BCC CH 10. -Signed Sealed Delivered I'm Yours

Previously...

Lester was in his element flirting and teasing and stirring up the hormones of a room full of women. He knew how to play up his strengths.

He held a blushing woman from behind; his hands on her hips as he guided them with his own. He sang the lyrics into her ear.

Make love to you in the mornin'
Make love to you at night, now
Make love to when you think about it
I' gonna bet you everything's alright

'Cau-'cau-'cause I'm a love man
Ooh baby I'm a love man
That's what they call me I'm a love man
Say there goes a love man

Which one of you girls want me to hold you?
A which one of you girls want me to kiss you?
Which one of your girls wants me to take you out?
Go on I got you, gonna knock you all night

STEPHANIE POV

Lester danced his way back up onto the stage swiveling his hips to illustrate the lyrics and send the ladies into a hormone infused frenzy. The bidding climbed and a slow moving grin spread across his face.

"Sold to bidder 23!" The auctioneer exclaimed then turned around and flipped the switch on his mic and left the stage.

"Let's hear it for our amazing auctioneer!" I said clapping around my hand held mic.

"Thank you for all your generous bids on our amazing bachelors and please if you didn't win a bid- make a donation anyway and help the kids. Bachelors please come out and meet your highest bidder!"

I felt Ranger's hand on my lower back and smelled that delicious Green Tea Bulgari a moment before I felt his lips on my neck. "Mmm I could get used to that Mister!" I grinned turning to kiss him. Ranger held me close and I practically melted into his body, one hand rubbing my back, the other threaded through my hair and bracing my neck as his lips pressed deliciously against mine. Mmm my man can kiss.

When we came up for air and I saw the bachelors filing out of the back room and into the ballroom, I remembered that a certain sexy man in black had been going to auction himself off.

"I have a bone to pick with you Mister Manoso!" I said poking him in the chest with my index finger.

"Is that right?" he asked with a smirk as he clutched my hand in his to stop my assault.

"What were you thinking?" I asked narrowing my eyes at him. "Why would you auction yourself off, I thought we had a strict 'NO SHARING' pact."

He chuckled and opened his mouth to answer when Grandma raced over to us. "Did I do okay?" she asked looking expectantly at Ranger.

I looked from one to the other as I waited for the story to be revealed here. This ought to be good. Ranger had a slightly amused expression.

"I wasn't sure what to do when you didn't go up," Grandma continued, "Although I was glad to see my baby granddaughter fight for what she wants," she grinned. Wait, what?! Grandma knew he was planning to go up for bid?

"Can't blame her for not wanting to share a hot package like you" she said waggling her eyebrows and clomping her dentures around in her mouth.

"Thank you Edna," Ranger said without looking the least bit uncomfortable. Hmm, when did that happen? I discreetly pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Ranger nudged me to let me know he knew what I was thinking.

"Thank you for the assistance," she said to Ranger, "my posse and I will have a great time later."

"I'm sure you will," he smirked. I wondered what he and Grandma were up to. I looked at each of them but was unable to determine what the secret mission was that they apparently had been on together.

"What is going on here?" I demanded starting to worry about this unholy alliance.

Before anyone could answer my question our attention was captured by Bobby strolling across the room to the woman who bid so determinedly on him. He grabbed her in his arms and slid a hand behind her neck and slammed his mouth over hers, her arms quickly wrapped around his waist. He pulled her tighter against his body and kissed her deeply ignoring the world around them. I wanted to tell them to get a room but was too stunned at all the turn of events so far. I opened my mouth to say something and nothing would come out. It was as if the world was on some strange tilt of it's normal axis. Could this be an alternate universe? Am I dreaming this crazy affair?

Deep in my personal musings I was unaware of the grip I had on my personal Batman, until Ranger shook his arm free and examined the half moon marks my nails left in his flesh. "I'd rather earn these marks Babe, not receive them over Brown." I looked at the marks and blushed profusely realizing what he had just implied.

Ranger cleared his throat loudly, "Brown?!"

Bobby's attention averted by the sound of Ranger's commanding voice, he pulled back and looked up at us as we stepped closer to them. Grandma wandered off when our focus diverted to Bobby. No matter, I'd catch up with her eventually and get to the bottom of that story.

Bobby grinned seeing us both staring at him and his friend. "Rangeman, Steph, This is Charise, my girlfriend. Baby, this is my friend and boss Ranger and his girlfriend and my friend, Stephanie."

"Finally," she smiled, "I have been hoping to meet you two for a long time. Robert talks about you all the time," she said looking from me to Ranger and back to me. She must have seen the shock on my face since Ranger's face was blank. "It was all good," she said with a smile, "I am really glad to know he has such great friends."

"So how long have you two been dating?" I asked as Ranger wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back against his solid body.

Charise and Bobby exchanged a look. "About 6 months?" she said. Bobby nodded.

As if it had a mind of it's own, my right hand flew up and back handed Bobby in the chest, "You have had a secret girlfriend for 6 MONTHS? What else have you been keeping from us?"

Charise nodded, "I told you we should tell your friends."

Bobby just nodded. "Sorry Steph," he said sheepishly, "just wanted to keep it private between us for a while."

I nodded in understanding. "Clever having her bid on you."

Bobby grinned and kissed her temple. "Her idea, I just made sure she would win."

"That was quite a show you put on," I agreed. "I had no idea you were so smooth," I teased, "or had such a good voice."

Charise laughed. "Yeah, when my coworkers saw how determined I was to win this guy, they all pitched in to make sure this handsome man went home with me," she smiled and Bobby gave her a sweet kiss on the lips.

"There was no doubt Baby," Bobby grinned kissing her temple.

It warmed my heart to see him so happy.

"Charise is a new doctor at Saint Francis," Bobby offered obviously knowing me well enough to anticipate my next question. "We met when Binkie had that flesh wound on the Simons case."

Music began filling the room again but at a softer volume than before. Lester had programmed music to mingle to...Stevie Wonder crooned

"Ooh baby
Here I am signed, sealed, delivered
I'm yours"

as the guys each found their date to make arrangements for later.

Bobby and I exchanged glances and laughed. "Oh Lester," I sighed with a smile.

"Perfect tune," Bobby agreed with a grin.

"I wonder who bought Santos," he said. I couldn't see Ranger's face but his body tensed slightly against my back. I doubt anyone else could see a change. But my guess is he knows more than he has said so far.

"What did you do?" I asked suddenly taking in the sight of Lester surrounded by a group of older ladies, one of them being grandma.

RANGER POV

As Bobby was giving Steph details about meeting his new woman, I noticed Santos enter the room. He looked around for the paddle with his winning number on it and cringed visibly when he finally spotted it. A quick shudder ran the length of his body before his blank face slammed into place. It took a considerable amount of willpower to not let on that I knew about or instigated his fate. That ought to teach you to screw with me cuz.

"What did you do?" Babe mumbled as I pulled her snugger against me. We watched as a group of older women varying in age from probably 50 to Grandma Mazur's 150 circled around him.

"Ladies, ladies, I am honored that you pooled your money to procure an evening with me," Lester said in a tone somewhere between smarmy and charming.

"What did you have to do with this?" Babe questioned turning toward me. I could feel my lips curl at the corners as I tried not to laugh but was about to lose the battle. This was too good.

"I may have helped Edna and her friends secure the bid for Santos," I answered knowing Babe saw the twinkle in my eyes.

"That is cold man!" Bobby said, "But I love it!"

Suddenly Santos jumped and squealed like a girl and snatched Grandma Mazur's wrist in his fist.

"Maybe boney fingers will teach him to mess with me!" I said catching Lester's eye and smirking. If looks could kill I'd be dead. Lucky for me my cousin doesn't have the power of eye like Morelli's crazy Grandmother tries to convince people she has.

LESTER POV

Dammit, I didn't factor in Ric's devious side. This almost smells of Steph but by the look on her face I can tell she didn't know about this. I would hate to think my Beautiful would do me this way. Come to think of it, it had to be all him- this was too perfectly executed. He had to have bankrolled this. Not only am I at the mercy of Edna Mazur but... "YEOWCH!" Good Lord those boney fingers are lethal I groaned as I pried them off my ass and clutched her wrist in my hand.

"Ladies, please refrain from grabbing and groping, I'm not a piece of meat."

"That's not what Edna promised us!" a sweet looking older lady said with a frown.

Steph covered her mouth with her hand to disguise the giggle that escaped her lips. Ric was smirking and I saw Bobby shaking with laughter. Paybacks are a bitch people, I thought and took a soothing breath to center myself and regain the upper hand here.

"You ladies clearly had a plan since you pooled your money," I said hoping to change the subject.

"You know it, stud muffin!" Edna grinned and waggled her eyebrows at me. I think Les Jr. just crawled up inside to hide.

"Did you ladies want to go to dinner now? Maybe some dancing?" I asked really hoping to get this revenge date over with.

"You are really going to go out with all of us?" a blonde woman in a respectable pink sweater set asked, her right hand clutching her pearls in surprise.

I could do this as long as I stayed out of Edna's clutches. The rest of these ladies seemed nice enough, I'll lay on the ole Santos charm and show them a nice evening.

A/N: Currently writing the next chapter. This took an unexpected turn. Let me know what you think so far. :)