The Proposal (35 page)

He leaned over and lowered his voice. “Yeah, but I
pulled out.”

Emma cocked her brows. “And you’re Mr. Super Potent
Sperm, remember?”

Aidan swallowed hard. His mind whirled with
out-of-control thoughts. He was going to be a father again. He hadn’t even
thought of the prospect of having more children until Noah was at least two, if
not older. Sure, his sisters Angie and Julia were fourteen months part, but he
had never imagined having two so close together. Noah would still be in diapers
when the new baby arrived. Jesus, he could barely survive all of Noah’s
changings…what would it be like with two?

“Aidan?” Emma prompted. When he met her gaze, he
could immediately read how she was feeling. She was thrilled at the prospect of
another child to love, but she was also fearful of his reaction.

He brought his lips to hers and gave her a deep,
reassuring kiss. When he finally pulled away, tears shone in her eyes. “Does
that mean you’re okay with this?”

His hand went to tenderly touch her abdomen. “I’ll
admit I’m scared shitless at the prospect of another child, but we’ve already
been through so much. Another baby will just mean more love.”

Her bright smile warmed his heart. “Oh, Aidan, you
made me the happiest woman in the entire world by giving me a baby. Then you
made my life complete by giving me your heart and your love. I can’t imagine
anything more amazing than another child of yours.” She then gave him a
lingering kiss.

When she pulled away, he grinned. “Does this mean I
can expect your libido to be kick-starting soon like when you were pregnant
with Noah?”

She gave him a sly grin and then winked. “Oh yes.”

He closed his eyes in exaggerated bliss and brought
his hand to his chest. “Be still my heart.”

She nudged him playfully as Nikki returned to take
their orders. When Emma ordered her usual Rib-eye, Aidan stared at her in
surprise. “You’re ordering a steak?”

“Sure, why not?” she replied as she handed the menus
back to Nikki.

“I thought meat made you sick in your first trimester
when you were pregnant with Noah.”

Emma shuddered. “Oh it did. I couldn’t even stand
the smell of it, remember?” Surprise flashed on her face as the wheels turned
in her head. Without missing a beat, a smile spread across her face. “I guess
that means this baby is a girl!”

“Oh God,” he moaned.

Emma tilted her head to the side and gazed up at
him. “What’s the matter, Big Papa? You don’t think you can handle a girl?”

“I think I’ll be fine until she gets to be a
teenager, and then I may end up in prison for cutting some little horndog’s
dick off!”

Emma laughed. “Poor thing. With you as her daddy,
she won’t get to date until she’s thirty.”

“And it’ll be a good thing because if she’s half as
beautiful as her mother, she’ll have all the boys chasing after her.”

Tears sparkled in Emma’s eyes at his compliment.
“You’re so sweet.”

“It’s the truth.”

“But I do remember you saying you would bring some
mighty fine genes as well.”

“We’re a good baby-making pair, aren’t we?”

Emma snorted. “In more ways than one.”

Aidan laughed. “Who knew you would be so fertile and
I would be so potent?”

“That just means after this baby, we’ll have to be
more careful or consider more options.”

Aidan shook his head furiously back and forth.
“Don’t even think about suggesting a vasectomy!”

Emma rolled her eyes. “I was thinking either birth
control pills or something for me. Don’t get your balls in a twist that I want
to take your manhood or something.”

Aidan couldn’t help sighing with relief. “That’s
good to hear.”

“But don’t think just because I’m going on birth
control, I’m finished with baby-making.”

He arched his brows at her. “Oh really?”

“Mmm, hmm. I want a big family just like yours.”

“Em, I don’t think I ever signed on to father five
kids.”

“Oh but you’re
so
good at it,” she teased.

He groaned. “There goes you and that mouth again.”

“Well, I’ll think of cutting myself off at three if
you’ll shut me up and kiss me.”

“I’ll be happy to oblige ma’am.”

Aidan brought his lips to hers. Just as her warm
mouth opened invitingly, a high pitched wail caused them to break apart. They
watched as Jenny hustled a red-faced, crying Noah over to them.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” Emma asked.

“Muh! Muh!” he cried.

Emma shook her head and grinned as she took Noah
from Jenny. “I can’t believe he can say dada all day, but I get called ‘muh’!”

Burying his face in Emma’s neck, Noah’s cries
quieted as Emma hummed to him. Their food arrived then. “Wanna come to Daddy,
Little Man, so Mama can eat?”

Noah tightened his arms around Emma’s neck at the
insinuation. “Come on now. Mama needs to eat for your little brother or
sister.”

When Aidan reached to take Noah, he screamed and
clung to Emma. “Oh Jesus. He’s getting to be such a Mama’s Boy,” Aidan
lamented.

“There’s nothing wrong with that. I seem to recall
another Fitzgerald boy who was one, and he turned out all right,” Emma replied,
while rubbing wide circles across Noah’s back and kissing the strands of his
strawberry blonde hair.

Aidan nodded at her insinuation to him and his
mother. She was right. He had been a Mama’s Boy and proud of it. “Well, that’s
true, but did have some screw-ups until he found the love of another good
woman,” Aidan replied.

“Then we’ll just have to hope and pray Noah finds
the same one day.” Emma smiled at him over Noah’s head. “And until then, he can
be my Mama’s Boy.”

Aidan grunted. “Come on, Little Man. You’re really a
Daddy’s Boy, aren’t you?” he prompted. Peeking through Emma’s auburn hair, Noah
grinned at Aidan. The small gesture caused Aidan’s chest to clench, and he
fought to breathe.

“Are you okay?” Emma asked.

“I’m more than okay.” He leaned over to kiss Noah’s
cheek before kissing her tenderly on the lips. “I’m fucking amazing.”

Acknowledgements

Thanks first go to God for the amazing blessings
I’ve received with the publication of
The Proposition
as well as through
every facet of my life.

To every reader who picked up
The Proposition
I am forever in your debt. Your support, appreciation, your love of Aidan and
Emma, your love of my supporting cast, your messages and emails, fan videos and
Pinterest pages —it saved me. Words would be inadequate to express how much I
appreciate and love you guys!! Big hugs and kisses—I’m a Southern gal, and
we’re huggers!!

To my late mother,
Ginger Jackson Ashe
: A
posthumous thanks is needed for this amazing woman who gave me life. For
twenty-three years, I was the main focus, the main joy, and the source of
tremendous and unfailing love until she was taken from us far too soon. In
every strong woman I write, in every mother whose entire world is her child, in
every woman who deals with the hand life has given her—it is because of my
mother. From the time I was a little girl and wrote my first story, she
believed in me and my writing, although when she said I would be a Pulitzer
Prize winner, I was quick to respond with “Dime Store Romance Novelist!” Her
sacrifices and her love sustain me ten years later, and they are a blessing
each and every day. I love and miss you, Mama!!

To my late grandmother,
Virginia Jackson
: I
never though I would be writing a posthumous thank you to this amazing woman
whose unexpected loss in May 2012 shattered my world. Although a diminutive
woman, she was coined Big Mama by cousin and myself, and it was a name that
stuck for so many people. From the time I wrote my first few words, her support
was unfailing.  No matter how many rejections, no matter how dark the path to
publication seemed, her belief that I would be successful and a star(her nepotism,
lol) never wavered. Just like my mother, she is every strong woman, every
amazing mother, and every sassy and tough talking gal—a true Steel Magnolia of
strength, beauty, and courage. I love and miss you, Big Mama.

To the best writer buddies and friends anyone could
ever hope for:
Kelli Maine, Michelle Valentine and Emily Snow
. It has
been an honor to trudge through the writing trenches with you the last three
years. I wouldn’t be able to make it a day without you guys and your support. I
owe a tremendous debt to your eagle eyes, your plot magic, and your
cheerleading. LOVE YOU!!   Thanks to
Kristen Proby
for your support and
pimpage.

To
Hannah Wylie
: I’ll never, ever forget what
you have meant to me and my writing. From that first read through of The
Guardians up until The Proposition, your support has been unfailing. You’ve
been a cheerleader as well as one to commiserate in the bad times. Thank you
again for being a critique partner and friend.

Cris Soriaga Hadarly:
Words seem
inadequate to fully verbalize what you have meant to me and my writing. I
couldn’t have hoped or asked for a better reader turned fangirl turned friend.
Your love and support have been bright light in my life, along with that
beautiful, infectious smile of yours. I thank God for it. I want the most
amazing of 2013’s for you, my love!!

Michelle Schultz Eck
: I thank God
for putting you in my life and putting us in close proximity geographically!
For all your help and support on promotion for
The Proposition
as
well as your eyes on the prize aka the sequel!! Your honesty and unfailing
support has meant so much along with our bond of loss.

Brandi McGee Polatty
: Thank you so
much for your friendship and support. I feel that you were put into my life for
a reason as well as being geographically close!! Thank you for the amazing
website. It rocks!!

I wouldn’t have had the amazing success with
The
Proposition
that I’ve experienced without the appreciation and support
of some fantastic bloggers:
Literati Literature Lovers, Aestas’s Book Blog,
The Book Avenue Review, SUBCLUB Books, Flirty and Dirty Book Blog, Shh’s Mom’s
Reading, Ana’s Attic, Into the Night Reviews, Holly Loves Indie, Lori’s Book
Blog, Kindlehooked, Natasha is a Book Junkie, Three Chicks and Their Books,
Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews, & The Rock Stars of Romance, and Tina’s Book
Blog.

Heather Gunter
: Thanks for
being an amazing reviewer and for being my partner in crime to get my first,
and most likely only, tattoo!!

Besides my Naughty Mafia ladies, thanks to my early
eyes on the sequel with
Denise Sprung, Marilyn Medina, Michelle Eck, and
Lisa Pantano Kane.
Thanks for telling it like it was and letting me know
what was working or not working.

Marilyn Medina
: my sista from
another mista and Golden Girls twinsie, I don’t know what I would have done
without your support, friendship, and Eagle Eyes. I would have still be
grabbing up things and missing ridiculous typos!! You donned your feathered hat
and pimped me to the world, and I’ll never forget it or you, my love!

Elizabeth Martinelli aka Mama Liz
: I don’t know
where I would be without your love and support. You’ve stood by me in the
darkest times and been a friend and second mother to me. Your support of my
writing has been unfailing. I am blessed and grateful to have you in my life.

Paige and Enzo Silva
: You’ve been
the best IRL friends a girl could ask for. You stood by me in the good and bad,
and I’ll never forget your love and support. You’ve been the best cheerleaders
and the best “talk a gal down from the ledge” friends.

To my second parents
Jimmy and Joy Stephens,
along
with my adopted sister,
Missy Mulkey
: Words are inadequate to give
thanks for what you have meant to me my entire life, especially in the last
year. I thank God daily for your love and your support and for giving me
parents again when mine were lost.

To
Elizabeth Harper
for her love and pimpage
of
The Proposition
when I was just an unknown Indie writer.
Thanks as well as to
Mersina
on Goodreads for her fantastic GIF whored
out review of The Proposition! I still smile when I look at it!!

To
Raine Miller
for her business savvy and
talking me down from the ledge as well as her amazing books! Drinks on me in
Vegas!

To the ladies of
The Smutty Book Whore Mafia
for giving me lots of support, but most of all for the laughs, naughty
conversations, and “shiny” pictures—as well as growlers or my own personal
“howlers”!! You gals rock!!

Other rocking gals that need thanks are the gals in
The
Rock the Heart
fan group for all your support, laughter, and naughty talk!