Disclaimer: STP… I mean… STD… hmm… standard disclaimer… does anyone get my humor? Nevermind… I realize I'm a dork. I don't own anything… except Hazen!
A/N: I'm so very sorry, but I had to do much consulting before posting this. Say thank you Orangeangel and Mcshnee.… Mcshnee was a great help… she was super critical, but in a contructive way. I did know an edit who once wrote on a girl's story (for yearbook) that he didn't have enough ink in his pen to explain what was wrong with her story. sigh
Anyway, enjoy. I've worked long and hard on this… or I'd atleast like to think that. And I did it while procrastinating my hw and term paper… which I just finished (10:22 p.m. on 04-27-05) yay! 9 pages of BS… I know you don't want to know about all this… so here's the story… enjoy!
Ch 7: Hazen
I woke up on the couch the next morning, inhaling the smell of Ranger on his pillow. I sat up and groaned as I noticed my back was sore. I guess all these nights on the couch are taking their toll on me.
I felt Ranger walk into the room.
"Mornin'." I said, turning to him.
He was already dressed in SWAT black. He nodded at me and then walked to the door. He opened it and in came Ella with breakfast. Funny, I didn't even hear a knock. How does he do that?
Ella put down the tray and left. Ranger sat at the dinning table and took a bagel for himself - spreading a minimum amount of cream cheese. I picked myself off the couch, my hand at my back; I'm hoping a shower will take all the pain away.
I sat across from Ranger, picked up a bagel and spread on a generous amount of cream cheese; it's my theory that if you're forced to eat a bagel every morning, you should at least get plenty of cream cheese so you can't taste all the healthy. But this only got me a disapproving look from Ranger.
"Where's Bob?" I suddenly asked.
"Your parents."
"Tank took Bob to my parents?" I couldn't believe this. I was used to Tank, but to normal people… ok to the Burg, he was a scary guy.
"Your neighbor called the cops."
"Oh my god! What happened?"
"Your mom took in Bob."
Ranger has a way of ruining stories.
I ate more of my bagel, thinking about this, and then I remembered the dog-napper.
"What happened to the dog-napper?" I asked.
"Jail."
One word answer. Hmm… he wasn't telling me the whole truth. I stared at him, trying to see if his face could tell me anything, but nope - it never did. But I wasn't giving up. "Did he know anything about Morelli?"
"He's not talking." Ranger said a little too quickly.
Is he lying to me? Had something terrible happened to Morelli?
"Babe, don't worry. Morelli's a big boy." Then he stood up, "Tank will be up in thirty. Be ready." He grabbed his keys from the sideboard and left. I finished my bagel and went into his bedroom.
I should probably get started now if I wanted to be ready by the time Tank got here, but the bed! It looks so damn good. No Stephanie! Self-control! I walked straight to the shower, undressed, and jumped in.
Ten minutes later, I was out; smelling like Ranger. I dried and wrapped myself up with a towel, and then I stepped out into the bedroom. I went straight to the closet to search for clothes. The problem was, I hadn't expected to stay here for more than one day. I had an extra pair of jeans and panties - but at the time I had packed, I hadn't had too many clean clothes either. So now I'm going to have to borrow Ranger's clothes, and maybe I can convince Tank he wants to help me with my laundry later. I picked up the jeans and underwear and grabbed one of Ranger's black T-shirt and went into the bedroom. I put the clothes on the bed, did one last wipe down, and threw the towel on to the bed.
I grabbed the underwear and when I bent over to slip on my underwear I felt the hairs on the back of my neck go up. I quickly pulled up my underwear and grabbed the towel to my chest.
I turned around to see Ranger with a wolf grin on. Uh oh. I took a step back.
"Babe." His voice came out low and dangerous. He looked at my towel like it didn't belong there and he took a step forward. But then he changed directions and headed into the closet.
I stood frozen to the spot, I didn't much notice when he left, all I noticed was that the room was empty. I got dressed fast and stepped into the bathroom to take care of my make up.
I admit; I've been feeling the tension between Ranger and me from the first night I stayed here, but wow, that was close. Luckily I escaped with no harm done.
I quickly put on some mascara and eyeliner. I considered the lip-gloss and decided I should go with it if I want to convince Tank that he wants to stick around while I do my laundry.
Either Tank was early or I had stood in the bedroom for too long because there was a knock at the door. I hurried to the door and opened it to the very large, very dark, and slightly mysterious, Tank.
"Hello there Tank."
He gave a slight nod. "Ready?"
"Yep." I grabbed my bag from the sideboard and stepped out. Hmm… I don't exactly have keys to lock up Ranger's apartment.
"Don't worry about it." Tank ESP'd. He took my elbow and walked me to the elevator.
We went down to the garage, and got into one of the black SUVs… not that they would be any other color. Tank turned over the engine and we headed to my apartment.
When we got to my door, he took the keys from me and entered the apartment, doing a walk-through. Then he came back to the door and nodded to me, indicating no psycho killers or stalkers were lurking around.
I walked in and the apartment was strangely quiet. If Rex were alive, he would be running on his hamster wheel right now.
I walked into my bedroom and started picking up discarded dirty laundry from the floor. I tossed them into a basket and carried it out to the living room where Tank was sitting and waiting.
When he saw me he raised an eyebrow.
I gave him my best smile. "I need to do my laundry." He still had his eyebrow up. "I don't have any clean clothes."
"Is that why you're not wearing a bra?"
I felt the heat rise to my face. Damn it! I didn't think anyone would notice. His lips twitched upwards, which would qualify for a smile by the Merry Men standard.
He stood up and took the basket from me. So it look's like he's helping…not that he has much of a choice. Though I suspect that if he chose to throw me over his shoulder, grab the dress I need and take me back to the building - I would be the one with no choice.
We returned to the SUV; Tank put the basket in the back and we drove to the Kan Clean Laundromat. We stepped in and Tank chose a corner washer and put the basket on top. Naturally, he took a seat facing the door.
I went to the basket sorted through my clothes, dropping the whites in first and then I dumped the colored into the washer next to it. Now what to do? I didn't really have the patience for laundry…it's like a stake out. Then I noticed Tank sitting with his arms crossed over his chest - I wonder if there was any way I could make him talk?
He raised an eyebrow again. I took the seat next to him.
"So… Tank." He slid me a sideways glance, looking suspicious.
"What's your favorite color?" What? I had to start small.
Tank looked down at himself. Well duh; black. Mental head slap.
"Food?" I asked.
"Bombshell?"
"Yea?"
"What's with the questions?"
"Just trying to make conversation, or would you rather sit here for the next 30 minutes in silence?" Yea right, silence it was. I haven't met a Merry Man who didn't like it that way. We sat there in silence until all the laundry was done. I put the dried clothes back in the basket; not bothering to fold them and then Tank took it. When we got to the SUV he put it in the back and he drove us back to my apartment.
At the apartment we went through our routine of him checking the apartment, me waiting, him nodding to me telling me I can come in. I dug through my now fresh laundry and found the red lacey bra and panties for tonight; I grabbed the dress and some shoes from the closet. Since my overnight bag was at Ranger's, and I hadn't thought to grab it, I got a Macy's bag from my closet and put the shoes in, along with my underwear. I'd have to carry the dress not to spoil it, and my make up was already at Ranger's.
Shit! I didn't have a bag; do I need a bag? Of course I need a bag, where else would I put my gun? Do I need my gun?
I decided to grab a small black bag, nothing that could hold my gun, handcuffs, pepper spray or anything else, but big enough to go unnoticed and still hold some make up. I threw it in the Macy's bag too. I wondered if I needed anything else.
"Everything will be provided." Pause. "Hot dress." I turned around to see Tank standing in my doorway looking at my dress. Then he shifted his gaze to me. "Done?"
I gave the room one last look and nodded. He came in and took the bag and dress.
Fifteen minutes later we were back in the Rangeman building, in the seventh floor apartment. Tank opened the door for me, it wasn't locked and he handed me my stuff. He didn't step in. Then he pulled the door closed.
It was a little past 11 now and I had nothing to do.
Over the next several hours Ella brought me food, I watched TV, ate ice cream, and went nuts alone in the apartment. When Ranger finally got back at 4:30, I was relieved.
He stood by the door looking amused. "Babe, you ok?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Just did a little of this and that."
"We're leaving in thirty."
I got up, "Ok, I'll just go take a shower."
"You can do that there." Ranger said.
I slid back into my previous position of lying on the couch; I can sit here for another thirty minutes, and not give Ranger a headache, right? Ranger leaned over the couch to look at me.
"Want to go for a run?" He asked.
Was this his kind of joke? My face must have looked distressed because he gave a bark of laughter.
Ranger came and sat down, lifting my feet onto his lap. I lifted my head and looked at him.
We sat there for maybe twenty minutes like that until finally Ranger pushed my feet to the floor and told me to get ready. I got up and went into the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and gave a small squeak. My hair was a disaster. I tried my best to pull it back into a ponytail and it came out half-decent. I washed my face and stepped out again.
Ranger was holding a small bag, probably filled with my stuff, and a garment bag that probably contained my dress.
We were in the car for maybe two hours. Ranger played his classical music and slipped into his zone almost immediately after we got in the car. We were driving past forested areas now. Where were we going?
"You can't tell anyone where this place is. Understand?"
I nodded surprised to hear him speak. Was he outside of his zone? Was that possible? "Where are we going?" I asked.
"Hazen, a Sanctuary House."
"Huh?" Aren't I intelligent?
"It's a private club, only invitees."
"So, why can't I tell anyone about this place?"
"Tell all you want, just not where."
"Why can't I say where?" I asked.
"Babe." His voice was full of smusement.
I didn't say anything and Ranger's face was back to Zen… he's in the zone again.
After a few minutes he pulled off the highway on to a dirt road though the forest which then turned into a paved road. A little further and the forest opens up. There was a parking lot in front of a building? Mansion? That was gated.
Ranger pulled up to the gate and then reached over me to the glove compartment and retrieved a small gate key and clicked it to open the gate.
"How come you have that?"
He didn't answer me. Oh great. The large solid iron gate opened slowly and Ranger drove in. Inside was a driveway around a small garden, all of this closed in by the building. A fortress. Ranger parked by the only doors I saw and turned off the car.
He just sat there quietly and I was getting impatient. "Are we going in?" I asked.
Ranger opened the door and got out. I followed. He grabbed my stuff from the back and led me up some steps to a pair of large solid wood doors and the door opened. Whoa! Ranger had super telekinetic powers too!
As I stepped in I looked behind the door but there was no one there. There was a desk in front of a door maybe five feet away and there was a man, who looked like he belong at Rangeman, sitting behind the desk. He gave a nod to Ranger and picked up the phone, didn't say anything and put it down. Maybe there was such thing as ESP over the phone? Or maybe he just couldn't reach the person he wanted to.
The room we were in was probably the entrance hall. There were 5 doors around the room, not including the main ones behind us. The walls were slightly yellow, the ceiling was high and there was an elaborate bronze chandelier that look like a bush with yellow flowers, and the roots twisted their way along the ceiling and ran into the walls. It was amazing.
When I looked down, there was a dark complexioned girl standing in front of us. She could have been south Asian or South American for all I know, or maybe she was middle-eastern. She wore black boots that reached her knees, black pleated skirt that reached her mid thigh, and a black short sleeve shirt that hugged her curves, not that she had much of them. There was something strapped to her leg under her skirt, a gun maybe? Her black hair was pulled back from her face into a ponytail. Her eyes were expressionless along with her face. Hmm… maybe Ranger and the Merry Men raised her. Then she cracked a small smile.
"I'm not as stoic as them, am I?" She asked me. Did I say that out loud or is it ESP? She put her hand out. "You must be Stephanie Plum."
I took her hand and mumbled a yeah. She looked young, maybe 18. Who was she?
She reached down to her thigh and pulled out a PDA. She tapped on it a few. "Follow me." She said, her serious face back. She walked behind the desk and opened the door for us. We were now looking at a hallway with a spiral staircase at the end. She led us toward it.
"The boys are upstairs waiting. All your things are there too." Ranger nodded, even though she couldn't see. "Keep it quiet, okay," she said as she turned to us at the bottom of the stairs. It was more a command than a question; I've never seen anyone give Ranger an order before. "Watch your step." She led the way up.
At the top there was a door which opened to a sectioned off roof garden. There were flowerbeds with bushed of small white flowers. The air around smelled wonderful, probably the flowers. "Jasmine." She said. Huh, it has to be ESP!
She led us across to a door up a few steps. She opened it and stepped through. We were in a large room with hardwood floors, and a ceiling with beams showing. In the center were some couches on an intricate carpet. Tank and Bobby were sitting on a couch and Dave and Lester were moving a coffee table to the center between the couches.
There were two more doors, one opposite the door we just came through and one down to the left. The girl in black went and took a seat by Tank and I thought I saw them actually speak before Ranger nudged me toward the door opposite us.
We stepped through into a bedroom that was almost as big as the living room. There was a king sized bed covered in black sheets center of the opposite wall, a couch close to up running parallel to the bed, a long skinny rug running in front of the couch and one in front of the bed to towards two doors on the other side. The side of the bed in the opposite corner was another door. Then I turned to the side fully and saw the big plasma TV hanging on the wall in front of the bed, but there was a thin layer of dust on it, so it probably wasn't used often.
This looked like it belonged to Ranger.
I couldn't hold back the curiosity; I walked to the doors to inspect its contents. The first door was to a bathroom. The floors were hardwood but there were rugs in front of the black marble counter and outside the shower and front. The sink seemed to have been carved right out of the marble. Expensive. Around the corner a door to the toilet, inside one wall was paneled in wood. Weird.
I came back out and noticed Ranger sitting on the couch, the bag next to him. I went to the next door, which was probably the closet and put my hand on the knob.
"Babe." I turned to Ranger. "You can't go in there." I frowned. "This isn't my place."
"It sure looks like it could be." Still with a pout. The corner of his lips tilted up. "Did you two have the same decorator?" More of that Ranger smile. "So what's in there?" Nothing. He just stared at me. I went to the final door in the corner, which had locks on it. I flipped all the locks and since Ranger didn't say anything I opened it and looked outside. It was another roof garden. I closed the door again. Hmm… interesting.
Ranger was looking at me. His eyes locked on mine. "You have an hour to get ready." He said, got up, handed me my things and nudged me towards the bathroom.
There was a bar for towels on the wall next to the shower loaded with Ranger type towels. I hung my dress on the bar, put my bag on the sink, undressed and jumped into the shower.
I stepped out 20 minutes later. There had been two small bottles of shower gels. I smelled both, one was Bulgari for Ranger and the other smelled like the flowers outside, Jasmines she had said. I used the second bottle. I wiggled into some underwear, debated the bra and decided against it.
There was a knock on the door but before I could say anything Ranger came in. I grabbed the towel to my chest and yelled. "What are you doing!"
"I need to take a shower."
"Could you wait 'til I get dressed?"
He smiled. "No." No? No! Why no? I just stared at him, confused, as he stripped and got in the shower while I drooled. Then I snapped back to reality put on the red slinky thing. The top hugged my curves and it exposed my back, the skirt hit me in the upper part of my thigh long enough to be decent but short enough that it's still slutty. I was putting on make up when Ranger stepped out of the shower smelling damn sexy!
"Mmm…" I clapped my hands to my mouth.
Ranger was suddenly standing behind me, his hair wet and falling around his face, a towel around his waist. I was holding my breath.
"Nice." He whispered into my ear, fingering the shoulder strap of my top.
Then he was gone again, into the bedroom. I let out my breath. If Ranger had stayed any longer, then we would not be in the process of putting on clothes.
I finished my make up; heavy on the mascara and eyeliner, layer of lip-gloss and I'm done. I did up my hair as best I could and took a good look in the mirror. Slutty but sophisticated. I slipped on my shoes that screamed fuck me. Satisfied now, I stepped into the bedroom, but I didn't see Ranger around.
I walked toward the bed and jumped when I heard the door open behind me. I turned to see Ranger closing the closet door as he stepped out. He was dressed in the business tycoon look. Light cashmere sweater, black pants, expensive shoes.
But more importantly, he had just stepped out of the closet.
"Thought you said we couldn't go in there?"
"I said you couldn't go in there."
I almost pouted. "Why?"
"She doesn't want you in there."
"You mean the girl?"
He gave a slight nod. "You ready?"
My turn to nod. He walked up to me, stopping only a few inches from me. His hand slipped up my top and taped the wire right under my left breast, his hand idling for an extra second. All the while I held my breath, staring into his dark eyes.
Then he backed off and offered me his arm. I placed my hand on his arm and he guided me out. When I stepped into the living room Lester gave a whistle and I blushed. Ranger led me to an empty seat by Tank and handed me a file. It wasn't the usual manila color this was black. I wonder if Ranger had them especially made for Rangeman?
I opened the file and stared at the picture of the target. He was young, blonde, and hot. "Ranger? Are you sure he'll go for me?"
"Babe." His voice was low and I quickly looked back at the file.
"Is she wired?" Tank asked Ranger. Ranger just sent him a look, who knows what that meant.
I read on… Sebastian White, 27, son of business tycoon. There was a list of old girlfriends, friends, hangout and some other list with names. No background.
"He's not a criminal," explained Lester. "He's some kid who pissed off his father and the father wants us to drag his ass back to Seattle."
"Oh."
"All you have to do is make sure he sees you, he'll approach you."
"What makes you so sure?"
Lester raised an eyebrow. "Have you seen yourself?"
This is good for a girl's ego.
"I'll be watching you. All you have to do is bring him back here." Ranger explained.
"Wouldn't that look suspicious?" I asked.
"Just say that you know the owner."
Now for the crucial question; "How legally gray is this?"
"Do you really want to know the answer to that?"
I thought about it for a moment. "No, I don't think I do… is he dangerous?"
"No."
"Then what's the wire for?"
"Just in case you get yourself into trouble."
"Hmph."
Ranger was by my side giving me his arm again. I took his arm and stood. He guided me out, and instead of going though the door we had come up through, he opened a gate in the fencing to the other side.
On the other side were sectioned off areas with couches and chairs but no one was around he led me through another door to an inside hallway that opened up into a balcony area. I could hear the music, which could fall into the category of rock. As we came into the balcony area I looked down and saw that there was a band playing on a stage.
There was a dance floor right in front of the stage and a cluster of couches behind that and a bar behind that. The balcony had tables arranged like a restaurant and people were sitting, most of them eating something or drinking. The balcony curved around behind the bar and connected with a set of stairs that descended to the main floor. "Down those; to the bar. He'll find you." Ranger said nodding to the stairs on the other side. "I'll be here watching. Dave is on the dance floor."
That's right Dave's here; he wasn't in the sitting room when I came out of the bedroom.
As instructed I made my way around the balcony to the stairs and descended. On the other side under the balcony was a sectioned off area or couches and chairs. There was Mr. Sebastian White with a bunch of girls all over him, but surprisingly he was looking at me. We locked eyes for a moment but then I broke it when I turned to go to the bar. I took a seat in the corner and ordered a drink from the hot bartender.
Like Ranger and Lester told me, I didn't have to do much. In minutes he was at my side holding my drink to me. I twisted in my stool and wrapped my fingers around the glass, lightly stroking his fingers. "Thank you." I said in the sexiest voice I could muster and he let go of the glass.
"You're welcome." He looked me in the eyes; not down at my breasts or my crotch like the other scum I've gotten for Ranger. "Would you like to join me?" he said gesturing toward the couch he had been at, but now completely cleared of the girls.
I nodded, he offered his hand, I took it and he led up to the couch.
There was a clear view of the band from where we were. The lead singer was a blonde girl with a deep voice. The rest of the band were guys.
"My name is Sebastian." He said taking a seat next to me, but not too close.
"Stephanie." I was concentrating on the girl who was so hypnotizing.
"Do you like then?"
I nodded. Be mysterious Stephanie.
"Hypno." He said. I turned to him in question. "They are called Hypno."
"Interesting."
He let me listen to the whole song before starting anymore conversation.
"So Stephanie, are you here with anyone?"
"If I was would I be here with you?"
He gave a laugh. "People come here for strange reasons. What happens here stays here, that's why they like it."
"Like Vegas." I said, mentally slapping myself for being stupid.
He gave another laugh at this. "Something like that."
"So what's your reason for being here?" I questioned him.
"Vacation of sorts." Sure, vacation so you won't get your ass kicked by your father? "And you?"
I thought about this for a moment. Should I flirt with this guy, take my time or should I just get it over with. The latter. "I was hoping to get laid." I said with a husky voice, watching him for a reaction, but he didn't seem surprised.
"I can arrange for that."
"Why don't we go some where more private?" I asked.
"Why don't we?" He said with a low voice, moving closer to me.
I stood up and offered him my hand. He took it and stood. I guided him back up to the where I had come from and through the door to the roof garden. Through the gate up to the apartment door, where he stopped me.
"I don't think we are allowed here."
"Don't worry, I know the owner." I hoped that line worked. I hope he doesn't ask for the name of the owner.
"Interesting. Even I haven't met the owner. I hear he owns a security company and that's why this place is so secure." My eyes went wide at this but before I could ask anything the door opened and we were pulled in.
Next thing I knew Tank had Sebastian by the neck. "Don't move." He ordered White.
I felt Ranger put his hand at the base of my neck. I turned to him and stared at him but he was looking at White, his face expressionless.
"You're father wants to talk with you Mr. White. These gentlemen are going to escort you back to Seattle." He said nodding to Bobby and Lester. "I suggest you try not to escape."
Then Ranger steered me back outside and walked me back toward the club. "Hungry Babe?"
I nodded.
"Thought we'd enjoy this place while we were here."
I nodded again. Did White say something about a security company owner owning this place? Did Ranger own this place? I'll ask after desert. Girl's got to have proprieties.
Inside we took a seat at a table in the corner. We ate in silence, then desert arrived and it was coffeecake. I'm pretty sure I moaned out loud again because by the time I was done there were several people around us throwing looks my way and Ranger had a grin fixed on him face.
"Oops."
"Like it?" He asked.
"It was amazing." He gave a nod. Then I noticed the empty dish in front of him, "You had some too?" Another nod. Maybe it was one of those days when his body was not a temple. Now that my desert was no longer at risk I could ask him about what Sebastian said. "Ranger?" He raised an eyebrow. "Do you own this place?"
He was quiet a moment, considering answering me. "I have a partner."
I raised an eyebrow. I always wanted to do that.
"That girl that greeted us."
"She looks like she's 16!"
"She's 19."
"And you're partnered with her?"
"She's a smart girl."
"So do you bring women up here often?" I popped it on him, hoping to surprise him into an answer, but he showed no sign of surprise.
"Babe."
Ok, so he isn't going to answer me.
He gave a sigh. "No."
Encouraged by this I continued the questioning. "Is that no, you only bring them up here once in a while?"
He gave me a look that said he wasn't answering that. "He hasn't brought anyone up here. Ever." A deep voice said behind me. I turned to around to stare at Tank who was in a black button down shirt, black slacks and boots. I smiled at him. I looked at Ranger who was staring at Tank. I turned back to Tank.
He put his hand out to me, "would you like to dance?"
Hmm… dancing with one of the Merry Men? Sure why not. I took Tank's hand.
He led me down the stairs and we made our way to the dance floor. The band was taking a break and there was some fast beat music playing. We began dancing and I saw the girl in black dancing with Dave. She looked at me and gave me a small smile while she danced close to Dave, whose hands were on her hips bordering on her ass.
When the song was over I was out of breath, serves me right for not going running every morning. Ranger took me from Tank and asked me for a dance. I agreed and Tank walked over to the girl in black and took her from Dave who also wondered off.
The band came back on stage and began playing a slow song. I placed my hands behind Ranger's neck. Ranger's hands settled on my hips and pulled me close. I rested my head on his shoulder and suddenly realized how tired I was. While we moved together with the music, I looked in Tank's direction. The girl wasn't tall enough to comfortably place her arm around his neck so they were on his chest where she had leaned into and was resting. Tanks arms were around her protectively, one of his hands quite low on her back, his eyes on her. They looked pretty intimate. Wasn't she too young for him?
She caught my sight again and gave me a weak smile. That's when I noticed the song. It was somewhat sad. About suicide. The blonde girl who was singing had a deep and sad voice, she dragged out the words to a low ending. I noticed the girl in Tanks arms again, she looked sad.
And then the song was over. The music atmosphere changed with the next song and I was tired. Ranger looked down at me. "Babe?"
"Tired." I said.
"Want to go back up stairs?"
I nodded sleepily. He took me back upstairs. When we were in the roof garden I stopped him. I wanted to smell the flowers a little more. I walked over to the bush and spotted a dozen fresh looking flowers. I leaned in and smelled them. Yup. They smelled exactly like the shower gel.
Ranger was behind me. "You like it?"
I straightened out and looked at him. He walked closer to me. "What?"
He leaned into me and took a sniff. "You smell like them, you didn't use my shower gel."
"Thought I'd try something new." I said. His arms slipped around me, I put my hands on his chest ready to push away but then his lips were on mine. My knees went weak, I was melting. He pulled away, still holding me up.
"It's scent lingers on your skin." He whispered to me, his eyes dark, but then again there was no lighting up here so I couldn't tell if it was my imagination.
"Hunh." Really eloquent, Stephanie.
He was pulling me to the apartment again and I followed weakly. When we stepped into the living room there was no one there. Ranger bolted up all the locks on the door and turned to me, his eyes dark. His eyes scanned over me. Uh oh. I think I'm trapped with a beast.
He flipped a switch on the wall and the lights went out. A little moonlight filtered in through the windows. He took a step forward and I took a step back. I'm not sure if I should be doing this. He took another step towards me and I took another step back. We continued that until he had me pressed against the bedroom door.
He placed his hands on either side of me. His knee slid between my legs and he leaned in. "Ranger, I'm not sure about this." Then he kissed me and I was speechless again.
"I think it's time this dress came off Babe." His voice came out low, almost a growl.
I stared him in the eyes, which were pools of chocolate now. His hand moved to the door knob. Turning it he pushed the door open. I had been leaning on the door and now I was falling back, but Ranger's arms caught me. He gave me a wolfish smile full of feral desire, and then he carried me to the bed.
A/N: The final comand of the great ego… review! ok... so i'm on something...