'I know. The couch will be fine.'
Stephanie Plum 12 - Twelve Sharp
Ten
I woke up slowly. I opened my eyes and saw there was a bar of light shining through the crack in my bedroom curtains. It was morning. And I was in my own bed, feeling incredibly comfy. I looked down and realized there was a man's arm thrown across my chest, the hand lightly curled around my breast.
Ranger.
I moved my head ever so slightly on the pillow and looked over at him. He was still asleep. He had a decent beard growth going and his hair had fallen across his forehead. I was pretty sure he wasn't in my bed when I fell asleep. I looked under the covers. I was wearing my knit tank top and short pajama bottoms. Ranger was wearing briefs. Could be worse, I thought.
'Hey,' I said.
He wrapped his arms around me and cuddled me into him, his eyes still closed.
'Ranger!'
'Mmm.'
'What are you doing in my bed?'
'So far I'm not doing anything, but that could change.'
'You said you were going to sleep on the couch.'
'I lied.'
This was bad because he felt way too good. I looked beyond him to the clock. Nine o'clock, 'I have to go to work,' I said. 'I'm already late.'
He drew me in a little closer and stroked his thumb across my breast. 'Are you sure you want to go to work now?'
I got a rush that was so strong it might have been an orgasm, and I think I might have moaned a little. Mentally, I was working hard to be faithful to Morelli, but the physical part of me wasn't cooperating.
Ranger kissed my shoulder, and the phone rang. Ordinarily, at a time like this you'd rip the phone line out of the wall. But these were scary days, and we both went still at the sound.
'Let me get it,' I said, reaching across Ranger.
There was a lot of noise at the other end, and then Melvin's voice came on. 'Thank God, you answered,' he yelled into the phone. 'I'm all alone here, and this mob's getting ugly. And Joyce Barnhardt is here, and she's frightening me!'
'Where're Connie and Lula?'
'I don't know where Lula is. Connie had to go bond someone out.'
I heard a gun go off in the background, Melvin shrieked and the line went dead. I pushed away from Ranger, and I rolled out of bed. 'I have to go. Melvin's alone at the bonds office, and he's got problems.'
I grabbed some clothes and ran into the bathroom.
'Who's Melvin?' Ranger said to my back.
I slid to a stop in front of the bonds office and jumped out of the Mini. The plate-glass window was filled with lettering advertising bail bonds. Beyond the lettering I could see that the small front office was filled with people dressed like the television bounty hunters I pushed through the door and shouted for Melvin.
'Here,' he yelled back. 'Under the desk.'
I plowed through the crowd and looked under the desk at Melvin. 'Why are all these people here? I thought they were scheduled throughout the morning.'
'Something got messed up, and they were all told to come in at nine.'
'What was the gunshot I heard?'