Author's Note: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

Not mine, please, I'm not as brilliant as Janet Evanovich.

Chapter 15: Reality

I woke up the next morning still cuddled next to Ranger. It took me a minute to realize that we were at Haywood and not in my house.

"Babe, what's wrong?" He asked me, looking concerned.

"I just forgot where I was for a second." I looked off to the distance.

"Babe…"

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I just want to go take a shower. I bet I look like hell."

"You look beautiful."

"You need your eyes checked." I said, getting up. Sure enough, my hair was the scariest thing that I had ever seen. I shuddered and stayed as far away from the mirror as I could while waiting for the water to heat up.

I was halfway through washing my hair, when I felt a strong pair of hands gently massaging my scalp. I moaned at his touch and leaned back into his strong body. As he massaged my scalp, he kissed nipped at my shoulders

He turned me around and I could see his coal black eyes and his arousal between us. He tipped my head back and let the water run all the shampoo out of my hair while kissing and biting at my neck.

"Jeez, she's already knocked up. That's not how twins are made." Lester said, coming right into the bathroom. I buried my head into his chest.

"Lester," Ranger barked.

"Sorry, boss, we got a situation."

"Handle it."

"Uh, well, we would but…"

"Spit it out."

"It's Jeanne Ellen."

I brought my head out of his chest and looked at Ranger. He was wearing his blank face. He sighed and turned back to me.

"I have to handle this."

"Carlos, what's…?"

"Later." He snapped.

I recoiled from him, turned my back and stepped under the water. He tried to hug me, but I pushed him out the door. Lester gave me a look of pity, and then followed Ranger out the bathroom door.

What was she doing here? I knew that Ranger wasn't a monk the entire time we weren't together, but her? I had thought he hated her. Maybe I was wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. I finished up in the shower and got dressed. Realizing that most of my clothes were still at my apartment, I would need to make a trip and grab some more. I sat down at the breakfast bar and began a list.

I took out my phone. I didn't want to know how many voicemails were on that. Ranger had replaced my phone when we came back to Trenton with my old number.

"You have forty-six new voicemails."

Great.

Half of them were from my mother, six were from Joe pleading for me to come back and the rest were split between Lula, Connie and Mary Lou. I decided to get the hardest one out of the way.

"Hi mom, it's me."

"Stephanie Michelle Plum, where have you been? And what's this nonsense about you running off to have another man's child. Never mind. You and this Ranger will come to dinner tonight and explain everything to me." I sat at the breakfast bar with my mouth gaping. Not only had my mother yelled at me, but she expected me to come to dinner tonight. And bring Ranger.

Ranger came back to the apartment while I was contemplating my mother. He went into the kitchen and put the bar between us. He stood there, looking directly into my eyes, but didn't say anything.

"Babe, I'm sorry I snapped at you."

I looked away from him. "It's okay Ranger. I know you couldn't have been celibate the entire time. I'm not mad, honest." He noticed the Ranger, and looked saddened.

"Let me explain."

"You don't have to."

"I want to." I looked back at him. This was the first time he was willing to share information with me. "Babe, you're right. I wasn't celibate the entire time. Jeanne Ellen and I hooked up sometime after we did."

Okay, so not something I wanted to hear. Sensing my discomfort, he came around the bar and swiveled me so he was standing between my legs. He held my face in his hands. "The only reason I was with her was because I was trying anything to get you out of my head. I was trying to get the sound of your moans, cries and whimpers and the smell and sweet taste of you out. I was willing to do anything just so I could be free of the noises that brought me to my knees. Every time I thought about that night, I would immediately want to be back inside of you, to hear those sounds again. But you were always with the cop. When I went after you, I told Jeanne that we were over for good this time. She didn't believe me so she came here to scratch an itch, but didn't believe anyone when they told her I was with you for forever now. So I had to go handle her. The reason I snapped at you was a mistake. I was angry at myself and I was angry at her. Can you forgive me, Stephanie?"

"There's nothing to forgive."

He relaxed.

"But you can make it up to me."

He raised an eyebrow and wolf grinned at me.

"Well, that way too. I need a favor."

"All you need to do is ask."

"What are you doing for dinner tonight?"

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"My mother wants over for dinner and I don't think there's going to be a way out of it."

"Okay, we'll go."

"That easy?"

"Sure." I waited for the other shoe to drop. "And you can go to my parent's on Sunday."

Yup, I was right.

Wow, the Batfamily. I was meeting the Batfamily. Piece of cake.

"Babe, you okay? You're looking a little green."

Maybe not.