Chapter Twenty-Four
SINCE JASPER had finals starting next week, Vincent dropped him off at home to study in peace before heading back to work.
When he returned in the void between late night and early morning, he found Jasper slumped over the dining table on top of his books. Vincent shook his head even as warmth curled its way through his chest. Coming home to Jasper waiting for him was something he could certainly get addicted to.
He moved up behind Jasper and leaned over him, kissing beneath his ear. “Time for bed, pet,” he murmured.
Jasper moaned in protest and sat up with a sleepy pout. “I’m awake.”
“Could have fooled me.” Vincent tugged Jasper to his feet, brushing his thumb against the line on Jasper’s cheek from a textbook. “Bed.”
Jasper nodded and immediately leaned into Vincent, using him as support as they headed up the stairs. Somehow he managed to undress on his own before collapsing into bed.
Vincent watched for a few moments, then shook his head and changed. Once in bed, his fingers immediately found their way into messy blond hair, curling tight with a quiet sigh of contentment.
With Jasper’s summer break around the corner, he planned to set aside ample time for them to figure out what they both wanted from this going forward. There’d be more issues to deal with, and more than a little exploring and experimenting, but that was half the fun.
Then there was Jasper’s birthday coming up.
He wasn’t sure what to get as a present.
It was far too early to even be thinking of a permanent collar, and he wouldn’t suggest moving in together until they had more than a weekend at a time together.
Maybe a vacation was in order. One or two weeks for them to be alone without work or classes to see how well they worked without a break from each other.
He fell asleep thinking of all the different places they could go.
MORNING CAME far too early, and Vincent was disappointed to find Jasper already out of bed by the time he woke up.
His disappointment faded when he reached the kitchen and Jasper offered him a cup of coffee, prepared exactly how he liked it. “Thank you, pet,” he murmured, not missing the faint, almost serene smile on Jasper’s lips.
“Breakfast is ready,” Jasper said, offering Vincent a plate of scrambled eggs and toast.
“How’s your studying coming?” he asked, taking the plate to the table. He stacked a few of Jasper’s books and set them aside so they had room to eat.
“Okay, I think.” Jasper settled next to him and dug in. “It’s easier to study here. ’S quiet.”
That was an understatement. A farm full of roosters would be quiet compared to a house with five other people.
He sat back to sip his coffee as he studied Jasper.
Despite not having any scenes planned for the weekend so Jasper could study, he still enjoyed having him here.
Which made it all the easier to accept that he wanted to keep Jasper around longer.
“I’ve drawn up the new contract for you,” he said, hiding his amusement behind his cup when Jasper turned wide eyes on him. “The only thing missing is discipline and punishments, if you’re wanting to add them.”
Jasper swallowed his mouthful of eggs. “Do you want to add them?”
Vincent opened his mouth to say he wanted whatever Jasper wanted but decided against it.
While true, he knew he needed to start telling Jasper some of his own preferences so they both understood where their tastes aligned.
“Yes,” he said. “Punishments especially are something I enjoy, but discipline tends to make it easier to set and enforce boundaries.”
“Oh.”
“But it doesn’t work if that’s not something you want too. Your contract, your choice. The only nonnegotiable part I added is that we get tested. What we do with the results after is up to you.”
Jasper bit his bottom lip and poked at the bite of eggs he had left. “I couldn’t think of a suitable punishment for being a dick.”
Vincent tilted his head. “Could you think of unsuitable ones?”
Jasper snorted. “You said spanking was a reward. And sex wasn’t an option. Making me kneel in a corner seems pointless.”
“Why’s that?”
“You already scolded me, and I already apologized, so it’s all good, isn’t it?”
“Fair enough,” Vincent replied, raising an eyebrow when Jasper stared at him in surprise.
“You thought I’d insist on additional consequences?
” Jasper’s shrug wasn’t exactly shocking, but he still hated whoever had made him expect the worst about everything.
That was likely his father, but there couldn’t have been many good examples in Jasper’s life if he was still this wary.
“Discipline should be handled the same day of the incident, if not immediately after it. You made a mistake and realized it. We addressed the issue, and you fixed it. Nothing else is needed.”
Jasper didn’t bother to hide his suspicion. “Then why did you tell me to think of something?”
“I wanted to know how seriously you would consider your actions and the potential consequences. There’s no sense in setting expectations or boundaries if you don’t care about breaking them.” Adam had thoroughly taught him that lesson.
“I hope you understand that discipline and punishments aren’t there as traps for an excuse to hurt you,” Vincent added after a moment, and the way Jasper flinched and stared at his plate let him know he’d finally found the problem.
He sighed softly, but he wasn’t sure what he could say to set Jasper at ease.
He picked up his coffee and drained the rest of it, then drummed his fingers against the side of the cup.
“How about this,” he finally said into the silence.
“If you want to add punishments, we can do that, and we’ll leave discipline off to revisit in six months.
” Jasper nodded while staring at his place, and Vincent eyed him, wondering what he’d missed.
“Jas, if something’s wrong, you need to tell me. ”
“I’m sorry,” Jasper said in a rush, pushing his plate away and finally lifting his head. For some reason he looked guilty. “I said I trusted you, and I do, so there’s no reason you shouldn’t add—”
“Stop,” Vincent ordered, shoving down the sudden burst of annoyance and anger to figure them out later. Neither of those emotions were helpful or needed right then. “The contract has nothing to do with trust. It’s a guide, nothing more.”
Jasper didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t argue. Whatever was fueling this new misunderstanding, they’d need to get to the bottom of it soon, but studying for finals needed to take priority right now.
“I’ll finish up the contract while you study.
When you need a break, why don’t we go get our tests taken care of?
” When Jasper nodded, Vincent stood and tipped Jasper’s chin up, then leaned down for a quick kiss.
“Still not angry, pet,” he said, relieved when the tension eased out of Jasper’s shoulders.
He mentally added the phrase to his list and could only hope it wouldn’t always be needed.
He refilled his coffee and settled on the sofa, leaving the dining table to Jasper and his mess of textbooks.
He pulled up the contract on his laptop to put in the last few changes.
While the previous contract remained, with Jasper’s updated limits, the additions specifically included testing and that they be exclusive.
His own request was for Jasper to be readily available outside of life responsibilities and previous obligations, and he’d provide the same in return.
If they were going to move into a more explicit relationship, he’d likely start making more demands on Jasper’s time.
Ideally, he’d prefer Jasper to move in with him.
Which brought him back to birthday gifts.
He didn’t know Jasper’s tastes well enough to choose, so he pulled up some travel packages online for overseas and some domestic locations he’d enjoyed or wanted to visit.
He printed them all out with the contract and then turned to work.
For the next few hours, Jasper studied at the table, and Vincent set up a couple job openings for a general manager, another floor manager, and another chef for the club.
He’d already had to shuffle some schedules around when he realized he really wasn’t willing to give up all his weekends with Jasper, but he’d promised it wouldn’t be a permanent change.
The club was steadily growing, and he needed more staff anyway if he wanted to start scheduling events.
And if he was going to give Jasper the attention and support he needed, he couldn’t sink eighty hours a week into the club anymore, even if he did enjoy the work.
He completely missed when Jasper brought him a fresh coffee an hour after they settled in. Between one absent sip and the next, it went from hot to lukewarm.
Jasper hadn’t said anything, and he’d been quiet enough Vincent hadn’t even noticed he’d moved from the table.
Any doubts he had that Jasper might get overwhelmed with the lifestyle, or with adding service to his contract, faded almost completely.
Sure there would be rough spots, but Jasper had proven several times now that he was a natural.
When Jasper finally joined him on the couch near noon, he curled into Vincent’s side and nuzzled into his neck. “You should take me out to lunch.”
“Should I?” Vincent replied, most of his attention on checking over the financial sheets his assistant had sent him.
“Definitely.” Jasper pulled back when Vincent didn’t respond immediately, glancing at the computer before settling next to him.
Vincent rewarded him with a hand on his thigh, squeezing lightly as he finished and sent back his approval. Then he closed his laptop and turned his attention to Jasper. “Break, then?” he asked, stealing a quick kiss when Jasper nodded.
It didn’t take them long to dress, and he snagged the contract from his office and set it on the kitchen island for when they returned.