All familiar characters are Janet's. The mistakes are mine alone.

"Are you sure I can pull something like this off?" I asked, studying the reflection of myself in a floor-length black gown.

Ranger came up silently behind me and secured a necklace around my neck. The teardrop-shaped diamond that's almost the length of my thumb hovered mid-chest, highlighting my pushed-up cleavage. I watched his head descend via the mirror seconds before I felt the warmth of his mouth as he kissed the side of my neck above the smaller diamonds circling it. I'm surprised the bits of metal holding all the stones in place didn't glow bright red at the contact.

"Fison won't be able to resist you, Babe."

His lips moved from my neck to the part of my shoulder not covered by the little sleeves on my dress.

"Looks like you and the skip might have something in common," I told him. "You're paying closer attention to my appearance than I am."

"Which is your fault."

"Oh yeah? What did I do?" I asked, turning away from the dressing room mirror to face him.

"You know exactly how good you look tonight."

He's pretty freakin' spectacular looking himself in a full-on tux, sans any kind of tie. The first two buttons of his pristine white shirt have been left undone, and I lost my train of thought staring at the chords in his throat, which is the Bulgari sweet spot as far as I'm concerned.

Right now I'd be thoroughly exploring that particular area of his body - along with few other magical places - if there wasn't a team of guys currently waiting on us. That, and I really don't want to go through the time and trouble to redo my hair and makeup. Ranger always makes sure that I'm totally and thoroughly satisfied every time we come together ... and he wants me to look it, too.

Which I'm definitely not complaining about, but tonight I'm supposed to appear unattached, not like a woman who'd been having multiple orgasms courtesy of her boss boyfriend right before the party.

"Shouldn't this necklace come with a bodyguard?" I said, thinking of celebrities who are loaned jewelry - and subsequently a guard dog - for red carpet events.

"It does. Me."

"You know, I've seen a bunch of movies where the women in them fall for the bodyguard protecting them."

"Why do you think I hired myself for this particular job?" He asked, skimming his lips over mine.

"Because you're an adrenaline junky and actually like the chase and capture of scumbags?"

"That, too. Are you ready?"

"Yup."

I said bye to Rex - who had taken up residence on Ranger's kitchen counter months ago - and I picked up the little clutch that's only big enough to hold lipstick, my cell, and a stun gun the size of a tube of mascara yet just as powerful as the one in my shoulder bag. Even though Ranger and the guys will be with - or near - me throughout the night, I wanted a way of defending myself in case this idiot somehow got me alone.

My knee is a pretty good weapon, if I do say so myself, but I don't want to rely solely on it, so I'd also been fitted then given a bra holster, which tucked under my arm and wouldn't be detectable unless someone's hands wandered to where they have no business being. If that happens, my knee will make an appearance just before I stick my hand into my dress and pull a tiny pistol out.

The clack of my stilettos hitting concrete is the only sound I could hear after we got off the elevator, until an appreciative whistle bounced off the walls of the garage.

"Hot woman walking," Bobby said, suddenly materializing in front of us.

"I do have to keep up with you guys," I told them, looking first at Ranger, then over to Bobby, Vince, and Ram in their evening attire.

"Keep your eyes and your whistles to yourself, Brown," Ranger warned him, the muscled arm around waist tightening ever so slightly.

Bobby put his hands up, palms facing us. "I was just being complimentary."

"She's been complimented by the only one who matters."

"Someone's possessive tonight."

Ranger gave him a scary look without actually moving any part of his face in any way. I really want to learn how to do that.

"You'll be leaving here and coming back in the limo," Ranger told me, getting us back to the capture. "I'll be with you for part of the drive there, but we'll stop about a mile away from the event and I'll join Brown so you can arrive solo."

"What about when I'm inside the place?" I asked.

"Zero's your chauffeur for the evening and he'll be among the guests once he ditches the vehicle. Brown and I will be your immediate backup, while Ram and Vince will get there before us and will have eyes on you the entire time."

Five guys for one of me? That sounds like pretty good odds. Since Ranger and I have been together, I've gotten way better at taking care of myself, but the thought of him and the Rangeguys on hand if I need them does reassure me. I waved to the men as they got into their respective vehicles, and Ranger opened the back door of the limo for me before climbing in himself.

"You okay with this?" He asked me, once we were on the move.

"Yeah. I wouldn't have agreed otherwise."

"Yes you would have."

"Okay, so I would have, but I have no hinky feelings about this one. I'm not thrilled about us separating, but I understand the reason for it."

"I won't let him touch you, Babe."

"I know. You seem very proprietorial lately."

"There's a reason."

"And that reason is ...?"

"I'll share it with you when we get back home."

Home. I'm still not used to calling Rangeman that, but it definitely feels like one now.

Just like Ranger told me, Zero stopped in the parking lot of a semi-crowded restaurant not far from the event, and after a quick but delicious kiss that threatened my lipstick, he was out of my car and a passenger in Bobby's SUV before I fully processed the fact that he's gone. I inhaled deeply when Zero and I were rolling again, and I tried to concentrate on finding my own version of a 'zone'.

When we did reach the takedown location, I had to admit that the fundraiser turned out pretty impressive. I can't help wondering, though, why whoever's throwing an event like this doesn't just take the money that would go into renting this venue, paying chefs plus a full waitstaff, sending out twenty-four carat gold gilded invitations, and just donate all that cash to the cause instead. I gave myself an internal shrug. Not being a person able to throw around that kind of money, I'll probably never fully understand why these kinds of schmooze-fests are necessary.

I could feel Ranger's eyes tracking me as soon as I entered the building, and I spotted Vince and Ram looking slightly uncomfortable in their tuxes nearby. I blocked out everything that could go wrong and decided to enjoy what I could of the night before Fison approached me. If he approaches me. Ranger seems to think the size of the diamond I'm wearing plus the curves of my body made that a sure thing, but I'm not nearly as confident of that as he is.

Even with best champagne money can buy being refreshed whenever I turned around - that I was careful to only sip - and the deliciousness of the hors d'oeuvres circulating, I actually found the night boring without Ranger sharing it with me. The back of my neck suddenly tingled ... and there he was.

"I realized that a woman like you really shouldn't be alone on a night like this one," Ranger told me.

"What about my cover?"

"I figure my presence will make our job more believable. There's no way you looking like that wouldn't attract some attention. My apparent infatuation may make our little jewel thief hurry things along in case you decide not to remain single at the end of the evening."

"So you choosing to keep me company is work-based."

"Not entirely."

"I'll take that. The food I managed to eat was good, the music is nice, and all the people I've spoken to so far have been pleasant enough, but seriously, I've had more fun on a Tuesday night at Shorty's."

"Pass that along to him the next time you have a pizza craving, and he'll no doubt give you free fries."

Ranger hung around for a few more minutes, then said 'he's at your two', before disappearing into the crowd, leaving me wondering what the hell my 'two' is. The capture went down as well as we'd hoped not long after that. I lifted my hand to my hair - as if I was checking the pins holding it up - and casually turned my head in the direction I thought Ranger had been looking. I caught a man a few inches shorter than Ranger, also with lighter hair and skin than my mercenary man, staring at either my breasts or my necklace. I was solicited five minutes later.

"I'm not interested in a quickie in the coat room," I informed the guy I know is Fison from his mugshot. I picked up the honking diamond between my thumb and forefinger and held it up for him to see, before letting it fall back down with a thunk against my chest. "I didn't get this, or any other jewelry, by being stupid or for screwing someone. I'm not an idiot, gold digger, or a whore. If you're looking for one of those ... keep walking."

"I didn't mean to imply that you are anything of the kind," he told me, all apologetically charming.

"What were you suggesting then? Going someplace 'to talk' is usually guy-code for a quick sex session ... and I'm not interested."

"You misunderstood my question. I just wanted a chance to get to know you," he said, and I saw his eyes flick to my half-full glass of champagne.

Ranger was standing a foot behind him by that time, and the guys were closing in around the three of us. I have complete faith in my team, and trust my own ability to take out this guy if I had to, to say what I really wanted to. I leaned towards him under the pretense of being flirty and let my bitch side come out to play.

"You touch me, my jewelry, or my drink, and I promise you, you'll be eating lead a second later," I said, in my best Dirty Harry voice.

"And I guarantee you'll be filled with a lot more of it once she's done with you," Ranger said to him, backing up my threat.

Fison is no match for anyone associated with Rangeman, and he had enough brains to realize it before he got himself badly hurt, so he didn't fight or make a scene when he was escorted out by Bobby and Vince with Ram taking point.

"Would you like to stay until after the dinner is served?" Ranger asked me, when we were alone again.

"No. This isn't my kind of thing. I'd rather go home, get into pjs, have some chips, and snuggle up to you in bed."

"Sounds like the perfect evening if you skip the chips and the pjs."

I smiled at him, and sighed when his arm came around my shoulders. He didn't let me go completely until we were back inside the apartment on seven.

"It was fun playing dress up," I said, when we'd walked into the bedroom to change out of our party clothes, "but I can only do it for a few hours before it starts feeling like actual work."

"The dress and the diamond are yours, Babe."

"Not anymore," I reminded him, focusing on removing the necklace, only partially paying attention to the conversation now that the adrenaline has worn off. "My job's done."

I should be disappointed about my Cinderella moment ending, but I'm realistic. I know I'm not the type of person to be sporting diamonds of any kind, except for maybe cubic zirconia earrings on date night.

Ranger took the necklace away from me with one hand after I'd released the clasp, and slipped a diamond close to the same size as the one I'd just taken off onto my left ring finger. The sparkling, squarish stone took up most of the space between my two knuckles, and is only being held to my finger by an ultra-thin band that reminds me of the silver strings attached to Christmas ornaments.

"The necklace may be going back, but this diamond's yours to keep if you want it. You worked for it," is what Ranger told me.

My mouth dropped open. "Umm, this looks an awful lot like an engagement ring."

"That could be due to the fact that it is one ... or it will be when you say yes."

I blamed the adrenaline spike and drop for screwing with my hearing and my head.

"You want me to agree to marry you?" I asked, just to be clear.

"Yes."

"I thought that was my line," I told him, still not quite believing him or this moment, but I have to say ... the diamond ring looks frighteningly real.

"You weren't saying it fast enough."

"Where did this come from?"

"A jeweler in Miami," I was told. "The time we were there visiting Julie."

"Hah, hah. I mean ... why are you proposing? Neither of us has ever brought up the subject of marriage."

"The time feels right. And you deserve everything I can give you."

"But this?" I asked, holding up my left hand in front of us.

"A couple rings and a signed certificate are the least of what we've already given each other."

What he said a few seconds ago suddenly penetrated my thoughts, and I smacked him on the chest. Hard.

"I 'worked for it'? What the heck does that mean?"

He smiled. "You put up with me on a daily basis. Since they don't give out combat medals to civilians, this is a suitable stand-in."

Did he just compare an engagement ring to an award given to someone who survived war?

"I did," he told me, watching my face closely. "My life is a complicated one, but I like to think I've made sticking it out worth your while."

I cupped his jaw in my hand and slid my thumb along his stubble-free skin. I had leaned against the bathroom sink, wearing his robe, completely engrossed as I watched him shave for the second time before getting dressed for the takedown.

"You've done more than make things worthwhile. I'm not any easier to deal with. You may want to think real hard about what spending your remaining years with me will be like before you ditch the receipt for this."

"The receipt is long gone, Babe. And I've thought of little else tonight."

"And here I was thinking our minds were supposed to be only on apprehending Fison?"

"I can juggle multiple jobs and/or thoughts while focusing on a single goal."

"I know you can do everything at any time, I just don't want you to regret proposing and then feel that you have to stay with me out of some sense of obligation."

His entire body went stone-still. "Do you honestly think we would come to that?"

"No. Been there, done that. And what we have is different ... it feels real."

"Good, because we won't go out like that. There are few people I'd live and die for. You top both lists."

"You know, the handful of times a marriage proposal crossed my mind, I thought for sure we'd both be naked and not thinking clearly during it. This is a much cleaner story to repeat than I'd expected."

His lips tipped up. "And who do you plan on repeating this to?"

"Mary Lou for starters. She's my best friend and should get all the details. Then the real fun will begin."

"Which includes ...?"

"Going over every single second of this night with my mom - then Joe - just to see all the blood drain out of their faces. I'll finish the recount by saying a big, fat "I told you so", followed by a private viewing of this ring with the Hope diamond-sized stone."

"And people call me vicious," he said.

"I can be when the mood strikes."

His arms came around me and his hands didn't stay above my waist, they slid much lower and cupped my ass, which is still encased in my skintight gown.

"And what mood would you say you're in now?" He asked.

"A very friendly one."

"That sounds promising."

"I won't be lying by saying my mood will be even friendlier when you get me out of this dress and these shoes," I told him.

"One thing at a time, Babe."

"You're going to go slow tonight, aren't you?"

"Yes. And once that ring is all that's on your body, I'll have you thinking of nothing except tying yourself to me permanently."

"I'm not really into bondage."

His hand went to the hidden zipper at my back. "I meant marital bonds, but you've given me a few ideas. I do have an endless supply of cuffs."

The zipper sliding down my spine seemed especially loud in the otherwise quiet room. The black fabric pooled at my feet, and I was left in my lacy - and also minuscule - underwear, thigh high stockings, and four-inch heels. Ranger's dark eyes took in every inch of skimpy material and bare skin.

"There's a chance I'll be the one pushing for a wedding date," he said. "One that will be within the month."

I snorted. "I doubt that, but it's nice to think you'd entertain the thought, even in a joking way."

He was already pulling me closer to the heat pouring off his body. "Entertaining you is my top priority right now."

"You don't need to entertain, coerce, or cajole me."

He worked the hooks on my super-sexy bra as he spoke. "Clearly I do, since you haven't officially said yes yet."

There was a momentary tightness across my chest as he undid each hook, then my breasts were spilling out into his waiting hands. His thumbs worked my nipples simultaneously ... torture Ranger-style.

"Yes ... yes ... yes ...," I said, as a familiar feeling pooled low in my belly.

"Hold that thought," he told me. "I want to hear that word repeated in exactly that way when I'm inside you."

Holy crap! Just thinking about him filling me again had everything below my eyes liquefying.

My brain no longer feels like working, but I was able to get out three very important things while he lowered me to the bed.

"Yes to marrying you. Yes to you being deep inside me. And hell freakin' yes! to us loving each other repeatedly and indefinitely."