She glanced back to Aidan who was shrugging out of his suit jacket. “You did all this for me?”
“I’d like to take credit, but the staff did all the fruity candle stuff and flowers,” he replied, tossing the key card on the table. At her continued bewildered expression, he chuckled. “What did you expect? A single bed and a quickie? I know this is just about procreating, but give me a little credit.”
“No…but I just didn’t imagine this.” She smiled shyly. “For what it’s worth, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“What’s in the box?” she asked, motioning to the bed.
“Something for you.”
“Me?”
He nodded and handed her the package. “Before you open it, let me say this. You already know you don’t need to do anything but breathe to give me a raging hard-on—”
“Aidan!” she protested.
He laughed at her outrage. “Anyway, I’m kind of a lingerie man, so I thought you might humor me and wear it.”
She opened the lid on the box. After whisking away the pink tissue paper, her eyes honed in on emerald green satin. Her fingers trembled as she reached inside to pull out the baby-doll nightie. The bodice had intricate green and gold beading and embroidered flowers with sheer material that would reach her thighs along with a matching thong.
“Is it okay?”
“It’s beautiful,” she murmured. The thought of him shopping just for her was overwhelming. Did he do that for all his conquests, or did they come with their own readymade lingerie? “Thank you.”
Aidan’s face broke into a wide grin. “I don’t know about it being beautiful. It’s more about how you’re so f**king sexy when you’re in green. Just like that green dress at the Christmas Party and the one you’re wearing tonight.” He tenderly brushed a strand of her auburn hair out of her face. “That color makes everything about you stand out from your hair to eyes.”
“But how did you even know my size?”
“Casey helped me out with that one.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Why am I not surprised? I’ll have to remember to thank her for that.”
Aidan laughed. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, she swore she’d cut my balls off if I ruined this night for you.”
“She didn’t?” Emma squeaked.
“Oh yeah, she did.”
“Between Connor and Casey, I can’t believe you even want to go through with this!”
“It’s okay. I work well under pressure,” Aidan joked. He motioned his head to the bathroom. “Now go get your game face on and change.”
Emma giggled. “Okay, then.” She slipped into the bathroom and shut the door, locking it for good measure. She unzipped her dress, and it pooled into a whisper of chiffon on the floor. After exchanging her panties for the thong, she whisked off her bra and put on the nightie. There were no buttons or zippers, just a satin bow to tie in the middle to keep it in place. When she finished, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. “Oh my,” she murmured. Somehow donning the nightie had morphed her into a full-on sex kitten. She could practically hear Casey’s voice ringing in her ear. Go get him, babe!
As her hand hovered over the doorknob, she took a few reassuring breaths before opening it. Aidan had his back to her when she stepped out of the bathroom. The bedroom flickered in candlelight and soft music played from an ihome in the corner. She couldn’t believe he was going to all this trouble. In her mind, she’d imagined him leading her upstairs like the Big Bad Wolf and devouring her before she could get the door closed.
She stood awkwardly in the middle of the room waiting for him to notice her. She shifted on her feet, rubbing her bare arms. Finally, she cleared her throat. When Aidan whirled around, his eyes widened. “Holy shit, Em.”
Self-consciously she tugged on the baby doll’s hem, trying to cover herself a little more. “How do I look?” she asked, as she slowly turned around for his approval.
He closed the space between them in two long strides. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he jerked her against him. His breath teased against her cheek as he whispered, “Sexy as hell.”
“Thank you.” Bolstered by his compliment, she leaned in and brought her lips to his. This time she slid her tongue into his mouth, eagerly seeking his warmth. His hands slid down from her waist to cup her bu**ocks. He hitched one of her legs over his hip, grinding his need into her. Emma moaned at the exquisite feeling of him through her thin panties. As he moved against her, she wanted to feel more of him—his bare skin on hers.
She tore her lips momentarily away from his. “Aren’t you taking anything else off?”
“I was waiting for you to undress me.”
“Oh,” she murmured. Thankfully, he had already taken off his tie, so she didn’t have to worry with that. Her trembling fingers reached for the buttons on his shirt. She fumbled with the first one before undoing the rest. She pulled his shirt apart and widened her eyes at his sculpted chest. Without questioning herself, she ran her hand down the center of his chest, over his washboard abs, and down to his belt buckle, causing Aidan to suck in a breath and his stomach muscles to clench. Enjoying the effect even her slightest touch had on him, she glanced up and smiled. “Nice chest. I bet you spend hours in the gym.” Before he could respond, she shook her head. “Could I sound more cliché?”