The Proposition (The Proposition #1)(40)

Miraculously, he stepped into O’Malley’s a little before six. When Jenny saw him, her face lit up. “Hey stranger! Glad to see you’re back.”

He smiled. “Thanks. It’s good to be home. You can’t imagine how much I missed this old hole in the wall. You can’t quite find the same beer or burgers over there.”

Jenny laughed. “So do I need to reserve a large booth for the crew and your Welcome Home party?”

“Um, no, actually, I’m meeting someone.”

“Someone or some woman?”

He coughed. “A woman.”

Aidan couldn’t help feeling surprised when Jenny’s smile widened. “Is it the pretty red-head you were here with before?”

His mouth gaped open. “Wait, how did you guess that?”

She grinned. “I knew there was something between you two when you came in—something different from the other women I’ve seen you with.”

“But we weren’t even dating then.” He shook his head. “We’re not even dating now.”

“Oh please.” Jenny waved her hand dismissively at him and grabbed two menus. She led him to the same secluded area he had sat with Emma in before. This time she gave them the back corner booth, ensuring they would have a lot of privacy. “You guys make a really good-looking couple,” she said before leaving him once again open-mouthed.

Aidan’s only response to Jenny’s compliments was to give a frustrated grunt. He eased down in the booth and took out his phone. After scrolling through several emails and texts, he glanced up to see Emma sweeping through the door. He sucked in a breath and tried to still the accelerating of his heartbeat. What the hell was happening to him? No woman had ever had this much of an effect on him. The time away seemed to have made her even more beautiful than he remembered, but there was something different about her—something softer, more vulnerable. It was a hell of a turn on.

When Jenny said something to Emma, she beamed and ducked her head. Without blinking, Aidan watched Emma as she followed Jenny to the table. Her dress slid over her hips, accentuating the curves he was familiar with. Her long auburn hair hung in waves, cascading over her shoulders. He gritted his teeth when he noticed some of the other male patrons ogling Emma as she passed them by. Even though he had no right, he wanted to scream at them that she belonged to him.

Her face lit up when she met his gaze. “Hey!”

As he started rising out of the booth, she rushed over and threw her arms around his neck. He opened his mouth to say hello, but her lips crushed against his. As she deepened the kiss, Aidan tried to keep his bearings by tightening his arms around Emma’s waist. Damn, he had missed the feel of her lips, her tongue, and the way her body molded against his.

A low whistle behind them caused Emma to jerk back much to Aidan’s dismay. Jenny grinned at them and winked. “Now who needs the guys when you can get a homecoming like that, huh?”

Emma’s cheeks grew red, but she laughed. Tilting her head to the side at Aidan, she asked, “Am I enough of a Welcome Home party?”

He grinned. “At the moment, hell yes, you are.”

Jenny squeezed past them to sit their silverware on the table. “I guess I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone now.”

“Thanks Jenny,” Aidan said.

He arched his eyebrows when Emma plopped down next to him in the booth rather than sitting across from him. “Miss me that much, huh?”

Her laughter made his heart vibrate with warmth. “Yes, actually I did.”

Aidan stared into her twinkling green eyes. “I missed you, too.” A hell of a lot more than I want to admit.

“Me or the sex?” she asked.

“Both,” he answered honestly.

She giggled. “I figured it would only be the sex.”

“You underestimate yourself as usual.” Propping his arm on the back of the booth, he turned to get a better look at her. “But I can’t help myself if it sounds like I’ve only been missing the sex when I tell you how f**king gorgeous you look tonight.”

“No, it’s okay.” Her cheeks flushed. “And thank you.”

Aidan leaned over to nuzzle her neck, inhaling the delicate smell of her perfume. He groaned in the sweet agony. “The way your dress is hugging all your curves and your hair falling loose and wavy, just begging me to run my fingers through it, makes me want to forget dinner and take you home instead.”

When she stiffened, he raised his head. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to tell you something.”

“Anything. Well, as long as it isn’t something like you’re not coming home with me tonight.”

“I’m pregnant,” she blurted.

The air wheezed out of him, and he felt like he had been kicked in the groin. “Okay, that’s not quite what I was expecting.”

“I found out a week ago, but I wanted to wait until you got back to tell you. I thought it would mean more in person.”

Now he knew why she appeared so different. Pregnancy had her absolutely glowing with pure happiness. A sense of immense pride radiated through him that he had a part in making that happiness. His lips curved in a genuine smile. “That’s wonderful news, Em. I’m thrilled for you.”

Happy tears sparkled in her eyes. “Oh Aidan, I can never thank you enough for making this dream possible!” she cried, throwing her arms around his neck again. She squeezed him tight. “I still can’t believe it happened after only two months of trying. Do you know how blessed and lucky we are? Some people have to try for months and months—even years.”