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Chapter 15
"Confessions"
Steph's POV
I woke up aware I wasn't at the bonds office anymore, that and I woke up staring at a bare mocha skin muscular chest that should belong to Ranger, which means the arm holding me down around my waist was his as well. I shifted and tilted my head up to look up at him and found him staring at me.
"Babe."
I groaned and sat up. What time is it?
Almost noon, his voice said in my head. Great! I'm reading his mind again. Ranger laughed as he sat up, kissed the top of my head and said, "Yeah babe, you've got ESP." He reached over to the bedside table and grabbed two boxes. He gave them to me and I promptly opened them and ate three Boston Crèmes and two canolli before facing him and asked, "What am I doing here Ranger?"
"You fainted at the bonds office," he answered, "You've been asleep for three hours now." I began remembering the events of the dream and this morning. My eyes widen and I turned to look at everything besides him. Everything's just too freaky these days. Ranger chuckled. Oh yeah, he can read my thoughts. I got to stop thinking. Ranger's chuckles turned into laughter.
"Don't stop thinking babe." I love the way you are, his thought surprised me. He loves the way I am? I faced and stared at him.
Ranger's hand moved and tucked a curl behind my ear and said, "Yes, babe. I love you. I've been in love with you for a long time." He paused. A really long time. "And I know you love me." I froze. Oh, God. "I read your thoughts babe. I know you love me but you never told me yet. I love you Steph. Don't marry Jeremiah. I can't lose you to him or anybody else anymore. I want you." His eyes bore into mine. I could see the emotion. He loves me. I felt relieved. I love him too, but Jeremiah already left this morning. He wouldn't be back until Joe's wedding in two months. Oh God, Ranger doesn't know about the contracts and I can't tell him.
"I love you Ranger, but-" Oh God. How do I say this? I looked down trying to think and my eye caught the huge diamonds on the engagement ring.
"Babe," Ranger's voice made me look back up at his face, "I know about the contracts. I snuck into your apartment with Tank and we found copies of them. Tank was concerned about Lula and we both felt there was something wrong with Connie, Lula and you so we bugged the office and figured it out with Lester and Bobby. We won't tell anyone, so don't worry. We've kept it a secret and will continue to as long as you want. We all care for you babe." Oh God, I need more sugar. Ranger shook his head. Where does all this go? She looks like she never gains a pound, he thought and I glared at him as I grabbed the boxes and began eating a few more donuts and another canolli. I feel better now.
"So you know about the contracts?" I asked nonchalantly.
"Babe." Was that a yes or no? That was a yes, babe. Okay. I grabbed another canolli and ate it quickly.
"Now what do we do?" I asked. If he knew everything, he must have a plan. Of course he does, he's batman.
"I'm going to prove we love each other in front of Jeremiah before he leaves for Texas later this week. Then you're out of your contract and you marry me," he answered in a smirk.
"Nope. Can't do. He had to leave this morning, problems down in Texas. How were you going to do this anyway? Plus even if you prove you love me you forgot about the other part of the contract. I got to find a replacement for me to marry him or else it's still me." These canolli are good, I thought as I ate another one. Yum.
Babe.
Huh? So you only have one worded thoughts? It explains the one word sentences all the time.
Babe! His thoughts sounded exasperated in my shook his head and said, "I haven't figured out the exact way I can prove I love you, but I'll get there. Once that, we'll just put him in a few blind dates, he has to like at least one of them. Then you'll marry me. When's the next time that he's coming up to see you?"
"You're so sure I'll marry you?" I asked him pretending I didn't care. His expression dropped and went blank. You love me. You would, wouldn't you? He thought indecisively.I smirked, "You've got a big ego Ranger." I do love you, I thought, I just don't know if I ever want to get married.
He smirked back at me, "You give me a reason to have a couple of big egos." I smiled. Besides, you said I was batman. I laughed.
"I love you babe." He kissed me softly.
"Love you." I kissed him back. He circled his arms around me and pulled me to straddle his lap. I could feel his desire for me from the bulge of his cargo pants and his eyes turned dark. Uh oh, Ranger, I can't do this. It isn't fair that I'm engaged to Jeremiah. It's okay babe. I get it.
I didn't want him to get the wrong idea so I said, "I never kissed or slept with him, Ranger, I-" His lips cut me off. The kiss was demanding, yet he pulled back after a while. I know babe. I curled up in his lap like a child and had my head tucked under his chin. We stayed like that for a while.
"Babe?" Yes, Ranger? He chuckled.
I could get used to this ESP thing.
I giggled. Me too Ranger.
Carlos. Call me Carlos, babe.
I moved to look at his face and said, "Okay, Carlos." Why not Ricardo or Ric?
I'm named after my dad. My family calls me Carlos and my dad Ricardo and Ric. I nodded and he pulled his arms around me more tightly.
"That makes sense," I said after a while. I always thought everything about him would be complicated.
"Not everything is complicated babe," he saidand smiled at me softly.
Ranger's POV
We stayed like that for a few more moments until my cell rang. Fuck! Where's that damn phone? I'm going to kill whoever's calling. Steph was laughing in my lap as I reached over to the bedside table and grabbed my phone. It was Tank. Steph's laughing slowly turned into giggles as I answered the phone.
"Talk," I barked into the phone. Someone better be dying if you're calling.
"Carlos," Steph chided. That's a mean thing to think.
Sorry Babe can't help myself. I thought to ESP to her.
"You've got a meeting at one, can't reschedule this one," Tank informed me. I looked at the clock. I had fifteen minutes.
"Fine." I hung up the phone. What is it? Steph thoughts asked.
"Got to get back to work. Been playing hooky with you all morning," I answered her thoughts, "and before you even think it, I wanted to talk to you. Don't worry about my work. I own the company. You're not a distraction or a bother, okay? I wanted to watch you sleep. I love you." Its weird how after you can say 'I love you' once, after all the embarrassment and nervousness, you can say it over and over again with no problems.
"Okay Ra-, I mean, Carlos. I love you too." I kissed her and got up to dress into a suit as Steph gathered her clothes and went to the bathroom. Once she got out of the bathroom I told her I had her files and got one of my men to get her royal blue Ferrari from the bonds office and it would be in the garage. I really hate that Jeremiah bought her that car yesterday; I hope it doesn't survive long.
o0o0o0o0o
During the dull business meeting with the stupid client, my cell starting vibrating in my pocket. I picked it up without thinking about the fact that the client was looking at me with disgust in his glare because I answered my cell during the business meeting. It wasn't uncomfortable to be glared at when he'd been glaring at me the entire time because his wife kept flirting openly with me all throughout.
"Yo," I answered typically. My client's eyes glared directly at me.
"Uh, Ranger?"
"Babe, I'm in a meeting. Weren't we together just half an hour ago?" I asked. I saw the expression of the client's wife turn sour at my direction. I knew the look, it was the 'fuck, he's unavailable' look and I loved it.
"Uh, yeah, I know. I'm sorry but my nice new car blew up. Its just that Lula and me are stranded on, uh, Stark Street." Stark Street?! Not only that, she told me this on the phone like it was nothing.
"What the hell are you doing in that area? And that car didn't even last a day." I got up. Tank stood up and tried getting my attention as well, probably trying to get me to remember that we were at a business meeting. Oh no, Tank has got to let me get her. Her car blew up again. Fuck the clients. Wait until he knows Lula's with her. I turned and faced him. "Lula's with her," I said to Tank as Steph was trying to tell me that she caught her skip still. I watched Tank's face contort to anger and he grabbed my cell.
"Bombshell, where the hell are you and my fiancé?" he barked into the phone. I saw his face slightly pale at the answer. "How the hell can you and Lula get two cars to blow up within two days? Are you guys planning on blowing up one car per day or something? Is my Lula okay?" I watched as my client's eyes grew interested at the phone conversation. "She better be, for your sake." Tank looked at me as Steph kept talking on the other line. "Ranger will be there in ten minutes." He hung up.
He turned towards the clients, "Please excuse Mr. Manoso. An emergency has come up." He passed me my cell and I was out the door, while he continued the meeting as if nothing had happened. It's a good thing Lula and my babe are best friends or 'partners in crime' so I'm not the only one worrying about my girl. Poor Tank, Lula only gets into these things when Steph is around and he's only begun to get used to it.
I pulled my car up behind a police car at the scene. I saw the skip being put in the backseat of another police car by Eddie Gazarra and the fire department putting out the flames of the burnt expensive car. I smiled to myself. Even as her car blown up, she still caught her skip. I stood next to Lula, who was muttering about being allergic to cops, as Steph was on her cell, apparently telling Jeremiah about the car and refusing to take another. Good. I'll let her borrow my cars. Steph glared at me and finished her call.
"No way am I borrowing your cars and having them blow up, again," she said as soon as the cell phone was shut.
"Or flattened by a garbage truck," Lula reminded us. "Remember the Porsche." Steph groaned. Lula continued recalling the past, "And the day after that, the BMW was stolen when we gotten the skip." Steph sighed in frustration when Lula added on.
I smiled. "They're only cars babe." Expensive cars, Ranger! She thought as she perfectly rolled her eyes. I chuckled inwardly while keeping a blank face. I'm the best master of the blank expression mask, although now she could read my mind and I couldn't hide it anymore.
"I don't find anything funny right now Ranger," she said and crossed her arms.
You shouldn't get mad. I told you babe. People are hard to replace, especially a person like you. I can always get new cars. You can borrow mine. You love my cars babe.
"That's not the point Ranger," she said annoyed, yet tiredly. She was tired and sick of things always messing up, especially with her car luck.
Babe, I know. Don't worry about it. You still caught your skip. You always do babe. Borrow my cars, if not, drive the Big Blue. The Buick hasn't let you down yet and its made your dad damn proud of it.
"I'll drive the Buick," she sighed. She uncrossed her arms. "I hate when you're right. I won't borrow your cars. I'll drive Big Blue until I get a new car for myself. Thanks Ranger."
It's Carlos, babe. You ready to go?
"Yeah. Let's go," she said and we turned to Lula. I would have almost forgotten she was there because she'd been so quiet.
Lula stared at us for a moment. "Damn skimpy, I have thought you were talking all to yourself but Ranger seems to understand everything you say without saying any part of it." She was right. I simply thought everything I would say to Steph and she replied to everything out loud. It would make Steph seem as if she were talking to herself.
Damn, she thinks I'm crazy now. She was thinking of ways to explain ESP before she looked at me for a while. Yum. Corporate Ranger looks delicious.
Glad you think I'm yummy babe. I turned to Lula and answered for her."Steph just knows me," I stated briefly. I looked at Steph. No need for her to think we need the psychiatric ward Babe.
"So you think," Steph said, "I'm thinking of enrolling myself there pretty soon." In a few years, maybe. I chuckled at her thought.
"I wouldn't want that Babe." I gave her the 200 watt smile and she instantly thought Oh crap. He just ruined my panties. From the corner of my eye, I could see Lula started fanning herself. Don't worry babe, you'll be getting used to it. I'll buy you a new pair.
o0o0o0o0o
I drove to the police station for Steph to quickly pick up her body receipt. I told Lula that Tank wanted to see she was okay personally so she was coming to RangeMan with Steph and me. Lula never actually entered my office building before. With the possibility of her presence there, I was more worried about my employees instead of her.
As we entered the lobby, Tank was exiting the elevator with the client, his wife, and his two business associates from the meeting I was in before, and thank God, the emergency. Lula was looking at Tank up and down that she was practically drooling. I don't think she's ever seen Tank in an expensive business suit before. Steph quickly whispered urgently in Lula's direction about how Tank was in a business meeting and that they should be quiet to not mess it up for him. Lula nodded solemnly. Steph probably knew all this from attending business dinners with Jeremiah all the time. I didn't like the jealous feeling the idea of it gave me.
The client noticed us at the entrance. "Ah, Mr. Manoso. I see you've returned," he said disapprovingly. His wife smiled flirtatiously at me. Babe, some help here. Steph just smiled. I think it would be fun to watch you squirm.
"Yes, Mr. Fostworn, sorry for the interruption. Personal emergency." I smiled grimly at him and his two associates.
His wife leaned closer to me and said seductively, "it's a good thing for a man to take care of his personal matters." She gave me a sexy grin.
Oh God. This is funny. I could see Steph holding in her laughter.
You asked for it, Plum. You're backing me up for it. But- I didn't allow her to continue her thought.
"Mr. Fostworn. Allow me to introduce my fiancé, Stephanie Plum and Mr. Phillips' fiancé, Lula Evans." The four of them took in Lula's neon pink spandex attire that Steph, Tank and I were already used to on a daily basis. Tank moved closer to Lula and stood next to her. Lula stared at Steph and then at me. Are you kidding me Carlos?! Even with a friendly smile on her face, I knew she wanted to glare at me. Nope, you're going to be my fiancé eventually. Just play along. His wife is a nuance. Please?
Fine, her mind grumbled.
"Pleasure to meet you," Steph said nicely. Lula snapped out of it, even though she gave me questioning looks, she said pleasantly, "Nice to meet you" as well. Mrs. Fostworn was giving Steph jealous and disapproving looks. Apparently, she didn't like that I was unavailable to a woman with fringed hair, wearing dirty sneakers, torn jeans and a snoopy shirt, but I loved Steph just the way she was.
"Swell," Mr. Fostworn greeted back indifferently. "We've got to be going. I will contact you eventually and schedule another meeting I suppose."
Before they turned to leave, one of his business associates, named something like Ned or Ted, said, "Stephanie Plum? Like the Bombshell Bounty Hunter. I heard about you in the newspaper." He sounded excited, like he was meeting someone famous.
Steph's POV
I groaned. "Whatever you heard about, it wasn't my fault." Lula coughed discreetly. I glared at her, "And the car blowing up today wasn't my fault either. It was yours."
"That's not what the newspapers are going to say tomorrow," Lula said. "The news always says its your fault. Its your freaky luck. Don't blame anything on me."
"If you didn't try to shoot at the skip like I said, he wouldn't have-" I was cut off by Tank.
"I have to agree with Lula. This stuff just happens around you. Freaky luck that bad stuff happen but you managed to stay alive," Tank said. He suddenly smiled. "You'll be happy to know that everyone at the police station loss their bets today. No one expected this early because of yesterday."
I glared at him. "I should get the money then," I muttered.
"So all the stuff is true then?" the other business associate asked. I turned to him and tilted my head to study him.
"Depends on what you're talking about and from my point of view, its never my fault." My cell began to ring. Saved by a call. I didn't want to talk and entertain. I was tired of it. "Excuse me." I moved away and picked up the call from my mom who heard about the car explosion and checking if I was okay.
After the long call of numerous 'Why me?' along with 'so and so daughter doesn't blow things up', I found Tank and Lula were talking in the other side of the lobby. Ranger walked towards me and asked, "Can you and Lula stay here and keep busy while Tank and I get things done?"
"Sure, I can I use your gun range? I didn't go this morning."
"Sure babe." We walked over to where Tank and Lula were standing. "You guys want to stay for dinner? Ella won't mind," Ranger asked. "I want to talk to all three of you." Tank nodded.
"Ella making dessert?" I asked.
Upside-down pineapple cake or chocolate cake? Ranger teased. Both? It wouldn't hurt to try asking. Ranger chuckled. Was that a yes or no? Babe. I shrugged at his answer.
I turned to Lula, "You've got to try her cooking Lula. It's the best; just don't tell my mom that." After Lula agreed, Tank and Ranger left to whatever they need to do and I dragged her off to the gun range with me. Once we got to the gun range, I knew Lula would start questioning me.
"Spill it," she said immediately as we got into our lanes and I started loading my gun. Lula was in the lane next to me. There was a clear bullet proof glass between us.
"About what?" I asked innocently.
"You know what I mean girl. Now spill. Batman introduced you as his fiancé for crying out loud! And today, he said 'she just knows me' after that whole you were talking to him in a full convo yet he didn't speak a word. Now tell me," she grilled.
"I just know what he's going to say," I said carefully. No need to tell a person you can read someone else's thoughts.
"Ok then…" she said slowly and then asked, "what about the whole fiancé thing, huh? First off, you're engaged to Jeremiah Person, should I remind you that you can't be engaged to two people." She held up two fingers at me. I ignored her for a moment as I took a shot at the bull's eye target. Not dead center, but a few centimeters off.
"Mrs. Fostworn was flirting with him. He said that to get her off her back a little," I answered. Lula took a shot and missed center by three inches.
She turned to me, "I can see that whore coming onto him like that. Plus the hag was married and her husband didn't look too pleased. He should get rid of her." I took another shot. Just another couple of centimeters away from the center again. Lula took a shot and almost missed the target. She caught the very edge of the paper. "I guess I should start practicing like you," she said.
"You can come with me. I'm going to the gun range every other day," I told her.
"Sure white girl, I keep being your back up, so need to sharpen up a little. Seriously what's going on with you and batman? I'm getting this vibe from the two of you when you're together." I took a shot. Centimeters off dead center of the target again. I smiled briefly.
I sighed and turned to her. I would tell her and Connie eventually, "I love him, you know that. Today, he told me that he's in love with me."
"About time," Lula said. "So now what? Jeremiah letting you off the con-" I was in panic; I shot my gun without aiming.
"Lula!" I warned, "There's cameras. Watch it." I pointed towards two different cameras. I wasn't sure if they had audio but I didn't want to risk it.
"Oops." Lula covered her mouth with one hand and then made the zipper gesture indicating her lips are sealed. I shook my head and looked at the target. Wow, I hit dead center without aiming when I had panic a few moments ago.
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