'Sorry, I'm still at work. Some big bad gangsta just took about fifty rounds in front of the B&B Car Wash and set a new world record for leaking out body fluids. They're not going to have to embalm this guy.'
'Anything new on Julie Martine or Carmen?'
'Nothing. We're waiting on DNA from Carmen. I'd like to spend some time talking to you, but I have to go. I'll be doing paperwork on this until tomorrow morning. Miss you. Be careful.' And Morelli disconnected.
'Some guy got ventilated in front of the B&B Car Wash,' I told Ranger. 'Morelli's working it.'
'Morelli's a good man with a sucky job,' Ranger said.
We were still in the kitchen and Ranger glanced over at the Pleasure Treasures bag. 'You must really like that store. You keep going back.'
'I don't want to talk about it.'
He looked in the bag and smiled. 'Lady Workhorse?' Ranger read the hype on the box. 'Hours of pleasure guaranteed.'
'You're going to torture me with this, aren't you?' I said.
Ranger took the gadget out of the box. 'I think we should take it for a test drive.' He turned it on, and it hummed in his hand. 'Feels good,' he said. 'Gentle action.'
'You're an expert?'
'No,' he said, shutting it off, setting it on the counter. 'I'm not really a gadget man.' He took the bottle of oil out of the bag. 'This holds more interest for me. Let's see what this does.' He opened the bottle, poured a drop into the palm of my hand and rubbed it with his fingertip. 'What do you think?'
'It's warm!'
'It says on the bottle it tastes like cherries.'
He touched his tongue to my oiled palm, and I felt myself go damp, and I worried my knees might buckle.
'W-w-well?' I asked.
'Cherries.'
The doorbell rang, and I sucked in some air.
'Are you expecting anyone?' Ranger asked.
'The food.'
'This fast?'
'They're just around the corner on Hamilton.'
Ranger capped the oil and got the door. And we carted the food into the living room to eat in front of the television.
'Scrog has been in Jersey for five days,' I said. 'He has to be staying somewhere. He has to be buying food. Why aren't we turning anything up? Where's he getting his money from?'
'You don't need money if you have a credit card. And he knows how to scam credit cards.'
I speared a dumpling. 'I'm not good at waiting.'
'I've noticed.'
Stephanie Plum 12 - Twelve Sharp
Twelve
I woke up wrapped in Ranger's arms, our legs entwined, my face snuggled into his neck. He smelled nice, and he felt even better… warm and friendly. I enjoyed it for a moment before reality took hold.