Here's the continuation. Steph reveals the identity of the client, which explains the secrecy and why she's held off sharing her unfiltered thoughts with Ranger. There's two chaps left. Who do you think is our culprit?
Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE. Typos are my bad and I post when I can.
Stephanie's POV
Ranger's ass had probably just parked itself on the chair next to mine when the slimy bastard to my right decided not to keep his hands to himself. Literally, his gross sausage-like fingers swiped across my bare back on their path to sneak under the edge of the silky fabric clinging to my right side. Why this motherforker even dreamed he could touch me, I don't know! To make sure he learned his lesson, I used the moves I learned from my Merry Men in conjunction with a revised version of my go to attack.
"Owgh." Betty's husband howled in pain despite trying to cover up the strangled sound with the most pathetic sounding cough I've ever heard. I gripped the fingers of the hand he used to touch me, bending his already crooked pinky back far enough to nearly break, holding it in position to inflict the maximum amount of pain. Then, taking advantage of his distraction, I zeroed in on his pathetic and 'manhood'. Or what he thinks qualifies as one. Pfft!
"You'll be missing your favorite appendage if you ever try that again. Capiche?" Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that making a man feel emasculated or embarrassed, especially with an audience, is dangerous, but I didn't care at the moment. I couldn't let the infraction slide, because it would surely lead to something more brazen. I've learned throughout the years that sometimes standing up for yourself is the only viable option, despite the negative repercussions that may result because of it. This is worth the potential risk.
I ignored the Carmichaels as I engaged with everyone else, Ranger's anger pulsing beside me. He immediately noticed, wanting to switch seats and even already had his hands on my hips to heft me out of the chair before I could even agree to his order, but I refused to budge and show any type of weakness.
"Babe." I could feel the anger rolling off Ranger in waves, his control very close to snapping. Plastering me to his side while he breathes me in is Ranger's way of trying to keep himself from tipping over. He will rip Betty's husband to shreds if I don't help him fully focus on me.
"I'm fine." I whispered to Ranger. To prove that, I patted his knee and linked our hands together. Aside from whispering the reassurance, I titled my head to be able to brush my lips across his.
"Babe." Ranger resting his forehead against mine while he crushed me to him even tighter, told me that he still wasn't quite there. Twisting in his hold, fully facing his handsome although pissed off face, I kissed him. It was the sort of kiss that always reminds me of how much this man makes me feel. The sort of kiss where I pour all of my love for him despite knowing that we may never be end game.
Baring that groping incident, the rest of dinner was fairly anticlimactic. Sure, our client made a show of gifting his wife an expensive piece of jewelry that looked quite ostentatious. I joined in with the other wives, complimenting the sparkly piece. This way, there's more attention and hype for the new flashy gift.
I've developed a good sense of the dynamics within the group members. When we get back to our room, I'll check on some searches I left running this morning to see if there's anything concrete for me to use as support for my mental findings. I have a hunch already, but I want to make sure I have all my ducks in a row before I fill Ranger in. Typically, I tell Ranger pretty much everything even as I'm working out the kinks in my head. For this job, though, I'm being more reserved with my suspicions given the client's identity: Marcelo Armas Mañoso. Because the client is related to Ranger, I'm thinking erring on the side of caution while I'm still gathering intel is a good idea. I want to be extra, extra diligent with this one as I don't want to mess up the familial relationship with his uncle. Well, assuming there is one. I'm trying to avoid Mañoso family drama. Not that Ranger ever tells me if there is drama in his family, but why risk it?
The group dwindled, leaving only Ranger and I left as the staff picked up after us. While the table was being cleared, I caught an interesting up close glimpse of the pricey wine bottle that caught my attention earlier. Hmm. So far there's another hunch forming where this whole mess is concerned.
"Come." I did my best to drag Ranger towards the beach, setting aside all work thoughts to be able to indulge in a rare moment with Batman. A small smile escaped as he let me lead the way, 'cause let's be honest: I wouldn't be able to move him if he didn't let me.
As I felt the night breeze billowing around us, I shivered uncontrollably. Ranger draping his jacket over my bare shoulders not only enveloped me in warmth but also his unique, addicting scent. Mmm.
I've always loved the beach. It's been my escape for as long as I can remember. I'd count the days every year until Mary Lou and I could get away to the shore for hot summer days. As an adult, Hawaii has been my top beach getaway. Sure, that trip ended in spectacular catastrophic fiery fashion, but everything that happened before Joe showed up are still memories I cherish near and dear to my heart.
Tonight will be one of those unforgettable memories for just getting to experience such breathtaking beautiful glowing visuals with Ranger by my side. He indulged my childish glee, without question walking barefoot beside me. Instead of berating or making me feel silly for being excited, Ranger is quietly by my side taking in the view.
Strong and silent and here with me.
"Wow. It's like the starry night sky above." I murmured, mostly to myself, still completely in awe of the breathtaking glowing ocean. "Bioluminescence." I pointed towards the nearing wave as it crested closer to the shore. "I've read about it, but had never seen it firsthand." I explained while tracking the brilliant blue glow as it neared, washing onto the sand and ending just shy of our bare feet. Science may not be my thing, yet I love learning about cool ocean facts. There was a documentary I watched one night when I couldn't sleep after bad dreams resulted in a bout of insomnia, which then had me doing some extra outside research on my own about the beautiful phenomenon. It's safe to say that I went down a deep, deep rabbit hole with that one. And I don't regret it one bit as it makes it that much better to understand how such a striking glow can be possible.
"Read?" Ranger dug into his unique brand of humor, teasing me without malice. Unlike Morelli or Dickie, Ranger knows I like to dive deep in topics that I find interesting and he doesn't shame me for having said interests, no matter how out there they are.
"What a shame." I sighed, linking arms with Ranger and resting my head on his huge bicep as we rounded to head back to the hotel.
Ranger kissing my forehead as we slowly walked, our bare feet sinking in the sand with every step, had my chest constricting with emotion. Perhaps we're just not meant to be. Sigh.
"Say queso!" To pull myself out of the emotion heavy episode, I fished Ranger's phone out of his jacket pocket. Since I know his passcode, I went straight to the camera app to take a photo of ourselves with the spectacular glowing water behind us as a one of a kind background.
"Queso." I burst out laughing, unable to contain myself as I quickly snapped a few shots, mostly because Ranger fulfilled my goofy request. The result left me with several snapshots of our time here.
"This one's my favorite." I said to Ranger as I sent the photos to myself. I don't have many photographs of us together, much less of Ranger smiling widely. It's a rare sight seeing him flash all his teeth in a genuine grin.
"Babe." That almost smile tugged at the corner of his tempting mouth as he looked down at the device still in my hands. Ranger's practically unheard of full on smile and my clearly laughing expression made for the perfect photograph. This will be one I'll be developing and framing for sure. In fact, Hector can probably work his magic and tweak the glowing waves to give the pic a more ethereal look.
Perhaps it was the sudden rush of emotions with our close proximity that made me extremely sentimental, to the point where I felt like I'd be mourning what could have been between us shortly. Thinking to hell with it, I stopped in my tracks and waited for Ranger to turn back to look at me the second he realized I wasn't moving.
"Babe?" Even in the cover of the dark night, I saw his right eyebrow raise in question.
In response, I rose onto my tiptoes. My lips met his, kissing him like there'd be no tomorrow. The searing smooch promptly morphed into a deep, deep kiss. Ranger and I would have undoubtedly stayed lost in the middle of that all encompassing soul kiss had it not been for a loud engine roaring past on the road above us. Our breathing was heavy by the time we broke our liplock for much needed air.
Regretfully, we put some distance between our bodies to be able to resume our walk on the sand. As the spell was broken, ruined by our surroundings, I silently lamented the interference to what could have been the start of our ever elusive Someday. Taking a deep breath, my nostrils were filled with the salty ocean breeze, replacing the almost all consuming Rangery scent that had enveloped me just moments before.
Slowly, we made our way back to the hotel and up to our room. The bat phone started buzzing just as we reached our destination.
"Duty calls." I murmured as I swiped the key to unlock the door, overhearing that it was Silvio from Miami calling about some emergent matter only Batman can solve.
Ranger excused himself, heading down the hall to deal with whichever new emergency just arose. Of course, he did a quick sweep of our suite, ever the safety master.
Swapping my jumpsuit for my usual pajama choice consisting of cotton panties and one of Ranger's T-shirts, I got to work as soon as I booted up my Rangeman issued laptop.
Getting absorbed in my work isn't new. Due to my curiosity and need for answers, I sometimes lose the notion of time when I'm following a lead or digging deep for intel. I was amazed with how much I accomplished in over an hour, only pausing when deep blue bikini bottoms were draped over the laptop's screen. Blinking, the matching top quickly materialized on my keyboard. Huh?
"Vamos a nadar, Babe." Ranger stood by the foot of the bed wearing black swim trunks and his almost smile.
I raked my eyes appreciatively over the expanse of well defined chest, enjoying the glorious view of his muscular torso, strong arms and powerful thighs. Mmmmm. On top of that, his tan skin looked more sun kissed than usual. Yum!
And his abs! His washboard stomach with the v cut abs… mmmmm. I may have been drooling by the time Ranger called my given name to get my attention. Instead of blushing profusely like I normally would, I tilted my head back to be able to hold his dark gaze. Why deny that I was very much appreciating the mouthwatering, panty ruining view?
"Huh?" Yeah, very eloquent. That's me. Stephanie Plum, articulation specialist. I've never been a very well spoken person, much less when Ranger's sculpted perfection is within reach.
Ranger grinned wholly, his eyes sparkling knowingly. Busted! He knows I was blatantly ogling him, remembering all the times I've traced each muscle groove with my fingertips or tongue. Yes, there isn't an inch of my body that he hasn't touched or worshiped with his mouth, but it's been a two way street. Every caress, kiss or heated touch has been reciprocated. I've done things with Ranger that I'd only ever fantasized about. I mean, he's my fantasy fuel so…
"Nadar?" I searched my limited Spanish vocab and took in the context clues to figure out what Ranger was asking. I figured if I gave my brain something to do then the blood would stop rushing to my nether regions. I'm literally on the verge of tackling Ranger and having my way with him. And he'll totally let me, which I'm not really sure if it's such a bad thing after all.
"Nadar, Babe." Ranger's wolf grin was indication that he knew exactly where my lusty, dirty mind just went.
"You're taking me swimming?!" I let out quite the squeal of excitement as soon as I understood what he was saying, immediately slamming my laptop closed as I simultaneously snatched the offered swimwear.
My daily Spanish lessons from the free app I downloaded, plus the conversational practice I have with Lester, Hector, Ramon, Ella and even Bones have me on track to becoming even more multilingual. Yeah, I don't openly advertise that I'm fluent in Italian or that I know enough Hungarian to have a conversation. I get to overhear some shit talking and gossip in the Burg because of my hidden language knowledge, hehe. Spanish was a no-brainer to take up because most of the guys at Rangeman speak it and I've had a handful of non-English speaking FTAs lately. Plus, this way I'll be able to decipher when Ranger switches to speaking Spanish. Eventually, though, because Ranger talks way too fast in Spanish for me to understand. Out of everyone, Hector is the one that I understand the most since he'll speak to me slowly to give me time to process what he's saying. Also, Hector's the one teaching me all the bad words, while Lester's sticking to innuendos. They keep me pretty busy alright. I have a whole ledger full of cheat code, especially since Ramon introduced slang into the mix. Oy!
"Si." Ranger gave a minute head jerk as an indication that I should get moving.
Jumping to my feet, I stood on the bed and dashed towards the foot of it. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I expressed my appreciation while slamming against his big body. Even with my sudden hugging attack, Ranger easily wrapped his arms around me so I wouldn't fall on my ass. My sappiness ate away at his usual blank face while he kept me from falling on my butt now that he was the only thing keeping me suspended in the air.
"Go." Turning playful as well, Ranger tapped my ass once I slid down his taut front so my feet could be on the carpeted floor.
"Hey!" I glared at him in faux annoyance for the spank, suppressing the delicious shiver his large hand covering my asscheek caused. No matter how fleeting the touch, my body never fails to set ablaze with Ranger's ministrations.
Shaking my head to erase the lust filled thoughts, I changed quickly. Throwing the same T-shirt over my head to have some cover on our walk was my finishing touch. Ranger got me the most sexy bikini he could find, bordering on indecent if I had Connie's bigger boobs, and I don't want anyone else to see me in such skimpy coverage. Since I took one of the T-shirts he packed for himself, it looks like I'm wearing a shirt dress. This is perfect. I'll be covered for our walk to and from, but will get to raise Ranger's heart rate, along with the temperature between us, when we're in the water and he gets a load of the tiny glossy material wet and clinging to my body.
"Let's roll!" I announced minutes later, eager for him to lead the way. "Wait, I thought it wasn't safe to swim in the ocean right now." I pouted, wondering if swimming would be out of the question now.
"Babe." Ranger said he was taking me to the indoor pool near the rooftop venue.
"Batman!" I nudged his shoulder with mine as we walked down the hall, excited for our nocturnal private swim thanks to Mr. Armas closing off access to these floors for the general public, and Ranger for getting access to a technically closed area.
The huge pool may not be olympic sized, but it's a dream either way. The shape and decor make it look like a lake you'd find in paradise.
Ranger and I were having fun. Well, at least I was having lots of fun torturing him. See, if there's one place where I'm faster than Ranger, it's in the water. I effortlessly outswam him, easily dodging every one of his attempts to corner me under or behind the cascading waterfall near the deep end.
"Ah! That's cheating!" I accused when Ranger stood up, scooping me out of the water as I swam above him. Since he couldn't catch me by swimming after me, the little cheat camped underwater to wait for me to lap around or above him.
"Babe." Ranger's triumphant smile was wide as he fully scooped me out of the water, effortlessly moving us further towards the shallow end.
"Chee-tuh!" In a childish move, I let the intrusive impulse win and stuck my tongue out. "Cheater." I reinforced, unable to contain my smile as I kicked my feet in the water, splashing obnoxiously. No matter how fast I kicked, I wasn't going anywhere since Ranger still had me in his arms.
"Babe." His smirk was unapologetic about his opportunistic ways. Leaning down, his mouth pressed against mine. Batman made sure to coax my tongue out to play.
Reciprocating the heated kiss, we were in the middle of a scorching tongue duel when there was an intrusion.
The private, perfect sensual night swim was so rudely interrupted by an unexpected party crasher.
"That's hot." A female voice said from behind me. I didn't have to twist around in Ranger's hold to know that it was none other than Marissa. "Didn't your mother ever teach you that it's rude not to share?" Her well practiced sultry laugh echoed in the enclosed space as the rippling water announced that she was joining us in the pool.
Glancing at Marissa over my left shoulder left me with a visual I wish I would have never seen. She was stalking towards us completely naked! On top of it all, Marissa's movements were extra slow to make sure she gave Ranger her best show.
"Babe." I heard Ranger whisper as his hold tightened, pressing me against his chest in an effort to keep me from slipping into Rhino mode. I swear if she touches Ranger there will be bloodshed.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that I technically had no real right to feel jealous. I know that Ranger and I aren't an official anything. I do! Yet, it doesn't mean that watching Marissa in all of her naked glory moving closer and closer to us isn't making me slightly homicidal. Not even walking in on Dickie and Joyce made me feel this way. It's a scary thought considering I was very upset when I caught my practically newlywed husband being so openly unfaithful.
"Este hombre es mio!" I meant to growl that in my head, but ended up blurting it out loud.
Marissa was oblivious to my slip. Or at least she pretended to be, gliding through the water unbothered.
Ranger?
Batman fully understood, his dark eyes drilling into mine after I blatantly shouted that he's my man.
Mine!
