Carrying His Baby

Before she knew it, he had a strong grip on her hand and was tugging her towards the bar as she protested rather ineffectually.

“Please, stand there where you can keep a good eye on me. If you don’t mind?” he added, turning to the bartender. With a flourish, he bowed and stepped out of the way.

“What’s your pleasure, Miss Holt?”

Oh, what the hell, thought Hallie.

“I’ll take a whiskey sour, if you don’t mind.”

“That just happens to be my specialty,” he claimed.

He did look quite competent as he shook and poured the drink over ice, she had to admit that.

“Not quite as full of flair as your bartender, but I’m sure you will like the drink. And you know exactly what’s gone into it,” he pointed out, making her feel a bit petty and small.

“Thanks,” she said, and took the drink. She took a sip and felt her eyes nearly water.

She’d seen that he’d been extremely generous with the whiskey, but she’d underestimated just how strong it was.

“Wow, man, this could burn through my stomach lining,” she gasped.

He chuckled.

“Would you like me to make you another? Under supervision, of course,” he said, and his words were teasing. So was his smile. Irresistible, she thought as she felt herself smiling back.

“There, I knew I could win a smile from you. Now, may I call you Hallie?”

She nodded, taking another sip. Strong, but good was her judgment.

“Then would you please stop calling me Mr. Banks and call me Aldous? I feel at least forty when anybody calls me Mr. Banks at a party. I am only twenty-nine, you know.”

Despite herself, Hallie grinned.

“That seems fair, Aldous. So, how do you think your party is going?”

“I think it’s going well. But I think I should hire a better DJ next time.”

Hallie gave him a long look.

“So the DJ wasn’t your choice? I thought you were very careful about all your choices for this party.”

He shrugged.

“When Melisande asked me to hire him as a favor, I’m afraid I, rather misguidedly, said yes. Now I wish I hadn’t. Fortunately, your food and the drinks make up for it. Everybody seems far too happy and tipsy to complain about the music.”

“Then I guess it’s a good party.”

“Thanks to you and your team. I’m glad I listened to you. So now, how about you do me a favor?”

Whiskey sours always got her tipsy quickly. But she was now too tipsy to care about that. Maybe she should’ve eaten more instead of just making sure everybody else ate, but she was in her happy zone now.

“What would you like?”

“I would like you to dance with me.”

It was a bad idea. There was a small part of her yelling and screaming that it was definitely a bad idea. But it was such a small part of her, and the rest of her was heading towards very happy tipsy so quickly.

“I shall do that, if you make me another drink, just like this one. You’re quite good at it.”

She turned that smile on him. She didn’t feel like the help now. She wished she were wearing something hotter and sexier than the plain black dress she had worn to be inconspicuous.

But Hallie was anything but inconspicuous. The dress made her waist look tiny, and her curves glamorous. Her hair was tamed, but a couple of wisps of curls had escaped, making her look just a bit vulnerable. Her eyes were bright and large. The dress left a long line of her back exposed – its only distinctive feature. The skin it exposed was like perfect coffee. She didn’t know that every man had noticed her and wanted to run his fingers over her skin.

Aldous Banks had definitely noticed her. She sipped her second drink, feeling her inhibitions loosening more and more.

“Right, Hallie. I officially declare you off duty, and I’m the client. So dance with me.”

She was smiling as she pulled her hair loose and let it tumble. She walked to the dance floor with him, and was swept away, in more ways than one.