One Sexy Daddy by Vivian Leiber Page A

splurged.”
    â€œEight bucks an hour goes pretty far.”
    â€œI haven’t gone shopping in more than a year,” Stacy said.
    â€œI’m not complaining.”
    â€œHey, there’s two of you?” the bartender asked. “Can I meet the other one?”
    â€œThat’s enough,” Adam said, feeling unaccountably territorial. He threw several bills down on the bar. “This woman is old enough to be your…” He glanced at the bartender and back at Stacy. The makeover had put an exclamation pointon her beauty. “She’s old enough to be your younger sister.”
    He put his hand under her elbow and guided her out of the bar, shooting a warning glance at a man who rose from his seat looking like he wanted to say hi.
    â€œAdam, Adam, I’m not used to high heels,” Stacy said. “Don’t go so fast.”
    â€œGotta get Karen,” he muttered.
    â€œSure, but if I twist my ankle we’re not getting there any faster.”
    He stopped so swiftly she nearly fell over him.
    â€œIt’s dangerous for you in there,” he warned.
    â€œDangerous? How?”
    â€œThere are men in there who would have liked to…well, you know.”
    A slow smile spread over her face. “No, I don’t know,” she said and that smile was starting to look awfully sly. “What would they have liked to do?”
    â€œLiked to buy you a drink and, well, you know.”
    â€œNo, I don’t know. Remember, I’m inexperienced.”
    â€œPick you up. There, I’ve said it. There are a lot of men in there who would buy you a drink and try to pick you up.”
    â€œThey would?”
    â€œIn a heartbeat.”
    â€œWould you?” she challenged.
    â€œSure would.”
    She crossed her arms under her breasts, shrugging her shoulders so that her voluptuous flesh strained at the linen bodice.
    â€œThen you’d better buy me a drink or I’m going to walk right back in there and let somebody else buy me a drink.”
    He stared, shocked.
    â€œJack, I’ve never had a man buy me a drink because I’m pretty. I’m not going to let any man ‘pick me up’ but a drink, that sounds…well, exciting.”
    â€œYou have to baby-sit Karen.”
    â€œWhere do you have to go?” And then, when he sputtered uselessly, “I think she can stay with you.”
    â€œI’m going to be working on stuff,” he said indignantly, remembering he had gotten yet another lecture from his secretary about not finishing his time sheets. “Yeah, stuff. Important stuff. Paperwork stuff.”
    â€œThe hotel manager would be happy to take care of her for a few hours if she doesn’t want to watch television in the room.”
    â€œAll right, listen up,” he said, clearing his throat. “We’ll try it this way. I’d like to buy you a drink. Because you’re pretty. Because I’m intrigued by you. Because when you walked into the bar, I felt my heart go flip-flop like a trout on the bottom of a fishing boat. And frankly, the idea of you walking back in there and letting another manbuy you a drink makes me jealous. There, I’ve said it. Jealous. Now, do you want a drink?”
    â€œI’d be honored,” she said. And relieved. Because she couldn’t have gone back in there all by herself. She turned towards the bar. He grabbed her elbow.
    â€œNo, redhead, we’re getting a drink someplace else.”
    Â 
    â€œW ANT ANOTHER ROOT BEER ?” Adam asked.
    â€œNo thanks,” Karen said, and she loudly slurped the last bit of ice cream out from the bottom of her black cow.
    â€œI’m not asking you. Stacy?”
    â€œNo, I’m fine.”
    â€œThis isn’t quite what you had in mind.”
    â€œAdam, please, it’s exactly what I had in mind,” Stacy said, looking around the ice-cream parlor. Its red-and-white striped decor gave it a circus-like