I wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who has left guest reviews for this story. I'm posting this chapter a little early because I'm hoping to get a new one-shot out this week as well. All characters belong Janet.

Chapter 4

We took the elevator down to the garage level and Ranger pointed his control at the Turbo, unlocking it for me. I moved to the passenger seat, not even bothering to ask if I could drive, even by the off chance Ranger said yes, I knew I needed the ten minute drive to ask myself repeatedly what the hell I'd been thinking. And to pray that my family wouldn't embarrass me or Ranger. I don't think Ranger gets embarrassed, but it couldn't hurt to throw him into my prayer, too. Maybe I should think about going back to church again. I probably wouldn't go, but I should get back to at least thinking about going.

Ranger parked in my parents' drive sooner than I would have liked. Well, Stephanie, I said to myself, wasn't this your brilliant idea in the first place? Yes it was, but that doesn't mean I didn't want to kick my own ass now that we were here. Apparently Stupid Stephanie was in charge today.

"Ready, Babe?" Ranger asked me.

"As I'll ever be," I said, and pushed my door open.

Ranger took my hand as we walked up the sidewalk to their little front porch. Grandma had the door open before I could even reach for the handle. She stood in the doorway wearing a pale blue track suit and some complicated looking sneakers that had to have cost her a good chunk of her social security check.

"I thought I heard a car drive up," Grandma Mazur said to us.

Yeah right, I thought. She probably knew the second Ranger's Porsche turned into the Burg.

"And you brought Ranger, too. It's my lucky day," Grandma said."But if you would have let me know sooner that he was coming, I'd have changed into something a little sexier."

Oh brother. I wonder if anyone else had to worry about their grandmother hitting on their boyfriend. I looked sideways at Ranger and took a second to process that. Ranger, Man of Mystery, all around badass, and walking sex toy, was my boyfriend! Maybe it was my lucky day instead of Grandma's.

"Mrs. Mazur." Ranger said to Grandma, trying to limit the amount of testosterone that his body naturally emitted. She was probably the only person on earth who wasn't worried about where Ranger would ship her if she manhandled him."You're looking beautiful today."

And that was all it took to turn my seventy-something hormonal grandmother into a smitten school girl.

"Oh, aren't you the one," she said to Ranger."Come in, come in." She opened the door wider to allow Ranger through. I think I was an afterthought at that point. Guess my Harlo disaster had run it's course. Or it could be that Ranger's mere presence trumped everything else. I'm betting it was the latter.

"Helen!" Grandma yelled towards the kitchen."Stephanie's here! And she brought Ranger!"

My mother came out a second later, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel."I don't believe it," my mother said to me."I didn't expect you tonight. I thought you would try to avoid dinner until next week."

If I was at all smart, I would have.

"We would have come last night, Mrs. Plum," Ranger said, smoothly,"but I had to work and I told Stephanie I'd like to come with her the next time she came here for dinner."

I cut my eyes to him. Damn, he was good! He got me off the hook and made my mother almost dissolve into a happy puddle at his feet. I swear if there wasn't a statue somewhere made in Ranger's honor, I was going to have one erected for him myself.

"Please, call me Helen," my mother said.

Huh? They're on a first name basis now? Maybe I stepped into an alternate universe when I cleared the front door.

"If I would have known you were coming with Stephanie, I would have made something special," my mother said to him.

That was about as close to flirting as my mother could get. I'd have to get him out quick if she started talking to him about cooking temperatures.

"I'm sure whatever you've made will be delicious," Ranger said.

I rolled my eyes at them and my mother, of course, caught me.

"Stephanie, how many times have I told you to stop doing that?"

"Recently?" I asked her."Or when I was growing up?"

"Don't you get smart with me young lady."

Ranger smiled at me and released my hand to wrap his arm around my shoulders. Guess even Ranger's charm couldn't blind her to my faults. Not that I really expected it to, but stranger things have happened. Just look at my life.

"Your father will be back shortly," my mother said to me."He had to take Wallace Doyle home from the lodge."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll stay for a game while he's there," Grandma said.

My mother shot her a look that, as far as I could tell, was only reserved for Grandma Mazur and me.

"Don't give me that look," Grandma said to her."I'm not the one who married him. If you took after me more maybe you could have landed a man like Ranger here." And she winked at Ranger.

I leaned close to Ranger."We could probably sneak out now," I whispered to him.

"You wanted to come here tonight, Babe," Ranger said back,"and we're staying put until after dinner."

"Since when do you listen to me?" I asked him."I make dumb decisions all the time, this being one of them. And I've had a very trying week, my brain clearly isn't working properly."

"Your brain is working just fine," Ranger said."And wasn't your objective tonight to stake some sort of claim on me? Are you willing to walk out of here without doing that?"

"Crap."

"Stephanie, that isn't how you were raised to speak in front of company," my mother said.

"Ranger's not company," Grandma said."He's one holiday meal away from being part of the family."

"See," I said to Ranger,"mission accomplished. As long as we come back for Thanksgiving we're good."

Ranger smiled at me.

"Mother of God," I heard my mother whisper.

I didn't have to wonder who inspired that reverent whisper. I still caught myself saying the same thing, and using the same exact tone, when Ranger gave me the full-on smile. The women in my family are all easy apparently.

"What's wrong, Helen?" Grandma asked."You look flushed. Is it the menopause again?"

"How many times do I have to tell you people," my mother said through clenched teeth,"that I am not ... going ... through ... menopause."

"Of course, you're not," Grandma said, rolling her eyes.

Can you tell who I take after in this family?

"Then how do you explain these mood swings?" Grandma asked her.

"You're right," I said to Ranger,"we shouldn't leave. Not only would it be rude, but I'm suddenly having more fun than I thought I would."

"You're an evil woman, Babe."

"What mood swings?" My mother asked."There are no mood swings. And if I did have them, who would blame me? I have a daughter who almost got killed on national television, a mother who acts like a hormone driven twenty-year-old, and another daughter who gets pregnant before getting herself married first."

"Oh, put a sock in it, Helen," Grandma said."You need to loosen up a little for goodness sakes. You should be happy that you have two great daughters, three beautiful granddaughters, and a husband who doesn't drink and still comes home to you every night."

"Come on, let's get out of the line of fire," I said to Ranger, pulling him towards the living room and down onto the couch next to me."Grandma must be right, you are a part of our family or they wouldn't be doing this in front of you."

"I'm honored," Ranger said.

"Oh, too bad. Looks like they're winding down," I told him."My mother's coloring is mostly back to normal."

"I am happy that my family is healthy and all living close to me for the first time in years," my mother said to Grandma. I think she forgot that Ranger and I were still here.

"Then you should lay off the girls," Grandma said.

"It's okay, Grandma," I said to her."I'm fine. And Valerie doesn't seem unhappy about how her life turned out."

"She does seem to be happy with Albert," my mother said.

"Yup," I told her. I didn't know how she could be but, then again, I've know almost from birth that Valerie and I were very different.

"And Stephanie has done pretty good for herself since she dumped that horse's patoot," Grandma said, defending me once again. Did I mention that Grandma Mazur is my favorite member of our family? Could be because Grandma and I are the same as much as Valerie and I were different.

"Does your grandmother mean Dickie or Morelli?" Ranger asked.

"Morelli may have been an unreasonable jerk at times," I said to him,"but he was nowhere near as bad as Dickie was to me. There aren't enough swear words to describe Dickie."

"I could add a few," Ranger said.

"Me, too," Grandma offered.

The front door opened and my father came in.

"Frank, Stephanie and Ranger came for dinner," my mother told him,"isn't that nice?"

My father wasn't big on talking, he grunted a reply.

"Hi, Dad," I said to him.

"Saw the car out front," he said to us.

"Mr. Plum," Ranger said."Nice to see you again."

My father shook his hand before turning to me.

"The guys at the lodge are still talking about you," my dad said to me.

"It was one of my more stand-out moments," I said to him."Probably didn't top the funeral home fire, though."

"Babe."

I looked over at him."Too soon?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Sorry," I said."I don't mean to joke about it, but it's easier to get over it that way."

"I know it is, Steph," Ranger said,"but some of us have trouble laughing at someone holding a gun to your head."

I could see my mother crossing herself out of the corner of my eye.

"You did fake that stumble, didn't you?" Grandma asked."To get yourself free?"

"Yep, sure," I said."That's exactly what I did."

"Thought so. I know that's what I would have done," Grandma said."I've been watching some of them self-defense videos on youtube, but I never get a chance to try out any of the moves I've learned. I'm thinking of taking a couple of classes at the gym so I can practice and watch all them young hotties walking around in tight shorts. Except I gotta wait until my next check comes in so I can buy some sexy workout clothes. I wouldn't want to be shown up by a younger model while I'm there."

"Jesus Christ," my father said, and turned the television on.

"Frank, dinner will be ready soon," my mother said to him,"don't get too comfortable."

My dad mumbled something under his breath and turned the volume up.

Dinner was uneventful after that. My mother had made a roast chicken, homemade biscuits, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, and chocolate pudding for dessert. My family stuck to safe topics during the meal so we wouldn't have a repeat of the fight from earlier. My mother asked about Ranger's business. My Grandma Mazur asked us questions about Harlo, and about much time we thought he'd likely get in jail when he was sentenced. I couldn't say for sure, but I was guessing that it was going to be many, many, years. Lula was right. It was stupid to pull a gun on someone when you had cameras pointed at you. It was much harder to plead innocent that way. And my father spent the entire meal staring at his dinner plate. It would take an actual death in the family for my father to pay attention to more than his food at the dinner table. Having dessert, and having Ranger with me while I ate it, made the whole evening worth it.

My dad did manage to make small talk with Ranger while I helped my mother and grandmother clean up. I had a feeling their conversation was mostly about sports and cars. My dead ones and Ranger's foreign ones. I picked up our coats and went to rescue them. They were both men of few words, but for different reasons. Ranger didn't like to give anything away; thoughts, emotions, information. And my dad just didn't feel the need to comment on anything that didn't directly involve him. Which always made me wonder how he and my mother got along, since she had something to say, and an opinion, about everything. Maybe that was the secret to a successful marriage for them. She said everything so he didn't have to.

I handed Ranger's jacket to him."The kitchen is once again spotless," I told him,"so we're free to go."

Ranger stood and shrugged into his jacket. I slipped mine on and walked over to my father's chair.

"Bye, Dad," I said to him. I kissed his cheek and then headed to the door with Ranger.

My mother was already standing there with a bagful of what I hoped was chocolate pudding. I could always have a good dinner at Rangeman, but dessert was harder to come by unless I felt like making a run to Tasty Pastry or Giovichinni's.

Ranger was close behind me and I had to force myself to not run out the door. I had no reason to go back to my apartment since Rex was already at Ranger's. And Ranger had pretty much asked if I was staying with him so I knew I was in for a good night. There were no stalkers after me. And now that we came over for dinner, I wouldn't have any guilt-laced phone calls from my mother to avoid. I had only two skips left to think about, and I'd have Ranger for backup for the worst one, so tonight I could concentrate completely on being with Ranger. That wouldn't be too hard, Ranger was distracting enough on his own.

"Here," my mother said."I packed you a bag. I added what was left of the chocolate pudding. I made two batches of it and you know how your father won't eat the same thing two days in a row."

More like my mother didn't want to serve the same thing two days in a row. I think serving leftover dessert was a sin in the eyes of every Burg woman over fifty.

"Thanks, Mom," I said to her."Dinner was great as usual."

"It would have been even better if your grandmother and I hadn't caused a scene."

"I'd hardly call that a scene," I told her."And don't worry, Ranger has seen worse."

"Still ... I'm sorry if we made you at all uncomfortable, Ranger," my mother said to him."I don't know what came over us."

"Helen, would you relax already," Grandma Mazur said.

"Grandma."

"Well, she should chill out," Grandma said."You're practically living with Ranger. He should be used to this sort of thing by now."

"We're not living together," I said, when my mother looked over at me.

Ranger leaned close."Are you having fun now, Babe?" He whispered.

I tried elbowing him, but he took a step back before I made contact.

"Stephanie, what on earth are you doing?" My mother asked.

"Nothing, Mom." I could almost hear Ranger laughing behind me.

"He was nice enough to come to dinner with you," she said,"the least you can do is be nice to him."

"Believe me, Mom," I said,"I am being nice to him."

"I know I'd be real nice to him," Grandma said.

"Behave, Grandma," I told her."He's taken."

"Took you long enough. That Morelli was nice to look at, but there wasn't much to sink your teeth into, if you get what I'm saying."

I was horribly afraid that I did.

"Anyone can see that Ranger has plenty of meat on him to sink into."

"Maybe we shouldn't be talking about this," I told her."He embarrasses easily."

"Babe."

"I don't believe that," Grandma said."I bet he's used to people talking about his goods."

"Not in front of him." Lula, Connie, and I had done a lot of our own talking about his goods in the past, but Ranger hadn't been around to hear us.

"I don't mind, Steph," Ranger said, being more tolerant than I would be in his shoes.

But I suppose things are different when people are saying nice things about you instead of listing everything wrong with you.

"We'd better get going," I told them."We both have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Oh my God," my mother said,"you're going after another criminal, aren't you?"

"Yep," I said to her."Two. But Ranger will be helping me with one of them."

"That does make me feel better," my mother said.

"If you need backup for the other one," Grandma said,"I'm not doing anything tomorrow. I can ride shotgun."

"Thanks for the offer," I told her,"but I'll be fine."

I didn't want to think of what disaster could come from us teaming up again. We'd already found out that the funeral home couldn't survive us. I thought Lula was an iffy partner most of the time, and Grandma was three times worse than Lula. It was safer for the Burg, and probably everyone in Trenton, if Grandma and I stuck to just having dinner together.

"You know where to find me if you change your mind."

"I do," I assured her.

My mother handed me the bag and Ranger followed me out the door to freedom. Maybe it was just me that felt that way. Ranger seemed to be enjoying himself. I was the only one sweating during dinner.

Ranger's arm went around me as we walked to his Porsche. And I could feel two sets of eyes boring into my back as Ranger opened my door. He stood watching me buckle myself in. I looked up at him with my eyebrows raised since Ranger knew that even I could handle a seatbelt on my own. I watched with interest as he gave his head a slight shake before smiling at me. I didn't know what was going through his mind just then but it didn't appear to be bad, so I smiled in return. Ranger's mouth kicked up a little more at the corners and he leaned just far enough into the car to cup my face in his hand, brushing my bottom lip with his thumb before pressing a light kiss to my lips. Yep, he must have been thinking about something pretty good, I thought. He shut the door, walked around the back of the Turbo, and angled behind the wheel. And for some reason I prayed, again, that Ranger's body had blocked most of what had just happened. It seemed like it was too personal a moment between us to be discussed and dissected over coffeecake tomorrow morning.

I did, however, hope that my family seeing how close Ranger and I were would go a long way to curbing the Morelli and I getting back together rumor that was still circulating. I had no ill-feelings towards Joe, well not many anyway, but I didn't want to go back to what we had. Even if Ranger dumped me tomorrow, I knew I couldn't do that to any of us again. I may not have everything in my life sorted out, but I do know what I don't want. And Joe's vision of our future was definitely one of them. Not to mention, the thought of Ranger and I having to resort to stolen make-out sessions and not-so-platonic sleep overs, wasn't something I could even let enter my mind. I now had a pretty big glimpse into the life I have always wanted and I didn't want anybody to mess it up. Me included.

Ranger angled behind the wheel and after one final wave to my mother and grandmother, who were still standing in the doorway, Ranger pulled out of the driveway and drove us back to his apartment.

"So did tonight go as you'd planned?" Ranger asked me.

"Actually, it went better than I had hoped," I told him."We established ourselves as a couple, at least in Grandma Mazur's eyes."

"She has great taste," Ranger said, with a hint of a smile on his lips.

"So do I," I said.

"You didn't for a while."

"Who's fault was that?" I asked him, feeling a little pissy. I would have left Joe in the dust if Ranger gave me the slightest hope of wanting to be with me long term.

"Both of ours," Ranger said.

And my anger died away. He was right. I couldn't blame him for my crappy relationship with Morelli. I could have ended it at anytime, and I chose not to. I couldn't lay that on him.

"Yeah," I said to him."I know. It took a few tries, but at least we finally got it right."

Ranger let go of the wheel to pick up my hand and kiss the back of it.

"Yes we did, Babe," he said, keeping possession of my hand.

I studied his profile as it was lit occasionally by a passing street light."It feels like a lifetime ago, but it really wasn't that long ago that we were both trying to keep each other at arm's length."

Ranger stopped at a light and looked over at me."It wasn't all that long ago, Steph." The light changed and Ranger's eyes went back to the road.

"Have I ever said that I'm sorry for all the times I led you on?" I asked him, quietly.

Ranger flicked his eyes to me."You didn't lead me on, Babe."

"But I slept in your apartment, in your bed, wore your clothes, drove your cars, and then went home to Morelli," I said to him."What would you call it?"

It was dark in the car now but I thought I saw Ranger flinch. Too late did I remember what Ranger said in my apartment during the time we were trying to catch Scrog, that if I slept with Morelli while both of them were staying with me, Ranger'd have to kill him. Shit. Good going Stephanie. Now, without thinking about it first, you opened your big fat mouth and said something to hurt him. Things were going so good and I had to wreck it. My MO for the last thirty years.

"Maybe I shouldn't have said that," I said, wanting more than anything to go back five minutes in time. I tried to pull my hand back, but Ranger wouldn't let me.

"You didn't have an alternative at the time," Ranger said to me.

"Yeah, I did," I told him. What the hell, I might as well just get it all out now."I should have let Morelli go and stayed single instead of trying to force a relationship that everyone knew wasn't going to end well for either of us."

"Steph, none of us are perfect."

"Hah!" Ranger was perfect. Except that he didn't understand how important doughnuts are to the world, he doesn't talk a lot, and the morning after we sealed the DeChooch deal was pretty crappy, but aside from that, Ranger was perfect.

Ranger ignored me."Even I'm not perfect," he said."We've all made mistakes, but as long as we don't repeat them it makes no sense to keep beating ourselves up over what we can't change."

"That's it?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Oookay, then." If he was willing to let me off the hook, then I was going to let him.

He drove down Haywood and pulled into the Rangeman lot. I remember when I discovered this building, trying to figure out how to get into it undetected. Of course, I later found out that it was impossible, and that Ranger had known all along I was there. Now I was used to the guys who worked here, and could even have a conversation with some of them. The cameras were a little easier to forget about. And Ella and I have started working our way to a friendship that had nothing to do with the job. Going from my crappy apartment with only Rex for company, to a luxurious apartment in a building with around the clock activity was an adjustment, but a good one.

Ranger parked and I leaned against his arm as we walked side by side to the elevator until he took the hint and put it around me. This was a side of me that I'd just recently discovered I had. I've always thought that I needed space in a relationship. Every time Joe talked about marriage, or moving in together, I found a way to get out of giving him an answer. And a way to get out of his house. And I'd always managed to pick a fight not long after so he wouldn't bring the subject up again. I'd pretty much decided that I was just one of those women who was destined to be unhappy, because I'd either be forced to live a life I didn't want, since no man would put up with a woman who didn't love him enough to want to live with him, or I was going to be alone. Until Ranger, I never knew there was a third choice. When we were both busy during the day doing our jobs, I looked forward to seeing him at night. And not just for the sex, either. Although that was reason enough to want to see him. I thought nothing of staying over at his apartment. I could bring clothes and Rex over without hyperventilating. There were no thoughts of how I could get away from his apartment or him. And breaking things off with Ranger was not an option in my mind. He has become an essential part of me. Losing him would be like losing a part of my own body. And admitting that to myself didn't scare me as much as it should have. When I was near Ranger, I couldn't seem to get close enough to him. Something I knew he appreciated. I should have listened to my neck tingle a long time ago, and taken it as the sign it was, that Ranger was the guy for me. Not Morelli. I did get a few tingles with Joe, too, but he usually had to work for it.

The elevator dinged and Ranger ushered me into it. I waited while he unlocked the door and then went straight to the kitchen to see if Rex had moved. I knew it was stupid, but I wanted to make sure that he was still okay. Rex was alive and kicking but was apparently a little crazy, because he took advantage of the empty apartment to get in a workout. Jeez, even my freakin' hamster was influenced by Ranger. If Rex started turning down pizza crusts, I may have to separate the two of them.

"At least one of you likes to work out," Ranger said, sliding his arms around me from behind.

"I know," I said,"clearly Rex and I are going to have to have a talk. I'm not about to get gained up on here."

"Guess it's a good thing that I like you the way you are," Ranger said.

I know he was joking with me, but I also knew that he meant it. Ranger was the only person besides Grandma Mazur that seemed to like me the way I was and didn't expect me to change for them. Well, Ranger wanted me to get better at what I do, which unfortunately included the stupid gym. But that was more about wanting me safe while I was trying to capture someone, than about Ranger being embarrassed by how I accomplished it. He actually seemed amused by my mishaps, which was vastly different from the screaming matches I'd have with Joe because of them.

I turned in Ranger's arms and looked up at him."I like you, too."

"I noticed, Babe," Ranger said.

I rolled my eyes, but I didn't move away from him."You notice too much," I said to him.

"Not when it comes to you, Steph."

"I'd argue about that, but I know it won't do any good." I let him go to put the bag of leftovers that I'd dropped onto the counter when I checked on Rex into the refrigerator. I shut the door and turned back to him."Time for a shower and bed."

"You're reading my mind, Babe," Ranger said, taking a step towards me.

Ranger's eyes had darkened, and I suddenly felt like I was caught in a hunter's crosshairs. I started inching closer to the bedroom and Ranger was right behind me. Just when he was about to grab me, I shrieked and took off. He caught me before I could get the bathroom door closed. I had no intention of showering alone, but it was fun to tease Ranger once in a while. God knows, he's teased me enough over the years.

I backed up when he shut the door and advanced on me. Damn, I was trapped. My heart sped up at the thought. What had started out as play, soon turned to a sexy game of chase that had me completely turned on. I was ready for whatever Ranger had in mind.

"Going somewhere, Babe?" Ranger asked me in a voice that made my nipples stand at attention, saluting him in their own special way.

"Not anymore," I said, barely recognizing my own voice."I seem to have run out of places to go."

Ranger picked me up and sat me on the vanity. Guess I did have at least one more place to go. He started the shower and, while the water was heating to the perfect temperature, came back to me. Ranger untied my sneakers and removed them and my socks, dropping them onto the floor. My breath caught just from waiting to see what he was going to do next. He decided to remove his shirt and give me ample skin to ogle as my eyes followed every move that his mocha muscles made.

He stepped closer to me and I opened my legs to him. He stepped between them and leaned in to kiss me. I made a embarrassingly happy noise in the back of my throat and slid my hands between us, tracing every dent, ridge, and valley, I could reach. Ranger's tongue stroked mine and just as a warm sensation started spreading through my body, he pulled back. I blinked my eyes a few times to get him back into focus and saw that he was watching me with a look that bordered on cocky. But before I could form any words, Ranger stripped off my shirt. Goosebumps broke out along my skin despite the steam that was starting to fill the bathroom. He gave my body a calculated look, almost like he was mapping out exactly what he was going to do to it. I swear my bra almost unfastened itself after being subjected to that look. Ranger's eyes moved from my chest back to my face. He took in my slightly swollen lips, heavy-lidded eyes, and flushed skin, with a smile. I ran my fingertips down his washboard abs and stopped at his belt. The smile vanished and the hunter was back. I curled my fingers into his waistband and pulled him even tighter against me. I loved feeling just how much he wanted me, even if it was only through his clothes. He successfully distracted me from his belt by releasing my bra. He tossed it to the floor and his hands went to my thighs, lifting me off the vanity. My breasts pressed into the well-toned muscles of Ranger's chest and the hot skin covering it. I moaned at just how good it felt. Then I was back on my feet and he was pulling my remaining clothes down my legs, placing strategic kisses to all my hot spots as he did. Ranger's arms came back around me and I was put down inside his shower under the steady stream of water. Ranger shed his clothes and joined me. I turned towards him and my brain no longer registered the water, temperature, or anything else surrounding us. He kissed me while the water continued to pour down over us.

We took turns with Ranger's Bulgari. Who knew that just sliding your hands over every inch of Ranger's body could in itself bring a woman to orgasm. I knew the potential was there, he was after all built, ripped, and I didn't even need to bring up how well he measured in the hung department, but I never had the opportunity to test it out. Ranger and I have showered together before, but Ranger had been doing things to me in between the sudsing. That was probably why I didn't give in to the temptation more than once until I was sure that I'd be able to have Ranger shower time on a regular basis. When we were properly rinsed off, we had to repeat the process a half hour later after our mouths, and other parts of our bodies, decided to join in on the fun.

When Ranger finally turned the water off, I was so relaxed that he had to keep an arm around me so I wouldn't follow the water right down the drain. He then meticulously dried off my body off with one of his super soft towels. This had been one of the sexiest nights I'd ever had. After Ranger and I had started spending more time together when he was showing me the bounty hunting ropes, I knew he found me attractive. Then he made sure I knew that he wanted me. And not long after that, he told me he loved me. Tonight he managed to combine all of those. He liked what he saw, and he wanted to show me just how much he did but in a way that proved that it wasn't just sex to him. I felt both desirable and cherished. Something Joe had never made me feel even after all the years we'd been together.

Stop it, Stephanie, I told myself, watching Ranger toss the the towel onto the ever growing pile of laundry on the floor. There's no point in comparing Morelli to Ranger. Even though they had a few things in common, they were complete opposites. And I was just starting to figure out just how opposite they actually were. And besides, it wasn't fair to Ranger or Joe. Mostly Joe, since he always seemed to come up short. And everyday it was becoming more and more clear to me that Morelli was my past, while Ranger was definitely my future.

Ranger went to grab a towel for himself, but I took it away from him before he had a chance to use it. I took my time sliding the towel across his skin. All the water droplets that had settled on his bulging biceps, chiseled stomach, and muscular legs, were thoroughly wiped away before I threw the towel aside. You'd think I'd be embarrassed or self-conscious about being naked in front of someone like this, but the love I could see in Ranger's eyes when l looked into them made my usual shyness disappear.

When Ranger pulled me flat against him, I all but melted into his body. His arms went around my waist and he walked us both to his bedroom. He pulled the blanket back from the bed with one arm and released me only long enough to slip underneath it. Ranger slid in after me, and settled the blanket around us. I didn't think being cold was a problem I was going to have tonight. I turned on my side to face him and was instantly in his arms. Ranger was hard again and I found that I was eager to help him do something about it. I used to think that sex two or three times a week was all I could manage. When Joe kept telling me how much his 'boys' missed me, I remember thinking that they could miss me for a week or so before I was ready to reacquaint myself with them. But now all Ranger had to do was give me a certain look, or drop his voice to the tone that made my toes curl, and I was suddenly tingly all over. And I mean all over. Maybe it was just the power of Batman himself. Like the more I was exposed to him, the more potent he became. Then I was done thinking and comparing. Ranger kissed me and my toes did curl, my breath caught, and morning with the skips I've yet to catch and Ranger's busy schedule, couldn't be far enough away.