Rangeday

Chapter 18

The week crawled forward, and she had to admit to herself that it could be Ranger's absence that made it seem like time had slowed down. Either that or she was in some weird sort of time warp.

Tank had gone to join Ranger in Boston early on Wednesday and Tsuy had spent that day in New York, so there was no lesson. She'd gone over to Mary Lou's instead to have dinner, then took her friend out to see a film and have a few drinks. It had been nice to have the time to catch up – she had been feeling vaguely guilty over seeing so little of her friend.

Then Thursday afternoon she helped Lula with a few skips – the first time since the Stiva episode. To her surprise it had gone quite well. They had taken in three FTAs: one who went with minimal fuss, one who thought she wouldn't be able to handcuff him and had been proven wrong, and one who had been holding a bowl of lukewarm chicken soup when they surprised him.

Thankfully Lula had gotten into the habit of keeping a towel and some spare shirts in the Firebird, so she had walked into the police station with the skip in cuffs and her chin high, daring anyone to claim that she hadn't started the day wearing a day-glo orange T-shirt.

Joe had come up, taken a head-to-toe look at her, and hugged her wearing a wide grin.
"Glad you're back," he'd whispered, and she had grinned in surprise. Wasn't he supposed to do his 'I can't believe you're doing that job' thing? But now he had retired the idea that she would be the mother of his children, he seemed quite happy to see her returning to her old self.

And she was, she realised. She no longer felt anxious about knocking on doors to go after skips. She could handle herself – and her gun – and most of Lula's skips were well within her capacities. Together with Lula, who had been doing some training herself, they had little trouble.

"Girl!" Lula had exclaimed, high-fiving her. "We are SO good. See the way I tackled that guy? Bet he didn't think a full-figured woman like me could move that way!"

"Hal giving you lessons?" she'd grinned, sharing her friend's elation. It was good to have a takedown going smooth. Well, apart from the chicken-souping. Minor detail that.

Lula had nodded and fanned herself. Stephanie grinned. Nothing like a hot man to make that kind of lesson enjoyable. That, she suspected, was the reason Ranger had never given her those lessons himself. Self restraint would have been a problem for both of them.
"Girl, lemme tell you... he knows how to motivate, ya know?"

Thursday night she had gone to dinner with her parents, to silence the maternal-guilt claims that they never saw her anymore... and to pre-emptively ward her against the guilt if she could not make it on Sunday night. Could not make it because a certain Cuban man might be back in Trenton for the weekend… and she intended to make good use of the weekend.

He hadn't called and that made her feel weird, since he had said he would. Of course she could call him, but something stopped her. Maybe it was the fear that he'd think her clingy. She knew he was fine, or the control room would have let her know, so she figured he just had a lot of things on his mind. Or maybe... no. Maybe he was testing if she could handle his sudden disappearances and not hearing anything from him. No. He wouldn't do that. Would he?

Today, Friday, she was assured of something to do in the evening – Shorty's with the guys. It felt good that they assumed she'd go with them whether Ranger was there or not. The first few times it had felt like she'd been taken along to not offend him, but now she began to feel like part of the group. Not quite as close as some of them were, but then what did she expect? She hadn't served time in the army with them. It was just cool that they genuinely seemed to want her along because they thought she was fun to have around.

Plus, Bobby wanted a pool rematch.

"No more, no more!" she called out as Hector set down a new glass in front of her. Ranger not here to remind her to drink water, she'd been well into her third Margarita before she remembered that Hal probably wouldn't be happy if she barfed in his car. Junior had stayed sober and would take a bunch of the guys back to the Rangeman building to crash for the night in the 4th floor apartments, and Hal would drop a few others off at home.

"Go on, uno mas, uno mas!" he exclaimed, grinning at her. She tried to glare at him, but failed.

"Bobby hired you so I wouldn't beat him again," she accused him, sitting down heavily, grabbing the pitcher of water and pouring herself a glass.

Hector gave her his best 'would I do that?' look and disappeared, leaving her to listen to Woody relating some kind of story to Lester and Slick. It had something to do with a colonel, a lizard and a pole-dance, but she couldn't quite keep track.

"Everything's... whats-it... spinning," she declared as the SUV took a roundabout. Hal smiled as he drove. They had dropped off Cal and Ram first, and were now on their way to her apartment building.

"Did I," she began, hands weaving in the air as she tried to grasp the words, "Did I ever say... thing... you know, sorry?"

"Sorry for what?"

"For... you know, bzzt!" she mimicked stunning him.

Hal shrugged.

"Never would have met Lula otherwise."

"Wha?" Now that was interesting. Lula had never told her how she and Hal had gotten together.

"Nosy woman. I'm not telling."

"I'll pry it... pry it out of Lula," she announced unsteadily.

He didn't reply, but shook his head with a fond expression. It was clear he was crazy about her friend, and anyone who could make Lula this happy and confident was a friend of hers.

Back when she was going through a series of unfortunate relationships, Lula used to quote Sex and the City.

'What if Prince Charming had never shown up? Would Snow White have laid on her ass in that glass box forever? Or would she have gotten up, spit out the damn apple, gotten a kick-ass job and a health care plan and moved on with her life?'

Stephanie smiled because she could still hear her friend say it. Now it seemed that Lula had found the prince after she had gotten up on her own, and it was one who liked her just the way she was.

"You gonna be okay? Don't feel ill?" he asked, opening her front door for her.

"Noooo... I'm a happy drunk," she said with a silly grin, weaving in place to compensate for the weird way the floor was moving. "Gonna be fine. Thanks for the whats-it. Thing. Ride."

"You're welcome. See you Monday!"

She flopped onto her bed and just about managed to kick off her shoes and jeans before sleep took over.

She startled awake because she was being jostled, but the split-second of panic dissipated when the Bat-radar took over. It was Ranger, shifting her so he could open the covers and put her under them. She sighed happily as she took in the scent of him. His lips touched hers and he gave her a slow, lingering kiss.

"Mmmm..."

"Babe," he said softly, and she opened her eyes. The red numbers of her alarm said it was past 3 AM. Ranger was standing next to her bed in the faint red glow, wearing tight boxers and nothing else. If the room hadn't already been spinning gently, it would have started from the sight of him. He was smooth skin over well-defined muscle. He was magic. He was... getting ready to get into bed with her?

She scrambled to make space and then hooked an arm about his neck when he bent over to give her another kiss. She pulled him onto the bed, and he landed with an oof. He chuckled and rolled to get comfortable, pulling her close.

"Had a good night?"

"Mmmm."

He shot her a 200-watt grin that lit up the darkness of her bedroom.

"I can tell."

He pulled the cover over the both of them and let out a long breath, his body relaxing. He was on his back, she draped against his side. Her head was pillowed on his shoulder and she had one knee drawn up over his leg, so she was plastered against him. Full body contact.

Intimate body contact. Thoughts of sleep fled, and tanked up on margarita's as she was her hormones came to awareness with an almost audible roar.

He was idly stroking her back, leaving trails of fire wherever he touched her. His heart was beating slow and steady in his chest. She turned her head and licked the skin, wondering if she could get that thud-thud-thud to speed up. He let out a soft groan and pulled her up so he could kiss her.

"Babe..."

"Mmm."

He gently sucked on her tongue and she got a rush that went from her toes to her scalp, making her fingers curl into his shoulders. She pushed herself up and shifted until she was lying on top of him, chest to chest, crotch to crotch. She dug her fingers into his hair as she kissed him with fervour, and moaned when she felt his body grow enthusiastic for this new position.

She sat up, straddling him, and struggled out of her T-shirt and the bra she hadn't bothered to take off earlier. His hands glided her rib cage, thumbs brushing the undersides of her breasts. She shook her hair back and closed her eyes because she suddenly felt dizzy again. Pushing the feeling away she went in for another heated kiss.

"Babe," he groaned when they broke for air. "Stop that..." His fingers dug into her hip as he held her still, stopping her from rubbing herself against him. She made a little sound of frustration.

"Why?" damn if that didn't sound like whining. Want sex NOW!

He flipped her over so she was on her back, and she reeled as the world spun and dipped crazily. Or was that the mattress? She couldn't be sure. Suddenly Ranger's face filled her world as he leant down from next to her, leaning up on one elbow.

"Because," he kissed her briefly, "I am tired," kiss, "and you," kiss, "are drunk."

"Am not!" she protested, and he grinned because she most definitely was and she knew it. "What does it matter?"

"Because I have plans for the first time we make love," he whispered. She felt her insides melt at the way he put that. "And either of us falling asleep is not part of those plans."

He looked gorgeous in the gloom, leaned up over her, his hair loose and falling about his face. He was looking at her, intense, radiating… something. She couldn't quite find a word for it just now, but all of a sudden her eyes prickled and she blinked, emotions and eyes overflowing. She sniffled and turned so she could bury her face in the side of his neck. His arms came around her and pulled her close, but soothing, the sexual overtones gone now.

"Women," he sighed with an eyeroll in his voice. "Always with the waterworks."

"Screw you," she said against his skin, squeezing him. "Can't you say anything nice without... flolow... flolowing with something mean?"

He pressed a kiss above her ear.

"No."

"That's 'cause you're mean …and I… aspolubely—ablosutely… tot'lly wouldn' fall… 'sleep," she huffed, a little indignant still.

"Of course not, Babe," he grinned into her hair. "Silly me."

"Babe?"

Awareness came with a sledgehammer in hand. "Graaaah."

"What was that?" He pitched his voice low, but it was still too loud.

"Shoot me," she whimpered, reaching up to feel if her head was actually still attached to the rest of her. Turned out it was. Unfortunately.

"Not a chance." He sounded amused. She wanted to slap him, but that would involve things currently outside of her capabilities. Like moving and opening her eyes.

"Go 'way."

"You don't really want me to." He said, a not-so-well-hidden hint of smugness to his voice.

You have no idea.

"I have the cure," he sing-songed. She became aware of the smell of grease and fried stuff.

"Just gimme an IV feed," she mumbled into her pillow. He laughed softly.

"Here, drink this."

She rolled over and groaned as her head protested. He helped her sit up against the pillows, and she realised that she didn't have a shirt on.

What the hell happened?

"You tore off both our clothes and tackled me to the bed," Ranger supplied with a grin in his voice.

She directed a baleful glare in his direction.

"I didn't say that out loud."

"You were thinking it very loudly."

"I tackled you to the bed?"

I can't believe I can't remember this. Is he making it up?

"My fantasies about you will never quite be the same." He was smirking at her.

Don't think about his fantasies right now. Can always revisit that topic when you feel better.

"Then what happened?"

I'm wearing my underwear. What the hell?

"You were mad at me for saying you would fall asleep," he grinned. "And then you fell asleep."

That sparked something in her memory. The feeling of intense sexual frustration… his hands on her hips, holding her still.

"Here, drink this."

He handed her a tall glass with something pink and faintly fizzy.
"Vitamins and painkiller mix."

"I want the coke and fries," she mumbled, not feeling very ready to face his cheerfulness.

"After you drink this."

She did as he said, then downed the fries and coke, then went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. That seemed about enough activity for the moment, so she went back to bed.

Ranger stayed with her for a while, on his side with an arm around her. His slow, steady breathing brushed her ear. She didn't feel up to doing anything, so they did nothing, not even talking. Just lay on her bed, close together. Touching. Breathing. Feeling. She basked in his presence.

This would never have happened with Joe.

Morelli couldn't do nothing. Certainly not in bed. They'd either have had sex or he would have gone off to do something else. And she would have felt empty and a little cold and not understood why.

Now she knew. This is what she'd been craving.

Some time past noon he moved, trailing a hand along her shoulder.

"I have to go, Babe. Haven't been in the office yet."

"Mmm-hmm."

"Have dinner with me tonight?"

"Mmm…"

He kissed her cheek, chuckling.
"Laze about some more, Babe. See you at seven? Ella will be thrilled to hear you're coming over."

She suspected he added that last bit to make sure she wouldn't sleep through dinnertime.

He leant over her and kissed her, slow and tender and wonderful. She ran a hand through his hair and smiled up to him, feeling warm and fluttery and not caring that her head was still pounding.

I think I love him.

She felt her heart seize up with that thought. It was equal parts thrilling and terrifying.

For a long moment he looked like he wanted to say something, but then a rueful smile crossed his face. He brushed a kiss over her forehead, and was gone.

"Hello Stephanie, nice to see you again," Ella smiled. She was just finishing transferring bowls and platters from a trolley to the kitchen counter. "It's always a pleasure to have you here."

She remembered her first encounter with Ella and smiled. Ranger busied himself with opening the wine, and they sat to the nicely set table when Ella left. Cloth napkins and lit candles. A real date, then.

"Did it go well in Boston?" she asked, after she had become from a delicious smoked chicken and honey-mustard sauce entrée.

"Not as well as I had hoped," he said with a small shrug. "Don't much like working with government departments involved. They work slow. Bureaucracy."

"How long do you expect to be needed there?"

"Depends."

He must have noticed her annoyed eyeroll because he continued,
"On how fluid the situation is there. If things don't start happening soon I'm not going back until they do. The Boston office can do some of the legwork."

She watched as he piled salad on his plate and some slices of the amazing rolled chicken loaf.

"Is Ella happy when I come over because she gets to make dessert?"

"Ella is happy because you appreciate her cooking skills fully," he said, working on his salad.

"You mean you don't?"

A long, slow look. She wondered if there was something she should have known or sensed.

"Babe, my taste perception is shot to hell," he finally said. "I can't really taste subtle flavouring."

Huh, she couldn't imagine what eating was like if you couldn't really taste the food.

"How come?"

"I got a head injury during my time in the Rangers. My parachute didn't open fully and I spent a long time recovering."

She winced in sympathy. Had that been the same incident that put his leg into traction?

"This seemed the most minor damage at the time, but it has been the most lasting. It's grown better over time. At first there was no taste at all and hardly any smell."

"Is that how you got into salad?"

He chuckled.
"If you don't have taste to make something good, texture becomes very important. Imagine the feeling of a donut in your mouth without the taste."

She tried, but her imagination wouldn't stretch the distance.

"I like eating together with you because things seem to taste better," he said after a long moment. "My imagination kind of takes the cue from you."

She smiled because that explained why he would complain about her eating habits, but still liked to feed her the occasional donut.

"Tasting vicariously through me?"

"Exactly."

They were halfway through dessert when his mobile rang, and he answered with an apologetic glance at her.

"Yo."

"Now is not a good time."

The person on the other side said something, and his entire demeanour changed. This was not good news.
"Fuck. Call in Tank and Lester."

He was already walking toward his bedroom.
"Get Hal to cover the control room. I'll be down in two."

"I'm sorry babe, some high-profile scum just turned up."

She tried not to grimace, because he didn't seem too happy about this himself. She didn't want to make him feel guilty. She followed him to his bedroom and watched him dress in urban combat gear. It seemed like a well practised ritual; as if he'd done this a thousand times before. Maybe he had.

"Thanks for coming by last night," she said softly, trying not to feel disappointed about this ending for the evening. She'd thought it had potential. She wasn't drunk, no longer hung-over, and they would have had all of tomorrow morning to sleep in.

"My—" he spun from shrugging into a shoulder holster and his lips crashed down onto hers for a brief, hard kiss, "—pleasure."

"Will I see you before you go back to Boston?" she asked while he slid various weapons into their places. It didn't look like he'd be back tonight, so she planned to go home. Maybe Lula would be up for some clubbing, if Hal had been called in. Not that she felt very festive while Ranger was out facing God-knew-what.

"Hope so. I'll call in any case."

She nodded, not feeling this was the right moment to point out that despite his promise, he hadn't called over the past week.

He kissed her again just before he went out of the door, but preoccupied, as if he was already with his mind on the duty roster and the take-down tactics, but felt he owed her that kiss. She smiled and pulled back, her fingers digging into his biceps.

"Let's save that for later. Try not to get killed, huh?"

His hand cupped her cheek for a brief moment, and he gave her an intense look that had her heart rate doubling. Then he turned, and was gone.

She ate the chocolate mousse Ella had left and it was delicious, but the best part of the evening was currently about to go into danger and she couldn't put that out of her mind. Finally she cleared the table and put everything into the dishwasher and went home to watch Top Gun.

She slept in on Sunday, trying to forget the thought that Ranger should have been in bed there with her.

I need to stop focussing on the fact that he's not here. He's doing what he can, but he'll never be a dependable always-at-home guy. Sometimes shit happens and he needs to go clean up.

She spent a long moment imagining Ranger as a staid, always-there-when-he-says-he'd-be, homey kind of man. Then she wiped away the tears of laughter. That was just silly. She didn't want him to be domesticated; she liked him like he was. He might not always be there when she wanted him to be, but he was always there when she needed him. If business took him away, she wouldn't do either of them a favour by sitting at home moping about it.

That decided, she got dressed, armed herself with three layers of mascara and her credit card, and went furniture shopping.

When Ram had come to pick her up the week before she'd seen him look around her living room, and seen through his eyes what it looked like. Like the room of a student who acquired most of the furniture at the curb when other people moved house. After her poorest days were over she'd replaced some of the things she's sold, and she'd bought a small, cheap loveseat after the couch with death cooties had been thrown out. But overall it was still, well... run down and desperate looking. She ought to do some furniture shopping – she had the money now. Not money to go all-out, but enough to make the place a lot nicer than it was.

Around four in the afternoon she was sitting on her new couch watching TV, feeling happy and bouncy about her new things. The batman tune suddenly rang from her mobile phone, startling her. She paused the DVD player and answered it.

"Yo."

"Yo yourself," Ranger said. She could hear his smile.

"How are you? Did things work out last night?"

"Not really," he said, sounding tired. "It was a mess. Took all night and today. I've only been back for half an hour."

"That's not good. You planned to leave for Boston sometime after midnight, right?"

He was silent for a long moment, just breathing. She wondered if she'd said something wrong until she heard a rush of air, like he was yawning.

"'fraid so. I have an early meeting, so ETD is oh-two-thirty."

"Gah."

She heard him chuckle.

"I'm calling to apologise for abandoning you last night. Not exactly how I planned the night to end."

Now that was interesting.

"What did you have planned?"

"I'll tell you that some time when I'm less tired," he said, voice a little deeper suddenly.

"Hmm. Promising. Hey, you could come over now and keep me company on my couch until you have to leave."

"I need to sleep, Babe. And your couch... lacks in comfort."

"I meant to sleep. And I bought a new couch today."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. It's big and L-shaped and really really comfy," she tempted. "You could sleep while I have a film marathon. I'll even turn the sound down..."

Silence for a while, and she waited to see if her sales pitch was having the desired effect. Then he let out a long sigh.

"I can't believe that I'm saying this, but... sold. Be over in twenty."

She changed into comfortable sweatclothes and filled up the DVD exchanger with Vin Diesel films. Twenty minutes later Ranger came in, looking like death warmed over. A very attractive death... on the level of Meet Joe Black death. But death warmed over nonetheless. He was in black sweatpants and hooded sweatshirt, as if he'd called her while he was already in bed and then just threw something on to come over.

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his collarbone through his shirt, just holding on for a moment. He let out a long breath and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"You really bought a new couch?" he said, seeming to find it almost hard to believe.

"Uh-huh. Go look," she sent him into the living. After bolting the door she went after him. He was standing there taking it in.

"Not just a couch."

"Nope. Cabinet and lamps and table and things… I shopped like never before. It was heroic. Dramatic. A film should be made. 'Quest for Furniture – the Epic Voyage of One Woman and Her Credit Card'. Guaranteed blockbuster."

He quirked a tired smile and slung an arm about her shoulder to pull her in for a kiss. Warm lips, no tongue. He was tired all right. She could feel him sway a little.

"You sit down," she nudged him in the direction of the couch. "I'll get some stuff. Have you eaten?"

"Yeah. Don't know what it was, but it filled," he said. "Lester-" he yawned "—arranged take-out. Sometimes it's best not to ask."

She got him a bottle of water and then pulled a pillow and blanket from her bedroom closet. He was sitting on the new couch, his shoes off, looking a bit dazed.

"Nice," he said when she returned, indicating the couch.

"Thanks."

She gave him the pillow and blanket and settled down at the short end of the L with her back in the corner, facing the television. Ranger lay down on the long end of the couch, his head pillowed on her thigh. She smiled down on him, tracing his eyebrow with a fingertip.

She switched on the DVD player, and the opening credits of The Fast and the Furious began to play.

"Do you need me to turn down the sound?"

"It's okay," he murmured, turning onto his side, pulling his knees up a bit. "I can sleep anywhere… at any moment. Military skill."

She smiled because he was already dropping off, and let her hand drift through his hair while she watched the film. It had come with the 'Vin Diesel collection' she'd picked up on her last shopping trip. Yum. As she and Lula had agreed, that man could always make a career of recording erotic stories if the acting gig didn't work out. He'd make a fortune.

Toward the end of the film Ranger woke up a little, and she helped him put a pillow under his head so they were both more comfortable. Her leg was tingling; the circulation had been cut off. He settled down on the pillow with the top of his head pressed against the side of her leg, one hand touching her knee.

She'd been concerned that he wouldn't really get any deep sleep, but he insisted he was used to sleeping in snatches and that he would get as much rest here as he would have in his apartment.

She was halfway into the second film, xXx, when he suddenly stirred.

"Babe," it sounded pained.

"You okay?" she whispered.

"This," he said, his voice thick with sleep. "Is an amazingly bad film. Really, really-"

"I know," she whispered, leaning over to kiss his temple. "It's awful. So bad it's almost good."

She felt him chuckle.

"You're a little crazy, Babe," he murmured.

"But in a good way?"

"Yeah…" he sounded like he was on the edge of sleep. "In a good way."

When xXx had ended she considered going straight on to the next one – Pitch Black or the Pacifier, but decided she couldn't be bothered. Ranger was asleep, his fingers curled into the folds of her loose sweatpants. She gently pried loose his hand and got up to use the toilet and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was nearing 8 PM and she felt lazy and comfortable, in fact about ready for a nap.

Shame he was in the middle of the long side. She couldn't crawl up to him without either pushing him to the edge, or hanging on the edge herself. Oh well. He wasn't using the blanket, so she took it and curled up on the short side of the couch, her head next to his on the pillow, her forehead against his hair. He smelt good, of Ranger and Bvlgari. She stroked his hand a long moment and then gently curled her fingers around his wrist.

Mmm.

Listening to his slow, steady breath she let her limbs grow heavy, and gently sank away into sleep.

"Babe."

"Hmm?"

She felt a touch to her cheek, and dragged her eyes open to find Ranger almost nose to nose with her. He was propped up on his forearms, skin a deep gold in the soft light of her new wall lamp.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Hey yourself. Come here," he said, dragging the blanket off of her when she didn't move immediately.

"...what?"

"You're cute when you're sleepy," he said, his voice very low. He leant in for a kiss. "Now move... You got a good couch."

She got up and joined him on the long end, which was indeed wide enough that she could lie in his arms without feeling like she was about to fall off. He was half on his back, and she plastered herself against his chest, face in the crook of his neck, one knee between his. It was an intimate position and at any other moment her hormones would have been roaring, but right now there was just a slight hum of sexual tension, low key. Comfortable.

His heartbeat was a slow, comforting rhythm. It couldn't dispel the question from her mind.

"Ranger?" she said after a while. He shifted slightly, waking up a little.

"Hmm?"

"Why are we not..." she grasped around for a good way to put this, and found none. "...doing it?" she finished finally.

"Impatient, Babe?" he sounded drowsy. Clearly didn't have sex on his mind. Should she be offended?

"Well... you mean you're not?"

She felt his soundless chuckle.

"Last time we did it," he paused to sleepily kiss the top of her head, "you thought of it as a mistake later. We're..." he trailed off, and she hoped he wasn't falling asleep mid-sentence. She tightened her arm around his waist a little, hoping he'd continue.

"We're not gonna do it again until I'm sure... that it's... dif'rent..." he finally finished, on the edge of sleep. His tone was decisive, as if he was confident that things would go as he intended. Hell, he probably was confident of that. Things usually did. No use arguing with him now though. She pressed a kiss to his chest and didn't say anything more, letting him fall asleep.

She appreciated the idea that he wanted it to be perfect, but if he thought he was the only one who got to make this kind of decision, he was in for a surprise. She'd thought it was a mistake back then because of what it had changed in their dynamic. His abrupt emotional distance, while she had started to crave being closer to him. If that was different this time, and she was certain that it would be, then she couldn't see how it could be a mistake again.

Well, pretty certain. About 99.98 percent certain. There was an infinitely small chance that one of those shared, brain-shattering orgasms would convince him that this relationship couldn't happen for some reason. But as she lay there in his arms, his steady heartbeat lulling her to sleep, the possibility didn't worry her all that much.

I love you, she mouthed against the skin just above his collarbone. You're damn stubborn and arrogant and rude and confusing and I love you.

His watch alarm went off at 2 AM, and she smiled because he came awake instantly, looking delectably sleep-tousled.

"You look rested," she said in awe as he sat up. This sort of sleep would definitely not count as a real night to her.

"Told you, military skill," he said with a flash of his blinding smile. He leant in to kiss her, long and lingering, lots of tongue. She felt her fingers curl into the front of his shirt and moaned into his mouth.

His hands slid to the front of her shoulders and he suddenly pushed their bodies apart, his breath sounding strained.

"Let's cool it a bit." His voice didn't sound cool. In fact he sounded heated, and memories of the kind of things he'd whispered in her ear in this tone of voice flooded her mind. Cool it? She thought she could change his mind

"You probably could, Babe," he said, guessing her thought. "But I'll still have to leave in half an hour."

Okay. Yeah, that wasn't part of the plan. She took a deep breath and tried to ease the raging fire low in her stomach.

"Are you going home first?" she asked, and her voice sounded almost normal.

"Someone is bringing the car and my things. Should be here soon."

With impeccable timing there was a knock to her door. Ranger went to the door and received a duffel bag from Vince. The men exchanged car keys and Vince left.

"I took the Porsche this afternoon, so that Ella could pack the BMW," he explained at her curious look. "Wasn't happy with the amount of fuel the Cayenne drank during that last five-hour trip."

He went to shower and get dressed, and she made coffee and tried not to picture his naked body in her bathroom. Needless to say that wasn't working so well.

"I'd like you to sit in on an interview tomorrow," he said when they were sitting down, he fresh-faced with coffee, she fuzzy-brained with another glass of wine. Hey, she needed a bit of help to get back to sleep after he left.

"Um, okay. What kind?"

"Potential new hire. This guy is a contract in Boston, I sent him down here to speak to Tank."

"Bill's replacement? What exactly will I be doing?"

Do I need to rate his dickhead-potential or something? Are you trying to avoid another Bill type? And would you have cared about that if I hadn't worked in the office?

"I'd like you to just sit in and observe."

"Sure."

All too soon he put on his shoes and started making preparations to leave. She slugged back the rest of her wine and got up to wrap her arms around him, swaying a little.
"This is weird," she smiled. "Kinda like I'm back in college."

"You mean being drunk?" he grinned.

"No no… I had a boyfriend back then who worked night shifts," she explained seriously. "He'd come by in the mornings, after work. I would breakfast…"

"With poptarts?"

"Poptarts and coffee," she nodded. "And he'd have poptarts and beer."

"And then you'd go to class and he'd go to bed?"

She kissed him.
"Yeah."

Well, sometimes she'd skipped class and gone back to bed as well, but it was probably okay to leave that part out.

"Have to go now," he announced, sounding decisive. He kissed her senseless, which admittedly wasn't hard with her current levels of alcohol and lust, and whispered 'see you Friday' into her ear, and was gone.

To be continued

Feedback welcome as always!