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I took a deep breath, 'Mom, Joe was screwing around behind my back, I'm not getting back with him and I'm not marrying him. Ever. Joe's screwing around has nothing to do with my job, and I am not going to work at the button factory.'

Silence descended upon our table.

'What's for dessert?' asked my Dad.

Chapter 6

I left my parent's house with a huge bag of leftovers and half a chocolate cake. That's the way we express our feelings in our family: through food. Half a chocolate cake equates to an apology for pushing me about Joe.

It could also be despair that I'll never marry, and the conclusion that it doesn't matter if I get fat.

Sometimes talking through food can be a little hit and miss.

Still, I was going with the first option; everybody knows an apology cake doesn't have calories.

My plan was to spend the evening feeling sorry for myself, but I got bored with that after an hour or so, and so I settled in to watch some wrestling; there's nothing like watching ripped men fight, in nothing but tiny panties, to make a girl feel better.

At eleven I wiped the drool from my chin and got ready for bed. I locked my door, and checked my windows. Then I retreated to my bedroom.

I pressed the button on the keypad once and the red and green lights flashed at me before settling on green. Now the living room's motion detectors were set. Neat.

I just hope I'm not a closet sleepwalker.

Feeling safer than I have in a long time, I snuggled into bed.

I awoke to the familiar tingle that told me Ranger was here.

'Ranger.' I said, my eyes still closed, 'stop staring.'

I heard a soft laugh, 'just doing a dry run on your security. The comm. room should call me soon.' As soon as he finished saying this, his cell phone blazed to life.

'Yo.'

Pause.

'It's me.'

Pause.

Longer pause.

'Good.'

Then he hung up his cell.

'So,' I said, my voice still husky from sleep, 'you just wanted to check security?'

'No.'

'No?' I asked.

'I didn'tjust want to check on your security, I wanted to check on you too.'

'Oh. And your conclusion?'

'You shouldn't eat all that cake by yourself.'

'It's apology cake…it doesn't have calories.'

Somehow it seemed less convincing when you said it out loud.

My eyes had become accustomed to the dark, and I could see Ranger smiling.

'Babe.' He said, his voice a cross between horrified and amused. Ranger was horrused.

'You could eat some cake? You know, making a sacrifice for the greater good?'

'The greater good being you not getting fat?'

'Yeah, but you don't want a fat white chick on your payroll, remember?'

'That's why we're going running in four hours.'

'FOUR HOURS?'

He laughed softly, 'yeah.'

'Well then I'm going back to sleep!'

Ranger moved closer to the bed, all traces of humour gone, instead he looked deadly sexy. Well, he always looks deadly sexy, but he looked like he felt deadly sexy, and wow, that's even sexier.

He moved even closer until he was leaning over me, his breath teased my ear. And when he spoke his voice was deeper, huskier, rougher, 'Do you want a goodnight kiss Babe?'

He just ruined my panties.

I wanted to say yes, but I didn't want to seem needy…but I really did want that kiss.

'Yes.' I whispered.

He didn't laugh, didn't smile; he just leaned in and brushed his lips softly against mine.

'Goodnight.' He breathed.

By the time I un-glazed myself…he was gone.

Damn, but the man is sexy.

I tossed and turned for hours, no longer tired. Eventually though, sleep must have come knocking at my door, because I woke up at 5 when Ranger threw some sweats on my bed.

'Time to run.' He said.

I groaned, 'but I only just got to sleep.' I complained.

'Trouble sleeping Babe?' he said, a tad smugly.

'No.' I said instantly, Burg attitude coming out to play, 'I just wasn't tired.' I said defiantly.

A smile tugged at his lips, 'sure.' He said. I huffed into the bathroom and got ready. I went to open the bedroom door to leave, but his hand stopped me. He moved right up behind me, 'If it's any consolation Babe,' he whispered intimately, 'I didn't sleep at all.'

Oh my.

He opened the door while I was still dumbstruck, and guided me out with a hand on the small of my backt. Tank and Lester were leaning up against my kitchen side. There was no chocolate cake in sight.

'Did you eat my cake?' I said, eyes narrowed.

'Who, us?' said Lester, eyes wide.

'You've got chocolate round your mouth Lester.'

I was lying, but he didn't know that, so he reached up to wipe it away – ah ha! Proof he ate my cake.

'You owe me Santos.' I glared, 'I'll let Tank off because I got him exploded. And broke his leg. And stranded him at the airport…'

As I listed the disasters one after the other I felt a bit bad, 'You do get combat pay, right?' I asked.

Tank smiled, 'I'll make sure I have some next time I work with you, Miss Plum.'

'Call me Steph.' I said.

Tank nodded.

'Seeing as how your enforcers ate my cake, you are going to buy me that donut you promised me, right?' I said to Ranger.

Ranger nodded, resigned. 'Let's go.'

I started towards the door, but his hand on my shoulder stopped me, 'what?' I asked.

'Keypad.' He said.

'Oh yeah. How come it didn't work this morning when you guys broke in?'

'It did. I called the comm. room before we broke in so that they knew to deactivate the silent alarm. The keypad will be red.'

'Oh.' I said. I checked it, and sure enough, it was red.

I clicked it three times, switching off the motion sensors, then when we were outside I turned on all the sensors. It flashed green.

Cool.

I tucked the keypad into my waistband, and we set off at a steady pace. The men took turns encouraging and cajoling me, and before I knew it, I'd run five miles.

Bastards.

Ranger kept his promise, and he brought me a Boston cream from the tasty pastry. Then he walked me up to my apartment, partly to check I didn't collapse on the stairs, I'm sure. Ranger asked if he could use my bathroom quickly and I nodded, busy scarfing down a much needed donut.

A few minutes later he strolled out, muttered 'later Babe.' And was gone.

I climbed into the shower and let the hot water pour down my body, easing my aching muscles.

I wrapped a towel around myself, and picked up my t-shirt that I'd just tossed onto the bathroom floor when I was getting ready.

Wait a sec…where were my panties? I'd chucked them in a pile with my t-shirt. I searched and searched, but my lace French panties had vanished.

Oh. My. God. Ranger had used my bathroom before me…but he wouldn't…would he?