The Proposition (23 page)

Emma cocked her eyebrows at him. “Uh-huh, and
what do you want in return for such treatment?”

Aidan chuckled. “Who said I wanted something
in return? My Baby Mama’s feet are swollen, so I feel a
responsibility to make things better.”

She grinned. “Water’s still warm. You could
join me.”

His fingers immediately went to his shirt
buttons. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”

Emma gazed appreciatively at him while he
stripped. Each time he was gone, it made her miss and crave him all
the more. After stepping into the tub, he wrapped his arms around
her, pulling her onto his lap. He surprised her when he kissed her
tenderly, rather than with his usual hungry passion. Of course,
when he ran his fingers up her spine, it caused her to shiver with
anticipation.

“Are you going to tell me what’s on your
mind?” Aidan asked.

“Huh?”

He chuckled. “You feel a little tense, that’s
all.”

“Just a stressful day at work,” she lied.

“And what else?” he prompted.

“Fine. There’s something I’ve been waiting to
ask you.”

“Okay. Shoot.”

“So about this next business trip?” she
asked.

“Hmm?” he murmured, tangling his fingers
through her damp hair.

“Do you have plans for the weekend after you
get back?”

“Not that I know of. Why?”

Emma knew it was now or never to approach him
with this potential bomb. Sure two months had rolled by where they
had been spending more and more time together. He kept his devotion
to monogamy, even going so far as to skype and call her late nights
when he was away. Most nights he was in town, she slept over or he
slept at her house. But they still hadn’t quite breached the level
of commitment she wanted, nor had they said the “l” word that she
so craved to hear.

“Well, it’s my family’s annual Barn Dance up
in the mountains. My mom’s family that is.”

Aidan snickered. “And what exactly is a Barn
Dance?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. My cousins’
band plays music, people dance, there’s usually homemade BBQ…and
moonshine.” Emma grinned at Aidan’s wide eyes. “Mainly it’s a
family reunion of sorts. I planned on going up on Saturday
afternoon and coming back Sunday evening. I would really like it if
you joined me. My grandparents are especially interested in meeting
you.”

Aidan smiled. “Sure.”

“Really?” Emma squeaked, unable to hold back
her shock.

Aidan nodded. “You’ve suffered through
meeting most of my family. I should repay the favor. Besides, I
always love getting out of the city for the mountains. We could
even take Beau with us.”

Emma laughed. “Oh, he’ll be in doggie heaven
at my grandparents. They have about thirty acres of land along with
a pond.”

“That sounds amazing for more than just
Beau.”

Emma couldn’t still the fluttering of her
heart at his excitement about meeting her family. “So I can tell
Grammy we’re coming?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the
world.”

Aidan threw the last of his clothes in the
suitcase and then zipped it up. He grunted in frustration when his
cell went off in his pocket. Since he was already running late to
pick up Emma, he didn’t need any more interruptions. Luckily, he
knew it wasn’t her demanding to know where he was because it wasn’t
her familiar ring tone. “Hello?”

A slightly inebriated voice boomed on the
other line. “Fitzy, where the hell are ya man? The entire gang is
down at O’Malley’s waiting on your sorry ass!”

It was his buddy Blake. Aidan had
conveniently forgotten to tell him and the other guys from work he
wouldn’t be making their usual Saturday meet-up. “Sorry dude, I’m
about to head out of town with Em.”

“You’re with Emma
again
?” he whined,
over the roar of the boisterous crowd in the background.

“Yeah, we’re going to visit her family up in
the mountains. A Barn Dance or some shit.”

“Fuck that, man. You spend all your time with
her now. Not to mention you’ve got a kid on the way. You might as
well have grown a vagina.”

“Yeah, spending lots of sexy time with a
beautiful, fiery redhead really makes me a pussy!” Aidan replied,
with a chuckle.

Blake snorted. “You have no idea the fucking
quicksand you’re treading on. Sure, it seems like easy fun now, but
just wait. Emma’s no fool. She’s tightening her noose, and you’re
too mind fucked to see it.”

“Don’t be saying shit like that about Emma,”
Aidan snarled.

“I’m not the only one saying it, Fitzy. The
whole gang is worried about you. And don’t say we don’t know what
we’re talking about. Three of us have been through divorces,
remember?”

Aidan shifted the phone to his other ear. He
wasn’t enjoying the turn the conversation had taken. He didn’t like
Blake’s tone or the potential truth in his words either. “Nice
groups of friends I’ve got running their mouths behind my
back.”

“Yeah, well, just mark my words. If you don’t
get out fast, you’ll wish you had listened to us one day.”

“Go fuck yourself, Blake!” Aidan shouted
before hanging up. He shoved his phone back in his pocket. Who the
hell did Blake think he was? Emma wasn’t forcing him to do
anything. No woman ever
had
and no woman ever
would.
He was with her because he was enjoying what they had. There was
nothing wrong with that. He was giving just as much as he wanted
to, and she wasn’t forcing his hand at anything else.

At the thought of his friends drinking and
giving him shit about Emma, he couldn’t help muttering,
“Douchebags.” He grabbed his suitcase and whistled for Beau. “Come
on, boy. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Beau happily complied and went into full
wiggling mode when he saw he was getting in the car. Knowing he was
running late, he sped along the interstate and then zipped along
the familiar streets over to Emma’s house. He pulled in her
driveway at a little after three. He ignored the text buzzing in
his pocket because he was sure it was her. Instead, he hopped out.
Beau started to nudge forward, but he shook his head. “Stay
boy.”

After jogging up the front walk, he smacked
the doorbell. “It’s open!” she called.

As he pushed through the door, he saw her
suitcase and purse sitting on the foyer floor. He heard rustling
around in the kitchen. “Sorry, I’m a little late. Beau took forever
to pee,” he lied. He didn’t feel the need to tell her one of his
asshat friends had made him later than Beau’s bladder.

“You didn’t leave him at home, did you?”

Aidan laughed. “No, he’s having a fit in the
car. I swear he recognizes your house.”

Emma’s girlish giggle floated back to him.
“Poor baby. It’s been his off and on again home the last few
months. I put him a rawhide bone in my purse to help make the trip.
But we’ll probably need to stop off once to let him pee.” She gave
a frustrated sigh. “Who am I kidding?
I’ll
probably have to
stop more to pee than Beau will!”

She came around the corner, and his heart
shuddered to a stop. Every time he saw her after being out of town,
she took his breath away. She wore an emerald green sundress with
thin spaghetti straps. The hemline fell just below her knees. Her
enhanced pregnancy cleavage strained against the cups on the
bodice. But it was the brown cowboy boots that made him do a double
take.

Emma started to rush past him to throw
something in her suitcase when Aidan reached out and pulled her to
him. “Damn, you look sexy as hell.”

Her brows furrowed as she glanced down at
herself. “Seriously?”

He licked his lips and nodded.

“This is one of the few dresses I can still
get into. I think it might be time to cave in and buy some more
maternity clothes.”

His fingers splayed over her baby bump,
touching her tenderly over the thin material. “To be four and a
half months pregnant, you’re barely even showing.”

She blew a stray strand of hair out of her
face. “Tell that to my zippers.”

“And the boots?”

“Oh, these help me stay true to my country
roots. I wear them all the time when I’m in the mountains.”

He grinned. “I like them…a
lot
.”
Cocking his head, he gave her his best ‘I want to devour you’
smile.

Emma wagged her finger at him. “Oh no. Don’t
even
go there.”

“Baby, I’ve hardly seen you, least of all
touched you, in the last week. I’m about to explode!”

“We need to get on the road. It’s already
after three,” she protested.

“What’s wrong with taking a little detour?”
Before she could argue anymore, Aidan crushed his lips against
hers, his warm tongue sweeping into her mouth. He snaked one arm
around her waist, drawing her against him. She started to squirm
away when he pressed his erection into her. “Don’t make me meet
your grandparents with a hard on.”

She smirked at him and started wiggling out
of his embrace. “It’s a long drive. I’m sure you will cool off by
then.”

With a frustrated grunt, Aidan tightened one
of his arms around her waist. He then brought his other hand to
slip one of her tiny straps off her shoulder, pushing the material
down to bare her breast. As he kneaded her flesh, his thumb brushed
back and forth across her hardened nipple. When he heard her suck
in a breath, he teasingly pinched the bud. It appeared to do the
trick because a surge of passion overtook Emma. She brought her
lips to Aidan’s while arching herself against him.

He licked from her chin up to her ear. “I
want you so bad, Emma,” he murmured. When he took her chin between
his fingers and tilted her head back, Emma stared at him with
hooded eyes.

“Then take me,” she murmured.

Kissing her again, his hand slid under her
dress. Emma moaned into his mouth when his fingers found the heat
between her legs. He stroked her over her panties until he could
feel her moist desire through the fabric. Then he delved his
fingers inside her —keeping the same rhythm with his tongue as with
his fingers. She tore her lips from his, her breath coming in heavy
pants. “Mmm, Aidan…yes, God! Aidan! Yes!” she cried, pinching shut
her eyes as he brought her to the brink.

She whimpered when his fingers slid out of
her. His hand then went to jerk her panties down to her knees. He
brought Emma’s hand to his crotch. She reached out to fumble with
the button and then the zipper on his jeans. Once she freed his
erection, she stroked him hard and fast, using the drops of pre
come for friction.

Aidan sucked in a ragged breath and then
removed her hand. “That’s enough of that,” he muttered in a
strained voice.

He backed up to the couch, pushing his pants
and underwear over his hips. He tugged Emma’s hand, jerking her to
him. They collapsed onto the couch with Emma’s heat straddling him.
After guiding himself into her, he started moving her hips against
him. Frantically, he thrust himself in and out of her as Emma
leaned over to kiss him. She didn’t last very long before going
over the edge again.

Even though he was close, Aidan didn’t want
to come. Nothing felt as good as being buried deep inside Emma. He
kept raising his hips and bringing her hard down on his cock. He
threw his head back and closed his eyes as the intense sensations
rolled over him. Finally, when he thought he couldn’t stand it
anymore, he gave in to the release and came flooding into her.

As Aidan cradled her to his chest, Emma
covered her eyes with her hands and groaned. “What’s the matter?”
he asked.

“I can’t believe I just let you screw my
brains out right before I’m going to my grandparents.”

Laughter rolled through Aidan. “I’m sorry I’m
a horny bastard and couldn’t help myself. But if we’re really
honest, it’s more your fault than mine.”

Emma gasped. “And just how the hell is it my
fault?”

Aidan winked at her. “You just had to look so
damn sexy in that dress and those cowboy boots.”

“You’re impossible,” she huffed. Secretly,
she was more than pleased to hear him calling her sexy and not
being able to keep his hands off of her. The bigger she got, the
less desirable she felt. But then Aidan made her feel as beautiful
as the day he first propositioned her at O’Malley’s.

He kissed her neck while running his hands up
and down her back. “Damn, I missed you,” he murmured against her
throat.

“Me or the sex?” she asked, repeating her
familiar question.

“After all this time, are we still playing
that game?” he growled. “You. I fucking missed
you
,
okay?”

She pulled away to grin at him. “Oh, Aidan,
you’re so romantic. Whisper more sweet words to me!”

His eyes widened, but then he laughed.
“Sorry, guess that wasn’t really romantic, huh?”

“I appreciate the sentiment. I’ve missed you,
too.” She ran her fingers through his hair and smiled. “Even though
it brought us together, I really loathe your job sometimes.”

“Tell me about,” Aidan grumbled.

“You think you’re still going to be traveling
like this when the baby gets here?”

“I hope things will calm down by then.” He
feathered kisses along her jaw-line. “They think they can use and
abuse me because I’m a bachelor. Maybe I should tell them I’m going
to be a father, and they’ll go easy on me.”

Emma stiffened. “You mean you haven’t told
anyone in your department about the baby?”

“Not exactly…I mean, my friends and work
buddies know.” He grinned. “Spending time with you has kinda cut
into our beer binges down at O’Malley’s, and they’re not really
happy about it.”

A grunt of frustration erupted from Emma’s
lips. Jerking herself off of Aidan lap, she worked at wriggling her
panties back up her thighs and readjusting her dress.

“What’s wrong?”