

"Babe."

Stephanie was learning babe covered a lot of ground, and this morning she wasn't sure if it meant sorry, I saw you half naked, or sorry I didn't make better use of that fact and crawl into bed, and give us what we both wanted. OK, so maybe she was taking a little liberty with the second part, but the idea held some appeal.

Ranger gestured to her hat. "You wear it well."

The way his eyes softened when he looked at her made her stomach feel squishy and warm and she took an unexpected step towards him, and pulled up short. She was not going to do anything with Ranger because getting involved with Ranger would be the equivalent of skydiving without a parachute. She was temporarily oversexed, but she wasn't any more stupid than usual. She tried to tell herself that logic still held, even though she was out of bed and getting ready to go jogging with some crazed mercenary dressed in black before sunrise. One that had quite possibly tried to poison her. OK, so maybe she was a little more stupid than usual. She blamed her out of control Hungarian hormones for that one.

Stephanie followed Ranger outside into the frosty morning, wondering where the hell the sun was, and trying to figure out why Ranger didn't look cold, while she was freezing her butt off. She was questioning whether he was even human. That could explain a few things, including the black coffee.

Ranger did a couple hamstring stretches, a couple neck rolls, and began jogging in place. Stephanie rolled her neck a couple of times, thinking that popping noise didn't sound so good.

"You ready?" Ranger asked.

"Yes." Um, no, not even kind of, she thought. This had disaster written all over it in big block letters.

Thirty minutes later, Stephanie's shirt was soaked in sweat and her hair was plastered to her head, and she was wheezing and gulping for breath like an asthmatic sloth.

Stephanie stopped and held up her finger. "Hold it a minute. I think I might throw up."

"You aren't going to throw up," Ranger said. "Keep going."

"I can't keep going."

"Do another quarter mile."

Stephanie wanted to tell him he was nuts, but she shoved off behind him. "Boy, I'm really out of shape," she said again. Guess running once every three months wasn't enough for maximum fitness.

"Just a few more minutes," Ranger said. "You can make it."

Stephanie registered Ranger wasn't even breathing hard, and didn't look to be sweating. Exhibit two that he was clearly not normal.

"I really think I'm going to throw up."

"You're not going to throw up," Ranger said. "One more minute."

Stephanie thought Ranger might be the only one certain about the puking part. The sweat was dripping off her chin and running into her eyes, blurring her vision. She wanted to wipe it away, but she couldn't muster the strength to lift her arm that high.

"We there yet?"

"Yes," Ranger said. "See, I knew you could do it."

Stephanie was unable to speak, so she nodded her head instead as she panted and pinched her side, trying to relieve the stitch that had taken up residence.

Ranger reached around behind him and pulled out a bottle of water from his utility belt and handed it to her.

"Small sips. Try not to puke."

Stephanie threw him her best death glare, which admittedly wasn't great since she was bent over at the waist, panting and willing herself not to throw up. On the plus side, that would probably put a damper on her libido, which was in overdrive from watching the ripple of his muscles with each stride. That one was all grace, power, and fire. If her legs weren't already quivering from exhaustion, she'd probably even be weak in the knees.

Ranger was jogging in place. "Want to keep moving?" he asked. "You ready to go?"

Stephanie stood up and threw him a look that said clearly he wasn't playing with a full deck if he thought she was going to do anything but lay down on the ground and pray for a swift death. If the black coffee, dry toast, and aversion to color hadn't been a dead giveaway, this would certainly cinch it. The man was nuttier than a fruitcake, and quite possibly sadistic.

"I'm not running anymore." Stephanie gritted out between clenched teeth as her stomach did an impressive roll, and she resisted the urge to double over again.

"No pain, no gain."

"I'll take pleasure over pain any day." Stephanie snapped.

Her words stayed suspended in the frosty air like a cartoon bubble between them for a moment, and then everything crackled with electricity and awareness. Their eyes locked. Oh shit, had she just said that out loud? Her mouth had clearly slipped its tether to her brain.

She watched the predator surface, and he stalked towards her like a panther about to devour its prey. A little whimper bubbled in her throat as she stood rooted to the spot.

He wrapped his hand around her throat and his thumb made a lazy circle in the hollow at the base. Her pounding heart was skipping and bouncing with each sensual stroke. She swallowed with an audible click and his hand slid up the column of her throat, forcing her to meet his gaze.

The heat shimmering just below the surface was scorching. When she arched her neck, giving him complete access and surrendering control, a whisper of a thought went through her head that she might just be in real trouble. The adrenaline buzzing through her veins made her dizzy and just a little reckless. This was nothing but a decadent dance with destruction, and when she looked into those beautifully dark intense eyes, she just didn't care.

"I can give you both." His silky voice slithered around her, causing every cell in her body to buzz, sending desire and fear in equal measure cascading through her. "Is that what you want?"

She licked her parched lips and his eyes dropped to her mouth, and he waited, his hand holding her captive, not letting her look away. Yes, trembled on her lips, as caution warred against certain catastrophe. She could never keep the attention of a man like that. He would use her and then break her. No one else would ever compare.

The honking of a horn made her jump out of his grasp and whirl around. A nondescript white Toyota Corolla pulled to the curb. No doubt the car of choice for serial killers that couldn't afford a white panel van. Ranger was on high alert and his arm slid protectively around her middle, ready to yank her out of harm's way.

The window rolled down and Bernie Kuntz stuck his head out, giving her an exuberant puppy dog smile. Stephanie stifled a groan. Unfortunately, Ranger couldn't save her from this. Her mother had been meddling again, and in about two minutes she was going to find out how badly.

"Stephanie!" Bernie greeted her.

His eyes roamed over Ranger and he had the good sense to be a little wary as his smiled dimmed. His eyes lit on Ranger's arm around her middle.

"I didn't know you had a personal trainer."

Stephanie felt Ranger stiffen. Oh god, Bernie was going to get himself shot just for being stupid.

"You know him?" Ranger growled close to the shell of her ear.

"I'm looking forward to our date on Saturday." Bernie was beaming, and she realized his teeth seemed too big for his mouth.

Now that she'd noticed that little detail, she couldn't look away. The big teeth, the unwanted date, and Ranger witnessing her humiliation in real-time. It was watching a train wreck in slow motion, knowing there was nothing you could do to stop it.

"Date?" Her voice had gone up an octave and sounded a bit like a trumpeting elephant.

Ranger released her and moved back. She immediately missed his warm, solid body, and she felt exposed and unprotected.

Bernie seemed oblivious to the fact she didn't know what he was talking about. "I even had Ronald set aside a nice chicken to roast. I told your mom, if she made that famous chocolate cake, I'd bring the chicken."

Now that had to be the definition of ironic. Stephanie reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to erase the image of Ronald with his hand up a chicken butt out of her mind. She needed to have another talk with her mother about boundaries, and in the meantime, she was going to figure out how to get out of her so-called date with Bernie.

"I need to get back to my run." Stephanie sighed.

"Ok, sure. I guess when you're paying the help by the hour, every minute counts." Bernie looked a little peeved at the dismissal but gave her a wave and drove off.

"Jesus Christ." Stephanie mumbled. Like this day couldn't get any worse.

"You're dating that guy?" Ranger's voice conveyed a level of disdain that irked her.

Stephanie's hackles went up. Bernie might not be a physical prize, but he was a decent guy with a real job selling appliances. At least he liked cake, so there was that.

"What's wrong with Bernie?" She challenged as her chin went up.

Ranger gave her a look that asked what was right about Bernie. Stephanie thought Ranger might have a point, not that she would ever concede it.

"Hey, if that's what you like. At least you're not dating your personal trainer." Ranger gave her a Jersey worthy eye roll.

"I'm sorry. I should have told him you weren't my personal trainer." Stephanie threw up her arms in frustration. "I panicked OK."

"What? Afraid he'll tell your mom her good little Burg girl was slumming it?" Ranger snarled.

Stephanie's eyebrows went up about three inches on her head.

"Fuck you!" She hissed.

"Nah, babe, you already did that."

Stephanie sucked a sharp breath in through her teeth, and balled her hand into a fist, willing herself not to slap him.

Ranger winced. "Shit Steph, I'm sorry."

Stephanie threw Ranger her best Burg death glare and stomped off towards her apartment.

"Oh, just walk off. That's one move you've got down." Ranger called after her.

Stephanie flipped him a stiff middle finger and kept walking. She would not discuss her dating life with Ranger. In fact, she wasn't talking to him ever again.

Ranger rubbed the back of his neck as he watched Stephanie's very fine ass walk off. He didn't seem to be able to control his runaway mouth around that woman. He'd been ridiculously hurt that she seemed embarrassed to be with him. He had been instantly transported back to high school, his insecurities surfaced, and he had reverted to old behavior. Strike first, drive people away, and then they couldn't reject you or leave you.

Ranger pinched the bridge of his nose to quell the throbbing behind his eyeball that felt like a jackhammer trying to break through his skull. He'd been an ass, again. Ranger was skating on thin ice the way it was, and now he purposefully cheapened what had been an amazing night, and what he thought had been the beginning of something. What that something was, he wasn't sure. Friendship maybe, a business partnership. Whatever it was, if he kept stomping on it before it put down roots, it would simply die a silent death. Hell, maybe he had already killed whatever tender shoot had sprung up.

The Bernie guy was probably decent enough. He didn't look much like Stephanie's type, but then when Ranger thought about it, she'd seemed a little stunned about the date revelation herself. Ranger tipped his head back and looked to the heavens, hoping for a little divine intervention, but not expecting any. It was her mother. She'd set Stephanie up on another date, just like she had with Harold. Yeah, Ranger was an ass. Now he just had to figure out how to make it up to her.

Ranger jogged to catch up, and they made the trip back to her apartment in stony silence. When they got to the door to her building, Ranger reached out and tugged her around to face him.

"Here." Ranger handed her a set of keys. "The black Bronco is your fleet vehicle."

Stephanie took the keys and stared at them in her palm. "Why?"

Ranger had a feeling she wasn't just asking about the vehicle.

"The Nova is a death trap babe, besides Hal said it didn't run."

"Why do you care?"

Ranger's shoulder tilted up. "I need you to be safe."

A beat went by as she studied him. Ranger worked to keep his expression blank, and his posture loose and unthreatening.

"Follow me to RangeMan, and we will finish up with your self-defense training. The clothes Ella ordered for you are in. You can shower and change at RangeMan and then you can head out to pick up some skips." His words had a commanding tone, and Ranger worked to soften the edges and keep them from sounding too harsh.

Stephanie crossed her arms and furrowed her brow, thinking the idea of using Ranger's state-of-the-art shower with copious hot water and good pressure had definite appeal. And she would even get to use that orgasmic shower gel. A delicious shiver went up her spine. She'd definitely become a shower gel slut. Stephanie reminded herself she was supposed to be mad at Ranger, and narrowed her eyes a little for good measure.

"Look at it this way. If you come train, you'll get to punch me, which I know you want to do." His lip tipped up into an almost smile. "And I richly deserve an ass kicking."

"You do." She agreed.

"I'm sorry. Who you date is none of my business, and you certainly don't need to introduce me."

"I'm not dating Bernie. I mean, I guess I do have a date on Saturday, but I didn't know that. I'm totally not going. It's my mother. She's desperate for me to get married, settle down, have kids."

"And you?"

"Me?" Stephanie gave a derisive snort. "I tried the whole marriage thing once, and it didn't really stick. It's not at the top of my list, and let's face it, I can barely keep up with Rex and he lives in an aquarium. How would I ever manage a kid? I'm pretty sure they frown on putting those in cages."

Ranger smiled, a good one that reached his eyes. It blurred the hard edges, and made him look softer somehow, approachable even. She could almost pretend he was a friend.
"Fair enough. So why do you let her push you into it?"

Stephanie shrugged. "I don't know. And I really did panic over the whole date thing. My mind kind of blanked, and I didn't know what to say. I didn't mean to make you feel like I was embarrassed to be seen with you."

Ranger gave her a wolf grin. "I don't know. Being your dirty little secret might be fun."

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Ranger evaluated her for a minute, like he was trying to decide if he trusted her. Stephanie held his gaze and refused to fidget under his scrutiny. She really was sorry. Ranger wasn't a dirty little secret, no Ranger just might be everything, and that was the real problem.

Ranger finally spoke. His voice was soft, lost in his memories. "I overreacted. The whole thing pushed some buttons. When I was a kid, I was little, and I didn't fit, so I got beat-up a lot. My skin color was too light for the blacks and too dark for the Cubans. And I had straight brown hair that made me look like a girl."

"I'm sorry, that had to have sucked."

Ranger shrugged. "I found out I could survive a beating. And I learned to be quick, and to watch my back, and to fight dirty."

"All good skills."

Ranger gave her a rueful look. "For street thugs and bounty hunters, not so much for being a good friend. Childhood, what you spend your life getting over."

"You have a sense of humor," she said to him. "Who would have thought?"

"There are lots of things you don't know about me." The way he said it implied there were lots of things he'd like to show her, and a fair amount of them didn't involve clothes. A thrill skipped and danced across her skin.

"Just about everything." She replied dryly.

"We could change that." Ranger offered helpfully. The predatory gleam in his eye caused her pulse to flutter and warmth to pool low in her belly.

"Friends, huh?" Stephanie tried to steer things back to neutral ground.

Ranger's eyes darkened and his mouth tightened into a smile that felt a little feral. "Among other things."

"Oh boy, that's a bad idea." Stephanie realized too late she'd said that out loud.

"Bad ideas are my favorite kind. They keep life interesting. You're interesting." Ranger's shoulder tipped up. "I like you."

"Foul temper and all?" Stephanie teased.

His eyes raked down her body like a physical touch. "Oh, I like all of you."

For one terrifying moment, Stephanie was sure Ranger was going to kiss her.

"We should probably stick with friends." Stephanie whispered, thinking that was the worst idea she'd had in a while.

"You're right." The moment passed and Ranger turned and headed for his car.

"I'll see you at RangeMan." He called to her.

Something like disappointment washed over her and Les' words echoed in her head.