The Proposal(54)

She was snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of Aidan shuffling down the hall. “I picked up some Chinese on my way in. I thought if you were feeling up to it, we might go to Percy’s swim meet tonight. He really wants us to come. I swear, he’s called me like five times.”

Emma winced at the fact she would not only be disappointing Percy but Aidan as well. He appeared in the bathroom door with a half-eaten egg roll in his hand. He took one look at her, and his mouth gaped open. “I think you’re going to be a little overdressed for the YMCA.”

Warmth flooded her cheeks. “Actually, I’m going to the opera tonight.”

Aidan’s face fell. “With Pesh?”

She gnawed her bottom lip before responding. “He asked me last week because he had an extra ticket. Another couple will be there, so it’s not like we’ll be all alone. It’s a way of celebrating me being off bed-rest.” At the hurt radiating in Aidan’s eyes, she quickly added, “It’s just downtown at the Fox. I won’t be out late, and I promise to stay off my feet as much as I can.”

His silence caused her chest to cave in. She knew she had to get away from him. As she started to brush past him out the door, she noticed a crumb of eggroll on his face. Raising up, she ran her thumb over the corner of his lip, catching it.

He grabbed her arm, his blue eyes flashing with desperation. “Em, don’t go. Please.”

She hoped he didn’t noticed how she had started trembling. “Aidan, I’ve already told Pesh I would, and I’m dressed. Besides, it’s not a date. I promise.”

He scowled at her. “Of course, it’s a date. You may think it’s just as friends, but I’m sure he doesn’t. Or he at least wants you to believe that lie while he’s moving in for the kill!”

Emma stared down at the bathroom tile. “Yes, it’s true that Pesh would like us to be more, but I told him I didn’t know what I wanted.”

“That’s not true. You want us. I know you do.” When she refused to look at him, Aidan’s hand gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Why do you keep fighting this? Fighting us?”

She tried pulling away, but he tightened his arms around her. “I’m not fighting us. There isn’t really an us anymore, is there? You made damn sure of that when you couldn’t tell me you loved me and tried to screw another woman!”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Oh hell yes there is! There was before, and there still is.”

Emma shook her head as tears burned her eyes. “Will you ever get it? You broke my heart, Aidan! You shattered me into jagged pieces from which I’m not sure I can ever be whole again with you or any another man.”

His face contorted with agony. “And I said I was sorry. I’ve begged and pleaded with you to forgive me. I’ve even tried to show you in every way how very sorry I was. Because of the last ten days, what we have is even stronger now, but dammit, you keep railing against it because you’re afraid I’m going to fuck up again!”

Emma cheeks warmed from her anger. “And how do I know you won’t? You said you wanted more with me last time and look where it lead us. How do I know that you won’t put a ring on my finger and then freak out and screw around on me?!” she demanded.

“Because I won’t. I swear to God and everything that is holy that I won’t!”

“You can’t make a promise like that. You can’t be sure what you’ll do tomorrow or five years down the road.”

“I am sure! I know in my heart that I’ve never felt for anyone like I’ve felt for you. All I want is you.”

“Aidan—”

His response was to crush his lips to hers. That familiar electricity popped and crackled around her. Physical need, along with love, pulsed through her, and she thought she would die if she didn’t get closer to him. She wanted to touch and taste every inch of him.

Aidan gave an agonized groan when her tongue brushed against his lips. He widened his mouth, accepting her tongue and teasing it with his. Almost instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck as his went around her waist. They moved frantically against each other.

When he started to pull away, she gave a cry of protest. “Feel us, Emma. It’s right here, and all you have to do is accept it,” he murmured against her lips.

Her eyes opened, and she gazed up at him. “Emma, I l—”

The sound of the doorbell cut him off and snapped her out of his spell. “Oh God,” she moaned. Her hands dropped from his neck to push against his chest. “Let me go.” When he still held her tight, she brought her panicked gaze to his agonized one. “Please, Aidan.”