19. Chapter 19
The sunlight peaks through my bedroom window, landing on a sleeping Jasper. He seriously looks like an angel… who’s passed out from a full night of debauchery.
At one point, in the middle of the night, I woke up to his warm, wet mouth wrapped around my dick. Pretty sure I had a sleepgasm. Don’t question it, it’s a word… move along now.
Strands of Jasper’s black hair are sticking up in a sleepy, rumpled mess, and he puffs out these cute little snores that I know he’ll deny until he’s blue in the face, so I’ll keep them to myself… for now.
His arm is splayed across my chest, so I take a moment to look at all the different bracelets that adorn his wrists. Some are fabric, some are beads, and some are chains with little trinkets on them. There’s one in particular that catches my eye. It’s a silver chain that has the name Matthew engraved on it. I glide my finger over the name before flipping the engraving over, and on the other side it says, ‘ For believing in his carnival .’
My heart breaks for how long Jasper has been grieving the loss of Matthew on his own. Thinking that Marcus and Jacob had this bracelet made for him as a keepsake brings me a small amount of comfort. Matthew really affected Jasper’s life, a fact nobody knew. He helped shape Jasper into the amazing, sweet, kind man he is today. The loss had to be devastating.
Bringing his hand to my lips, I kiss his wrists. His eyes flutter open and he smiles that sleepy smile that melts hearts and hardens dicks. My morning wood gives its best effort at battling the odds.
“Good morning,” I say, kissing his nose.
He breathes me in. “Good morning.”
My hand slides down to his ass. “How are you feeling? I know I got a little…”
He chuckles, shifting to rest his chin on my chest. “You were perfect, and my ass is just the right amount of sore.”
He places slow kisses along my chest as my fingers thread through his hair. It feels like a lazy Sunday morning and I’m in love… Wait, what? No. Psh, that’s not…
“Get out of your head, Olly. Your whole body just went as stiff as a board.”
“I wasn’t in…” I go to say, but then Jasper just laughs before going back to placing soft kisses all over and I go back to ignoring my thoughts.
“Oh, I never asked you about your meeting with Spencer. Was it a dire emergency?”
I laugh. “No, I wouldn’t say dire emergency, but… ”
Jasper looks up at me with a sexy raised eyebrow.
“The building across the street from Ink Me is going up for sale, and well, the location would be perfect for the bakery.” My stomach swoops around the nerves dancing.
Jasper gasps, leaning up, excitement sparkling in his eyes. “No way, Olly! That’s amazing. Why didn’t you say anything? Here we’ve been working through my shit, and you’ve been sitting on this amazing news.”
“No, no, no. Yesterday went exactly the way it was supposed to go,” I say, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.
“So… Are you going to buy it?”
I grin. “I think so. I’m going to call today and see about putting in an offer.”
“Tell me about it. Will it work for what you want? Fuck, Olly, I’m so excited for you.”
“Oh, so now you’re excited,” I tease.
“I’ve always been excited for you, Olly, even if I didn’t show it in the best way. In my defense, I was really worried about my crab tacos.”
“Jasper, when will you realize I will make you crab tacos day or night?”
His eyes flutter. “You know what those words do to me.”
“Yes, I do,” I say, kissing his lips with a soft chuckle.
Clearing his throat, he sits up straighter. “Don’t distract me. We were talking about you. Tell me about the bakery.”
I try to tamp down my excitement because getting your hopes and dreams shattered if they don’t turn out is not on my list of things to do. Plus, I can only handle one leap of faith at a time.
“I might need to knock down a wall, but that will leave the kitchen area a nice size. Of course, it needs a fresh coat of paint… or two. And I’ve been to ying with the idea of opening up the front of the bakery so you can look into the kitchen and watch things being made.”
“Oh, that sounds like fun. Hmm.” He rubs his chin. “The only downside I can foresee is having to watch how I use frosting.” I pinch his side and pull him on top of me. The sound of his laughter echoes through the house and I kiss him silly.
“Well, it looks like I’ll need to find a contractor who can knock down a wall. Oh, maybe I’ll call Spencer’s dude.”
Jasper gasps. “You most certainly will not hire that man.”
I throw my head back and cackle. It’s cute seeing Jasper all jealous.
I stopped at The Diner this morning to check on Darcy. It’s been a few days, and I’m feeling guilty, which is something I’m going to have to get over real quick once the bakery opens. The first year, I’ll be concentrating on getting it operational. So I just hope Darcy can handle The Diner while I do.
I know she can, but it’s hard work and a lot of hours. What if I push her too hard and she gets burned out? I can’t lose her because I’ve asked too much. And just because I’m opening the bakery does not mean I want my grandfather’s dream and legacy to flounder into nothing. I need both locations to succeed.
When I first opened the back door of the restaurant, I could hear her calling out orders and making sure everyone was staying on task. You could just tell that she had a big smile on her face as she did it, too. It settled the last niggle of worry that buried itself just below the surface .
On my way home, I swung by the store to pick up everything I needed to make over 150 cupcakes. Ambitious, I know.
Today, I’m starting with all the baking that needs to be done, and tomorrow, I’ll work on frosting them, so they will be ready for the carnival the next day.
Now here I am trying to carry six bags from the car to the house without cutting off the circulation in my arms or the contents spilling all over the ground.
The fact my keys are still in my pocket when I reach the front door triggers a wave of panic.
“Fuck.” Smart move, Olly.
My panic increases when I realize the door is ajar. I scan the driveway and street, finding no extra vehicles. Shit, I should call the cops. But I don’t because that would be way too smart and wise. Look who’s being reckless now, I think to myself as I slowly open the door.
I’m expecting to see furniture overturned, potted plants shattered with dirt all over the floor. I mean, I don’t have any potted plants, but if I did…
The further into the house I go, the more I realize everything looks just how I left it.
“Jasper?” I call out. “Are you here?” It’s a logical question considering his habit of breaking and entering.
No response.
Huh, ok.
I make my way into the kitchen, and that’s when I see it. All dressed up with a cute bow, a shiny new mixer sits on the counter. I set the bags on the counter, grateful to have the feeling back in my arms again and take in the beauty .
It’s a teal color, a vibrant, almost turquoise, with a recognizable brand name clearly displayed. This brand is not cheap, especially with all the accessories included. Spendy.
I spot a handwritten note sitting on the counter.
Olly,
I hope this helps you on your mission to make 150 cupcakes. I know this will never replace Juan, but just maybe Ricardo can come in a close 2nd.
Jasper
I wipe away the wetness I’m pretending is not leaking from my eyes. Oh, my; that sweet man. Every day, I see different sides of Jasper, each one just as amazing as the rest. It still baffles my mind that I even cross his mind.
Filled with a new sense of excitement, I unload the grocery bags and gather the ingredients, including bowls, utensils, and baking tins, all the while eyeing my new toy. Ricardo .
I can get behind Ricardo. To ensure a positive working relationship, it’s wise I make a good first impression, so I rub him gently and whisper sweet nothings in his ear.
“Listen, you sexy beast. I need you to mix today like your life depends on it. I know it’s going to be hard. It’s 150 cupcakes, for fuck’s sake, but you can do this. I know you can. Especially with this sleek new body you have.”
The ringing of my cell phone cuts my sweet talk short. I smile when I see my sister’s name light up on the screen.
“Well, at least it’s not three a.m. this time. How’s my girl doing?”
“I’m doing just fine. Thank you for asking.”
“Hardy-har-har. I meant my favorite girl. ”
“Wow. Fine! Mom and Dad found you in a ditch on the side of the road and felt sorry for you.”
“What the fuck, Emma? With how Grandpa always described them, that could very well be true. They had a thing for strays.”
“Oh, calm down. I’m joking. Maybe, honestly, we don’t know.” We both laugh. God, I miss her.
“So, how’s it going? Any updates on the bakery?”
“Umm, actually yes. There’s a building up for sale right on Main Street. I checked it out the other day and made an offer.”
“Olly, that’s amazing. I’m so happy you’re doing this for yourself. You know Grandpa never wanted you to give up your dream for his.”
“I know. I’m glad I’m doing it too. In fact, I got an order for 150 cupcakes that I’m making for a children’s carnival. It’s this amazing organization called The Matthew House. They work with LQBTQ+ kids.”
“The kids will love them. You are a very talented baker, Olly, but that sounds like a lot of cupcakes. How are you going to make them all?” She laughs.
“I have no idea,” I sigh. “I’m just gonna have to spend all day and night baking. With the new mixer, I hope to get it done faster.”
“New mixer? What happened to Juan?”
“Well, Juan decided his days of shaking his hips were over. I was sad to see him go. Ricardo is a bigger and newer version.”
“Oh, Ricardo. The name is fitting.”
“Thanks. That was Jasper’s doing.”
“Jasper? Would this be the same Jasper you’ve been talking about for months?”
“I haven’t been talking about him for months. He was a friend.”
“ Was a friend. Does that mean he’s no longer just a friend?” she prods.
We haven’t really labeled what we’re doing, but I think we both can admit that this is more than just fooling around. Emotions are involved.
“He’s someone I consider more than a friend. But we haven’t talked about it yet.”
“Um, if he buys you expensive mixers named Ricardo, that classifies you as more than friends.”
A grin crosses my face. I’m doing a lot of that lately. “Yeah, I know.” I sigh like a lovesick fool. Ugh, there’s that word again.
“Seriously, Olly, I’m so proud of you and I can’t wait to watch you follow your dreams. Have you thought about a name for the bakery yet?”
“No. But it’s like grandpa always said. You’ll know when you know.” We both laugh.
“Please, just don’t call it The Bakery.”
“I won’t, I promise.” I sigh again. “For the first time in a long time, I’m really happy, Emma.” If she was here, she would totally make fun of the dopey grin that’s on my face.
I startle when I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. “Hey, Emma. I’m gonna have to let you go.”
“Okay, but call me when you hear more about the building, and good luck with the carnival.”
“I will. Love you,” I say, my eyes never leaving the sexy man leaning in my doorway. “Jasper.”
I round the kitchen island, not stopping until I’m standing right in front of him. “Thank you,” I say, tears threatening to make another appearance .
I cup both sides of his face and kiss him with every ounce of my being. The taste of strawberries and the smell of cotton candy fill my senses, bringing familiarity with it.
His arms circle around my waist as he deepens the kiss. He moans and I swallow it down. My cock twitches at the delicious sound, thinking of all the other ways I can drag that sound out of him.
I pull away, and we both whimper like fools. “We have to stop. Otherwise, I’m never going to make all the cupcakes in time.”
“Right, we wouldn’t want a repeat of frost-a-cock.”
I chuckle. “Well, I do, but it needs to wait until after 150 cupcakes are baked… and frosted.”
He arches an eyebrow.
“Cupcakes, Jasper. Frosting the cupcakes.”
“Well, good thing I came to help.” He kisses my cheek as he moves around me. “The faster we get it done, the faster I get to work on my display piece.”
“Umm, what display piece?”
“Think of it like cupcake wars, Olly, but my display piece is for private eyes only. I’ve even raised it to the next level with pyrotechnics.”
“What the fuck are you even talking about right now?”
Jasper grabs my dick, giving it a squeeze against the unforgiving material. “I’m going to frost your cock like finger paint, and then, using only my tongue, I’m going to lick it clean before you explode down my throat.”