Page 44 of Until Forever

Jasper claims his drink before I can finish pouring, and I move with him to keep from spilling it. Putting me right where he’s wanted me since the zoo—flush against him. We watch each other for a beat, the room seeming to fade into the background.

His fingers dance against my free hand, then he drums them lightly at my waist. My blood heats up, and a heaviness floods my core. His palm is fully on me now, and his breath tickles my nose. Then he grips and pulls me closer, and without coercion, I lean in for the kiss I know is coming.

“Mom. There’s no more soap in the bathroom,” JJ’s voice rips through the building tension.

I jerk away, looking Jasper in his eyes for a second longer before turning for the hall. “Okay, I’ll bring you some.” I pinch my brows but don’t dare check to see his face.

Saved by the kid.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

LATOYA

“Okay,baby. Make sure you clean behind your ears andbrushyour teeth,” I instruct and close the bathroom door behind me.

I reenter the living room, scratching my head, trying to prepare myself to face Jasper again. He’s sitting on the sofa with his elbows on his knees and his fingers interlocked. When he notices me, he stands and rubs his hands along the front of his jeans.

“Everything good?”

I stuff my hands into my pocket and inch farther into the room. “Yeah, he’s all set now.”

“Good.” He sighs. “Guess I’ll get out of here.”

“Wait. What kind of person would I be if I kicked you out after you cleaned my entire house?”

“A pretty shitty one,” he teases.

“Haha. At least finish your wine. JJ is going to want to say goodnight anyway.” I walk back into the kitchen and return with the bottle tucked under my arm and a glass in each hand.

He accepts his drink and immediately swallows it down, holding his arm out for more. After I top him off, I walk around the coffee table and flop on the opposite end of the sofa. Jasper follows my lead, taking the space right beside me.

“How was it? Being a full-time dad for three days?”

We stare at each other with similar expressions on our faces. I see the exhaustion, and it looks much like what I felt when JJ was born. Different circumstances and different stages, but still a first.

We laugh, a silent decree between parents.

“He wore you out, didn’t he?”

Jasper smirks. “He wore me ragged.” He sips his wine.

“Yeah. He’s a busy boy.”

Jasper nods and takes another drink. “That he is. But he’s perfect.” His voice fades out a little.

I watch him for a beat, recognizing the familiar love flashing in his eyes. Parenthood will do that for you. It’ll change your life, expected or not, but when you lay eyes on the one thing you got right in the world, it does something to you.

I smile behind the brim of my glass, pausing for a moment to swallow a mouthful. “He is pretty damn awesome. And thanks again for cleaning and watching him this weekend. He seems really happy.”

He hisses and waves me off. “Stop. It was nothing. Thank you for allowing me to. We had a lot of fun. Honestly, I don’t know how you did it all by yourself.”

With my lips pressed tight, I inhale deeply. “I wasn’t by myself. My mom and dad have been great. It took them a while to wrap their minds around their eighteen-year-old daughter becoming a single mother, but they made sure we were good.”

“I bet your father hates me even more than he did when we were dating.”

“Oh, stop. He doesn’t hate you.”

Jasper sits up, his brows raised. “Liar. How about that time he chased me out of your backyard?”

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