The Proposal (17 page)

Now all she had to do was figure out a way to tell
Aidan about Pesh coming over. Her stomach churned at the prospect. Fortunately,
she didn’t have to wait long. He appeared in the doorway only a few moments
later as she still sat staring at her phone screen.

“You need anything?”

She forced a smile to her lips. “No, I’m good.”

“Listen, I know you hate me hovering and all, so
would it be okay if I ran some things down to the office? They don’t seem to understand
this whole ‘leave of absence’ thing.”

“No, no, that’s fine.”

“I may run by the gym after that. I shouldn’t be
gone more than two hours. I can pick us up some dinner on my way in.”

“Oh, um, that won’t be necessary.”

Aidan gave her a funny look. “Won’t you be hungry
then?”

“Actually, Pesh is coming by for a house call in a
little while. He’s bringing dinner with him.”

Emma sucked in a breath as Aidan’s blonde brows
disappeared into his hairline. “You’re having a date with Pesh tonight?”

“It’s not a date!” she protested.

Aidan crossed his arms over his chest and countered,
“He’s not just stopping by to take your pulse, Em. The fucker is bringing
dinner.”

She winced. “No, it’s not like that. Pesh knows that
I’m not looking to start anything right now. He’s just checking on me to be
nice. You know, friendly and all.”

“It sure as hell doesn’t sound like that to me.”

At his harsh tone, Emma stared down at her quilt.
“Look, this is your home and your hospitality I’m imposing on. So if you really
feel that strongly about Pesh, I’ll tell him not to come.”

When she dared to look up again, Aidan’s expression
momentarily softened. “You mean you would do that? For me?”

“Of course I would. Give me a little credit for
considering your feelings.”

After jerking a hand through his hair, Aidan gave a
frustrated grunt. “And you’re sure you’re not trying to start something up with
him?”

“The last thing I need right now is more stress in
my life, and any relationship, especially a new one, is always stressful.”

“Even with me?”

She cocked her head at him. “I wasn’t the one who
caused the stress in our relationship, remember?”

Aidan cringed. “I’m well aware of what I did as it
continuously comes back to bite me in the ass. Like with this foreign fucker
sniffing around you.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “He has a name, and it’s Pesh.
If you would take the time to get to know him, you would realize he’s not the
type of man trying to take advantage of me or get in my panties.”

“No, it’s worse because he isn’t,” Aidan grumbled.

“What?”

“I’d rather he be some douchenozzle trying to get in
your pants because you’d be totally repulsed by that and tell him where to get
off—just like you did me at first.” Aidan grimaced. “But it’s worse because
he’s some honorable dude who doesn’t care that you’re pregnant with another
man’s child. He reeks of commitment for God’s sake. Hell, you’ll probably be
engaged by the time he leaves tonight!”

After taking in Aidan’s words, Emma remained
speechless. When they had stared each other down for a few agonizing seconds,
Aidan sighed. “Fine. Let him come by and check you out.”

“He’s not checking
me
out. He’s checking my
vital signs. He even has a portable ultrasound to check on Noah.”

“Fabulous,” Aidan muttered before starting to the
door.

“You’re not being fair,” she said.

Aidan whirled around, fire burning in his eyes.
“Excuse me?”

“Can’t you at all empathize with what I’m going
through? All this confusion I’m feeling about you and about us and all the
uncertainness—you felt this too, didn’t you?”

“Are you insinuating that what you’re going through
right now is the same thing I did about committing to you?”

“No, it’s just—”

Aidan held up a hand. “I’d think long and hard about
making any comparisons, Em. Because in the long run, my confusion led me to
screw up the most wonderful thing I ever had.” He shook his head sadly at her.
“I wouldn’t want you to have to go through the same thing.”

Her chest caved in at his words, and she had to suck
in a few harsh breaths. Was Aidan right? Was she throwing away happiness with
both hands because of her stupid uncertainty?

His voice brought Emma out of her thoughts. “How
long should I be gone tonight?”

“Aidan, you don’t have to leave. You can stay right
here and see that there’s nothing going on.”

“I may be a masochist but only to a certain extent,”
he replied bitterly.

Emma sighed. “He’s coming at five, and he has to go
into work at nine.”

Aidan bobbed his head in acknowledgement. “I’ll have
my phone if you need me.”

Without another word, he left her. When the back
door slammed shut, she jumped. Beau came into the bedroom and gave her a WTF
look. She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, it’s all my fault, right?”

Beau barked and came over to the bed. Emma sat up
and leaned over to scratch his ears. “Come on. I need to get ready. We’re
having company this afternoon.”

Beau’s ears perked up at the mention of company, but
she shook her head at him. “But I’m sure you’re not going to like Pesh very
much. You’ll get all territorial, which means I probably need to put you in the
basement.”

He whined and backed away, causing Emma to giggle.
“Not now, silly. Just before the company gets here.”

She then got busy getting ready for Pesh’s arrival.
After she showered, she put on a small amount of makeup. To prove to herself
and to Aidan it wasn’t a date, she didn’t bother putting on one of her nicer
maternity dresses or outfits. She maintained her daily wardrobe of stretch
pants and a long-sleeve shirt.

After banishing Beau to the basement, she was
lounging on the couch with a book when Pesh rang the doorbell. “Come in,” she
called.

Pesh pushed through the door. His gaze scanned the
room for her. When his eyes met hers, he gave a beaming smile. “Well hello.
Don’t you look wonderful?”

Emma glanced down at her clothes and then back up to
him. “Seriously?”

He chuckled. “I don’t mean your attire. I meant that
your color looks very good. Your bed-rest appears to be agreeing with you
because you have a healthy glow.”

“Oh, well, thank you. That’s good to hear.”

“You aren’t starting to feel a little stir-crazy,
are you?”

She grinned. “Maybe a little. I’ve only been out of
the house once to go to the doctor. Nothing exciting.”

“Well, speaking of the doctor, let me get my bag and
the monitor, and we’ll check to see how you’re doing.”

“That sounds good.”

Pesh disappeared out onto the porch for a moment
before returning with a black medical bag and a large box with a handle. He sat
them down on the side of the couch. He then glanced around the living room,
taking in the décor. “You have a very beautiful place.”

“Thank you, but I can’t take the credit since this
isn’t my house.”

He eased down on the couch beside her. “I should
have realized you were staying with someone.”

Nibbling her lip, Emma replied, “Actually, this is
Aidan’s house.”

Pesh grimaced. “I’m alone with you at
his
house.”

Emma’s cheeks warmed. “I’m sorry if it makes you
uncomfortable. He’s the only one who could take care of me.”

“It’s fine.” He placed his hand on top of hers.
“I’ll go anywhere if it means getting to spend some time with you.”

She met his intense gaze. “Thank you,” she murmured.
Everything that she had argued with Aidan about being interested in Pesh seemed
to fly out the window when she stared into his soulful, brown eyes.

He flipped over her wrist and began taking her
pulse. “A little fast, but it seems good,” he noted.

Leaning over, he started digging through his medical
bag. He stuck the stethoscope buds in his ears and brought the silver disc to
her chest. His demeanor was all professional as he instructed, “Breathe
normally.” As he shifted the disc across her chest, his arm brushed across her
breasts, and she stiffened. If Pesh noticed her reaction, he didn’t acknowledge
it. Instead, his brows furrowed as he listened to her heart and lungs.

Pesh’s closeness caused her heartbeat to accelerate.
His woodsy smell, the heat from his body, the tousled dark hair she wanted to
run her fingers through—it drove her to distraction. Breathing normally like he
had requested was completely out of the question. Instead, she managed to draw
in several harsh pants. Pesh’s dark eyes swept from the stethoscope up to hers.
He took the buds out of his ears and smiled knowingly. “Either I’m making you
nervous, or you need to get back to the hospital for your erratic breathing and
heartbeat.”

She felt a warm flush creeping across her cheeks.
“No, it’s you,” she murmured.

He cocked his eyebrows. “So you’re saying if Dr.
Pendleton were here taking your vitals you wouldn’t be reacting this way?”

Laughter sputtered from her lips. “Of course not.”

Shifting his body, he leaned in closer to her. His
dark eyes penetrated hers. “Why do I make you nervous, Emma?”

Her mouth ran dry, and she licked her lips.
“Because…”
You’re so damn good-looking, and your fabulous body kicks my
pregnancy hormones into overdrive, making me think things about you I normally
wouldn’t. But more than the lust, you’re kind and compassionate, and if given
the chance, I could see myself falling for you.

Emma exhaled the breath she had been holding. “I
told Aidan that there was nothing between us, and that you knew I couldn’t give
you more. But now that you’re in front of me, looking at me…” She shuddered.
“You confuse me.”

“I confuse you?”

Staring down at her hands, she said, “I still care
very deeply for Aidan, but when I’m with you, I start to feel…differently.”

“I could argue that it’s merely biological, and that
your body is just seeking out a mate to protect you and your child.”

“If that’s the case, then I would only feel for
Aidan, right?”

Pesh’s expression grew serious. “So I at least have
a chance to woo you?”

“To woo me?”

He laughed. “Not a word you would usually use?”

“Not exactly.”

He tilted his head in thought. “Hmm, a chance to win
you over by romancing you? To wine and dine you?”

Emma smiled and pointed to her belly. “There will be
no wining, and with my bed rest, our dining is going to be a little limited.”

“Ah, but that’s why I brought food to you.” He rose
off the couch. “Let me go get it, and we’ll commence our wooing.”

When he winked at her, she laughed. “Okay.”

Pesh stopped when he got to the door and turned
around. “As long as I have a chance to win your heart, Emma, I’ll take whatever
you can give me.”

Emma tried not to be overwhelmed by his words. All
she planned on giving him was her friendship, and that was it—nothing more and
nothing less. Regardless of what her traitorous body wanted to feel that was
going to be it.

He carried two large food bags when he swept back
through the door. “Goodness. I don’t eat that much you know!” Emma teased.

Pesh laughed. “I know, but I just wanted you to get
a good flavoring for different Indian courses and dishes.” He glanced around.
“Should I take these to the kitchen?”

“No, just put them here on the table. We’ll have a
picnic of sorts.”

“Sounds good to me.” Once he sat the bags down, he
turned back to her. Rubbing his hands, he said, “Before we dig in, let’s check
on Little Man.”

Emma laughed at his enthusiasm. “Okay.”

“It’s hard to believe technology has come so far
that we actually have portable ultrasound machines.”

“It’s crazy.”

Pesh set up the device and then turned to lift her
top. Emma instinctively reached out to knock his hand away. His eyebrows shot
up in surprise. “I’m sorry. I was just—”

“I know. I was being ridiculous.”

She then eased her top up over her belly and
lamented the fact Pesh had to see her like this. If he managed to see her
swollen stomach and didn’t appear totally repulsed, maybe he really was worth
giving a chance romantically. She quickly shook the thought out of her head
when he squirted the cold jelly on her skin.

He ran the wand over her stomach, and Noah’s grainy
image appeared on the screen. “There he is. Looking good too, I might add.”

Emma focused in on Noah. His arms and legs flailed a
bit as the wand seemed to disturb his resting. In fact, he gave two
enthusiastic kicks to prove he wanted to be left alone. “His heart rate is
normal, and everything looks good with the placenta.” Pesh glanced up from the
monitor to meet Emma’s gaze. “No more contractions or pain?”