The Body Hunters (24 page)

 
          "Keep staring at my scar? I hate when people do that.
"

 
           "Danny, I'm not staring at your scar." He countered. His husky voice deep and seductive to her ears
.

 
          Rouge tinted her cheeks before she lightly kicked him under the table
.

 
          "Damn." He reached under the table and massaged his shin. "You are so abusive.
"

 
           "There's more where that camefrom." she warned with a sweet smile. "So stop it.
"

 
          The fast paced country music gave way to a slow burner by the country crooner Josh Turner. The couples on the shellacked dance floor started coming together in close pairs
.

 
          "God, I love this song." Danny started swaying to the music, closing her eyes
.

 
          Aiden offered his hand across the table. "You wanna dance? You promised you'd teach me real nice and close." His face had that bad boy smirk plastered on it again
.

 
          Danny took a millisecond to consider before taking his hand. As he claimed he was single and she was practically free from Gerard herself, there was no harm in taking him up on his offer. "I'd be delighted sir. But behave!
"

 
          They joined the other couples on the dance floor
.

 
           "OK, just hold my hand like this and put your other hand on the small of my back." She instructed, interlacing her fingers in his right hand and putting his left hand on her back. In her heels, the top of her head came right up to his nose. "Now, just follow the beat for now and follow my motions. Where my legs go you follow with the same leg, and we'll turn a couple of times. Once you get it, you start leading.
"

 
           He was happy to oblige since he now had the license to put his hands on her tempting little body. How a woman who was so iron willed and tough yet so delicate and feminine was beyond his understanding.

 
          With the tutorial over for the moment the couple soon found themselves in time with the rhythm and beat of the music. He watched the other Stetson-wearing men with their partners who seemed to move fluidly across the floor. One older couple in a matching western ensemble danced over to them and the older man, noticing Aiden stumbling a bit, had a word of advice for him
.

 
          "Hey young feller, it's like making love, son! Go nice and slow and hold her tight!" The cowboy and his wife chuckled and danced away
.

 
          "You heard the man. I gotta hold you tight!" He pulled her closer to his muscled frame. His large fingers played along her spine like piano keys before daring to move a little lower
.

 
           "Just make sure you watch those hands Stone!" She put his hand back where it belonged.

 
          "Can't blame me for trying, Nani!" He smirked puckishly
.

 
           "Ugh! You are really hopeless sometimes!" Danny laughed, burying her head in his chest.

 
           The songs started getting faster, and the older couple called them over to participate in the line dance. The couple out danced everyone, and it was obvious they had been doing it a very long time. Ralph and Darlene showed them the proper steps. Aiden was looking very clumsy in his size 13 shoes and tried not to trip over himself. Danny, on the other hand, was a natural. She picked up the steps quickly and had now partnered with Ralph while Darlene was still tutoring the clumsy Aiden in the basic steps. His blue eyes pleaded with Danny for a rescue, but she happily reminded him he wanted to learn and who better than the experienced Darlene. Danny hadn't had such a marvelous time in years. After three songs she excused herself to the little cowgirl’s room, as the sign advertised, and Darlene joined her
.

 
          "Darlin', that boyfriend of yours is one tall drink of water. You better watch it I might steal him tonight!" Darlene laughed as she checked her makeup in the lighted vanity mirror
.

 
           "Um, well the thing is we are just working partners. There’s nothing going on between us." she corrected the older woman.

 
           "Does he know that, Darlin'? He's sweet on you if I ever saw it! And by the looks of it you got a sparkle in your eye for him too. Now c'mon, tell old' Darlene the truth!" Danny sat down next to her at the mirror.

 
          "The truth is a bit complicated. Oh, God, I don't know why I'm telling you this, but you remind me of my grand mere. Darlene, I'm about to break it off with my fiancé. Stone and I really are working partners, but woman to woman I can't deny there is some slight, and I mean very slight, attraction. Good Lord he climbs under my skin and not always in a good way!" She stared into the mirror at Darlene's reflection
.

 
          "Sugar, that feeling you got is there for a reason. The more you try to deny your feelings, the more he's bound to get to you. You get it? Honey you gotta go with the flow. Let me ask you, you said you are breaking up with your fiancé. Did he ever make you feel the way you feel about that man out there?
"

 
           "No, ma'am, not once.I thought it was love. It probably was at first, but he's so different, calculating. He doesn't joke around much. It's all about his work and his high society friends." She looked down at her nails as if she was ashamed of what she admitted
.

 
           Darlene lifted up Danny's chin. "Sweetheart, you know what you gotta do, but while you're doing it just don't let fate take away another chance that's right in front of you. Do you know Ralph and I have been married for 30 years? He hounded me for 2 years to marry him. I told him not if he was the last man on earth, He irritated me so much! But then he was going away to war and I couldn't bear the thought of him being gone and the possibility of him never coming back. I married that man the night he shipped out! I asked him! Can you imagine?" Darlene laughed heartily and stood up. "You ready there sugar? We got us some hot men waiting on us and I don't know about you, but I plan to get me some tonight!"

 
          Danny and Darlene walked out laughing and met the men at the bar. It looked like Ralph was dispensing some fatherly advice of his own to. Another slow song started up and the couples hit the dance floor again. This time Aiden lead the dance. "What did you girls talk about?" he asked
.

 
          "Oh just the girly stuff, you know makeup, recipes and boys of course. What about you? Looks like you and Ralph was talking kinda serious?
"

 
           "Oh, you know sports, our time in the marines and boobies!" He couldn't stifle his laugh.

 
           "Yup all the important stuff, huh!" She purposely stepped on his toes. She looked up into his eyes gazing for what seemed an eternity. The older couple approached breaking their eye embrace. Ralph stuck out his hand for Aiden to shake
.

 
           "Young man it was great meeting you and you too pretty Darlin! We're gonna make cowpokes of you guys yet. Well we gotta roll. Give me a kiss goodbye little gal." Ralph pulled Danny close and planted one on her lips for about three seconds.

 
           Darlene spoke up. "Now you let her go you old horn dog!"

 
           "Aw, shut your pie hole and plant one on old' big boy over there!"

 
           "You'd better stop or I will!" Darlene was laughing "That boy won't know what hit him when I do! C'mere young fella." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She turned around to Danny and said. "Girl, you don't know what you're missin'!"

 
           Ralph laughed and walked over to Aiden and whispered in his ear, "Bide your time son, it will all work out, yahear me?
"

 
           "Yes sir I will." He said, saluting the man like he was his commanding officer.

 
           "Come on Ma we're makin' tracks. Good luck to both of you. We had a great time. Come by again when you're in our neck of the woods!
"

 
           "Yes sir, nice meeting you and thanks for the dancing lessons Darlene."

 
           Darlene grabbed Stone's hand and said. "With a good looking partner like you, anytime!"The couple left the bar
.

 
           "What the heck was all that about?" Danny asked.

 
        “None of your business woman!  Just guy talk."He answered. "We should probably call it a night too. I'm trying to line up a stakeout tomorrow, and I'll be gone most of the night.
"

 
          "I'm going with you then." she advised emphatically
.

 
           "I don't have permission yet for it, and they don't let civvies go on stakeouts!"

 
           "We'll talk about it later." She yawned out the words.

 
          "C'mon lets go back to the hotel before you turn into sleeping beauty on me." He opened the bar door and the night breeze greeted them. He held open the passenger door for her and she climbed into the Suburban
.

 
           In just a few short minutes she had fallen asleep in the SUV. The combination of the alcohol, dancing, and night air had obviously taken its toll on her. He chuckled to himself hearing her snore lightly in her sleep.

 
           After pulling up to their adjoining rooms, he effortlessly scooped her into his arms and carried her into her room, laying her on the bed. He took off her shoes and contemplated what else he could remove without getting into trouble with her the next day. He opted for taking off her jeans and top, leaving her lacy lingerie on. He got her under the covers and left a short note: No nothing happened. You fell asleep. I wanted to make you comfortable. Wake me up when you get up. We'll do breakfast Stone
.

 
           He wandered into his own room contemplating what Ralph had told him; admit your feelings to yourself but don't force the situation. Wait for her, but let her know you'll be there for her. And lots of cold showers!

 
           Sage advice he thought, especially since he just had an eyeful of her gorgeous body. He headed into the bathroom yet again for another cold wet reminder of why good things come to those who wait.

Chapter 1
4

 
           Early the next morning, Danny awoke to find that her clothes had been removed, leaving her down to her bra and panties. After reading his lame excuse in his note, she was a little perturbed that had taken it upon himself to undress her while she slept. She wasn't a prude by any means, but she wasn't the type of woman to just let any man take her clothes off even if it was for an altruistic reason. She had only two lovers in her life, and they were the only men, other than her primary care doctor, to see her even partially unclothed.  Aiden Stone was another story entirely. Last night she figured he had probably made sure he got a good look at her in all her semi naked goodness and Lord have mercy. If he was cocky yesterday, good God, he was going to be harder to live with this morning.

 
           Seated across from her at the mom and pop diner, over his scrambled eggs and toast, he kept grinning at her like a schoolboy with a naughty secret he wasn't going to share.       
 

“How's breakfast?" He asked
.

 
          "Fine, though my eggs seem a little naked I could have sworn I asked for some cheese on them." She complained, turning her eggs over with her fork
.

 
          "Well maybe the cook thought your eggs would be more comfortable without the unnecessary layer of cheese. They look so yummy without it." He said with a straight a face as he could muster
.

"Ugh, it's too early for your foolishness, Stone." She warned as she rolled her eyes at him. She knew she walked into that one. She swore half the time she wanted to just punch him
dead in the face, and the other half she just wanted to take his face in her hands and kiss him hard. Shaking herself loose from the quick daydream of sucking on his full lips, she realized he had called over the waitress for the check.

"We’ve got to pick up Ramirez." He told her "You ready to go?
"

"Yes, just let me put my coat on. It's a little chilly this morning." She grabbed her coat from the bench seat and stood up.

"Here let me help you." He took the coat and held it up for her to slide her arms in
.