Author's note: Okay, guys, I hope you like this part! I worked really hard on it, so I'd love it if you'd let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy this chapter (it's the longest of any yet!). Settle in and happy reading!

--RhianaRae

Chapter Ten- All In A Day

All In A Day- by The Corrs

All in a day, she saw the face in the mirror lie
To her dismay, she saw the child that was in her die
And she cried... overnight
'Cos what she sees... she doesn't like

Just let me float, just let me drift on by
No more, no pain
I don't have tears to cry

I'm twisting
I'm turning
I'm aching
And it's burning
In one day... in one day

Chapter Ten- All In A Day

I locked every lock on my door and looked around at my apartment. Rex seemed to have snuggled back in successfully. His feet were a pink blur, the wheel spinning a million miles an hour and squeaking softly. He looked more than happy with his life. But then, he didn't have to worry about psychos shooting him. Okay, there was that one time, but I had saved him.

Just like Ranger had been there to save me.

I snapped myself out of what were fast becoming deep thoughts. That was dangerous territory. Too much thinking like that and I might actually figure out my life. Wasn't that a scary thought?

My apartment was spotless. I had nothing to clean. I went into my bedroom. My quilt was back on the bedspread, smoothed of any lumps. It looked so inviting. A tingle pricked the back of my neck, and I whirled around, my heart beating a million miles an hour. Nothing.

Shit, Stephanie, I thought. Get a grip already. I went through my drawers. All my clothes were just as they'd been. When Ranger had come to get my things he'd been respectful, not just rifling through carelessly.

The bathroom was gleaming. This gave me an idea. I rushed to my bed, flung back the dust ruffle, and gasped.

I snatched my cell phone and punched in Ranger's number.

There was a smirk in his voice as he answered "Yo."

"You had them clean under my bed," I said, not asking. I was accusing.

This got me a laugh. "Told you you needed to get a mop under there," he said, and disconnected.

I sighed. My apartment was so clean it was wrong. I decided I should have a cup of the coffee Ranger made, and dirty at least a dish. The smell wafted through the rooms and tickled my nose, so I followed it into the kitchen, grabbed the biggest mug I could find, and filled it to the brim. Rex was off his wheel now, looking at me expectantly. He was much happier when I dropped a chunk of cheese and a grape in his cage.

There was nothing on tv. I was stuck here. And the bumps and bruises on my body were starting to protest. A hot shower would maybe wash away the willies and some of the pain. I had a prescription for pain pills to fill. Maybe I would do that later. I really didn't like to take pills, but if the bruises on my back and legs were any indication, my body was going to start to stiffen up like a dead thing. Another reason to take a hot shower.

I cuddled up to the arm of the couch and sipped my coffee, wishing it were Ranger's arm. I had it bad. Not only did I seriously want him, and wasn't really afraid of him anymore after living in his apartment, but I was becoming emotionally attached to him. And that was a bad thing. Ranger had said it himself on more than one occasion, but he'd also told me he loved me. So maybe he was having the same problem. My lifestyle didn't lend itself to relationships either. This latest incident rammed it home more than anything else had.

So maybe, just maybe, it was okay to have the emotions here. Maybe in time our lives would allow for a real relationship. That's an awful lot of maybes. Shut up, you stupid voice.

"God, Stephanie, get real," I said out loud, startling myself. Okay, so it really was a lot of maybes. I would give myself a few moments to fantasize and be totally honest. I wanted Ranger. And I loved him. I wasn't sure exactly in what way it was that I loved him. He tugged at my heart more and more every day. Maybe I was in love with him. Yeesh.

"Okay, so let's pretend I am in love with him," I mused to my coffee cup. What would that mean? If I told him, which (Eeek!) I doubted would ever happen, how would he react? Besides tossing me out a window or something, I had no idea. It was obvious that he felt something for me. I mean, the man got shot the first time I asked him for help. But he stuck around, keeping me safe. And he still was.

But what did that mean?

And why the hell did I suddenly even care? Because you're scared spitless. Okay. I was scared to death. My home had been invaded, again, and I felt violated. I was tired of being shot at, punched, kicked, burned, and stalked. And now, thanks to the perfect Valerie's baby and subsequent marriage, I realized I wanted those things, too. Wonderful. Let's just complete that picture.

I couldn't exactly see me being Ranger's wife. Living in the Bat Cave, bearing his children. Ludicrous. I didn't see him coming home to me every day, giving me that semi-kiss that was barely more than just a brush of his lips across mine. How ridiculous. And I certainly didn't see me pregnant with his child. Didn't see him putting his hands to my swollen tummy and giving me those Ranger eyes. Nope. I couldn't see any of that stuff.

A tear slid down my cheek. What was with the tears! I swiped at it, and looked at my reflection in the coffee, all swirly from my sudden movement. That swirl was just like my future with Ranger. It made absolutely no sense.

"That's because none of that stuff is ever going to happen, Stephanie," I said, tipping the mug up and draining it dry. "So stop mooning over it, pull up your big girl underpants, and go take a damn shower."

Good idea. I returned the mug to the kitchen and stared at the door. All the locks in the world couldn't keep Ranger out. Apparently, his skills worked on more than just locks.

They worked on hearts, too.

God, I was a case. I refused to admit that I was in love with Ranger. This was all hypothetical, and was a dangerous thing to muse about for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that Ranger probably didn't return these feelings. Even if he did, he obviously had no intentions of allowing them any sway over his life or his decisions about me. In his line of work he couldn't afford to do that. It was a trick I wish I knew.

So I did what any girl would do in my situation. I turned my tv on loudly to drown out any scary apartment noises, went into the bathroom and turned the water to hot, stripped, and got into the shower. Okay, maybe not any girl would do this, but it made sense to me.

Oops. I forgot the bandage on my forehead. Probably it was okay to take it off now. I carefully peeled it away and tossed it in the garbage. I took a look at myself in the mirror and winced. This was nasty. An icky red line stretched an inch diagonally across my forehead, blending into my hairline. It wasn't wide or deep, but it looked gross anyway. Thank god they hadn't had to stitch it. Many months ago, my hair had been chopped on enough to last a lifetime. It had finally reached my shoulders again.

A bottle of Ranger's brand of shower gel sat on the shower shelf. I couldn't have Ranger here all the time, but with the way the scent hung on maybe it would make me feel like he was closer.

I shivered as the scent hit my nose. Great, now I was in the shower, hot and slippery with Ranger's shower gel, the sexy scent of him all around me, and I was having flashbacks to the few nights before, when we'd been together. Good thing my mother told me I'd go blind for dealing with that. It reminded me of a similar situation I'd been in when Ranger's apartment had been the only safe haven I could turn to, and his shower gel had conveniently been all that was available to wash with. That had been a problem then, too. The scent was sinfully addictive. And seductive.

I stood under the spray for a long time. My skin was turning pruney, and the aches in my body (both kinds) had begun to subside. I washed my hair, shaved my armpits and legs before I was too stiff to do it later, and stood under the spray some more. It felt like heaven, and smelled like heaven, and I could think of no place I'd rather have been.

Okay, I could think of one place.

I finally dragged myself out of the steamy bathroom, wrapped in a big fluffy towel. The comfort of a big fat t-shirt and a pair of boxers was irresistible, so I found a black t-shirt and the pair of boxers from Victoria's Secret and threw them on. My hair was still wet, but I didn't care. Let it stay wet. It took a lot of motivation and effort to blow-dry my hair, and I just wasn't into it.

I looked in the mirror. Yikes. My face still looked awful. Probably these bruises would go away in a week, but until then I could think of nothing better to do than hide out. That wouldn't happen, because I didn't do well with sitting in my apartment.

I felt languid and sleepy, and the scent of Ranger around me gave me the feeling of security, even if it was bogus. Maybe a quick nap…

I eased myself under the quilt, and fell asleep the moment my head touched the pillow.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

I woke up who knew how much later, sweating profusely. My cheeks were wet, and I was shaking. Jesus. I sat straight up and rubbed at my eyes. The clock said six forty-eight. That had been a long nap.

And it had been an awful nightmare. I'd been in the shower, standing under the spray, enjoying the smell of Ranger. There had been a sound in the front of my apartment, causing me to pause. I turned the spray off, grabbed a towel and wrapped myself in it. My heart had been beating so fast I thought it would pop out of my chest, just as it still was.

I peeked around the bathroom door and screamed. Tank was on the floor, trussed up like a criminal, and the scary man was back, shocking him. Eddie Abruzzi was there, dressed in his Napoleon's uniform. He stood in the corner, his crazy eyes smiling at me. Vino Santinni was there, too. A neat round hole stood out on his forehead. The youngest Cone brother was there, his Buzz Lightyear sweatshirt still on. There was blood oozing from his chest in three places, where I'd shot him. And Benito Ramirez was there as well, sitting on my couch. He smiled that psycho smile and trilled "Stephanieeeee…."

Joe and Terry Gilman were standing in my kitchen, embracing each other and watching me. There was no feeling in Joe's eyes as he watched me. Terry said something to him and he smiled at her, bending in for a passionate kiss. I searched the rest of the apartment. No Ranger.

Eddie and Benito closed in on me. There was a fire poker in Abruzzi's hand, and it glowed red. Ramirez cracked his knuckles. And then they attacked me. Tank made horrible noises as the cruel man shocked him, over and over. Ramirez grabbed my hands behind my back and held me still. I think I fought him, but my eyes were glued to the fire poker. Abruzzi advanced and laughed, and then he held the poker to my neck. My skin sizzled and burned, and I screamed. I didn't know if I had screamed in my sleep, but my hand involuntarily went to my throat. Nothing.

I was shaking so bad my teeth were chattering. I felt suffocated, and I couldn't breathe. I think maybe I was hyperventilating. I needed to get out of the apartment, away from the memories and the nightmare.

In record time I was stripped out of my nightclothes and dress in jeans and a black stretchy t-shirt. I pulled on a pair of running shoes and grabbed Ranger's heavy black sweatshirt from my bottom drawer. My wet hair was chilling my skin, so I went into the bathroom to dry it. I didn't bother with gel and the results were almost as scary as the nightmare had been. So I pulled Ranger's Navy Seal hat from the top shelf of my closet and shoved my hair through the hole in the back. Better. I grabbed my pocketbook and my keys and hauled ass out of my apartment. A part of me almost felt bad for leaving Rex there alone, but he was probably safe. It was usually only me people wanted to kill.

I didn't even know where I was going. Probably I could go to Pino's and have some pizza and beer. Or I could go to the mall. It would still be open. Anywhere was fine so long as it wasn't my apartment. Okay, I didn't want to go to Pino's. There would be cops there, and questions would be asked. I wasn't ready for that either. That left the mall.

My bank account was considerably larger than it had been in a very long time. I had money to spend. Maybe that would make me feel better. I need furniture anyway. There was a really good furniture store in the mall. But no, it's not a good idea to buy furniture when you're upset. Okay, shoes then. And a large fries and a Coke from McDonald's.

Mrs. Bestler smiled at me as I got in. "Going down," she said. "Parking garage, and black market merchandise."

This made me smile. At least my car was still unharmed. It was a hell of a thing to get insurance when all your vehicles got blown up all the time. And I couldn't forget the garbage truck. That had been a doozy.

Traffic was light on the way to the mall. I turned off Route One and sailed into the parking lot. It was pretty full, but I managed to find an okay spot. Next stop shoes and better things.

I tried on fifteen pairs of shoes. Stilettos, slingbacks, pumps, and mules. I bought four pair, one of each kind and all in black, and lugged the bags out of the store. Okay, I was spending to combat emotions. But I had earned it, I told myself. And it felt good. In Nordstrom's I treated myself to a few new dresses and a couple pairs of designer jeans. Sexy, bootcut, black, and sleek. They'd look good with the stilettos I'd just bought.

Suddenly, I was angry. I was tired of suffering the consequences of my stupidity. I was going to start learning how to do this right, dammit. Getting what you deserved wasn't fair. Something had to change. First thing tomorrow I was going to tell Ranger I wanted training. Serious training. I would learn to use my gun, and I was going to like it. I would learn self-defense, and I would learn how to be like Ranger. I was tired of being the one to be crappy at being a badass.

And I wanted to be sexy. I needed a new image. Something to reinvent myself enough that I'd feel like I was starting fresh. Maybe that would chase all the bad memories away. I could just lock them in a far corner of my brain and throw away the key. I bet Ranger had to do that with some of the stuff he'd been forced to do. Maybe he'd tell me how to do it.

On that inspiration I turned on my heel and marched back into the store. When I emerged I was the proud (and much poorer) owner of a new jogging suit, two pairs of black yoga pants, three different pairs of running shorts in black, red, and dark gray, two gray tank tops, two new black tank tops, three silky camisoles in black, three different kinds of sexy black pinstriped and solid slacks, a pair of black carpenter pants, a black angora sweater, two black cardigans, another pair of running shoes, and a pair of sexy black heeled boots. Maybe I couldn't miraculously turn into Ranger, but I could damned well dress the part.

I was a little tired by the time I was done shopping Nordstrom's, so I went back out to my car. Even hauling the seven shopping bags to the car was a chore. Maybe I wasn't quite ready to do all this yet. No, I thought, shaking my head. Now or never.

I stuffed the bags into the back of the Escape and roared out of the parking lot, on my way home. Okay, the Escape didn't roar. Maybe I needed a sexier car, too. Well, I couldn't afford a sexier car. That would have to wait until…well, I didn't know when, if ever, I'd be able to afford a sexy car. Maybe a Miata. But that would be hard to haul FTAs in with. This I would have to think about. I certainly couldn't afford a Mercedes or a Porsche like Ranger had.

But maybe I could buy one from Ranger. Hmm. He'd always loaned me one before. I could just ask him to get me one from whoever he got his from, and I'd give him the money, or make payments or whatever. That sounded like an almost workable idea.

I was going to be Badass Stephanie, the Bombshell Bounty Hunter. And I was going to do it right.

My bravado collapsed when I pulled into my parking lot. I'd left all the lights on in my apartment, but just the sight of the window made me start shaking. Every other light was darkened. I looked at my watch. Shit. I'd spent a while in the mall. It was late.

I sucked in a deep breath and gathered up my bags from the back. Now or never, I repeated in my head. Now or never.

Mrs. Bestler smiled at my bags. "PMS?"

"You have no idea."

The doors opened and I made my way to the end of the hall. My hands were shaking so badly I dropped the keys. Shit. I looked at my door and looked at the keys on the ground. There was no one in my apartment. It was okay. I hadn't been attacked in at least twenty-four hours. See? All safe.

But I couldn't make my legs move. I was petrified, frozen in place by a sudden fear that I had never known. I was so scared I could feel my heart shivering in my chest, my teeth were chattering, and I was breathing fast and shallow. I forced myself to breathe slower, and managed to pick up my keys. I kept seeing all those other men. Ramirez, Abruzzi, Cone, Santinni…I relived this most recent scene with a violent shudder. I wondered how Tank was coping. Knowing Tank, he was fine. I was the only one still freaking out.

And right there, in my hallway, I had a breakdown. Tears began streaming down my face. I sat down, hard, and scooted up against the wall, all my bags around me like a flimsy paper fortress. I was sobbing, open-mouthed, convulsive sobs that shook my entire body like an earthquake. I relived every second of every horrible thing that had happened to me since I'd taken this job, and I grieved and dealt with them. All except the latest. I didn't know how to deal with that. Mostly, I was just terrified. Bone-shaking terrified.

And I was still afraid of my apartment.

I stood on shaky knees and looked at my door. All I had to do was put the key in the lock, turn it, and go inside. Easy, right? Wrong. I got the key within six inches of the doorknob and my hands started shaking again. I dropped the keys back on the ground and took up my place against the wall.

Mechanically, I found my cell phone and punched in a number. I was still sniffling, trying to hold back the hysteria at the back of my throat. I swallowed a few times, but the panic was still there, fighting to get out.

"Yo," Ranger's voice said softly.

I almost laughed I was so close to the edge. I couldn't say anything. My voice was stuck.

"Stephanie?" he said. I could picture him coming instantly alert and afraid for me. That wasn't fair to do to him.

"I…I need you," I managed to choke out. Oh, god, how stupid was that? "N-n-never mind. I'm okay," I said, and hung up.

The tears came again, and I couldn't stop them. I just let them wash over me. I couldn't even ask Ranger to save me. I was so afraid, and so ashamed. I just wanted to crawl in a big black safe hole and pull it in after me, and maybe sleep for a hundred years or so.

So I sat in my hall and cried, albeit a little more quietly than before. I cried for myself, mostly. I figured I'd neglected my own feelings long enough, and indulged in a little self-pity. So much for the new and improved Stephanie, I thought bitterly. I was a coward. I couldn't deal with this. It took a toughness to do this job, and I didn't have it. My reaction right now proved it more than all the blown up cars ever could. I was a screw-up, Grade A.

I pulled me knees in to my chest and covered my head with my hands. The brim of the hat hid my face from anyone who might pass by. But it was late, so I didn't expect anyone. Nobody except some random psychotic killer who would chop me into little pieces and fry me for dinner.

I hiccupped on another sob, and buried my head between my knees. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop the damn tears. It was like they'd found the weak spot in the dam, and burst through to freedom. Maybe I'd held it all in a little too long. Probably my emotions were just really tired. Pretending to be tough and strong when you're not wears on you.

There was suddenly a presence looming above me, and I yelped, leaping to my feet, ready to flee. Strong arms grabbed me up and crushed me to a muscular chest, and I blindly struggled through my tears to get free.

"Babe," a voice said, cutting through my hysteria, and I went limp, like a rag doll. My heart had stopped beating in my chest, and my breathing along with it.

"Ranger," I choked out, burying my face into the hollow of his shoulder. I would have climbed inside his skin if I could.

The tears kept coming, and his strong arms crushed me close. A hand stroked my hair and my back, rubbing gently. "I'm s-s-sorry," I said, gasping for breath. "I don't know what's wrong. I can't stop…"

I took a deep shuddering breath and let it out slowly. "I couldn't stay. I had to get out of the apartment. I took a shower and fell asleep. The nightmare… All of them were there. Ramirez and Abruzzi and Cone and Santinni. They were going to hurt me. And Joe was there, and Terry," I said, my voice trembling uncontrollably. I tried to steady it, but I couldn't. My whole body was vibrating.

"And I was so scared. I went to the mall and went shopping. I decided I wanted to be like you and never be scared, but then I got back here and I couldn't open my door. My legs wouldn't move and I dropped my keys." I was babbling incoherently now, sobbing between breaths. My tears soaked his shoulders.

He set me away from him for a second, and I resisted. "Stephanie," he said, tipping my chin up to look into his deep chocolate eyes. My lower lip was trembling, and I had to blink several times just to clear my eyes enough so that I focus. "I'm here now. Everything's going to be okay," he said, rubbing his hands up and down my chilled arms. He gathered me close again and rubbed against my cheek. "It's going to be okay."

I snuggled into his warmth. My safe haven, as usual. And at that precise moment that he whispered those words, my heart opened. I loved him. Shit. I really did. And I didn't want to ever be away from him again.

He kissed my temple and eased back to look in my eyes. "You don't have to go to the apartment again. I want you to come home with me," he said. "I have an empty studio apartment available. It's waiting for you to move in. I want you to work for me, Stephanie. Will you do that?"

I looked up at him, uncomprehending. Ranger wanted me to live with him? No, he'd offered me an apartment. A safe place. "For how long?" I whispered. My throat was raw and sore from crying. Tears still slipped from my eyes and tracked down my cheeks.

This got me a smile. "Forever," he said, and reached up with both hands to dry the wetness from my face. "I need you," he said, and followed it quickly with, "and the rest of my staff needs you. I want you close."

I suspected there was more to those words than professional friendliness, but I didn't have the energy to push it. This was more than I could have hoped for. Ever. If I was working for Ranger, maybe he'd train me. "But I'm useless," I said, my voice still a little trembly. "Look at me," I said. "I'm such a fucking coward."

"You are not a coward," Ranger said, his voice harsh. Surprised, I jerked my eyes up to meet his. They were black, and they burned. "You've been through more than any woman I know could handle and still be sane."

"I'm not sane," I said. "I'm a basket case."

"It all had to come out sometime, babe." He looked at me again. "Will you accept my offer?" he said, boring into me with those damn eyes of his. God, I really did love this man. The Man of Mystery had stolen my damn heart, and I had no choice in the matter. And I really didn't want any.

The eyes softened. He took a deep breath. "It's all I can offer you right now."

I looked up at him. His face was drawn and pinched from worry, and there was a slight darkness beneath his eyes. This man had protected me and taken care of me, and had saved my life. And now he was offering me more.

"Yes," I said, attempting a wobbly smile. "I'll come home with you."

He sighed, picked my keys off the ground, and lifted me into his arms. "I'm going to take you inside, but only long enough to pack you a bag. Okay?"

I nodded against his neck. In a few steps he was at my couch, and settled me onto it. "I'm going to get your things from outside. Will you be okay here?"

I was fine as long as he was near me. I felt safe. "Yes," I said. "I'm alright."

Then he was gone. I stared straight ahead, my hands clasped in my lap. The tears had mostly stopped, and when my eyes welled up I was able to blink them back. I wanted all of this to go away. I was tired, and I was still afraid. Safe, but afraid nonetheless.

Ranger went past me into my bedroom. I heard him pull my two large black suitcases from the closet, and heard drawers open and close. Then I heard him go into my bathroom. Items clattered together as he added them to the bags. I imagine he was pretty well cleaning everything out.

When he came out the suitcases were filled to capacity. The muscles in his biceps bulged under the strain. He put the suitcases by the door, went into the kitchen, and turned off my coffee put, then unplugged it.

And then he came back to me. He held his hand out, and I took it, thinking that maybe I was taking his hand in more ways than one, and he pulled me to my feet. "Do you think you can carry Rex's cage?" he asked, and I nodded.

I picked up the cage and followed him out the door without a backward glance. He must have gathered the shopping bags, flipped the lights off and locked the door, but I didn't care. I was leaving this place, once and for all. I guess maybe I would miss my neighbors, and the fact that I knew everybody here. But I couldn't live here anymore. Too many bad memories.

Ranger's Cayenne was parked in the fire lane, and he set my bags in the back. He opened the door for me, took Rex's cage and waited until I was in and buckled, and handed him back. Seconds later we were zooming out of the parking lot and on our way to his apartment building. He zoned out, and I took the opportunity to do the same. I shut off my thinking process as best I could, and admired the streetlights.

When he finally came to a stop in the black basement, I looked around. A few black SUVs were parked against the far wall, and the rest of Ranger's cars were present and accounted for. I got out and out of an old habit headed for the elevator. Ranger was right behind me with my bags, and he stepped in behind me. He used his black plastic key tag to get us to the seventh floor, and then we were in his apartment.

"I thought you had an apartment for me," I said dumbly, looking around.

Ranger carted my bags into his room and set them down. "I do," he said. "But I told you I want you close tonight," he said, coming back to stand before me. He took Rex's cage and set it on the counter. "Is that okay with you?"

It was more than okay.

"Are you tired?" he asked. I shook my head. It was strange to be back in Ranger's apartment again. The familiar clean scent assailed my nose, and I breathed in. Here, I felt truly safe. I let the deep breath out and looked at him.

"I'm really sorry about all this," I said. "You're always having to baby-sit me."

Ranger shook his head. "I'm not baby-sitting you."

"Then why are you always there?" I asked, feeling suddenly brave. I might as well go a little deeper. "Every time I'm in trouble, there you are, like some…"

"What," he said. "What am I like, babe?" He wasn't making fun of me. His eyes were soft, and his voice was soft. This was a side I rarely saw. I had to take advantage of it while I had the opportunity.

"Like a goddamn knight in shining armor," I finished, sighing. "Why?"

He shook his head again. This time, there was a wry smile tipping up a corner of his mouth. "Haven't you figured it out yet?"

I shook my head. "I'm afraid to."

This got me a smile. "Yeah. Me, too." He kissed me lightly. "I'm going to have some food sent up. You haven't eaten since last night."

Shit. I had forgotten my Coke and fries. "How do you know?" I demanded. The eyebrow went up. "Okay, fine. You're Batman, I forgot."

"I'm not Batman, babe. I just know you."

"Maybe too well," I said, lifting my chin in a defiant gesture.

"Maybe." He went to the phone and pressed a button. "Dinner for two tonight," he said, and let the button out.

"What, does Ella just sit around and wait for you to give her an order?" I asked, exasperated. It weirded me out to have a personal chef/cleaning lady.

"No. The message goes to a machine. When she sees the light blinking she checks it."

"Oh." I had no follow-up for this.

"Come on," he said, pulling the hat off my head. "You need to change."

"I am changing," I pointed out, the chin still up.

Ranger paused. "I meant your clothes," he said, smiling.

I blushed. "I knew that."

"Right. Put some pajamas on. Dinner should be here soon."

I couldn't argue with a real dinner. Someday I should probably learn to cook for myself. A person couldn't thrive on Pino's pizza and Tastykakes. Okay, I could, but I should learn anyway.

I rifled through my bags and found the t-shirt and boxers I'd been wearing earlier. For some strange reason, I felt like I couldn't put them on. They were a remnant of earlier tonight, and I wanted to forget it. Instead I went to the shopping bags and pulled out a gray tank top and the pair of black shorts. They would do for pajamas, I figured.

I unzipped Ranger's sweatshirt and put it in the bag, and kicked out of my jeans. My body was starting to hurt again, and I wanted to lay down. The only thing that kept me going was the thought of the food Ella was bringing. She really was a good cook. So I continued undressing and then put the tank and shorts on.

I padded barefoot back into the living room. I could see Ranger setting out plates on the dining table, and I pulled silverware out to help him. He took them from me and directed me to the couch. "Relax," he said.

Again, arguing just seemed out of place. I didn't want to argue. I wanted to be taken care of and maybe just a little bit spoiled. That made me think of Morelli. He always said the things I needed to hear, but I don't think he ever spoiled me. It was a little easier to look back and see the signs that maybe he was needing something besides me to satisfy him. It didn't hurt as much as it did before, but the sting was there. Once again, I'd screwed up another relationship.

Okay, maybe it hadn't really been my fault. Morelli had wanted me to be a different person. Dickie was just a horse's behind. At least Ranger didn't have any designs on Joyce Barnhardt. I didn't think.

"What are your thoughts on Joyce Barnhardt?" I called to Ranger, and heard him pause. Probably wondering what the hell I was talking about.

He poked his head around. "Not interested."

"At the moment, or permanently not interested?" I pressed.

Ranger shook his head, that bemused smile curling his lips. "Permanently," he said, and disappeared around the corner again.

Okay, I thought. Good.

There was a knock on the door a few minutes later, and Ella poked her head in. "You can just leave it on the table," Ranger told her. She sent a bright smile to me, probably hoping I would still be Ranger's girlfriend someday. Then she said goodnight to Ranger and disappeared through the door.

"Food," Ranger said by way of summoning me. It was too late. The smell of delicious meat, fish I thought, wafted through to my nose. My stomach growled loudly, and I sat down. He lifted the lids of the dishes, and I was greeted by a variety of delicacies. There were grilled halibut steaks, mushrooms marinated in white wine, angelhair pasta, sautéed asparagus, and garlic bread.

"Omigod," I said. Ranger smiled and dished food onto my plate. He slid it directly under my nose, and the delicious aromas made me lightheaded. "How does Ella do that so fast?"

"Even I don't know," he said, filling his own plate. We ate in companionable silence, neither one of us wanting to talk and not particularly needing to. I was more assured of his company now than I had been before. Living in a man's home will do that to you, I supposed.

When every last morsel of food was cleaned from my plate, I sat back, suddenly glad of the stretchy running shorts. Ranger read my mind again, and this got me a smile. He had finished a few minutes earlier and sat watching me with a thoughtful expression on his face. I didn't ask what he was thinking, and he didn't volunteer anything.

I yawned, a big body-relaxing yawn. "That was the most amazing meal I have ever eaten," I said. "Don't tell my mom, but Ella's cooking is better than hers."

"Your secret's safe with me, babe," he said, pushing his chair back and coming around the table to me. "Come on," he said. "Bed time."

"Where do you want me to sleep?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Do you need to ask?"

"Oh good. I thought you were going to deny me your sheets." See, I was feeling better. I could make a joke already.

Ranger's eyes softened. "And all this time I thought it was my body you wanted."

"Silly man," I said, wandering past him into the bedroom. He was close on my heels. I could feel the heat of him prickling the hairs on the backs of my arms. I could also hear him laughing under his breath. I managed to find my toothbrush and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. When I came back out he was sitting on the bed, untying his laces.

"I'm going to take a shower," he said, shucking the boots. He took his socks off, then took his watch off and laid it on the nightstand. I raised my eyebrows. "Nothing you haven't seen before," he said.

I slipped beneath the covers and sighed at the feel of the soft sheets on my skin. This was so nice. And Ranger was so getting naked in front of me. I would recommend naked-Ranger-therapy to all trauma victims. All other thoughts went out of my head, and I think I might have drooled.

The t-shirt came off next, tossed over the back of a chair. His belt came off next, to lie on top of the t-shirt. And he stripped off the black cargo pants. My mouth went dry, and I swallowed convulsively. Ranger didn't disappoint. No underwear.

This was the first time I'd seen him naked in the light, and good grief, the man was sheer perfection. He knew it and I knew it. The gentle light reflected off his mocha-latte skin, highlighting the buff biceps, the eight-pack abs, the bump of his hip flexors. His… I gulped, and looked away.

I'd been busted admiring his assets, however, and Ranger grinned at me. "Don't tempt me, babe," he said, and went into the bathroom, treating me to a lovely view of his backside.

When he was gone I fanned myself. He was gorgeous. I was having a hot flash. Definitely Ranger-therapy was the best treatment for trauma. Mmm-hmmm…

The shower spray turned on, and a visual of him in the shower popped into my head. Yikes. And yum. And then the smell of Ranger's shower gel came with it. That smell was burned into my receptors. I could never again smell it without thinking of Ranger. And it turned me on.

Crap. I wasn't supposed to get turned on. I had barely begun to come to grips with the fact that I loved the man, and that was hard to do when he was naked fifteen feet away.

I must have been stressing over this for quite a chunk of time, because the water stopped in the bathroom. A minute later Ranger came out, towel around his waist. I tried to swallow but found it difficult. He saw this and grinned at me. His hair was wet and hanging freely down. Droplets of water were still beaded on his shoulders, chest, and neck.

I later decided that I had been possessed or something, because I was out of the bed in a heartbeat. I stalked across the room to the half-naked specimen of male perfection, and glared at him. He smelled so damn good. It was a drug, maybe. There was something slipped in the shower gel that intoxicated me. That was a pretty good excuse. Later, maybe I'd try and convince myself it was true.

"This is all your fault," I said, still glaring.

Ranger raised an eyebrow at me, and his eyes dropped momentarily to my chest. My nipples tightened and shrunk in response, and he smiled. "Cold?"

I stepped in close to him and inhaled deeply. "You smell good," I said. And I licked one of the droplets of water off his neck. He took a breath and looked down at me. The eyebrow was still in place.

"Feeling brave?" he asked casually.

I found another drop and took care of it. Couldn't have him going to bed all wet, I thought. He might get sick or something. Really, I was doing this for his benefit. Okay, and mine too. I was selfish. "It's my new image," I said. "The brave new Stephanie."

"Lucky me," he said, and closed his eyes as I got a drop that was dangerously close to his nipple.

He caught my wrist in his hand and looked into my eyes. "Is this an invitation?"

"An open one," I said, shocking myself because I meant it. I wanted him, all the time, and now I could have him. Anytime I wanted. Lucky me.

"So I guess I don't need to sleep in the boxers, then."

I narrowed my eyes at another droplet by his earlobe, and licked it away gently with the tip of my tongue. "Mmm, it'll just make things more difficult for me. But if you really want to get dressed all over again…"

Those were the last thought-out words I spoke. Ranger took my mouth in a deep kiss, maneuvered me to the bed and out of my clothes, and made me forget the rest of the world for the next four hours.

Out of breath and trembling, I smiled when he finally gathered me into the shelter of his body. He held me close and kissed my forehead. "You were right," I said into his shoulder.

"About what?" His voice smoothed over me like silk.

"Ruining me for other men." Ever, I added silently.

Ranger made what I think was a sigh. "I told you my life doesn't lend itself to relationships," he started.

"I know," I jumped in, hoping I hadn't pushed too much. "I don't mean that, I just--"

"Let me finish," he said, putting a finger under my chin and pushing my mouth closed. "I said, my life doesn't lend itself to relationships. I told you before, I only had working relationships." He rubbed a hand up and down my back, warming me through to my toes.

"And ours is still a working relationship. But I think you know we both feel more than that."

I couldn't believe my ears. I'd just had this same epiphany not six hours before. How the hell long had he known? Would have been nice if he'd let me know this privy bit of information, I thought with a mental sigh.

"I try to protect you, keep you safe. I watched you and Morelli get together and split again and again. I even kept my mouth shut when I found out he was stepping out on you," he said, tension and a bit of anger lacing his voice. "But when I walked in your apartment and saw you on the floor like that, I decided I didn't want just to keep you safe. That meant being involved from a distance."

He went quiet for a few minutes, but I didn't dare speak. I didn't want to break whatever spell he was under. The fingers on my back stilled for a moment, and I burrowed into his shoulder. It seemed right that my head fit so perfectly there. And then he spoke again.

"I can't tell you that this will work," he said. "My life is hell on people who are close to me. What I'm suggesting is we take this as it comes. I told you before that I loved you, and I meant it. It doesn't come with a ring attached. But I can tell you that I want you, babe." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "I don't want you to live in one of the studios. I want you to live here. And I don't want you to go back to Morelli. You belong to me," he said firmly, and my mouth dropped.

I sat straight up and gaped at him. "You love me."

"I love you," he said.

I couldn't believe this. He really did have ESP, I thought. "Well, I, uh…Shit. I love you, too."

This got me the full-on, two hundred watt grin. It lit up the dark room, and his white teeth gleamed. "Finally figured it out?"

"I'm slow on the uptake," I said, snuggling back down next to him. My world was reeling. Not only had I just been shown heaven, now I was getting the moon and the stars, too. I sighed, and kissed his shoulder. "So we're going to take this slow. One step at a time. No terms and conditions apply."

"The terms and conditions are we give each other what we're capable of giving and don't blame each other for what we can't."

I thought about this for a moment. "That sounds hard."

"Any relationship with me will be hard," he said. "I'm no picnic."

"Well, I don't know about that," I said, kissing his neck. "You sure taste good."

He laughed quietly and rolled me over onto my back. I felt his teeth graze my neck in return, and shivered. "Really."

I linked my arms around his neck. "Yup. Yum."

"I taste better in some places than others," he said, nipping my earlobe.

Oh boy.

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