I do not own these characters. They are the creative genius of Janet Evanovich.

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Scent of a Woman

Chapter 14

After a quick bite at a little café near Cindy's dress shop, they were back in the car.

"Now what?" Stephanie looked at him with energy to spare.

"Home."

"Home?"

"My house."

"Your house…here in Miami?"

"Yes. Let's get settled in, change clothes, and then decide what to do next."

"Sounds like a great plan."

Twenty minutes later they pulled into a very luxurious gated community. Stephanie marveled as one mansion after another took her breath away.

"Carlos, these homes are amazing. How long have you owned a home in this neighborhood?"

They pulled into a driveway and up to another gate. Ranger pressed a series of buttons on the security keypad.

"I bought this house right after Julie was kidnapped. I knew I wanted to spend more time with her down here, and I wanted to have a real home to bring her to; not an apartment at RangeMan headquarters."

Stephanie took his hand. "That's very sweet. Will we get a chance to see Julie while we're here?"

"I called Rachel yesterday and asked if we could pick her up after school tomorrow. We have to have her back by 7:30 so she can get her homework done before bed."

"That's wonderful. I can't wait to see her again."

Ranger lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. "Me too, Babe."

They pulled up to a Spanish style portico at the front entry to the house. Ranger got out of the car and opened Stephanie's door. He keyed in a code on another security keypad and opened the door. The front entry had marble floors. The woodwork was a rich deep mahogany that carried throughout the first floor as far a Stephanie could see. A large crystal chandelier hung in the foyer. Sunlight streamed in from everywhere.

"Carlos, this is really beautiful."

Ranger took her hand, and they toured the entire first floor. The house was massive. The entire back of the house was floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean. The backyard terraced down from a patio, to a swimming pool, and then down again to an expansive green lawn ending at a gated exit to the beach. Stephanie had been blown away this morning, first with the plane, and then with the expensive car, and again with the shopping spree. This house had to be worth millions.

"Carlos, I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to tell me if you think it is none of my damn business, and I won't ask again. It's just that I'm really curious, okay?"

"Shoot, Babe,"

"I've known you for a few years, and I know you're not poor, but I never had the idea that you have this kind of money. Is RangeMan that successful?"

"The government contracts pay well. They actually hire RangeMan to do quite a bit in addition to the special ops missions that my core team is involved with. I started the business here in Miami. As business improved, I took on a partner, and we branched out to open new offices. I took Trenton, and my partner took Boston. We're looking at Atlanta now. Security is big business."

"So you originally came to Trenton just to start up the new office?"

"That was my intent."

"But the Trenton office has been running great for a couple of years now, and you're still living there. Why didn't you move back here to Miami?"

"Because I met you."

Stephanie swung her head around quickly to face him. She was stunned. "You stayed because of me?" Ranger nodded. "But…but I was with Joe…why did you…I know we've always had a connection…but, Carlos...I thought you were indifferent…you really stayed for me?"

Ranger took her face in his hands. "Babe, after I met you, and we began working together, I knew that if I was ever going to have a relationship with anyone, it would have to be you. So I stayed, and I waited."

Stephanie threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I so glad you did. I'm sorry we took so long to get here. It was idiotic of me to try to make things work with Joe. I knew a long time ago that we could never be what he wanted."

"It's okay, Babe, because I wouldn't have been ready for you yet. But now we're close to getting our someday, and I couldn't be happier." They kissed again. "Would you like to see the rest of the house?"

"Absolutely!"

They ran back out to the car to get their luggage and shopping bags and then climbed the massive staircase to the second floor. They passed four large, tastefully furnished, bedrooms. Stephanie smiled as she passed the one she was sure belonged to Julie. It was done in blues and purples. The walls were plastered with boy band and Twilight posters.

"You are so going to be in trouble when she's a teenager," she teased.

"Julie's a good girl. She's smart. She won't cause any trouble."

"Ha, that's what you think. She's beautiful, and she's your daughter. She is trouble just waiting to mature. Look how protective you are of me. When you worry, I can't pee without RangeMan control knowing. And I'm not even your daughter. I'm just your…your…" Stephanie got a funny look on her face. "What am I?"

Ranger chuckled. He opened the large double doors at the end of the hallway and walked into the most beautiful bedroom Stephanie had ever seen. He dropped the luggage, took the bags from her hands and let those fall to the floor as well. He picked her up and carried her over to the bed. Laying her down, he rested his body over hers, putting the majority of his weight on his forearms. He gazed into her eyes holding them captive with an intensity she detected only in his most serious moments. "You, Amada, are my love, my breath, and my light. And I would protect you with my life." He leaned down and caressed her lips with his.

The intensity of his eyes was now magnified ten times in his kiss. Stephanie felt so much love and sincerity pouring from him. Her need to touch and be touched became overwhelming, and she shared her desire with him by pulling closer, demanding control of his mouth with her tongue. She was desperate as she broke contact just long enough to speak. "Make love to me, Carlos. I need you inside. I need your touch."

Ranger removed her clothing and then his own. He returned to their closeness. "Babe, you are so beautiful. I can't believe you're here with me. I've pictured you in this bed with me a thousand times, and you are more perfect than I even imagined. Promise me you'll stay. Promise me that you will be mine. Promise me you won't ever leave."

"I promise, Carlos, I could never leave you. You have my heart, and I wouldn't survive." Their words were so emotional tears were streaming down Stephanie's face and onto the bed. She didn't even notice.

Ranger wiped them away. "Sh sh sh, Nene, no llores. Te quiero y voy a proteger su corazon." (Sh sh sh, Babe, don't cry. I love you, and I will protect your heart.) He kissed her tear-stained face and made love to her again.

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Their afternoon was spent on the beach. After making a few phone calls (Ranger touched base with Tank, and Stephanie left a message for Andrew confirming the plans for Wednesday night), they packed up a few drinks in a small cooler, grabbed some towels and sun block, and headed out the back gate. The beach was deserted even though it was a warm day. It was October, and kids were back in school, and Ranger said that most of the beach was privately owned. They swam and played and kissed and enjoyed just being together.

"Babe?" Ranger asked as he was drawing imaginary circles on Stephanie's stomach.

"Hmmm?" Stephanie was relaxed, soaking up the sun.

"Do you remember the night, last week, when we spoke in my apartment after the first team meeting on the Giordano case?

"That was only a week ago? It seems like ages. So much has happened this past week. It feels like we've been together longer."

"Babe, you've been mine, in my mind, for more than a year."

"Really?" She sat up on her elbows and looked at him. "You must have been using the famous think system for relationships. You know like in the musical 'The Music Man'?" Ranger looked confused, so Stephanie explained. "In the story, a man claiming to be a famous band director comes to a small town and sells instruments to all the families for their children. He claims that he can teach any child to become a musical genius by using the 'think system'. They never practice, and he never gives instruction. He just tells them to think about playing everyday and eventually it would happen."

"That's ridiculous," Ranger scoffed.

"Ya think?"

"Point taken, Babe." He shook his head slowly, and his serious face returned. "Anyway, back to where I started this conversation. I told you then that my life wasn't my own."

"I remember." Stephanie sat up all the way and crossed her legs.

"That hasn't changed. I could still be called away."

"I know." She lowered her head and stared at her hands.

"I broke my own rule and let you in. I don't regret it, because what I feel for you couldn't be denied any longer. But I want you to know that, at any time, I might have to leave, and I can't say no. I want you to be prepared. I get very little notice. Not always, but sometimes I have to be packed and gone within an hour after receiving a call."

"Carlos, I went into this with my eyes wide open. I knew about your contract, and I knew about your reservations. I pushed for this relationship. If you get called away, I'll just have to put on my big girl panties and deal with it. But I promise you, that if you do have to go, I will be here when you come back home." She leaned up to kiss him.

"My contract is up in May. I won't be re-signing. After that, if we do any government work, it will be only the assignments of our own choosing. We won't take on any more black ops missions. Lester, Bobby, Tank and I all agreed."

"I know about that already. Lester told me that night when he took me home." She hurried to protect her friend. "Don't be mad at him, Carlos; he was a really good friend to me. He explained some things and gave me some great advice."

"I know."

"You do?"

"Yeah, after he dropped you off, he came back to Haywood and called me on it. He told me that if I didn't get my shit together with you, he was going to declare open season on your availability. He also said that if I made you cry again, he would call my mother."

Stephanie laughed. "Oh god, Carlos, I don't know about the open season thing. That sounds a little creepy, and I think I should be insulted by it. But I can totally relate to the mother threat. You even used that same threat with me, and it worked pretty handily."

Ranger grinned. "Yeah, big, bad Manoso is afraid of his mother."

"We all are, Batman. I think it's a basic survival instinct." She looked down at her skin. "I think we better head inside. I don't want to burn, and it must be getting late. What's our schedule tonight?"

"I need you dressed and ready to go by seven o'clock. That gives you three hours."

"Perfect, if we go now, we'll have time for another nap." She winked.

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Two hours and forty-five minutes later, Stephanie had finished putting the final touches on her make-up. Earlier when she had stepped out of the shower, there had been a brand new bottle of Dolci Vita perfume sitting on the counter. Birthday Ranger had struck again. Now, she picked up the bottle and doused herself from head to toe. If felt good to wear her old familiar scent again. She slipped on her new dress and shoes, and then she started moving items from her handbag to a small clutch she had brought in her luggage. When she picked up her phone, she realized that when she had called Andrew earlier, she hadn't checked her messages. The display registered three missed calls, so she took a few minutes to listen to them.

"Hello, Stephanie, this is your mother." Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Your father, grandma, and I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. Come over for a special dinner and cake when you get back into town."

The next message was from Val, wishing her a happy birthday as well. The last message was from Connie and Lula, together singing what was absolutely the worst rendition of Happy Birthday she had ever heard. She was laughing as she disconnected. Stephanie turned and caught sight of Ranger watching her from the doorway. Her breath was completely taken away. He was wearing an Armani peak-lapel, black silk suit with a white silk shirt and a narrow black tie. He looked absolutely delicious.

"Wow, you look amazing!" She strolled up to him and placed her hands on his chest, gently grasping his lapels. "I think it might be illegal to go out looking this good. Maybe we should just stay in."

"Not on your life, Babe. I have plans for you tonight. I have two more birthday presents to give you this evening." He kissed her. "Dios, Babe, you smell amazing. I've missed this." He nuzzled his nose into her neck and kissed her again. "I want to give one of the presents to you now."

Stephanie protested adamantly. "Ranger, you have to stop! You can't keep giving me gifts. The money you spent today on me was outrageous. I saw the price tag on these shoes, by the way."

He put his finger on her lips. "Don't say another word yet. Just open the box."

Stephanie looked down, and in his left hand was a black velvet jewelry box.

She slowly reached and lifted the lid. Inside was a pair of diamond drop earrings. They were exquisite.

"Carlos, they're…stunning." She lifted one up. "This is platinum; it must have cost a fortune!" She sighed. "I love them, thank you."

"Will you wear them tonight?"

"Yes, they go great with the dress." She stood at the dressing table and switched out her original earrings with the ones Ranger had just given her. "I hope you weren't kidding about the security detail. I'm probably wearing over five thousand dollars in new merchandise tonight. I wouldn't be surprised if every crazy stalker in Miami found me. Hell, I bet even a few of the Trenton crazies made it down here for this."

"Don't even joke about that, Babe."

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Ranger had made reservations for dinner at La Palme d' Or restaurant inside the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. The lavish furnishings and grandeur of the building were awe-inspiring. The dining room donned crystal chandeliers, gilded mirrors on the walls and hand painted murals on the ceiling.

Stephanie was excited. It was like being in a palace. "Thank you for bringing me here." She kissed him. "It's beautiful." They were seated at a cozy table near a large window that overlooked the gardens and lighted fountains. "Have you been here before?"

"Once or twice. I brought a client here a couple of years ago. The service is excellent, the food is outstanding, and their wine list is the best in the city."

"After spending the afternoon on the beach, I'm starving." She glanced at the menu. "Everything looks so good. A lot of this is in French. Maybe you could help me translate so I don't order something creepy like brains or liver."

Ranger chuckled. "I'll make sure they don't bring us anything creepy."

"They have frog legs! I don't know if I could eat frog legs. Have you ever eaten them?"

"I have, but not in a restaurant. It was on a mission, and we spent several weeks in the jungle. We ate what we could find."

Stephanie made a face. "Well let's not bring back any unpleasant memories. I say we skip the frog legs."

"Done."

Ranger requested a bottle of 1995 Dom Perignon Champagne to start their evening. They ordered Lobster Bisque and Hungarian Mangalica Cured Ham with warm Garlic Toast as appetizers and followed with Braised Beef Short Ribs with Cauliflower Gratin and red wine for Stephanie and Seared Maine Halibut Filet with Green Asparagus and white wine for Ranger. For dessert they chose a Grand Marnier Soufflé and a Chocolate Molten Cake. Ranger had secretly arranged for the cake to come out with a lighted sparkle candle.

Stephanie was mostly thrilled with the dinner conversation. Ranger was allowing more of his personal life and childhood influences to surface. In the last twenty-four hours she had cultivated a much better notion of who Ricardo Carlos Manoso really was. Ranger was more relaxed here in Miami than she had ever seen him. Even though he continued daily communications with Tank and his core team, they were more for updates and he was allowing his team to plan and do most of the work.

After they finished dinner they took a stroll through the gardens. Stephanie had consumed several glasses of champagne and at least two glasses of wine. She was feeling relaxed, but slightly unsteady on her feet. Ranger supported her during their walk by keeping his arm around her waist. They found a secluded stone bench next to a fountain and sat. A gentle breeze gave the Miami night air fresh relief.

"Carlos," Stephanie sighed. "I've never been happier than I am right now." She smiled at him and leaned in to give him a kiss. She scooted closer and turned so that her back was against his chest. He wrapped both arms around her and nuzzled her neck. "I was so naïve when I married the Dick," she smirked. "I actually thought that after we married, he would stop playing around. I thought that the marriage would result in an assured commitment and my life would be happy. And then with Joe…" she hesitated. "I couldn't even go there. Every time we talked about marriage I found a reason to avoid making any kind of real plans for it." She turned to face him. "We have only been together a week and I want you to know that I trust you more than I have ever trusted anyone. I don't want to scare you; I'm not talking about needing or wanting marriage, I... I just want you to know that… I love you… I'm in love with you… and that's never happened to me before. You are the most incredible man I have ever known and if all of this ended tomorrow I would have no regrets about what we've shared."

Ranger pulled her into his lap and lowered his lips to hers. "Dios, Babe," he whispered against her face. "I have no plans to end this. I have discovered a part of me that I thought was long gone. You found it buried deep inside me and brought it to light." He kissed her again, and it deepened quickly. Passion took control, and they came very close to ending the 'clothes on' part of the evening right there in the garden.

"Carlos, how firm is your plan for us to go dancing?" she whispered through her heavy breaths.

"It's your birthday, Babe, you choose." He continued running his hands over her body and kissing her throat.

"Take me home. Please."

Ranger didn't hesitate. He scooped her up and carried her through the garden and back to the valet parking stand. The car was summoned, and Ranger placed a hefty tip into the palm of the attendant. Stephanie couldn't keep her hands off him in the car. It was a miracle they made it home in one piece. Once inside the house they didn't even make it up the stairs. Clothes were peeled and dropped in a trail from the door to the couch. Ranger's words flowed from romantic broken English to forceful proclamations in Spanish. Stephanie allowed herself to be dominated by his powerful demands. He was in complete control of their movements and positions, but Stephanie never experienced neglect or exploitation. Her pleasure was his primary goal. She felt desired and coveted. After multiple releases and recoveries, they progressed upstairs and continued in the shower.

"You know," Stephanie muttered between kisses as they lay on the bed, finally at rest, "On the Oprah show, Dr. Oz said that having sex twelve times has the same cardio workout effect as running seven miles. And right now, I totally believe it." Ranger's hands started to wander. "Just think how efficient you could be with your busy schedule by having your morning workout and your shower at the same time."

"I like how you think, Babe." Ranger was moving his way down her body leaving nips and open kisses across her stomach. "I could encourage my entire staff to put the initiative into practice."

Stephanie giggled. "You would be one popular boss." Ranger moved lower. She moaned. "And you would have a very happy staff." She arched her hips toward his mouth. "Just think how relaxed your early staff meetings…ahhhh..."

The rest of the conversation consisted of unintelligible words.

It was just before midnight, and they were in the kitchen assembling a plate full of snacks and something to drink.

"Water or beer, Babe?"

"Water!" she replied adamantly. "No more alcohol. I don't want to need the cure tomorrow."

They sat close together at the kitchen table and fed each other fruit and cheese. Stephanie had also found a box of chocolate chip cookies and was nibbling on them as well.

"I have one last gift for you, Babe. I want you to have it before midnight, while it's still officially your birthday."

"Okay, I'm not going to complain anymore, as long as you promise this is the last one."

"I promise. Close your eyes."

"Really, Carlos…"

"Just close your eyes…please."

Stephanie closed her eyes. Ranger disappeared from the room briefly, and when he returned, he put an envelope on the table in front of her.

"Okay, open your eyes."

Stephanie slowly opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly. "Am I missing something?"

"Look down."

Stephanie looked at the table and picked up the envelope. She glanced back at Ranger and opened it, and then she removed an official looking document.

"What is this?" She continued her examination. "Carlos, is this the registration for the car I'm using in the Giordano case?"

"Yes,"

"I don't get it."

"Read the name of the owner."

"Stepha…." She paused. "This has my real name on it! I thought you had Tank register this in Maria Granger's name for my cover?"

"I did."

"What's this one for then?" She still looked utterly confused.

Ranger almost rolled his eyes. Almost. "This will be the official registration after the assignment is over."

"You mean the car will be mine? Like all-the-time mine? Not a RangeMan car?"

"Yours."

Tears poured down her face. "I love that car. I can't believe you bought me a car! Oh my God! I own a Lexus!" She hopped up from her chair and jumped into his lap. She covered his face with kisses. "I love you. Thank you!"

"Happy Birthday, Babe."

They sat for a while longer, embracing, kissing, and eating until Stephanie yawned.

"You're tired, Babe. Tomorrow is another big day. Let's go to bed."

"I know we're spending the afternoon with Julie, but what do you have planned for us in the morning?"

"When I'm finally finished with you in bed and the shower," he stated suggestively. "I thought we would head over to RangeMan so I can show you around."

They stood up and headed upstairs. "That would be great. Do you think Silvio will be in? It would be nice to see him again."

"Maybe. I don't know the schedule. Nick is in charge of the Miami office."

"I wanted to ask you about this earlier, but it has been such a whirlwind day since we got off the plane that I didn't have a chance to ask. When we landed this morning, we met Tony?"

"Yeah, Tony Barnes. What about him?"

"He was talking to you about his sister. What's going on there?"

Ranger sighed. "It's not a good story, Babe." They climbed into the bed and snuggled up against each other. "Tony has been a RangeMan employee for about three years; he's a good man. When both of his parents died in an accident about six months ago, he moved his younger sister to Miami. She was just finishing her first year of college somewhere in the Midwest. I think Indiana. They wanted to be closer, so he helped her transfer to the University of Miami. They even got an apartment together."

"That's nice. Do they have any other family?"

"No, it's just the two of them now. Anyway, this past spring RangeMan hired a new guy, Marcus Sandor…Ex-Marine. I only met him once. I thought he was kind of cocky, but his qualifications for the job were excellent. He received several commendations from his superiors before he left the service. He was partnered up with Tony right away. Nick told me the two men got along well and even hung out together outside of work. That's how he met Tony's sister Emily."

"Did they start dating?"

"Not exactly. According to Tony and the police report, Marcus showed up at the apartment one evening and convinced Emily that he was there to meet up with Tony. He said they were going to go out for the evening."

"Only Tony wasn't there?"

"No, and Tony didn't know anything about it. He was working an extra shift for another guy. Emily let him into the apartment to wait. She didn't have any reason not to. He had been to the apartment several times before, and he was Tony's friend. She trusted Sandor."

"Oh, god Carlos, what did he do?"

"He raped her." Ranger was making tight fists with both his hands. His knuckles were white.

Stephanie sighed. "I'm so sorry, Carlos. I know how responsible you feel for your employees. How is she? Was she injured? I mean other than the rape? Not that the rape wasn't bad enough, but did he do other damage?" She took his hands in hers and rubbed the knuckles to get him to relax.

"She had a lot of bruises, internal injuries, a broken wrist, and a black eye. She was in the hospital for a couple of days. Emily put up a good fight. Tony had taught her some basic self-defense skills, but Marcus is a big guy and highly trained in hand-to-hand combat techniques. She never had a chance against him. She's only 20 years old."

Stephanie could feel the tension in Ranger's body. "Where's this guy now? Was he arrested?"

"No. There's a warrant out for his arrest, but he hasn't been brought in. He knows this area well, and has quite a bit of family here. I'm sure they've been helping him stay hidden."

"I imagine you've had men looking for him. How long ago did this happen?"

"He attacked Emily two weeks ago. He's been seen a few times, but he knows our men and our tactics. He was one of us. I get daily updates about the situation. We will catch him."

"I know you will, Carlos." She kissed him on the cheek. "Let's get some sleep, okay?"

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