All recognizable characters belong to Janet Evanovich, I'm just playing.

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Ranger

My phone dings as I drop the completed contract into my now overflowing outbox. I'd rather be out in the field, but days stuck in the office completing paperwork came with owning a business, and since Steph came on board to help with some of the client meetings, Rangeman Trenton is having one of its most profitable quarters. Her easy way of putting people at ease, getting them to talk, and then maneuvering them where she wants them to go has translated into an uptick in commercial accounts and a need to hire more men. Speaking of, she should be back from a site visit and a stop at the bonds office about now. Picking up my phone, a smile tugs at my lips at the notification from Zero on monitors that Steph just parked in her spot by the elevator.

I'm not surprised when she knocks on the doorframe less than a minute later. Since she's been working here, she's diligently put in time for training but still takes the elevator over the stairs. Several of the men took it upon themselves to take her under their wing and look for ways to make the required physical activity if not fun, then at least not the torture she swears it is. I've stayed out of the way, letting her take ownership of her training and it seems to be working. She admitted she often felt flustered when I tried to work with her, both from proximity and worry that I'd find her lacking. I understand the first one, as I often lose my head around her, but she doesn't need to worry about the second. Everyone starts somewhere, and in the past, I didn't always start at a place that was comfortable for her. Once she realized that there was no set, in her words, insane Rangeman physical fitness regime, she was more willing to give it a try. In addition to running self-defense drills and doing bodyweight circuits with Bobby, she meets her friend Mary Lou at a neighborhood gym in Hamilton Township a couple times a week for Zumba and dance classes.

With a smile, she moves the rest of the way into my office, heading straight for me. I move my chair back, making room for her to hitch her hip up and settle on my desk. The look she gives me has me seriously considering blowing off my ten o'clock teleconference with the other offices. "Morning, Batman."

"Babe."

I refuse to admit that the Batman nonsense amuses me. She slowly rubs her leg against mine, knowing full well what she's doing to me. Grabbing her hand, I tug her off the desk and into my lap. She resists for a couple seconds before settling in. She casts a glance across the room. "The door's open."

"It is."

"Pretty sure this counts as inappropriate office behavior. What will my boss say?"

I kiss just below her ear. "He's busy."

"Busy being naughty." She smirks and then relaxes a little, folding her hands over mine at her waist. We sit in the silence for a moment, enjoying the quiet spot of time together in the middle of a busy day. She rubs a finger over my hand for a bit before stating, "I'm worried about Vince."

I give her a gentle squeeze but don't say anything. Vince had taken his longtime girlfriend, Amy, on an anniversary trip, planning to propose. Amy, not knowing his intentions, had invited a few of her friends to tag along on the trip. It was a development he didn't know about until the day before they left and definitely wasn't happy with. He tried to tough it out since he'd prepaid for a lot of it, but after she got upset at him not wanting to spend every minute with her friends, or pay for their meals and activities, he came home and quietly moved his things out of their shared townhouse and into an empty apartment on four. She came home after the trip, prepared to fight, but wasn't expecting him to completely break things off. Their fight down in the lobby when she tracked him down was ugly and witnessed by everyone crowding around the monitors. Amy wasn't willing to give up, especially after she found out a ring had been in play, but apparently "the girls" crowding in on their plans was not a random one-off and Vince was firm that he was done ignoring it and coming in last on her priority list. It's been months, and he's only grown quieter and more withdrawn.

"I am, too, Babe. But it's something he's got to work through on his own."

She huffs out a breath. "Not necessarily. We could help him."

I love Steph's generous heart, but this is a minefield I have no desire to step into. I generally try and stay far, far away from the men's personal lives, much like I expect them to stay out of mine. Since Steph and I have gotten together and she's all but moved in, the lines have started to blur. "Not sure he's ready for that, Babe."

She scrambles around in my lap, and I barely get my hand over my dick to protect it. "You don't think I could find someone for him?"

With an internal sigh, I accept that I've stepped in it and I'm not going to get out of this conversation. Still holding her, I stand us up and deposit her on my desk, crowding in between her legs. Her frown lets up a bit as I lift her chin for a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I think you could, but the real question is, is it something he would welcome? You don't go from planning a life with someone to signing up for Tinder overnight. Some things leave a mark."

Her face goes carefully blank, and I wonder if she's thinking about her and the cop. They were engaged to be engaged one week and then she was in an exclusive relationship with me the next. He's tried his own version of poaching, but she's shut him down every time. I guess the difference is we already knew what we wanted before we sat down and spelled out our expectations rather than make assumptions and limp along between fights. After a minute her shoulders relax and she grabs my t-shirt with both hands, pulling me close for a scorching kiss that has me ready to hit cancel on that teleconference. When she pulls back, she has a small smile on her face. "I just want my guys to be as happy as I am right now."

A kiss behind her ear after I tuck a wayward curl back gets me a small moan. "Understandable. But what's to say he's not just recharging?"

She huffs again. "I run across a decent number of women who ask me about the guys. I could, maybe, connect a couple of them and see what happens."

"Babe."

"What? I'd work my way up to Vince. Cal was just saying he'd like to meet someone. And Zero seemed a little jealous that Zip now has a serious girlfriend. What would be the harm in making a few introductions?"

There are so many ways this can go sideways but she's got that sparkle in her eye that tells me the idea has taken hold and there's going to be no stopping her. I'm still thinking of playing hooky, but she's already moved on to playing Cupid. With a sigh of resignation, I step away from her so we can both get back to work. "Just try and keep it away from Rangeman."

"Oh ye of little faith. I already have someone in mind to introduce to Zero!"

She gives me one more fiery kiss and then she's on the move. I'm drumming my fingers on the desk as I watch her bounce out of the office. This is either going to be a success and I'm left with happy employees distracted from work, or it'll be a shit show of broken hearts and cranky men. Either way, it's best to batten down the hatches and ride out the storm.