The Proposal (The Proposition #2)(47)

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 h*ps 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 ass**le 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.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The atmosphere between Emma and Aidan was strained for the last few days of her bed-rest. Although Aidan brought her everything she needed, catered to her every whim, it wasn’t the same as before. He no longer stayed and watched movies with her. And even with Beau beside her, the bed was cold and empty without him at night.

Aidan was forcing her hand. He felt he had done everything humanly possible to make her forgive him, and now he was done going the extra mile. Whatever happened between them was now up to her. And she was completely clueless on how to proceed.

When she went to see her OB, Dr. Middleton, she was satisfied that everything looked great, and Emma could come off bed-rest and return to work the following week. Although she should have been happier, uncertainty still remained heavy. Did she leave that afternoon and go back to her house? Did she stay and try to work things out with Aidan? Or did she prepare to move to Ellijay to be with Grammy and Granddaddy like she had originally planned?

After she and Aidan got into the car, a tense silence hung around them. Finally after what felt like an eternity, Aidan sighed. “Listen, Em, you’re probably not going to like what I’m about to say, but I feel like I need to.”

“Okay,” she replied hesitantly.

“I know you’re officially off bed-rest, but I don’t think you need to be doing anything really strenuous to start with. So if you’re willing, I’d prefer if you kept staying at my house…at least a little while longer.”