“No, I did it all myself. Well, my sisters helped of course. They take it upon themselves to spoil me in all domestic areas.” He turned around and surveyed her expression. “So you like it?”

“Like it? I love it. You’ve gone above and beyond just investing in some property. This is a home anyone would be proud of.”

A slow smile spread across his face. “Thank you. Coming from someone like you, that means a lot.”

“Someone like me?”

He raked his fingers through his hair, stopping to tug at the strands at the nape of his neck. “Oh you know, someone who is real—someone who appreciates a home over a house.”

Emma opened her mouth to respond, but a loud thump interrupted them.

Aidan rolled his eyes. “I should probably warn you 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 pu**y.”

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 ass**le.”

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 together and then arranged them for me as a house warming present.”

“She did a great job.” As Aidan dipped back inside the bedroom, Emma continued gazing at the photographs. Aidan was the spitting image of his late mother. Several of the pictures were of his parents when they were younger and older. “I love this one of your parent’s at their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Your mother was so beautiful,” she called.

“Thanks.”

“And your dad is handsome, too.”

“I told you I’d bring some attractive genes to the table!”

She rolled her eyes at his cockiness. “Your dad looks like a really sweet and nice man.”

Aidan poked his head out of the bedroom door. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Emma shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I had this impression of your dad being like Hugh Hefner, and you following in his footsteps.”

Aidan laughed as he handed her a pair of navy sweat pants and a white t-shirt. “Trust me, my dad is the farthest thing from Hef. My parents were high school sweethearts. I’m not sure if he ever slept with anyone but Mom. She’s been gone five years, and he’s barely dated at all.”

“That’s so romantic,” Emma gushed.

“Yeah, but he’s lonely. If he’s not hounding one of my sisters, he’s calling me, guilting me to come visit. I know he’d like someone to be there with him all the time, but he just can’t seem to let go of Mom. I keep telling him to move on, but he just refuses.”