The Baby Bargain

Chapter 22: Alison

It took several minutes but Alison finally got her laughter under control. She was an asshole. Harker had been trying to be sexy, and she'd laughed in his face. The alcohol in her stomach gurgled. She'd messed up and the worst part was now she had to find him and apologize. He was a nice guy and she'd hurt him.

She left the room and headed for his office. She'd apologize and maybe they could have a wedding night. She bit her lip to keep from giggling at the thought of kissing him. He'd probably tell her she was doing it wrong.

No, damn it. She had to stop thinking like that or she'd laugh again, and she wasn't sure their marriage—she giggled—the sham that it was, could withstand that.

She stumbled down the hallway and knocked on his office door, but he didn't answer. She opened it and the room was empty. He'd been in the library earlier tonight.

She headed across the house and stopped in the doorway. The room was dark except for the light from a small lamp on the desk. He stood with his back to her, staring out the window into the night. His dark hair brushed against the collar of his white shirt. Too bad she didn't have her phone. It would've been a great picture—the dark night matching his hair and the moon as white as his shirt. It could've been a horror movie if he'd left on his bloodstained one. She snorted back a laugh.

"What do you want?" He didn't turn around.

"I'm sorry." She took a small step toward him. "I didn't mean to laugh."

He didn't reply.

"I couldn't help it. I've had too much to drink."

"Do not use alcohol as an excuse." He spun around, his dark eyes unreadable. "Alcohol and drugs exaggerate who we are and what we think. They don't make us do or say things that aren't already inside of us."

"I know but I am sorry."

"Me too."

"I...I'm really nervous. I talk too much when I'm nervous."

"Only then?"

She made a face at him. "You knew I talked a lot when you agreed to this."

"But I didn't know you laughed a lot." A glint of humor sparkled in his dark eyes.

"I laugh all the time. You've even made comments."

"Yes, but you weren't laughing at me."

"Keep believing that," she joked.

His lips turned up in a small grin. "Is this a common thing with you? Laughing at me?" He took a step toward her.

Her nerves started arcing again. "I don't know if I'd say common, but I wouldn't call it uncommon either."

"Please tell me. What do you find so amusing about me?" He stalked closer. "Many find my dry wit entertaining but no one has ever burst into a fit of laughter over it."

"I bet not."

"You don't have to be that sure," he mumbled.

"Sorry." She laughed. "I meant that I usually laugh at how cranky you are."

"I'm not that grumpy."

"Please. You're always yelling at me. Every day I hear, Alison, get in here. Alison, you're late. Alison—"

"That's not true."

"Uh, yeah, it is. I even created this random generator of the twenty most common Barkerisms. Every day I click the button to see which one you'll say. If you say that one, then I do it again." She giggled. "One day I played Harker's Barker-Meter thirteen—"

"Harker's Barker-Meter? You wrote a program about me." He stopped in front of her.

"I probably shouldn't have told you that." She looked up at him.

The moonlight put his face in shadows and suddenly he didn't seem like the same man she'd known for months. His shirt glowed in the light and there was so much white. His chest was muscular, lean and all male and it was right there in front of her.

"No, you probably shouldn't have." He leaned down, his mouth only inches from hers. "Now, I'll have to reprimand you for messing around on the job."

"Oh my god. That's the one it picked for today. I never thought you'd say it. Not today." She burst out laughing and her head tipped back, slamming into his nose again.

"Shit. Fuck." He backed away his hand over his face.

"Oh, oh. I'm so sorry." This was a disaster. She felt horrible, but she laughed harder. "You're bleeding again." It wasn't as much this time, but a few drops colored his clean shirt. "Let me help." She moved toward him.

"Stay the fuck away from me." He side-stepped her and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Away from you." He strode down the hallway.

Alison heard a door open, and then slam shut, followed by the sound of the garage door opening and closing. She dropped onto the couch, holding her stomach and laughing. This wasn't funny. It really wasn't, but he was so predictable, and he was her husband who'd just left her on their wedding night. Tears ran down her cheeks and she blamed them on the laughter.