Chapter 11
Gio
He looked radiant, and his smile seemed genuine.
Maybe it was all for show, with pictures to prove our happy day happened.
I didn't know him well enough yet to know if he was that good at putting on an act, but I'd like to think he wasn't. There certainly was no making up the erection he tried to hide after I kissed him.
Fuck, I was mortified at how I tried to devour him in front of everyone.
It was good Jasper had us practice in the bathroom beforehand because that first, gentle touch of his lips to mine had shocked me.
How long had it been since I'd last been kissed by someone?
Hell, I'd lost track, but it was long before Eduardo had come into the picture, long before.
The pre-kiss served as much-needed practice, but it also reminded me how amazing it felt.
I couldn't stop thinking about it the entire time the judge spoke.
Jasper's warm mouth on mine, the way he tasted, the purring sound that rumbled in his throat.
I kept thinking about the kiss we had and the one that would come after the ceremony.
Once it was time, I gave into the hunger and tried to swallow him whole.
Yes, it was a wedding, and a kiss was expected, but it was bizarre knowing my kids saw me lose control like that.
Of course, it was the first time they’d seen me kiss anyone, which I was still reconciling with myself, too.
When Eduardo came over and clapped my shoulder, grinning wide, and not looking at all bothered, I had to wonder if it was all in my head.
Maybe it wasn’t as bad as I thought. It felt like it, though.
I’d completely disconnected from the room and all I could sense was Jasper and the way he melted into me.
Jasper’s sweet, citrusy scent clung to my nose and I had to keep from inhaling deeply when he sidled up beside me. He looked up at me with his lips quirked to the side. “Well… it looks like we’re done here, I guess I’ll follow you home.”
Eduardo came over and tsked, shaking his head. “I don’t think so. You just got married, you can’t drive away in separate cars. We won’t let you.”
“We?” I looked around, suddenly realizing it had gotten quiet in the hallway. Eddie was the only one of my kids I could see. “Where is everyone? Did they leave already? I would have thought they would say something.” Unless they did, and I was too stuck on the kiss that should have meant nothing.
Eduardo grinned deviously. “You’ll see. Now, Jasper, if you don’t mind, I’ll drive your Jeep back and follow you to the farm, so you two can ride together.”
Jasper shrugged. “Sure, that would be great. Thanks.”
He handed him his keys and we all began moving outside. When we got to the parking lot, I saw my truck had a sign on the back of it that said, “Just married,” and there were cans tied to the bumper. It was ridiculous, but it made me smile anyway.
“Oh my God! That’s amazing. I didn’t think people still did that. At least they haven’t at all the weddings I’ve been to, but then the ones I’ve attended have been more about the competition of who could spend more for a single day. Nothing like this.”
Jasper’s eyes gleamed, the purple eyeliner he wore making the gold in them shine brighter. It made me happy, especially after they had been so dim the day he saw his parents. My barn, my hand in marriage, anything. I would give anything to see this look on him.
Marley and Derek stood there with my whole crew and watched as we climbed into the truck. It meant more to me than I thought it would to have them all here and celebrate with us, even if the celebration wasn’t real.
I honestly never expected to have a day like this.
The idea of getting married was something I shelved a long time ago.
I was happy to live a partner-less life like Tom had, caring for the farm and the people that came and went over time.
Happy to be papa to the kids that have stayed and the ones that have moved on.
Now, this all seemed like a gift. Something I would get to cherish no matter what the future looked like with Jasper.
If or when he decided to move on, at least I would have these memories in my collection, along with all the ones I kept of Papa Tom, and of my kiddos.
Tears, smiles, sometimes combined as they were today, but all special.
The thought of it had my chest squeeze and my throat tighten as my eyes burned hot with emotion.
Jasper rolled down his window and waved to everyone, who cheered loudly. He turned to face me, grinning from ear to ear, and asked, “One more for the road?”
I had to clear my throat, trying to push my heart back down into my chest where it belonged. “One more?”
Jasper simply smiled and unbuckled himself, before leaning across the cab and grabbing my face.
Immediately, my mind returned to the heated kiss in front of the judge and I felt a surge of anticipation.
He brushed his lips across mine, a long peck, and then a quick one to end it.
The cheers outside erupted once more, and I found myself smiling in return.
“There. Now, that’s a proper send-off,” Jasper said as he settled back in his seat. “Take me home, Gio.”
“Home.” I repeated, loving the way it sounded coming from him.
As I drove away, the cans bounced and clanged behind us.
I thought Jasper would roll the window up, but he kept it down, letting the ringing sound hang out in the cab with us.
Every time someone honked as they passed us, it made me smile.
If this kept up, my cheeks were going to ache by the time we got home, but I didn't mind it. By the look on Jasper’s face when I slid a glance over to him, it seemed he didn’t either.
Pulling into the driveway that led to the farmhouse felt different this time. Jasper rolled up the window to keep the dust out, muffling the sound of the cans rattling on the gravel. Cans on gravel. A sound I didn’t expect would make my stomach swoop.
I was returning as a husband, with a husband, someone who would be living with me.
Reality check. Rein it in, Gio. Yes, those things were true, but Jasper was a friend.
What was having one more person in the house?
As I told him, there was always room for more.
Only, this one would be sharing my room, which was definitely different, but also not.
Shit. My emotions were all over the place, and I needed to get back in control of them and not get carried away.
Eduardo’s car was parked out front. He must have left it here, planning to drive Jasper’s car here.
Again, that smile I couldn’t seem to stop, stretched my lips at the amount of planning that had gone into today, especially with such an abrupt announcement.
I was proud to know that I had their support, no matter the situation.
I heard the Jeep coming down the dirt road as I parked in front of the house.
I looked over at Jasper, who seemed to be studying me.
His eyes lost some of their shine and I could see a hint of worry return, so I set aside whatever mixed-up feelings I was dealing with and straightened, trying to appear more confident than I felt.
“Welcome home, Jasper.”
One side of his lips tugged up, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s funny, I knew this was coming, hell, my Jeep is full of my stuff, but now that we’re here, I feel like I’m intruding. Maybe less funny, and more ‘fuck, what am I doing?’”
Oh, no, I wasn’t having that. “Nonsense. I told you from the first time you came for dinner that you were welcome any time, and I meant it.”
He shot me a disbelieving look. “Yeah, but not like this. It’s different and you know it.”
“Well, sure, I didn’t expect that a month and a half later, we’d be coming home with the title of husbands, but I’m never taking the offer back. No matter what happens. If you need space, you can have as much as you need.”
Jasper grabbed my hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “You really are something else, Giorgio.”
I grimaced at the sound of my full name, though I didn’t mind it as much coming from him. Jasper tilted his head, clearly seeing my response to it.
“So, that’s a no on the full name thing, huh?”
“It’s the name my parents called me, and it doesn’t have a lot of great memories, so I prefer not to use it most of the time.”
Jasper waved it away. “No problem at all, I’m a huge proponent of respecting names. It just surprised me to hear it earlier. And believe me, I completely understand getting whatever power back from your parents you can. Case in point.” Jasper held up his left hand showing off the wedding ring.
“Sorry, it’s nothing fancy. If I’d had more time to shop, I might have found something different.”
“No, I love it. It was pleasantly unexpected.” Jasper reached across to grab my left hand and hold our ring fingers up together. “We match!”
That light sparkled in his eyes once more, and it made my heart leap to see it. A knock on the window interrupted us, then a flash of light as I saw Eduardo snap a photo of us holding our hands up and admiring the rings.
“Are you guys going to stay in there all night?” Eduardo asked through the closed door.
I huffed out a laugh and met Jasper’s gaze. He gave a nod, as if to say he was ready. “We’re coming out.”
Hopping out of the truck, I hurried around to Jasper’s side to open the door for him, and held out my hand. He took it with a sweet smile and let me help him down. After unlocking the front door, we were about to walk inside when Eduardo yelled.
“Stop! Stop, that’s all wrong.”
“What? What’s wrong?” I felt Jasper tense at my side. Shit, Eduardo didn’t know Jasper had already been having reservations, and this didn’t help.
I pulled Jasper against my side, trying to offer comfort while I tried to figure out what my kid was up to. “Eddie?”