The Proposal (19 page)

“Oh, yes, I adore it. I’m a big fan of the cultural
arts.”

After digging his wallet out of his pocket, Pesh
produced several tickets. “These are for next week’s performance of
Aida
.
You should be off bed-rest by then. Would you like to go?” At her hesitation,
Pesh said, “Just as friends, Emma.”

She exhaled in relief. “Thank you. I would enjoy
that.”

“Then I look forward to seeing you again next week
for our non-date to
Aida
.”

“Me too.”

Pesh grabbed the machine and then leaned over to
tenderly kiss Emma’s cheek. Beau raised his head and gave a low growl. “Beau!”
Emma admonished. He ducked his head and gave her his best sad hound dog face.

“I guess that’s my cue to be going.”

“I’m sorry about him.”

Pesh shook his head. “Don’t be sorry about anything,
Emma. For Beau, for not enjoying dinner…” His face hovered inches above hers.
“Most of all, don’t be sorry for what I might’ve made you feel tonight.”

She stared up at him, unblinking and unmoving. “I
won’t.”

“Good.” He then stood up, and with a final wave, he
walked out the door.

Once they were alone, Beau whined and snuggled up to
her. “Oh give me a break, would you? It’s not easy being a big, pregnant ball
of hormones!” She then fell back against the pillows and turned on the TV.

CHAPTER TWELVE

At a little after nine, Beau raised his head and
woofed happily. “Hmm, I guess that means Daddy is home?”

Beau wagged his tail as he raced to the kitchen. The
beep of the house alarm alerted her of Aidan coming in the back door. “Hiya,
boy. You hold down the fort for me while I was gone?”

Aidan came into the living room with Beau still
yipping at his side. “I sure hope he didn’t do anything embarrassing like pee
on you to mark his territory while your date was here.”

“No, he didn’t,” Emma snapped.

“Speaking of, how was your date?” Aidan asked,
tossing his keys on the table.

“It wasn’t a date,” she muttered.

“Excuse me, Miss Testy.” He inhaled sharply. “Ugh,
what stinks in here?”

“Pesh brought Indian food for me to try.” Emma’s
stomach rolled at the thought of ever eating again, least of all anything with
spices.  “Where have you been?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

“I had me a hot date.”

Emma jerked her head up to stare at him. She
couldn’t stop her eyes from widening in shock or her mouth dropping open. He
had been with another woman? After everything he had said to her before he
left? Her nausea revved into overdrive at the prospect, and she fought the
rising bile in her throat. “Y-You did?”

He nodded and plopped down on the coffee table. His
knees knocked into hers, and she fought the urge to pull away from the
closeness of him. He leaned in on his elbows. “Picture this outfit. Cut-off,
Daisy Duke’s with the ass cheeks hanging out—”

“Short shorts? It’s late October!”

Aidan held up his hands. “I’m not finished.”

Crossing her hands over her chest, she huffed out a
frustrated grunt. “Fine.”

“Anyway, so like I was saying, there were the Daisy
Dukes, cowboy boots, and to top it all off there was the halter top with the
bare mid-drift…” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Man,
I
was
looking good!”

His eyes snapped open, and then he winked at her.
Emma stared at him in disbelief. “There wasn’t a girl wearing that…you mean
you…”

Aidan laughed. “I was just teasing you, Em. I went
over to Pop’s, and we watched the game. I sure as hell wasn’t out with a
woman.”

The prospect of him being on an actual date had
worked her into such an emotional firestorm that along with the relief she
felt, she also knew she was going to be sick. She had only a moment to panic
about whether or not she would make it to the bathroom before she leaned
forward and threw up in Aidan’s lap.

He gazed from his soiled pants back up to her eyes.
“Damn, Em, I know my joke was bad, but did you seriously have to puke on me?”

Tears of mortification stung her eyes. “I-I…I’m
sorry.”

His expression turned from amusement to compassion
when she burst into tears. He reached over and rubbed her arm. “Hey, don’t cry.
You’re not the first person to puke on me. I did belong to a fraternity back in
the day. Nothing is worse than drunk guy vomit.”

“I can’t believe you’re being so nice about it,” she
sobbed.

“Well, it’s not like you did it on purpose.” He
raised his eyebrows at her. “Did you?”

“No! I would never do that!”

He rubbed her cheek with his thumb. “I know. I was
only teasing you again, Em.”

“I don’t think the food agreed with me—too many
different spices and sauces,” she replied, wiping her nose with the back of her
sleeve.

“Hmm, I think that speaks volumes about the company
as well, don’t you?”

“Aidan,” she warned, her embarrassment fading into
anger at his assumptions.

He cocked his head at her. “Sounds to me like Noah
is trying to tell you something. I’m glad the Little Man already has his dad’s
back.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ve never eaten
Indian food before. It has nothing to do with my feelings or Noah’s.  It’s my
digestive system speaking, thank you very much,” she snapped.

Aidan grinned. “Ah, there’s those lovely pregnancy
mood swings I love so much.”

She sniffed in a frustrated breath. “Come on. You
need to get cleaned up, and I need to go back to bed.”

When Aidan stood up, vomit slid down his pants legs.
He made a face. “Jeez, I think that’s seriously about to trigger my gag
reflex.” His hands went to his button, and he unzipped his pants. He quickly
stepped out of them and balled them up. “I better throw these in the washer.”

Emma leaned forward to get up off the couch just as
Aidan turned. Her face grazed across his crotch. At his sharp intake of breath,
she jerked back. “Uh-sorry,” she mumbled.

“This night just keeps getting better and better,”
he grumbled. Before he started to the bedroom, he turned back and offered Emma
his hand. Her heart kick-started at the small gesture.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Listen, I’ll grab my stuff and hit
the shower upstairs so you can have mine.”

Her hormones went into overdrive. “Aw, that’s so
sweet,” she murmured.

Aidan gave her a playful smirk. “Damn, babe, it
doesn’t take much to impress you, does it?”

She rolled her eyes. “Excuse me for being grateful
for your kindness,” she huffed before stalking into the bathroom and slamming
the door.

Aidan poked his head in just as she swept her top
off. She squeaked at the sight of him. “Um, you do remember I need to get my
shit from in here, right?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Only in her bra, Emma began brushing her teeth. Once
Aidan swept up his shampoo and body wash, he leaned to grab his toothbrush
before bestowing a kiss on her bare back. Longing shuddered through her. If
Aidan realized her reaction, he didn’t say anything. “Now don’t stay on your
feet too long.”

Giving him a salute, she mumbled through a mouthful
of toothpaste, “Yes sir.”

He shook his head. “Always you and that mouth.”

She grinned at him before he headed out the door.

***

When Emma finished showering, Aidan was still
upstairs. Exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster ride of the day, she fell
immediately into a deep sleep. But it wasn’t restful. Dreams plagued her.
First, she had one where Aidan and Pesh were fighting over her with a duel to
the death like in the olden days. Then she dreamed that when Noah was born, he
looked just like Pesh, rather than anything like her or Aidan.

Finally, her mind reeled into another dream—one that
was all too surreal since it had once happened.

Cool water lapped against her bare neck and
shoulders as she kicked her legs to stay afloat in Grammy and Granddaddy’s pond.
She could almost touch the bottom if she let the water cascade over her head.
As she treaded water, Aidan swam up to her with a predatory gleam in his eyes.
A shiver of anticipation ran through her.

“Are you cold?” Aidan asked.

“A little,” she murmured.

“Then let me warm you up.” He pulled her into his
arms and brought his lips against hers. “Mmm, you taste sweet…a little sweeter
than usual.”

She grinned against his mouth. “I might have made a
pit-stop for some cake before I came to your room.”

Aidan chuckled. “Midnight craving for food and sex,
huh?”

“Yep.”

“I think it’s time we fulfilled that second craving,
don’t you?”

“Please.”

“Wrap your legs around me, babe.”

She did as she was commanded. Aidan grunted as he
started walking them through the water to the shore. “Am I too heavy?”

“No, not at all,” he murmured through gritted teeth.

She laughed. “Aidan, I can make it myself. You don’t
have to carry me.”

“It’s not that you’re too heavy. It’s just this is
harder than I thought it would be in the water.”

“Aw, but you’re my hero now for sure!” She then
brought her lips to his cheek. She kissed a trail down to his jaw before
nipping and licking her way over to his lips. She moved her hips against his
groin.

“Damn, Em,” he murmured gripping his hands tighter against
her ass.

“Am I getting you worked up?”

“Oh hell yes.”

“Good.” She thrust her tongue into his mouth,
seeking out his warmth. She let his dance teasingly over hers. Then like a
flick of a switch, they turned from teasing each other to ravaging each other’s
mouths.

Once Aidan stepped out on shore, he held Emma tight
as he sank to his knees, causing her to squeal as she was pitched back. “You
okay?” he asked. She glanced up at him. The full moon cast a halo around his
head, making him appear momentarily angelic.

“I’m fine now.” She widened her legs to allow him to
ease between them. “Make love to me, Aidan.”

He stared intently into her eyes, and she knew the
fact she had used the term making love had not been lost on him. “Whatever you
want, babe,” he replied with his usual cocky smirk.

When he thrust into her, she cried out and gripped
his shoulders tight. He moved slowly, tenderly within her. His tongue mirrored
the movements of his languorous strokes while his hands cupped one of her
breasts, bringing the nipple to a hardened peak.

Just as she was so close to coming, he changed his
pace and began rocking harder and harder against her, causing the sand and
twigs beneath her to dig into her back. He shook her in his arms. “No, not like
that. Be gentle with me, Aidan,” she murmured.

Slowly she was sucked out of making love on the
shore and back into Aidan’s bedroom. Someone was shaking her. No,
Aidan
was
shaking her.

“Em, wake up.”

Her eyelids fluttered open to stare up at his
concerned face. “What happened?”

His hand left her shoulder to cup her cheek. “You
were moaning. I think you were having a nightmare or something.”

“No, I was about to come,” she mumbled drowsily.

“Excuse me?”

Suddenly she was wide awake. Her hands flew to cover
her face that burned with mortification. “Oh God.”

Aidan chuckled beside her. “Em, you naughty girl.
Were you moaning because you were having a sex dream?”

Ignoring him, she rolled over to her side. She
fluffed the pillow and flopped back down.

“Wait a minute. When you said, ‘Be gentle with me
Aidan’, that wasn’t about me waking you, was it?”

“I’m going back to sleep now.”

He nudged her shoulder playfully. “Oh come on, Emma.
Admit it. You were dreaming about having sex with me.” His voice vibrated with
pleasure. “I must’ve been good if you were about to come.”

She snorted exasperatedly. “I’m surprised you’re
even asking about how good you were. Don’t you always think you’re amazing?”

His hand snaked around her shoulder, rolling her
back over. With one arm on the other side of her head, she was pinned beneath
him and forced to face him. “You’re the only woman in the world I want to be
amazing in bed for or to give mind-blowing, multiple orgasms to.” He shook his
head. “No one else, I swear.”

Staring into his eyes, she brushed the back of her
hand over the stubble on his cheek. “You need to shave,” she murmured.

Aidan arched his eyebrows. “You don’t want me to
grow it out? Maybe have a goatee or a beard?”