Chapter 15
Jasper
Filled with all the warm fuzzies the day had brought, I practically skipped back to the house. When I entered through the back door into the kitchen, I found Gio holding something behind his back with an eager look on his face.
“I've got really exciting news, Jasper.”
“Oh yeah? What is it?”
Drawing his hand out, he showed me an envelope. “We've got mail from the State of California. Our marriage certificate is here.” He beamed, waiting for my reaction.
I took the envelope from his hand and set it on the table. “It can wait. I have something really important to discuss with you.”
His brows furrowed and concern etched on his face. Gio glanced at the envelope we'd been anticipating and back to me. “That's important, too.”
“It'll keep.” I grabbed his hand and began walking to the bedroom, tugging him behind me.
That document might be the single most important piece of paper of my life, but I couldn't care at the moment, not with all the emotion building up in me.
Once we were inside, I pushed him against the door as soon as it latched behind us, and I launched myself at him.
My mouth met his in a frenzy, needing to show him how much I appreciated who he was and who he let me be.
It only took a second of pause before Gio's arms gripped around my lower back and pulled me closer.
His glasses were knocked askew by how intensely we kissed.
There wasn't room to even breathe between us, but it didn't matter, because I needed him.
A moan rumbled in his throat and it was sexy as hell.
One of his hands left my back and found their way to my sweaty hair.
He gathered it in his hand and tugged gently, tilting my head back so he could bend over me and thrust his tongue into my mouth.
Sucking on his tongue had us both moaning, and it was arousing as hell.
I rolled my hips forward, loving the gasp that came from him as I pressed against the hardness in his jeans.
He pulled back for a second, eyes dancing wildly over my face in a look that was heated and ravenous, but that control was still there, not allowing him to let go.
I'd seen him let go last night, felt it, too, and now I wanted so desperately to see it again.
Gio was panting as he held my shoulder, and adjusted his glasses. “Wait. Shit. You said you had something important to discuss. If it's bad news, can you just rip the bandaid off, please?”
I gave him a wicked grin before pushing up and nipping his lip. “This is the important discussion.” I swept my tongue along his lip, loving the way he drew in a sharp breath.
Gio kissed me and then pulled back again to ask, “Is this because of the certificate?”
I shook my head. “This is because of who you are.”
“I'm not complaining, because… holy hell, that was amazing, but I'm not sure I'm following. What did I do exactly, to merit such a… discussion?”
I cupped his face in my hands, the scruff beneath my palms an enticing sensation, as I wondered what it would feel like to have the scruff scrape across my skin in delicate places. Fuck, thinking about that wouldn't help my hard-on go away. “I was talking with Yahir.”
Gio's brows pinched together. “Oh, no.”
“No, it was good. All good. Anyway, it made me realize how special you are and how much I appreciate you. Being with you is the first time I've felt like I could be me, and I’m starting to understand more of who I am.”
He smiled sweetly and brushed my hair out of my face. “You're pretty special, too, Jasper. I can't even begin to express how happy it makes me to see you with the kids.”
“Is it just with the kids?” I asked with brows arched high. I was certain I knew his answer, but I wanted to hear it.
With a slight shake of his head, Gio smiled warmly.
“No, beautiful, of course not.” That name again, sigh.
‘Beautiful,’ the way he said it made me feel it.
“I like when it's just the two of us, too.
I like spending time with you. I think you know I never considered having a partner in my life before, but you've helped me see that it's something I want, that I need.”
“You've given me a family, Gio. You, the kids, all of it. It's so much more than what I thought a family could look like.”
Gio breathed in deep and released it, a strange expression crossed his face. I pushed up and gently nudged his nose with mine, drawing his attention. “What is it? Tell me what you're thinking.”
He pursed his lip and his cheeks pinked. “I don't know. I went into this, promising you I had no expectations, and I don't. Only…”
My heart kicked up with anticipation. I wanted him to say it. Needed him to say it. I'd already asked too much of him, I couldn't ask this, too. “Only what?”
“I'm finding it harder to separate my feelings. I value your friendship more than you could know, Jasper, so please know that I want to protect it above all else.”
I leaned into Gio's hand where it rested on my cheek and met his gaze. “I know. I do, too. But… I'm giving you permission to say what you want to say, and I promise it won't hurt us.”
Gio's eyes locked onto mine, his glasses amplifying the intensity of his gaze.
There was so much worry in them that it made me ache.
I needed him to be the one to say it out loud, but I decided a kiss for courage couldn't hurt.
I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down to me, kissing him sweetly, a reminder that I was here, right here with him.
When the kiss broke, he rested his forehead on mine. Taking a deep breath, he spoke in a hushed tone, as if afraid to speak it aloud. “I want this to be real.”
My heart soared, feeling like it would burst out my chest. I kissed him again with much more fervor than the last. Our mouths crashed together, a mix of tongue and teeth in a frenzy that had been growing for a while, released by those magical words.
I wanted this. I wanted him, and I was tired of pretending I didn't. Gio pulled back and met my gaze with his brown eyes nearly black. From desire? From fear? Perhaps a little of both. “I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything. This doesn't have to change anything.”
“Oh, Daddy, it changes everything.” I grinned and pecked another quick kiss. A flash of hunger shone in his dark eyes, though he seemed to be holding himself back.
“It does?”
With a slight nod, I said, “It does. Because you know what?”
Gio tensed, his whole body going rigid. “What?”
“I want it to be real, too.”
One side of his lip curved up in a cautious, yet hopeful expression. “You do?”
“So very much. I like you a lot, Gio. I like us.”
The other corner of his lip began to slide up. “I like you, too, and us. So… what does this mean? What do we do?”
I held my left hand up. “First of all, my finger is naked, and I'd like my ring back where it belongs.”
Gio smirked and fished around in his pocket, pulling out the wedding band that matched his own.
His gaze was locked onto mine, not looking away, as he slowly slid it back onto my finger, an action that was as endearing as it was erotic.
I never would have thought a piece of jewelry could carry so much emotion with it.
“Now what?”
Pushing up on my toes, I put my mouth to his ear and whispered breathily, “Now, I'm going to do something very un-platonic to my husband.”
Gio swallowed audibly, his cheeks flushing bright.
I half-expected some sort of protest, but his only response was an almost imperceptible nod.
Oh, my sweet, sweet, man. I grinned wickedly, and pushed him toward the bed.
With my hand pressing lightly on his shoulder, he lowered to sit on the edge of the bed.
I knelt in front of him, making his eyes widen almost comically.
Oh, yeah, this was going to be fun. Hooking my hand around his neck, I pulled him into a searing kiss as my free hand slid down the front of his shirt.
The sharp intake of his breath when I loosened the tucked shirt out of his waistband was music to my ears.
I went into the masturbatory session last night with the intention of keeping it casual.
It wasn't the first time I'd watched porn with a buddy, but holy hell, he took all of my attention, I couldn't resist reaching out to him.
I loved how reactive he was. It was probably because of the many years he'd spent alone, but damn, if I didn't want to see what kinds of sounds I could get him to make. Or how he would taste. The thought alone had my cock hardening in my jeans.
Sliding my hand under his shirt and brushing against his skin, Gio gasped. Last night had been a lot of fun, intimate, too, but now it was different. I licked over his lip and he opened, waiting for more, but I didn't give it to him. Not yet.
I flicked my gaze to his as I ran a finger along his waistband. My finger dipped inside his jeans and his stomach tightened, flinching. “Do you want this, Gio?”
“I, uh, yeah.” His eyes closed for a moment and when he opened them, they were filled with want and determination. “Yes, Jasper. Fuck, yes.”
I rewarded him by palming my hand over his hard bulge, squeezing him until he gasped. “Tell me to stop and I will.”
Gio bobbed his head. “Uh-huh. Okay.”
Sliding up the front of his jeans, I undid the button and carefully unzipped his jeans, which were ready to burst open from his erection pressing against them. Gio leaned back on his hands, holding his breath when I bent over him and mouthed his shaft over his boxer briefs.
“Oh, fuck!” Gio hissed when I applied a little more pressure.
I was anxious to taste him, to feel the weight of him on my tongue, but I was trying to make sure I wasn’t going too fast for him.
Teasing him through his underwear was fun, too.
Fuck, it was teasing me just as much with his musky scent in my nose.