This wasn't what I originally intended to write for this chapter, but it sort of happened anyway so the story is going to take a little side trip. All characters belong to Janet. The mistakes are mine. Warnings for a little smut.
Chapter 14
"Ranger," I said, coming into his office on five,"I found it."
"Found what, Babe?"
"Where I want to have the wedding."
He looked up from his monitor."That was quick," he said.
I played hooky from work today and spent the morning seriously looking for potential wedding sites.
"Are you busy?" I asked him.
"Not for you."
I walked over to Ranger and sat down in his chair with him. He's the one who started the habit so I don't see why I should stop doing it now.
"I thought you were sleeping in this morning?" Ranger said to me, sliding his hand up and down my back.
I gave a happy sigh and leaned against his chest.
"I did for a little while, but staying in bed has less appeal when you're not in it, so I thought I'd do a little online looking."
"You found our wedding site on a website?"
"Yeah. At least, I think I did. If you agree to it, and the place is actually like it's advertised. All I did was type in Atlantic City wedding venues and there it was."
"You want to get married in Atlantic City?" He asked me.
"I thought it would be fun. The place is big enough. It's not in Trenton, but it's also not all that far away. It's right on the beach. And the best thing of all is that my mother will hate it."
"Why do I have a feeling that you purposely picked a casino city to piss off your mother?"
"She only figured into it a little," I told him."We've been joking about Vegas so much, I thought this would be funny. Plus, if we do it on a Friday, everyone who has the weekend off can have a good time at the casino while we're having fun with each other. No one else gets you, so the slots might be a good consolation prize."
"Show me what you found," Ranger told me, nodding to his computer.
I typed in the name and clicked on images of the place to show Ranger why I fell in love with it.
"You know, I'm thinking of changing my profession to wedding planner," I told Ranger."This was a piece of cake to find. They take care of the decorating. And the food, too. All we have to do is pick a date, make a couple of menu and flower decisions, and then show up."
"Babe, I don't think you should give up your day job. Some people want more elaborate weddings. If you had to be in charge of every flower arrangement, appetizer, and seating chart, you'd find yourself longing for the days of chasing unwashed fugitives."
"Maybe not the unwashed ones," I said, thinking back on some of my nastier skips.
"Babe."
"See how perfect it is?" I said to Ranger."We can get married practically on the beach without worrying about the weather." I clicked on another picture."We also have the option of having the ceremony closer to sunset for a more romantic feel, or in the afternoon with a clear view of the ocean behind us. We can also do the pictures outside on their terrace. And if my mother starts annoying me, I can just push her off of it."
"You seem like you're enjoying your relationship with her now."
"It's the same principle as mine and Lester's. Once I realized their bark is worse than their bite, I can goad them without worrying about contracting rabies."
"Santos would love that analogy," Ranger told me."It does look like a nice place. Do you want to call them first to see what dates they have open or just drive down?"
"I'll call first to see if it's possible to get a date so soon. If they have something open, then we can go take a look. I would have contacted them already, but I wanted to clear it with you first."
"Consider it cleared. We can check it out next week."
"Okay."
"Since you're already typing," Ranger said,"how about checking the temperature in Miami."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because we're going to be there tomorrow," Ranger told me.
"Really? Wait ... is something wrong?"
"Nothing that won't be fixed in a day or two, but we can stay a few days if you'd like. Since you can't do a lot physical activity with your arm still healing, I figured you might like to come with me."
"I'd come with you even if my arm was fine," I told him."Will we be back for dinner with the guys?"
"You'd rather be in Trenton with my men than in sunny Miami with me?" Ranger asked.
"Of course not," I assured him."I plan on monopolizing all your free time while we're there. But I do really like hanging out with everyone. They're a lot more laid back when they aren't working. And it's nice to see them laughing and having fun instead of getting hurt."
"They like hanging out with you, too, Babe. Just not as much as I do," Ranger said, shutting his computer down."How about we spend a little time together now?"
"Lead the way, Batman," I told Ranger, getting off his lap and taking his hand.
I was looking forward to going to Miami, and hopefully getting to meet the guys who work there, but first I plan on savoring a little taste of Cuba before I pack.
Ranger stopped at Tank's office before we hit the elevator. He didn't tell me to give him a minute so I followed him inside.
"Hi, Tank," I said."Guess where we're headed?"
"Miami or Boston?" He asked.
"Miami. I wouldn't be this excited otherwise."
"You're a cheap date, Babe. All you need is a beach and you're happy."
"A plane ticket isn't exactly cheap," I told Ranger.
"Considering what Ranger could do if he wasn't worried about freaking you out," Tank told me,"a plane ticket is nothing."
"Don't tell me that, Tank," I said to him."I don't want to know how much money Ranger has."
"You're a strange woman," Tank told me.
"Yep. And I'm proud of it. What exactly am I being strange about this time?"
"Most women like knowing that their boyfriend, fiance, or husband is worth a lot, but Ranger's financial abilities seem to bother you."
"I wouldn't say it bothers me exactly, but there's more to like about Ranger than his superhero status and net worth."
"That's good to hear, Babe."
"It's true," I told him, bumping his shoulder with mine.
"How long are you going to be gone?" Tank asked Ranger.
"A couple of days to a week," Ranger told him.
"Like my life wasn't complicated enough," Tank said.
"Are you going to be free for a Shorty's night when we get back?"
"If nothing happens that causes me to kill someone in that time. Why? You ready for another night out?"
I smiled, and it might have been a little on the evil side.
"Yeah. I'm thinking of getting Mary Lou off the hook and sticking my mom on it for trying to use my pregnant best friend to get to me."
"What are you planning now, Babe?"
"A bridal shower my mother won't be able to forget ... even with tons of therapy."
"You can't stop at just the wedding?" Ranger asked me.
"I really do love the place I showed you. The fact that it will also bug my mother is just a happy accident. And she of all people should know that if you mess with my best friend, you're going to pay."
"Dinner at Shorty's will do that?" Tank asked.
"Maybe not," I told him,"but Shorty's combined with Ella and all the guys here will."
"You're not only strange, but scary, too," Tank told me.
"You might want to keep that in mind," I warned him.
"You were right," Tank told Ranger."You did find the right woman for you."
"And in a couple of weeks, she'll be legally bound to me."
"You might want to reword that," I told Ranger.
Though I'm no longer panicky at the thought of agreeing to marry someone again ... if that someone is Ranger.
"I don't have to, Steph," Ranger told me."I'll be bound to you, too."
Hmm ... Ranger bound leads to all kinds of interesting thoughts.
"Ranger," Tank said,"are you sure you want to be left alone with her? I don't trust that look she's wearing."
"Oh ... I'm sure," Ranger said, giving me a similar look back.
Miami is sounding better and better every minute.
"I want to be there by tomorrow afternoon at the earliest," Ranger told Tank.
"I'll take care of it," Tank said.
"Sorry you're stuck here and can't come with us," I said to him.
"No you're not."
"I am a little. If we had the chance to check out South Beach while we're in Miami, imagine how much fun a party would be there with all of us. The women would drown in their own drool if they got a look at all of you."
"Should I be thanking you for saying that?" Tank asked.
"No," Ranger told him.
"You can if you want," I said to Tank.
"You might want to stay away from South Beach," Tank said to me."I won't be there to keep Ranger from seriously hurting someone who makes the mistake of hitting on you."
I rolled my eyes at that. I was pretty sure Tank was kidding.
"I'll make sure I bring you guys back something," I promised Tank.
"Like a baby?" Tank said, an irritating grin on his face.
"Unless they sell them in gift shops in Miami," I said,"there will be no baby. Maybe not even then."
"If you say so. Do you know how many people go on vacation and bring back a little something extra?"
"Ranger," I said,"make him stop talking."
"My life would be a lot easier if I could figure out how to shut him up when he feels like speaking."
"I'm not so sure I want to go now," I said to Ranger.
"You're going. And you'll come back in the same condition as you left."
"No, I want to come back a little different. Like with a slight tan and new clothes."
"Babe."
"You're not pregnant now, are you?" Tank said, openly smiling now."Then you would come back in the same condition as you left."
"I. Am. Not. Pregnant." I told him."And I'm going to remain that way ... so shut up."
"Tank," Ranger said,"if you just ruined our trip by scaring Stephanie, I'm going to spend any time I'm not working, or with her, thinking up ways of torturing you when I get back."
"Sorry, Boss," he said.
Tank didn't look sorry at all. And when I narrowed my eyes at him, Tank just laughed.
"I'm going to head upstairs and start deciding what to pack."
"I'd suggest leaving the sexy clothes at home," Tank added, when I was out of reach.
I resisted the urge to turn back around and deck him, but I kept walking. Ranger had less self-control. I heard his fist hit something of Tank's. It couldn't have been a serious punch, because I could hear Tank say he'd see us in a few days, so I wasn't surprised when Ranger joined me before the elevator doors had a chance to close.
When we got inside the apartment, I made a beeline for the bedroom, knowing that if I got naked with Ranger, no packing would get done. Ranger came in behind me and settled himself on the bed. He stretched out on his back, arms crossed under his head, his eyes following me around the room as I dug through drawers and ransacked the closet.
What would I need for a trip to Florida this time of the year? We had another month or so before summer temperatures hit here. New Jersey springs can fluctuate up to fifteen degrees in a twenty-four hour period. I had no idea what it'd be like down there. Ranger obviously wasn't worried. Ranger didn't have to pack. The apartment at the Miami branch of Rangeman is probably a carbon copy of this one. With uniforms, business suits, and whatever else he needed to look like he does at a moment's notice. Since Ella is here, and I've never been to Miami, I doubt Ranger's closet and bathroom down there are filled with my usual crap, so I had to make sure I had everything I needed. Unless I decide to use this as an excuse to do more shopping when I get there.
"Babe," Ranger said from the bed,"I haven't seen that black bikini go into your suitcase yet."
He finally decides to be helpful and that's what he focuses on?
"Will we have time to hit the beach while we're there?"
"You don't have to be on a beach to wear it, Steph."
"I'm not parading around your apartment in a bikini just so you can ogle me."
"Why? I'd walk around naked if you wanted me to."
"You walk around naked anyway," I told him,"even if I'm not around to appreciate it."
"Pack it, Babe. You'll have someplace to wear it outside of the apartment. The white one, too."
I added both.
"Anything else you think I should bring?" I asked him.
"There are stores in Miami, Steph."
"I know," I said, closing the suitcase.
I was counting on there being plenty of stores to keep me busy while Ranger's working.
I'd add my makeup and hair products after I finished getting ready in the morning. I had jeans, T-shirts, a couple of pairs of shorts and tank tops, a little red dress in case we went out for dinner. I threw in my black pumps, cute strappy sandals, and a pair of sneakers and called myself packed.
"Are you finished?" Ranger asked me.
"For now. I have a few hours to add more if I need to."
"Come here, Babe," Ranger said, not moving at all.
"Why?
"I'm feeling neglected."
"Oh, you're feeling something," I said, moving closer to him and the bed,"but it's not neglected."
When my knees bumped the mattress, Ranger reached out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me on top of him. I put both of my hands on his chest and pushed myself up so I could look at him.
"Very subtle," I said, bending my head to kiss his chin.
"I wasn't trying for subtle," Ranger said, his hands already exploring my back, hips, and ass.
"Clearly," I said to him, moving my legs to the sides of his to straddle him.
I could feel him hard against me, and I was suddenly feeling neglected myself. I pulled my shirt over my head and Ranger went for the hooks on my bra. He tugged me down to his mouth and closed his lips around my nipple. I went from a slow burn to a sudden blaze, and I wasn't content to wait for what I wanted.
I slid out of Ranger's grasp and moved further down his body so I could free him from his cargo pants. Ranger used that moment to peel his T-shirt off and fling it behind me. I was momentarily distracted by the large expanse of muscled skin at my fingertips, but I forced myself to complete my task. Ranger curled one arm behind his head again, making the muscles in his arm and torso flex enticingly. His dark eyes were half-closed as he waited patiently for me make a move.
Ranger is usually the one to initiate things - like he'd done a few minutes ago - but he wanted me to be able to touch him whenever, wherever, I wanted to like he feels comfortable doing to me. And I intend to reward him for all of his patience. Some people skydive for excitement, some gambled for fun, but I'd choose having Ranger's body at my disposal over pretty much anything else deemed exciting or fun.
I scooted down his legs, untied his boots, and pulled them off along with his socks. His pants were next, followed by mine. Ranger was as ready for me as I was for him, but I decided to play a little first. I lined my mouth up with the impressive part of his anatomy jutting out from his hips, and took him as deeply as I could. Ranger let me tease him only up to a point before he grabbed my arms and pulled me off of him. I tightened my mouth around him as he slid out of it and I heard Ranger groan.
"As much as I enjoy that, Babe," Ranger said, his voice sounding a little strained to my Ranger-trained ears,"I want to be inside you."
I was all for it. Ranger's hands picked me up and slid me completely onto his body. This time I groaned as he filled me. Ranger took his time, bringing me close to orgasm before slowing his thrusts down which only made me try to convince him to go faster. Unfortunately, or fortunately really, Ranger didn't remove his hands from my waist so I couldn't move like I wanted. He was going to draw this out as long as he could. When Ranger finally let me explode, I was no longer irritated with him. The waves of pleasure that took over my body were worth all the lip-biting and mental cursing I'd been doing. With one more powerful thrust, Ranger joined me. Collapsing on top of me this time.
No matter how many times we made love, each time was different and seemed to be better than the last. There is no way I'd ever want to hide from Ranger's 'boys' like I had done time to time with Joe.
Ranger stirred and shifted so I was laying against his side, with my head tucked into the spot where his neck and shoulder met. I inhaled, enjoying the scent of warm Bulgari and even warmer Ranger.
"We're still alive, right?" I asked him, when my vocal chords started working again.
"I think so, Babe, but right now I wouldn't care if we weren't."
I pressed a kiss to the base of his neck before settling back down.
"I'll have to call Mary Lou and my mother tonight if we're leaving in the morning."
Ranger kissed the top of my head."Don't worry about telling Vinnie that you're leaving," Ranger said."I'll talk to him myself while you deal with your mother."
"Thank you. I didn't want to have to listen to Lula complain about me not taking her with us."
"I'd rather take the entire control room than Lula," Ranger said.
"If she's still there, and wrestles the phone away from Vinnie, don't tell her that or she'll be on the next plane after ours."
"And you want her as a friend?" Ranger asked.
"Yeah. Her good days usually outnumber her annoying ones. Speaking of Lula being annoyed, and since I have your undivided attention ..."
"You always have my undivided attention, Steph."
"What do you think about nixing the wedding party altogether? No best man, no maid of honor, or bridesmaids and have it just be us standing in front of our friends saying our vows. That way Mary Lou won't worry so much about going into labor before the wedding, and Lula can't say anything about not choosing her to be in it when we didn't pick anyone. This way there will be no fighting about who gets to be what, which translates into no stress for me."
"You really do want to simplify this, don't you?" Ranger asked me.
"Yes. I want to wear my dress, listen to you promise to love me forever, and drink champagne on or near the beach. That's all."
"Sounds good to me, Babe."
"Do you think Tank will be upset?" I asked."Or was your brother going to be your best man?"
"They'd both want me to choose the other one. And Tank will be glad he doesn't have to find a tux. Getting him to wear something other than his uniform will be difficult enough."
"He can wear his uniform if he wants, I don't mind."
"No. Tank may not have to be in a tuxedo, but he will wear something without the name Rangeman anywhere on it."
"If that's what you want," I said, smiling into his shoulder.
"Since you mentioned it, where is your dress?" Ranger asked."I haven't seen it anywhere in here."
"It's in Ella and Louis' apartment. And she promised to guard it with her life. I didn't think you'd peek, but I wasn't taking a chance."
"If it meant that much to you, Babe, I wouldn't look."
"I know. You're only sneaky when it comes to getting me out of my clothes."
"You took off your own clothes this time," Ranger pointed out.
"I was encouraged to," I told him.
His arm tightened around me."I would have worked around them."
"Fine, so I didn't want you to, but I also didn't want you to see the dress before the actual day. Ella offered to keep it for me, so I took her up on it before I decided to show it to you."
"So you're trying to blame me when you're the one you don't trust?"
"Yeah, I guess. It's a beautiful dress, and I have a hard time keeping anything from you."
"The dress will be beautiful when you're in it."
"You keep saying sweet stuff like that and you may just get lucky."
"I already got lucky, Babe. Once tonight so far, and the day Connie called me to meet you."
I stretched until I could reach his lips and kissed him.
"You're going to get lucky again as soon as I call Mary Lou and then threaten my mother," I said against his mouth.
"I'll make sure to shut Vinnie up quickly so I'll be available when you get off the phone."
"My calls might take longer, but I'll do my best to keep them short."
"You can take your time, Steph. We have all night. You can always sleep on the plane."
"You're not joking, are you?"
"I'd never joke about sex with you," Ranger told me.
I believed him. When Ranger is determined to seduce me, he took it very seriously.
I climbed over Ranger and got out from underneath the sheet. He sat up with his back against the headboard to watch me shimmy into his T-shirt.
"Just hold that thought," I told Ranger, kissing his mouth again."I want to pick up this conversation and our activities when I'm done."
I managed to get out of the room, only looking back once at Ranger where the sheet was bunched low around his waist. I grabbed my phone from my bag and sat on the couch in the den while I talked.
"Oh, good," Mary Lou said in my ear,"you weren't lying about calling me back."
"I never lie, Mary Lou."
She gave a little snort."Lying about not lying still counts as a lie."
"Did that make any sense at all?" I asked her.
"Probably not," she said."I'm working with pregnancy brain here. I swear this baby is sucking up every ounce of intelligence I used to have."
"I'm going with Ranger on a business trip tomorrow, so I won't be in Trenton for a few days ..."
"Business trip where?"
"Miami."
"Hah! I know what you'll be doing down there."
"Working?" I said.
It was possible. I did see The Rug when I was supposed to be on a Hawaiian vacation. And I ended up spending the trip with a more often than not aroused Ranger. Okay, so we didn't really do much work on that trip, either.
"Working on a tan, maybe," Mary Lou said."Or the buttons on Ranger's pants."
"Seriously, Mary Lou, we can do other things," I told her.
"Why would you want to?"
Good point.
"Anyway ... I didn't want to leave you to deal with my mother, so I have a shower solution."
"Good. What did you come up with?"
"I was going to have dinner with the guys at Shorty's next week, so I thought I'd just combine the dinner with the shower."
"At Shorty's?" Mary Lou asked.
"Yes," I said.
"Isn't that the place Ranger took you where you were afraid if you looked too closely at the furniture, you'd see blood spatters on it?"
"Yep."
"And you want to have a bridal shower there with all the men you work with?"
"Uh-huh," I said."Whoever has the night free and wants to come. And I'm going to make sure Ella and Louis are there this time."
"Okay ... I'm going to let my curiosity overpower my nerves here. I'm in."
"There's nothing to be nervous about," I assured her."We'll have a boatload of armed escorts. The White House won't be as protected as we'll be."
"What about your mother?" Mary Lou asked.
"What about her?"
"She's going to hate this."
"I know. But that's only partially why I picked the place."
"You're not worried about what she's going to do?"
"Nope. This time around, I'm doing what I want. And I want to spend the night with my friends. All of them. I'm going to call her after I hang up with you and get her to leave you alone."
"I'd appreciate it. I bet that woman has a degree in steamrolling."
"Yeah, a master's degree," I said, laughing."There's another thing I wanted to run by you and I don't know how you're going to feel about it."
"What?" Mary Lou asked.
"What if I told you that you could relax a little about the wedding?"
"Steph, weddings aren't relaxing at all. I wanted to marry Lenny, our families get along pretty good, and it was still chaos from the day of our engagement until we walked into the reception hall."
"Well mine is going to be as easy as I can make it," I told her."We may have a location already ..."
"Where?"
"I'm thinking near the coast. Ranger and I want to see it first. If we decide to use it, I'll let you know the details."
"I never thought I'd see the day you'd be planning a wedding again and not dragging your feet during the process. Morelli must be pissed."
I wasn't going to think about Morelli right now.
"Since this is obviously moving fast. What about a bachelorette party? Dress fittings ..."
"That's what I wasn't sure you'd like. I was thinking of just having Ranger and I standing at the altar," I said to her."So there wouldn't be any dress shopping or fittings except for what you feel like wearing."
"Nobody else? No bridal party? Not even a maid of honor and best man?"
"No. I don't want to have to pick and choose who means more to me and then decide on a position for them. Would you be okay with that?"
"Hell, yeah," Mary Lou said, proving why she's my best friend."I think it's romantic. Plus, I won't have to wear a hundred yards of expensive material to cover this kid to try to look presentable. I was afraid I might block out everyone in the wedding photos."
"From behind you can't even tell that you're pregnant, Mary Lou," I told her."You will be in the wedding pictures, and you'll look damn good, too. Lenny will fall in love with you all over again."
"And you say that you never lie," she said."I want to see your dress when you get back. And take plenty of pictures in Miami so I can pretend I was there, too. If a few of Ranger on the beach get mixed into the ones you show me, I won't complain."
Neither would I, I thought to myself.
"I'll see what I can do," I promised. And disconnected.
Ranger came in and sat down beside me, pulling my bare legs onto his lap. Guess I took longer than expected. Ranger was wearing a pair of low-slung sweat pants and nothing else. After what we'd done an hour ago, I can't believe I'm still up for more.
"That was Mary Lou?" He asked, running his fingers from my ankle to my knee.
"Yeah. I wanted to tell her that we're leaving, and that she won't have to worry about my mother calling her while we're gone."
"How are you going to prevent your mother from doing that if you're not here?"
"I have my ways," I said.
He squeezed my knee and looked on with interest as I dialed my parents' number. Grandma Mazur answered.
"Hi, Grandma. Is Mom around?"
"Uh-oh. Is this about your bridal shower?" She asked me.
"Yeah. How did you know?"
"I told your mother to butt out, but I just knew she wouldn't listen."
"Mom didn't," I said."And Mary Lou was panicking because I already told her I didn't want a party."
"Stephanie, don't be silly. You have to have one," Grandma told me."That's how you get lots of free stuff and skimpy lingerie."
"Now I do have to have one, even though I don't need lingerie or anything else. But it's not going to be like the showers we usually go to. I'm going to invite the guys to come, and we're going to have a great night at one of their favorite places. Bobby and Lester specifically asked that you join us next time we all went out."
"I may be old," Grandma Mazur said,"but I still got it."
Maybe she did, but I thought it must be really well hidden.
"Who are you talking to?" I heard my mother ask her.
"Stephanie," Grandma said back."Your nuts are just about to get toasted."
"What are you talking about? What nuts?" My mom asked.
"You sure you want me to put her on the phone?" Grandma Mazur said, getting back to me.
"Yeah."
Ranger started massaging my legs and I knew that I wouldn't let my mom get to me. I have my own life now and she didn't get to control any part of it anymore.
"Stephanie, how is the wedding coming?"
"Good. I found my dress, and we're going to look at a wedding location next week."
"Why next week?" She asked."If you're thinking of St. Mary's Cathedral or Sacred Heart, I can get you a date sooner if you're seriously thinking about having it in a few weeks."
"We are getting married in a few weeks. And we won't be doing it in Trenton."
And we wouldn't. If this place turns out to be a dump, I'll just find something else in that area. I wasn't going to get married in town.
"Why not? We have beautiful churches here. And the Polish National Hall is perfect for a reception, but I'm sure it won't be available now. You have to reserve it months in advance. And Marsillio's ..."
"Mom, I'm not having Valerie's wedding. Even Valerie didn't want it."
"Where are thinking of having it then?" She asked.
"Atlantic City."
"Hot damn!" I heard Grandma shout."I'm gonna start putting some money away."
Guess Grandma Mazur was listening in.
I pulled the phone away from my ear."Grandma likes the idea," I told Ranger.
"I'm sure she does. You'll be lucky to get her to stay for the ceremony."
"Stephanie," my mom said,"you can't get married in a casino."
"I'm not. It is close to one, though. But that's not why I called. I'm going out of town with Ranger for a few days ..."
"You're going to elope, aren't you?"
"No. But if you don't leave Mary Lou alone, you won't have to worry about the venue because you won't get to see it. She has enough on her plate right now, she doesn't need you bugging her about something as trivial as a bridal shower."
"I just wanted to throw you a nice shower, and I thought your best friend would want to be part of it."
"If you would have asked me," I said, sliding forward when Ranger got up from his spot on the couch to sit behind me,"you'd know that I didn't want one."
"All brides want a shower," she said.
"Not this one," I told her. You'd think she'd be used to me being different by now."And because you decided to push the issue, you're going to be attending a coed party at one of my favorite restaurants."
"Rossini's?"
"Nope," I said, enjoying the moment and the feel of Ranger's strong hands working the kinks out of my shoulders.
Maybe I can call a few more people after this just to keep Ranger where he is right now. I was sitting with my back against his bare chest, his legs on either side of mine, and I never wanted to move from this spot.
I was a little surprised when my mother's voice sounded in my ear again. I'd forgotten all about her for a minute.
"What restaurant?"
"Shorty's?"
"I've never heard of a Shorty's."
"You wouldn't," I told her."It's a pizza joint."
"Pizza joint? What does that mean?"
"It means that it makes Pino's look like a five-star restaurant." I could almost see the horrified look on my mother's face."And since you decided that I needed a bridal shower, you'll have to spend an entire evening there with me, Ranger, Ella, and the guys, or stay home and not be included in it at all."
"But ..."
"This is the last warning I'm going to give you. If I find out that you're going behind my back again, you'll have to hear about our wedding day from Dad, Grandma, and Valerie."
"Stephanie ..."
"I don't have time to argue with you. I have to get ready to leave. Who knows, we really might look for a house while we're in Miami. Ranger thinks it's a good idea, and I'm starting to agree with him. Just think of how nice it'd be to be able to pick up and leave whenever we wanted," I said to my mom."I'll call you when we get back." And I hung up.
"Tank's right," Ranger said, moving my hair aside to kiss the back of my neck,"you are scary."
"No, I'm not. I'm just fed up with people not listening when I tell them something. And now my mom has plenty to think about when we're gone."
"I spoke to Tank after calling Vinnie," Ranger said.
"What did Vinnie say when you told him I was taking a few days off?"
"He didn't have much to say on the subject."
No surprise there. Vinnie would rather give up all his sexual fetishes cold turkey than tick Ranger off.
"We're on a flight set to leave at eight-thirty tomorrow morning," Ranger continued.
"That means we have to leave here around six?"
"Yes."
"Don't forget, I always have problems at airports, so maybe we should get there even earlier."
"You'll be fine, Babe. As long as you leave your gun and stun gun at home."
"I can't believe you're the one saying that to me. You feel naked if you don't have three weapons on your body at all times."
"There is nothing wrong with wanting to protect yourself or the person you love," Ranger said to me.
"I don't have a problem with it, but airport security might."
"I won't be detained, Steph."
"Okay. I guess I should shower tonight so I can sleep later in the morning."
"Is that an invitation?" Ranger asked me.
"It is if you want it to be," I told him."We would save even more time tomorrow if you also took one tonight."
Ranger's hand was closing in on the hem of the shirt I was wearing. It is his shirt after all, and he should be allowed to touch it. When my legs opened automatically to his fingers - as much as they could sandwiched between his - I shook my head slightly to clear the passion fog from it.
"Maybe we should get started on that shower. I don't want to have to clean the couch, too," I said to him."Wait, what about Ella?"
I know Ella hadn't come in yet. It was still earlier, but she would have normally brought dinner up by now.
"I told her we have to get up early tomorrow," Ranger said to me,"so we'd be turning in early tonight."
"Did she buy that?" I asked him.
"No. But she doesn't care what we do as long as we're doing it together."
You had to love Ella. She wanted only the best for us without trying to bully us into her idea of it.
We made it into the shower and after a thorough scrub down and rub down by Ranger, I dried my hair so I wouldn't scare unsuspecting passengers in the morning.
I was more excited than hungry, so Ranger and I had a quick sandwich before we got ready for bed. The thing about Ranger is that I can spend all day in bed with him and still be tired because sleep is the last thing on his mind when we hit the sheets. I curled up into Ranger's arms and fell asleep shortly after.
I woke up hours later when I felt Ranger slide out from underneath me. I really should stay on my side of the bed, but for all his muscles Ranger really is comfy to lay on or against.
"You can sleep for another half hour or so, Babe," Ranger said, brushing the hair out of my eyes as I tried to blink myself awake.
"No. I'm up," I told him, trying to convince my body that I was.
I took Ranger's shirt again and disappeared into the bathroom while Ranger got clothes from the walk-in closet. When I came out, Ranger and I switched rooms as he went to shave and stuff while I got dressed.
Ranger met me in the kitchen ten minutes later, and he had yucky cereal that probably tasted like straw and twigs while I had a big bowl of Frosted Flakes. Ranger looked at my bowl with disgust, but he didn't insult my food choice this morning.
We cleaned up the dishes after we finished eating so Ella wouldn't have to, and then Ranger got our bags from the bedroom. When we were ready to leave I looked in the direction of Rex's cage.
"Ella will take good care of him, Steph," Ranger said to me.
"I know. It may seem dumb, but I'm going to miss him."
"I'll make sure to keep you occupied so you won't," he said, kissing me before picking up our stuff.
My suitcase was now heavier since I added my bathroom stuff along with a few more articles of clothing I thought I might end up needing. Ranger only had a small carry-on bag with him. He is so low-maintenance it's borderline scary.
We got into the elevator and met Bobby downstairs in the garage. He was coming with us to the airport so Tank wouldn't have to send someone to pick up the Rangeman SUV later. Since Ranger always drove, Bobby sat in the back and I got to ride shotgun.
We made it there with time to spare - a first for me - and Bobby gave me a goodbye hug while Ranger handled the luggage.
"Don't forget to come back," Bobby told me.
"I won't. We have plans," I said to him.
"Just remember that when you're relaxing on the beach, trying to remember where Trenton is on the map."
"I will. And don't any of you get hurt or shot while we're away or I'll kick your asses when I get back."
"We'll be fine," Bobby said."Bored, but fine."
He let me go and Ranger dropped his arm across my shoulder as Bobby slid behind the wheel. We walked to our gate and, as Ranger predicted, we had no problems boarding when the time came. He must have some pull here as well since I couldn't explain why every time I came to the airport without Ranger, I got wanded and was subjected to a full shoe search.
We found our seats and Ranger gave me the one closest to the window. Since I'm not the best flyer, I clutched Ranger's hand tightly as the plane started to take off and thought to myself ... Miami here we come.
A/N: If you want to see the location where Stephanie wants to get married, you can google One Atlantic images. I'm going to use what I like about the place but change what I don't to fit my idea of the type of wedding I think Ranger and Stephanie might have.