The Proposition (The Proposition #1)(65)

“Damn straight,” she replied.

Chuckling, he rose out of his chair. “Anything specific you’d like?”

“Maybe a little sampling of everything?”

He gave her a mini-salute. “Yes, ma’am.”

After hitting up the desserts in a major way, Aidan started back to the table with two plates filled to the brim. When he got there, Emma held a tiny infant in her arms while chatting up a young couple. “Oh, Aidan, these are my cousins Stacy and Mark.” She glanced down at the baby in her arms and a broad grin stretched on her face. “And this is my namesake, Emma Kate.”

“You’re kidding.”

Stacy smiled. “Well, Emma Katherine was our great-grandmother’s name, but I couldn’t imagine a sweeter person to name my baby after than Em.”

“Neither could I,” Aidan replied, winking at Emma.

“Come on, hon, we better go get a plate before all the food is gone,” Mark suggested.

When Stacy reached for the baby, Emma shook her head. “I can watch her while you guys eat.”

“Really?”

“Of course. It’ll be good practice.”

Mark chuckled. “Wow, I don’t think we’ve had a baby free meal in the six weeks since Emma Kate was born.”;

“Thanks, Em,” Stacy replied.

Aidan eased down beside Emma as Mark and Stacy walked off. Her appetite seemed to have evaporated with the baby’s appearance. So he started working his way through his plate of sweets as Emma cooed at the baby. “Isn’t she beautiful?” she asked.

Aidan cut his eyes over to the infant swathed in pink from head to toe. “She’s almost as beautiful as her namesake.”

Emma laughed. “Aren’t you the charmer?”

When he had overloaded himself with sugar, he pushed his plate away. Emma leaned over, holding the baby out to him. “Want to take her for awhile?”

“So you can eat?”

“No, I just thought you might like to be around a little girl for once. You only have younger nephews.”

Aidan eyed Emma Kate warily. She was so tiny and fragile compared to Mason’s bulk. He was afraid he might break her somehow. “Seriously, Em, I don’t know anything about little girls.”

“And we could just as easily be having a girl.” She then handed Emma Kate over to him. Reluctantly, he nestled her in the crook of his arm. Her eyes fluttered open, and she stared up at him. Her face began to crumple, and she looked like at any minute she was going to scream.

“Shit! I’ve pissed her off!” Aidan moaned.

Emma laughed. “No, you haven’t. Just rock her a little and put her pacifier in.”

Aidan fumbled for the bib where the pacifier was attached. When Emma Kate opened her mouth to cry, he popped it in. Immediately, she started sucking on it and calmed down. He swayed his arms back and forth, and within a few minutes, her eyes grew heavy. When she was asleep, Aidan glanced over at Emma. He couldn’t fight the proud grin that stretched on his face.

“You’re a natural,” Emma replied.

“I don’t know about that.”

Mark and Stacy came back to the table with their food. “Good for you, bud. You know, preparing for the future,” Mark said, motioning to Emma Kate in Aidan’s arms. “I’d barely been around a kid before I had mine.”

“Well, I’m lucky to have lots of nieces and nephews.” He shifted Emma Kate in his arms. “And from them, I know enough about dirty diapers that I’m pretty sure she’s soaked through.”

Mark groaned. “Fabulous.”

Emma rose out of her chair. “No, no. I’ll go change her.” Aidan happily gave her the baby before glancing down to see if he was wet as well.

Stacy handed Emma the diaper bag with a grin. “You’re the best, cuz.”

“No problem.”

As Aidan watched Emma’s retreating form, a piercing giggle erupted in his ear. “Hey, handsome, I’m Mary. You wanna dance?”

Aidan turned around to see a girl—a very gorgeous girl, but a teenage one at that, beaming at him. “Um, I don’t think so.”

Her ruby red lips puckered in a pout. “Why not?”

“First of all, I’m here with Emma, and second, I think I’m a little too old for you.”

“I’m nineteen. Besides, Emma is my cousin. She won’t mind.”

Aidan fought the urge to say Like hell she wouldn’t! Even pregnant, Emma had enough hellcat in her to knock Mary into next Tuesday for flirting with him. With an exasperated sigh, he held his hands up. “Look, it’s really nice of you to ask, but really, I have to say no.”

Emma picked that moment to come back with the baby. She surveyed the two of them before speaking. “What’s going on?”

“I wanted to dance with Aidan, and he won’t,” Mary admitted.

Aidan gritted his teeth. “And I clearly explained to her that I was here with you.”

“One little dance wouldn’t hurt.” Emma then titled her head up at him—giving him a sickeningly sweet smile. “I don’t mind, if you don’t.”

Oh no, she had not just sold him out to her horny cousin. He knew she must have some motive for doing this. It was some way of getting a dig at him for not making them more of an official couple—to illustrate he was more available or something. That or he was just way too paranoid about her motives.