The Proposition (12 page)

“That’s so romantic,” Emma gushed.

“Yeah, but he’s lonely. If he’s not hounding
one of my sisters, he’s calling me, guilting me to come visit. I
know he’d like someone to be there with him all the time, but he
just can’t seem to let go of Mom. I keep telling him to move on,
but he just refuses.”

Emma grew exasperated at his tone. “Maybe
he’s not ready yet. Maybe a love as strong as theirs isn’t so easy
to get over as you think,” she countered.

“I guess. But Jesus, he needs to lighten up
on the expectations that I should always be at his beck and
call.”

Emma threw her hands up in exasperation,
unable to hold her temper any longer. “Has he been a good father to
you or not?”

“Yeah, of course he has.”

“Then he shouldn’t have to call you to beg
you to come by. You should be the one calling him and checking to
see how he’s doing. Maybe paying him back for some of the
sacrifices he made while you were growing up.”

“I know, it’s just—”

“Trust me when I say this Aidan, he won’t be
here forever. I did everything I could for my mother while she was
alive, and sometimes guilt still consumes me. I wouldn’t ever want
you to be haunted by regrets.”

“Damn, Em, you make me feel like a real
asshole.”

With her anger evaporating, she suddenly felt
embarrassed for going off on him. She ducked her head. “I’m sorry.
I just know you have a really good heart, that’s all.”

“Then if you believe in me that much, I’ll do
better, okay?”

She peeked up at him through her lashes and
smiled. “Okay.”

He cleared his throat and motioned across the
hall. “You can go change in the bathroom.”

“Thanks. I probably need to wash my face too
after my crying tirade. I’m probably a mess.”

“Would you like to take a shower while I fix
dinner?”

“Are you insinuating I stink?” she asked,
with a grin.

Aidan chuckled. “No, I just thought it might
make you feel better. If you want, you can soak in the Jacuzzi
tub.”

Emma closed her eyes and sighed. “That would
be fabulous.”

“Come on then.”

She followed him into the bedroom. With its
light blue walls and white trim, it had an airy, cozy feel. She
fought the urge to giggle at what she had imagined of his
bedroom—silk sheets, a mirror over the bed, and black or red
walls.

It was quite the opposite. An enormous
four-poster bed sat in the middle of the room. The only thing that
stood out to her was how neat and organized everything was. “You
must pay a fortune to your cleaning lady,” she mused.

“I don’t have one.”

“You do all this yourself?”

Yeah, I like cleaning.”

After peeking in the bathroom, Emma mused,
“Looks like you’re kind of a neat freak, huh?”

“I might be just a little anal retentive
about everything being in order.”

“Hmm.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” he asked,
sweeping his hands to his hips.

“Nothing.”

“Let me guess. You took a few psych courses
in college, and the experts say that most often obsessively clean
people are trying to put order into a life of emotional chaos?”

“I didn’t say that.”

He snorted. “You didn’t have to, Dr. Phil.
Now if you’re through analyzing me, I’ll let you go and take your
bath.”

“I appreciate it.”

After she closed the door behind Aidan, she
turned on the water. Slipping out of her clothes, she tried
stripping herself of the day’s stress. Once the tub filled up, she
turned on the jets. She eased down into the bubbling water and
sighed with contentment. She had just laid her head back when the
door burst open.

With a shriek, she rushed to cover her
breasts with her hands. Aidan chuckled. “Jesus, Em, there’s no need
to panic. I’ve seen everything you’ve got, remember?”

Warmth rushed to her cheeks. “I know. You
surprised me, that’s all.”

He held up her purse. “You left this in the
kitchen, and I thought you might need it.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

Aidan sat the purse on the vanity. “Okay, I’m
really going this time, and I promise to leave you in peace.”

Emma giggled and then eased back into the tub
after he closed the door. She probably could have stayed in for
hours, but when her fingers started pruning and wonderful aromas
started wafting back to her, she figured it was time to get
out.

After drying off, she pulled on Aidan’s
clothes and swept her hair back into a ponytail. When she grabbed
her purse, her phone buzzed. She had missed a text from Casey.
Haven’t seen you since lunch.
Hope you’re okay.

Emma fought the desperate sobs that
threatened to overtake her. With trembling fingers, she texted
Casey.
Got my period. I’m at Aidan’s. Call u tomorrow.

It only took a second for Casey to reply.
So, so sorry, babe. I’m here for you. Love ya.

Emma couldn’t help feeling surprised at
Casey’s reaction. She had expected her to demand to know what the
hell she was doing at Aidan’s rather than throwing back margaritas
with her. At the very least, Emma thought she would have
discouraged her for spending any time with Aidan that didn’t
involve baby-making.

With a sigh, she stuffed her phone back in
her purse and then started out of the bedroom.

When she got to the living room, she could
hear Aidan humming along with the kitchen radio. She peeked around
the corner and watched in amazement as he cooked. How was it
possible that this Aidan could be the same cocky, self-absorbed
womanizer who sometimes drove her crazy? It was like he was two
people inhabiting the same body.

Aidan caught her staring, and she smiled
shyly at him as she padded barefoot into the kitchen. She inhaled
deeply. “Something smells wonderful.”

A pleased expression grew on his face. “I
decided on the scampi. I thought we could eat out on the patio if
that’s okay?”

She nodded. “Sounds great.”

He opened the back door, and she stepped
outside. Beau came galloping up to her. “Down boy! Don’t even think
about it!” Aidan shouted.

Beau reluctantly nudged Emma’s legs. “Good
boy,” she replied, rewarding him with a scratch behind the ears. As
she gazed around the immaculately kept patio and backyard, her eyes
widened at the sight of an in-ground pool. “This is all so
beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

He held out a chair for her, and she eased up
to the table. He already had it set it for them complete with linen
napkins. A glance at her full plate of scampi sent her stomach
growling. When Aidan sat down, she smiled at him. “I can’t thank
you enough for the bath and the clothes. I feel like a new
person.”

“You’re welcome.”

After taking a bite of pasta, she glanced up
to find Aidan staring at her chest. Self-consciously, she crossed
her arms over her breasts, trying to hide the fact they kept
straining against the material. She cleared her throat, and he
quickly looked away. “Aidan Fitzgerald, are you staring at my boobs
like a horny teenage boy?”

He gave her a sheepish grin. “It’s kinda hard
not to when they’re about to bust out of the shirt.”

She huffed exasperatedly. “Well, I hated to
stretch it since it isn’t mine, and it fits everywhere but the
chest.” She glanced down and shuddered. “Ugh, I so want to get a
breast reduction.”

“Jesus, why would you ever want to do that?
Your breasts are amazing.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “That’s such a man
thing to say. You have no idea what a real pain they are. My back
kills me, not mention it’s hard finding shirts to fit. Then there’s
the whole factor of them getting bigger when you’re pregnant.”

Aidan licked his lips. “They do?”

“Yes, pervert, they do.”

He laughed. “Sorry, but I’m a total boob man,
so that prospect really turns me on.”

“A boob man as opposed to what? An ass or a
thigh man?”

He nodded. “Of course, it goes without saying
that both your ass and thighs are amazing, too.”

She gave him a sarcastic smile. “Oh, thank
you so much. Here I was worrying that they were hideous, and you’d
been traumatized to have to see them. Glad I’ll rest easy
tonight.”

“I’ll overlook that sassiness considering the
day you’ve had. Instead, I’ll offer you more wine,” he
remarked.

She held up her glass. “Thank you. It’s
delicious.”

As he poured, Emma glanced out over the
fading sunlight shimmering across the water. “I’ve got to say I’m
more than a little jealous of your pool.”

It’s actually what sold me on this place.
Like I told you before, swimming was my passion growing up, and
after I left home, I always wanted another pool.” He took a sip of
wine and then turned his intense gaze on her. “So what was your
passion when you were younger?”

“Hmm, it’s probably a total cliché but
singing.” She ran her fingers over the rim of her wine glass.
“Well, I guess it still is my passion.”

“Really?”

Emma was shocked by the eager expression on
Aidan’s face. “Yeah, my family is really big on Bluegrass and
Country. I grew up singing with a band that’s made up of five of my
male cousins. We would play at festivals and at the bar my Uncle
Gary owns.” Emma laughed. “I guess you would call it a honky-tonk
more than anything.”

He shook his head. “Why is it almost
impossible for me to picture you singing in a smoky, rough and
tumble bar?”

“Oh, I didn’t just sing there. I did at
church, too.”

Aidan grinned knowingly. “Ah, you’re a church
girl. That explains a lot.”

She stopped swirling the pasta around on her
fork and shot him a look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Now I know why you felt the way you did
about sleeping with me—why you don’t have any sexual partners in
your past besides your fiancée.”

“Having morality and spirituality aren’t bad
things,” she countered.

“I didn’t say they were. In fact, it’s what I
like most about you.”

Emma snorted. “You can’t be serious.”

“Well, I am.” He moved his hand across the
table to graze his fingers against hers. “Until I met you, I never
knew innocence could be so damn sexy.”

Although her cheeks warmed at his
compliments, she couldn’t help the smirk that curved on her lips.
“You really are a smooth one, aren’t you?”

Aidan jerked his hand away from hers and
crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t realize I was being
smooth at the moment. I was just trying to flatter you a
little.”

Emma chewed thoughtfully on a bite of shrimp.
“I think it oozes so naturally you don’t even realize you’re doing
it. I think you’d even manage to do it in a coma.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, all your nurses would be fawning over
you—even the male ones. You would probably end up getting really
shitty care. Not to mention there would probably be a daily fist
fight over who got to give your sponge bath.”

Aidan threw his head back and roared with
laughter. When he gazed at her, his blue eyes twinkled with
amusement. “Jesus, Em, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed with a woman
as much as I have with you.”

“I assume that’s a compliment, right?”

“Oh yes, a big one.”

Emma nibbled on the edge of her fork, trying
to decide whether she had the courage to ask the question that had
been plaguing her for a while. “So have you really never been in
love before?”

Aidan choked on the bite of scampi he had
taken. He succumbed to a coughing fit before taking a long gulp of
wine. “That one came out of nowhere,” he replied, in a strangled
voice.

“Not really. You just want to avoid the
question.”

He made a frustrated noise in the back of his
throat. After staring out at the glimmering water, he finally said,
“Yes, I have been in love before. Are you happy now?”

“That’s all I get?”

“Were you hoping for some salacious
details?”

Emma grinned. “Maybe.”

“Well, I think that’s enough for tonight.” He
picked up her empty plate and started to rise out of his chair when
she reached over and lightly touched his arm. Emma could see the
struggle in his eyes, not to mention he kept clenching and
unclenching his jaw. He appeared to internally bashing himself
about whether to be honest with her.

Not wanting to cause him pain, she shook her
head. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. It was rude to
ask.”

“No, no, I’ll give you the gory details,” he
replied, easing back down.

Emma’s jaw dropped open. She couldn’t help
leaning forward, expectantly waiting to hang onto every word.
Between hearing about his parents and now his love life, so many
pieces of Aidan’s puzzle were coming together.

“Her name was Amy, and we were fifteen. We
were both on our high school’s swim-teams. She was my first
relationship, my first sexual experience, and…” He fidgeted in his
chair. “The first girl’s heart I broke.”

Emma’s own heart suddenly ached for a girl
she didn’t even know. “Why did you break-up?”

“We dated through high school and tried
making it work the first semester of college, but my heart just
wasn’t in it anymore. More than anything, I didn’t want to be tied
down. So I got the wandering eye.”

“She caught you cheating?”

Aidan rubbed his hands over his face. “Fuck,
I can’t believe I’m telling you all this.”

“Please finish.”

“No, I broke it off before she found out.
Then three years later, I ran into her at a friend’s wedding, and
we started seeing each other again. Neither one of us were swimming
competitively anymore, we had finished up college and were starting
our careers. After another year together, the logical thing to do
was…”

“Get engaged.”

He grimaced. “But as much as she wanted a
proposal, I just couldn’t man up and do it. The thought of being
tied to her the rest of my life made me physically feel choked.”
His body gave a slight tremor. “And then I did something really,
really shitty, so she broke up with me.”