Page 45 of Glass & Groundwork
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. “Thisisthe 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.Neededhim 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 wantedhim, 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 changeseverything.” 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?”
