I couldn't help myself, thanks to the awesome people who reviewed my little late night effort at a one shot I was compelled to add another chapter that was rattling around in my head.

Have a great day everyone :-)

My gun was still pointed at the door when the locks tumbled again. WTF. Who the hell was it now? Surely Joe didn't have another key and wouldn't be stupid enough to walk back in?

The rage within had not dissipated and I was now running on an adrenaline high. That was the only reason I could think that held me so calm and in control.

My unexpected guest froze on the spot and the slight smirk that graced his face quickly disappeared as he realised there was a gun pointed at his chest.

Our eyes locked and time seemed suspended as neither of us moved.

I must have temporarily lost my mind, it was the only reason that could explain why I flicked off the safety when he took a tentative step towards me. He stilled, wary, assessing my reaction.

"Babe?" Being fluent in Ranger-speak I recognised this one word question to mean what is wrong? What are you doing? Why are you pointing a gun at me? No one else I know can ask three questions with one word.

"I wasn't expecting visitors. I've had a bad day. You should leave." I had given Joe his marching orders for treating me as some form of entertainment and now it was Ranger's turn. I'd had enough.

"I heard you had a run in with Morelli."

"News travels fast. Did you know all this time he was running the books at the TPD."

Ranger eyed me warily and chose his words with careful deliberation.

"No. I suspected. But we could never get proof." His face was blank, devoid of any emotion, but I believed him. Ranger has never lied to me. "Babe. Put the gun down and let me take you to dinner. It sounds like you had a rough day."

I shook my head slowly, never breaking eye contact.

"I'm done with being people's entertainment. Or a line item in someone's budget."

I had a brief moment of gratification when I saw the flicker of remorse in his eyes.

"Babe that was an insensitive comment and a long time ago. You've trained hard and proven yourself more than capable, despite the number of crazies that seem to delight in trying to make your job as difficult as possible."

His words did soothe my bruised and damaged self-esteem a little, but my fury and outrage were not going to be easily quelled.

We stared at each other in silence as he waited for me to respond. "I want to be alone. Please leave." I was in no mood to talk or offer any explanation.

He considered my request and acknowledged it with a barely perceptible nod of his head. "Call me if you need anything. The offer of dinner still stands if you change your mind. I'll lock the door behind me. Stay safe." And with that he was gone.

Damn that man. How can he turn me from being pissed off and dangerous to wanting to rip his clothes off and ravish him. I felt a little guilty that I had held a gun on him and he simply responded with concern for my well-being. Shrugging off the incident I reached for my beer, if a pissed off Jersey girl with a gun says leave, you leave.

Ranger's POV.

I always knew I was a sick bastard and the scene that just played out in Stephanie's apartment has reinforced that knowledge. I should have been pissed that she was pointing a gun at me and wouldn't back down, but instead I now had a raging hard on. Having her stand up to me was a serious turn on.

I'd always regretted my stupid offhand remark about her being a line item in my entertainment budget and thought that it had been put behind us. But now it had come back to haunt me.

At least it was Morelli's fuck up that had her riled. I heard her kick him out and knew this was finally my chance. I wasn't going to blow it this time. We had danced around each other long enough and her sass and attitude just now had me aching to claim her.

Stephanie Plum may not realise it, but she was going to be mine.

TBC