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?”
“No, I like it just the way it is.”
“Then I’ll shave. For you.”
Overwhelmed by her burning feelings for him and still reeling from her sex dream, Emma leaned up and brought her lips to his. Aidan immediately froze, and she felt like she was kissing a marble statue. When her mouth opened to slide her tongue against his lips, he slowly started to thaw. Her hand that had been caressing his cheek slipped into his hair. She ran her fingers through the silky strands, tugging and pulling as she went just like her teeth did to his bottom lip.
Aidan gave a low moan in the back of his throat as he thrust his tongue into her mouth. God, she had missed the feel of his mouth on hers—his tongue dancing tantalizingly along hers. Desire pooled below her waist, and she knew she wanted him more than ever before.
He moved his hand from her shoulder to her breast, kneading and cupping the sensitive flesh through her nightgown. She widened her legs, allowing his hips to dip between them.
But when he started to lift the hem of her nightgown, Emma’s eyes flew open as reality, rather than a dream, crashed over her. “Wait, Aidan no!”
He pulled his head from her neck to stare at her with eyes hazy and drunk with desire. “Please tell me this isn’t because you don’t want to do this, but it’s because we’ve both just realized the doctor said not to?”
She nodded. “I’m not even supposed to have an orgasm because it can cause contractions.”
He smirked at her. “Then it was a good thing I woke you from the sex dream, huh?”
Blushing, she gave a half-laugh. “I guess so.” As he pulled himself off of her, she said, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. We both got carried away.” He smiled as he snuggled against her. “Besides, it may not be as physically gratifying just to hold you all night, but there’s nothing I’d rather do.”
Emma groaned. “Why do you have to say things like that?”
“What?”
She lowered her gaze. “You keep saying and doing all these amazing things. It confuses me.”
“You want me to be an a*shole or something?”
“No, of course not.”
“Oh I get it. You want me to be the old, self-centered Aidan, so it’s easier for you not to feel what you do.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But don’t you want me to change?”
“I fell in love with the old Aidan, remember?”
He growled in frustration. “But don’t you want me to be a better man for you and for Noah?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then let me say and do what I want.”
“Fine.”
They lay in silence a few moments. “You’re really never going to forgive me, are you?” Aidan asked.
“Wait, where did that come from?”
He rose up into a sitting position. “Everything I’ve done for you in the past eight days, everything I’ve said, all the apologies, trying to make it right…it hasn’t meant shit to you, has it?”
“That’s not true,” Emma argued.
“Obviously it is. If you were totally sold on us getting back together, you wouldn’t let Pesh come over, even in a medical capacity. You would have already said you wanted to be with me.”
“I said if it bothered you so much, I wouldn’t let Pesh come over, and you were more than welcome to have stayed here—it’s your house for goodness sake. You could have stayed and seen for yourself that nothing romantic happened between Pesh and me. But you chose to leave.”
“So now you’re trying to act like I left so that must mean I didn’t really care if Pesh tried to make a move?”
“No, that’s not it at all.”
“Once again, everything is all my fault, right?”
Emma rubbed her temples. “Can we please not argue about this? I’m tired.”
“Yeah, well, so am I.” He flung the covers back and stomped from the bed. Emma didn’t bother asking where he was going. The pounding of his feet on the stairs told her everything she needed to know.
Using her fists, she ground the tears from her eyes. Dammit, why didn’t she know what was the right thing to do? Why couldn’t it be clear that she needed to be with Aidan, or she needed to tell him good-bye? Why did she constantly feel like her emotions were yo-yoing back and forth?
At her weeping, Beau appeared and jumped into the bed with her. “Oh Beau,” she sobbed, wrapping her arms around him. He lay stock still, letting her get all of her emotions out. Finally, she fell into an exhausted sleep.