The Proposition by Katie Ashley Page B

about Beau.”
    “You have a roommate?”
    He chuckled. “Not unless you consider an
eighty pound black Lab who eats me out of house and home and snores
louder than a bear a roommate.”
    “Oh you have a dog!” Emma squealed.
    He gave her an odd look. “Damn, I didn’t
think you’d be that excited about my old smelly Lab.”
    She grinned. “You don’t know how much I love
dogs! I’ve wanted to get one for so long, but my schedule has been
so crazy I was afraid it would be alone too much.”
    “I understand. I actually take Beau to Doggy
Daycare a couple days a week.”
    “You do?” she asked, fighting to keep the
corners of her lips from turning up in a smile.
    With a scowl, he replied, “Yeah, yeah, I’m a
total pussy.”
    Emma stood up on her tiptoes to ruffle
Aidan’s hair playfully. “Aw, actually I think it’s sweet you do
that for Beau.” Then she moved her hand down to his chest. “And it
just goes to show what I really believed all along—you actually
have a heart in there.”
    “I’m glad to hear I’m coming up a little in
your esteem. I would hate to have our future child scarred because
his mother thought his dad was a heartless, sex-fiend asshole.”
    Her face crumpled as she snatched her hand
away from his chest. Aidan gave her a sheepish look. “I didn’t mean
to upset you by mentioning the baby.”
    “It’s okay. I’m way too emotional today.”
    He cupped her chin and gave her a reassuring
smile. “It will happen, Emma. It may be next month or next year,
but you’re going to get pregnant.”
    Tears pricked her eyes. “Thank you.”
    “Even if we die trying, we’ll make it
happen.”
    She laughed. “Somehow I think you would enjoy
the death by sex part.”
    His eyes closed in exaggerated bliss. “I
can’t imagine a better way to go.”
    They were interrupted by a low, keening howl
at the basement door. “Guess I better let Beau out before he has a
nervous breakdown,” Aidan said. He turned the knob, and Beau came
lunging out. He immediately tackled Emma to her knees, but she just
laughed good-naturedly. “Down Beau! No jumping!” Aidan
bellowed.
    “It’s okay,” she said, as Beau slurped his
pink tongue over her cheek. “He’s just glad to see somebody.”
    “He’s an obedience school flunkie,” Aidan
muttered.
    “Aw, I’m sure he’s really the bestest boy in
the whole wide world! Aren’t you sweetheart?” Emma said, her voice
raising an octave. Beau wiggled all over at her attention, his tail
thawping against Aidan’s leg. He went into doggie heaven when she
started scratching behind his ears, making grunting noises and
finally sitting stock still.
    “Okay, boy, time to go outside.”
    Beau refused to budge from Emma. Aidan rolled
his eyes in exasperation. “Outside. Now!”
    Emma kissed the top of Beau’s head and then
rose to her feet. “You better go on outside before you get us both
in trouble,” she said, pointing to the backdoor.
    Beau reluctantly started across the kitchen,
his claws tapping across the hardwood floors. Aidan opened the door
and let him out into the backyard. He shook his head as Beau
frolicked after a butterfly. “Great. He’s already totally whipped
by you.”
    “I can’t help that everyone, even animals,
love me,” Emma joked.
    Aidan turned back to her and grinned.
“Someone is cocky tonight.” His eyes widened at the sight of her
legs. “Oh shit, I’m sorry.”
    Emma glanced down to see the ragged holes
where Beau’s claws had snagged her stockings. “It’s no big
deal.”
    “You want something to change into?”
    She bobbed her head. “That would be great,
thanks.”
    “Follow me.”
    Emma fell in step behind Aidan as they
started down the hallway. She wasn’t too thrilled at the prospect
of following him into the master bedroom, so she stopped in front
of a wall of pictures. “Are these all of your family?”
    Aidan turned back and then nodded. “Yeah,
Angie, did that for me. She got all the pictures