wished she would say something one way or the other. It wasn’t like her to equivocate so much.
Finally she looked up and squinted at him. “What did you just say?”
He smiled. “I’m offering you an associate partnership in our corporation.”
*
Ellie was pretty sure most of the blood in her head had flowed right out, leaving her brain empty and her ears ringing. She felt dizzy and faint and was still not sure she’d understood him. “Say that again, please.”
“Partnership, Ellie,” he said. “You heard me. I know you want it.”
Of course she wanted it. She had brought up the subject of partnership during her review last December, asking the brothers if they had considered adding a partnership track to incentivize their top senior-level employees. Aidan and Logan had admitted they hadn’t yet decided, unsure whether they wanted to include anyone else in their tightly knit two-man operation.
“You—you’re offering me a partnership position.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you deserve it. And because I’m determined to do whatever it takes to keep you here working with us.”
She would’ve stayed without the partnership offer, but now she was overwhelmed. First he’d offered his own sperm—and everything that went with it, so to speak. Now he was offering her a partnership deal? Had she won the lottery? What was going on?
“Well, what do you think?” he asked.
“I’m stunned,” she admitted. “And a little suspicious of the timing of your offer.”
He nodded. “I understand how you might feel that way, but the truth is, Logan and I had already planned to make you the offer once he was back from his honeymoon. I’m just speeding up the process.” Standing, he walked over and sat down in the chair next to her. He took hold of her hand, warming her all the way through to her heart. “I know you want to have a baby and I want to help you if you’ll let me. It’s your choice, absolutely, and no matter what you decide, you’ll still be a partner and a friend. I brought up the idea with the best of intentions, no matter how idiotic it sounded to you.”
“Oh, Aidan.”
“Wait.” He held up his hand. “I feel honor bound to add that it wouldn’t make me uncomfortable at all to see you naked. In fact, it’s pretty much all I’ve thought about lately.”
Her throat went dry. Unless she was delusional, it sounded like Aidan was still interested in helping her conceive naturally. And the more she thought about it, the more she was all for it. Especially with him sitting so close and holding her hand and unconsciously rubbing his thumb along the pulse point at her wrist. Tiny zings of excitement charged through her body with every move of his thumb, driving her crazy in all the best ways.
She knew that accepting his offer could be dangerous to her well-being. But it didn’t have to be. She was a strong woman and this was essentially a business proposition, after all. It would be the best possible thing for her baby and a fabulous opportunity for her. She could accept without fear of turning into her mother.
Aidan continued, “The partnership deal is my way of letting you know that no matter what you decide on the baby front, we want you to continue working for Sutherland once you’ve started your family.”
“So it’s not some sort of bribe to help me forget your good old-fashioned offer?”
“That depends,” he said carefully. “Is it working?”
She laughed. “Yes, it’s working. I’m weak. But, Aidan, you don’t have to bribe me to stay. I already told you I have every intention of staying on after the baby’s born.”
“I’m glad. But the partnership is not a bribe. It’s for real.” He outlined the particulars of the deal, adding that the lawyers would draft an agreement that would take effect immediately upon signing. It was an associate partnership, the first level of the Sutherland partnership track. She had the opportunity to advance each year until she reached the top level of full capital partnership.
“I’ll warn you,” Aidan said. “Reaching full partnership could take anywhere from five to ten years. But I want to see you go for it.”
Go for it, she repeated silently. But could she say yes to the whole deal? she wondered. It might be smart to back away from having a baby with him. After all, if she did agree, it would mean entering into a deeply personal relationship with Aidan that she wasn’t sure she would ever recover from.
Still, part of