Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Hank
Playing with the sheep drew in Jasper’s dad and brothers until we were all gathered by the fence.
“How many acres does it take to support them?” Rowan asked, arms crossed as he studied the pasture.
“Depends on the season,” I said, pointing toward the rotation paddocks. “We keep them moving so the grass doesn’t get worn down.”
Dr. Greer rested both hands on the rail, watching closely. “And the creek? You keep it clear year-round?”
“Yeah. Water quality is as important as feed. I work with a couple of conservation groups on testing.”
I had expected Gage to be cracking jokes, but instead, he leaned against the fence, squinting at the tree line. “You ever lose any to coyotes out here?”
The question was sharp enough to make me do a double-take. “Not since we set the perimeter fencing. You know your predators?”
He smirked. “I know a few things.”
Turns out he’d been listening all along.
Just then, one of Jasper’s goats wandered over and butted its head against Dr. Greer’s knee. He stiffened, straightening his back like he was about to deliver a lecture. “Well, hello there,” he said carefully, giving the goat a polite pat on the head.
Another goat nibbled the edge of his shirt. He tugged it away, trying to keep his composure. “Now see here…”
But within seconds, two more trotted up, nosing his pockets and pushing at his hands. His attempt at dignity crumbled when one of them jumped up with its little hooves against his thigh. Dr. Greer let out a startled laugh that quickly gave way to something warmer.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” he muttered, crouching so they could crowd around him. “Fine, you win. I surrender.” He scratched behind ears, rubbed soft muzzles, and even let one clamber into his lap. By then, his face was alight with pure joy. “You are impossible not to love.”
Jasper grinned so wide it looked like his cheeks hurt. “Told you my ladies have good taste.”
By the time we looped back around to the barn, Jasper had his arm thrown wide like a tour guide.
“And these are my ladies,” he repeated proudly, introducing each goat by name as if they were royalty.
He finished up with a proper walk across the land Sissy had left him, pointing out spots where he had plans for the future.
Jasper offered to grill steaks for dinner, but I insisted that the rest of us could handle it instead. He’d done enough all weekend, and he needed some downtime. His dad nodded approvingly when I insisted that the four of us could manage to feed ourselves and him.
Jasper entertained his family while I took care of my animals and did my scheduled checks, but surprisingly, Rowan and Gage asked to tag along to see what I did in action.
It didn’t seem that exciting to me, but I shrugged and agreed.
Once again, Gage surprised me with his spot-on questions about conservation of land and animals.
I might have misjudged him, but I wasn’t ready to change my mind just yet.
After dinner, we each occupied ourselves with separate activities.
Gage and his dad argued about some new diagnostic procedure while Rowan slipped in earbuds and tapped out something nonstop on his laptop.
Since they all knew Jasper was a little, it seemed silly to pretend that the movies he watched were anything but the animated ones he preferred.
He put on a comfy pair of pajamas, grabbed Nessie from the bed, and settled onto the sofa with me to watch Cars.
With Jasper’s head on my shoulder and his sweet body curled next to mine, it was hard to remember that his dad was in the same room as us.
I wanted to strip him bare and remind him how loved he was, but I had to settle for a few kisses and snuggles.
It wasn’t long before Jasper squirmed on the couch next to me. A quick glance made his issue clear.
“Daddy, I love them, but I need them to go to bed,” Jasper whispered into my ear.
“What’s the matter, sugar?” I answered, just as softly. His hand was in mind, and I traced the lines of his palm. He shivered but didn’t pull away. The heat in his eyes was obvious, but he was gonna have to wait a little longer.
“You know,” Jasper said with narrowed eyes.
“No, I don’t.” I tried hard to sound as innocent as possible. Jasper didn’t bother to answer me but gave me the evil eye and hmphed in my general direction.
I suspected Jasper’s dad and brothers knew what was coming because they glanced in our direction and immediately started packing up their things to head back to the main house.
“Jasper, I think we’re gonna head over for the night,” his dad said. “We have to get up so early in the morning that you shouldn’t worry about making us breakfast. We’ll grab something on the way to the airport.”
Gage and Rowan both nodded in agreement, but Jasper looked horrified.
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to get shortchanged in the breakfast department, and I don’t want to miss seeing you off.”
“Jasper, no. We’re leaving at four a.m. to make sure we get there on time. You should not be getting up just to wave us off. We’ll be fine.”
Jasper nodded reluctantly.
When they had gathered the last of their things, Dr. Greer pulled Jasper into his arms. He held him close, and though I couldn’t hear what was said, Jasper looked a little teary-eyed.
Afterward, Dr. Greer handed Jasper off to Rowan for a hug, then turned to me with an outstretched hand. I clasped it and gave him a firm shake.
“I hope you meant it when you said you weren’t wasting his time.”
“Sir, I don’t say shit I don’t mean.”
Dr. Greer gave me a searching look, then finally nodded. “I don’t think you do. Take care of him because Jasper’s the best of all of us.”
Jasper and I watched the taillights until they’d disappeared around the bend of Cypress Creek Road.
Although his dad told him not to bother getting up, Jasper had been wide awake at three-thirty, prepping fresh coffee in disposable cups and organizing snacks to eat in the car on the way into San Antonio for their flight.
They’d been worried about traffic, and my assurances that they’d have no issues at this time of the morning were brushed aside.
No amount of explaining that San Antonio traffic wasn’t like Seattle traffic worked to reassure them.
“I’m going to miss them,” Jasper said wistfully.
“They drive me batty, but they’re mine.” At my urging, he turned and let me hug him.
My hands ran up and down his back in an attempt to soothe the sting.
“Rowan said he had a medical conference in Houston planned for next month, and he was going to drag Vaughn along so they could come see me.”
“Good. Then all your brothers can be properly impressed with what you’ve done with this place.” Jasper huffed a laugh. “I’m serious. You should be proud of yourself.”
Jasper’s only response was a quick shrug and an attack on my hand. “Now that they’re gone, we can go back to bed, Daddy,” he said with a soft smile.
He led me back into the little cottage behind the main house, down the hallway, and into his bed.
Over the last couple of weeks, this place had started to feel more and more like my own.
My boots were at the front door. I’d started keeping some extra clothes here, so I didn’t need to go home and change in the morning.
The townspeople had stopped commenting on where my truck was spending its time, and my toothbrush had a permanent place next to his on the counter.
I felt more at home here than I ever had in my own home, even though I’d been there my entire life.
Once we were back in the bedroom, we both stripped pretty quickly and climbed back under the comforter.
Jasper, as always, immediately snuggled close.
I wrapped my arms and legs around him because it seemed like he’d gotten a little chilly in the early morning air.
His sigh sounded content and happy, and I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.
“Thank you for letting me meet your family, sugar.”
“Thank you for putting up with Gage.” Jasper’s voice was muffled because he hadn’t moved his face from the crook of my neck.
“I guess he’s not that bad.”
“Daddy, my guy, you and I both know he’s obnoxious.”
“He is, definitely. But he loves you, and that makes him tolerable.”
I hadn’t intended it, but that sent Jasper into a fit of giggles. I tickled his side a little, and then he squealed with laughter. His laughter faded when he realized how close our bodies were. Our naked skin was pressed tight against each other, and suddenly, all the laughter was gone.
He became intensely interested in tracing the muscles of my chest. He started with my clavicle and made his way down my pecs, pausing to explore my nipples.
My breath hitched, but I didn’t tell him to stop.
There was nothing in the world I wanted more than for him to continue his exploration.
His fingers traced to the other side, and I felt his fingernail lightly scratch against my rock-hard nipple.
My lungs ceased to function, and it was a struggle to move air in and out of them.
He traced down the center of my torso and then along each of my ribs.
When he reached the dip in my waist, whatever air had been in my lungs came out in one final whoosh, but he didn’t stop there.
He continued down along my pelvis until he found my already rock-hard dick tenting the sheet that covered us.
He slowly traced from the bottom of my shaft to the glistening head.
He delicately swirled the gathered beads of precum around the mushroom head and along the underside.
When he found that special hidden bundle of nerves underneath the rim, a whole-body shudder ran through me.
I lost the ability to speak. All I could do was force choppy breaths into my lungs and hope that I survived his ministrations.
I flexed my fingers and then fisted them, trying to keep my hands off him so he wouldn’t stop.
When I made a move toward him because it was becoming intolerable not to touch him, he gave me a sexy smile and shook his head.
“Daddy, I just want to touch you.”
I forced my hands back down onto the bed next to me and said, “Do anything you want. I belong to you, sugar.”
Jasper continued to concentrate on touching every bit of my body.
He moved on from my shaft to cup my heavy balls.
I opened my legs to give him better access.
With a few fingers cupping them, he used another to trace along my taint.
I might have been able to keep my hands to myself, but I couldn’t control the groan that forced its way out of my throat.
The way he explored me felt innocent yet deliciously wicked.
I wanted to grab him, but I didn’t want him to stop his exploration.
He made me feel like a treasure map, and he was finding all of the soft spots along the way.
Even though it was still dark, light was creeping in, and the heaviness felt lighter.
It felt like it was taking a little bit of myself away, and the thought popped into my head that I wanted this every single morning and night.
I didn’t want to have to make arrangements anymore.
This was where I wanted home to be and where I would lay my head every night.
Before I could finish that thought, Jasper fisted my shaft and tugged firmly.
My brain went offline, and I ceased to think at all.
All I wanted was for him to keep doing exactly what he was doing because if he didn’t, then surely I wouldn’t make it until dawn.
Truthfully, if he kept it up, I likely wouldn’t make it either, but I’d go happily, so it was fine.
“Fuuuuuuuuuck. Keep doing that.”
Jasper giggled but followed my plea. I was firmly in his grasp, but every once in a while, he licked the head of my cock and sent tremors of shock through me.
By the time he was done, I was shaking like a newborn calf and desperate for more.
He teased me until I was the one begging for relief, and then did it all over again.
I’d never felt joy during sex. Sex was about getting the wave of relaxation that came from relief. But sex with Jasper was different. It was happiness, contentment, safety, and goddamn mind-blowing ecstasy.
It was love.
And then Jasper fully sucked me into his mouth, and my cock felt his tongue swirl around me.
I half-curled up from where I lay on the bed.
The head of my cock hit the back of his throat when he swallowed me down in a single motion, and it was all over.
There was no time to warn him before my release overtook me.
He gobbled my cum like it was the best damn dish I’d ever offered him.
Vaguely, I heard a gasp and groan, but I was too far gone to register the meaning of it or speak.
I fell back on the pillows, and Jasper crawled back into my arms. His own breathing was harsh, and I realized I was a bad Daddy for not taking care of my boy. When I reached across myself to grasp his cock, I found sticky wetness and a soft shaft.
“Sugar, did you manage to come on your own?”
Jasper huffed a small sigh. “Yeah, it felt like high school again.”
“Well damn.”
“Ha. Yeah, something like that.”
Jasper snuggled close, and we both savored the quiet. We’d have to get up soon because sticky cum on skin wasn’t sexy at all, but neither of us was ready to break the spell.
“Daddy, I was thinking…”
“About what?”
“It seems silly that you keep having to go back to your house when you spend every night in mine.”
“Yeah, it does.”
“It’s not very efficient either.”
“Nope.”
“I think it’s best if you move in here and we save ourselves all that hassle.”
“You’re a clever bunny, sugar.”
“I know.”