Jasper snorted softly and shrugged. Maybe not yet. But he would be, especially knowing this was going to end soon either way. That was inevitable when he liked someone. “Deal?”
Vincent studied him a moment, a bit of the tension easing out of his body as he nodded. He glanced down when Jasper offered his hand, lips twitching in amusement, but he took it in a warm grasp and shook.
That settled, Jasper slipped his arms around Vincent’s shoulders and leaned in. “Good. Now feed me.” He gave in to the impulse to kiss Vincent’s nose, then hopped off the dresser. He glanced back as he reached the door and couldn’t read Vincent’s new expression to save his life, so he winked and hurried downstairs.
VINCENT TOOKa moment to breathe once Jasper left the room, leaning all his weight against the dresser with his head hanging between his shoulders. He wasn’t certain if he’d completely fucked everything up or only gotten close. He hadn’t even meant to pull his shirt off. Last night he’d finally decided to wait until the last week of the contract to bring his scars up again, but… he couldn’t wait that long.
He was already getting far too attached, and if Jasper had looked at his scars with even a hint of disgust, he would have had to spend the last few weeks of their contract distancing himself. Waiting even a few more weeks for his answer wasn’t worth the prolonged stress or potential heartache.
Except now he needed a plan to figure out Jasper’s reactions, because even sleep-deprived and stuck in his own head, he was intimately familiar with a response of panic. That and the way Jasper froze when he’d asked for a belt made him wary. And then the way Jasper spoke on the phone the other night, like he was aching for contact yet refused Vincent’s offer to come over.
Was that what he’d meant by being clingy? Was Jasper holding himself back, afraid of asking for too much? Even if Vincent could understand the sentiment, it still didn’t sit well with him.
He dragged his fingers through his hair and pulled his shirt back on, then headed downstairs for damage control. Jasper had already pulled the lasagna from the oven and filled two plates. Vincent caught up with him as Jasper was grabbing forks from the drawer and hooked an arm around Jasper from behind. He pressed his lips against Jasper’s neck with a quiet, “Thank you, pet,” and meant for more than getting the table set.
Relief flooded him when, after a few moments of silence, Jasper relaxed into his chest. He took the offered fork, using his other hand to turn Jasper enough for a proper kiss—slow and thorough, like he should have done from the beginning. It took longer than he liked for Jasper to relax with a soft, sweet sound of surrender.
“Every day,” Jasper murmured against Vincent’s lips.
“Hmm?”
Jasper’s fingers twitched where they’d latched on to the front of Vincent’s shirt. “Contract. Sex every day.”
He pulled back with a soft laugh. “What happened to once a week?”
“Not enough.”
“Hmm. I suppose I’m open to negotiation,” Vincent said, pressing a light, quick kiss to Jasper’s forehead before moving to the table.
He wasn’t willing to agree to an every-day clause—not only was it impractical, he didn’t want sex becoming a chore. Jasper wanted more than a once-a-week guarantee, which was fine. By the time they finished eating, they’d agreed not to part ways without being satisfied, barring emergencies or unexpected situations.
Once the dishes were cleared and the leftovers put away, he nudged Jasper back upstairs to the bedroom, where he took his time unbuttoning Jasper’s shirt, brushing his fingers against every inch of exposed skin.
Jasper shivered, clutching Vincent’s hips. “Should undress me more often, Sir.”
“I should,” he agreed, finally reaching the last button. He splayed his hands against Jasper’s stomach and slid up his chest, catching his thumbs on Jasper’s nipples and savoring the audible catch in his breathing. He slipped the shirt off Jasper’s shoulders and let it fall, then unfastened his pants. He found the warm skin of Jasper’s neck with his lips as he inched the jeans and boxers down until gravity caught them. “Lie back,” he murmured.
Jasper stepped back and sank onto the bed, stretching out with an enticing arch of his body. His skin flushed under Vincent’s gaze, his cock swelling.
Vincent found himself spellbound by how responsive Jasper was, especially to something as simple as a heated glance. He slid his palm along the inside of one of Jasper’s thighs as he sank to a knee between them and leaned down. He claimed Jasper’s lips in another slow kiss, making it the entirety of his focus, reveling in the eager reciprocation. In the flex of fingers on his arm and in his hair. In the way Jasper whined with impatient need and squirmed beneath him. He pulled back, rubbing a soothing hand against Jasper’s chest. “Patience, pet.”
Sex wasn’t enough to make up for his idiocy earlier. Not nearly enough to thank Jasper for being Jasper. For not looking at him with disgust or horror. Or for not suggesting some kind of cosmetic surgery.
“Roll over,” he murmured, reaching into the nightstand for the massage oil. He paused long enough to appreciate the sight of Jasper stretched out on his stomach, all lean limbs and sun-kissed skin. He settled over Jasper’s thighs and poured oil into his hands, rubbed them together, and slowly spread the oil across Jasper’s shoulders.
Jasper tensed, with a sound of surprise. “Sir?”
“Relax, pet,” Vincent replied, gently digging his fingers into tight muscles.
Jasper didn’t relax at all, but when Vincent hit a knot and dug in, his body twitched with a sharp groan before melting. “Oh fuck.”
“Good?” he asked, stifling a soft laugh when his only answer was a strangled moan. He focused on the tension in Jasper’s shoulders, finding more knots and tight spots than he liked, but the soft sighs and the way Jasper unwound further each time he soothed one into releasing was gratifying.
How long had it been since he’d laid hands on someone without sex or service to the club being the primary focus? Apparently far, far too long.
He slid his hand up, unable to resist curling his fingers tight in Jasper’s hair, and was rewarded with a deep sigh.
“Feels so good,” Jasper slurred.
