Take that, Derek. You aren’t the only guy with a cute kid anymore.
I wasn’t sure what I would do with him for the rest of the weekend, but I’d find stuff for us to do.
Sicily walked into the lab, looking fine…as always. “Hey, I wanted to know what you think about—”
“Whoa, whoa.” I waved her off, telling her to be quiet. “First things first, drop that ass into my lap and give me a kiss.”
She gave me a playful glare. “You’re working.”
“Oh baby, we talked about this. I don’t care—at all.” I grabbed her by the wrist and guided her into my lap, so her nice ass was right on top of my dick. “Oh yeah, that’s the spot.” My dick hardened against her, and I knew she could feel it.
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t roll that smile off her face.
I pulled her top down a bit so I could kiss her shoulder and collarbone, making my way up her neck and jawline until I reached her lips. My hand cupped her face, and I kissed her with purpose, giving her some tongue, kissing her like we were alone in my apartment rather than sitting in my ice-cold lab.
I eventually pulled away and looked at her. “Okay, now you can tell me whatever you wanna tell me.”
Her eyes had a dreamy quality to them, like I’d just taken her somewhere far away from this place, on a beach somewhere exotic, our bodies tangled together in paradise. She cleared her throat. “We need to talk about our departure next week.”
“Departure?” I asked.
“For Doctors Without Borders.”
I stared at her blankly for a few seconds.
“You…forgot?”
Yeah…a bit. “Shit.”
She gave a slight smile. “Well, that’s what I’m here for. You’ve got a lot going on, so…”
All I wanted to do was stay in Manhattan now. That was where Ryan was. I just got to see him for the first time, and now I had to leave for two weeks? Fuck, what a mess. I rubbed the back of my neck as I tried to find a solution to my problem.
“Do you not want to go anymore?”
“I just feel strange leaving Ryan right now. Just found out I have a son, and I’m going to go to another country for two weeks?”
“The timing isn’t great, but you won’t be gone that long.”
Now that I had someone so important in my life, I felt uncomfortable being more than twenty miles away from him. What if he needed me? What if something happened to Catherine, and I wasn’t there? No wonder my parents never went on vacations unless it was to the cabin. “You think we can talk to them and see if someone else would take my place?”
“With a week’s notice?”
“I know it’s shitty, but I…I can’t leave him right now.”
“Dex, you didn’t know you had a son until a week ago—”
“I know, okay? But it doesn’t feel right. I just got him, and now I’m going to leave?”
“You made a commitment to these people, Dex.”
“And I’m not abandoning them. I’m just asking if someone can take my place. That’s all.”
“You really want to do that when you know you’re the best?” She stared me down with disappointment, like she would think less of me if I chose my son over my philanthropic work. “You know how far these people are going to walk to see you? And then you aren’t going to be there.”
I closed my eyes and sighed.
“Dex, Ryan will be here when you get back.”
“You don’t understand…”
She winced.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I’m responsible for him, and if I leave, he’ll just have Catherine—”
“And your entire family of geniuses. Dex, you’re just being selfish right now. I understand you want to spend all your time with your son, but you can’t pull out this late. I know you know I’m right. You’re just being emotional right now.”
After a long pause, I gave a nod. “Yeah.”
She rubbed my shoulder before she moved off my lap. “It is sweet that you care so much, though.”
“Yeah.” I was already one of those obsessive parents. “At least we can have two weeks to ourselves, getting it on in our tent, going on safari. It should be a good time.”
“We’re gonna sleep in a tent?”
“Yep. You can still back out if you want to.”
“Like…on the ground?”
I nodded. “I bet you understand why I want to stay with my son so bad.”
She stared at me, clearly surprised.
“I can handle it on my own if you want. I totally understand if you want to stay in New York.”
“No…I’ll go. As long as I’m with you, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Twenty-One
Sicily
We walked up to the building, but I didn’t join him in the elevator.
“You coming?” Dex stepped back out and let the doors shut.
“You go. I’ll just wait here.” I didn’t want to go to Catherine’s apartment and watch them interact. I would always dislike her for what she did to Dex. It was good for him to let bygones be bygones, but I didn’t like that she’d hurt him, and I didn’t like her audacity to try to get him back when he was with someone else now.