After taking in Aidan’s words, Emma remained speechless. When they had stared each other down for a few agonizing seconds, Aidan sighed. “Fine. Let him come by and check you out.”
“He’s not checking me out. He’s checking my vital signs. He even has a portable ultrasound to check on Noah.”
“Fabulous,” Aidan muttered before starting to the door.
“You’re not being fair,” she said.
Aidan whirled around, fire burning in his eyes. “Excuse me?”
“Can’t you at all empathize with what I’m going through? All this confusion I’m feeling about you and about us and all the uncertainness—you felt this too, didn’t you?”
“Are you insinuating that what you’re going through right now is the same thing I did about committing to you?”
“No, it’s just—”
Aidan held up a hand. “I’d think long and hard about making any comparisons, Em. Because in the long run, my confusion led me to screw up the most wonderful thing I ever had.” He shook his head sadly at her. “I wouldn’t want you to have to go through the same thing.”
Her chest caved in at his words, and she had to suck in a few harsh breaths. Was Aidan right? Was she throwing away happiness with both hands because of her stupid uncertainty?
His voice brought Emma out of her thoughts. “How long should I be gone tonight?”
“Aidan, you don’t have to leave. You can stay right here and see that there’s nothing going on.”
“I may be a masochist but only to a certain extent,” he replied bitterly.
Emma sighed. “He’s coming at five, and he has to go into work at nine.”
Aidan bobbed his head in acknowledgement. “I’ll have my phone if you need me.”
Without another word, he left her. When the back door slammed shut, she jumped. Beau came into the bedroom and gave her a WTF look. She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, it’s all my fault, right?”
Beau barked and came over to the bed. Emma sat up and leaned over to scratch his ears. “Come on. I need to get ready. We’re having company this afternoon.”
Beau’s ears perked up at the mention of company, but she shook her head at him. “But I’m sure you’re not going to like Pesh very much. You’ll get all territorial, which means I probably need to put you in the basement.”
He whined and backed away, causing Emma to giggle. “Not now, silly. Just before the company gets here.”
She then got busy getting ready for Pesh’s arrival. After she showered, she put on a small amount of makeup. To prove to herself and to Aidan it wasn’t a date, she didn’t bother putting on one of her nicer maternity dresses or outfits. She maintained her daily wardrobe of stretch pants and a long-sleeve shirt.
After banishing Beau to the basement, she was lounging on the couch with a book when Pesh rang the doorbell. “Come in,” she called.
Pesh pushed through the door. His gaze scanned the room for her. When his eyes met hers, he gave a beaming smile. “Well hello. Don’t you look wonderful?”
Emma glanced down at her clothes and then back up to him. “Seriously?”
He chuckled. “I don’t mean your attire. I meant that your color looks very good. Your bed-rest appears to be agreeing with you because you have a healthy glow.”
“Oh, well, thank you. That’s good to hear.”
“You aren’t starting to feel a little stir-crazy, are you?”
She grinned. “Maybe a little. I’ve only been out of the house once to go to the doctor. Nothing exciting.”
“Well, speaking of the doctor, let me get my bag and the monitor, and we’ll check to see how you’re doing.”
“That sounds good.”
Pesh disappeared out onto the porch for a moment before returning with a black medical bag and a large box with a handle. He sat them down on the side of the couch. He then glanced around the living room, taking in the décor. “You have a very beautiful place.”
“Thank you, but I can’t take the credit since this isn’t my house.”
He eased down on the couch beside her. “I should have realized you were staying with someone.”
Nibbling her lip, Emma replied, “Actually, this is Aidan’s house.”
Pesh grimaced. “I’m alone with you at his house.”
Emma’s cheeks warmed. “I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable. He’s the only one who could take care of me.”
“It’s fine.” He placed his hand on top of hers. “I’ll go anywhere if it means getting to spend some time with you.”
She met his intense gaze. “Thank you,” she murmured. Everything that she had argued with Aidan about being interested in Pesh seemed to fly out the window when she stared into his soulful, brown eyes.
He flipped over her wrist and began taking her pulse. “A little fast, but it seems good,” he noted.
Leaning over, he started digging through his medical bag. He stuck the stethoscope buds in his ears and brought the silver disc to her chest. His demeanor was all professional as he instructed, “Breathe normally.” As he shifted the disc across her chest, his arm brushed across her br**sts, and she stiffened. If Pesh noticed her reaction, he didn’t acknowledge it. Instead, his brows furrowed as he listened to her heart and lungs.
Pesh’s closeness caused her heartbeat to accelerate. His woodsy smell, the heat from his body, the tousled dark hair she wanted to run her fingers through—it drove her to distraction. Breathing normally like he had requested was completely out of the question. Instead, she managed to draw in several harsh pants. Pesh’s dark eyes swept from the stethoscope up to hers. He took the buds out of his ears and smiled knowingly. “Either I’m making you nervous, or you need to get back to the hospital for your erratic breathing and heartbeat.”
She felt a warm flush creeping across her cheeks. “No, it’s you,” she murmured.
He cocked his eyebrows. “So you’re saying if Dr. Pendleton were here taking your vitals you wouldn’t be reacting this way?”
Laughter sputtered from her lips. “Of course not.”
Shifting his body, he leaned in closer to her. His dark eyes penetrated hers. “Why do I make you nervous, Emma?”
Her mouth ran dry, and she licked her lips. “Because…” You’re so damn good-looking, and your fabulous body kicks my pregnancy hormones into overdrive, making me think things about you I normally wouldn’t. But more than the lust, you’re kind and compassionate, and if given the chance, I could see myself falling for you.