This story contains characters that belong to Janet Evanovich.
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Scent of a Woman
Chapter 16
Stephanie entered Ranger's apartment on eight and took a quick shower. She had purchased a few items at the mall that she knew she would need and wouldn't have time to go back to the house to pick up. The distraction look for the evening would be sexy, wild, and suggestive. She rubbed some product into her hair and dried it, letting her curls go where they wanted and then pinned part of her hair up allowing several curls to fall down the sides and back. She lined her eyes and smudged it to create a smoky look and deepened her lids to match, and, finally, she completed her make-up by putting on several layers of mascara on her eyelashes and a fire engine red gloss on her lips. She shimmied into the dress that Cindy had helped her select for the occasion; a skin tight, soft black leather halter mini dress with a deep plunging neck. The wire would be tricky but doable. Because the dress was backless, she couldn't wear a bra, but she was able to slide on the silky lace thong she had bought earlier. She finished off the outfit with four-inch, stiletto heeled, satin knee high rhinestone-studded boots that fit snuggly to her calves. Just as she decided she was ready, Ranger walked into the bedroom.
He froze just inside the doorway. "Dios, Babe, what have you got on?"
"You think it's too much? Is it too slutty? Not slutty enough?" Ranger didn't answer right away. Stephanie began to panic. "Carlos, what's wrong?"
"I'm sorry, Babe, It's just that I had to get some perspective. You look…. Sandor doesn't stand a chance, and neither do I." He took two strides across the room and pulled her into his arms. He ran his hands up and down her exposed back. "Remind me later to send Cindy flowers. This is the 'damn sexy' look I want you to save just for me, and I can't believe I have to share you with my men and a bar full of drunks."
"If it makes you feel any better, what I have underneath is just for you..." The high heels on the boots put her eye to eye with him, and she locked her gaze, "...and nobody else." She knew it meant re-applying lipstick, but she thought it was worth it, so she seductively leaned in and kissed him deeply. When she stepped back, she used her finger to remove the stain from Ranger's lips. "I think I'm ready."
"For what?" Ranger replied huskily.
Stephanie smacked his arm playfully. "To leave, don't we have to go now?"
"The rest of the team has already left. I told them we would be there by 10:00. We need to put your wire on." Ranger smirked as he dangled it in front of her. "I get to do it this time." He held up the wire and tape and looked her over. "I think I'll come in from behind." He spun her around toward the dresser and, through the side of her halter, slid the wire into place under her right breast. Stephanie took in a gasp of air as his hands deftly felt for the right position. She watched him in the mirror as he came in from the other side to apply the tape. Her nipples perked up and stood out through the supple leather fabric.
"Carlos, if you keep that up we're going to be very late." He kissed the back of her neck and stepped away. He pulled something out of his pocket.
"Hector asked me to give this to you. He said it was your idea." Ranger smiled and handed her the stun gun hidden in the cigarette package.
"Yeah." She smiled handling the weapon. "I wanted some way to carry this as inconspicuously as possible. He did a good job. Huh, there are even two cigarettes in here. Would it fool you?"
"It already did. When he handed it to me I thought he was giving me a real pack of cigarettes for you. If this works out okay, we'll have to add this to our arsenal at RangeMan." Ranger looked up at her. "You ready to go, Babe?"
"Yes, let's do this thing." She touched up her lipstick, grabbed her clutch, put the stun gun inside, and headed to the door with Ranger.
Ranger pulled the Lamborghini into the parking lot of the Wild Horse Inn and cut the motor. "Remember, Babe, just get him out the door and try to step away. The team is here to do the rest." He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips, then reached into her dress to turn on the wire. Stephanie never took her eyes off him. "Go get 'em, tiger."
Stephanie stepped out of the car and headed to the entrance. Ranger heard the comments of his men as she made progress through the parking lot. In the midst of all the whistles, catcalls and groans of appreciation, he heard one comment that sounded like 'lucky bastard'. He just shook his head in amusement. "Enough." He finally ordered authoritatively through the mic. There was immediate silence.
Stephanie entered the bar portion of the inn and immediately sought out Bobby. He nodded slightly in the direction of the small room toward the back that contained two pool tables. She took a seat at a small table near the entrance to that room and, when a waitress came by, she ordered a drink. After five or so minutes, she made a big show of looking annoyed that someone she was supposed to meet was late. She checked the time on her cell phone and even made an unsuccessful call that went to voicemail. She left a message asking, "Where the hell are you?" and "I'm waiting." She voiced it loud enough for others to hear her displeasure at being stood up. Another ten minutes went by, and another drink was ordered. When she thought her message of being stood up was clear, Stephanie huffed her way over to the jukebox looking thoroughly put out, dropped some money in, and selected a couple of tunes to play. Cal approached her from behind as she swayed to the music.
"Hey, baby," He schmoozed into her ear. "You look a little lonely. I can fix that."
"No thanks." She replied without turning. "I'm waiting for someone."
"But he's not here, and I am." Cal persisted. He ran his hand down her arm. Stephanie shied away.
"I said no thanks." She responded a little more harshly. "He's just late."
Cal continued the pressure. "I would never make you wait. A fine piece of ass like you shouldn't have to wait for anyone." He grabbed her butt and squeezed.
Stephanie jumped. "Listen, I said no! Now fuck off."
As she backed away from Cal, she backed right into Hector who had come up behind her. "Hey Chica, you're being rude to my friend here. He's a nice guy." Hector put his hands around her waist and sniffed her neck. "Damn, she smells good, too, amigo. You can't let this one go."
Between Hector and Cal they had effectively allowed Stephanie only one way to retreat and that was directly into the pool table room. She skirted into the room and approached Marcus Sandor looking desperate.
"Hey," She cozied up next to him and spoke. "I know you don't know me from Adam, but these guys are giving me the creeps. Could you maybe help me out? I think my date stood me up, and I feel like it's open season in there."
Sandor smiled at her. "No problem, honey." He put his arm around her shoulder and looked back at Cal and Hector. "The lady's with me. Take a hike."
Hector punched Cal in the arm. "Better luck next time, amigo." They sauntered off in disappointment and took a seat at a table close by.
Stephanie sighed in relief. "Thanks, I really appreciate it. Can I buy you a drink?"
"Now what kind of a man lets his date buy the drinks? What are you drinking?"
"Rum and coke." She smiled and looked around the room. "Doesn't look like you've got much of a game going on here. How about we play?"
"Sure. I'll rack 'em up." He motioned for the waitress and ordered two more drinks.
They spent the next half hour playing pool. Stephanie took every opportunity to position herself in some very provocative positions that showed off her assets. She even feigned ignorance on a couple of shots that required him to give very personal instruction. The whole time he continued ordering her drinks. Typically in a distraction, a Merry Man was at the bar assuring that her drinks were weak. They did not have this kind of control here, and she had to be careful in how much she consumed. She was a cheap drunk and had trouble holding her liquor. When she realized she had him hooked, she played up her drunkenness and started leaning against him for support.
"I think you've gotten me a bit tipsy. I should go home."
"You can't drive like that. Why don't you let me make sure you get home? You can come back tomorrow and pick up your car. I could call you a cab."
"No cab. I can drive myself." She stood away from the table and swayed. "I'm not very steady on my feet, but I could probably make it home okay."
"I think you better let me take care of you tonight. It would be a shame to see a pretty little thing like you end up in a ditch." He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in tight.
"But I don't really know you," Stephanie replied, coyly. "We haven't even introduced ourselves." She slowly walked her fingers up his chest.
"That's easy enough to take care of. I'm Marcus. What's your name?"
"Marcus, that sounds like a nice name. My name is Tina. It's short for Christina, but my friends all call me Tina." She giggled. "Are you a trustworthy guy, Marcus?"
"I'm safe enough." He winked. Stephanie almost threw up in her mouth. "My family owns this place." Marcus assured her. "I'll take you home."
"Are you sure?" Stephanie ran her hand down his thigh. "I bet your girlfriend won't be happy about you taking me home."
"I don't have a girlfriend." He grinned. "But I'm always looking for someone who might want to fill the position." He put his nose into her neck and nipped her ear.
"Really," Stephanie almost purred. "You're too hot not to have a girlfriend. Are you taking applications, 'cause I'd like to apply?" Stephanie internally rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe the corny garbage coming out of her mouth, but he seemed to be eating it up. "I'll tell you what, why don't we go back to my place, and you can go over my…qualifications."
"I like that idea. You can show me some of your experience." He growled.
Stephanie reached over to the edge of the pool table and grabbed her clutch purse. She opened it and nonchalantly pulled out the cigarette package. Marcus guided her through the bar and toward a back door. When they reached a deserted hallway, he stopped abruptly and pulled her to him. He crashed his mouth down to hers and hungrily forced her mouth open. Stephanie panicked momentarily, but quickly recovered and, not too forcefully, pushed him back. "Hey, why don't you slow down? Wait till we get to my apartment. This isn't a very private place for an interview." She hoped that by remaining playful, he would move along.
"I don't want to wait. I have a room upstairs. We can go there." His hands were everywhere, groping her body.
Stephanie definitely did not want to move this upstairs. "But if we go to my place, I have lots of toys we can have fun with." She desperately continued with her friendly coaxing. "Come on take me home. I'll make it worth your while."
"I don't need toys. I can show you a good time without toys." He was walking her backwards toward a stairway, as his hands on her body were wandering and becoming more aggressive.
Stephanie was losing the battle. Going upstairs was not an option. She knew Bobby, Hector and Cal had to be close by waiting for instructions to step in. She just didn't know how long she could wait. The disguised stun gun was still in her hand, but she would have to put physical distance between her body and his. She was debating her situation all in a matter of seconds, when the decision was made for her.
"What the hell is this?" Sandor had discovered her wire while groping her breasts. He knew exactly what it was. He was trained. He was angry. "Who the hell are you, bitch?" He grabbed her around the neck and pulled her up against his body. She couldn't wait any longer.
Stephanie jammed the cigarette package into their tightly joined thighs and pushed the trigger. She felt a tingle and everything went black.
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The world came back into focus slowly. Sounds returned before vision. She could hear several voices. Men. They were serious and intense. Stephanie took a moment to try to makes sense of what she was hearing.
"What the hell happened? Where is she?" Stephanie recognized Ranger's voice. He sounded panicked. She thought that was unusual for him.
"Roll him over and get the cuffs on the bastard. Check for weapons. The cops are waiting for him outside." Maybe that was Nick. She wasn't sure.
"He's coming around. Bobby, get her out of here. Now!" Ranger again. She wanted to speak. She wanted to let him know she was okay, but her mouth wouldn't obey her thoughts. She felt like she was struggling to reach the surface after a deep dive into water and couldn't find her way up. Suddenly her body was lifted, and she felt safe. Protected. The air around her became warm. She groaned, and it was the first noise she could identify as her own.
"Bomber? Steph? Are you with me?"
"Bobby?" She was able to weakly produce.
"Hey, sweetheart. It's okay. You're going to be okay. How do you feel?"
Stephanie slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. "Where am I? What the hell happened?" She tried to sit up but the pressure in her head and a pain in her right hand stopped her cold.
"Stay down for a few minutes, sweetie. You've been stunned, but it's wearing off." He lifted her hand and examined it. "Looks like you have a minor burn on your hand. What do you remember?" Bobby had been a medic in the service before he joined Ranger's Special Forces unit. He was assessing Stephanie for further physical damage. Stephanie struggled to remember as he checked her heart and slipped on a blood pressure cuff.
"Um," Stephanie thought for a moment. "I was trying to get Sandor to take me home. I couldn't get him to leave the building. He wanted to go upstairs. I remember thinking that was a bad thing."
Bobby chuckled. "You're right, honey, that would have been a bad thing." He was gently stroking her hair. "Do you remember anything after that?"
Stephanie closed her eyes and tried to visualize what happened next. She opened her eyes in panic as she remembered the anger on Marcus Sandor's face. She looked at Bobby. "He discovered my wire. He figured out it was a set up. He was pissed. He pulled me up against him with his arm around my neck. I wasn't sure how much time I had before he got too violent, so I stunned him in the thigh. It was the only part of him I could reach."
"You did good, Babe." Stephanie was lying up against Bobby inside the back end of one of RangeMan's large SUVs. There was a blanket draped over her body. Ranger must have been standing off to the side. Stephanie swung her head around to see him and smiled. He stepped forward as he spoke and took her hand. "How do you feel?" He looked at Bobby. "Is she okay?"
Bobby gave Ranger his official report. "She should be fine. I imagine she has quite a headache, but her memory seems to be good. Her heart rate is normal, blood pressure is slightly elevated. She's still a bit shaky, but that's to be expected." He turned to Stephanie and gave her a teasing smile and wink as he playfully remarked, "she took the voltage from her own stun gun, something Hal might get a kick out of hearing about."
Stephanie stuck her tongue out at him in mock annoyance. Ranger cleared his throat, and Bobby quickly returned to his attention to Ranger to continue his professional report. "Since Sandor fell on top of her when he went down, she'll probably be achy tomorrow, but nothing that a hot shower and some ibuprofen won't help. There's a burn on her right hand. I'll get the first aid kit and treat it."
"Thanks, Bobby." Ranger nodded. Bobby slipped out from under Stephanie and Ranger replaced him as her support, never letting go of her hand.
"Carlos, I'm sorry. I tried to get him outside. I didn't want to go upstairs. I …"
"Babe." He stopped her. "You were great. I'm sorry you were hurt. We didn't know about the room he had upstairs."
"Where is he now?"
"Miami-Dade PD took him into custody. He's gone." Ranger stroked her face lovingly. His own face showed concern.
"I guess the cigarette stun gun disguise worked?" She questioned him.
"Yeah, it worked." He chuckled. "Hector might have to rethink the real cigarettes, though. They both lit inside the package when you triggered it to stun." He held up the partially burned package."
"That explains the hand." Stephanie raised her hand to show Ranger the burn. "I must have held onto it after I blacked out."
Ranger took her hand and kissed it, but didn't take his eyes off hers. Words weren't necessary. Stephanie could see the pain, concern, relief and love.
Bobby reappeared with a bottle of water, a couple of Advil, and a first aid kit. He encouraged Stephanie to take the pills right away and began to treat her hand. He applied a soothing ointment and gently wrapped it in some gauze.
"The burn is pretty minor. It will be sore like the rest of you for a couple of days, but it will heal quickly. You may not even blister much." Bobby gathered up his supplies, but looked troubled.
"Bobby, what's wrong?" Stephanie took his hand.
"We should have gotten to you sooner, Steph." His eyes were full of regret and guilt. "I'm sorry. We were trying to keep a safe distance, so he wouldn't suspect a trap. When we heard him discover the wire, we moved right away, but, by the time we got to your location, you were already down. We thought…. We thought he'd hurt you."
"I'm okay, Bobby! This...," she waved her hand in illustration, "...is nothing. Job hazard. The important thing is that Sandor is finally in custody." Stephanie decided to lighten the mood. She didn't want the guys to feel like they had let her down. "Besides," She grinned, "what I really want to know is…" she pulled the blanket away from her legs and lifted one in the air. "How do you guys like these boots? They're sexy as hell, aren't they?"
Bobby let out a full-bodied laugh. "Yeah, Bomber, they are that. Every guy in that bar was looking at those legs."
"Damn straight." Stephanie sharply replied.
Bobby picked up his equipment and kissed Stephanie on the cheek. "Get some sleep, Steph. We'll see you at RangeMan in the morning. We're flying back with you after the debriefing.
"Thanks, Bobby." He did the complicated guy handshake thing with Ranger and walked away.
Stephanie turned to Ranger who was still sitting against her with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. "Do I have to make a statement to the police?"
"No, I had Bobby remove you from the scene before the police were brought in. Unofficially my contact at Miami-Dade PD knows what went down inside, but, officially, you were not part of the arrest. Cal and Hector are giving statements."
"I know Tony was here as part of the team. How's he doing?"
"He would have beat the hell out of Sandor if we'd let him. But since you rendered him unconscious, it wouldn't have been very rewarding for him. He was content to accidentally bump Sandor into a few walls on his way out the door." Ranger got that almost smile on his face.
Stephanie reached up and put her arms around Ranger's neck. He pulled her into his lap and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay, Babe?" He whispered. "It sounded pretty intense in there."
Stephanie allowed a tear to fall. "I feel…a little dirty. Used…maybe even ashamed. I know none of it is rational." She wiped her tear. "I can't even imagine how Emily must have felt with him. How she must feel now." She sniffed to strengthen her resolve. "But we got the bastard, and that's a good thing."
"I love you, Babe."
"I know." Ranger bent down and kissed her. His whole body relaxed when she responded. "Carlos, can we go home now?"
"Yeah, Babe." He stood off the back of the SUV, lifted her, still wearing in the blanket, and carried her over to his car.
When they returned to the house, Stephanie took a quick shower and then settled into the Jacuzzi bath. She wanted to pre-empt some of the aches and pains she had been warned about. She was very relaxed and was just about to fall asleep in the tub when the door opened, and Ranger came in with a smile and some wine.
"What some company?"
"You read my mind. Someday you're going to have to explain the whole damn ESP thing you've got going."
Ranger stripped off his clothes and stepped into the water behind her. Stephanie leaned forward to give him room, and he settled himself with his arms wrapped around her once again.
"Is the water warm enough for you?" He asked.
"It's fine. But you feel even better."
Ranger spent the next half hour stroking her hair and whispering Spanish sweetness into her ear. Between the wine, the warmth, and the words, it wasn't long before Stephanie fell asleep."
She awoke the next morning with only a vague recollection of how she got from the tub to the bed. She was wrapped in the plush robe she had found in the closet the day before. Her hand had been re-bandaged after the bath, and she groaned at the thought of what her hair looked like after sleeping on it wet. Ranger was gone. She slowly climbed out of the bed and headed into the bathroom, discovering new aches with every step. Twenty minutes later she emerged with her curls contained, her make-up on, and her body still slightly sore. She searched the closet for something to wear. They would start out in warm, sunny Miami this morning, but would end the day back in Philadelphia. She went with the sundress that she had purchased at the mall, but grabbed a sweater that she could wear if it was cool up north. Ranger popped into the room with a cup of coffee, a bottle of water, and two Advil just as she finished dressing.
He smiled at her and gave her a kiss. "Good morning, Babe. How are you feeling today?" He handed her the water and the pills. She swallowed them immediately. He then handed her the coffee.
"Thanks for the coffee." She took a sip. "I slept well, but I'm a little stiff this morning. My hand still burns, but the headache is gone." She turned toward the closet. "I want to pack but I don't have a suitcase big enough to carry all the things we bought here."
"Just leave most of it here. We'll be back again. That way you'll have some clothes already here." He grabbed a duffle and began packing a few of his own things. He picked up the clothes he had discarded the night before and tripped over one of Stephanie's boots. "Babe?"
Stephanie stepped out of the closet. "Yes?"
"Pack the boots…and the dress." He grinned.
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Ranger and Stephanie walked into RangeMan shortly before nine o'clock. There was a 30-minute debriefing on the results of the mission the night before. Since Nick was currently managing RangeMan Miami, Ranger allowed him to run the meeting. Everyone made report, and, overall, it was decided that the mission was successful. Hector and one of the Miami guys planned to research the cigarette disguise and find a safer alternative for future use. It was a good idea, but the resulting injury required that it be investigated for improvement.
As the meeting was dismissed and the conference room cleared, Tony approached Stephanie with a bit of hesitation.
"Bombshell, could I speak to you for a moment?"
"Sure, Tony, I need to see you, too."
Tony guided her down the hall and into a small office. He reached over the desk and picked up a large bouquet of tropical flowers. Tony was nervous as he spoke. "I want to thank you for everything you did for my sister." He handed her the flowers. "We wouldn't have Marcus in custody if it weren't for you. This has been a really difficult time for Emily, and I hope that once we get the trial and all this mess behind us, she can start to heal and reclaim some normalcy back into her life. Thanks to you, she doesn't live in constant fear anymore."
"Tony, these are really beautiful." She reached up to hug him. "But you don't have to thank me. I was glad I could help."
"I'm sorry you got hurt."
"Don't worry about that. You just take good care of your sister. She's lucky to have you." She smiled at him. "By the way," Stephanie reached into her purse and pulled out Cindy's business card. "Ranger and I picked out some things for Emily. My friend Cindy has a shop near here, and she's expecting you to come by and pick it up today. Her hours are on the back." She handed Tony the card and gave him a sly grin. "Cindy is single and very attractive."
Tony blushed. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
There was a knock on the office door and then it opened. "Babe, you ready to go? We have a plane to catch."
"I'm coming." She hugged Tony one last time and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks again for the flowers. Take care of Emily." She turned and followed Ranger into the hall.
As they walked to the elevator, Ranger gave the flowers a speculative look. "Should I be worried?"
"What?" Stephanie feigned innocence "You mean these?" She acknowledged the bouquet.
Ranger lifted a single eyebrow.
"Jealous, Ranger?"
"I don't do jealous. I just eliminate the competition." He growled. The elevator doors opened.
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