He couldn’t help the grin as he shrugged. “Your back does pop every time you stretch.”
Vincent snorted. “Give it ten years and you’ll be in the same boat,” he said, tugging Jasper away from the door to open it.
Jasper hesitantly leaned into Vincent’s side as they walked back to the bedroom. Despite the threats, Vincent didn’t seem intent on punishing him. At least not tonight.
He stripped, changed into a pair of sweats, and crawled into bed, settling on his side facing Vincent. He blinked as Vincent reached over and tugged his bottom lip from between his teeth, unaware he’d been biting it.
“Can I see you Wednesday?” Jasper blurted. “You could come over,” he continued in a rush, before Vincent could say no. “Amber and Terrance are out of town until Thursday. Matt switched to working nights, and Keith and Reiko have been getting back late.”
Vincent’s thumb brushed back and forth against Jasper’s bottom lip. “You want me to come over for dinner?”
“Yes?”
“Will you be cooking?”
He shrugged. “I can try.” He’d watched and read some cooking tutorials in his spare time, but it wasn’t like he had a lot of chances to practice. Even if he’d had a car of his own, he didn’t have the spare money for ingredients that might end up in the trash.
“Why don’t I bring what we need to make something together?”
Jasper grinned and licked Vincent’s fingertip on its next pass. “Deal.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
GOING BACKto regular college life in the morning was a special kind of torture. Jasper couldn’t deny that Vincent letting him stay the night had helped ease the anxious knot in his gut, but he wished he hadn’t had a complete and utter emotional breakdown in the first place.
He really needed to work on not overthinking things.
But he was glad to finally get everything out in the open and know where they stood with each other. Even if he was still falling hard, at least now he knew Vincent reciprocated on some level.
Knowing he’d be able to start another contract when this one ended was as much a relief as it was exciting. And terrifying. What if Vincent changed the rules this time? Not that he thought Vincent would do anythingtoodrastic, but something would change, right? Surely he’d ask for something more… kinky? He was fairly certain everything they’d done so far was pretty tame. They didn’t even use the playroom that often, and there were some contraptions in there they hadn’t used at all yet.
Vincent had mentioned punishments a few times, and he couldn’t deny he was curious, but marshmallows? Seriously? He hadn’t dared ask if Vincent would actually follow through on that threat, but surely not. Right?
Should he tell Vincent he was okay with being punished? He knew better than to say he was okay with being punished for anything, but how the hell was he supposed to know what was a punishable offense? What if he’d been making so many mistakes that he’d end up being punished every day if he agreed to it?
Jasper closed his eyes and took a breath. He really needed to stop overthinking things; that was how he fucked things up. So he forced himself to breathe and focus on his classes and assignments and work, and allowed himself to text Vincent at least a few times each day.
Then it was Wednesday, and the agony of the past two days was worth it when he headed out of his last class and saw Vincent’s car waiting for him. Not the one the driver used, but the sports car Vincent drove himself.
He climbed into the passenger seat and leaned over to kiss Vincent’s cheek. “Hello, Sir.”
“Hello, pet. How were classes?”
“Educational,” he replied, grinning when Vincent snorted. He glanced in the back seat at the groceries and shifted in excitement.
Vincent would be spending the rest of the afternoon and hopefully evening with him. Maybe even spend the night. At home. Granted, it was Amber’s place, but he earned his keep by doing laundry twice a week and odd chores to keep the place clean. So long as he kept his grades up he didn’t feel too guilty about not paying rent, and his part-time job gave him enough cash he never had to ask for much.
He’d stayed up last night, after finishing some required reading, making sure the kitchen and dining room were spotless and ready for them to cook.
He was more than thrilled Vincent had agreed to see him outside of his own home. It made this feel more like a relationship. He had to bite his cheek to keep from grinning like a madman despite the ever-present fear of everything blowing up in his face.
Jasper leaned over to prop his head on Vincent’s shoulder. “Missed you, Sir,” he said softly. It’d barely been two full days, but it was the truth. He closed his eyes as Vincent ran fingers through his hair before getting them on the road.
When they got home, he helped Vincent carry in the bags and emptied their contents onto the counter. He tossed his backpack on the dining table and put away the items that needed to go in the fridge, rolling his eyes when he found the apron. Vincent really meant it when he said he’d bring everything he needed.
He laid out two cartons of mushrooms, parsley, onion, garlic, parmesan cheese, broth, chicken, and a fancy-looking box of rice. “Sooo, what’re we making?”
“Mushroom risotto.” Vincent paused as he set a knife down on the cutting board. “Do you like mushrooms?”
