Preface

Glancing at the clock on the car’s dashboard, Emma cringed. Her pampering day at the spa had run a little late. Okay, thirty minutes wasn’t exactly a little late. Now it was only an hour before she and Aidan were supposed to be at his company’s Christmas Party. Somehow in that hour they were going to have to drop Noah off at Aidan’s niece, Megan’s, house since she had graciously offered to baby-sit for them.

When she rolled to a stop at a red-light, she dug her phone out of her purse. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she typed Five minutes from the house. Hair stylist was behind. So, so sorry. She didn’t know how much good trying to text Aidan would do. Her last few messages had gone unanswered, and she was afraid to call the house in case Noah was still napping.

He had surprised her that morning at breakfast with an early Christmas present—a gift certificate to Spa Sydell where she could spend the day getting pampered with facials and massages before having her hair and make-up done for the party. Now that she was a stay-at-home-mom, she relished anytime she could have a day just for herself. It had been the most amazing present, especially since Aidan was spending the day having “man” time with Noah.

But now Emma didn’t even want to begin to wonder how Aidan was getting ready for the party with Noah crawling around and getting into everything. All she had left to do was slip into her cocktail dress, but when she had left Aidan and Noah earlier in the day, Aidan was in his ratty sweatpants and hadn’t showered or shaved.

She whipped the car into the driveway and eased into the garage. Grabbing her purse, she hopped out and hurried into the kitchen. Beau met her in the doorway. “Hiya, boy. Let me guess. Daddy is pissed and not speaking to me?” Beau cocked his head at her, causing Emma to laugh. “Okay, let me rephrase that. Where are the guys?”

He wagged his tail before turning around and heading out of the kitchen. “Okay, I’ll follow you then.” Glancing into the living-room, she saw the television was on. “Aidan?” she questioned as she started down the hallway. Beau sat outside the master bedroom doorway, thumping his tail on the floor. Emma smiled and patted his head. “You’re such a good boy. Thanks for letting me know where they were.”

When Emma started into the bedroom, she skidded to a stop. Lying on one side of the bed, Aidan was sleeping soundly with his right arm draped over his head. Next to him, Noah lay in the same position. A smile curved on her lips, and she couldn’t stop the warmth spreading through her chest at the sight of the two people she loved most in the entire world. Digging her phone out of her purse, she tip-toed over to the bed. She snapped several shots of the mirror images of father and son.

Now she knew why her texts had gone unanswered. He wasn’t upset—he was dead to the world. Easing down beside Aidan, she leaned over and kissed his cheek and then planted a chaste kiss on his warm mouth. “Wake up, sleepyhead. It’s time to get ready for the party,” she said against his lips.

While Aidan barely stirred, the sound of her voice caused Noah to stretch his fists over his head and kick his legs. Emma reached over Aidan’s waist to pick Noah up. Kissing his cheek, she said, “Hey angel. Did you miss mommy?” His drowsy blue eyes opened—the same piercing ones his father had. A small grin formed on his lips, which caused Emma to melt. His tiny hand came up to brush his fingers over her cheek. She kissed each one of them before pretending to nibble them, which always made Noah laugh. “I missed you, and I’m going to miss you tonight, too. But Megan is going to take good care of you, and you’ll get to play with Mason.”

Noah cooed in response, reaching for the strands of her auburn hair that he loved to twist between his fingers.

At Aidan’s snore, Emma shook her head. “Come on, let’s wake up Daddy.” She sat Noah next to Aidan. “Go on. Wake him up,” she instructed. With a grin, Noah immediately reached over and smacked his hands over and over on Aidan’s chest. “Dada!” he cried.

Aidan’s eyes flew open, and he gazed wildly around the room before finally taking in Emma. His mouth opened in a wide yawn before he spoke. “Now there’s a wake-up call. Just glad he wasn’t close to my crotch,” he muttered before rubbing his eyes.

Emma laughed. “Hey, I tried kissing you, but you wouldn’t wake up.”

With his trademark sexy smirk, he replied, “Damn, I hate I missed that one.” He started to move closer to her, but she pushed him back.

“Well, you wouldn’t have missed much with Noah in the bed, not to mention the fact we’re going to be late to the Christmas Party.”

“Who cares about being on time? We can just make an appearance.” Pulling himself into a sitting position, Aidan stared at her for a moment, drinking in her appearance. “You look beautiful,” he murmured.

Warmth filled her cheeks. “Thank you. And thanks again for my early Christmas present. I had the most amazing day.”

He smiled. “You’re welcome.” He reached out to tenderly take one of her loose curls between his fingers—he and Noah both had an obsession with her hair. “I’m so glad you left your hair down.”

“I did it for you—I know you like it loose wavy.”

He winked at her. “Just like the first night I ever saw you.”

With a grin, she said, “Yes, but the difference in that night and tonight is I’ll be coming home with you. Unlike two years ago when I said you were the last man on earth I would ever sleep with.”

Aidan chuckled. “What a difference a couple of years can make, huh?” He leaned over to nuzzle her neck. “You gotta admit that we’ve made the most of the past twenty-four months. Not only did you end up sleeping with me many, many times—”She smacked his arm playfully to which he pulled away and winked at her. “But you married me, gave me a beautiful son, and are now pregnant again with my child.”

“With your daughter,” Emma teased.

With a groan, Aidan replied, “We’re not sure it’s a girl yet.” He sighed and shook his head. “But if it is, I hope she never, ever dates a guy like me.”

“Now stop running yourself down. You’re a reformed manwhore, remember?”

“That’s right.”

“The past is past, and all we have is our present and the future.”

“But we wouldn’t necessarily have now if it weren’t for my notorious past or your rather tragic one.”