With a sigh, Connor ran his hand through his dark hair. In a low voice, he said, “She’s crazy about kids, and her biological clock is all in a snit to have baby for like the last two years. Loving her the way I do, I’d promised her I’d be the father and donate to the cause.”
Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the story Aidan had expected. “Don’t tell me. You chickened out when it came down to doing the deed?”
Connor scowled at him. “Ha, ha, ass**le, real funny. For your information, it was going to be done in a clinic.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Aidan mused, with a sly smile.
“Dude, g*y, remember?” “Sorry.” For reasons he couldn’t possibly fathom, Aidan was so intrigued by the story he felt the need to prompt Connor to continue. “So what happened?”
“My partner isn’t ready to have children. I promised him that Emma didn’t necessarily want me involved, but he won’t budge. It’s been hell choosing between the man I love and my best friend.”
“Why can’t she just go to a sperm bank or something?”
Connor chuckled. “Emma has it in her mind there will be this horrible mix-up where her choice of a prime donor’s sample was swapped with some serial killer’s.”
Aidan grinned. “I guess I can see her point.”
A buzz went off in Connor’s pocket. He dug it out and then groaned at the ID. “Shit, it’s Jeff. He’ll have my ass for coming here and trying to talk to Emma. I really, really have to go.” His gaze once again went to the bathroom. “I hate to leave her though…”
“You go on. I’ll see she gets to her car okay.”
“Really? That would be awesome.” He thrust out his hand. “It was nice meeting you…”
“Aidan. Aidan Fitzgerald.”
“Connor Montgomery.” After they shook hands, Connor smiled. “Thanks for all your help and for totally misreading the entire situation.”
Aidan laughed. “It was a pleasure almost kicking your ass.”
“Hey now,” Connor replied. When his phone rang, he winced and gave a short wave before bringing it to his ear. “Babe, yeah, sorry I missed your texts. I’m on my way home now.” He pushed through the glass doors and disappeared into the night.
With a shake of his head, Aidan started across the lobby to the bathroom. He rapped on the door. In a shrill voice, Emma shouted, “Go away, Connor! I have nothing else to say to you! Not to mention, you just embarrassed the hell out of me in front of one of the biggest ass**les in the company!”
“Biggest ass**le, huh?” he murmured under his breath. Not exactly a title he was proud of, especially coming from a woman. He was used to hearing much more flattering descriptions of himself from them. Well, at least in the beginning before he walked away. After that, things usually took a nasty turn.
“I’m not leaving this bathroom until I know you’re gone!”
Aidan sighed. She was a determined one that was for sure not to mention stubborn as hell. His mind flashed back to how beautiful and sexy she’d looked at the Christmas party—how the slinky green dress she’d worn flowed over her curves making her irresistible. When he’d seen her across the room with some girlfriends, he had been determined to spend the night with her. Her shy smiles and glances up at him through her eyelashes had spurned him on to close the small space between them. Of course, by the time he’d arrived at her side, her interfering friends had already informed her of his dubious reputation as a heartbreaker and serial womanizer.
“Women,” he muttered under his breath as he pushed through the bathroom door. Emma sprawled out on the tapestry settee with a wet paper towel over her eyes. On one side, her skirt was jacked halfway up her hip, giving him a fabulous view of legs and thighs. At the sound of footsteps, she gave a frustrated grunt. She stabbed the air in front of her with her index finger. “I swear if you don’t leave me alone, I’m going to kick you so hard in the balls there will no longer be any question about whether you can father my children!”
Aidan chuckled. Her deep auburn hair so foretold her fiery personality—one she’d showed him at the Christmas party. All her bashfulness had evaporated in an instant when she told him in no uncertain terms that she had no desires to be one of his conquests or one night stands.
“Actually, it isn’t Connor.”
At the sound of a stranger’s voice, Emma snatched the towel away from her eyes. Horror washed over her face at the sight of Aidan standing before her. Quickly, she jerked her skirt down and ran a hand through her disheveled hair. “I didn’t expect to see you, Mr. Fitzgerald,” she said, meekly.
A grin slunk across his face. “No, I imagine you were expecting to get to castrate Connor.”
Emma’s cheeks and neck flushed the color of her hair. “I’m sorry you had to hear that, and I’m so sorry you had to get in the middle of our argument. As embarrassing as it was—it is—I appreciate what you tried to do.”
He shrugged. “I was happy to help.”
“Well, I am grateful. And I’m sorry for ruining your evening.”
Never one to forgo an opportunity, Aidan grinned. “You haven’t ruined my evening. In fact, the night is still young, so why don’t you let me buy you a drink?”
She twisted the paper towel in her hands before tossing it into the trashcan. “Um, that’s nice of you to offer, but it’s been a long day. I should probably get home.”
“We could walk right across the street to O’Malley’s.” At her continued hesitation, he laughed. “I promise it’s not an offer to try to ply you with alcohol in your weakened emotional state to get you to come home with me.” Secretly, he hoped a drink or two might be able to thaw her icy veneer and give him a chance to move in for the kill.
He wasn’t too surprised when shock flooded Emma’s face. “Really?”
He crossed his fingers over his heart. “Scout’s Honor,” he lied.
The corners of her lips quirked up like she was fighting a smile. “Okay then. After the day I’ve had, I could sure use one.” She glanced back at the mirror. “Oh, I’m a mess. Could you give me a few minutes to freshen up?”
“Of course. I’ll be right outside.”
CHAPTER TWO
When the door closed behind Aidan, Emma released the breath she had been holding in a long, exaggerated whoosh. Deflated, she leaned against the bathroom counter. Drinks with Aidan Fitzgerald, are you insane? Every woman in the building knew his reputation of screw-em-and-leave-em, and unless you wanted your heart broken, you steered clear of him. Thoughts of their encounter at the Christmas party flashed like a lightning storm through her mind.