CHAPTER FOUR
A few days later when Emma glanced up, Aidan stood framed in her doorway. Cupping her hand over the phone, she motioned him in. As he swept into her office, her attention was reluctantly drawn away from his handsome features and back to the voice on the line. “Yes, I’ll set that up. Thanks again.” She hung up and penciled in the appointment. Once she was finished, she smiled at him. “I’m glad you could see me today.”
“I’m always happy to make time for you Emma.” It irked her when he smiled at the warmth tingeing her cheeks. “I’m assuming since you called me down here you’re ready to take me up on my offer.” He leaned in, resting his palms on her desk. His face was mere inches from hers. “I’m sure you’ve thought about it long and hard, weighed your options.”
“Yes,” she murmured, as her body was becoming all too aware of the closeness of his. She hated he had that much effect on her.
“Was it the thought of seeing me naked that finally sealed the deal?”
At his impish grin, Emma rolled her eyes. “Do you think you could muster just an ounce of maturity considering the seriousness of the situation?”
Aidan chuckled and plopped down in the chair across from her. “Fine, I’ll try.”
“It would be in both of our best interests to enter into this arrangement from a business standpoint. First, we need to submit to blood tests to ensure there are no chances for STD’s or other health issues.”
“I can assure you I’m clean, but I’ll be happy to submit.”
“Thank you.” Emma passed a manila folder over to him. “I also had my lawyer draw this up.”
He eyed it before bringing his gaze back to hers. “A contract, huh?” He leaned back in his chair and flipped the folder open. “Is this one of those contracts like in that kinky book where we outline what we’re willing to do or not do during sex? Like our hard limits and safe words?”
Emma felt a wildfire of embarrassment spreading through her cheeks. “Absolutely not!”
Aidan laughed. “Glad to hear it. Just so you know, I don’t go in for freaky shit like whips and chains.”
“That’s so good to hear! Now can you please take this seriously?” Emma huffed. She rose out of her chair and came around the side of the desk. “This contract outlines what is expected, or I suppose I should say, what is not expected of you in regards to what happens after you father my child.” As Aidan skimmed over the first few paragraphs, she continued. “Honestly what it boils down to is protection for you. It ensures I can never try to hold you to any financial obligations, such as child support or paternity settlements.”
“Section Five doesn’t seem to have anything to do with finances,” Aidan replied, holding out the contract.
Emma didn’t have to look at the paperwork. She knew exactly what the paragraph entailed. “Section Five protects me in case you ever try to sue me for custody or try to take the child.”
“You think I would do something like that?”
“Well no. It’s just my attorney said—”
Aidan’s eyes darkened. “This paragraph says I can never have verbal or physical contact with my child.”
“I didn’t think you wanted to. You said before you never really wanted children or the responsibility,” she argued.
“That’s true, but what if I change my mind? Say years from now, I want to see how he or she turned out? And what if the kid wanted to see me one day?”
“I don’t know.” She hung her head and leaned back against the desk. “When it was Connor fathering the baby, I had all the answers. We’d known and loved each other since we were twelve. His parents wanted grandchildren, so I knew he would be involved in some way, regardless of what Jeff wanted.” She raised her head to meet Aidan’s expectant gaze. “With you, everything’s up in the air.”
They stared at each other for a moment. Aidan reached in his suit pocket and took out a pen. “Fine. We’ll do it your way.” He started to scrawl his signature across the contract.
“Wait!” she cried.
He glanced up at her in surprise. “What is it?”
She drew in a deep breath before exhaling loudly. “If you’re truly serious about seeing the baby, we can renegotiate.”
“Okay. But just amend the part about being able to see the child. I don’t want any part of changing diapers or middle of the night feedings, got it?”
She smiled. “I understand.”
“So how do we proceed?”
“Actually, I was hoping as soon as possible—well, as soon as our test results come back. I should be ovulating then.”
“Huh?”
She flushed. “It’s the time when it’s easiest for me to get pregnant.”
“So we won’t be banging 24-7?” Aidan asked with a grin.
“No. That’s not how conceiving works.”
“What a pity,” he mused.
Emma went back around her desk to glance at her calendar. “Would a week from Monday be okay?”
“Sounds good to me.”
Chewing on her lip, she hesitated before outlining for him the rest of her baby-making demands. She was embarrassed to talk about some of it in front of him.
“Spit it out, Em,” Aidan ordered, his tone laced with amusement. She momentarily narrowed her eyes at him since he was all too good at reading her body language.
“Okay, so here’s the deal. It’s best if we have sex every other day during my fertile period. Having sex everyday can be counterproductive for conceiving. So would you be willing to meet me again on Wednesday and potentially Friday?”
“A MWF sex schedule? How efficient,” he mused.
“Please be serious.”
A wicked grin flashed on his face. “Fine, pencil me in. I’ll be ready and erect whenever you need me.”
“Thank you,” she replied, with a tight smile. “Now that’s taken care of, where should we meet?”
“I’m thinking you want to keep this as businesslike as possible, so it’s probably best we use some neutral ground like a hotel room, rather than one of our homes.”
She nodded. “That sounds good.”
“Why don’t I make us a reservation at the Grand Hyatt?”
Emma’s mouth dropped open. “The Grand Hyatt?” she repeated.
Aidan chuckled. “I’m not a Best Western/Holiday Inn sort of guy, Em.”
“Oh, no, that’s fine. It’s just I thought since you were helping me out and all, I would take care of the hotel fee, and several nights at the Hyatt is a little out of my budget.”
Aidan shook his head. “No, I’ll take care of it.”
“But—”
“I think it’s safe to say I make a lot more money than you, so let me take care of this.” At her sharp intake of breath, he held up his hands. “Besides, you need to be saving your money to take care of the kid.”
Even though she didn’t like his salary reference, she realized he had a point. “Fine then. You can pay.”
“Thank you.”
“So Monday night at seven?” she asked.
“It’s a date.”