S&R are enjoying their Someday while Morelli's trying to rear his ugliness to create a dividing wedge between them.
Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE. The typos are my bad and I post updates as I can.
Ranger's POV
Babe turned to face me, the water sprays hitting her back in the process, as soon as I joined her in the shower. To not tip off the sick bastard that set up the monitoring device in her bedroom, Steph and I dressed quickly with the pretext of getting a bite to eat. It took great effort to keep our composure after the severe invasion of privacy, but we were able to successfully manage the impromptu strategy by focusing solely on each other. We came straight to Rangeman, relaying the situation to Hector on the drive to Haywood.
"Hector just got to your apartment." I shared with Steph that he'll fill us in on his findings no matter the time.
Without a word, Babe nodded. The translucent blue of her eyes told me that she was trying very hard not to burst out in tears. Stephanie, although very resilient and tenacious, tends to bottle up her emotions. Glassy, tear filled eyes are her biggest tell along with the muted color extinguishing the radiant blue of her eyes. On top of it all, I know she's feeling guilty for not saying anything about her incessant Spidey senses going off, repeatedly, screaming an unexplained feeling of being watched prior to staying at Rangeman. To help ease the worry, I assured Babe that she doesn't need to agonize over me. I don't care if someone saw me naked. I'm also fairly certain that given the positioning of the hidden camera, I kept Babe nearly fully blocked from view. Having said that, I, however, do care that someone's been spying on Stephanie. That's an offense I won't let slide unpunished as it was clearly aimed to invade her privacy.
"Steph." Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, Babe allowed me to plaster her to me in a tight hug. Pressed to my front, my lips delivered tiny kisses to the wet curls matted to the side of her head. My lips brushed against her hair as I reminded that we're a team. "We'll get to the bottom of this, Babe. Together."
Again, she nodded, possibly still too shaken up to speak. Despite the emotional rollercoaster, Steph's slim arms snaked around me as she hugged me back. Heat spread across my chest when she kissed the side of my neck, clinging to me hard.
Our shared shower involved some teasing and heated caresses as we cleansed, a natural byproduct of our close intimate proximity. By the time I shut the water off, Babe was looking a bit more relaxed and less stiff.
"Babe." I grinned when I watched her commandeer not just my T-shirt this time, but also a pair of my sweat pants and a crew neck sweater. Stephanie was decked out in head to toe Rangeman approved attire, including the cotton panties Ella embroidered and thick socks she took from my drawer. I watched her closely as she dressed, tracking her movements with a hawk-like focus.
"Bandit strikes again." She joked, flashing a genuine smile at me as I grabbed an identical pair of black sweats and T-shirt. Yes, I looked my fill as she dressed while standing near her completely nude. She too raked her gaze over my body, making it extremely difficult to be disciplined to stay on task instead of throwing her over my shoulder to head back to bed where we should be without any interruptions.
"Babe." With a shake of my head, I snaked an arm around her waist as we moved out of the walk in closet and towards the kitchen.
Comfortable silence settled over us as we uncovered the trays Ella left for our dinner. Ella knows I don't always get to eat the type of balanced meals I prefer when I'm away on a mission, never failing to welcome me back with one of my favorite Cuban dishes. The temple takes a hell of a beating when I'm in the wind sometimes, so indulging in a meal won't kill me, especially when trained mercenaries couldn't.
"You have to eat, Stephanie." I reminded when she barely touched her plate. Steph is a very good eater, devouring anything Ella makes no matter how much on the healthy scale it is. If Babe isn't eating like she normally does, it's a matter of concern.
"I'm not that hungry." Before I could add a rebuttal, Babe confessed she ate when she went after her FTA earlier.
My arched eyebrow got her to share exactly what she meant by that.
"I tracked my FTA, Jose Gonzalez, to a small hole in the wall type restaurant on Broad Street." Steph shared that when she arrived there was a huge lunch rush that had a line literally out the door. "Mama Gonzalez said she'd let me take her son once the rush ended." Babe's tiny smile gave me the indication that this story was about to shift into one that would only happen to Steph.
"What'd you do, Babe?" I asked, mirroring her smile in anticipation of what's to come.
"I agreed, because she struck me as a person that keeps her word." Steph shrugged, saying the small restaurant was really busy. "They had a line out the door and I kinda felt bad. I didn't want to leave her severely short staffed."
"Proud of you, Babe." I said, reinforcing my long standing praise so that she won't forget. Ever.
Stephanie's smile lit up her face, genuinely snapping her back from the problem at hand. Good.
"They were so busy that I offered to help." Steph said she warned Mama Gonzalez that she wasn't good in the kitchen, but was still willing to help.
"What did you do, Babe?" I already know that she helped in any way she could, even without being asked.
"After I cleared tables and refilled the salsa bar, Mama Gonzalez pulled into the line of fire." Conscious of her word choice, Steph assured me that she wasn't being literal. "While she made handmade corn tortillas, I helped make the food orders while my skip grilled meats. She was very patient with me and told me how much she appreciated my help." The beaming smile and sparkling blue eyes was evidence of how proud Babe was of herself. "I'm no expert, but the food's pretty authentic." Fetching her phone out of the sweats pocket, Babe pulled up the restaurant's online reviews.
"Babe." It was my turn to flash a wide grin her way when I scrolled through the reviews and found one that was posted mere seconds ago.
"Dang, they work fast." Standing between my legs, Babe sat on my right thigh without my prompting as she bent her head to look at the screen. "Sheesh, they made me look good at least." Stephanie, as always, tends to discount how beautiful she really is.
"Babe, this is how you look." Someone created a mural outside of the restaurant, painting two mirror images of Steph. In one version, she's decked out in Rangeman black with a full utility belt and a gun strapped to her right thigh. She's twirling a set of handcuffs in one hand. The other version of Babe is wearing an apron and hairnet. Apron wearing Babe is wielding a knife in one hand and tongs in the other. In an ornate script below the images was the phrase 'The baddiest tacos in town'. Looks like the community is calling it a crime that the food is so good, so cheap and isn't yet getting the full recognition it deserves. I have a feeling that's about to change and if they were busy before, they're about to explode.
"I do?" Babe scrunched up her face as she raked her eyes over the painting.
"Yes." I whispered in her left ear. Without having to flick my eyes to look at the screen below, I detailed that she does have the trim waist, flat abdomen and overall enviable figure that's portrayed in the art. She's been working out, training to be better at her job and the results definitely show.
"Stephanie 'Maria Guadalupe' Plum." Babe read from the review that posted the mural photo and a raving review that detailed Steph's selflessness on jumping in to help the busy restaurant when she didn't have to. "Damn, they are fast in coming up with new nicknames. Looks like I'm an honorary latina by association now." Babe's laugh vibrated through her body, instantly absorbed into mine because of our close proximity.
We stayed like that, with Stephanie leaning against me and my hand rubbing soothing circles along her lower back, just enjoying the other's company for long moments as my fingers dipped every now and then below the rolled up waistband of the sweats she commandeered from my closet.
Babe surprised me when she twisted in my hold long moments later, unexpectedly looping an arm around my waist so she could cling to me and not fall off her precarious perch on my leg, and then leaned closer to press her lips against mine. The kiss started out soft and slow, only to morph into a full heated battle of tongues. Our conflagration was as instant and as intense as it could ever be, burning through every cell in our being. My left hand under her shirt was just about to close over her right breast while we were mid-kiss when we were interrupted by the buzzing of my phone.
"Interrupted by the ring." Babe breathed against my mouth, groaning as she shifted to reach the device she was practically sitting on and I was forced to trail my hand lower to splay over her ribs to keep her from toppling over.
"Babe." It was my turn to groan when her deft fingers brushed against my dick in her pocket search for my phone. The coy smile dancing across her kiss swollen lips told me that she may have done it on purpose. Steph knows how to use the ammo I've given her over the years to her advantage.
"Hola." Stephanie greeted when she answered Hector on the third ring. "Si, vos." She nodded at whatever he said even though he couldn't see her. "Okay." With another nod, Babe disconnected. As soon as she placed my cell by hers besides our used dishes, she turned to face me. "Hector's on his way." Her eyes bored into mine, morphing into that deep blue with a darker outer ring that always makes it look like her eyes are glowing.
"Babe." Wrapping both arms around her waist, I kissed her left temple as I stood up. We busied ourselves with clearing our used dishes to kill the small window of time we had before Hector joined us.
As soon as the leftovers were in the fridge and the dishwasher cycle set, my arms were once again keeping Stephanie close. We remained in our safe bubble, holding each other tight, until Babe broke the silence.
"I hate this." Babe shook her head forcefully, clearly upset with the situation. She's done a commendable job fighting the whirlwind of emotions she's entitled to feel. Stephanie let slip that her plans for us upon my return included little outside of us staying tangled in bed together. Hers or mine would be fine for Steph.
Immediately, my wolf grin had Babe blushing profusely. We're both already imagining the uninterrupted escape we'll have once we take care of this as a team.
Smoothly turning the tables on me, I was the one feeling the heat as my excited dick reacted to her sensual attention.
With a mischievously satisfied smile, Stephanie turned on her heel. "I'll get the door and let Hector in while you get yourself under control." Her small breathy chuckle did nothing to extinguish the flames of desire encompassing me, blazing through my iron tight control.
After digging deep into my training, I got myself settled so that I would be able to catch up to Stephanie just seconds after she opened the front door. Her observant eyes raked over me in a quick, discreet assessment as Hector entered. The dark blue filled her eyes completely, making them that much more striking as they bored into me when our gazes locked briefly.
"Babe." I growled on a hiss when she trailed her hand across my lower abdomen in passing, expertly darting out of reach before I could make a grab for her. Oh, payback is sweet, Stephanie. She's definitely enjoying slinging back all the times I did the same exact thing, usually in the alley. She knows that even a tiny brush of her in passing is enough to tip me over the edge.
Hector, either oblivious to our heated undertone or simply choosing to ignore the obvious lust haze between Stephanie and I, got busy logging onto his sophisticated software setups. Hector got right down to it, absolutely ignoring the reignited sexual tension between Babe and I that never really seems to extinguish.
Stephanie tilted her head back to be able to look at me, our gazes locking despite the odd angle because I chose to remain standing. The suspicion was there and having Hector say that given his findings it had to be a certain person, none of us would be shocked with the revelation.
"Didn't find any fingerprints that shouldn't be there." The killer look that crossed Hector's hardened face was loud and clear. He knows who did this, confirming with little doubt what Steph and I were already thinking. Or should I say, who?
"Babe." My hands rested on her shoulders, squeezing in solidarity, to keep her from spiraling deeper into the dark abyss. The constant war waging within her has finally snapped her resolve, making that defeated look flash across her face. I've see that look a few times and I don't like that it's back.
"So, we need cold, hard proof." Stephanie said after a long stretch of haunting silence.
Hector nodded, saying he's set up and ready to track the culprit as soon as he connects with the video feed in Babe's bedroom again.
"Okay." Stephanie nodded, determination etched in her usually friendly, kind features. She's ready to play the long game if needed to catch this asshole with his pants down, possibly literally.
Proud of you, Babe. As if she could read my mind, Babe turned to be able to face me fully. I nodded, reinforcing that I'm on her side and will always be her backup. We'll nab this asshole together as a team.
And once Stephanie's done with him, he'll have me to deal with. I'll make sure he regrets this little stunt. Severely.
S&R
Morelli's POV
Groaning, I scrubbed my hand across my face in annoyance. I have an early morning start to a hellishly long day. I woke up and before I had the chance to jump in the shower, I had to clean the massive horking pile Bob left at the foot of my bed. Of course, in the dark I didn't see the disgusting barf mouthing before my bare foot stepped in it.
"Bob!" I bellowed, to which he ignored me and jumped on my bed while I hobbled across the hall towards the bathroom. I don't have the energy for this shit. And this early too!
A shower and a massive pile of shit Bob left in the backyard before I fed him later, I found that some sort of issue hit my breaker in the night. None of my kitchen outlets have any power. Luckily, I don't have much that will perish in the fridge so I decided to message Mooch to see if he could take a look while I was at work. I really don't have time for this shit! Ugh!
I went to Italian People's Bakery instead of Tasty Pastry because I was starving and they have more filling breakfast options. Late nights working and early morning shifts for the next day just don't mesh with me anymore. My body's screaming that I'm not a young stallion anymore. Heavy caseloads and long hours are hitting hard these days.
Due to my overtaxed senses, I didn't notice the familiar SUV in the otherwise deserted parking lot. It wasn't until I went into the bakery that I wished I'd gone to Tasty Pastry instead.
Standing before me was none other than Cupcake. Even with her back to me, I could tell it was her. How? Well, her curly hair and body build are quite distinctive. For one, she's got those long, long legs. Mmm.
On top of that, her voice filled the small space as she placed her order.
"Thanks." Cupcake said to Pauline Kautz, the daughter in law of the founders of the bakery. Pauline is nice, but she's usually slow. Cupcake just ordered a handful of items, which will take Pauline twice as long to gather than the other openers.
I was contemplating leaving when Cupcake spun on her heel. When she faced me, I was taken aback by the friendly smile that spread across her pretty face. Ignoring her would probably be my best bet, so I was set on doing just that when she took a step closer to hand me one of the two coffees she prepped on the counter.
"Good morning." Cupcake is not, has never been and will probably never, ever be a morning person. The full, bright grin she was sporting was very out of place. In fact, it's not even six in the morning. It's unheard of that Cupcake's ever out of bed before the sun rises. What the hell?
"Morning." I murmured suspiciously as I tentatively took the offered to go coffee cup. Maybe once the caffeine hits I'll be able to be more alert. Something's going on here. Whatever it is has to be apocalyptic for Cupcake to not only be awake but also out of bed!
Cupcake sipped her creamer heavy, sugar laced coffee, moaning as she deemed the flavor swirling in her mouth just the perfect coffee taste.
I remained rooted to my spot, wondering if I was still asleep as I watched her retreating back as she exited the bakery. The whole moaning inside of a bakery is one of my recurring sexy Cupcake dreams.
"It's ready." Pauline called me over, handing me my favorite bagel and cream cheese combo. "Steph paid for it." She said, smiling knowingly. Pauline will happily fuel the Burg's latest gossip topic. Before the day even fully starts for most, everyone will hear about the supposed reconciliation between Cupcake and I.
"Thanks." I took the paper bag and headed out the door, wondering what's the deal with Cupcake. She went from not speaking to me, avoiding me as much as possible, to now going out of her way, very out of her way, to spot my breakfast fuel.
I narrowed my eyes when I took my first swing of coffee, instantly knowing that Cupcake prepped my cup just the way I like it.
She was walking to her latest POS SUV while munching on her bagel. I stayed back, lagging behind so that I could get a better sense of the situation. It's been a few days since I watched her with Manoso. Although they heard my voice, it doesn't seem like they've made the connection yet. I've purposely fought the itch to check in, not wanting to rock the boat or test my luck. The connection is still intact, because I've received a handful of alerts over the past couple of days.
"Shoot!" Cupcake groaned when her car keys slipped from her grasp as she neared the driver's side door, falling just slightly under the SUV.
It was my turn to groan when she bent to pick up said keys, sticking her ass in the air as she did.
Since when did Cupcake get such a biteable bubble butt?
I stood rooted to my spot, literally standing in the middle of the parking lot, as I looked my fill. It could be my imagination, but it took her a little too long to pick up her keys.
A loud honk jolted me out of the dirty thoughts running through my horny mind. The irate driver cursed me heavily, going around me on his quest to get caffeinated. I could have used my badge to bring the asshole down a notch, but I was too busy glancing back at Cupcake.
"Bye!" She motored past me with her driver's side window down, waving at me with that two finger thing she does. Her bright smile seemed out of place as she zoomed beside me.
Confused would be an understatement. Either Cupcake's trying to crawl back to me or Manoso has her so sexed up that she's super mellow. For my sanity, I hope it's the former.
I told you you'd be back, Cupcake. You always come back to me. Always.
Let the Morelli torture begin! What do you think S&R's plan is?