Everybody and anything familiar belong to Janet. Mistakes are mine alone.

I walked out of the bonds office and stopped short once I looked up from the heel of my boot, which I thought had picked up a wad of Connie's quickly discarded gum and saw a massive all-black truck with that unmistakable brand-new vehicle shine park at the curb in front of me.

Ranger.

My lips started tingling even though he hasn't kissed them yet. But after he got out of the truck, the way he curled his fingers around my wrist and tugged me towards the alley running between the bonds office and the business next door, I'm guessing he'll be remedying that ASAP.

My back barely touched the brick wall before his mouth fused to mine. My lips immediately parted for him, and I think I blacked out when his tongue touched mine. But maybe not, because I definitely felt his hand slide under my shirt and bra cup and his thumb rub my bare nipple.

The kiss ended when my mouth opened on a sensation-filled gasp. "What are you doing?" I asked in a breathy voice, suddenly aware that we're in a public space.

Sort of aware anyway.

"Not as much as I'd like to be doing with you," he said against my neck before he licked the spot right below my ear.

"We're in an alley where anybody can walk by and see us."

Now he drew back, and I had to fight the urge to pull him back and put his hand and lips where they were.

"Whose fault is that?"

He isn't being mean or complainy, he's just reminding me that I'm the one who's worried about us behaving like a couple in public.

"Mine," I said when my breathing went from normal again to rapid as I prepared to jump into the unknown with zero backup plan. "But I've been thinking …"

"About me?"

"Yes ... more often than I should if I want to get anything else in my life done."

He kept his hips pressing mine into the damp alley wall, so my jeans will likely have to be burned, but he moved his upper body away a few more inches so he could study my face. To make sure I don't bail on this conversation, he put a palm on either side of my head so I couldn't look at anything except him. Like I'd willingly give up this particular view.

"You have my attention. What have you been thinking?" He asked.

"That I was wrong. Stupidly, epically wrong."

"About?"

"Keeping us between us. When we had coffee this morning, Mary Lou said something. And I haven't been able to shake it or the visual it unfortunately caused."

"Which was …?"

"That things grow when they're moved into the light. They rot when you keep them in the dark. I don't want us to rot," I tried to explain.

"I never pegged you for a romantic, Babe, but that sentiment could inspire some interesting poetry."

I put both hands on his chest and shoved. Hard. He barely budged, but I was able to get enough room to scoot under his arm and away from him. I didn't get far. He caught my arm and pulled me into the chest that's actually harder than the brick background I just got away from.

"Not so fast, Stephanie."

"I was trying to be serious about something I find really hard to talk about, and you're making jokes?"

"I've been living in dirty little secret territory for weeks. I deserve a moment of levity."

That stopped me. Knowing how cool and confident Ranger is, it never occurred to me that he was blaming himself for me wanting to keep our tentative relationship quiet. He knows everything, so I just assumed he knew I'm always the reason I don't do something that's considered healthy. Guess they were right about what happens when you assume something, because I definitely feel like a complete ass right now.

I cupped his jaw in my hand and made him look at me. "I wasn't hiding us because I'm ashamed of you, I didn't want anyone to know because I was trying to protect you."

"I'm trained as a Ranger, I run a security company, and I have a core team that excels in keeping me alive. What do I need protection from?"

"Morelli, his cronies, my mother and her gossip squad. The list is endless. One inappropriate though untrue comment could wreck your business and cost you clients. Even when Joe didn't want me, he made it very clear he didn't want you to get me. I wouldn't put it past him to go total dick to get back at both of us. And my mother will help him anyway she can."

He bent his head and kissed me gently on the mouth. "I appreciate the concern, but I can handle whatever they want to throw at me. Even if I couldn't, there are some things worth going to the mat for … and you're one of the most important of those to me."

"Really?"

"Do I strike you as a man who waits around for things he wants?"

"No, but you stuck it out until I came to my senses."'

"Because I knew we'd be worth it."

"I'm sorry," I told him. "I should've woman-ed up right at the beginning."

"You should never let anyone dictate what you do or how you feel, but I understand why you did. You forgot that Rangeman has what some might call morally and legally questionable resources. If Morelli or anyone else wants to cause trouble for us, or me because you love me, I'll have endless ammunition in my hands three seconds after they start shit."

I went from being nervous, to mad, to scared … and now I just feel dumb. Of course, Ranger would be able to stop anyone targeting us. It's literally his life's work.

"I'm sorry," I repeated.

"I don't want an apology or for you to feel bad. I just want you to accept that you don't have to fight or protect the world all on your own. If you're worried about something, you need to tell me so we can deal with it together."

I was already nodding an agreement. "I will. I promise." I went up on the toes of my CAT boots to brush my lips lightly over his. "Now, where were we?"

"I believe I was kissing you …"

And then his mouth was on mine again until an annoying and smarmy shout broke us apart.

"If you're not gonna get a room, you could at least sell tickets!" Vinnie called.

A shiver of disgust ran along my body at the thought of my skeezy cousin watching my make out session with Batman.

"We do have a room," I said back, grabbing Ranger's hand and pulling him along with me down the alley towards Vinnie. "It's in a building on Haywood Street. Which is where I'll be staying and working exclusively until you apologize for being a perverted prick."

"You can add my cases to Barnhardt's workload until that apology is given and accepted," Ranger told Vinnie.

And that's what did it. Him taking my side solely because he cares about me. "I love you so much right now," I told Batman.

"Just right now?" He teased.

"No," I said loud enough for Lula and Connie to hear, who were standing in the bond office's now open door. "I've loved you forever and I plan to make that permanent one day."

"Today's as good as any," he told me while he opened the passenger's door of his truck for me.

As soon as my butt hit leather, I smiled down at him. "It is, isn't it?" I looked over his shoulder at Connie and Lula. "You heard that, right?"

"Sure did," Lula said.

"Loud and clear," Connie added, giving us a thumb's up.

"Okay good," I said to Ranger, "there are multiple witnesses. Now you have to like, love, and live with me long after death do our enemies part from us."