Carra walked out of the doctor’s office barely able to hold back the tears. Her legs felt like rubber and her heart was beating hard in her chest.  She hurried to her car, not believing what she had just heard.  She was pregnant…again and with twins to boot.  What in the world was she going to do?  How could she be so stupid? 

She could barely take care of Josiah who at eighteen months was a handful.  How in the world was she going to be able to handle two more babies?  How could she begin to explain her situation to her family?  The only thing she could think of was adoption, though the thought of it made her physically ill. She didn’t want to give up her babies.  She knew that she could not take care of three children, no way no how. How would she be able to tell the father about the twins, when she’d never told him about Josiah?

She knew that he could well afford to take care of his children and her, but she didn’t want him thinking that was the reason she had been with him.  Stephan Gringale was a rich and powerful man  She didn’t want him thinking of her as a golddigger.

Then there was her parents.  They had no idea that Josiah’s father was a white man…a rich white man at that.  She could just imagine how they would respond.  Her father grew tobacco and her mother ran a daycare.  Cara had grown up on a farm in the small rural community of Emporia, the youngest of three children and the only girl. 

Her brothers were older and married by the time she went away to college and then returned pregnant.  They had been apprehensive when she had gone to New York on a full scholarship and their fears had turned into reality when she had returned home with a degree, but pregnant.

Now she was pregnant again, by the same man who didn’t even know that he was a father and she wasn’t sure exactly what she was going to do.

It had started innocently enough three years earlier.  She had been working as a breakfast chef at the Radisson Hotel while she attended the Art Institute of New York.  She had been dazzled by his beauty and overpowering masculinity when she had first laid eyes on him.  Stephan Gringale was a man who oozed sexuality and charisma .  He was harsh but fair to the employees and his voice was deep and booming. 

He had walked around the Radisson barking orders and she watched as people scurried out of his path.  He was tall and well built and he had piercing blue eyes.  It had been love at first sight on her part, though she knew that he would not even give her a second glance. He was the new CEO and he was doing an audit.  He told all of the employees that he would whip them into shape.

His corporation had bought the hotel chain  the previous year and he had made drastic changes that had paid off handsomely over the following twelve months.  The chain was soon thriving under his direction as the CEO.  Cara learned from her gossiping co workers that he was a confirmed bachelor and womanizer.  He lived for his work and for making money.  Women, she was told was something he did on the side.

It had been purely fate when he had called down to the kitchen and ordered breakfast on his latest visit to their hotel.  He had demanded that the order be placed and delivered within the thirty minutes that the company advertized.  She had been the one Chef Hanson had volunteered for the task. 

Mr. Gringale had ordered an omelet with ham, bacon, sausage, cheese and spinach.  He had wanted homemade hash brown potatoes and black coffee.  Cara had quickly filled his order and taken it to his room.

“Come in here”  he had demanded as she pushed the dolly into his room.

“Open it up and let me see.” He had said pointing to the dolly.

With shaking hands Cara had done as he requested.  She had then sat the plate of food before him and watched as he tasted it hoping that he wouldn’t spit it out and berate her.  Instead he had smiled that dazzling smile of his.

“Delicous”  he had exclaimed obviously pleased.

“Thank you”  Cara had replied, relieved.

His blue eyes had  searched hers.  “So what is your name?”

“Cara…Cara Nightingale.”

He had let out a roar of laughter and then looked at her.  She had heard all of the jokes about her name and waited for his.

“Cara Nightingale.  Is Florence your mother”  he had quipped. 

Cara had resisted rolling her eyes.  “No my mother’s name is Joanne.”

“Of course, Mr. Gringale had replied.  “Your breakfast was satisfactory.  How long have you worked for my company?”

“A year”  she had responded.  “I am a student.  I only work part time.”

“I see”  he had replied,  wiping his mouth.   His eyes had roamed over her and then back up to her face.  Cara had never been this close to him before.  She remembered that his eyes had been  bluer than she first thought.  His face had been clean shaven, and his scent intoxicating.  Whatever scent he had been wearing teased her as she had stood erect in front of him, waiting to be dismissed.

“You will cook my breakfast every time I come to inspect this location.”  He had said standing and pushing the plate back when he had finished.

“Y-Yes sir”  she had responded.

For the next year, Stephan Gringale would visit their location every few months to reinspect some part of the hotel that had failed his previous intense audit.  He would always stay overnight and demand that she prepare his breakfast.  Once she had been off, and Chef Hanson had called her in just to prepare the breakfast and then sent her home.

Each time Stephan Gringale had been polite and aloof in her presence, making her stand before him as he sampled his breakfast and only dismissing her once she had finished.  Each time she would allow her eyes to roam over his handsome face, his perfect physique and wish that there was someway that she could  meet a man that looked like Stephan Gringale and smelled like him too.   

Cara didn’t fool herself.  She knew that she was no beauty.  Men didn’t take a second look at her and she doubted if Stephan Gringale was any different.  She was a poor black country girl with a southern accent.  She didn’t wear makeup and she wasn’t a size 8.  She had a big butt and while her breasts weren’t small, they weren’t that big either.  No man, especially no white man would want her to be anything other than what she was…an employee.

That fateful night when her life had changed forever occurred when she had returned to the hotel after having left one of her school books there in her locker. She needed it in order to complete a project for class and had hoped to sneak and out quickly.  Graduation wasn’t that far away and she was grateful that all of her hard work had been paying off.  She would be leaving New York shortly and then she could stop mooning over the handsome Stephan  Gringale.

Cara had quickly walked to her locker retrieving her book, and then to the kitchen to check her schedule for the next week. Mr. Gringale was there inspecting the kitchen when she walked in.  He had looked up surprised to see her.  She looked around the kitchen as several employees scurried out onto the floor.

“A little early for breakfast, don’t you think Ms. Nightingale?”  he had quipped.

“I..I forgot something”  she said lowering her eyes.  This man always made her nervous.

He had put down his clipboard and walked over to her.

“I’ve never seen you without your uniform”  he remarked, his eyes roaming freely over her.

Cara didn’t know what to say and had quickly turned to leave.

“You have graduation coming up, correct?”  he had  asked looking at her.

Cara had nodded, unable to speak. 

“What are your plans after graduation?”  he had asked walking up to her. 

“I-I’ve had several job prospects…”  her voice had trailed off.  He was so close to her and she could smell his cologne.  His blue eyes seemed to look into her very soul and she had wondered how old he was.

“You will consider staying here, won’t you?”  he  had asked smiling that brilliant smile she had grown to love.  “It would be a shame for me to return and not be able to get my perfect omelet now wouldn’t it?”

Cara’s mouth had been dry and she had then wondered why this man had such an effect on her.  She was twenty two years old and here she had felt like an adolescent.

“I will consider it”  she had heard herself say.

“Good”  he had replied nodding.  He then had grabbed her arm.  “I’m done here.  Let’s go down the street and celebrate your graduation with a drink.”

Cara had wanted to protest, but words escaped her.  She had dutifully followed him like a lamb to slaughter as he had led her to Billy’s Tavern that was across the street from the hotel.  She wasn’t a drinker.  Hell, she had hardly dated, but now she was sitting across from the hunk that had invaded her dreams having a drink and then it was two.  Warning bells went off in her head, but she had ignored them.  He had been talking, but she remembered the warm feeling in her belly as she had found herself looking at his thin lips and his pointed nose and those blue eyes of his.

“Are you alright, Miss Nightingale”  she had heard him ask.

“Call me Cara…since you plied me with drinks”  she had said, surprised by her own loose lips.

He had laughed and helped her to her feet.

“You must let me see you home.”  He had insisted.  “Do you have to work tomorrow?”

“No…not tomorrow”  she had replied,  her words slurring slightly.

“I guess I will not get my breakfast then”  he had replied disappointed.

She had grinned at him, not knowing where her boldness came from.  “Well you never know”  she had heard herself saucily reply.

He had laughed at her remark and led her out and she tried not to stumble as she walked.

“Where shall I take you?”  she’d heard him ask.

“Why not to your room?”  she’d responded before she could think through the haze of liquor that fogged her brain..

He had paused and looked at her.  “You are an employee.  Such things are frowned upon.”

She had kissed him then, brazenly and boldly.  Filled with courage from the alcohol, she had done what she had dreamed of doing for months.  She recalled waiting for him to pull away and berate her and even fire her, but he had done what she had always dreamed of him doing, he pulled her closer and kissed her back.

It hadn’t been long before she had found herself in his room with him undressing her.  She hadn’t  wanted to tell him that she was a virgin, that she hadn’t  known anything about lovemaking.  She had watched as he quickly undressed, his body firm and hard.  His chest covered with hair that made her hotter still with a small trail of hair leading to the prize.

Fear had gripped her stomach as she looked at his member which was thick and long.  Her mouth had been  dry as she watched him climb on the bed beside her.

“You are a beautiful black girl…”  she heard him say.  “I’ve never been with a black girl…never had the nerve to approach one.”

Cara hadn’t known whether to be intrigued or insulted by his comment.  His hands had been everywhere and also his lips.  She felt as if she had been having an out of body experience.   She had cried out in pain as he pushed his way inside her and she watched as his eyes had widened in surprise.

“You are a virgin?”  he had whispered shocked.

“Not anymore”  she had groaned pulling his mouth down to hers. She hadn’t wanted to hear regrets so soon. She had wanted this experience with a man she had been obsessing over for months.  She had wanted him to be the one, because no other man had ever grabbed her attention like Stephan Gringale had done.

She had slipped out of the room after he had fallen asleep, ashamed by her brazn behavior, yet a part of herself  hadn’t  regretted giving her virginity to the man she had dreamed about for months.  She had thrown herself at him and he had taken what she offered.  Later, her upbringing had kicked in and she hard heard her mother’s voice in her head chastising her for her behavior.  Unable to face Stephen,  she had quit the next day and had hidden out at a friend’s apartment until graduation.  It was a month later that she had learned that she was pregnant.

Cara had moved back home to Emporia, Virginia, where she had to break the news of her pregnancy to her parents.  They had not been pleased, but they had been supportive.  She never told them who Josiah’s father was, only saying that it had been someone at school who had moved on with his life.

Was it fate that made her return to New York for the Alumni Reunion at the Art Institute two years later?.  She had been asked to speak to the class of incoming freshmen about her internship experiences while she had been  a student there.  Josiah had been left with  her parents and she figured that there would only be a small chance of Stephan Gringale being in town that weekend.  How wrong she had been. Fate was not her friend.

He was not only there, but he was scheduled to speak at the Art Institute also and she couldn’t avoid seeing him.  His eyes had borne into her in the hall and there was no escape.  He was still just as handsome as she remembered.  When everything was over, he had grabbed her arm and pulled her aside before she could escape through the side entrance..

“Why did you quit?  Why did you leave the company?”  he demanded. 

“My internship was over.  It was time for me to move on.”  She lied not meeting his eyes. 

“You had two more weeks to work.  I checked”  he pointed out. 

“I’m sorry.”  Cara said not meeting his eyes.  “I had to get away. There was no use staying…it would have been awkward for both of us.”

“You have regrets?”  he asked quietly.

“I really don’t want to talk about this”  she said pulling away from him.  “I’ve got to go.”

She had hurried out of the Auditorium only to be stopped by Stephan as soon as she got outside.  He had run behind her, quickly catching up.

“We need to talk”  he demanded grabbing her again.  “Don’t run from me, Cara!”

“What do we need to talk about”  she asked as he led her back to the Radisson towards the elevators.

He pushed her into the elevator and took her to his suite.  He held her arm as he opened the door and shoved her inside.

“How could you just leave like that?”  he asked glaring at her.  “Was I that bad in bed?”

Cara stared at him and didn’t reply.  Was that what this was about?  He wanted to know how he performed that night?  She started to smirk to herself, but then she could see the hurt in his eyes.

“What have you to say for yourself?”  he demanded, clearly angry.  “I woke up and you were gone.  I then find out that you quit that morning and disappeared. I looked all over for you!”

“It was for the best”  she said not meeting his eyes.  “It was just a one night stand thing.”

“You were a virgin.  I know this.  Why me?”  he asked grabbing her arm.  “Why did you do it…since you are calling it a one night stand?”

“Because I wanted to”  she said before she could think.

“You wanted to?”  he said staring at her.  “What is it that you wanted from me that night?”

“You”  she confessed.  “I wanted you…I’ve always wanted you.”

Her words seemed to surprise him and she wondered how he could not know that a woman would want him.  What woman would not want him? 

Suddenly a grin was on his face after he took her words to heart.

“You had a crush on me?” 

“Don’t flatter yourself”  she said not willing to admit anything.

He pulled her into his arms.  He kissed her then and she had  melted in his arms.  Even though she knew she should stop him and pull away, she hadn’t and they both had ended back on the bed naked.  He was slow and deliberate this time, causing her body to ache in a way that it never had before.

“Has there been anyone else” he asked seriously, looking into her eyes.

“No”

“Good”

He slid down her body, nibbling as he went. She hadn’t known that it could be like this, so mind blowing and intense.  He had taken  his time exploring her, his fingers probing and stroking her as his tongue danced along her sensitive flesh.    He had  chuckled triumphantly as she had called out his name, her body quivering as it attempted to recover from the orgasm he had given her.

This time when he had slid inside her, there was no pain; only heat and his movements intensified that heat.

“You will not leave me again, Cara”  he had declared as he pumped in and out of her.  Cara had ignored him and concentrated on the feelings he was generating.  It was early evening, so she doubted if she could leave like she did the first time.  She had been surprised that he stayed wide awake.  He had made love to her several times bringing her to the brink of ecstasy.  She had wanted to tell him about Josiah, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.  She needed time to think things through. He had used protection both times, but that hadn’t seemed to have mattered much.

They had spent the entire evening in his room.  He had ordered dinner and though he hd questioned her, she had remained evasive with her answers.  She had to escape in order to think things through.  Her opportunity had come when he became distracted by an overseas call pertaining to his hotel in Puerto Rico.    She had used that opportunity to escape and had taken the next Greyhound bus back home to Emporia.

Now, five months later she discovered that not only was she pregnant by Stephan again, but with twins.  Twice she had played the fool and she wasn’t sure exactly what her next step was going to be. 

She had told her parents who were shocked and disappointed.  Her mother had cried for days and her father was barely speaking to her.  She could understand their disappointment, she was after all disappointed in herself.

She knew that she had to tell him, but how could she tell him that he had a son and two more babies on the way?  What would he say?  How would he react?  Dread filled her as she parked her car in front of her parent’s worn frame home.

Her parents were older and she knew that they couldn’t handle three little ones while she worked.  She sighed in regret.  It was time to pay the piper.