One Night Stand (New Yorker III) by M.O. Kenyan

my baby and you. Your body
is changing and you are more hormonal. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
He shot her a smile.
    “So for
my sake could you keep the sexy grins to a minimum?” She laughed and when she
did she felt so liberated.
    “I’ll
try, but knowing that my baby is growing inside you is so damn sexy,” he teased
her.
    The
laughter stopped when they got to the large gates to her father’s estate.
Catalella began to panic, sure that they weren’t ready for this show of
commitment but terrified that being here with her family would only confirm it.
    “I’m
right here with you, and I’m not going to run,” Rich said as he squeezed her
hand.
    “You
thought about it?”
    “I
think every guy who knocks up a girl outside marriage is terrified about
meeting her father.”
    “Right
now I would advise it.” If her father didn’t take a swing at him, AJ or Reno
definitely would. Either way he wouldn’t be leaving the Ross estates unscathed.
“Remember, they think you’re my boyfriend. My mother will be heartbroken if she
thinks I haven’t gotten my complete package,” she pleaded.
    “Complete
package—baby, love and a husband.” She watched as Rich swallowed hard. He was terrified and
she could see it. “I’m not sure if we’re going to have that. But I can promise
you that today you are the only woman I want to be with.”
    Catalella
almost felt her heart running away with his words. She reigned it in and took a deep breath to clear her thoughts. He sounded convincing, but
so had Michael Mathews. She was going to keep up the ruse for her mother, but by
sunset tomorrow they would be back to being their true selves. She held her
breath as her mother and father stood outside the front door to meet them. She
glanced at Rich and he smiled at her.
    “Wait
for me,” he said as he got out of the car and walked round to her side. He
opened the door for her and helped her out of the car. “Be careful.”
    “I’m
not going to break,” she whispered.
    “I
know.” He smiled at her as he held onto her hand, walking by her side as they
came face to face with her parents.
    “Mama,
Papa.” Catalella hugged her parents then stepped back to Rich’s side. “This is Rich, I mean this is Ethan McCrery.” She heard footsteps
coming behind them and Catalella remembered their tail. “And this is Harold
Henry, Ethan’s godfather.”
    She
watched as her father shook Rich’s hand, studying him the whole time. Then he
shook Harold’s hand and there seemed to be even more there, as if they had a
past. Catalella shot her mother a look and could see how nervous she was. She
looked at Rich and they exchanged a glance that told her he was just as
confused as she was.
    “Come
in,” Rosalinda said finally.
    The two
men disappeared into her father’s study, leaving Rich and Catalella staring
after them.
    “ Ay papi muy encaliente .” Catalella
frowned at her sister’s rude exclamation.
    “Lisette,”
she warned.
    But
Rich gave her a curt nod and a smile then replied, “ Gracias.”
    “You
speak Spanish?” Catalella asked, stunned.
    “I do.”
    “You
didn’t tell me.”
    “You
never asked.”
    “Already
arguing like a married couple,” Rosalinda said as a smile beamed on her face.
“Come on, he has to meet the rest of the family.”
    “Peanut!”
Catalella launched herself into her brother’s waiting arms when she spotted
him. She felt his body go rigid and his arms stiffen as he put her down. He
took a step towards Rich and, before she could introduce them, AJ punched Rich
in the face.
    “What
the hell, AJ!” Catalella said as she went to Rich’s side. She had never seen
her brother hit anyone that hard and was surprised that Rich was still
standing.
    “You
knocked up my sister, Rich,” AJ growled as Reno held him back.
    “I
didn’t know she was your sister, Ali,” Rich groaned.
    “Ali?”
Catalella asked when it dawned on her. “AJ is Ali?”
    She
watched the two men and it was