She's Having the Boss's Baby (15 page)

“Yeah, bro,” Logan drawled. “There’s nothing too pressing going
on right now. Let her take a few days off.”

“No. I need her here.”

“Why?” Logan asked.

He needed her. Wasn’t that enough? “Okay, both of you, get
out.”

Grace shook her head. “You’re such a knucklehead.”

Aidan raised an eyebrow at that, then glanced at his brother.
“Does she call you names like that?”

“Not so much anymore,” he said.

“Great. So it’s just me.”

Logan walked over to the bar and poured two shots of scotch. He
handed one to Aidan, who scowled, but took the glass and downed it.

“Thanks, I needed that,” Aidan said. “Now you can go.”

“I don’t think so,” Grace said.

“Nope, we’re just getting started.” Logan sat down in the
visitor’s chair and pulled Grace onto his lap.

“This should be good,” Aidan muttered, and had no choice but to
sit back down at his desk.

“I don’t care if you’re too stupid to admit you’re in love with
the woman,” Logan said. “What I do care about is that we might’ve just lost the
best business partner we’ll ever have because you’re too boneheaded to admit
it.”

“Something happened to make Ellie leave,” Grace said. “What did
you do?”

“I didn’t do anything. I was on my way to take her up to the
lagoon for the day.”

“Oh, that’s so romantic,” Grace said, and smiled at Logan. But
then she turned and frowned at Aidan. “So why did she run off?”

Aidan thought about seeing Ellie across the terrace. She’d
looked right at him, then turned and left. Why? Then it hit him.

“Damn it,” he muttered. “There were some guests flirting with
me. It didn’t mean anything, but that’s the moment Ellie…”

“But Ellie’s not the jealous type,” Logan said. “It must’ve
been something you said.”

“She’s not the jealous type, but she does have a gentle heart,”
Grace said. “And she’s pretty certain you’re not willing to give her yours.
Seeing you with those women might’ve brought that hard lesson home to her.”

Aidan brushed his hand through his hair in frustration. Grace’s
words made sense, even if he hated hearing them.

“Why are you keeping Ellie at arm’s length?” Logan asked
quietly. “Why won’t you just admit that you love her as much as she loves you?
You can trust her, Aidan. She won’t hurt you.”

Aidan sneered at his brother. “Look who’s Mr. Relationship
Expert.”

Logan laughed. “Turnabout is fair play, dude. Remember a while
back when you played the expert?”

Aidan nodded. “Yeah, back when you played the idiot.”

Logan chuckled. Gazing at his wife, he stroked her hair. “Yeah.
That was me.”

Unable to watch the two lovebirds any longer, Aidan got up and
poured himself another shot of scotch. He stared at the glass, then glanced out
the window at the incredible view of palm trees swaying along the white sand
beach with the azure waters of Alleria Bay in the distance. It was one more
symbol of what they’d strived to accomplish throughout their lives. This piece
of land should’ve meant everything to him. But right now, it didn’t mean much
because Ellie wasn’t here with him. Was that the real reason why he’d tried to
keep her on the island in the first place? Damn. It had nothing to do with
keeping the business going. It had to do with keeping Ellie near him. Everything
was better when she was by his side. In business, in pleasure, on the island,
flying off to New York. Everything worked when Ellie was with him.

God, she’d only been gone an hour or so and he missed her.
Where was she? He needed her here. On the island. With him. This island, this
symbol of accomplishment, meant nothing if he couldn’t share it with the one
person he’d grown to love more than anything else in the world.

“So what’s your plan, man?” Logan asked him.

Aidan gritted his teeth, knowing there was only one thing to
do. He drained the shot glass and slammed it down on the counter, then turned
and faced his brother and Grace. “My plan is to grovel as much as it takes to
get her back.”

“But why, Aidan?” Grace asked softly.

Aidan smiled as he realized that Ellie had asked him the same
question that night he and Logan had pulled the Switch. He had rushed to her
house to see her and had wanted to spend the night with her and all she had said
was,
Why?

He turned to his brother and Grace. “Because I love her.”

“Good answer,” Logan said. “Just might work.”

*

Ellie had just settled on the couch and was about ready
to doze off when the doorbell rang. For a moment, her shoulders tightened at the
thought of Aidan coming for her. But he didn’t even know where she was! It was
just one more example of her crazy obsession with the man.

Besides, it was mid-morning in Atlanta, not Alleria. Aidan was
a thousand miles away. Brenna had rushed out to the market while the kids were
in preschool. Her husband, Brian, was at work. And Ellie was already tired, so
she decided to ignore the doorbell.

When the doorbell rang again, Ellie grumbled. It was probably
someone Brenna knew, so she really should answer the door. When it rang yet
again, it was clear that the person wasn’t going to go away.

“Hold your horses,” she muttered as she stood and walked to the
door. She pulled it open and blinked, not quite trusting her eyesight. Had she
conjured him up by magic? Did he have to look so wonderful that he made her
mouth water? She wanted him so badly, she could feel her knees weakening.

“Aidan.”

Without waiting for an invitation, he walked right into the
house, shoved the door closed, pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

She savored his presence, the brush of his clothing against
hers, his scent, the taste of him on her lips, and wished the moment would last
forever. But it couldn’t, of course.

“I know you’re in love with me, Ellie,” he said immediately
after the kiss ended. “I’m taking you home.”

“I’m in love with you?” she said. “Is that all you came here to
tell me? Go home, Aidan.”

“Don’t deny it,” he said. “You love me.”

She stomped away from him, then whipped around. “Why would I
deny it? I’ve already told you I’m in love with you. It’s no big revelation. But
if you think I’m going to drop everything and go back with you to Alleria,
you’re wrong.”

“We need you, Ellie.”

“We?” she said, a little too loudly.

He sighed heavily. “All right. I need you. Okay? I can’t seem
to do anything without you.”

“Oh, right, you need me,” she said in a withering tone. “You
don’t look too happy about it.”

“I’m happy,” he said loudly.

“Just admit it, Aidan. You’ll say any outlandish thing you can
think of to get me to come back to work.”

“I don’t care if you come back to work,” he retorted. “You can
quit your job for all I care. I just want you to come back to me. I need you in
my life.”

“But you have so many other women who want you.” Oh, no, she
thought. Why did she say that? She sounded like a jealous harpy.

And he knew it. Which was why he was grinning broadly now. “I
knew you saw me on the terrace. Why didn’t you rescue me from that horrible
woman? She ambushed me.”

“Oh, please,” she muttered. “You poor baby.”

“It’s true,” he said, biting back a smile. “Besides, I was on
my way to find you so we could sneak off to the waterfall and make love all
afternoon.”

She almost sighed at the thought of them lazing away the day in
the rain forest. She wanted him so much, it was killing her.

“But you ran away,” he said, brooding. “I couldn’t find you
anywhere. Why?”

She wanted to tell him why, wanted to throw herself into his
arms and beg him to love her. Instead, she asked, “What are you doing here,
Aidan?”

He gazed at her musingly. “I was an idiot not to realize years
ago how amazing you are. I’ve wanted you all this time.”

She blinked. “What? Why didn’t you say something?”

“Did you hear the part about my being an idiot?”

She blurted out a laugh. “It’s my favorite thing you’ve said so
far.”

“It’s true, Ellie. I’ve been so stupid. It took your leaving to
make me realize how much time I’ve lost, but I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
He held her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. “I love you, Ellie. I love
everything about you.”

“Y-you love me?”

“I do. I even love your slide presentations and your sensible
pantsuits and the way you shove your pencil behind your ear when you’re
concentrating on your notes.”

“Oh, good grief, Aidan,” she said, covering her face with both
hands. “I sound like a schoolmarm.”

“I love schoolmarms,” he said, pulling her hands away and
kissing them, one finger at a time. “And pantsuits.” After a moment, he met her
gaze again. “But if it’s not too sexist, can I admit I prefer your little bikini
most of all?”

“Of course you do,” she said drily.

“I cannot tell a lie.” He smiled, and one corner of his mouth
curved even higher than the other, just as Ellie had explained to Logan. His
grin widened and his eyes twinkled and she fell in love with him all over
again.

“Oh, Aidan,” she whispered.

He smoothed her hair back from her face. “Please come home. I
promise you’re the only bikini babe I’ve ever loved. Please, Ellie. I miss you
in my bed, but most of all, I miss you in my life.”

She took a breath and let it out. “I miss you, too.”

“Come home, then,” he said, squeezing her hands in a sensual
plea. “Come home and start a family with me. We can tear up the custody
agreement because I want a big family with lots of babies. I promise they’ll
always know how much I love them and their beautiful mother. Please come back to
the island, back to our home. Marry me and love me always, Ellie.”

How could she say anything but yes? “I love you so much, Aidan.
Of course I’ll come home with you and marry you.”

“Thank you,” he whispered. He kissed her again and she could
feel the promise in his touch.

When he opened his eyes and gazed at her again, she smiled
shyly. “I’m glad to hear you say you want babies, because I’m pregnant,
Aidan.”

His eyes widened and he gazed down at her. “Oh, my God. Is it
true?”

She took his hand and pressed it lightly against her stomach.
“Do you mind?”

“Mind?” he said, and then laughed. “No. I think I’m speechless.
But very, very happy.” And he kissed her again.

Ellie couldn’t believe her heart could be so filled with love
without bursting.

When she opened her eyes, Aidan was staring intently at her. “I
can’t wait to get home,” he murmured. “I want to make love with you all night
long. And I still intend to take a day very soon and go up to the waterfall
where I plan to explore every beautiful inch of you.”

Ellie shivered with need. That tingling feeling she always felt
around him was back and she couldn’t wait to show him how much she loved him.
Every day for the rest of their lives together. With a smile, she took hold of
his hand. “Take me home, Aidan. Take me back to Alleria where we both
belong.”

Epilogue