Hey all… Due to the shit storm that’s gone down in recent days, I decided to get out and post this. Its not finished yet and I hadn’t planned on posting it until after I finished. I guess now it’s going to be posted in sections. I started this at the same time that I started ‘Meetings’ but I guess ‘Meetings’ just flowed better.

 

Anyways, Please enjoy my new fic and get back to posting as per usual!!

 

Nat

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs Plum-Morelli

 

 

 

Act One

 

 

“Yo.”

 

“Is this Ranger?”

 

“Who wants to know?”

 

“Joe Morelli.”

 

“I’ve been looking for you.”

 

“I know. I’m extending a courtesy call.”

 

“Really.”

 

“I’ve been set up.”

 

Laughter. “That’s what they all say Morelli.”

 

“I know. Difference is I’m not lying.”

 

“Right.”

 

“I’m smarter than that. You know I am.”

 

“What’s your point?”

 

“I want two weeks, free from persecution.”

 

Curiosity. “Really? I’ll give you one. I’ll still keep up the search though. Can’t have someone picking up on this.”

 

“Fair enough.”

 

“It’s more than fair. You’ll owe me for this.”

 

Snorting. “No shit.” Pause. “I suggest you stay away from my ex-wife.”

 

“Whys that then?”

 

“She’s psycho. Fucking nuts.”

 

“Morty Beyer’s wrote a note next to her name saying she’s hot shit.”

 

“She is. Sexy as all hell. Doesn’t mean she’s not crazy.”

 

“I’ll have to talk to her.”

 

“It’s your ass.”

 

“Have you got a number where I can contact you?”

 

“Sure, gotta a pen?”

 

“Shoot.”

 

“342-232-5936.”

 

“I’ll be in contact.”

 

Disconnection. “Right.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Ok, so it’s Thursday and I’m running late for work. Again. It’s not my fault. I sware to god! I work as a secretary for my divorce lawyer Dickie Orr. It was a suitable name for him. I’m only 20 minutes late, so that’s not so bad. Thing is, Dickie had a meeting set for first thing this morning and I was supposed to be ready and waiting. He was going to be pissed. I was considering phoning Marie at the front desk moaning and groaning, but decided that I should face the facts. I was about to get fired.

 

And I was. Clean out your desk I don’t want to see you ever again, fired. The ungrateful bastard! I had not only given him the most talked about divorce case in the past 10 years, but I had brought in a lot of clients for him. Why was my divorce case so widely talked about? No one divorced in the Morelli family. No one that is, until me. I had fallen pregnant to Joe Morelli at 16 when he seduced me behind the éclair case at ‘Tasty Pastry’. He had gone and joined the Navy and considered it a great farewell present to himself. His first weekend leave we were married. Shotgun wedding.

 

I hadn’t wanted to get married. I had wanted to have an abortion. Unfortunately my Mother and Mama Morelli had found out. There was no escape. I lost the baby during the second trimester. I was upset about it and at the same time relieved. I was the only married 18 year old to graduate high school. Joe and I had actually stuck it out for a few years, until at 25 I decided, ‘Burg rules or no ‘Burg rules. I was divorcing Joe Morelli. By then Joe was a cop, and a philandering bum. My mother had nearly shot me. Surprisingly, Mama Morelli had supported me. Sure she made out like she hated me, probably she did, but behind closed doors she had told me I was a smart girl. Probably that was the only time I had thought a nice thought about her.

 

But anyway. Dickie Orr had fired me. We were screaming at each other. Truth is, it’s his fault I was late. If he paid me better I could afford a better car, one that started every time, so I wouldn’t have been late to work so often. He didn’t agree. So I was jobless. Again. I had some savings that I had been putting away towards a new car, so I could afford to pay rent for a while longer while I looked for a new job. I hated looking for a new job. I took one last swipe at Dickie Orr and stormed out the door. I ran into someone whose body resembled a wall and fell on my ass. My box of things went everywhere and my handbag spilled across the floor.

 

“Christ! Don’t you look where you’re going?”

 

“Don’t you?” The walls voice was deep and husky.

 

“No. Everyone knows to get out of my way.” I looked up his hard body and into his eyes. “Every time.”

 

“I’ll bet.” He started to help me pick up my things until I slapped his hand away. I finished gathering everything up and swung around to the stranger.

 

“What do you want? Oh no wait, it’s not my job to ask that anymore.” I swung around and yelled through the door at Dickie’s office. “I was just fired!!” I turned back to the guy standing in front of me. “Find your own damn way.” I noticed that Dickie’s blinds were closed and took one last cheap shot at him. I opened the file drawers and started to pull papers by the handful at random. I flung them over my head. Suck on that dipshit. I hit a few keys on the computer at my desk, my old desk and watched as the hard drive fried itself. Dickie had a few questionable deals happening and had been paranoid that someone would try to get him for it. He had me program a kill switch. Silly bastard. I picked up my box and bag again, stepping around the guy in the door. “I expect he’s in there beating off right about now. He gets off on power trips like this, so you might wanna wait ten minutes.”

 

“I was looking for you.”

 

“Me? How do you know who I am?”

 

“Stephanie Plum right?”

 

“Who wants to know and why? And you didn’t answer my question.”

 

“I want to know, and I know who you are because you’ve been described to me.”

 

“Who described me and how did they describe me?”

 

“Morty Beyer’s described you as hot shit. Joe Morelli described you as sexy, but fucking nuts.”

 

I cocked my head. “Is he in jail yet?”

 

“No that’s why I’m here.”

 

“Is he dead?”

 

“No.”

 

“Either way I don’t give a shit. I told that Beyer’s guy and I’m telling you. I don’t know Jack.” I walked around him and just as the elevator doors started to slide closed I heard Dickie screaming at me down the hall way. Ha! Serves you right.

 

I went home. I gave out a record number of Italian hand gestures and I sped the whole way there. I hit play on my answering machine and half listened as I dug about in my fridge for something to eat. I had half a bottle of olives and just about choked to death when I heard Joe on my machine. We didn’t have contact unless we were forced or it was accidental. I finished choking and had to rewind the tape so I could hear what he had said.

 

“Steph, just a quick warning about Ranger. He’s a bounty hunter and he’s bad news. Stay away from him if you can.”

 

Well, well. I wonder if Ranger was the guy who was at the office this morning. I rang up my cousin Vinnie. He had bailed Joe, so it stood to reason he sent out the bounty hunter. Connie Rizzoli answered. I had gone to school with her sister Tina, so she was happy to talk to me. Hell if I had to spend all day with Vinnie, I’d be happy to talk to a deaf person.

 

“So what’s the deal with this Ranger guy?”

 

“I shouldn’t say anything.”

 

“But you will, right?”

 

“What do you want to know?”

 

“Everything.”

 

“His full name is Ricardo Carlos Manoso, second generation Cuban. He was a Ranger in the Army.” She stopped.

 

“That’s it?”

 

“That’s it. No one knows anything about him.”

 

“You got a phone number?”

 

“I can’t give you that. What I can do is call him and tell him to call you. Will that do?”

 

“Sure. I guess.” I hung up. My curiosity was running wild. Joe was a smart guy sure. But if he were really smart, he wouldn’t have said a thing to me about Ranger. Now I wanted to know more and the only way I was going to have to find out was from the man himself. I was gorging on ice cream watching ‘The Simpson’s’ when there was a knock on my door. I answered it and Ranger was standing against the opposite wall, arms crossed looking foreboding. His hair was slicked back in a ponytail and he was dressed from head to toe in black. He had double gold studs in both ears and a thick chain of gold around his neck. His shirt was skin tight against rock hard muscles. I felt a shock of arousal. Shit.

 

I opened the door and gestured with my spoon for him to come in. He sat in the corner of the lounge, opposite to the end where I had been sitting. “You want anything? Tea, coffee, cold water?” A bed?

 

“I’m fine.”

 

“What did you want to know this morning?”

 

“What made you change your mind?”

 

“Joe called. Warned me to stay away from you.” He laughed low and softly.

 

“I’ll just bet he did.”

 

“So what did you want?”

 

“I’m giving Joe a week to get this sorted out.”

 

“And?” So why was he here? I didn’t need to know.

 

“I need to make it at least look like I’m doing the ground work, or someone will snatch him before I do.”

 

“How long has he been on bail already?”

 

“Three weeks.”

 

“And you told him you’ll give him a week?”

 

“Yeah.” I thought about it for a while. Joe had screwed my life over, again.

 

“You’ve got 5 days to find him and put a tail on his ass. He’ll run before you can bust him.” In actual fact, Joe would never run away, but he had been a thorn in my side for the longest time. Tit for tat and all that.

 

“How do you know?”

 

I cocked my head at him. “I was married to him for 9 years.”

 

“You were separated after 3.”

 

“I know that. You think I don’t know the man?”

 

“I think you’re mistaken.”

 

“He’s a cop, whose been framed for murder. Joe isn’t stupid and he wouldn’t fuck up like that. You need to help him or take him to jail. Either way, he’ll bolt before the week is up.” I went back to watching TV.

 

“Ok. Anything else?” Sure, do you want to know where he’s hiding at daytime? Who’s looking out for him, who’s hiding him? Want to get naked? Damn, thank god I wasn’t talking aloud.

 

“You’ve gotten all the help you’ll get from me. Call me if you can think of a better question to ask.” Like if I want to get naked. I stepped to the door and opened it.

 

“This is my cell number.” He handed me a card. The printing was heavy and dark. A lot like the man. “Call me if you decide to help me find him in the next five days.”

 

“Sure, whatever.” I closed the door behind him and went back to the TV. Today I’d watch TV and eat crap food, tonight I’d have wicked dreams about Ranger and tomorrow I’d look for a new job. What a life I lead.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

The next day I hitched a ride with my neighbour Mr Morganstall to Joe’s place. I needed a car and Joe couldn’t use his for obvious reasons. I’d be helping out by running it for him! I nabbed the key he kept hidden, taped up in his mailbox and let myself into his apartment. I listened to his messages, went through his mail and raided his fridge. It was emptier than mine, but his freezer had chocolate ice cream. I was eating that when Ranger came through the door gun in his hand by his side.

 

“Hey.” I said cool as a cucumber. He raised an eyebrow.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

I held up Joe’s spare keys for his car. “Borrowing his car.”

 

“And eating his ice cream.”

 

“Sure, not like he’s gonna miss it.” Ranger’s laughter boomed off the walls. I chucked the empty container into the trashcan and stood to go.

 

“How’d you get in?”

 

“Spare key. He keeps one taped in the mailbox.” I tossed my hair over my shoulder and walked out through the door past Ranger. “Gotta run. Later.”

 

I found Joe’s new 4x4 parked around the back. I unlocked it and climbed behind the wheel. It still had that new car smell. I drove away and saw Mooch Morelli’s face looking at me startled as I passed him turning into Morelli’s lot. Later that day after registering at some agencies for work and some serious shopping I parked in my own lot and took the precaution of removing the distributor cap. I thought about bringing the cap up with me but I figured if Morelli came looking for it the first place he’d look would be my apartment. The second place he’d look would be in my bomb of a car so that was out too. In the end I pushed it out of view under some bushes that circled the lot. I grabbed my pizza and bags and headed inside for a fun evening alone. Again.

 

I ate and watched TV. At close to 9pm I heard a swearing in the car lot coming through the window. I looked cautiously around the window and watched as Mooch Morelli kicked the tyre before slamming into his own car and taking off. I waited half an hour to make sure he wasn’t going to come back with some kind of item to torture the location of the distributor cap out of me before I jumped in the shower. I took my time washing my hair and had just finished rinsing the conditioner out of my hair when a shadow on the other side of the shower curtain flickered. I looked around for a weapon of any description and the best I could do was my shampoo bottle. It was still fairly full so it was heavy. The curtain was ripped open and I closed my eyes, blindly throwing the bottle.

 

“Fuck!” My eyes flew open at the sound of Joe’s voice. I went to grab a towel but he slapped it out of reach. He grabbed my hand as I went for my bag so I could swing it at him and he cuffed me to the shower rod with some cuffs he had brought out from his back pocket. I started to tug at it but only succeeded in bruising my wrist. “Where is it?”

 

“What?” Playing dumb was my best bet here.

 

“Don’t even try it with me.” Joe’s face was hard and tight. “Where’s my distributor cap?”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“If you don’t tell me I’ll just go through your apartment looking for it.”

 

“It’s not here. I swear!”

 

“Where is it?”

 

“I don’t know!”

 

“Fine.” He upended my bag all over the bathroom floor. It wasn’t there naturally. He lifted the top of the toilet and roughly pushed things around in the small cabinets. He moved from the bathroom and for the next 20 minutes I could hear him going systematically through my small apartment. I heard silence and started to worry he had left.

 

“Joe?” I waited and called again, my voice a little higher in pitch. “Joe?”

 

He came and stood in the doorway to the bathroom. He looked me up and down and started to turn away. “Joe? Joe! You can’t leave me here like this! Un-cuff me!”

 

“Cant. Don’t have a key.” He grinned at me.

 

“What the hell am I meant to do then?” He left the bathroom and came back handing me my phone.

 

“I came in through the window, so you’ll have to call someone with a key. Unless you know someone willing to climb the fire escape in the rain.” He grinned and left. I stood stunned. I heard my door slam and let out a small scream. So not only did I need to call someone who could get into my apartment, I needed to call someone who can pick locks. No one had a key to my apartment. That counted out most all of my family, probably grandma Mazure could pick locks, but I didn’t want her out in the rain. Besides, she’d tell my mother and I really didn’t want her to know. I could of course call the fire brigade, but there was no way in hell. I could call Eddie Gazara but he’d tell someone who’d tell my mother. I couldn’t call Mary Lou for the very same reason. A piece of paper on the floor caught my eye. Ranger’s number jumped of it at me. Yes! I could call Ranger. He wouldn’t tell anyone who’d tell my mother. I slowly dialled the number. Ranger picked up on the second ring.

 

“Yo.”

 

“Ranger?”

 

“Who wants to know?”

 

“Stephanie Plum. I have a problem.”

 

“What’s that then?”

 

“First tell me can you pick locks?”

 

He cleared his throat. “You’ve managed to arouse my curiosity. Why do you want to know if I can pick locks?”

 

At the sound of his voice I wondered if his curiosity was the only thing I could arouse. “Joe handcuffed me to my shower rod.” Ranger started laughing.

 

“Very inventive.”

 

“Can you help me, please?”

 

“You couldn’t come straight out and just ask me on a date?”

 

“I don’t want a date! I need help!”

 

“Shit. You’re serious?”

 

“Yes I’m fucking serious. You could probably come through the window. That’s how Joe got in.”

 

“I’ll be there in 15.” And he hung up.

 

I stood in the shower and started to freeze when the hot air from my shower had all but disappeared out my open bathroom door. Forever later the locks on my door clicked open. Soft footsteps could be heard walking through the rooms back to my bathroom. Ranger came through and stood in the doorway, a slight grin tugging at his lips.

 

“Cold?” So my nipples were hard.

 

“Freezing.” My teeth chattered uncontrollably. Ranger picked up a towel and handed it to me. He helped me wrap it around my self before prying the phone out of my hand. He used a small tool that looked like something a dentist used to pick the locked cuff. He gently lowered my arm and helped me step down off the edge of the tub and onto the waiting mat.

 

“What’s with the hair?” I looked into the mirror and cringed. My hair was standing practically on end in a snarl of curls and knots. I picked up a hair band and pulled it back. It still looked bad, but it was an improvement. It would take well over an hour to get that mess sorted out. I whimpered in pain as pins and needles burst through my numb shoulder and arm. I let it hang half trying not to move half working up the nerve to move so it would go away faster. Ranger’s hand landed on it and I jumped. He massaged it, the pain hurt and felt good at the same time. A long time after the pins and needles had gone Ranger was massaging both of my shoulders and I had warmed up. My nipples were still hard. I could feel his breath against my neck and wanted to lean back against him. I wanted to feel his lips and teeth and tongue on my neck. I wanted him heavy on top of me. I wanted him hard inside of me.

 

I slowly pulled out of his hands grips and felt them slid down my arms. “I’m going to put some clothes on.”

 

I walked out of the bathroom and stepped into my bedroom closing the door behind me. I slumped against it and listened as Ranger walked through my apartment into the living room. The TV came on and I heard soft voices echo through the door. Some kind of news program. I pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. My wrist was an angry shade of red with yellow and green edging a few small cuts. Joe had really done me over. I went back into the living room and flopped down next to Ranger on the couch. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I returned the look, raising my own eyebrow.

 

He picked up my hand and gently rubbed my cut wrist. “You ok?”

 

“I’m pissed off is what I am.” A slight grin creased the edges of his mouth. “What do you need to know about Joe to get him?” The edges of his mouth fell and his grip on my wrist tightened.

 

“What’s brought on this change in tune?”

 

“He cuffed me to the fucking shower rod! Naked!” Ranger laughed and I narrowed my eyes.

 

“You know where to find him?”

 

“I know who would know. Mooch Morelli is Joe’s dog-boy. Has been since they were kids. You want Joe, you follow Mooch.”

 

“It’s that simple?”

 

“It wont be as easy as you think. Mooch is dog shit, but he’s clever dog shit.”

 

“I’m smarter than him.” He grinned and my blood started to burn.

 

“Maybe you are, but you don’t have the resources he does.”

 

“What does he have then?”

 

“The Burg.”

 

“The what?” Was this man truly that clueless?

 

“The Burg, as in Chambersburg.”

 

“Ok, I know where that is.”

 

“Yes, but you still don’t understand. The first time you entered the Burg, the gossips took note, maybe mentioned that they saw a hot guy. The second time, they called others to tell them you were there and they could look for themselves. The third time you were there they probably told the menfolk about you. The fourth time the men took note. Mooch knows you, and he knows why you’re there. Don’t underestimate the Burg.” Ranger had resumed his soft rubbing and I was nearly ready to start hyperventilating. “Mooch has the protection and the eyes of a thousand people.”

 

“Ok, so how do I get around that?” His voice was low and husky, his eyes dark.

 

“You cant. You have to be a part of it. That’s where I come into it.”

 

I could hear the amusement in his voice when he replied. “It is huh?”

 

“Do you know anyone who could do it?”

 

“Connie could.” I shook my head.

 

“Connie’s mobbed up. If she started to ask questions Joe really would bolt. He’d think the mob was after him. If they aren’t already.”

 

“And so you’re my best bet huh?”

 

“I need a job, and this will be fun.”

 

“You think I’m going to pay you?” A smile was creeping up on his mouth again.

 

“Sure you are. I’ve got to pay the rent and the phone bill. I don’t need a new car but an alarm will be good.” I smiled at him and his hand tightened on my wrist again. “See? So you’ll pay me.”

 

His laughter boomed off the walls as he threw his head back. “Ok. What do you think you’re worth then?”

 

“I’m priceless, but you can have my services for $13.99 an hour.” His grin morphed from amused to aroused. Liquid black slid across his eyes.

 

“Your services?” His voice was low and rough and slowly, so very slowly he leaned his face in closer to my face. At the very last second I turned my head and his lips landed on my ear. He worked his mouth down over my neck and slowly backed me down until he was laying over me, his mouth working up the other side of my neck. He pulled back and looked down at me. My hands were fisted in the back of his black shirt and I was breathing heavily. He kissed me on the lips softly. “What services are those exactly?”

 

What? Oh, right. Umm… “Liaison.” He kissed me again, licking along my bottom lip. “Communications thingy…” He kissed me again, pushing his tongue into my parted lips, pulling away when I moved towards him. “Anything more than that… will cost you extra.”

 

He slid his lips down my jaw back to my neck, his hand coming up under my shirt to rest on my ribs below my breast. “How much will it cost to have you under me in your bed?” He bit the pulse at the base of my neck. “Moaning?”

 

I groaned and his mouth came up and clamped down on mine, taking everything I had to offer. He pulled away at my next moan. I was panting as I answered looking into his black liquid eyes. “It’s going to cost you a little time, attention and perseverance.”

 

He smiled a predatory smile and leant in to kiss me again. “I think I can afford a bit more than a little of each. I can afford a lot.” He came at me again, kissing me hard, his hand slipping up to circle my breast. I was hoping that he meant we’d be having a lot of sex, because that’s all I could think of right now. It was all I wanted right now.

 

Ten minutes later he had left my apartment and I was a puddle of mush and angry unsatisfied hormones lying on the couch.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

I woke the next morning a nervous wreck. I was twitching and jumping at sounds. Strange thing was, this seemed like old times. I had showered and eaten a pop tart for breakfast when Ranger appeared, letting himself in the front door.

 

“You could have knocked.” He looked me up and down, coming to a rest on my snoopy slippers.

 

“Thought you’d be in bed.” It was only just six am. I should have been but I couldn’t sleep.

 

“You thought wrong.”

 

“Obviously.” He pulled off his black leather jacket and hung it on a hook in the entryway.

 

“You want coffee?” Everyone should want coffee at this hour. Hell, I was on my second cup.

 

“Pass. I’ll have an orange juice if you have it.” I frowned in doubt but opened my fridge anyway.

 

“You’re out of luck. I have apple juice if you want.”

 

He shrugged, “It’ll do.”

 

I moved around my small kitchen pulling the bottle out of the fridge and a glass out of the cupboard. I poured half a glass before the smell hit me. I looked closer, the apple juice was cloudy and had stuff floating in it. It had been in my fridge long enough to ferment. I screwed up my nose and tipped it down the sink. “You’re out of luck there too.”

 

He was grinning at me. “So I gathered.”

 

I talked as I washed the rest of the juice down the sink and put the bottle in the recycling. “I have coffee, water and some kind of tea bags.”

 

“Coffee then.” I reset the percolator and Ranger went and sat in the living room. I poured him a cup and myself another.

 

“Sugar, milk?” I yelled with out turning around, digging through the fridge for the milk again.

 

“Neither.” It was said quietly in my ear and I felt his body skim my back as I stood back up. My hair was moved to one side of my neck and the milk was pulled out of my hand. Ranger’s arms came up around my front, one resting on my stomach pulling me against him, while the other cupped my chin, angling my neck where his lips landed. I relaxed into him.

 

The hand on my stomach slid up and circled a breast while the hand on my chin slid down and circled my neck. He squeezed a little on both and I gasped, pressing my ass against his rising erection. He grunted in my ear, a low feral sound that sent my blood into a boil. He spun me around and used his body to push me against the refrigerator, lifting my legs to wrap them around his waist.

 

~~~~~~~~~

I moved around my small kitchen pulling the bottle out of the fridge and a glass out of the cupboard. I poured half a glass before the smell hit me. I looked closer, the apple juice was cloudy and had stuff floating in it. It had been in my fridge long enough to ferment. I screwed up my nose and tipped it down the sink. “You’re out of luck there too.”

 

He was grinning at me. “So I gathered.”

 

I talked as I washed the rest of the juice down the sink and put the bottle in the recycling. “I have coffee, water and some kind of tea bags.”

 

“Coffee then.” I reset the percolator and Ranger went and sat in the living room. I poured him a cup and myself another.

 

“Sugar, milk?” I yelled with out turning around, digging through the fridge for the milk again.

 

“Neither.” It was said quietly in my ear and I felt his body skim my back as I stood back up. My hair was moved to one side of my neck and the milk was pulled out of my hand. Ranger’s arms came up around my front, one resting on my stomach pulling me against him, while the other cupped my chin, angling my neck where his lips landed. I relaxed into him.

 

The hand on my stomach slid up and circled a breast while the hand on my chin slid down and circled my neck. He squeezed a little on both and I gasped, pressing my ass against his rising erection. He grunted in my ear, a low feral sound that sent my blood into a boil. He spun me around and used his body to push me against the refrigerator, lifting my legs to wrap them around his waist.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

His mouth landed on mine as my back crashed into the refrigerator. It rocked back with our combined body weight pushing on it. Ranger’s mouth against mine was hot and bruising, our teeth clashed and tongues duelled. My thighs tightened around his waist as I kicked off my snoopy slippers and Ranger dug his fingers in at the back juncture of my butt and thighs under my matching snoopy boxers.

 

Holding me to him, grinding me against him, Ranger moved off the refrigerator and spun us around dumping me on my kitchen table. He pressed me back and lay half on me half standing. The pressure of him grinding against my clit, his heavy clothing over my silk boxers, was driving me insane and I was slowly rising to climax. Suddenly he stood up, pulling away, pulling me up with him. His strong arms and clever fingers made quick work of my string tank top, yanking it over my head as I quickly raised my arms.

 

Ranger stepped back and just looked at me with his liquid black eyes, his breath more than a little off kilter. I leaned back on my hands, breasts and nipples jutting forward proudly, rising up and down as my breathing laboured. I flicked a glance up and down his body, his erection was well framed by his pants, like the rest of his body was framed in a tight black shirt. No gold chains today, only small diamond studs in his ears. I licked my lips and looked into his eyes.

 

“Take off your shirt.” He raised an eyebrow, grinning at me slightly. He pulled a gun from the back of his pants and sat it on the kitchen bench to the right of us before pulling his shirt over his head. Briefly my eyes flickered over the gun and I wondered what the hell was I doing, the thought past as I turned to look at what the shirt had been covering. I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from groaning out loud. Instead I whimpered at the sight of his muscular upper body, coloured a dark mocha latte, slightly lighter than his arms and face. I let my breath out explosively and pulled myself forward off the table and launched myself at him. He grabbed me and backed into the wall trying to balance us as I wrapped my self around his body, bighting, clawing and scratching at him. I wanted under his skin. I wanted it to feel as though he was surrounding me. I wanted him, hard, fast and immediately.

 

He hiked me further up his body, my legs around his waist, and his mouth closed around my nipple. My fingers dug into his shoulders and I shuddered when he sucked hard, letting out another groan. I wrapped my hands into his long hair, pulling it from his hair band, roughly gripping it like it was a lifeline. He bit down hard enough that it hurt, an erotic pain that made me want more. I gave a short squeak of a squeal and groaned when my nipple puckered to a hard nub after he pulled back and blew cool breath on the wet area. He turned his attention to my other nipple and walked us slowly towards the opening leading out of the kitchen into the living room.

 

He lowered me in his arms and my legs wrapped around hips as his mouthed roamed over my neck, kissing, bighting and sucking. I could feel his hands massaging my ass as he held me to him. Unconsciously I rocked against him as his mouth worked on my neck. My neck was a particularly erogenous place for me… put your mouth there and suck it, bight it, I’m likely to turn to mush in your arms. The rougher the better, and Ranger was rough, he had a slight beard, maybe a day old and it scratched at me, a nice contrast to his hard teeth and soft lips. I gurgled, my hands in his hair still pulling ever harder into my neck. Mindlessly I rocked against him, I wanted, needed him, in me now filling me up, stretching my insides.

 

Ranger pulled back from my neck and I looked at him with glazed eyes.

 

“Bedroom?” I shook my head. His voice was deep and huskier than before.

 

“Right here, right now.”

 

As far as I was concerned, there was no time to make it to my bed, I needed him in me right now. Ranger grinned and dropped me onto my back on the couch. My head bounced as I landed and Ranger pulled another smaller gun from an ankle holster and sat it on my small coffee table before his hands went for the button on his pants. I pulled off my boxers and helped Ranger as he unlaced and kicked of his boots. Then he was on me, pouncing onto the couch, on to me. Pushing his legs between mine, struggling on the small space of the couch as we both tried to get comfortable. We both paused, realising this was as comfortable we were going to get. He pressed his erection against me, rubbing up and down the length of my wet pussy. My clit, being stimulated again sent shocks of electricity down my legs until they twitched. We kissed again, opening our mouths to the fullest, pushing into each other like we wanted to eat one another.

 

He pulled back and his mouth travelled down my neck again, My eyes rolled back and closed, I used what little leverage I could get to grind myself against him. We lost purchase of the couch and fell to the carpeted floor. We rolled into the small coffee table, Ranger sending it out of the way with an almighty shove, the gun falling of with a dull thud, and kept rolling until Ranger was back on top between my legs. Something was digging into my back, but I was too deeply gone with other more pleasurable physical sensations to take any notice. Until it started ringing.

 

“Fuck!” Ranger swore into my neck, frustrated and started to look around for the phone. I wiggled, not unpleasantly, tugging his pants out from under my back bringing the phone in their pocket with them. Ranger groaned and entered me pushing slowly against my opening, sliding slickly in, stretching me filling me more than anyone ever had before. The phones ringing got gradually louder and seemed to fill the room with its noise by the time I got it out of his pocket.

 

Ranger held himself inside me, pinning me to the floor so I couldn’t move as he snapped the phone open and pressed a button before holding it to his ear. I looked into his eyes. They were black, but no longer liquid, they sparked with a barely suppressed violence and I felt my insides tense just that little bit more. He snapped into the phone.

 

“What!… I’m busy! Deal with it!” he snapped the phone closed and threw it into the kitchen where I heard it skitter across the linoleum and into a bench.

 

We both lay there. Silent. The only sounds were us breathing. Loudly, raggedly.  Distantly, the sounds of cars outside could be heard, the sound of Mr Morganstall above us walking around as he did his daily ritual of making tea, turning on the tv and fetching the mornings paper. The only sounds I wanted to hear was the sounds of sex. The grunting, moaning and the sounds of flesh, wet, moving, pounding, slapping.

 

Ranger’s eyes were still sparking with an anger directed at whomever had called. The phone rang again and I clenched my inner muscles. No way was he pulling out of me to answer that fucking phone. I watched as his eyes closed. I clenched again and his eyes opened, liquid black. Ranger pulled almost completely out and pushed back home, looking into my eyes as they rolled back in my head and closed.

 

I let out a soft moan. “Harder.”

 

Ranger pulled out and slid home again. I groaned. “Harder.”

 

Ranger pulled out and rammed home, grunting. I moaned, still wanting more. I pulled my legs up and next time he pressed forwards I raised my hips and met him half way. We settled into a rhthym that slowly built up to a hard and forceful movement. Ranger’s mouth moved from mine to my neck. Bighting down, suddenly, hard, bringing a harsh scream from me. The movement went from hard and forceful to fast and bruising. Ranger was groaning against my neck, my feet were on tiptoes legs spread as far as I could, still holding me at an angle that allowed for maximum dick in my pussy.  My fingers dug into his back, scratching at his shoulders and ass as I tried to pull him up into me further, faster, harder.

 

Ranger pulled his torso up, leaning on one elbow and used his other hand to squeeze at my breast and pinch my nipple. I brought both hands around from his back, bringing them up to frame his face and dragged my nails down his face, neck and torso across his nipples that formed small pebbles as I passed them. I didn’t scratch hard enough to hurt, but it was enough that white lines formed in their wake. I brought my hands back up and insinuated them into his hair and pulled him roughly to a kiss that might have possibly split my lip. I tasted blood and Ranger pulled away, insinuating his hand between our bodies and pressed hard against my clit, holding his thumb there wriggling it slightly.

 

At his first touch I came hard, yelling hoarsly my muscles spasming, milking him as he let another husky feral grunt go, when he didn’t move his thumb away my inner muscles came to a stop so clenched that Ranger couldn’t move any more. He poured himself into me as my muscles held him tightly. The world around me as I knew it morphed colours and went photonegative, They’d only ever done that before when I had passed out. His head hung down against my cheek, his hair tickling my face.

 

“Damn.” He said after he lifted his face to look at me again, he grinned and slowly tried to pull out again, triggering my muscles to spasm, but not untighten around him again. He winced a little but stayed still.

 

I let out a small bark of laughter that actually hurt and we both grimaced. We lay quietly, watching each other, not talking thinking our own thoughts.

 

“I’m going to try again, it’d help if you’d try to relax Stephanie.” I nodded and took a deep breath in, slowly releasing it and all tension I could. Ranger pulled out slowly, my muscles still tight around him, but not so tight he couldn’t move now.

 

He turned and flopped on his back and then I could feel the mess of this mornings activities drip out from between my legs, down my upper thighs and down my ass. Ranger’s phone rang just as I stood for a shower. I went and picked it up for him passing it to him as I went pass into the shower.

 

As I turned on the hot water I could hear Ranger swear into the phone, “You’re a big girl Virginia, you can fucking handle it yourself.”

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

I stood in the shower let the water run from the top of my head down over my face, front and back. Though the water was hot, I had goose bumps from the sensation of the water running over my scalp. I let my mind wonder. Ranger had been fielding a call from Virginia when I had jumped into the shower. He hadn’t seemed angry or happy to hear from her, he seemed, tired. Apathetic. It made me curious.

 

I shook my head. He was my boss. No interfering with the boss’s life. Shit. I had slept with my boss, and I hadn’t even put in an hours worth of work yet.  Great going Steph, 10 points for you. I bashed my head against the tiles for a minute before quickly finishing showering. I dried off and seeing as though I didn’t have to leave the house for work I pulled on a pair of jeans and a Ranger’s sweatshirt, heading back into the living room.

 

Ranger was dressed again and the coffee table had been replaced to its normal spot. He stood and walked up to me, I backed off and ended up against the wall. Ranger’s body barely skimmed mine, but I could feel the heat we were generating. I looked up from his chest to see him with a grin pulling at one side of his mouth.

 

“So tell me what you’re gonna do today to get paid.”

 

“Shit. You mean I still have to work to get paid?” I was feeling good. The least I should have gotten for this mornings effort was a round of applause.

 

Ranger threw his head back and laughed. The sound reverberated around my sparsely furnished apartment. “I didn’t give you payment enough?”

 

From the look in his eyes, I think he was talking about the number of orgasms I’d had. And he had a point. “I guess I could make some calls. Check into the grapevine. Someone will know something.” I could then go visit Mary Lou and do some shopping.

 

Ranger nodded and stepped back. He walked to the door and I followed him to lock the bolt. He reached out and grabbed his jacket and opened the door. He handed me a card with four numbers listed on it. “I’ll be by later today to get an update. If you get any important info call me.”

 

He was gone before I could ask what he considered important. Guess that the distinction was up to me. It was now close to 10am. I grabbed another coffee, the remote to my stereo, my phone and my address book. My first call was to Sue Anne Grubeck.

 

Sue Anne was the biggest gossip in the Burg. There was rarely a minute that went by that she didn’t have the phone to her ear. From the minute her kids set off to school to the minute her husband came home. Earlier and later too if there was big gossip going around. I was betting that yesterday I had been the topic of choice. The phone rang once and Sue Anne answered.

 

“Stephanie!!! I haven’t heard from you in forever!!! Let me just get rid of Carol.” There was a click and muzak reached my ears as I waited on call waiting. Not for long though. “Ohh, sorry about that. Now! What’s happening with you? What really happened yesterday?”

 

“Nothing. Dickie fired me. That’s all. Why, what have people been saying?”

 

“Only that some big hunk of a man came in like a knight and rescued you away from that jerk. Of course that’s the most common. Julia Mancuso said that Dickie fired you after you put out. But everyone knows that’s a lie. Julia just hates you because you married Joe before she had a chance to seduce him.”

 

“Well there’s plenty of opportunity now.” Julia Mancuso got married to Joe’s cousin Anthony 3 months after I had married Joe. She was year older than me and ten years dumber.

 

“Sure but like Joe Morelli would even look at her twice now.” Its true, Joe had high standards. It wasn’t that she was married to his cousin, it was that she weighed more than a small car.

 

“Speaking of Joe-“

 

“OHMYGOD!! Its true!”

 

“What? Sue Anne! Take a breath!” She had started to hyperventilate. There was a beeping sounds of someone trying to get though on the other line. “Are you going to get that?”

 

“No, this is much more important. Now what did you need to know? And is it true about the big guy? I’ve seen him around a lot lately.”

 

“I can’t say anything about the big guy… I don’t know what you’re on about. But what I need to know is anything about Joe. And anything about Mooch.” The dumb ass.

 

“Oh, ok… let me ring around a bit. And everyone’s talking about the big guy. He’s looking for Joe right? Right?”

 

“Yeah he is.”

 

“Oh! He’s sooo hot. Bridie Mentser said she’s seen him a few times over at Joe’s mothers place a few times. Even took a photo so we could all see. He’s just gorgeous!” I was betting the photo was nothing compared to the reality.

 

“I have to go Sue Anne… call around, and anything you hear pass it on to me. I’ve got my cell so call me on that.” I gave her the number and hung up. I watched an hour of TV then I picked up the essentials, phone, brush, hairspray and a few bits and pieces and took off for the Burg so I could eat lunch at my parents. I wasn’t looking forward to the inquisition but I was looking forward to the free home cooked meal.

 

Half way to my parents place I changed my mind, calling Mary Lou and getting the ok to head around to her house with some pizza. Lenny was working, but the 2 boys both had play school today for a few hours, giving Mary Lou some much needed alone time. I grabbed a pizza from Pino’s and in under 30mins of leaving home I was munching on a pizza talking trash with Mary Lou.

 

Half way though the pizza Mary Lou caved to the fact that I was ignoring all hints of her having a copy of the picture of Ranger and hauled out her copy of the picture. It wasn’t a bad picture, Bridie was obviously practiced at taking sneak shots of the people in the Burg. But as nice as the picture was, it didn’t do his luscious body justice. I must have said something aloud because Mary Lou suddenly knew I knew him better than to just look at.

 

“It doesn’t do him justice? Just how hot is this guy?” Mary Lou was somewhat incredulous, it was a good picture.

 

“He’s hot.” As I thought about just how hot, I felt a rush of heat run up my body, making me wet, and tight in more than one place. My nipples puckered and I could feel the heat come up to the skin on my neck and chest. Mary Lou just watched and suddenly exclaimed.

 

“Oh My God!! You had sex with him!” I tried to deny it, but she was having none of it. “You can’t lie to me Stephanie Plum! I know what that heat rash is! You’re turned on, and you’re only looking at a damn picture. He must have been some lay.”

 

I thunked my head on the table. “A damn good lay.”

 

“Omigod! I knew it!” Mary Lou was getting over excited, bouncing on her chair.

 

“The problem is-“

 

“How can there be a problem?”

 

“He’s my new boss.”

 

Mary Lou stopped bouncing. “Ohh, shit.”

 

“Yeah. Shit.” I took a deep breath. “And there’s worse-“

 

“How on earth can there be worse?!?” Mary Lou exclaimed.

 

“I think he has a wife. Or a girlfriend. Someone named Virginia.”

 

Mary Lou reeled back in her chair. “Holy shit.”

 

“Yeah. Holy Shit.”

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

I left Mary Lou’s place when she had to go pick up the kids at 2pm. I was considering stopping in at the market to pick up some more olives and peanut butter when I received a call from Sue Anne giving me three interesting and possibly important pieces of news. First was that Mooch had a regular appointment at my cousin Walter Shutz’s conveinence store One Stop to play the numbers. He went in daily usually between 1 and 2. The second piece of news was that Joe himself had been spotted driving around town in a late model white Ford Econovan. The third bit of news was that Joline Keppler had gotten the license plate only a few minutes after she had gotten off the phone to Sue Anne. She then immediately rang Sue Anne who rang me. I pulled into my lot and ran up the stairs to my apartment. I called my cousin at the DMV and got a line on the car. It had been found abandoned and the owners hadn’t put in a claim for it as yet.

 

I grabbed up my phone again and put a call through to Ranger’s cell phone.

 

“Go.”

 

“Umm, Ranger? Is this a message”

 

“I’m here.”

 

“It’s Stephanie Plum.”

 

“I know who you are. What can I do for you this time?” I could hear the grin in his voice. It sounded smug.

 

“I’ve got news on Joe. You want to know? Or do you want to be a smart ass?” He might be a badass, but I’d seen him naked. Hard to think of a guy being totally self contained when you’d seen the way his eyes rolled when he came.

 

“What do you have to report.?” His voice went from smug to business like in 0.1 seconds flat.

 

I filled him in on Mooch and his daily hiatus at Walters store. Then told him about the white van Joe had been spotted in.

 

“Nice work, if you hear anything else call me. Other wise I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” The phone switched off and I stared at it in amazement. I He hadn’t even given me time to tell him about the number plate.

 

I stabbed redial. And waited for the response. “Yo.”

 

“Oh Mr patinence.! The number plate on the van is 8fht-f789. It had been impounded.” Then I hung up. Let him do the rest of the ground work him damn self.