A/N: Thank you to everyone who took a chance on this story. I appreciate all of the kind words and encouragement as well as hearing from those of you who stepped out of your comfort zones and enjoyed it! I'd also like to give another huge thank you to SiennaS who kindly offered to beta read and edit this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own them and I'm not making any money.

Chapter 17

The club was large and crowded, which was making it hard for me to spot de Mendoso. I'd been milling around for about 10 minutes and was starting to think I'd need to get a drink and dance if I didn't want to look out of place when I felt a hand at the small of my back.

Turning, I found Bobby behind me, dressed in club gear.

"Want to dance?"

"Sure," I replied with a flirty smile. They guys didn't usually approach me during these jobs unless there was a reason.

Pulling me in close, Bobby started speaking in my ear.

"Manny saw de Mendodo head into the bathroom a bit ago. We've had two guys go in and out since and we're pretty sure he's taking hits of dragon ice. Be careful, he's probably going to be high as a kite when he comes out."

"Thanks for the heads up," I said, just as Bobby's face took on a focused look. I was pretty sure he was listening to the voice in his ear.

"That was Manny - de Mendoso is out and heading towards the bar," Bobby said a moment later, confirming my guess.

Fortunately, the song we had been dancing to was coming to an end. I gave Bobby a kiss on the cheek and a wink before spinning and walking away.

The bar was packed, but by some stroke of luck, the only open spot was next to my mark and I moved in before another thirsty club goer could snag it.

Angling my body towards de Mendoso, I pretended to check him out. Overall, he wasn't a horrible looking guy, but he still gave off a vile vibe that had me fighting the urge to get out of his space.

Instead, I leaned in and used my best bimbo voice to ask what he was drinking.

"Just tequila," he said, letting his eyes drift up and down my body. I repressed a shudder and waited for the moment of truth that would decide if my disguise was good enough or not. I felt myself relax as a lazy smile spread across his face. "Would you like me to order some for you?"

"Sure," I said, batting my mascara enhanced lashes at him.

I watched the bartender and de Mendoso closely. I hated letting targets order drinks for me when it was likely that I would need to pretend to drink it. I was trying to look like I was in the market for a good time, but I didn't actually want to end up drugged.

Once my glass was safely in my hand, de Mendoso held up his and I gently clinked mine against it before faking a dainty sip.

"That's good, thank you." I said. He'd thrown his whole drink back and I could see his pupils were blown, confirming the guys' guess about what he'd been doing in the bathroom. I set my drink down and reached out to run a hand down his chest. "You look like you know how to dance."

"Is that an invitation?"

Giving a throaty, fake laugh, I nodded and looked up at him through my lashes.

"Then let's go," he said, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me towards the floor. He wasn't even making an effort to hide the fact he was staring down the open front of my dress and I saw a few of the Merry Men move in closer, taking advantage of his distraction.

By the time we'd danced through one song, he was sweating. I wasn't overly familiar with dragon ice, but I did know the ice name was for the appearance - not the effect it had.

"I think I need some fresh air," I said, hoping he'd take the bait. "Want to go outside for a minute?"

"That sounds good, sweet thing." His voice was obviously slurred, and he'd been stumbling through the end of our dance.

Taking his hand in mine, I started leading him towards the door. He followed without protest, and I realized he was completely unaware of what was going on around him. While I didn't prefer drugged targets because they could be unpredictable, de Mendoso seemed almost in a trance.

As we stepped through the door, Hal and Vince took a hold of him and he never reacted. Just let himself be led to the vehicle.

"Proud of you, Babe," Ranger said, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

I snuggled back into his chest and let a real laugh loose. "I think he would have followed Hal out in the state he was in."

"Maybe," he said as he nibbled up and down my neck while discreetly reaching inside my dress and freeing the mic. "The guys are getting him to the feds. Hopefully, he'll share some interesting info before he sobers up."

"Do you need to check in with the feds?"

"Nope. We have a meeting tomorrow morning. Right now, I'm a free man. Any ideas of what I can do with my evening?"

His tone was more than a little suggestive and I turned and I turned to press my body against his from chest to hip.

"I have a few."

oOo

"Stop laughing, this is all your fault," I was saying about 12 hours later.

Ranger spent the majority of the night stripping layers of my disguise and showing his appreciation of my original features. It was nearly three am before he was satisfied that I was satisfied and we both collapsed in a sweaty heap on the bed.

I'd barely registered him leaving to exercise and had been unresponsive to his breakfast invitation when he returned. Now, I was rushing around, trying to make myself presentable before our ten am meeting with the feds.

After running through the shower, I got my hair tamed and shoved myself in a Rangeman uniform. A quick coat of mascara, a swipe of lip gloss, and I called myself good to go.

"Beautiful," Ranger said, brushing his lips gently across mine before leading me out of the apartment and to the elevator.

I leaned against him during the ride, absorbing some of his strength and he slowly ran a hand up and down the column of my back sending little shivers through me. Because we'd been so busy with the case, it hadn't really sunk in that this was my new normal. Ranger was mine and I was his. I could indulge in his touch without any guilty feelings or anxiety that it was all about to come to an abrupt end.

When the elevator dinged open on the second floor, I started to pull away, guessing he would want to maintain a more professional appearance here and was surprised when he pulled me back to him and walked us into the conference room with his arm around my waist.

Morelli was already there and sent us a halfhearted glare. Looks like he was already losing interest in being an ass about this. More power to him. I was done worrying about his inability to handle us being over for real like a mature adult.

Fortunately, we didn't have time for anything to become uncomfortable before Agent Carson and his contingent from the DEA walked in. Since everyone else was here, he got right to business.

"Congratulations team - other than some clean up, our case is closed. Mr. Harcourt's lawyer advised him to cooperate, and he revealed that he was indeed trying to fast track some research to help his wife. He freely admitted to hiring Cormac Miller to handle obtaining the illegal animals and chemicals needed for the research. Miller, Benny Wright, and Johnny Menduza - who we now know is actually Juan de Mendoso - flipped on each other fairly quickly. All of them were looking to cut a deal but they didn't tell us anything we didn't already know thanks to Ms. Plum."

"So, what are our next steps?" Agent Johnson of the ATF asked.

"We'll start processing the evidence to hand over to prosecution. Local law enforcement will monitor the situation as the excess of drugs and explosives work their way out of the system."

The meeting ended shortly after that, being fairly quick and painless as far as meetings with the feds go. Multiple of the agents complimented my research abilities and I think I got a veiled job offer that had Ranger growling and pulling me closer.

"Don't worry, Batman," I leaned up and whispered in his ear. "I'd never trade in my Rangeman uniform for a suit."

"Babe."

oOo

As soon as the elevator closed on all of our guests, Ranger took my hand and all but dragged me to the stairwell and up five flights of stairs to his apartment. While he was unaffected, I was gasping for breath and couldn't even get enough air to ask what the hell he was doing.

Once we were inside, he pressed me up against the closed door and sealed his lips to mine.

My poor oxygen deprived lungs were screaming for a whole different reason by the time he released me, pulling back just far enough to speak.

"Do you remember what I told you?"

Between the lack of air and the kiss, I didn't have a chance of guessing what he meant and said the first thing that popped into my mind.

"To be more aware of my surroundings?"

That made him tip his head back and laugh, exposing the column of his neck and making the corded muscles stand out. Unable to help myself, I leaned in and gave the left side a lick.

The salty taste of his skin sent a shiver through me, and I couldn't stop myself from doing it again.

"Keep that up and you're going to ruin your surprise."

"Mmmm, what surprise?" I asked, only mildly interested as I moved from licking to little nibbles.

My mind was centered on appreciation for Ranger's minimalist decor which offered a variety of clear, flat surfaces. Right now, my only interest was in how many we could try before our bodies gave out on us. Okay, until my body gave out. I'm pretty sure Ranger had unending stamina.

Just then, his damn phone rang.

"You have got to be kidding me!"

"Babe, it's Tank and I need to answer," he said before fishing his phone from his pocket and answering with a simple "Yo." He listened for a moment and all he said was "affirmative," before hanging up.

"You are not leaving," I said. I put as much authority in my voice as I could manage and prayed that I could get back to where we left off.

"That's a shame. I'd hate to miss you in a bikini." His face had taken on a mischievous look that derailed me completely.

"Huh?"

"Tank was calling to let me know he booked our flight."

"What do you mean he booked our flight?"

I was lost. I'd switched gears too many times the last few minutes. Fortunately, the playful look slid from Ranger's face and was replaced by a tender smile.

"That's what I meant when I asked if you remembered what I told you." he said, reaching out to tuck a curl behind my ear. "That when this was over, I was taking you away to relax with zero interruptions."

"You're taking me to the beach?"

"St. John. It's going to be you and me and a hut by the ocean."

"Wow," was all I could manage as tempting images danced through my mind.

"Yeah. Now go get changed. Ella packed you a bag. Anything else you need, we can pick up there."

I started to head for the bedroom before turning and wrapping my arms around Ranger once again. "You're amazing. Thank you."

"No price."

The End