Chapter Five

He watched Stephanie bobbing around in the water for a long time from his seat on the lounge chair, the Corona still in his hand. She was probably out there talking herself in circles. That was one of the problems with Stephanie. She had a tendency to over think things. Had trouble living in the moment without worrying what it might mean for the future.

That was a life skill Ranger had learned the hard way over the years.

It wasn't that he never thought about marriage. And he'd be lying if he said the idea didn't have a certain appeal sometimes. He and Stephanie had shared living space before, mostly in his apartment on the top floor of the Rangeman building. It was usually for no more than a few days at a time. And there hadn't been any sex involved, much to his disappointment. Despite that, he'd actually enjoyed having her around. She could get a little crazy sometimes from being on lockdown when she was in danger, and she could push his buttons and try his patience in ways that were both frustrating and endearing. But he'd always found, at the end of a long and difficult day, that there was something nice about coming home knowing she would be there.

That wasn't something he'd ever thought possible. He'd always lived a solitary lifestyle. He had a network of people who worked for him. People he relied on to do the day to day things he didn't have the time or inclination to do. But he didn't have a lot of people he trusted. And yet, for reasons he didn't fully understand, he trusted Stephanie Plum. Almost from the beginning.

Of course he noticed the first day he met her that she was hot. Sexy in a spunky sort of way. But she'd also been a good catholic girl. Not the kind you mess around with. And from what he could tell at the time, she wasn't the messing around type anyway. No boyfriends. Didn't date. Definitely didn't engage in no-strings-attached sex with bounty hunting mercenaries.

She eventually got a little thing going with Morelli, which made sense given their history. They'd grown up together. Lost her virginity to him when they were in high school. Not that it had been love or anything. Based on his reputation, Morelli had nailed every girl in Trenton by the time he was twenty.

After a few months of sleeping together without any real commitment, she'd ended up dumping his ass. And that had put Ranger in a difficult position. Until that moment, he'd been pretty good at convincing himself that Steph was off limits. She'd been a temptation, sure. There were times, like when they'd sat together for hours on stakeouts, or when she'd have the audacity to be a smartass to him when everyone else was too afraid, that it was sometimes hard to control his thoughts.

Knowing there was suddenly a vacancy in her bed had been more temptation than he could ignore. Especially when he realized the attraction was mutual.

The temptation didn't go away when she got back with Morelli. Or when they found themselves sort of engaged after a hormone induced proposal in front of Mama Morelli and the crazy grandmother. If anything, knowing Steph could have a future was someone else and still wanted to sleep with him was even better than the possibility of having her for himself. If she had been willing to act of her desires, he would have fallen into that role in a heartbeat.

At least, that's what he thought. When the moment finally came, it had been far more powerful than either of them expected. The release hadn't been all physical. There'd been something deeper. Something scary. He'd pulled back like a man burned. Pushed her toward Morelli again because he knew no good would come of it. He couldn't change who he was or what he'd done. And she deserved better than a casual affair with a man who couldn't give her a real relationship.

Too little too late, it turns out. He hadn't realized it right away, but after that night something changed between them. It wasn't until later that he realized how attached he'd gotten. To the point where the only word he could use to fit how he felt about her was love.

He didn't know how Steph felt about him beyond the physical attraction. She'd never said out loud and he wasn't about to ask her. Didn't really want to know. It would complicate things if her feelings ran as deep as his.

Steph loved Morelli. He might be an ass sometimes, but he was a good guy who loved her. He didn't always understand her. Wanted her to settle down and stop chasing shadows, something she wasn't in any way ready to do. Might never be ready to do. But at least he had potential to be what she needed.

If Steph was ever unlucky enough to fall in love with Ranger, it wasn't likely to have a happy ending. As much as he might wish otherwise sometimes. He lived a solitary life. Kept his own counsel. It would have just been cruel if he tried to add a wife and a family.

Steph ducked under the water and popped back up again, waving to him. He smiled. She really was incredible. How she could brighten his mood with so little effort was something he'd never figure out.

She padded back up the beach across the hot sand and flopped down into her chair, the sun glinting off the drops of water and flecks of sand that clung to her legs. "Feel better?" he asked her.

"Maybe. Might want another pineapple."

A grin lifted his mouth. "You want to drink it here or take it home?"

She hesitated a second, the shadow fluttering across her face again. She steadied herself and tried to move on. "Home," she said at last.

Ranger stood and walked several feet to the central bar to order her another drink. He turned to watch her while he waited. Her head was leaned back against the chair, her body soaking up the sun. He knew she'd be scanning the beach. Watching for some sign of their quarry. It made him proud.

When the bartender gave him the pineapple, he looked down at the little umbrella and almost smiled. "Put another umbrella in there. She thinks they're cute."

The bartender grinned.

Steph looked ready to go when he got back to her. He gave her the pineapple and picked up her things from the sand. He fit her sandals on her feet and offered her a hand to help her up. He tied the wrap around her himself so that he could touch parts of her without drawing too much attention. It didn't satisfy him as much as he had hoped.

She turned to leave and he pulled her back, dragging her up against him. He kissed her before she had a chance to object and was gratified when she melted into him. He slid a hand over her ass and held her tight to his body, tasting her until she lost her breath and the walls came down again.

"Ready," he asked her. She gave him a numb nod. She was ready alright. A crooked grin lifted his mouth and he kissed her just once more, slinging an arm around her neck when they started for the cottage.

They rinsed off most of the beach sand with the outdoor shower on the lanai at the back of their cottage and headed inside. Ranger set his gun on his bedside table. His ring next to his gun.

They settled into the warm, bubbling water and he could see Steph melt. Only one thing relaxed Steph more than a soak in the spa. Well, two if you counted birthday cake. He caught her hand under the water and floated her toward him. She settled easily between his knees, her back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and brushed a kiss to her temple.

She took another sip from her drink and settled into him even more. She let out a sigh. "I think this pineapple is getting me a little drunk."

He laughed. "It doesn't take a lot, in my experience."

"Would it take a lot to get you drunk?"

"Used to."

Steph took another sip and let her head roll back onto his shoulder. Her dark curls were nearly black on his bronze skin, twisting in waves along his chest. She smelled like fruit and rum. He had a feeling if she drank the rest of that pineapple, she'd end up more than just a little drunk. He kissed her forehead and relaxed around her. Enjoying the feel of her body rubbing against his under the water.

"I don't think I've ever seen you relax this much," she said. "You're usually so busy."

"I'll admit I don't get a lot of downtime these days. Mostly just when I'm with you."

"Are you saying you spend all your downtime with me?"

"When I can."

"So what does that make me? You're favorite form of entertainment?"

He nestled her tighter against him, his mouth grazing her jaw line. "You are pretty entertaining. And not just for me. You've got a smart mouth and things tend to catch fire and explode around you. Every man in my organization finds you entertaining."

"Great."

He laughed. "Babe. That's not the only reason I like to spend time with you."

"Then why?"

"I have to tell you?"

"Maybe."

He considered that a second, and then he lifted the drink out of her hands and set it on the decking outside the hot tub. It wasn't possible for her not to know how he felt. He'd told her he loved her enough times. But knowing and understanding were apparently two different things. And talking about it wasn't likely to help anything. He traced his lips down the side of her face and onto her neck, leading out toward her shoulder, his clever hands searching her body for the ties on her bikini. "It's easier to show you."

"So this is about sex?" she asked, her words getting inarticulate. Given what he was touching, it wasn't likely it was just from the drinks.

He lifted her bikini top out of the water and tossed it out onto the decking. "It's about more than sex."

"Like what?"

He untied her bikini bottoms too and dropped them onto the deck next to her top, leaving her completely naked. "Babe," he said in her ear. "We could have a deep, meaningful conversation about feelings that might not end well. Or I could make love to you until you see colors."

The choice was easy after that. By the time they left the spa, Steph was boneless and satisfied, her guard all but gone again. He took his black suit out of the closet where he'd hung it and left her to get dressed. It didn't take him long to be ready. He called into the restaurants to make reservations and then wandered back toward the bedroom. He passed her black messenger bag. She wasn't likely to carry it to dinner with them. He lifted the flap and pulled out the little GPS unit he'd tucked into the lining and went into their bedroom.

Steph was a vision in a white lacey sundress. It was sleeveless, with a low cut neck that hung loose enough to show a hint of cleavage. She didn't have a lot of cleavage, but he liked what was there. The hem of the skirt came down just above her knees. High enough that he wanted to slide a hand up her thigh just to see her eyes warm.

She wore a conflicted look until she sensed him in the doorway. It was gone when her eyes poured down the simple black suit. "Didn't Noah get these clothes for you sight unseen? This looks like it's been tailored."

"Noah's good at following instructions."

"Noah's magic."

A smile tipped up the corner of his mouth, his eyes doing a slow scan of her dress. "He's not the only one."

That lightened Steph's mood even more. She always did like the way he flirted.

He picked up the little clutch purse she'd set out to go with her dress and slipped the GPS into the back pocket. "This is pretty, but it's a little light. I'm guessing your S&W isn't in it."

"I figured we didn't both need guns."

Ranger's brow rose slightly.

"We're just going to dinner. And it wouldn't fit."

"I knew I was right about the holster for your inner thigh."

"Because that's just what I need. To take something designed to create small explosions and strap it to my lady parts."

He smiled. "If you want to cancel our reservations and stay in again tonight, I'd be happy to demonstrate my dedication to your lady parts' well being."

"You made reservations? I thought we were going to look in all the restaurants."

"We are, but some are harder to get into than others, and this is a good way to get a look at who else is making reservations. There's no way of predicting what name he'll be using, but there's often a pattern. If I see any partials of his known aliases, it could give us a place to start."

"Smart thinking."

"That's why they pay me the big bucks, Babe."

o o o

The first restaurant was a bistro on the ground floor of the main hotel. It was only half full, since it was still early. He'd made a point to ask for a table in the back corner. He did it everywhere he went. Being cautious was the reasons he was still breathing. He hadn't lived a safe life. Not for a lot of years. When you've made that many enemies, it was always smart to sit with your back to the wall.

He ordered an appetizer and watched the room with Stephanie. They had a good vantage point. Full view of the entrances and exits. He wasn't sure how focused Steph was going to be, though. She drank herself right up to the line earlier. Add an hour in the hot tub and she was just shy of marinated. He figured he should give her another hour before he ordered any more drinks.

The appetizer came and Steph only stared at it. Raw tuna with avocado on wafer crisps. Ranger took a bite and then raised an eyebrow at her when she hesitated.

"It's raw."

"And?"

"Seems risky."

Now he was amused. "Babe, I've seen you pack away a half dozen doughnuts in a single sitting. You wanna talk risky?"

"That's different. Doughnuts aren't raw."

"I've seen you eat raw cookie dough, too."

"Still different."

The smile won out. "Tell you what. I'll let you order at the next place."

"Deal."

They sat for half an hour watching the main lobby through the entrances. No Ruguzzis. Ranger paid the check.

The next place was a lounge, and it was more than half filled. A lot of the patrons had sunburned faces and happy smiles. A more cheerful atmosphere than the bistro. More drinking and excited conversations.

Ranger settled back in his chair with his arms folded over his chest when the waiter asked what they wanted. Steph was looking over the menu with a shrewd eye. As if she wasn't just going to order the unhealthiest thing on the menu. She glanced at Ranger and then looked up at the waiter with a perfectly straight face. "We'll have the nachos. Extra cheese."

A grin pulled at Ranger's mouth. "You never disappoint."

She gave him a dirty look she didn't mean.

Turned out the nachos weren't so bad after all. He didn't usually eat that sort of thing. Tried to keep his body in peak performing condition. But the fresh queso looked pretty good, with fresh tomatoes and peppers and chilies. Steph was surprised when he took a couple bites. Steph still thought he lived off of tree bark and wild roots.

By the time they got to the third restaurant, dinner service was in full swing. He'd been careful to time the reservations right, so they were walking up to the hostess' podium right at seven o'clock. The first two places had been a bust. Not a lot of people had bothered making reservations. And none of the ones that had had a name near enough to any of The Rug's aliases to make it worth investigating. He had higher hopes for this place. The tables were packed. The walk in line at least ten parties deep.

He offered the hostess his most charming smile when she asked for his name. "Manoso," he said with velvet in his voice, holding her gaze. "I requested a special, intimate table for me and my wife."

He'd just been trying to distract her enough to get a glimpse of the reservations list, but the hostess flushed bright red and her jaw gaped open. He knew he was handsome in a bad boy sort of way. Dressed in black, with dark eyes that reflected his dangerous life. It wasn't unusual for women to give him a second look. Or a third. The bold ones offered propositions with furtive caution, like they were trying to pet a tiger.

The hostess looked like she'd just had an out of body experience.

He took his time looking at the list while she pulled herself together.

Took a minute.

"Yes. Of course," she said, following his eye line. "Table 17. If you'll come with me."

Steph tucked her hand into his elbow and the hostess flushed again, trying not to look at her. Must be kind of awkward lusting after a married man in front of his wife.

Steph leaned into him. "That was mean. You nearly made that poor girl wet her pants."

"I guess my aim was a little off. You require a lot more effort than most women."

"Is that a bad thing?"

He looked down at her with a carnivorous smile. Not a bad thing. Not even close.

He pulled out a chair for her, his hands brushing her shoulders when he slid her back into place. He felt her shudder. She tried to stay cool. "See anything helpful after you gave the hostess an aneurism?" she asked, watching him.

"It's possible." He settled into the chair beside her so that his back faced the corner. "I saw Terron on the reservations list from yesterday. It's pretty close to one of the aliases The Rug was using in Trenton. Taroni. Could be a coincidence, but it's worth checking out."

"Did you get a room number?"

"The hostess's finger was covering the rest."

"And she looked like she'd lost feeling in her extremities."

"I've been known to have that effect."

"So how do we check it out? If you turn on the charm again she might combust."

His mouth tipped up in a half smile. "Can't have that, can we?"

When the waiter came by, Ranger ordered two glasses of wine, and a salad for himself. Steph was still eyeing the menu. There was a covetous look on her face, as if she was warring between being practical and giving in to her baser urges. It was a look he knew all too well. And given Steph's track record with self control, it usually worked out pretty well for him.

He saw it when she gave in. "I'll have the steak and lobster."

The waiter nodded and left. Ranger turned an amused eye to her. "You just did some Olympics-level rationalizing, didn't you?"

"Are you saying I shouldn't have ordered the lobster?"

"I'm saying if you'd looked any more excited, I might have been jealous."

Steph rolled her eyes at him. "You don't get jealous."

The slight rise in his brow was his only answer. She should have known better than that. Just because he let Morelli keep her all this time didn't mean he liked it. He never liked it. And they all knew damn well that he could have slipped in at any point and seduced her away from him. The only thing that kept him from doing it was knowing that it wouldn't have been fair. Not to her.

Steph shifted in her seat and changed the subject. "So, where do we go from here?"

"I know where I'd like to go from here."

"I mean with the room number."

Ranger was still amused when he scanned the crowd. "We'll try and catch a glimpse on the way out. Shouldn't be too difficult."

The waiter brought a bottle of wine to the table and filled their glasses. Before long, he came back with a filet mignon and a whole lobster tail on a large oval plate, garnished with steamed vegetables. He set Ranger's salad in front of him.

Steph couldn't help the mocking grin. "Mmm. That salad looks good. Very filling."

"The body's a finely tuned machine, Babe. Gotta take care of it," he looked over at her plate. "Let's just hope you don't have to run later."

"Who would I be running from exactly?"

There was wolf in his smile when he met her eyes. She swallowed.

He finished eating before she did, leaning back in his chair so that he could watch with fascinated curiosity while she packed away 15 oz. of surf and turf. She tried to offer him some, but he declined. At a certain point it seemed to have become a marathon sport, and he felt like he was waiting at the finish line to see if she would be able to make it across. By the last bite, she was looking full but oddly happy.

"Can you handle dessert?" he asked her, hiding a smile. "We could call it a night."

"What do you think?"

His smile widened when he passed the waiter his shining black credit card.

Steph stepped ahead of him on the way out so that she could talk to the hostess without his interference. Probably sparing the girl more awkwardness. She spun some lie about her friend Tootie Terron having dropped an emerald earring at her table last night. She said it with enough sincerity that even he was starting to wonder if it was true. The girl bought every inch. Even went through the trouble of having someone look for the earring that never existed while Steph got a good look at the page of reservations. Steph thanked her when they didn't find it and Ranger put a hand to her back to guide her out. "Smooth," he said in her ear.

"That's why they ought to pay me the big bucks."

He slung an arm around her shoulders with a swell of pride. "Make this capture and they will."