Page 74 of Only for Tonight
“I’ll be right back. I’m going to grab a sweater in my room,” I mention and walk out of the room and head to the bathroom down the hall. I stand here, waiting and two seconds later he’s walking toward me. He’s wearing a pair of black jeans that look like he’s worn them forever and a black T-shirt. The tattoos on his arms make my mouth water.
“Hi,” he says softly, pushing the hair away from my neck and leaning down to kiss me. “I hated not being able to kiss you,” he mumbles and I open the bathroom door and slide in with him right behind me, his hands on my hips.
The door barely closes behind him and I’m turned around and pushed toward the door. His hands are in my hair and his mouth crashes down on mine. His tongue slides into my mouth and I melt into him. Four days has been way too long, my hand goes to the back of his hair, my nails gripping his head. “We need to get back out there,” I tell him when he lets my lips go and his kisses trail to my neck.
“I leave tonight,” he tells me. “After this, we’re leaving here because I need to get inside of you.”
“I’m not going to go to your parents’ house and have sex with you.” I put my hands on his chest.
“Okay, we can get a room.”
“Go away,” I urge. “Let’s get this over with and then we’ll see.”
“That means you missed me as much as I missed you.” He smirks and bends to kiss me softly. “Also, why didn’t you make plans to have lunch in a public place?”
“I don’t know how he’s going to react, Jaxon,” I whisper-hiss. “This is the safest bet.”
“He’s going to be fine with it. He likes me.”
“You’ve never gotten his daughter pregnant before”—I raise my eyebrows—“so the jury is still out.”
“Okay, let’s get this over with so I can hold your hand and touch you when I want to,” he suggests, moving me away from the door and kissing me one more time before walking out.
I wait a minute before I join him in the kitchen and notice they are in the living room. “Okay,” my father states, standing next to the chair he usually sits in, with his hand on top of it, “what is going on?”
“We know,” my mother says and I feel the back of my neck start to burn as if I’m being branded by a poker. “We figured it out when Jaxon got here.”
“What did you guys figure out?” I walk into the room, standing under the arched entryway, right next to Jaxon.
“I don’t think you did,” I mumble and look up at Jaxon. “Jaxon and I?—”
My mother squeals, “Are dating!” She claps her hands as if she just solved the puzzle.
“Sort of, yeah,” I say, thinking that is one way to ease into this.
“Sort of, yeah?” my father and Jaxon say at the same time. I look over at Manning, who has his hands in his pockets and looks down at the floor, trying not to laugh.
“Well, okay,” I concede. “Yes, we’re dating.”
“Oh my,” Evelyn says, sitting down on the chair beside my mother, “for real?”
“For real,” Jaxon confirms, finally putting his arm around my shoulders.
“Well, that and…” I look up at him and inhale deeply. “We’re…” I look at my father who has no expression on his face. None. Not a smile. Not a frown. Nothing. I can’t read his face and it’s killing me. “Having a baby.” I wait a beat. “Together.”
“I’m sorry?” My father turns his head to the side as my mother and Evelyn both gasp. “I’m not sure I heard you.” He blinks his eyes tight and then opens them again. “Did you say you’re having a baby, or you want to have a baby?”
I put my hand to my stomach. “We’re having a baby.” I stare at him. “Like it’s in me right now.”
“What the fuck?” my father roars and Manning just looks over at him, his hands out of his pockets, ready to step in if something happens. “What the actual fuck?”
“Ralph.” My mother moves to him and puts her hand on his forearm.
“I know this is a shock,” Jaxon starts and my father just glares at him. I turn to him and put my hand on his chest, telling him to let me talk.
“This is a shock to everyone,” I say calmly. “It was a shock to us as well. But it’s done, it’s here and we’re going to?—”
“You’re going to what, Ariella,” my father barks, “have his baby? You don’t even know him.”
