“What you had with Jade, what you still feel for her, it’s really beautiful,” she murmured when he finished.
Pesh jerked a hand through his thick hair. “It’s interesting to hear you say that. I think most women are turned off by what they perceive is a man who can’t let go of his dead wife.”
Megan shook her head. “I don’t think so. Who wouldn’t be turned on by a man who feels so deeply that he didn’t stop loving his wife just because she died?”
Pesh’s eyes widened at her statement, and he sucked in a harsh breath. “Most women don’t want to share your heart,” he challenged softly.
“Then they’re obviously insecure. All of us have the ability to love people in infinite capacities. I love my son with all my heart and soul, but there will still be room for a man…someday.”
He stared at her for a moment, unblinking and unmoving. “I have to say that I find your reasoning absolutely fascinating.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
The intensity of his gaze caused her to laugh nervously. “I don’t think a man has ever called me fascinating.”
“That’s a pity.”
Before she could try changing the subject, Aidan came by their table with Noah in his arms. “After I put him down, I’m going to make some drinks. Emma wants one of her margaritas. You game?” he asked Megan.
She nodded. A drink would certainly help cool her off after the conversation she’d been having with Pesh. “Sure. I don’t think I’ve had one in forever.”
“Neither has she. I may be peeling her off the ceiling tonight,” he teased.
Megan laughed. “You have seriously got to stop with the innuendo. You are my uncle, and it is mortifying and disgusting to have to think of you in that capacity.”
“I am so terribly sorry for scaring your sensitive mind.” Grinning, Aidan turned to Pesh. “Beer okay with you, or would you like something fruity, too?”
“I’m fine with a beer,” Pesh replied.
Aidan bobbed his head. “Be right back.”
After Aidan headed in the house, Pesh caught her staring at him. “What?” he asked.
“Just surprised you wanted a beer, that’s all.”
“And why is that?”
She shrugged. “You just seemed a little too refined for beer.”
He tilted his head at her. “What other preconceived notions do you have about me?”
“None really,” she lied. In her mind, she couldn’t help thinking how she wanted to make him be dirty just for her. She wondered what other surprises he might have up his sleeve.
“For some reason, I don’t believe that.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Let me guess. You think that I’m a ‘refined’ man who drinks wine, would never think of cussing or have inappropriate thoughts, organizes his underwear drawer, and who considers doing the crossword puzzle a fun Friday night?”
Megan couldn’t help snorting at his summation. It was a good distraction not to focus on how he had mentioned inappropriate thoughts and his underwear drawer. At the moment, she was having inappropriate thoughts about his underwear…or hopefully lack thereof. Of course, she couldn’t help judging him as not being the commando type. “No, that’s not what I think of you.”
“I would hope not. I know that since I’m a little older than you—”
“Just a little?”
The corners of his lips turned up. “Obviously you think I’m an old man.”
“No, I don’t,” she blurted.
“How old do you think I am? Just shy of adult diapers and a walker?”
She scowled at him. “I was not insinuating that at all. I think you’re probably close to Ankle’s age.”
Pesh’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Ankle?”
She laughed before explaining where the nickname came from.
“I see. So just how old is Ankle again?”
“Thirty-four.”
“Hmm,” Pesh murmured.
“Are you younger than that?”
“Older actually. I’m thirty-seven.”
Damn, he was a lot older than her. Twelve years to be exact. “Did I shock you?” he asked, with a teasing lilt in his voice.
She shook her head. “I’d hardly call thirty-seven old.”
“It’s considerably older than you are, right?”
“I suppose,” she lied.
He grinned at her as he leaned on the table with his elbows. “And just how old are you?”
“Twenty-five—I’ll be twenty-six in a few months.”
“Twenty-five going on twenty-six.”
“Yes.”
“I must be positively ancient to you.” He held out his hand and examined it. “I might have a liver spot or two.”
She smacked his hand playfully. “Shut up. Thirty-seven is not old.”
“See any grey hairs?” he asked, bending over to where his delicious head of hair was in front of her face. Her fingers itched to run through the dark strands. Her mind ran straight to an illicit image of her fingers tugging on his hair as he went down on her, jerking too hard when he sucked and licked her until she came, and then stroking the damp hair back from his forehead as he rose up to cover her body with his.
She cleared her throat that had run dry. “No, of course not.”
He jerked his head up to wink at her. “Then there’s hope for me yet.”
“I would think so.”
Aidan appeared then, carrying all the drinks on a tray. “I expect a tip when you guys finish,” he teased.
“I’ll remember that,” Megan replied.
After jerking his chin toward the table next to him, Aidan said, “Why don’t you guys come over here with us?”
She fought the urge to slap him. She was enjoying having Pesh to herself. “Um, sure. Okay,” she said, reluctantly rising out of her chair. When they changed tables, she was glad to see Pesh take the empty chair beside her, rather than across from her.
Once she got settled in, she wasn’t lamenting her seat change too much. Between Casey, and Emma’s other best friend, Connor, the table was kept in raucous laughter. It was good being with a group of friends. After she had gotten pregnant, she didn’t have much in common with her sorority sisters anymore. Then when she became a mom, she rarely saw anyone from her old group. Her life moved in an entirely different orbit than theirs now.
The conversation and laughter flowed as easily as the drinks. Megan found herself halfway through her second margarita when she started feeling funny. A flush filled her cheeks at the same time she felt clammy. As Aidan came back with another beer, she asked, “Did you put something different in this one?”
“Yeah, we ran out of the tequila I got for the party, so I gave my favorite niece a good dose of Sierra Silver.”
“What?” Megan demanded.
Aidan’s brows furrowed behind his tipped back beer bottle. Once he swallowed, he asked, “Does it taste bad?”
Megan pinched her eyes shut. The room was beginning to spin around her a little. As she brought her hand to her forehead, she heard a smack across the room and Aidan cry, “Ow, dammit, Em!”
“That tequila is a hundred and fifty proof alcohol, Aidan,” Emma chastised.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize it. I just thought it was the better stuff because it was white tequila. That’s your drink of choice, not mine.”
Oh God, she was in so much trouble. She’d barely consumed any alcohol since she got pregnant and had Mason. Now she’d had one regular dosed margarita and almost a full one of straight alcohol.
A gentle hand landed on her thigh. “Are you all right?” Pesh asked.