Aidan turned back and then nodded. “Yeah, Angie did that for me. She got all the pictures together and then arranged them for me as a housewarming present.”
“She did a great job.” As Aidan dipped back inside the bedroom, Emma continued gazing at the photographs. Aidan was the spitting image of his late mother. Several of the pictures were of his parents when they were younger and older. “I love this one of your parent’s on their 50th wedding anniversary. Your mother was so beautiful,” she called.
“Thanks.”
“And your dad is handsome, too.”
“I told you I’d bring some attractive genes to the table.”
She rolled her eyes at his cockiness. “Your dad looks like a really sweet and nice man.”
Aidan poked his head out of the bedroom door. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Emma shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I had this impression of your dad being like Hugh Hefner and you following in his footsteps.”
Aidan laughed as he handed her a pair of navy sweat pants and a white t-shirt. “Trust me, my dad is the furthest thing from Hef. My parents were high school sweethearts. I’m not sure if he ever slept with anyone but Mom. She’s been gone five years, and he’s barely dated at all.”
“That’s so romantic,” Emma gushed.
“Yeah, but he’s lonely. If he’s not hounding one of my sisters, he’s calling me, guilting me to come visit. I know he’d like someone to be there with him all the time, but he just can’t seem to let go of Mom. I keep telling him to move on, but he just refuses.”
Emma grew exasperated at his tone. “Maybe he’s not ready yet. Maybe a love as strong as theirs isn’t as easy to get over as you think,” she countered.
“I guess, but Jesus, he needs to lighten up on the expectations that I should always be at his beck and call.”
Emma threw her hands up in exasperation, unable to hold her temper any longer. “Has he been a good father to you or not?”
“Yeah, of course he has.”
“Then he shouldn’t have to call you to beg you to come by. You should be the one calling him and checking to see how he’s doing, maybe paying him back for some of the sacrifices he made while you were growing up.”
“I know, it’s just—”
“Trust me when I say this Aidan, he won’t be here forever. I did everything I could for my mother while she was alive, and sometimes guilt still consumes me. I wouldn’t ever want you to be haunted by regrets.”
“Damn, Em, you make me feel like a real asshole.”
With her anger evaporating, she suddenly felt embarrassed for going off on him. She ducked her head. “I’m sorry. I just know you have a really good heart, that’s all.”
“Then if you believe in me that much, I’ll do better, okay?”
She peeked up at him through her lashes and smiled. “Okay.”
He cleared his throat and motioned across the hall. “You can go change in the bathroom.”
“Thanks. I probably need to wash my face too after my crying tirade. I’m sure I’m a mess.”
“Would you like to take a shower while I fix dinner?”
“Are you insinuating I stink?” she asked with a grin.
Aidan chuckled. “No, I just thought it might make you feel better. If you want, you can soak in the Jacuzzi tub.”
Emma closed her eyes and sighed. “That would be fabulous.”
“Come on then.”
She followed him into the bedroom. With its light blue walls and white trim, it had an airy, cozy feel. She fought the urge to giggle at what she had imagined of his bedroom: silk sheets, a mirror over the bed, black walls—or maybe red.
It was quite the opposite. An enormous four-poster bed sat in the middle of the room. The only thing that stood out to her was how neat and organized everything was. “You must pay your cleaning lady a fortune,” she mused.
“I don’t have one.”
“You do all this yourself?”
“Yeah, I like cleaning.”
After peeking in the bathroom, Emma mused, “Looks like you’re kind of a neat freak, huh?”
“I might be just a little anal retentive about everything being in order.”
“Hmm.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, sweeping his hands to his hips.
“Nothing.”
“Let me guess—you took a few psych courses in college, and the experts say that most often obsessively clean people are trying to put order into a life of emotional chaos?”
“I didn’t say that.”
He snorted. “You didn’t have to, Dr. Phil. Now if you’re through analyzing me, I’ll let you go take your bath.”
“I appreciate it.”
After she closed the door behind Aidan, she turned on the water. Slipping out of her clothes, she tried stripping herself of the day’s stress. Once the tub filled up, she turned on the jets. She eased down into the bubbling water and sighed with contentment. She had just laid her head back when the door burst open.
With a shriek, she rushed to cover her breasts with her hands. Aidan chuckled. “Jesus, Em, there’s no need to panic. I’ve seen everything you’ve got, remember?”
Warmth rushed to her cheeks. “I know. You surprised me, that’s all.”
He held up her purse. “You left this in the kitchen, and I thought you might need it.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
Aidan sat the purse on the vanity. “Okay, I’m really going this time, and I promise to leave you in peace.”
Emma giggled and then eased back into the tub after he closed the door. She probably could have stayed in for hours, but when her fingers started pruning and wonderful aromas started wafting back to her, she figured it was time to get out.
After drying off, she pulled on Aidan’s clothes and swept her hair back into a ponytail. When she grabbed her purse, her phone buzzed. She had missed a text from Casey. Haven’t seen you since lunch. Hope you’re okay.
Emma fought the desperate sobs that threatened to overtake her. With trembling fingers, she texted Casey. Got my period. I’m at Aidan’s. Call u tomorrow.
It only took a second for Casey to reply. So, so sorry, babe. I’m here for you. Love ya.
Emma couldn’t help feeling surprised at Casey’s reaction. She had expected her to demand to know what the hell she was doing at Aidan’s instead of throwing back margaritas with her. At the very least, Emma thought she would have discouraged her for spending any time with Aidan that didn’t involve baby-making.
With a sigh, she stuffed her phone back in her purse and then started out of the bedroom.
11
When she got to the living room, she could hear Aidan humming along with the kitchen radio. She peeked around the corner and watched in amazement as he cooked. How was it possible that this Aidan could be the same cocky, self-absorbed womanizer who sometimes drove her crazy? It was like he was two people inhabiting the same body.
Aidan caught her staring, and she smiled shyly at him as she padded barefoot into the kitchen. She inhaled deeply. “Something smells wonderful.”
A pleased expression grew on his face. “I decided on the scampi. I thought we could eat out on the patio if that’s okay?”
She nodded. “Sounds great.”
He opened the back door and as soon as she stepped outside, Beau came galloping up to her. “Down boy! Don’t even think about it!” Aidan shouted.
Beau reluctantly nudged Emma’s legs. “Good boy,” she replied, rewarding him with a scratch behind the ears. As she gazed around the immaculately kept patio and backyard, her eyes widened at the sight of an in-ground pool. “This is all so beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
He held out a chair for her and she eased up to the table. He already had it set it for them, complete with linen napkins. A glance at her full plate of scampi sent her stomach growling. When Aidan sat down, she smiled at him. “I can’t thank you enough for the bath and the cl
othes. I feel like a new person.”
“You’re welcome.”
After taking a bite of pasta, she glanced up to find Aidan staring at her chest. Self-consciously, she crossed her arms over her breasts, trying to hide the fact that they kept straining against the material. She cleared her throat and he quickly looked away. “Aidan Fitzgerald, are you staring at my boobs like a horny teenage boy?”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “It’s kinda hard not to when they’re about to bust out of the shirt.”
She huffed exasperatedly. “Well, I hated to stretch it since it isn’t mine, and it fits everywhere but the chest.” She glanced down and shuddered. “Ugh, I so want to get a breast reduction.”
“Jesus, why would you ever want to do that? Your breasts are amazing.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “That’s such a man thing to say. You have no idea what a real pain they are. My back kills me, not mention it’s hard finding shirts to fit. Then there’s the whole factor of them getting bigger when you’re pregnant.”
Aidan licked his lips. “They do?”
“Yes, pervert, they do.”
He laughed. “Sorry, but I’m a total boob man, so that prospect really turns me on.”
“A boob man as opposed to what? An ass or thigh man?”
He nodded. “Of course, it goes without saying that both your ass and thighs are amazing, too.”
She gave him a sarcastic smile. “Oh, thank you so much. Here I was worrying they were hideous and you’d been traumatized by having to see them. Glad I’ll rest easy tonight.”
“I’ll overlook that sassiness considering the day you’ve had. Instead, I’ll offer you more wine,” he remarked.
She held up her glass. “Thank you. It’s delicious.”
As he poured, Emma glanced out over the fading sunlight shimmering across the water. “I’ve got to say, I’m more than a little jealous of your pool.”
“It’s actually what sold me on this place. Like I told you before, swimming was my passion growing up, and after I left home, I always wanted another pool.” He took a sip of wine and then turned his intense gaze on her. “So what was your passion when you were younger?”
“Hmm, it’s probably a total cliché, but singing.” She ran her fingers over the rim of her wine glass. “Well, I guess it still is my passion.”
“Really?”
Emma was shocked by the eager expression on Aidan’s face. “Yeah, my family is really big on bluegrass and country. I grew up singing with a band that’s made up of five of my male cousins. We would play at festivals and at the bar my Uncle Gary owns.” Emma laughed. “I guess you would call it a honky-tonk more than anything.”
He shook his head. “Why is it almost impossible for me to picture you singing in a smoky, rough and tumble bar?”
“Oh, I didn’t just sing there. I did at church, too.”
Aidan grinned knowingly. “Ah, you’re a church girl. That explains a lot.”
She stopped swirling the pasta around on her fork and shot him a look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Now I know why you felt the way you did about sleeping with me—why you don’t have any sexual partners in your past besides your fiancé.”
“Having morality and spirituality aren’t bad things,” she countered.
“I didn’t say they were. In fact, it’s what I like most about you.”
Emma snorted. “You can’t be serious.”
“Well, I am.” He moved his hand across the table to graze his fingers against hers. “Until I met you, I never knew innocence could be so damn sexy.”
Although her cheeks warmed at his compliments, she couldn’t help the smirk that curved on her lips. “You really are a smooth one, aren’t you?”
Aidan jerked his hand away from hers and crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t realize I was being smooth at the moment. I was just trying to flatter you a little.”
Emma chewed thoughtfully on a bite of shrimp. “I think it oozes so naturally you don’t even realize you’re doing it. I think you’d even manage to do it in a coma.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah, all your nurses would be fawning over you—even the male ones. You would probably end up getting really shitty care, not to mention there would probably be a daily fist fight over who got to give your sponge bath.”
Aidan threw his head back and roared with laughter. When he gazed at her, his blue eyes twinkled with amusement. “Jesus, Em, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed with a woman as much as I have with you.”
“I assume that’s a compliment, right?”
“Oh yes, a big one.”
Emma nibbled on the edge of her fork, trying to decide whether she had the courage to ask the question that had been plaguing her for a while. “So have you really never been in love before?”
Aidan choked on the bite of scampi he had taken. He succumbed to a coughing fit before taking a long gulp of wine. “That one came out of nowhere,” he replied with a strangled voice.
“Not really. You just want to avoid the question.”
He made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat. After staring out at the glimmering water, he finally said, “Yes, I have been in love before. Are you happy now?”
“That’s all I get?”
“Were you hoping for some salacious details?”
Emma grinned. “Maybe.”
“Well, I think that’s enough for tonight.” He picked up her empty plate and started to rise out of his chair when she reached over and lightly touched his arm. Emma could see the struggle in his eyes, and he kept clenching and unclenching his jaw. He appeared to be internally bashing himself about whether to be honest with her.
Not wanting to cause him pain, she shook her head. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. It was rude to ask.”
“No, no, I’ll give you the gory details,” he replied, easing back down.
Emma’s jaw dropped open. She couldn’t help leaning forward, expectantly waiting to hang on to every word. Between hearing about his parents and now his love life, so many pieces of Aidan’s puzzle were coming together.
“Her name was Amy, and we were fifteen. We were both on our high school’s swim teams. She was my first relationship, my first sexual experience, and…” He fidgeted in his chair. “The first girl whose heart I broke.”
Emma’s own heart suddenly ached for a girl she didn’t even know. “Why did you break up?”
“We dated through high school and tried making it work the first semester of college, but my heart just wasn’t in it any more. More than anything, I didn’t want to be tied down…so I got the wandering eye.”
“She caught you cheating?”
Aidan rubbed his hands over his face. “Fuck, I can’t believe I’m telling you all this.”
“Please finish.”
“No, I broke it off before she found out. Then three years later, I ran into her at a friend’s wedding and we started seeing each other again. Neither one of us were swimming competitively any more; we had finished up college and were starting our careers. After another year together, the logical thing to do was…”
“Get engaged.”
He grimaced. “But as much as she wanted a proposal, I just couldn’t man up and do it. The thought of being tied to her the rest of my life made me physically feel choked.” His body gave a slight tremor. “And then I did something really, really shitty, so she broke up with me.”
“What did you do?” Emma questioned softly.
“She walked in on me having sex with another woman.”
Emma’s hand flew to her mouth and she stared at Aidan in horror. “That’s…so cruel.”
His expression darkened. “Yeah, in case you didn’t get the memo, I’m an asshole, remember?”
“But you can be so kind and considerate. The very fact that I’m not at home alone, crying into a pint of Ben & Jerry’s proves that. Instead, I’m sitting here eating the dinner you cooked and wearing your clothes.
That’s true compassion.” She shook her head sadly. “Those are the reasons it’s so hard imagining you could do something so callous to someone you loved.”
Aidan shrugged. “The past is the past I guess. At least she found someone else and has been happily married for the last eight years.”
“You’ve seen her?”
“No. My mom used to see her at Mass with her husband and kids.” Aidan grinned sheepishly. “Mom seemed to love rubbing it in my face.”
“She was probably still mad at you for ruining such a good thing.”
“Probably.” Aidan emptied the rest of the wine bottle into his glass. “So now that you’ve heard my sad story, what about you?”
“You already know mine.”
Aidan shook his head. “I’m not talking about being in love. I’m talking about breaking someone’s heart.” He propped his elbows on the glass table. “With your face and body, it isn’t possible you haven’t broken at least one guy’s heart.”
“I never said I didn’t,” Emma protested.
“Aha. So spill,” Aidan said.
“It’s certainly not as salacious as yours.”
He smirked at her. “I would imagine not, Goody Two-Shoes. I’m sure the fact that you wouldn’t sleep around broke quite a few hearts.”
Emma crossed her arms over her chest. “Last time I checked, your heart is above your waist, not below it.”
Aidan laughed. “Okay, okay. I get it. So what’s the story?”
“Fine. Here’s the SparkNotes version: his name was Steve, we were eighteen, and I was in love with his best friend.”
“Ouch, that had to suck for ol’ Steve.”
“I never meant to hurt him, but from the time I turned sixteen, there was never anyone in the world for me but Travis.”
“Did you go out with him to make Travis jealous?”
“No. At first I thought Steve would make me forget him. We were all in school and church together, but Travis acted like I was nothing more than a friend. Steve was the kind of guy who brought you flowers and called you in the morning to see how you were doing. He also respected my boundaries about sex.”
“Poor Steve,” Aidan joked.
Love in the Dark Page 97
