All familiar characters belong to Janet. As always, the mistakes are mine alone.

"Looks like you're shit out of luck, too," Morelli said to me.

"I'm busy," I told him, ignoring the prick as I usually do.

"What? You don't care that Stephanie may be sleeping with someone other than the two of us?"

My head whipped around.

"Yeah, I know she slept with you at some point," he continued. "I didn't want to believe it, but I didn't become a detective by ignoring clues."

"What do you want?" I asked, with a bite to my tone.

I'm not giving him the satisfaction of knowing how much my body is rebelling in response to his question regarding Stephanie. I've had a hard enough time not ripping Morelli's face off for daring to touch her, and I know it isn't going to be pretty if I find out there's someone else now interested in her.

"Since you enjoyed sticking your nose and other parts," he said, looking in the general vicinity of my belt buckle, "into my relationship with her ..."

"You're not sleeping with her anymore, and you are no longer in a relationship with her," I pointed out in case he forgot. "I seem to remember that she dumped you."

"She says she wants out every other week, but she always comes back to me."

"Did she this time?"

He didn't answer, deciding to try to piss me off instead. "Did she come to you?"

She hasn't yet. I haven't seen her at all this week, and the separation is getting to me.

"I'm taking that blank stare to mean that she didn't hop into your bed right after leaving mine."

I took a step forward and raised my fist in case I have to smash it into his mouth.

"You say anything disrespectful about - or to - her again and I will make you regret every word of it."

The asshole looked pleased with himself. "You have someone new to threaten now. Steph's got a date tonight ... and it's not with me or you."

"Who is it?" I asked him, needing a name so I can arrange a meeting and a potential 'accident'.

Her loving both Joe and I had been complicated enough, and all three of us had added fuck ups to the situation, but there's no way in hell someone new is entering the picture now that Morelli is finally the fuck out of it.

Joe gave me a shit-eating grin. "You're always saying that you know everything, so you should be able to get a name from someone, but it won't be me. I don't have to go after anyone. Steph will be back when she's sick of your shit and decides it's time to grow up and settle down."

And he walked off, leaving me seething. Payback is a bitch, and he'll be seeing plenty of it once I get rid of Stephanie's 'date'. The only one allowed to kiss, hold, and fuck her, is me. And she, and whoever this new asshole is, will be finding that out.

I got to her apartment in less time than it should have taken, and I made quick work of all her locks. She wasn't home when I entered, but I have no intention of leaving just yet. Before driving here, I had put in a call to the control room. Ram informed me that Steph had just left the bonds office alone and looked to be on her way home.

I sat down on the chair in her living room, with one leg stretched out, both elbows on the arms of the chair, and my fingertips steepled together against my lips. I had to fight to keep my anger in check. I'm the master of control, but it's slipping today.

Steph walked in fifteen minutes later, and she came to an abrupt halt when she spotted me.

"Okay, I know I didn't blow up any guys, cars, or buildings, while I was out, so what are you pissed about?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest, a definite defensive move on her part.

I slowly got to my feet, and I noted the retreating steps she took towards the kitchen as I advanced on her.

"What makes you think I'm pissed?" I asked her, stopping less than a foot away from her.

Her body is now between me and the kitchen island. She has no escape, but she hasn't realize that yet.

She swallowed nervously and cut her eyes to the front door. I moved closer so she'd see she has no way out. I saw her chest expand as she took a deep breath. She then answered me.

"You're practically crackling with anger, Ranger. I felt it when I walked in. I haven't done anything to tick you off since I haven't seen you or the guys lately. What's going on?"

"You don't think agreeing to a date with another guy would piss me off?"

That made her pause. Her eyes opened fractionally wider as she figured out what I'm referring to. But instead of telling me the soon-to-be-dead fucker's name, she fired back at me with both barrels.

"If I did have a date, why would it bother you? You keep saying that you don't want a serious anything with me, so clearly I'd have to look elsewhere for a serious relationship if that's what I really want."

"Who is he?" I asked.

"So you're going to focus on the guy instead of on me?"

"I assure you, Stephanie, I am entirely focused on you right now."

"Then tell me why you care what I do," she continued.

"I care about everything you do because I love you."

I say something similar almost every time I see her.

"What kind of love are we talking about here? You love me as a friend? As a friend who comes with a few benefits? As a woman ..."

"I see you as a woman I don't want any man except me putting his hands on," I told her, doing just that.

I grabbed her waist and pulled her flush against the front of my body.

"So this reaction is a jealousy thing?" She asked me. "You think someone is going to touch what's yours and you don't like it?"

"Yes, but I also don't like the idea of you wanting someone other than me. You love me. You don't need anyone else."

"You're right, I don't need - or want - anyone except you, but you have to give me more than you have been. Alley kisses, distraction job hook ups, and random three second phone calls, were okay when we were figuring out what to do now that Joe's not standing between us anymore, but things have to change because I've changed."

I cupped her face in my hands and looked into her eyes. She appears to have made a few decisions since I last saw her. If I don't man up, she'll find another man. Simple as that. If I went this crazy over just the thought of one date, her being in a relationship with someone new and me having unlimited weapons at my disposal will be a deadly combination.

"You have it," I told her.

"Have what?" She asked, suspicion clear in her question.

"Me ... you have me." And I kissed her.

I took my time, stroking her lips with my tongue before sliding past them into her mouth, making damn sure her body felt boneless before I lifted my head slightly away from hers.

"Call it off," I ordered her.

"Huh?" She asked, her thinking obviously clouded from the kiss we just shared.

"The date, Babe. Cancel it or I will kill him. It seems I've also changed recently. And I don't share."

It took a second, but the smile that followed her confused look was a very satisfied one. I didn't trust it. And for good reason.

"There is no date," she told me, hooking her fingers into the front pockets of my cargo pants so I couldn't move away from her.

"Morelli took great pleasure in telling me all about it."

"Jerk," she said under her breath, and I know he'll soon be getting a phone call and his ass chewed out for butting into her business.

"He was screwing with me?" I asked.

She sighed. "Sort of. My mother was trying to fix me up with the son of a woman she went to school with. I said no, but I found out from Grandma that she was going to trick me into meeting him tonight at dinner. Now she'll get to entertain him herself. I never agreed to a date with him. And I definitely didn't want to go on one."

"Why not?"

I spilled my guts and she isn't getting out of this without doing the same.

"The only guy I'm interested in seeing naked on a daily basis is you."

"You only want me if I'm naked?"

"While you do look good wearing nothing at all, I even want to be around you when you're fully clothed and being an ass like you were today. Had you just asked me out on a date yourself, we could have skipped all the chest-thumping."

She just handed me the opening I need. "Will you have dinner with me tonight?" I asked her.

She tipped her head to the side and studied my face, looking for any sign that I'm kidding or making fun of her. I've never been more serious.

"You mean it? We would be going out on an actual date, to a restaurant surrounded by other couples doing the same."

"Yes. Preferably a restaurant in the Burg so your mother and everyone else will know that there will be no dates for you other than the ones I take you on."

Her lips curved up in pleasure and I immediately got hard. It took considerable effort, but I managed to will my dick to back off while promising it that we'll be putting that same smile back on her face later on tonight.

"I can be ready in twenty minutes," she said, already turning towards the hall leading to her bedroom.

I pulled her back to me for another kiss before letting her go. "Make it ten."