‘I think I’d better get home,’ Shane said. ‘I’ve got work tomorrow and my boss isn’t very tolerant of lateness.’

‘Lou?’ Aidan looked at her, his eyes hooded.

‘Same,’ she said faintly, coming to her senses. ‘Fiona’s babysitting. I have to let her get home.’

‘Yeah, I guess you’re right. And as the boss, I should be leading by example.’

Lou gathered up her things and they said their goodbyes, thanking Annie for a lovely party. When the taxi arrived, Shane sat in the front and Aidan got in beside her in the back. Shane chatted away to the taxi driver, while in the quiet of the back, Aidan took Lou’s hand, his thumb stroking sensuously over her fingers. Her breath hitched when she looked into his face and saw the hunger in his dark, glittering eyes.

The restaurant was the first stop. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to come in for a drink?’ Aidan asked her. ‘We could call you another cab later.’

How much later, she wondered. She longed to take him up on it, knowing he was offering a lot more than a drink. They were both hot and horny for each other, and there was a time when she wouldn’t have hesitated. She’d have followed him up to his apartment in a heartbeat, taking the stairs two at a time. They’d have started kissing in the hallway and they’d have been tearing each other’s clothes off before his bedroom door had even shut fully behind them. But she had more sense now – not to mention a child and a babysitter to think of. Tempting as it was, it wasn’ta good idea and it would make things awkward as hell at work. They’d both just had too much champagne and she’d got carried away by a stupid song. Thank goodness she had Jack now to ground her and stop her doing something reckless that she’d regret in the morning.

She shook her head. ‘No, I really have to get home.’

‘Okay. Night, then.’ He leaned in and brushed his lips against her cheek. ‘Bye, Shane. See you tomorrow.’ He slammed the car door and they watched him open his door and go inside before pulling away.