Chapter Six

Stephanie intended to head straight to her apartment to get ready for her date with Pardo, but she found her car veering off in a different direction. She told herself to take a deep breath. Get the facts straight, and not overreact. She would bet a box of donuts Morelli was with a woman, and not a dead one at a crime scene either, but a live one wearing a red teddy. Her money was on Terry Gilman.

Morelli could say what he wanted, and sometimes maybe it was even true, that when he met with Terry it was about business. But that was thing, Stephanie had seen how he looked at Terry. So many things that just didn't seem like a business meeting. The softness in his eyes when he looked at her, that almost imperceptible longing. The genuine smile that he gave her. The way his body relaxed and leaned towards her when they talked. How he knew where she was in a room, even when he wasn't looking at her.

Everything about them screamed intimacy. And not I shagged you in high school intimacy, but I know every inch of your body intimacy. When she really thought about it, she was pretty sure it wasn't just Terry's body he knew intimately. If she had to guess, she would say Terry knew Morelli's heart. His innermost thoughts, his fears, his greatest desires. Stephanie swallowed hard against the bile rising in her throat. It was entirely possible that Morelli was in love with Terry, and probably had been since high school. Stephanie was just a stand in for what Morelli really wanted. Maybe they all were.

She took a deep breath and steeled her spine, mentally preparing herself as she turned onto the street where Terry lived. The knot in the pit of her stomach, cramping. What was she going to do if his truck was parked at Terry's house? Bang on the door? Slash his tires? No, she told herself she just needed to be sure. Catch him straight up red handed so he couldn't act like she was crazy. Because that was Morelli's go to move. He'd clearly learned the best defense was a good offense.

She slowly cruised past Terry's house. Morelli's truck wasn't out front. She let out a little breath. OK, so maybe he wasn't with Terry. Then again Terry's car wasn't in the driveway either.

Maybe they were discreet enough to meet at a hotel. The possibilities were nearly endless. She drove past a couple of possible spots. Still no Morelli. Still no Terry. She was disgusted with herself. Really what was she doing. Did it matter if it was Terry or someone else? Maybe the thought of Terry just brought out more of her insecurity, but it was someone, because really it wasn't like he took the damn teddy to a crime scene. There was a woman, maybe one she knew, maybe one she didn't, but the outcome was the same. Morelli had left her standing in his bedroom in a baby doll while he went off to fuck someone else. That was the sad truth.

When had she become this woman? Driving around looking for Morelli, trying to see if he was with another woman. If she married Morelli, this would be her life. Would she strap the baby in the car seat and cruise bars and hotels? Is that what Anthony's wife did? She shook her head. This wasn't a life she wanted. True they weren't exclusive, but getting thrown over for a better offer while she was standing around in some stupid lingerie that he had picked out was beyond the pale. Whoever the woman was, she had been his priority. And, no doubt better at giving him what he wanted. Stephanie clearly hadn't measured up. She blew out a ragged breath. Maybe that was just the story of her life.

Stephanie could justify Morelli's actions all she wanted by saying they had never agreed to be exclusive, but somehow, she had her doubts that a little gold band would change things with Morelli all that much. It would just make it harder and messier to break-up. Actually, that wasn't true. There was no divorce in the Morelli family. Grandma Bella wouldn't hear of it. You had to die to get out of a marriage in that family. Which probably explained a little of Morelli's attitude about marriage, and hers. The misery lasted until death do you part, and wasn't that all kinds of cheery.

The Morelli men had a bad track record. They drank too much. They cheated on their wives. They beat their kids. Fortunately for many of the Morelli wives, death visited the Morelli men early. They were shot in bar brawls, killed themselves in DUI car crashes, and exploded their livers. The problem was Morelli had avoided most of those vices, except for the cheating part, so the misery until the death do us part, might be a long while. How could she ever be sure about him? How would her life be anything but a ball of anxiety every time he walked out the door? Wondering, torturing herself with doubt.

She thought about it for a minute. Fuck it. Morelli might be out screwing some woman, but he wasn't going to screw up her date with Marc Pardo. She looked at the time. If she hurried, she might have twenty minutes to get ready.

Stephanie had finished her quick shower, and was standing in front of her closet staring. She was stumped. She had no idea where they might be going to dinner. The possibilities ranged from a pretzel at the food court to some upscale restaurant. She had no idea what Marc Pardo liked or what he had in mind. She kind of hoped she knew what he might like, the possibilities flitting through her mind, making her tingle. She batted them away. She had more pressing problems.

Maybe she should have asked more questions or maybe she should have suggested the place. She was the one that asked him out. Embarrassment crept up her neck. Had she really just asked some seriously hot stranger to dinner? Yep, she'd done that and now she got to own it. Not that she'd done a particularly good job of owning her bold new self so far.

Stephanie had asked Pardo if he wanted to go to dinner, but then left the rest open like it was up to him. Stephanie rolled her eyes. Way to be an idiot she thought. So much for being a woman in control and in charge of her own destiny.

Well, she had nine minutes to figure it out before she needed to be downstairs. She pulled out a black knit jersey dress, with cap sleeves and a scoop neckline. That should work. It was casual enough, but if no one looked too closely, it might get her a pass at an upscale place.

She dug around for her best set of lingerie. Not that Pardo would be seeing it, but it made her feel sexy. Yeah, that was the lie she was going with. Sleeping with him on a first date would be a mistake, but lucky her, good judgement and common sense didn't get in her way very often. She sighed. She was not going to sleep with him, even if she was all kinds of pissed at Morelli. Her mind had been torturing her for the last hour, wondering what Morelli was doing, and who he was doing it with.

Stephanie knew this would always be her life, if she married Morelli. Sitting at home wondering if he was really at work or if he was playing hide the salami or an adult version of choo-choo with some other woman. She wasn't cut out to be a Morelli woman. She didn't have his mother's saint like attitude and she wasn't a barking lunatic like Bella. That pretty much left her square in the middle of unequipped.

Stephanie pulled on the black lace panties and matching bra. She leaned forward adjusting the girls. Maybe she should wear a push up bra, enhance what little god had given her. She thought about it a minute. Nah, why bother. Either she would measure up or she wouldn't. Stephanie was getting really tired of never being quite enough.

OK, so that wasn't fair. She was angry at some guy she didn't know because Morelli was a cheating weasel. She'd read somewhere the problem isn't the problem, the problem is your attitude about the problem. Well maybe it was time for her attitude to find a different boyfriend. One that didn't whip it out of his pants every time the wind pushed the scent of a woman in his direction.

She had suspected Morelli was seeing other women, and truthfully right now, they weren't exclusive. It was more the way he'd done it that surprised her. But even when they were exclusive, she had her suspicions. She kept telling herself he had changed. He was different from the other Morelli men. She realized she was mad. Like explosion of red behind the eyeballs, irrationally mad. The kind of mad that made her do impetuous and stupid things. Couple that with a man she'd literally had an orgasm over in the parking lot of the mall, and doomed didn't even begin to cover it.

She pulled the dress over her head and pulled on a pair of flats. She took a quick look in the mirror. Her hair was starting to return to its naturally curly state. There was no time to deal with that. She was never going to be a super model, but this would do. Good enough. It was just dinner with some guy she didn't know.

Of course, given her luck it would turn out Marc Pardo was a fake name and he was really a psycho. She snorted, unlikely. He was just some business man that was too hot for his own good, and way too hot to be her boyfriend. Not that she wanted a boyfriend she reminded herself. This was the new and improved Stephanie. This was a woman that used men for her own pleasure, and left them wanting more. She snorted. As if. Hey, she could dream.

Stephanie grabbed her bag and headed downstairs to wait for the mysterious Pardo. She didn't have to wait long. She heard the powerful growl of the engine before she saw it. A sleek, black Porsche 911 Turbo glided into her parking lot. Behind the wheel was Marc Pardo, looking confident and sexy as hell in his aviator shades. She wasn't sure if it was him or the car that made her panties damp. She was a little afraid it was the combination. That she was one of those girls that got all hot and bothered over hot men in fast cars. Pardo had that down in spades.

She should have known he'd drive a car like that. Powerful with sleek lines and superb handling. She kind of thought the car might fit the man, and she felt that little flutter low in her belly. Of course, in her experience, sports cars tended to ride a little rough, and that thought, just made the flutter turn into an ache. Stephanie knew she was in real danger of breaking all her rules for this man. She tried to remind herself that lust was a liar, but part of her really didn't care. She might risk a thousand Hail Marys and eternal damnation for just one night with Marc Pardo.

Stephanie watched as he parked and got out of the car in one fluid, graceful movement. If he moved like that in bed, he might just be worth a thousand Hail Marys. His shoulder length hair was tied back, and he was wearing black slacks and a black button-up shirt, open at the collar. He looked far more businessman than SWAT tonight. She could tell by the tailoring that the clothes were expensive.

Whatever Pardo was, he was successful at it. For the first time she noticed the diamond winking in his ear. He was an interesting mix of contradictions. Sophistication and street, seamlessly melded. He'd worn the black cargos and boots with the same ease and confidence he wore the tailored slacks and expensive Italian loafers. The long hair, the only give away that he might not be entirely domesticated. That maybe he was a chameleon, and he could be anything he needed to be, but deep down at his core, he was pure male. All hard angles and raw power. An involuntary shiver went up her spine. She had a feeling there might be a lot more to Marc Pardo than met the eye.

He smiled at her, and she felt her knees go weak. "I'm really glad you texted." His deep, rich voice swept over her like a lingering caress.

A little blush went across her cheeks, and the tingle on the back of her neck bloomed into a full-body hum. Stephanie couldn't believe she had been quite so forward, but his pleasure at seeing her seemed genuine. He opened the door for her and she slid in.

The car was immaculate. No dust, no dirt, no fast-food wrappers. Not even a receipt dared to mar the dark interior beauty. The dashboard was lit up with enough lights, she thought it might be more than a car. Maybe it was the bat mobile in disguise. Maybe Pardo was really Bruce Wayne. She smiled to herself. The car even smelled new. She eased back into the soft leather seat. It molded to her, almost like it was hugging her. The soft sound of classical music barely audible from the speakers.

Pardo slid into the driver's seat.

"Do you like to crack crabs?" He asked.

Stunned out of her daydream, it took a minute for Stephanie to register his question. "I do." She stammered.

"Do you mind a little drive?" One perfect eyebrow was hitched up a fraction, as he assessed her. The hint of a smile on his lips.

Stephanie licked her lips, and she would have sworn she saw his eyes darken.

"No." Stephanie definitely didn't mind a little drive, not in this car. If this was her car, she might never get out of it.

"Good. Then I've got the perfect place in mind." He grinned.

Relief washed through Ranger. He had been a little concerned she wouldn't want to leave Trenton, and that could make for an awkward dinner. The last thing he needed was someone recognizing him and blowing his cover. There were places that made that less likely, but there was still a chance. At least that is what he told himself.

Otherwise, he would have to admit he wanted to get her away from Trenton so they could relax, and he could have her all to himself. Even if he was pretending to be someone else, he just wanted to focus on her. Not be worried about running into someone or looking over his shoulder every minute of the evening. Insisting on a table with his back to the wall and his eyes on the door. No, tonight he wanted to enjoy her.

Stephanie felt herself relax. He was a man with a plan. A little tremble went down her legs, when she wondered what else he might have planned for the evening. Part of her kind of hoped it include kissing her with those sinfully lush lips. She squeezed her legs together to stop them from quaking.

He handled the car with ease as he pulled out of the lot, and navigated the streets until they were on the highway. The hum and the vibration of the engine doing nothing to ease the need in her that was building to a fevered pitch. The enclosed space felt intimate, locked away in a cocoon, just the two of them streaking through the waning sunlight to an unknown ripe with possibility. Even the air felt heavy with anticipation. His magical scent flitting about, tickling her nose, her thoughts drifting, wondering about a man that seemed a little like an enigma.

Stephanie studied his profile. He was attractive. Even in profile he was perfect, which didn't quite seem fair, but there was something else about him. She couldn't quite name what it was. When he looked at her, she felt like she was the only woman in the world. That she had all of his attention. Pardo was clearly a guy that got a lot of female attention, but when he'd been with her, he'd been with her. Completely focused on what she way saying, not scanning to see what he might be missing.

It was weird. Here she was in a car with a guy she didn't know, driving to some unknown place, yet she was completely at ease. He made her feel safe.

"Your card said consultant, what kind of consulting do you do." Stephanie asked him.

"Security mainly."

"What kind of security?" Stephanie figured she sounded like an idiot, but he would find that out for himself soon enough. Security seemed like an awfully vague and broad answer.

"Corporate mostly. Personal security sometimes, and the occasional high bond FTA." The minute it was out of his mouth Ranger wanted to whack his head on the steering wheel. He couldn't believe he'd just blurted out the truth. Import, export or some other vague thing is what he should be telling her. That was Marc Pardo's cover, and he was Marc Pardo tonight, not Ricardo Carlos Manoso, or even his street alias Ranger. He was on a job, not a damn date. Really, who was he actually kidding?

"FTA?"

Ranger looked over at her. She was a vision sitting in his car, bathed in amber glow of the waning light. Her eyes bright with intelligence and curiosity, her dark glossy hair framing her perfect features. She looked like she belonged in that seat. He forced his thoughts back to her question. His job tonight was to get information. Not think about her taking those long legs and straddling him right here in the damn car, riding him until neither of them could remember their names.

"Failure to appear. People that are out on bond, but don't show for their court dates."

"Oh, I have cousin that does that. Vincent Plum bail bonds. Maybe you know him."

Ranger nodded. "I do." He said cautiously. Knowing people in common didn't bode well for his cover, especially when that person was Vinnie. Vinnie was a boil on the butt of humanity. He had a predilection for gambling, hookers, and some serious kink, but Vinnie was a pretty good bail bondsman. Mainly because Vinnie knew human weakness.

Stephanie laughed at his reaction. Yep, Pardo knew Vinnie alright. "Well first, I feel like I should apologize for the entire Plum family. We all aren't like that I promise. Vinnie is definitely from the rotting branch of the family tree."

Ranger laughed. "I could see that."

Stephanie thought he had a good laugh. Deep, rich, and it had sounded genuine. Not a polite, fake laugh. It didn't sound like he laughed all that often, which was a shame, because it really was a very good laugh.

"So why do you go after FTAs?" She asked as she continued to study him.

The truth, it was what Ranger was good at. He was very good at hunting people, but he figured telling her that might scare her.

"I mainly do high dollar recovery, so it tends to be quick cash for not a lot of effort. Although, I don't do that very often anymore."

"Hmm." He could hear her thinking.

Ranger had a bad feeling that if he wasn't careful, Stephanie Plum would be able to see right through his carefully constructed façade. She would break through his walls and shred his defenses. He had already revealed too much of the truth, but for some reason he didn't want to lie to her. He wanted her to know him, and that was just all kinds of stupid. Ranger needed to get his head in the game. Because that is what this was. A game, and he was playing to win. And winning meant getting access to E.E. Martin, and taking down Sly Novak, not dating Stephanie Plum.

"How long have you lived in Trenton? Do you have family here?" She asked.

Ranger knew he was in danger of getting himself caught up in lies if he wasn't careful. While it was his job to get information from her, she seemed to be the only one asking questions. She'd have made a great interrogator.

"A few years." Ranger said noncommittedly. He didn't answer the family question.

"I thought we would get a bucket of crabs from the seafood market and some sides, and then eat on the beach. I have a house." Ranger figured distracting her with food might help.

"That sounds nice." Her voice trailed off. So, they were going to Pardo's beach house. Instead of alarm bells going off, heat was starting to spread through her at the thought of being alone with him. She could almost hear her mother tsking her disapproval. Stephanie shoved that out of her mind.

They were pulling into the city limits of Point Pleasant. What would normally take around forty-five minutes hadn't taken anywhere close to that in the Porsche with Pardo at the wheel.

"Do you get to beach often?"

"Not as often as I'd like." Ranger replied.

He was going to need to give her mouth something else to do and soon, or she would have his entire life history. Of course, Ranger could think of several things he'd like her to do with that pretty little mouth of hers. He felt a familiar twitch and he forced himself to concentrate on driving.

They pulled into Shore's seafood market. He opened the door for her and helped her out. She felt his hand settle on her low back, his fingers solid and sure, grazing the dip in her spine. A bolt of heat shot down her center at just that whisper of a touch. She wondered, if just his fingers grazing her spine could do that, what would it be like if he really touched her? If he turned that intensity on her with single minded focus.

Not many people were milling about. It was too early in the season for most tourists, and the town still had that relaxed, local feel to it. They got half a dozen crabs, hushpuppies, cole slaw and boiled potatoes. Ranger saw her eyeing the chocolate cake, so he got her a slice of that too. He saw the little pink tinge on her cheeks, and for some absurd reason it made him happy that she was happy.

Ranger put the bags in the car and opened the door for her. Their eyes locked. "Are you ready?"

She swallowed with an audible click. Was she ready? Now wasn't that a loaded question. A delicious shiver snaked its way through her body. Stephanie had a bad feeling he wasn't talking about dinner. A little part of her hoped that was true.