“Hey! Where’s my beer?” A guy yelled.
“Keep your pants on, Nick. I’ll be right back.” He threw over his shoulder.
Conversations suddenly stopped as Nate marched toward her.
“Hi.” She smiled, unsure what to do. They hadn’t really been in public as a couple, and she didn’t know if he wanted to give his customers any public displays of affection.
The minute he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against his body. He kissed her too. A quick sensual brush of lips that inflamed every hormone in her body. He drove his tongue deep into her mouth, swiping and rubbing over hers.
Catcalls and whistles sounded around them. He pulled back and grinned. “Thanks for coming.”
Well, that took care of her PDA question. He grabbed her hand and led her to the bar.
“Don’t you have a bartender?” She asked as they rounded the bar entrance.
“I do, but she’s taking a break, and these guys love busting my chops.” He laughed and passed out beers to waiting patrons.
“Hey, Nate? My girlfriend wants something sexy.” A tall, blond guy yelled from a table. The woman sitting next to him ran a hand over his cheek and leaned her head into his shoulder.
“How sexy is sexy? I’m single,” someone else yelled.
The crowd by the bar broke into raucous laughter.
She watched Nate pass out drinks, and her hands itched to help him out.
“Sorry,” he smiled apologetically. “Just give me a few and Shirley will be back.”
“It’s okay.” She moved forward and took an empty beer bottle from the counter. Then another bottle popped up out of nowhere and another until she found herself passing bottles back and forth.
“Hey, Nate. My girlfriend wants her sexy drink.”
“What is she in the mood for?” Karla asked, taking the lead to get the woman a drink.
“Chocolate.” Replied the pretty brunette next to the tall guy.
“Do you mind?” She hated moving in on his bar, but it seemed he needed some help, and she missed making her Chocolate Seduction.
“Go right ahead.” A sinful grin split his lips. “My casa is your casa.”
She chuckled at his sad attempt at Spanish. “I need chocolate liqueur, chocolate fudge, and chocolate and marshmallow flavored vodka. Have anything like that?”
He pointed toward a row behind him. “I think we have some of that here. Usually the guys just want beer or shots, but Shirley likes all kinds of flavored drinks.”
“What are you making?” One of the guys at the counter asked.
Karla shrugged and poured different liquors into a martini shaker. “When I was in college, I took a bartending class to help me make some extra cash. I called it Chocolate Seduction. At the time, I was having a serious chocolate addiction and came up with my own version of a chocolate martini.”
She glanced up and was surprised to watch the group of men at the counter, including her very own wolf watching her intently.
“I’m Nick, I’m in construction,” said an older man with graying hair and a kind smile. “These are my employees.” He pointed to both sides of him.
“Nice to meet you, Nick. I’m Karla. I’m a teacher at Woodside Elementary.”
Nick’s warm smile mirrored the one of most of the people at the counter. “It’s nice to meet Nate’s mate.”
Ribbons of heat crowded her face. The crowd made her feel welcomed. She hadn’t expected their easy reception. “Thanks.” She glanced back down at her martini shaker and put the lid on it and started to shake. “Anyway, this drink became a big favorite at the bar I worked in for a semester.”
Taking the two martini glasses Nate handed her with a smile, she placed them next to a plate she’d lined with sugar.
The bar grew silent as everyone watched her work. She turned the martini glasses face down and dipped the rim in a large bowl she’d filled with chocolate liqueur. Then she coated the rim with the sugar. Once both glasses had their rims covered in sugar, she poured some of the mixed drink into each glass and then finished by garnishing with a dollop of chocolate fudge sauce in the center.
She placed one of the martini glasses on a tray, walked around the bar, and handed it to the tall guy’s girlfriend.
Karla watched the young woman take a sip of her drink. She blinked, and the woman had downed the rest. “That was delicious!”
The crowd in the bar cheered and clapped.
Karla smiled and headed back to her other drink. She passed the martini glass to Nick for a taste.
He eyed the tiny glass wearily, but tipped it back and swallowed the drink in one gulp. Nick licked his lips and smiled. “It’s like dessert in a cup.”