It was one of the more formal nights to dine on the cruise and I was sure they planned all sorts of exciting foods for us. I had the most gorgeous sapphire blue dress to wear with some strappy silvery blue heels to go with it. The dress looked amazing, but it definitely called for the sapphires that Brian's mother had left for me. I decided to wear all the pieces but the ring. I saw no point in causing any speculation.

The dress clung to my curves and accented my breasts making them look larger than their 34B+ size. I almost seemed to have a C cup. But I knew that was a dream I'd never achieve without massive weight gain. Sometimes I thought it would be worth it to have big boobs, but then I'd look down at my sculptured abdomen that I'd worked so hard on and immediately changed my mind. I was a B cup without surgery. I had to accept that.

I knew once I got my curls to do as I wanted them to do that I looked pretty good. But when I heard Ranger's indrawn breath when he emerged from the bathroom with his tie in his hand, I knew I'd been completely successful. Granted, Ranger isn't usually talkative. But what he lacks in conversation is usually made up for with dark, hungry looks and I was getting one of those big-time.

"You look wonderful," I sighed and motioned him to the chair so I could tie his tie.

"You...," he swallowed. "You're beautiful. I'll be beating men off with sticks tonight…and Molly."

I smiled, "welcome to my world. I'll have to take my gun to keep Louisa away from you."

He smiled and kissed my hand as I tied his tie.

"There you are, you're gorgeous as usual," I smiled.

He got to his feet and bent to kiss the corner of my mouth, "I wouldn't want to mess up your lipstick this early."

"No…not this early," I agreed.

We headed for the dining room and our regular table. Tank and Lula were definitely missing from their table. I sighed.

"This sucks," Ranger said.

"Yea…they're going to be too tired from having sex to have sex on their honeymoon, I sighed.

He gazed at me as though I'd grown another head.

My father leaned over and patted my hand, "Pumpkin…it doesn't work that way."

"It doesn't," I blinked.

"Oh no," Grandma said with a happy sigh. "Why me and Burt wouldn't even leave our room if the sheets didn't have to get changed."

I swallowed back the bile and turned my head, "good for you Grandma."

"You and the Package ought to experiment and find that out," she howled with laughter.

"Now I'm just 'the package'," Ranger scowled.

"Well…she could call you something worse dear," my mother said patting his hand. "She called Frank douche bag for the first two years we were married. She only stopped because Valerie was born."

"I think if I'd never provided her with granddaughters she'd still be calling me that today," my father said morosely.

"That doesn't seem right," Ranger shook his head.

"Edna's never really been one to keep her feelings to herself," he said seriously.

"You mean she's always been like this," he blinked.

"My entire life," my mother said shaking her head.

"I just don't know what to say," he blinked.

"Be glad you have a nice package," I whispered, "or she'd call you something worse."

"Hmm," he nodded as the wine steward put several bottles of wine on the table.

Dinner was amazing. Molly stopped by our table to let us know that Tank and Lula were enjoying the same meal in their cabin. She seemed embarrassed by something and I guess they weren't sitting around sadly crying over the thought of missing dinner with their guests. I guessed they had been naked and Lula had been screaming Tanks name. By the look on Molly's face, I'd say she saw and heard way more than made her strictly comfortable.

The decadent dessert they finally put in front of me was beautiful. It was a piece of art.

"What's wrong," Ranger asked.

"It's too beautiful to eat," I sighed.

He put his hand to my forehead, "you don't have a fever."

"What," I blinked at him.

"That dessert has been in front of you for three minutes. It's chocolate and you haven't touched it."

"I'm not really hungry anymore," I sighed and put my napkin on the table by my dessert plate.

My mother gasped. She got up and hurried around the table and put her cheek to my head, "she doesn't have a fever. What's wrong dear?"

"Nothing Mom," I said patiently. "I'm just not hungry."

"That singer from Chile sure likes her dessert," Grandma said.

I followed her eyes to where Louisa was sitting within Ranger's straight view eating her dessert. She waited until he glanced over at her before sucking on the chocolate on her spoon and then licking her lips. "What the hell? Is this some kind of porn cruise?"

"Is she having the same thing we are," my father asked with a frown.

My mother rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Yes dear. If you were from South America, I'm sure you'd eat your dessert the same way."

"Not unless Daddy was trying to get into Ranger's pants," I growled.

"It's as though she don't even know you're there," Grandma blinked.

"She just doesn't care. She's a piranha," I hissed.

"She wants Ranger dear," my mother turned in her seat to study the woman. "She's a bit too tarty for Ranger if you ask me."

"Thank you Ellen," Ranger said serenely.

"You're welcome dear," she smiled. "Honestly Stephanie, if a girl has to work that hard to get a man's attention, then she has some issues that are best not discussed in public."

"Oh she's got issues all right," I sighed. "You should have let me bring my gun," I said to Ranger.

"If you shot her there would be miles of red tape," he reminded me.

"I hate red tape," I sighed.

"Exactly," he agreed kissing my head. "If you're finished with dinner, why don't we go dancing for a while?"

"Sure," I agreed.

Ranger got up and pulled my chair out and led me out of the lounge with my parents and grandma and Burt following. The lounge was already teeming with people from the first dinner seating. Ranger simply pulled me to the dance floor.

"Your mother's right," he whispered in my ear as we danced. "She must have issues if she's willing to behave like that in public to get a man that's with someone else."

"Maybe she doesn't think we're together," I suggested.

"Babe…we share a cabin. We're doing just about everything together. What else would she think?"

"Well…you know, we're not…"

"That's your choice," he reminded me. "I'd be more than willing to reduce your need for pie at any time."

"Right," I swallowed and felt my body tighten with need.

His hand drifted down to my ass. He didn't cup it, he just caressed. I was going to need two pies tonight at this rate.

I closed my eyes and buried my face in his neck letting the sensations his hands were bringing me wash over me in delicious waves. He knew how to touch me. He knew where to touch me. I was drowning.

"May I cut in," she said.

It was as though someone had poured cold water on me.

"Perhaps later," Ranger said.

"That's all right," I said pulling away from him. "Please…I need a breath of fresh air." I left Ranger on the dance floor and that woman…that Chilean floozy immediately draped herself around him.

I went straight outside to the deck and inhaled trying to calm myself. He wouldn't let me shoot her, so I couldn't be that close to her. I felt my hackles rise whenever she came near me. But then again…hadn't I just given her what she wanted…my date.

I growled and headed back inside with my head high and my attitude pure Jersey. If the bitch wanted war, she was about to get a war.

"Excuse me," I tapped her shoulder. "I've changed my mind."

"You can't do that," she said silkily.

"I can do whatever I want. Step away from him…now," I hissed.

"He doesn't want me to," she said rubbing up and down his body with hers.

"Skank," I hissed.

"Vanilla," she laughed as her hand moved down his shirt.

He caught her hand just as Marco joined us.

"I prefer Vanilla," Ranger said softly and reached for me. "It never disappoints." He pulled me away and we danced off.

"I'm going to kill the bitch," I hissed.

"She does seem to be instigating," he said thoughtfully. "I'm sure that the cruise line doesn't encourage that kind of behavior."

"I'm sure," I sighed relaxing against him.

He tilted my chin up, "she's not my type."

"How do you know? You don't even know what your type is."

He smiled, "you'd be surprised."

"Would I," I shook my head.

"Come on," he pulled me out the doors onto the deck. "Maybe we do need some air."

"Maybe," I sighed.

Enrique came to Ranger and whispered something and the two men excused themselves from me leaving me on the deck by the rail.

"Ms. Plum," Marco said softly joining me at the rail, "please allow me to apologize for my partner. Louisa is accustomed to having men fall at her feet. She's accustomed to having them buy her diamonds and she's very accustomed to setting her sights on a man, on any man and getting her way. I'm afraid she doesn't seem to have a…moral clause when it comes to whether or not the man is with someone or not."

"Apparently not," I agreed.

"She's a child," he shrugged. "You're a woman. You understand about these things. A man who looks at a woman the way your man looks at you, she's not concerned about the desperate acts of a woman who has no one in her life. Are you?"

"I've considered throwing her off the ship," I said blandly.

"Please don't do that," he said with a smile. "You have no idea how difficult it is to find a singer who can work a room like Louisa can. I searched for a long time to find her."

"I'll try to control my impulses. If she can keep her hands to herself," I shrugged, "I won't toss her overboard."

"I'd appreciate that," he sighed. "This entire cruise is just not normal. Normally the cruise is filled with older couples and some young women. Louisa usually confines her flirting to the crew and to me. On this cruise, there are dozens of handsome young men and I'm afraid that her instincts have been ignited by all the testosterone."

I laughed, "You make her sound like a feral cat."

"She is one," he agreed with a smile. "She has this urge to mate…a lot."

"And do you usually supply her with mating material?"

"I don't mate with her," he shook his head with a laugh. "No…Louisa is too volatile for me. I'm one of those men who prefer his women to be a little more…docile," he sighed. "That's not the word either, but less combustible."

"That is understandable."

"Louisa is like fire. She's an element. Your…Ranger is an element too I think."

"Yes," I said softly. "He's like fire too. But his flame is far more contained."

"That is a lesson Louisa could learn," he said sadly.

"Yes, she should," I agreed.

"Come back inside with me. We'll dance until your Ranger returns and I'll keep Louisa at bay."

"That would be nice," I smiled and let him lead me back inside.

Ranger appeared in the doorway a few minutes later searching the room. Louisa, unfortunately, saw him before I did. She made a beeline and was already at his side by the time I'd found him in the room. I knew he was there, I could feel the prickles on the back of my neck. But she still got to him first.

Marco and I made our way across the room to where the woman was rubbing all over him again. Ranger was doing his best to appear uninterested and bored. That probably incited her even more.

"You're back," I said quietly.

"Hmmm," he glanced over at the she-devil beside him.

"Marco…they'll never find her in deep water," I reminded him.

"Louisa," he sighed, "get off of Mr. Manoso before you have us thrown off the ship in the next port." He grabbed her hand.

"But I want him," she said running her hands under his jacket.

Ranger caught her hand as it went dangerously low, "Keep your hands off of me. I am not interested in whatever you have to offer. I am here with someone else. Don't touch me again."

She gasped and pouted up at him. "You'll be sorry you said that. You'll be very, very sorry," she said and ran off.

Marco sighed, "I'm sorry." He went after her.

"Slut," I growled low.

"I'm not interested in her," he said pulling me against him. "I'm only interested in you. So…why don't we go back to our cabin and make sure that you have no desire for pie tonight?"

I was thinking about what he said. I really was. I didn't want to eat pie later. I'd much rather have a social orgasm from Ranger of its usual epic proportions. I probably would have said yes, but there was a scream. It was a familiar scream too.

"That's my mother," I blinked and starting running toward the sound.

I found her and my father at the bottom of the stairs on the next deck up. At their feet was Score and unless I missed my guess, he was dead.