“I don’t care where we live. No kid of mine is going to have anything to do with the Yankees. Now, give me that thing.” He enters the room with a predatory gaze, a snarly growl leaking from his lush lips. An angry Aidan is a sexy Aidan. He actually lifts me up, removes my kid from my arms, somehow manages to flip me over his shoulder in one big ole swoosh of air, and kicks the chair into the corner. The plastic and wooden chair goes tumbling to the floor.
“I think that’s our cue to leave, baby,” I hear Roan say.
“Not so fast, mister.” I’m hanging upside down, talking to a very nice, firm ass. I’ll stay right here and say what I have to say, while staring.
“Congrats, Roan,” I say. He laughs. They all laugh, except Aidan, who whips around forcefully. “Um. Hello. Jolly Green Giant, can you put me down?” My heart is shuttering fiercely.
“Congrats, Alina. Can you all let yourselves out? My woman here continues to test my patience with this Yankee shit. I need to teach her a lesson.” Aidan’s obnoxiously loud performance rebounds off the walls down the hallway. All I hear is thunderous laughter from our friends, who he rudely left behind.
“Aidan. Put my down.” I start smacking his ass, while he continues to ignore me. Then out of nowhere, I’m flying through the air, swallowing my scream when I see through my mussed-up hair my baby boy’s eyes go saucer wide when I land in the middle of the bed with a giant plonk.
“Stay,” Aidan barks out to me as if I were a dog. I lift my hand, shoving my hair out of my face. I’m damn near panting like a dog, too. I’m blistering mad. I may have even started whining. What has gotten into him? He’s freaking gone crazy. Just when I’m ready to go out there and chew him a new asshole on that sexy ass of his, the two of them come back in. My mouth falls open, and I damn near cry at the sight before me.
How Aidan manages to still be holding the baby and carrying a big, pink-wrapped box in his hands beats the shit out of me, but he does. He looks so damn sexy, irresistible. There’s no doubt he’s irreplaceable. He’s proven that since day one.
“Go see mommy, buddy.” He kisses the top of his head, hovering over the bed for me to take him. I settle myself in, my back against the headboard, my son in my lap, my eyes trained on the man I love.
“I’ve said before I’m not much of a romantic, hell, you may even have some of the things in this box. I just… I don’t know. Feel like an ass for interrupting your life, asking you to stay here until we find Ryan when I know how badly you want to do something as simple as taking him outside. Hell, we haven’t even been on a date. I care about you, Deidre, not because we have a child together, because you make me feel worthy of being his dad, of being your lover and friend without even trying. You’ve shown me the one thing no one has shown me before.”
He pauses and sets the box down on the foot of the bed. And when those penetrating eyes of his catch mine, I damn near come undone. He loves me. I can see it.
No, Aidan isn’t a romantic. I’m a woman who doesn’t need it. I’m a woman who only wants the man. Not any man, this man. The one standing before me, seeking out whatever it is he wants to say.
“Aidan,” I whisper.
“Let me finish, baby.” He bends and lifts the lid off the box.
“I love you, Deidre. I do. I love you for so many reasons. To me, you are the perfect mother, you’re self-sacrificing, you’re beautiful, and you’re sweet, tart, and your mine. Most of all though, baby, you listen to me. From day one when you barged into my apartment, you knew before we even spoke a word to each other that a shit storm had blown into my life and here you are. Standing strong by my side. Facing it head on, with me. Besides Cain and Roan and the family I have in the organization, the only other person who has stuck up for me before was my grandfather. Until you. This gift isn’t much, but I want you to know it came from here.” I watch him with tear-filled eyes as he places his hand over his chest. There are so many things I want to say to him, to show him.
I swipe those tears away and turn Diesel around in my lap so he’s facing his dad. The boy has no clue what’s going on here. He’s in his own little world with his fist shoved in his mouth.
“I love you too, Aidan. We may not have fallen in the traditional way. I doubt anything about us will ever be traditional. There are too many reasons why I love you, but there’s one that sticks out and shines above all the rest. I love you because even though you weren’t there when I broke down and lost it, with every breath I took, I felt you here.” I reach up and place my hand over my heart, mirroring where he still has his. In this very moment, I can feel his love beating inside of my chest. Its warmth radiates throughout me. He may think he’s not romantic, but he is. I will never forget those sweet words he said to me.