The Party (The Proposition 0.5)(13)

“Angry sex can be really hot, and if I had to wager, it’s been a while for you.” He winked as he pulled her to him. “So you can just take it all out on me.”

His triumphant smirk drove her over the edge. “I’m going to say this one last time. You are the last man on earth I would ever sleep with. It may be shocking to you, but I actually have principles and scruples, and they’re all saying that you are one of the most self-absorbed ass**les I have ever met. There are worse things than being single and going without sex, Mr. Fitzgerald. Leaving here with you and letting you touch one inch of my body would be the most degrading thing I would ever have to go through. So I will kindly ask that you remove yourself from my presence. Because one way or the other, you are leaving. Either I’m going to call security or knee you in the balls to get you to go.”

Aidan’s mouth gaped open in shock before his blue eyes narrowed at her. “Fine then. Your loss.” He then turned and stalked away, leaving her breathless.

Casey and the others came hustling back over to her. “Oh my God! You were amazing, Em!” Casey said.

“You heard?” Emma squeaked.

Casey nodded. “We tried not to eavesdrop, but we couldn’t help it.”

Therese grinned. “You really told him.”

“Yeah, I guess I did.”

Rachel patted Emma’s back. “You should really be proud of yourself. I don’t think he’s ever had a woman talk to him like that.”

Emma sighed. She didn’t know how she felt. Now that the adrenaline was no longer pumping through her, she didn’t feel so cocky. Instead, she felt mortification at what she had said to him. She hoped she never, ever had to face him again.

Casey took her hand. “Come on. Let’s get you a celebratory drink.”

Emma laughed. “Seriously?”

“Yep, we all need to toast the day you told off Mr. Aidan Manwhore Fitzgerald!”

“Do you mind if we do it somewhere else? I don’t want to run the risk of running into him again tonight.”

“He’s already left.”

With a gasp, Emma said, “Really?”

Therese bobbed her head. “He blew right out the front door of the club right after you told him off.”

Casey grinned. “So we have the whole place to ourselves to drink and unwind. Okay?”

Forcing a smile to her lips, Emma said, “Okay.” There was nothing more that she wanted to do at the moment than forget meeting Aidan Fitzgerald.

***

Epilogue

Glancing down at her phone, Emma grimaced. Stupid Atlanta traffic. It didn’t matter if she left thirty minutes or an hour before she needed to be somewhere, it never failed that she would be late because of gridlock. Her heels clicked along the pavement as she hurried down the sidewalk to It’s a Grind Coffee-Shop. Her face broke into a wide grin at the sight of Connor waving from a table by the window.

As she pushed through the door, the familiar bell tinkled over her head. She powerwalked over to Connor. “I’m so, so sorry! I left in plenty of time, I swear.”

He smiled. “It’s okay. I went ahead and ordered for you.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet.” She leaned in and gave his cheek a kiss. Easing down in her seat, she shrugged out of her coat. When she caught Connor’s gaze, she cocked her eyebrows as concern flooded her. “Are you okay?”

Connor sighed. “Jeff and I have been fighting.”

“Oh no. I’m so sorry to hear that.” Emma reached out and squeezed his hand. “You’re not breaking up, are you? I mean, you two seemed so perfect and happy.”

Tears shimmered in Connor’s dark eyes. “Not if I agree to his ultimatum.”

Emma’s brows furrowed. “Please don’t tell me he wants you guys to move again. I couldn’t bear the thoughts of you living in Savannah. It’s too far away.”

“It’s not about moving.”

“Then what is it?”

A strangled cry erupted from Connor’s lips before he turned away from her. “Please tell me what it is,” she begged.

Connor finally brought his haunted gaze to hers. “He says he’ll leave me if I go through with fathering your child.”

Emma jerked her hand from his and covered her mouth in horror. “But why would he demand something like that of you?”

Connor shrugged and ran his hand maniacally through his hair. “He’s always been a little jealous of my feelings for you. He thinks if I have a kid with you, that’s just going to make our bond even stronger.”

Biting down on her lip, Emma didn’t dare argue the truth in Jeff’s assumptions. Having her child be part of Connor would always bind them together. “But he knows you’re going to sign a contract saying you won’t have any financial or emotional obligations.”

He shook his head. “He’s not stupid, Emmie Lou. He knows the minute my child is growing inside of you, I’ll be emotionally invested.” He gave her a sad smile. “And how could I not? I love kids, and I love you.”

“But it doesn’t have to be something that tears you guys apart. What if I talked to him? What if I—”

“It’s not going to change anything.”

A jagged, agonizing pain tore through her chest, and she had to fight to breathe. “You aren’t going to be my sperm donor anymore, are you?” she questioned in a whisper.