The Pairing (The Proposition #3)(14)

With a shrug, Megan replied, “I don’t know. Maybe because you didn’t like the idea of me getting to know him.”

Emma shook her head. “I never said I didn’t want you two to get to know each other—I said I didn’t want you using him for a fling.”

Megan couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “The day isn’t over yet. I could still turn on my powers of seduction and lure Pesh into a night of seedy passion.”

Emma stared at her in shock before busting out laughing. “Seedy passion? Those words and Pesh will never, ever go together in the same sentence.”

“Are you saying that you and Aidan have never had seedy passion?”

“Aidan and Pesh are not in the same league of men. I love Aidan, but he’s not necessarily a gentleman. Pesh is.”

“Yeah, but you’re a lady,” Megan protested.

“Maybe in the street, but she’s one hell of a freak in the bedroom,” Aidan said behind them.

Emma squealed before whirling around to smack him. “People could hear you,” she admonished.

As Aidan chuckled, Megan shook her head. “Forget other people. Me having to hear it was painful enough.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Aidan said, “I came over here to ask if we were going to eat or not? People are getting restless. I had no idea I was going to interrupt such an interesting conversation. Of course, I don’t think I want to know why the two of you are discussing Emma’s and my sex life right now.”

Emma waved her hand dismissively. “We weren’t. And yes, we’re ready to eat. Let’s round everyone up.”

As Emma walked off to call people to sit down, Aidan grinned at Megan before saying, “Total freak.”

Megan closed her eyes as if in pain. “Spare me. Please.”

“Just saying. Because you never know if your gentleman might be a super freak too.” And with a wink, he walked off to join Emma, leaving Megan to wonder why everyone seemed so concerned with hers and Pesh’s love lives.

As the sunlight started fading, most of the party guests began to trickle out the door. By the time it was dark, it was only a few of Aidan and Emma’s close friends left. Megan had let her parents take a sleepy Mason home, vowing she wanted to stay to help Emma clean up. The truth was she wanted to spend as much time as she could with Pesh.

Thankfully, she found herself sitting next to him at one of the poolside tables. Somehow they managed to end up by themselves after some of the other guests had left. Leaning forward in her chair, she asked, “Did you always want to be a doctor?”

Pesh nodded. “For my fifth birthday, my father bypassed the usual play doctor’s kits by giving me a real medical bag with tools from the hospital. I examined everyone who would stand still long enough, including the two dogs.”

Megan laughed. “I bet you were a cute little doctor.”

“My mother has some embarrassing pictures,” he replied, with a smile.

“So your father was also a doctor?”

“Yes, he had a general medicine practice for forty years. He just recently retired.”

“Did he pressure you to follow in his footsteps?”

He grinned. “I’m starting to feel like I’m being interrogated.”

She laughed. “I’m sorry if you feel that way. I’m just trying to get to know you.”

“You’re certainly a very attractive interrogator,” he said.

“I think you’re avoiding the question by flattering me.”

“There’s flattery and then there’s the truth.”

Cocking her brows, she replied, “And then there’s not answering my question.”

He held up his hands in defeat. “Fine, fine. No, I didn’t feel pressure to become a doctor. My father would have never wanted me to pursue a profession where I didn’t feel useful.”

Megan smiled. “So you’ve always had a need to help people?”

“Pretty much. As the oldest, I always looked out for my two younger brothers and sister. My mother has always called me an old soul.”

“I can see that about you.”

Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on the table. “Now it is my turn to be the interrogator.”

“Okay, I don’t mind.”

“What about you? Did you always see nursing in your future?”

“Yes and no. Originally, I wanted to be a doctor.”

His brows shot up in surprise. “Really?” When she nodded, he asked, “What happened?”

There was no way she was going to tell him the truth about her past and why she had been forced to abandon medical school. Instead, she shrugged. “Life happened, I guess. I decided on the next best thing, which was nursing.”

Pesh stared thoughtfully at her. “Was it your son?”

“Excuse me?”

“Was it your son who changed your plans about medical school?”

She shook her head. “No, it was before I had Mason.”

“Does he…are you…?” Pesh shook his head. “Forgive me. I was being too forward.”

“No, go ahead. I told you I wasn’t afraid to answer your questions.”

He grimaced. “But it’s rude to pry, and it’s not my business.”