Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
“But weren’t you surprised when you discovered I was a virgin?” I press. “I mean, I was engaged to your son, and people don’t wait for marriage to have sex anymore. Surely, that realization threw you for a curve ball.”
The powerful CEO pauses for a moment, his expression pensive.
“It did, and it didn’t,” he acknowledges in a deep voice before looking me straight in the eye. “I suspected that Harry was gay, and kept waiting for him to tell me. But my son never broached the issue, so imagine my surprise when he started bringing you around.”
I pause for a moment, tilting my head.
“But why didn’t you ask him?” I ask. “Being gay isn’t a big deal anymore. People aren’t tortured and imprisoned for being LGBTQ anymore.”
My lover is silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully.
“I didn’t ask because I didn’t want to put pressure on Harry,” Jordan replies. “My son and I have never been especially close, and I wanted him to come forward when he was ready. I figured that he’d leave the closet at some time or other, or maybe he wasn’t in the closet at all. Maybe Harry was still figuring his sexuality out, and it was my job as a parent to be patient, and to listen when the time was right. If he wanted to tell me, then I was all ears. But if he wasn’t ready, I wasn’t going to force the issue either.”
I pause, my pulse pounding as I choose my words carefully.
“I hope you’ll forgive me for saying this, but Harry didn’t tell you because he thought you wouldn’t understand,” I say in a low voice. “He said you were too alpha, and would never accept him for who he was.”
“No, that’s not true,” Jordan immediately counters in a vehement tone. “I’d accept my son the way he is, and it hurts me to know that he went to his grave without knowing that. But I absolutely would take my son in any shape or form.”
I smile softly, taking Jordan’s big hand in my own.
“That’s good to know, and it would have made him very happy,” I murmur with reassurance. “Plus, it’s important. What if our future child is gay, queer, or lesbian? Would you condemn him or her for their choices?”
Jordan immediately tightens his fingers around mine before seizing my gaze with his own. His blue eyes are so sincere that my heart contracts painfully, our connection intimate and intense.
“Of course not,” he rasps. “I’d treasure him or her no matter their orientation. It’s not a big deal, and again, I’m disappointed that my first child never felt comfortable enough to share this side of himself with me. I genuinely thought that he’d seek me out at some point in the future, but that obviously never came to pass.”
“It’s okay,” I say in a soft voice. “Despite everything, Harry knew that you loved him. And he loved you too.”
“Good, I’m glad,” Jordan says in a torn voice, his broad chest rising and falling as he struggles to contain his emotions. “I miss him so much. More than you’d believe,” he admits in a choked voice, that dark head bowing for a moment. I stroke Jordan’s charcoal locks, reveling in the silky feel between my fingers.
“I miss Harry too, and he was a good kid,” I say. “He was taken from us far too soon, and what happened was a tragedy. But surely, you must realize that Harry was never going to continue the Lewis line.” Then I pause for a moment. “I guess he could have through adoption,” I add in a dubious tone. “But we never spoke about that.”
Jordan shakes his head, still staring at the floor.
“Yeah, maybe though adoption,” he acknowledges in barely audible voice. “But yeah, in retrospect, my thinking was twisted and fucked up. I don’t know what I was doing.”
“What do you mean?” I ask gently, quirking my head to the side. “I don’t understand.”
Jordan lets out a big sigh, his broad shoulders stiff as he stares straight ahead.
“On the one hand, my son was obviously gay, and my family line was going to die out. But on the other, when he started bringing you around, I thought I’d made a mistake and misread the signs. I thought there was hope.”
I nod.
“Yes, that makes sense.”
But Jordan isn’t done. The huge man snorts before looking at his clasped hands with disgust.
“Yeah, but it gets worse, honey, because when Harry started bringing you around, I started getting jealous of him. Can you believe it?” he grunts in a self-loathing manner. “I was jealous of my own son’s fiancée!”
“No, it’s okay,” I say in a soothing tone, still stroking those silky black locks. “I’m yours now, and there are no ifs, ands, and buts, about it. Plus, we’ll figure this out. I mean, we’re family now, even if I never tied the knot with your son. The hospital let you into my room the day of the car accident, after all, so we must be something.”