Chapter 23 – Otis #2
“I’m okay with that,” I confirm.
“Otis,” Jasper starts.
“Jasper, I’m okay with that,” I confirm, and finally Jasper nods his head in agreement. He knows that there is going to be no changing my mind.
“Right, now we have that sorted,” Charmaine states, “I need answers from you two.”
“Oh I have been waiting for this,” David says.
“You knew about these two?” Charmaine demands, turning to look at David, the smile instantly falling from his lips. “Who else in this room knew about these two before today?” she demands.
Sheepishly, I watch as everyone except Vincent and Richard raise their hands. Charmaine’s eyes widening when she sees just how many people knew about us.
“In my defence, I’m his mum,” Mum states.
“And I’m Jasper’s sister,” Kimber adds.
“Family doesn’t count, but you three? What the hell were you playing at? You should have come to me and told me,” Charmaine states, and I can’t decide if she is pissed or not.
“Charmaine, it wasn’t our place,” David adds. “They were the ones that needed to tell you.”
“Fine, but Vincent you need to make a company wide announcement to say all secret relationships are banned,” Charmaine states.
“Banned seems a little extreme, but I’m going to make an announcement that all relationships don’t need to be hidden.”
“Fine,” Charmaine replies. “And you two,” turning to me and Jasper, “you are to come to my office at the next opportunity and we are going to discuss what happens next.”
“Okay,” I reply.
“Marcus,” I call over to him, “Can you help me in the kitchen? I’ll get us all some drinks.”
“I’ll help,” Mum states.
“It’s okay, Mum.” I get to my feet and nod my head in Jasper’s direction, hoping that she realises that I want to talk to Marcus about Jasper.
“Yes of course,” Marcus replies, and he follows me into the kitchen.
“Is Jasper okay?” I ask when we are safely away from the living room.
“The last time I saw him like this was when Clive dumped him,” Marcus states, and I’m not surprised at this.
“I had a feeling you would say that,” I tell him. “What can I do?”
“Exactly what you are doing. Being there for him. Telling him you love him,” Marcus adds.
“He just looks so lost,” I add.
“Jasper will be thinking that he has wrecked everything. That you have to come out because of him. That Montague’s image has been tarnished because of him. He won’t see this as Clive’s doing.”
“That man,” I mumble.
“Yeah, he’s a piece of work,” Marcus confirms, “I had loved seeing my Jasper back.”
“Your Jasper?” I comment, giving him a smile.
“He will always be my Jasper first,” Marcus adds. “You just come in second.”
“I think you’ll find that Jasper is mine first,” I add with a chuckle, “and God it’s good.” Walking out of the kitchen, laughing at the expression on Marcus’s face, completely forgetting that I was going in there to make drinks.
A few hours later and it’s finally just me and Jasper.
We had all discussed what was going to be happening over the next few days.
Kimber had offered to let Mum stay with her and I had almost been offended at how quickly Mum had said yes, until she answered that she was not going to pass up the opportunity to spend the night in a brothel. Kimber had laughed so hard at that.
“Jasper,” I call his name and he looks up at me, “Come on, we’re going to bed.” And I hold out my hand for him to take.
“This is not how I wanted you to move in,” Jasper replies, taking hold of my hand and getting to his feet, and we start walking up the stairs to our room.
“It’s not how I thought it would happen,” I reply, “But considering none of my stuff is here, we can have an official moving in when everything has blown over.”
“And if it doesn’t?” Jasper questions.
“It will, but if it doesn’t, I’m sure that another scandal will come along soon enough and the press will forget all about it,” I tell him.
Jasper doesn’t respond to this, and I know that I need to snap him out of the funk that he’s got himself into.
“Sir.” I turn to face him at the top of the stairs, “Can I help you forget?”
“Otis,” Jasper starts, but this isn’t his Dom voice, and I have no idea if this is a good or bad sign.
“Yes, sir,” I reply.
“Please help me forget. But I don’t want a scene,” Jasper replies.
Shit. Every time we have had sex there has been a scene involved. Jasper was the one in complete control over everything that I did. What the hell am I going to be like, outside of a scene? But after today there was no way I would deny Jasper’s request.
“If that’s what you need,” I reply, but I don’t move for a second, wondering how I can tell him that I still want to bottom, “Umm,” I start.
“You still want to bottom?” Jasper finishes for me.
“Yes.”
“Good. Because I’m one hundred percent a top,” Jasper confirms.
Walking into our bedroom, I can’t help but smile at the thought. This is now our room, and the smile remains on my face as I close the bedroom door.
“What has you smiling?” Jasper asks, as he turns to face me.
“Just that this is our room,” I reply, and for the first time in hours a smile spreads across Jasper’s face.
“Yes it is,” he confirms, as he closes the distance between us, leans over and connects our lips. It’s gentle at first but then I feel his tongue run along the seam of my lips. I open for him, allowing him to deepen the kiss.
“I thought I lost you today,” Jasper says as he breaks the kiss and leans forwards so that he’s resting his forehead against mine.
“I am not going anywhere,” I confirm. “Ever.”
Jasper seems to take a deep breath for a second, like he’s trying to settle his nerves, but why the hell would he be nervous? We have had sex before, and I personally think we are damn good at it.
“You know,” he starts, “Your mum called me her son-in-law.”
“You heard that?” Wondering how he knew that.
“Kimber told me,” Jasper answers.
“I think Kimber was a little jealous,” I start. “I had to tell her that my mum would never replace her.”
“Lizzie wouldn’t, but you know she has asked me to call her Mum,” Jasper states.
“What?” But it sounds like something Mum would do. I know that she called Dad’s parents Mum and Dad.
“Yeah. I was kinda blown away.”
“I will have a word. Tell her to calm down,” I say.
“No, don’t, I liked it,” Jasper adds, and he takes another deep breath. “It was nice having a mum again. If that makes sense.”
“Jasper, if calling her Mum makes you feel better, then after today I am all for it,” I tell him, as I take hold of his hand again and lead him over to the bed, getting us to sit on the edge. Where Jasper seems to have a sudden interest in the carpet.
“I liked her calling me her son-in-law too,” Jasper adds.
“Oh?” Because what the hell am I supposed to say, I didn’t want to admit that I liked hearing it too, but Jasper and I have only been dating for six months. Conversations about the future are a long way off. Well, I thought, for Jasper anyway.
“I was thinking that I would like that too,” Jasper says quietly.
“Like what?”
“Otis, marry me?” Jasper blurts out.
What the hell? I’m so not sure that I heard Jasper right, but I place my finger under Jasper’s chin, tilt up his head and turn him to face me.
“Jasper?” I say.
“Look before you say that I’m rushing this or that I don’t know what I’m saying, I do. Today I thought I was going to lose you, twice. First in that accident and then with Clive. But you stayed. I knew then that I never wanted to let you go. I have been trying to think of a way to say it all.”
“Is that why you have been quiet?” I ask, and Jasper just gives me a smile before standing up and moving so that he is in front of me.
“Otis. I love you, more than I thought I could ever love someone, and strangely you love me back. Marry me?” And he goes down on one fucking knee.
“Jasper,” I start, and for a second Jasper’s face falls.
“Sorry,” Jasper replies, quickly getting to his feet, “It was stupid. Ignore me.”
“Shut up,” I state as I get up from the bed and go over to my bag in the corner. Inside there is a box. A special box that holds a present that now seems perfect. Pulling it out, I go over to Jasper and hand it over to him. He flips it open. Surprise lighting his face.
“What the?” As he looks at the ring nestled in the middle.
“I had it specially made,” I explain. “It’s made up of the bathrobe tie from Mum’s house, and a resin.”
“Our first time,” Jasper remembers.
“I found a place on the internet, and Mum helped. Hence the son-in-law, but I hadn’t got it for that. But now…” Taking the ring out of the box, I slip it on to Jasper’s finger and simply say, “Yes.”