Janet Evanovich The Safe House

_JE owns the rights to anything familiar - all mistakes are mine - thank alix33 for cleaning those up for me!_

**_I am blaming this story on the crazy heat wave currently trying to turn my little corner of the world into dust. I think it's making me delirious. Hope everyone else around the globe is nice and cool._**

* * *

The heat was suffocating and I mean that literally. Every time I stepped outside I felt like I was breathing through a sponge. The humidity made it seem like everything was wet including my clothes, my hair and most of all, _my lungs._

The window air conditioning unit I had installed in my bedroom committed suicide last week and honestly, it's been so hot, I sort of understood where it was coming from. If the heat wave didn't let up soon, I was seriously considering jumping off the bridge right into the Delaware River.

"What's the deal?" I asked Connie from the couch where I'd been sitting for the last ten minutes, mostly because my legs were stuck to the vinyl and I was afraid to get up. "I thought Vinnie got the air fixed."

Since the heat wave began, none of Trenton's criminals were jumping bail, and some were even committing additional crimes just so they could spend some time in the air conditioned jail. All that meant was no work for me, but I'd come to the office anyway to escape the heat. _Fat lot of good that did me. _I picked up a magazine and tried using it as a fan, but all it was doing was pushing the hot air around and that was almost worse. When I tried tossing it back on the small coffee table, it stuck to my damp hand and I had to peel it off, leaving a faint trace of some super model's _C_ cups on my palm.

"It broke again yesterday and the little walking turd took off for Orlando with Lucille without calling the repair guy," Connie complained as she tried to pry her eyelashes apart. "Can you believe this shit? It's so fucking hot my mascara is melting."

I hadn't even bothered with make-up this morning. It would have run off my face in two seconds flat.

"Why don't _you_ call the repair guy?" I wanted to know.

"I tried every single one listed. No one has an opening until the middle of September. Fucking heat wave_._" That was a phrase being uttered frequently by everyone in the Burg. I'd even heard my Dad mutter it under his breath at dinner last night when Grandma showed up at the table wearing a hot pink tube top and matching short shorts.

"Are you seeing this?" Connie groused, working on her eyes. "I look like a goddamn raccoon."

Lula barreled in the door before I could commiserate with Connie about the pathetic state of her runny mascara. "This is an outrage!" She exclaimed as she dropped her giant handbag onto the couch next to me and planted her hands on spandex covered hips. "I'm outraged! Do you see what this fucking heat wave has done?"

I was pretty sure that was a rhetorical question because there was no way to miss it. Even through the sticky mess, Connie's eyes were wide open at the sight before us.

Normally Lula's choice in clothing garnered enough attention to stop traffic, but today I couldn't even tell you what color her shirt was.

_"Wow,"_ I said. "What happened?"

"_What happened?_" She echoed incredulously. "This fucking heat wave is what happened. I took my braids out cuz it was time for a new look and _this_ happened." Lula waved her arms in the air around her head and I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen her eyes bug out of her head like that. "Even Mr. Alexander said he couldn't do anything. I can't be walkin' around like this; I got an image to uphold."

She planted her hands on her hips again and her eyes bounced like ping pong balls between me and Connie as if waiting for one of us to come up with some magic solution to the giant afro protruding from her head. It had to be a foot wide in every direction and I wondered how she even got it inside her car.

I flicked my gaze to Connie and gave her a small shrug. I was pretty sure neither one of us had any clue what to do, except take a pair of gardening shears to it but I didn't think that was quite what Lula had in mind.

"Well," Connie started slowly, "what about bunching it up and trying to get a scrunchy around it?" We all knew that wouldn't work but it was more than I could come up with.

"There ain't a scrunchy big enough for all this." Lula gestured wildly with her hands again and then turned to me expectantly. "You got any ideas?" I felt like a deer caught in very big headlights but thankfully my phone rang from somewhere at the bottom of my handbag and I held up a finger while I dug around looking for it.

When I finally found it under a can of hairspray and my handcuffs, I pulled it out and froze when I saw Ranger's name on the caller ID. I hadn't seen him in a couple of weeks but just the sight of his name conjured up the memory of the_ very_ erotic dream I'd had about him the night before last. I felt the blush creeping up my neck, making me even hotter than I already was.

I cut my eyes to the comical posture of Lula and her massive hair and then back to my phone. _Ranger or Lula?_ I was sure Ranger didn't have any kind of hair problem he needed help with so I took the coward's way out and swiped my finger to answer his call.

"Yo," I greeted him like he always greets me.

"You busy, Babe?"

I looked at Lula, knowing I should say yes, but I couldn't make myself form the word.

"No. Do you want me?" _ Shit._ That wasn't what I'd intended to say and the blush traveled further up my neck, heating my cheeks.

Of course Ranger couldn't let it slide. There was a slight pause before he replied, "I have the check for your half of the Alphetta capture and if you swing by Rangeman to pick it up we can discuss the things I want in explicit detail."

Now it was my turn to pause. Ranger and I had been dancing around each other for a few months, both of us trying really hard not to give in to the crazy sexual energy that always seemed to flare up whenever we shared the same space. It had gotten worse when Morelli and I split up and the last time I'd seen him, working the Alphetta job, we'd nearly let it take over when we were paired together on a surveillance shift. I started out partnered with Binkie but he got sick and Ranger arrived to relieve him. A half an hour later I was topless in the SUV and he was softly cursing in Spanish when Vince radioed to us saying he had eyes on the skip. Ranger had been keeping his distance ever since and I really couldn't blame him. We'd almost blown the capture because we couldn't keep our hormones in check.

But the job was over and as far as I knew, neither of us was attached to anyone else, so why not have a discussion? Also, the Rangeman building had a great air conditioning system…

"Now?"

"Yeah, now." I didn't miss the fact his tone had dropped an octave.

"See you soon," I assented and hoped my voice hadn't sounded too breathy. I disconnected and dropped my phone back inside my purse. Connie and Lula were starting at me, Lula's afro problem forgotten.

"Only one person makes you blush like that," Lula announced and Connie was nodding her head in agreement. "You're gonna get some Batman nookie!"

_Oh God._ "No," I tried. "I am just going to pick up a check. We're not...he's not..." I was going to say not interested in _that_ way but we'd all know it was a lie. "It's just a check," I finished lamely and slowly peeled myself off the couch, bringing my handbag with me. "I gotta go," I muttered, making a beeline for the door, "good luck with your hair."

"Call me later," Lula yelled to me as I made my way to the car. "I wanna know how _big_ a check it is!"

I rolled my eyes and folded myself into my current POS. Luckily the air conditioning was the only thing on it that worked right so I wouldn't look completely disgusting by the time I got to Rangeman. Normally I would go home first to shower, shave and apply a double coat of mascara before seeing Ranger but it would just be a waste of time today. With the heat, I'd end up looking worse than I already do and God only knows what _my_ face would look like if my mascara melted.

I blasted the air the whole fifteen minute drive and only tried to talk myself out of it twice before I pulled into the underground garage, but here's the deal: I want Ranger. I want him _bad_ and there is probably a list a mile long why it's a terrible idea but I really don't care. I want him and he wants me and there isn't anything wrong with that. I would know going in it's not going to lead to any type of committed relationship between us so what would be the harm?

I asked myself that again as I rode the elevator to the fifth floor. When the door opened, I told the voice inside my head that kept insisting I was in love with Ranger and _that_ was the harm to shut the hell up. I was going to have a Ranger induced orgasm and I was going to have it today. Love didn't need to factor in anywhere.

The air conditioning unit was running at full capacity and it wasn't until I reached Ranger's office door that I realized that wasn't a good thing. The thin tank top and lace bra I was wearing were doing nothing to hide the fact the arctic air in the building had turned my nipples to stone. _Crap._ _I can't go in there like this_. I looked around the hallway, hoping to see a jacket or sweater magically appear but when that didn't happen, I rethought the whole situation. The nipple thing might actually work to my advantage. In fact, it might get me to that orgasm quicker than anticipated. I squared my shoulders, thrust out my chest and knocked boldly on Ranger's door.

"Enter," he barked and I turned the knob, pushing the door open with confidence.

All that bravado died a quick death when he laid those deep brown eyes on me. The intense scrutiny started at my feet and slowly advanced up my legs. I thought I could actually feel the heat of his gaze on my skin as his eyes paused for a second too long at the bottom of the cut off jean shorts I was wearing. And then I thought I might have that orgasm without him actually touching me when they landed on my pointy nipples.

"Stephanie," he said softly, when his lust filled eyes finally met mine. "Have a seat." He pointed to the couch and I was grateful for the distraction because my mouth had gone so dry I didn't think I could speak.

Had I not been trying to keep myself from falling on my face while I walked to the couch on suddenly unsteady legs, I might have seen the glasses and ice bucket resting on the coffee table but I was too focused on the way his gaze had devoured every inch of me. He joined me on the couch, sitting so close our thighs were touching, and lifted a bottle of champagne out of the bucket. After filling two glasses he handed one to me and then clinked them together, offering a toast. "To a job well done."

I didn't think it went all that well, but with Ranger still looking at me like he wished I was naked and with delicious champagne ready to consume, I wasn't going to mention it. We both took a drink and then he handed me the envelope I also hadn't noticed.

I kept one hand firmly wrapped around the champagne flute and attempted to open it one-handed, not willing to set the glass down.

I caught Ranger's amused smile before he took pity on me and slid the check out. When I saw all the zeros, I nearly spilled the whole thing in my lap.

"What the hell? This is way too much...I didn't even do anything!"

Ranger took a drink of champagne and I might have stared at his neck while he swallowed, watching his Adam's apple slide up and down, and biting my tongue so I didn't lean in and press my lips right over that spot.

"You're the one that discovered Alphetta had a sister in Hoboken and you're also the one who convinced said sister to lure him there so we could grab him. Without you, we'd still be sitting at that dirty flophouse on Stark Street, hoping he was stupid enough to show his face." Ranger set his glass on the coffee table and the movement made the material of his black cargo pants skim across my outer thigh, sending a shiver to lots of good places. "Without you," he continued, "there wouldn't be a check for either of us so I don't want to hear any more protests."

"But…this is more than half the bounty, Ranger. I can't accept this." I stared down at the check. _Eighty thousand dollars! _ I'd never had that much money in my account at one time before. I could finally replace the couch I'd thrown out when I found a dead guy sitting on it. I could also afford a better car and not be late on my rent and have something besides peanut butter and olives in my cupboards. But I didn't feel I'd earned it and I couldn't take it. I held it out to him and couldn't stop the cringe when Ranger leveled me with hard eyes.

"What did I just say?" He countered, ignoring the check I left suspended between us. His voice was soft, but it had that tone, the one that meant I should keep my mouth shut and put the check in my purse.

I pulled my hand back and folded the money, sliding it into the bag I'd dropped at my feet. "Thank you," I said, knowing he would allow no further discussion about it.

Just like that, the anger disappeared from his gaze. "Are you ready to discuss details?" He wanted to know.

"Details?"

"Yes. _Explicit_ ones," he reminded with a dangerous tilt to his lips.

Oh boy. I was in trouble. However, I had the feeling it was going to be the _good_ kind of trouble. I took a healthy swig of champagne and then set my glass next to his. _Operation Ranger orgasm commence!_

"I really, _really_ am," I admitted and let my hand settle on his thigh. Before I could take my next breath, Ranger's mouth was on mine. The first swipe of his tongue had my whole body thrumming with anticipation and then… a knock on his office door. _Seriously?_ He pulled back and I was sure he was going to tell whomever it was to go the fuck away, but he snapped out his patented, _"Enter", _and I couldn't stop the sigh of disappointment. We really shouldn't be doing it in his office anyway, but I bet it would have been freaking _hot._

Ranger's right hand man stalked into the office with his face buried in a pile of paperwork. "I need the Ramirez file," Tank announced, "and we have a client meeting in ten minutes in conference room two." When he finally looked up and found Ranger's desk empty, his enormous neck turned his enormous head in our direction. Had it been me, I would have probably jolted in surprise and then apologized profusely while backing out of the room but Tank only lifted an eyebrow and said. "Should I reschedule?"

Ranger glanced at his watch. "No and Woody has the Ramirez file." Some sort of ESP communication happened between them after that and then Tank nodded once before leaving.

I wanted to ask what they'd just silently discussed but before the door even closed on Tank's back, it was being opened again. Lester Santos bounded in without being invited and he was clearly excited about something. "Did you ask her yet?" He demanded of Ranger, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Ranger brought him down a peg with that hard-eyed glare I was all too familiar with. _"Sir,"_ Lester tacked on, as if that would make it better.

"_Out,"_ Ranger commanded and Lester, being not entirely without a brain, turned on his heel and left the office, pulling the door closed behind him.

"What was that about?" I asked, trying to distract Ranger. Even if he maybe deserved it a little, I didn't want Ranger to injure Lester and if the look on his face was any indication, Lester would be in a lot of pain later.

Ranger let out a controlled breath and then focused back on my face. The murderous gleam in his eye was down to a dull pulse so I thought that was a good sign. "The last week of August I open up the safe house in Point Pleasant and let my team use it. Since everyone got a big bonus check for the Alphetta job, mostly due to you, they want you to join them at the house."

I ignored the mostly due to me part, because I still thought it was questionable and focused on the important part. "You have a safe house at the shore?" I loved Point Pleasant and there was no way I was turning down this offer… if he actually offered it.

The corners of his lips lifted in a small smile. "Yeah, Babe. You're welcome to use it along with the rest of the crew, starting tomorrow."

_Yes!_ "Is it near the beach?" I was already mentally going through every bikini I wanted to take with me.

"Very," Ranger replied as he dipped a hand into his pocket. He held out a set of keys and I reached for them automatically. "Take the car in the garage. It has the address already programmed into the GPS so you won't have to worry about the code for the gate. This will get you in."

He gestured to the little black fob hanging next to the key and I glanced down at it. There was no indication what kind of car it opened, but I was guessing it was brand new, black and incredibly expensive. I should have argued about the car, but we both knew it would do no good so I kept my mouth shut.

"I have to go," he said, looking at his watch again as he lifted off the couch. I was still disappointed that we weren't going to have that conversation, but the thought of a week at the shore made it a little easier to take.

"Right, your meeting." I got up too, grabbing my bag and headed for the door. "I was going to tell you again how I didn't earn any of this but I really don't feel like dying today, so I'll just say thanks." I turned to him with a grin and added, "Will I see you at the house at all?" I tried not to sound too hopeful, but failed miserably.

In response, Ranger snagged me by the arm and pulled me against his body. He lowered his lips to mine and proceeded to kiss me until I once again wanted to divest him of every stitch of clothing hiding his sinful body from me.

"I normally leave the men to their own devices but I might make an exception this time," he murmured against my mouth as he nibbled at my bottom lip. "We still have things to discuss." His magical mouth trailed over my jaw and down my neck and just as I was about to start tearing his shirt off, his lips were gone. I tried not to moan at the loss and slowly opened my eyes.

Ranger was pulling open his office door. "Later, Babe," he called over his shoulder and left me standing there, horny and alone. _Bastard._

_*#*#*_

I'd been right about the car. It was shiny and black and I didn't even want to think about how much it cost. I just said a silent prayer that it wouldn't get stolen, riddled with bullets or blown up before I made it to the safe house. I spent most of the night packing for the trip and after dropping Rex off at my parents' house the next morning; I got on the road to the shore.

The Porsche was a convertible and normally I would have had the top down and the radio cranked up as I drove but it was too fucking hot for that. On the off chance Ranger showed up at the house, I didn't want to look like a melting raccoon so I left the top up and blasted the air.

I worried about knowing which address to select when I finally figured out how to work the GPS but there was only one programmed into the machine so I punched the button and followed the robotic voice's instruction until I pulled up at imposing looking iron gate bookended by high stucco walls. I pressed the fob on the key ring and the metal bars slid open silently. Letting out the clutch slowly, I eased the car through and waited to make sure the gate closed before going any further.

The driveway was long and wide and curved around an impressive garden fountain, ending at an equally colossal house. There were already various black vehicles littering the space in front of the four car garage so I pulled into an empty spot and exited the car with my bag. I stood for a minute staring at the supposed safe house. It was two stories and covered with the same light brown stucco as the surrounding walls. I'm sure there were other details, but I was distracted by a very distinct noise. There was no mistaking that sound and I realized Ranger had understated how close this house was to the beach. _It was right freaking on it!_ I instinctively headed for the water, but was stopped by someone calling my name.

"Steph!" I spun around and saw Zip coming out of a side door. All six foot two of his well-muscled frame headed in my direction. Zip had nothing on Ranger, but the man was sure easy to look at. He was wearing low riding black board shorts and nothing else and I enjoyed the view as he strode towards me. His skin was a golden brown, his eyes were a glittering molten gold and the sun had bleached his sandy hair a golden blond. If Ranger didn't make it out here, at least I'd have a pretty gold statue to look at.

Zip flashed me a smile and took my bag from me as he brushed a kiss across my cheek. "I'm glad you're here. Ranger wouldn't confirm or deny if you were coming."

"That sounds like Ranger," I replied with an eye roll.

"Yeah," Zip agreed with a laugh. "C'mon, I'll show you the house. This place is the shit."

Of that I had no doubt. I followed him inside for the tour. I was greeted right away by Bobby, Woody, and Hal and Cal. Slick called to me from the gourmet kitchen where he was busy blending a pitcher of margaritas and Junior and Bones waved to me from lounge chairs beside the most beautifully designed pool I'd ever seen. It was all stone and river rock and there was a waterfall and a hot tub and I wanted to jump right in.

"It's great, right?" Zip asked. "We'll come back to it, but let me show you where you'll be staying first." He tugged on my arm, leading me back inside.

We ran into Manny coming out of a bathroom and then my favorite Merry Man planted a kiss on my check and placed a frozen margarita in my hand. "Hola, Chica."

"Hector!" I used my free arm to give him a side hug and then after another kiss on my cheek, he gave Zip a look that had my mouth dropping open in surprise before he disappeared down a long hallway.

"It's this way," Zip said, clearing his throat, and headed down yet another hallway.

"What was that?" I demanded as I trailed after him.

"Hmm?" he responded absently when he stopped in front of a room at the end of the hall being hidden by two heavy wooden doors.

"Don't play dumb with me, Zip. What was that look? Are you and Hector..." A blush crept up his neck and I let out a squeal. "Omigod! That is so great. When did this happen?"

"_Jesus," _Zip whispered. "Keep it down, no one really…no one knows, okay? And we'd like to keep it that way. How did you even…never mind; this is your room." He gestured to the double doors and I turned to look, with my mile wide smile still in place. I was so excited for the two of them. I'd been trying to get Hector hooked up with someone, but I didn't really know a lot of gay guys. Not any that I'd ever set him up with, anyway. Had I known _Zip_ was gay I might have orchestrated this sooner. My smile was quickly replaced by a frown when I saw the numbered key pad on the right door, just below the knob. I turned to Zip with what I was sure was a quizzical expression.

"You don't know the code?" He asked and I shook my head.

"Well…" He was interrupted by the ringing of my phone. I pulled it out of my pocket and answered Ranger's call.

"I'm glad it's you, apparently there is…"

"68742," he interjected, cutting me off. _What the hell?_ I looked up at the door frame and then spun around, checking everywhere else for cameras but didn't see any.

"It's the code, Babe," Ranger said and then added, "You're the only one allowed to have it. Have fun." He disconnected and I turned back to Zip with wide eyes.

I knew it was a stupid question because it was a safe house, but I asked anyway. "Does he have this place monitored?"

"Ranger has everything monitored. I assume he gave you the code?" I nodded, still in shock and Zip grinned, handing me my bag. "Good. I'll leave you here then. We're not allowed within twenty feet of this room. Come down to the pool when you're ready."

I stared after him, admiring the dragon tattoo on his back before I punched in the code and let myself into what had to be the master suite.

I dropped my bag and took in the room. It reminded me a great deal of his bedroom in the Rangeman building. The walls were painted a soft brown complemented by dark espresso molding that matched the color of the furniture. The bedding was almost identical to that of his penthouse, Ivory with brown piping but the bed frame was decidedly different. The mattress was huge and I was guessing he'd had it custom made along with the frame. It was a four poster, with the posts almost reaching the ceiling and draped across them, hanging down on both sides, were two panels of sheer, cocoa colored netting.

It was an intimate look, almost romantic and it had me stumbling a little. I caught myself before I spilled my margarita all over the plush carpeting and sank into a comfy armchair in the corner of the room. I sipped my drink, knowing that ten in the morning was a little early for tequila, but what the hell; I was on vacation, sort of.

To the left of the bed were long, cream colored drapes that covered most of the wall. It made me curious so I left the chair and took my margarita with me to investigate. I swiped back the curtains and inhaled sharply. They had been covering a sliding glass door which led to a balcony that had about the best view of the ocean I'd ever seen. I opened the door and stepped out onto the patio. I sidled up to the railing and looked out at the water with a single thought forming in my head. I was starting to get the feeling that this was more than a safe house. Those were supposed to be bland and anonymous and this was miles beyond that. Sure the lower level, what I'd seen of it anyway, was fairly impersonal, but who had a house like this, right on the freaking water, and used it as a safe house? _No one. _

I watched the waves crashing for a few minutes while I sipped my drink and contemplated the situation. Of course I could be completely wrong. Ranger did like nice things and I stopped trying to figure him out a long time ago so it could be completely within _Ranger Reasoning_ to have this as a safe house. When I finally went back inside, what I saw next had me downing the rest of my drink like happy hour was nearly over and going back to my original assessment.

_Safe house, my ass._

There was a long dresser that took up half of the opposite wall from the balcony and on top of that dresser was a dozen or more picture frames filled with photos of what I had to assume were Ranger's family members.

I set my now empty glass on the small table resting next to the chair and went to inspect each one. The first was of an older couple that had to be his parents. The man had Ranger's deep soulful eyes and the woman shared his chin and high cheekbones. There were many of several other women with Ranger's same coloring and same straight, dark hair; I was guessing they were his sisters, and there were also many of random children, maybe nieces and nephews.

The last picture made the breath freeze inside my chest. I don't know when it was taken or who took it but the picture was of me and Ranger.

My hair was slightly singed and there were black smudges on my cheek so it was probably after one of my cars blew up. We were facing each other and Ranger had his arms around me. My hands were resting on his chest and I was staring up into his face. It would be clear to anyone who saw this that I was completely and totally in love with him but the part that made me stop breathing was I could see the same look in _his_ eyes that were in mine.

Did he…was…_was Ranger in love with me too?_ If not, why did he have this picture and who the hell took it and why have I never seen it before? And why was it here, in this house, with all these pictures of his family?

A safe house with very personal items in the bedroom that is off limits to everyone but me? _I don't think so, Ranger. Is this the Batcave?_ I needed to talk to him, immediately. I pulled out my phone and hit the speed dial, but of course he didn't freaking answer. I tried two more times before giving up with a frustrated sigh. I dug around in my bag until I found my favorite powder blue bikini and then stomped off to the master bath to change.

I took a second to peek inside his enormous walk in closet - it was unsurprisingly filled with various articles of black clothing - before grabbing a towel and some sunscreen and heading downstairs.

I was lost in thought about what I'd found upstairs so I let out a yelp of surprise when I was swept up into strong arms. "Hello, Gorgeous." Ram kissed my forehead with a loud smacking sound before carrying me out the sliding glass door to the pool area.

"Ranger's going to bust something when he sees you in this bikini. You look amazing and if I didn't fear the removal of my testicles with a shrimp fork, I'd already have you naked." Ram lowered me to my feet next to the pool and I smacked him on the arm. It did nothing but hurt my hand but it made me feel better.

"Does your wife know you talk to women this way?" I asked, tilting my head up so I could see his pale green eyes. Ram was the company flirt. Everyone thought it was Lester, but Ram was ten times worse. It was harmless of course, as Ram was happily married, but still.

"How do you think I landed her?" He asked with a goofy grin and then dove into the deep end of the pool.

Slick came out of nowhere, and dove in after Ram while calling out a greeting to me. He was quickly followed by Raphael and Binkie and soon there was a net stretched across the width of the pool. I found an unoccupied lounge chair and watched the enthusiastic game of pool volleyball while I lathered up with lotion.

When I was properly protected from the UV rays, I sat back in the chair and took in the scene. There were Merry Men everywhere and I briefly wondered if Tank and Ranger were the only ones running the company right now. Not that I was complaining, because there are certainly worse things I could be forced to look at.

All of the Rangemen were expertly put together and most of them were donned only in swim trunks or shorts and if the one I really wanted to look at couldn't be here, these were _very_ nice substitutes.

"Enjoying the view, Chica?" Hector settled into the chair beside me and handed me another drink.

"About as much as you," I said as I caught his eyes sliding to the right where Zip was coming out of the house.

"There are worse things to look at," he echoed my thoughts and tracked Zip's progress for a few beats before turning his copper eyes on me. "When is the bossman getting here?"

"I don't know that he is," I replied and took a sip. "Has he ever come before?"

"No, but he will this time."

"You seem confident about that."

"Yes," he concurred. "And you should be too."

"Hmmm, "I allowed and took another healthy swig of margarita in lieu of responding.

"Someday you both will be on the same page, _Estefanía. _Someday very soon." He focused his eyes on the game going on in the pool while he drank from his own glass.

I would have argued with him if I hadn't seen that picture in Ranger's bedroom so I changed the subject instead.

"Do you want to talk about Zip?"

"No," he replied instantly, but there was a slight smile tilting his lips.

"Maybe someday?"

Hector laughed as his eyes automatically sought out the man in question. "Sí, Chica. Perhaps someday."

He was happy, that was clear, and he would tell me about it when he was ready.

"So the house is amazing and this pool is to die for, but I want to go to the beach. Is there a path?"

"This way," he said, hopping up out of the chair. He grabbed my hand and tugged me up beside him, gathering our towels and the sunscreen.

"Where are you going?" Someone called out, I think Raphael.

"The beach," Hector replied as we walked away.

"Wait for us!" Someone else said but we didn't. Hector kept a steady grip on my hand and led me down a long path that ran along the side of the house. It didn't take long before my feet were in the sand and though it was blisteringly hot, I was smiling at the feel of it squishing between my toes.

Hector spread out our towels side by side and stretched out on his. I settled beside him and we enjoyed a few minutes of peaceful bliss before the rest of the guys came barreling out onto the beach.

"They brought the volleyball," he told me. "Do you want to play?"

"Nope. I just want to lay here and get tan."

Hector pressed a kiss to my shoulder before saying he was going to play and leaving me by myself. I was guessing Zip was a part of the game. The thought made me smile after him as he jogged away. A few that weren't playing volleyball were tossing around a football and a few others were dragging surf boards out into the water.

I tanned while they played and after an hour, I grabbed the sunscreen and reapplied, doing my best to reach as much as I could of my back because it was time to turn over.

"Let me help with that." The bottle was snatched from my grip and before I could protest, Lester's rough hands were rubbing lotion into the spots on my back I couldn't reach.

"Lester, I can do this myself. And when did you get here? I didn't see you earlier."

He moved his hands across the back of my shoulders and squirted out some more lotion onto my neck. "No you can't. What about this spot right here?" He trailed a finger down the center of my spine. "Left to your own devices you'll be a lobster in ten minutes. Don't want this silky white skin burnt to shit. And I just got here a few minutes ago."

I cranked my head around to peer at him over my shoulder. He was already in swim trunks and nothing else so he'd fit right in.

"Is it only Ranger and Tank left to run the show? Seems like everyone else is here."

"Mostly, but Tank brought down a few guys from the Boston office to help out and Ranger hired some contract workers to handle the monitors. It's not the same of course, because it's impossible to replace such outstanding badasses such as ourselves, but it will do for a week."

I rolled my eyes and then gasped when Lester's fingers dipped a little too close to my ass. _"Lester!"_

"What? Do you really want a baboon's ass? Have you seen those things? Not attractive at all. You are though; this bikini does all sorts of good things for you. Has Ranger seen you i…"

A muffled grunt cut off what he was saying and he stopped covering my back with sunscreen so I twisted around to find out what was going on and found Lester cradling his hand and Ranger shooting daggers at him.

"Gotta go, Steph," Lester mumbled. "See you later." He ambled off in the direction of the volleyball game and I turned questioning eyes on Ranger.

He held out his hand, anger still burning behind his eyes, and barked out, "Let's go."

Part of me wanted to protest but you just didn't argue with Ranger when he had that look on his face. I put my hand in his and let him pull me to my feet. I went to gather up the towels but he stopped me with a curt, "Leave it."

He tugged me behind him all the way to the house and it took me a few minutes before I realized he too was only in a pair of shorts, but what was really surprising was that they were _not_ black. I didn't think he owned anything that wasn't black but there he was in a pair of navy board shorts that had some sort of white geometrical pattern covering them. It was certainly a different look for him but I really liked it. Or maybe I just liked the fact that they were riding low on his hips, giving me a great visual of every muscled ridge of his bare back and broad shoulders.

I trailed after him, without speaking, and we went up the path, through the pool area, into the house through the sliding glass door and right up the stairs to the master bedroom. Ranger jabbed at the numbered key pad and then yanked me into the room when the door was open. He slammed it closed and then brought his mouth down over mine before I could say anything at all.

He kissed me for several long moments with expert swipes of his tongue until my knees started to buckle under the onslaught. His forehead dropped to mine while we regained a regular breathing pattern and when I trusted myself to speak, I said. "Want to tell me what that was about back there?"

Ranger pulled away and ran his hands over my hair, brushing some loose strands off my face and tucking them behind my ears. "You look beautiful, Babe."

_Full-on avoidance mode._ I channeled him and raised one eye brow, which made him smile. "Seeing Lester's hands on you made me a little crazy."

"A little? Did you break any of his bones?"

"No, but he won't be able to use some of his fingers for a few hours."

"_Ranger."_

"I don't like it when other men touch you, Stephanie."

He'd made that pretty clear, but the reason _why _was a little muddy, at least for me, so I asked what I probably should have asked a long time ago.

"Why?"

"Because you're mine," he said simply.

My heart did a funny little flip inside my chest and I had to blink back the sudden rush of tears. To keep him from seeing, I cut my eyes to the pictures on the dresser, zeroing in on the one of us.

"Ranger," I said, when I was sure I could talk without crying. "Will you explain those pictures to me?"

He cut his eyes to the dresser and left them there. "My family," he explained in typical Ranger fashion. Why use a ten words when two will do?

"And…and the one on the end. The one of us?" We both had our eyes on that photo and not each other.

"You're my family too, Babe," he said quietly. My heart turned over again and I swallowed the lump forming in my throat.

"Where did it come from? Who took it?"

"Do you remember that yellow Mini you had for about a minute?"

My eyes widened in surprise and I let out a little gasp of recognition. I'd forgotten all about that car because, as he said, I'd had it for such a short time before it was firebombed. Ranger, as always, had come to my rescue that day. I remember seeing him exiting his car at a dead run, his expression angry and hard…until he saw that I was okay. He'd pulled me into his arms and held me while the fire department doused it with their hoses.

"Hector took it with his phone," Ranger went on. "He emailed it to me that night with no note or anything. Just the picture."

Hector. Of course it was Hector. He always saw things no one else did.

I turned to face him and asked what I was now sure I already knew. "Is this really a safe house?"

"Technically, yes. It's about as safe as they come. I installed state of the art surveillance cameras, every window and door is alarmed; the entrance gate is made of galvanized…." He trailed off at my double raised eyebrows.

"No," he amended slowly. "This is _my_ house and what I hope, someday, will be _our_ house."

"_Holy crap_," I mumbled and a single tear escaped down my cheek.

Ranger caught it with his thumb and left his hand there, cradling my face. "Not quite the reaction I was hoping for, but as long as these are happy tears, I'll take it."

I leaned into his touch and covered his hand with mine. "They are but…"

"But what?"

"I'm just a little confused. You've never even hinted that you've been thinking about this…at least not with me. Actually, everything you've ever said has been the complete opposite of what this house implies."

Ranger gave me a small smile and brushed his lips softly across my forehead. "I've said a lot dumb things to you, haven't I?"

That got me to laugh. "Well, I thought they were dumb, but I also thought you meant them, that's why I never…"

"If I could take them all back I would. I may have meant them at the time, but now I wish I'd never said anything more than I love you and want to be with you. No doubt, no qualifiers. Just me and you for the foreseeable future."

"In this house?" I asked, with a slow smile, reveling in the words I'd been hoping someday I'd hear him say.

"Eventually. The men will be disappointed; they enjoy their week holiday here every year." Ranger was smiling as he pulled me into his arms.

"I can see why, this place is amazing. You're going to have a hard time getting me to leave here."

"I don't want you to," Ranger said against my lips as his fingers found their way up my back and began untying my bikini top. "I want to take you to bed and stay there forever."

Done with the first obstacle, his nimble fingers slid to my neck and worked on the knot there.

"That's probably, uh… probably not…feasible." I stumbled a little over the words as my top fell to the floor and Ranger's mouth covered a nipple. When he began inching my bottoms down my legs, I thought better of the idea. "But I'm willing to give it a try if you are."

He scooped me up and took me to bed and though it wasn't forever, we stayed there for a very long time.

As I drifted off to sleep that night, warm and content in his arms I realized it really was a safe house. I felt protected and loved, and with Ranger at my side, holding me close, my heart would always be safe here with him.


End file.

Janet Evanovich