Page 50 of Twenty-Three Years of Longing

I was telling myself this because I needed strength to do the right thing. I wasn’t someone who was driven by what my cock wanted, but this was not just about my cock. It was the first time my heart was involved as well. That made the built-up need within me all the more powerful. And Raya was definitely hard to resist.

It wasn’t long before I had the pizza and Raya in my vehicle, and we were on our way to the house. She seemed...distracted. Was she worried about us taking the next step too?

“Raya, if you changed your mind, we could just have dinner and I’ll bring you back to the resort. No problem. I don’t want you to feel any pressure to spend the night. And for the record, I was just looking forward to holding you, nothing more,” I half lied.

She turned to me and said, “I want to stay with you. It’s just that... I have a lot on my mind.”

“Understandable. Your son is going to be here in a few days. And you’re only two weeks into your new position. Add the fact that you’re moving into a house that you’re not familiar with and I’d have been surprised if you didn’t feel overwhelmed.”

Raya shook her head. “Actually, you’ve been a great help to me while I was dealing with all of this. I would honestly be a hot mess if you hadn’t. But this is something else.”

“Joey?” I asked, now concerned even more. She shook her head and I prodded. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She shrugged. “I should, but I don’t even know what to make of it.”

“I’m here to listen,” I offered.

“Remember me talking about Joseph, my ex?”

I nodded, a knot already in my gut. “What about him?” Is he dead? That was a horrible thing for me to think about. I didn’t know the guy, but he had abandoned Raya and Joey and that made me hate him. Should also be glad he had, because if not, then she wouldn’t be here with me right now.

“He sent me a text message after I talked to you earlier,” she stated.

What the fuck. Was he trying to get her back after all these years? From her face, she was struggling with something major.

“Do you want to tell me what he said?” I asked.

“He asked me where I was,” she replied.

Well, I was right. He’s looking for them. But why? “What did you say?”

“I didn’t reply. Why should I? I have not seen him since the day at the divorce court. I have nothing to say to him,” she said firmly.

I didn’t want to bring it up, especially tonight, but I needed to. “Do you think he has changed his mind and wants to see Joey?” Not that the guy deserved it, but I was thinking more about Joey. Not sure how or what he was thinking. Hell, I haven’t even met him myself and I care more about him than his own father.

“That’s what I am afraid of. I...I don’t want someone like him in Joey’s life. He deserves a man...a real man like...like you. Not like Joseph.” Like me? That was the greatest compliment she could have ever given me. I wanted to pull her into my arms but the best thing I could do for her was listen. And she needed to talk. “But I was young and dumb and didn’t choose wisely. Joey shouldn’t pay that price. It’s not his fault,” she sniffed back tears.

I could hear the disgust in her tone when she talked about her ex. Couldn’t blame her. Reaching over I took her hand in mine. “Raya, the man might be the biggest piece of shit, but remember, without him, you wouldn’t have Joey.”

She looked up into my eyes and smiled slightly. “Thank you for reminding me of that. I don’t care what Joseph put me through or plans on doing, I would do it all over again to have my Joey.”

"You must be going through hell right now wondering what he wants. I don't want to overstep, but we do have people here who could look into this for us, I mean for you," I said, quickly correcting myself.

She raised a brow. "Tabiqian law does not apply in the US. But I thank you for even offering," she stated.

"I wasn't suggesting our local law enforcement. I do not have all the details, but I can tell you that Bennett Stone is very well-connected. Hell, the entire Henderson family is. If you feel as though something is wrong, we can ask them for help," I said.

"Orion, why would they help me? I mean, Alex and Ziva Henderson were nice enough to help me look for a place, but that is a huge difference from helping me find out what my ex wants. And it might be nothing. Maybe he bumped into someone who made him feel guilty for not knowing anything about his son. Trust me, it will pass. I probably won't hear from him again," she replied.

I hope that is the case. For you and Joey.

"If you change your mind, the offer stands. I will make the calls for you if you want,” I offered.

“How about we try to forget all about Joseph tonight? I mean, I can smell the pizza and I know you have had a stressful day yourself.”

Giving her hand a gentle squeeze I said, “Don’t worry about me. I’m okay. I really am. But maybe you’re right. We should go and eat and maybe watch a movie?”

“Movie? I haven’t watched a movie in years. And by that, I mean one that I would want to watch. Joey loves superhero movies and Sci-Fi. I’m more of a drama person. Or maybe a good mystery. Even a comedy,” she said.

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