549Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or places in this story. Thanks to Janet for all the great Plum novels. This is a first attempt and will take me a while to complete. Let me know what you think and if want to read more. Thanks! And as always, thanks to Rach, Steph and Jenn for all of their help with rewording and keeping me true to the characters! Couldn't do it without you! Thanks to all the people who keep reading my story and leave the wonderful comments. They keep me going. It will be a little longer wait on the next chapter. I am still in the process of writing it and it's the busy season at work. Time will be limited.
Chapter 14
I rested my head against his chest, waiting for my pulse to slow.
"I never picture you for an exhibitionist. However, if this is the response I get from taking you out, we'll have to do it more often." His deep voice vibrated through my body, causing my pelvic muscles to tighten around him. He groaned, "Babe, you've got to stop doing that, or we may still be out here when the sun rises."
Personally, I can't think of a better way to watch the sun rise. A blast of wind reminded me that it was still a little too cool to be outside in the nude. "Let's go to bed, Carlos," I said, pulling myself away from his chest. Ranger stood, placing me on my feet. I crossed the balcony, picking up our discarded garments. I started to slip my gown back over my head when Ranger pulled it from my grasp.
"The best way to get warm is skin to skin contact." He took my hand and led me back inside and to our bedroom.
I awoke the next morning as Ranger slipped out of bed. I groaned at the thoughts of preparing for the day with such little sleep.
"Go back to sleep, Babe. I'm going to go for a run and check in with Tank. I'll be back soon." He kissed me on the cheek before disappearing into the bathroom. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I pulled the covers tightly around my body and drifted back to la la land.
What felt like several hours later, I clambered out of bed determined to prepare for the day. I ran through my morning routine of shower, shave, hair and makeup before making the difficult decision of what to wear. If we were in Trenton this would not be an issue, it was a jeans and t-shirt kind of day. However, in Paris I felt that my appearance was part of the role I played. After debating for a few moments, I pulled out one of the stylish outfits Ella had graciously put together for me and retreated to the bedroom to get dressed. I heard water running from the shower and knew Ranger was back and would be ready to start our day soon.
I was standing in front of the full-length mirror, wrapping a light spring scarf around my neck, when Ranger emerged from the bathroom. I lost my train of thought as I watched him pull a black linen dress shirt on and move behind me so he could use the mirror. I turned to face him, reaching for the buttons of the shirt.
"Let me," I said, before starting at the bottom button and working my way up, allowing my hands to wander the expanse of his chest. I couldn't help myself.
"Thanks, Babe," he said before leaning in to kiss me. The kiss was shorter than I had wanted and before I could object he stepped away, putting space between us.
"What's the plan for today?"
"We're touring the Louvre. We've received floor plans for the event Friday, but I would like to see it first hand to make sure we aren't overlooking anything."
"Sounds like a plan. How about brunch first? I'm starving." Ranger nodded, taking my hand and leading us out of the suite.
It was well after noon when we arrived at the Louvre. I couldn't help but notice the lack of patrons as we climbed out of the car and strolled towards the entrance. We side-stepped the main entrance and headed for a small door marked 'security.' "The museum is closed on Tuesdays, Babe. We've got a private tour."
"How exactly did you manage to get us a tour when it's closed?" I cut my eyes to him, waiting for his answer.
"It's all about who you know. In our case, we need to know to be able to do our job. It's the only way we can be effective. Besides, the curators would be on site to prepare for another week of business." I shook my head in disbelief.
"You never fail to amaze me." That earned me a grin as he held the door open so I could enter the office.
Stepping into the office, I was greeted with a control room much like the one in Trenton. A lone attendant sat at a desk in front of the room answering phones and directing foot traffic. Clearly she was the face of the security team, meant to set you at ease. Behind a glass wall, there were several guards sitting, watching the banks of monitors as they flipped through different areas of the museum and grounds. Muffled conversation filtered into the room from an office on the right.
"Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez I presume?" She asked, giving us a slight smile. Ranger nodded in reply. "They are expecting you." She motioned us toward the open office door. Ranger led the way and I followed behind, keeping close on his heels. He paused outside the open door, knocking once on the door, alerting its occupants of our arrival.
"Rodriguez." A male voice that I recognized acknowledged his presence.
"Cal." Ranger replied as he stepped in allowing me to cross the threshold. I smiled at Cal. It was good to see a friendly face. "Thank you for setting time aside for us to review the measures for Friday. We need to make sure that we have covered all possible scenarios," Ranger said.
The sound of the door closing pulled my attention away from Raul and on to Cal. I gave him a finger wave and a wink before turning back to the conversation in front of me. The mood in the room had done a 180 during the time my back was turned. Gone were the serious expressions. I took a moment to really look at Raul. He wasn't a bad looking man, older than Ranger. His crew cut black hair had started to grey at the temples. He wasn't built like the merry men. Even though you could tell he spent time in the gym, he lacked the hard body and muscle tone of the RangeMan staff.
"Ranger, it's been a long time. Looks like life has been treating you well?" Ranger glanced at me, amused by my fish out of water expression.
"Babe, let me introduce you to Raul Martin. We meet several years back while playing in the sandbox."
"Not any sandbox I look forward to ever playing in again," Raul replied. Ranger gave a slight nod in reply. "Let's get this tour on the road," Rual said, standing, grabbing a clipboard and pen.
We followed Raul through the underground security tunnels into the museum. We made so many twists and turns that I had to make sure I kept up. There was no way I wanted to be lost down in these tunnels. We finally emerged from the underground in one of the many galleries. I examined the paintings on the wall, enjoying the images of old gardens, as Raul, Ranger and Cal discussed the setup of the room. I caught bits and pieces of their conversation, not really paying much attention. After seeing a painting by Jacques-Louis David, a couple so obviously in love, my mind turned to the drawing of Ranger and I. Quickly pulling my phone from my handbag, I sent a quick message to Lester to see if he was able to make any headway with the artist about parting with it.
"You coming, Steph?" Cal asked as the guys left the parlor we were in.
"Sorry, Cal. Guess I got too wrapped up in the art and wasn't paying attention to you guys." I smiled
"It's ok. I don't blame you. It's easy to lose yourself in this place." Cal's remark struck me odd. I couldn't honestly picture him as an art connoisseur.
"I didn't realize that you enjoyed looking at art, Cal."
"Actually, Bombshell, my mother was a professor at the Art Institute in Pittsburg when I was little. It was her dream to come here. She almost made it years ago, but she found out she was expecting me. She had some issues during her pregnancy and had to cancel her trip."
"You should bring her here sometime," I said as we walked to catch up with Ranger and Raul.
"I did last summer. That is how I met Raul. Ranger had set up a private tour for us."
"That was nice of him," I said, wondering just how far Ranger would go for his employees.
"That's one thing a lot of people don't know about him. They can't seem to get past the hard, bad ass image he puts off, but deep down, he takes care of his own. Thanks to him, I got to make my Momma's dream come true."
We finally caught up to Ranger and Raul two galleries away. Cal joined in the security conversation about the placement of guards. Not wanting to be left out of the conversation, I chimed in with my two cents, "Will everyone be limited to just the rooms we are going through or will there be others that they can go into?"
"Yes and no," Raul replied. "The upper galleries will be closed off entirely and we can close off galleries as need be in case of an emergency. We plan to leave the whole left wing open so guests can view the galleries on this side."
"So each room will have at least two guards in it during the party?"
"That's a good point, Raul." Ranger interjected. "If our suspect is going to make an exchange, he's going to look for a gallery that is either empty or as close to it as possible. We should post guards in those that are the farthest away from the dinner and dancing."
"Don't forget the restrooms," I added. My phone chose that moment to chime, alerting me to an incoming text. I stepped away from the group, before pulling my phone back out of my purse to read my message. I was shocked to see a message from Ella instead of one from Lester.
Ella: Stephanie, dear, I found out your plans for tonight. I'll have your attire delivered to your suite. Everything you'll need is in the bag. Take photos.
I quickly typed out a message of thanks. Ella had picked out some wonderful clothes for me. I can't imagine that she didn't have something already in my wardrobe that would work no matter what our plans entailed. I wonder what my man of mystery has planned for tonight.
Three hours later, we returned to the suite. I was exhausted and in need of a long nap.
"Babe, I've got a meeting with Tank and Anno at five. I hope you don't mind having a late dinner."
"Not at all," I replied while pulling off my shoes. "What are our plans for tonight? Ella sent me a message that my clothes for tonight would be delivered."
"It's a surprise. I didn't think we would be able to go there on this visit, but I was able to pull some strings and get us in. I should be back by seven. We have to leave by seven thirty to make our reservation." He leaned forward, kissing my now bare neck. I dropped the scarf to my side, pulling myself closer to his warm body. "Why don't you go upstairs and rest? I'll order us a snack. I'll be up when it arrives." I nodded, slowly climbing the stairs. Between Ranger's kisses, our late night love making and my sleep issues, my energy levels were rapidly depleting. I went straight for my closet, stripping my clothes off along the way. I grabbed a silk nightshirt, buttoning a couple of buttons before heading to the bed to rest.
The buzzing of my phone pulled me from a deep slumber. I glanced at it, realizing quickly that I had slept much later than I had planned. I barely remembered Ranger coming in to tell me he was leaving. True to his words, he left me a snack on the nightstand. I sat up in bed and devoured my light snack of crackers, cheese and apples. My phone buzzed impatiently again, signaling an incoming call.
"Hey, Les. Were you able to find out anything?"
"Sorry, Beautiful, but nothing yet. Listen I know this is a little odd, but Ella dispatched me to pick some things up for you. I'm on my way up. Ranger said to tell you that his meeting is running late. I'm supposed to deliver you to your destination." I heard the elevator ding in the background.
I got off the bed and went to quickly throw on something a bit more decent. There was no way I was answering the door for Lester in only a nightshirt. He may be my bestie at RangeMan, but I wasn't that comfortable around him and half naked.
"Okay, Les, I'll be right down to let you in. Just give me a minute." I hung up the phone and ran down the stairs to the entryway. Even though he hadn't knocked yet, I threw open the door, knowing that Lester would be waiting behind it. After a brief hug and a kiss to the check, Lester entered the suite and locked the door back behind him.
"So, Beautiful, are you ready for your date tonight?"
"I guess. I have no clue where we're going. All I know is that it was a last minute surprise."
"I'm sure. The wait to get a table is six months to a year ahead of time. I can only imagine what Ranger had to do to get the place to himself. The man's got connections like no other."
"You know where we're going?" I asked excitedly. I was able to keep the desire of wanting to know low key for a while, but now it was beginning to kill me. I had to know, or I would go crazy!
"Sure, Beautiful, but I'm not at liberty to say." Les winked at me. "Why don't you go get yourself all dolled up and then I'll give you your dress."
"Why don't you give it to me now, so I know how to do my hair and makeup."
"Nu-uh. No way! I don't want to piss Ella off. She told me under no circumstances was I to allow you to have this dress until it was time to put it on. I think she is afraid that you'll chicken out and not go. She did tell me to give you this," he said handing me a small gift bag filled with tissue. "Ella said that was to go on under it. I was hoping to get a peek, but the sales clerk had it all packaged up when I arrived." I sighed, took the small bag and headed up stairs to get ready.
Once safely locked into the bedroom, I dumped the contents of the bag out on the bed. I stood at the edge of the bed looking down at the garments and wonder how in the world they were supposed to constitute underwear. Deciding that the answer wasn't going to come, I made my way into the bathroom to manage hair and makeup. I quickly worked the flat iron through my hair before pinning it up in an elegant style. After seeing the lingerie, I knew I would have to go heavy on the mascara to give me the courage to make it through the evening. Far sooner than I would have liked, I was back at the bedside looking at the lingerie on the bed. I pulled on my proverbial big girl panties and reminded myself that I was doing this for Ranger. Tonight, I would knock his socks off.
I perched on the bench at the foot of the bed and slowly pulled on the lace trimmed thigh highs. Next, I wrestled my way into the nude, lace corset. Part of me wondered why I was even wearing the damned thing when it barely kept my headlights from showing. I connected the garter belt and pulled the infinitesimal sized thong on over the top. I quickly covered myself with a robe and headed for the bedroom door.
"Lester," I yelled down the stairs. "Bring me my dress, please."
"Sure thing, Beautiful." I heard the rustle of the garment bag as he ascended the stairs. "Here you go! Let me know if you need any help," he said wagging his eyebrows at me.
"Not likely." I shut the door, locking it behind me. Here's the moment of truth. I couldn't wait to see what my dress would look like, but at the same time I was afraid. I laid the bag on the bed and slowly unzipped it. Before me laid the most beautiful gown I had ever seen. The tiny lingerie made since now. It was all that I could possibly get away with wearing under this dress. I quickly put it on and slid my feet into the jewel-encrusted heels. After performing my own version of zipper gymnastics, I stood in front of the floor length mirror and examined myself. The dress matched my skin tone perfectly. If it wasn't for a few well-placed rhinestones, you would think that I was completely nude. It came all the way down to my feet and flowed to the floor. I felt elegant and sexy. I was sure I saw a similar dress on the red carpet a few months back. Ranger was going to have a fit
"Everything alright in there?" Lester asked through the door. I couldn't answer. I wasn't sure of what to tell him. Yes, technically things were alright in here, but deep down I was afraid Ranger wouldn't appreciate the visual the dress gave the rest of the world. I walked to the door, throwing it open, letting Lester see the outfit in its full glory.
A/N the painting is The Love of Helen and Paris.