In all truth, the last few weeks he was doing what he could to put Lindsay Monroe out of his head. During his last two cases, he rarely saw Lindsay and he had time to get things finished with Cindy.

Just because he and Lindsay weren't working together didn't mean he didn't wasn't thinking of her. As much as he wanted to get her out of his head, she waltzed right into it anyway. The unfortunate part about the subconscious was it never really listened to reason. His vivid imagination was running wild and thought perhaps it was better they weren't working together.

Danny became resolute to think of her as merely a friend and colleague and nothing more.

On the train he gave a smile to a young woman who was eyeballing him but he was too steamed. He turned to look out the window and thought of his coworkers.

As he was catching up on his reports he saw Lindsay almost run toward the staff room. Deciding then was as good a time as any to take a break, he went to grab some coffee.

Lindsay was collecting her Tupperware container from the drying rack by the sink quietly like she was trying not to be noticed. Danny looked over at the clock.

Not even five and she's sneaking off, Danny thought with an approving smirk.

With her head down, Lindsay turned around and jumped when she collided into Danny.

"Where you going?" he said with a smile.

"Out," she said breathlessly, holding her chest. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" he asked with a grin.

Her back was against the sink and she was in the corner of the counter. She tried to step past him but he made no attempt to move.

She gave him a quizzical look. "Do you mind?"

Danny took a step back and followed her to the elevator. "Where you sneaking off to?"

Lindsay blushed but kept her quick stride down the hall. "I have plans."

"You catching a taxi?" he commented with a grin. "Traffic this time of day could be murder."

"That's why I'm leaving now," she said as she pushed the down-button impatiently. She watched the lights above the elevator tell her the car was getting closer but she still shifted in her spot impatiently.

"Mac know you're heading out early?" Danny asked as he glanced around the lab.

It would have been fun to get her in trouble and make her stay to finish the reports with him, possibly missing whatever she was going to.

"He left fifteen minutes ago," Lindsay said. "He said he had plans."

Danny frowned. "Oh."

"Looks like you'll only have the case files to keep you company now," she said with a grin and the elevator doors opened. "Thank god," she sighed and stepped onto the elevator. "See you later!"

Danny opened his mouth to reply but the doors closed and he was left feeling like an ass.

Great. Montana is on a date and Mac is out so I can't even spoil it for her, he thought.

Ruining a date for Aiden was never a smart idea. If he did happen to make such a mistake, it wouldn't bring him any kind of satisfaction like ruining a date for Lindsay would. It was a little childish but he didn't really care. If she stuck around then he might be able to get her to get a bite to eat or something.

Why does the idea of something sound so much better? Danny thought.

On his ride home he couldn't believe his luck. Pulling Mac from the mayor's party just made him feel guilty.

It was bad enough they were working a case right after he finished an eight-hour shift but she had to walk onto the scene in that dress. What was she trying to do, kill him?

As they started looking over the body, he heard the familiar crunch of footsteps on gravel and did a double take. High heels, low cut neckline and just enough leg while carrying a kit. He had to stand up.

"Well, hello Miss Monroe," he greeted her with a hopeful grin. "You clean up nice." That was an understatement. "Were you at the mayor's party too?"

Lindsay brushed past him and set down her kit. As she leaned sideways, the dress revealed the bustier was also acting as a bra and Danny had to quickly think of flesh wounds to keep himself calm.

Jesus. Help me out here, he thought.

"I was at the opera," she said with a smile that said she was waiting for Danny to harass her.

"I am hanging out with all the wrong people, you know that?" he said to no one in particular.

Lindsay and Mac both laughed but he meant it. Mac's friends invited him to a black tie event for the mayor while James' friend got Lindsay the opera tickets. Cancel the Yankee game - he could sit through two hours of opera if it meant another dress like that.

Mac told them to interview the conductor while he followed the evidence on the body. It was obvious they weren't going home to sleep any time soon and Lindsay would have to work for an hour or two in what she had on.

Lucky me, he thought with a grin.

Danny got them a ride with a patrol car to the lab where they soon found the name of the subway conductor and made an appointment with him to meet them at a station house for questioning.

On the elevator ride down Lindsay bit her lip and shuffled her feet nervously. Danny glanced over at her.

"You all right there, Monroe?" he asked.

"First date I've had here and I'm walking home," she said under her breath.

Danny leaned in. "What was that?"

Lindsay sighed and her cheeks flushed. "I was just saying I don't have a way to get home."

Danny felt torn. He was secretly happy her date was broken up but unhappy she went in the first place. "That's rough."

"No assistance to the new girl?" she retorted. "C'mon, I waded through tiger dung and a dumpster already. You also interrupted my night at the opera. I should get something."

"Well normally I'd tell you about taxi vouchers they give us when we aren't using the lab trucks but it's a little late to do that since we're already on our way down." he said and she sighed unhappily. "But not to worry. Your knight in shining armour is here and I have the keys to a truck."

Lindsay turned to him and smiled as she put one hand on her hip under her jacket and opening the view to the dress again. "Does that mean you're going to give me a ride?"

Danny scratched his head with the key and took a step back from her to take one more look at her in the dress. He nodded and she gave his arm a little squeeze. As they leaned against the elevator wall, neither of them spoke the next twenty-six floors.

On the drive back to Lindsay's apartment, he glanced over at her legs a couple of times and noticed one thing was missing.

When did she take off her nylons?

"What time do you want to meet in the morning?" she asked.

"I'll come pick you up in six hours," he said as he glanced down at her bare legs again. "That should give us enough time before we meet with the conductor."

Lindsay nodded and looked back out the window. "Did you ever try subway surfing?"

Danny grinned. "Once maybe. Staten Island kids are big on one-upping each other."

"So that's what it is about you," Lindsay retorted and made a mental note about the location of his upbringing.

He pulled in front of her building and shut off the car. Lindsay looked at him curiously as he got out and ran around to open her door. He held out her elbow for her to take and she took it cautiously.

"First date in the big city, someone should walk you to your door at least," he said and pressed the lock button on the key remote.

Lindsay smiled and did her best to focus on getting to her apartment without her knees giving out.

"Your elevator still out of commission?" he asked as she put her key in the building door.

"It was working earlier," she said and he placed a hand on her lower back as he followed her inside. There was the familiar sign on the elevator door and Lindsay made her way to the stairs. "Maybe not."

Danny moved quickly and opened the door for her. They got to her floor quickly, stopping to say hi to a few night owl neighbours doing laundry.

"Thanks for the ride," she said as she put her key in the lock.

Danny walked up behind her and she turned around to say good night. Their proximity was dangerous but for every argument he made in his mind it was a bad idea, he only needed one reason to counter it.

Danny took one small step and leaned in. Gently, he pressed his lips to hers. It was soft, much softer than she would have expected from him and her lips parted instinctively.

He took that as an invitation and slid his tongue against hers while he held her body against the wall. Her mouth tasted sweet and soft and he moved one hand down her body to her hip.

Lindsay sighed and he ended the kiss gently. He pressed his lips together, tasting her once again and they smiled at one another.

She put her hands on his shoulders to put some distance between them. Danny took the hint and took a step back.

"Good night, Messer," she said.

Danny nodded and kissed her cheek quickly. "I'll pick you up in six hours."

Lindsay disappeared behind her door and Danny ran down the stairs with skip in his step. Things might be a little more complicated but he could live with that.