Page 29 of Crossroads

TWENTY-EIGHT

“Okay, text me when you get to your first stop and then every day until you make it to California. Then, you call me,” Kelly says, holding my face in her hands. I’m not used to anyone caring so much. I think I got a little spoiled here.

“I will. I promise.”

She hugs me closer to her now, wrapping her arms around me and squeezing the life out of me. “You can always come home. This is your home now, whether you like it or not.”

I try to swallow down all the yucky feelings this is bringing up while looking over her shoulder at Jasper, who’s grinning like a fool. He already got his Kelly hug and peptalk, and the bastard is finding it hilarious now. “Thank you, Aunt Kelly. I’ll be back to visit, for sure.”

She pulls back, holding me by the shoulders. “You better. You will always have a home here. You know that, right?”

She’s dead serious, and I don’t want to argue with her and tell her that I’m not really the sort of person who has a home.

I’ve always had somewhere to live, but not a home.

She’s right, though, in the sense that this place has felt the closest to home that I’ve ever experienced.

“Thank you,” I say simply, and she hugs me again and then releases me.

“You boys be careful,” she says, waving us off as we hop into my car.

Jasper is coming with me.

No, not for forever, like I actually want, but this is something, at least. I thought I was going to have to say goodbye to him today, like I did John and Millie when they left earlier. But it was still hard to say my goodbyes to them and now to Kelly.

But I don’t have to say goodbye to him just yet. That’s what I’m focusing on.

I drive away from the farm and toward town to hop onto the interstate, neither of us saying a word. It’s not really awkward or anything, but it’s heavy. Even though I’m excited he’s going with me, we still know it’s going to end.

“You hungry? Want to grab something for the road?” I ask.

Jasper just looks out the window and shakes his head. I feel like I’m taking him away, stealing him from the place he loves. Maybe this was a mistake. I should have just been a man and said goodbye now. Let him be.

But then he slides his hand into mine on the steering wheel, locking our fingers together and bringing our joined hands down to my thigh. He shoots me the sweetest smile and squeezes my hand. “I’m glad you asked me to go with you.”

“You are?” I ask dumbly, watching the road now, even though I’d rather look at him.

“I am. Have you ever been to California though? This is going to shock you, but I haven’t.”

I chuckle and squeeze his hand this time. “I have a couple of times. Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe from the big-city people.”

He laughs, and then suddenly, just like that, it doesn’t feel so heavy.

It’s just us in the moment, and we enjoy the drive.

We stop at a couple of interesting places on the way.

A place that sells nothing but cheese and a Buffalo Bill Museum.

It’s dark by the time we make it to our first roadside motel.

And despite being on the road all day, neither of us are tired when we get into the room. My lips slam against his, and his back hits the wall, while we work to get each other naked. “Shower?” I ask.

“You think it’s bigger than the one in my loft?” he asks against my mouth, a teasing grin on his lips.

“I hope not,” I say, stripping his shirt over his head and kissing over his neck and down to each nipple. I let my tongue flick over each tightened bud before he pulls me back up to his mouth and tugs my shirt off my head.

We work our way to the bathroom, both kicking our shoes off and pulling our socks, jeans, and underwear off, tossing them along the way.

We kiss and laugh as we bump into things until we finally make it to the small, sort of grimy-looking bathroom, but he turns on the shower, and we kiss as we wait for it to warm up.

Which takes a bit—so much that I’m a little worried we’re both getting cold showers. Though I don’t think anything could put out the flames of desire I feel as I stroke his hard cock in my hand, lazily kissing him.

When it finally starts to warm, he shoves me into the shower and follows me in.

The shower wall is freezing when my back plasters too it, but I couldn’t give a fuck because Jasper is lowering himself to his knees, his hand wrapping around my cock.

“I fucking loved feeling these inside me,” he says, licking over both my piercings.

“Yeah?” I rasp out when he gets to the head of my cock and sucks in a teasing manner that nearly sends me over the edge already.

“Yeah. I thought it might hurt, but each one just sends this sexy little ripple through me. It just made me want more.”

“You want me to get more?”

He smiles, stroking me as he uses his tongue to torture me, licking all over the shaft and tip. “Maybe. Though why mess with perfection?”

I grin, my head making a thud when I lean back into the shower wall, my need for him going even higher. “Fuck me, Jasper. I need you,” I beg.

He stands, his lips ghosting over mine and then dips his head to kiss my neck softly. “I’m going to fuck you, but first we’re going to shower, and then we’re going to get into the bed.” We asked for one bed this time.

I don’t know if I can take him taking his time like he did last night.

And not just because it felt like my balls were going to burst if he didn’t let me come.

The problem was a little north of that. My heart broke when I realized that he wasn’t just fucking me.

He was telling me how much he loved me, even though neither of us can seem to say the actual words.

And I felt it.

Every single second of it, and it nearly tore me in half.

“Just fuck me,” I say harshly. “No teasing.”

He pulls his head back to look into my eyes. I’m not going to flat out tell him I can’t take it, but he sees it anyway. Nodding his head slowly, knowingly.

“Lube,” he says, grabbing a towel and hopping out of the shower. I try to calm myself, remind myself this is better as I turn away from him and face the shower wall while I hear him riffling through his bag.

I don’t get to keep him. He’s dropping me off, and it’s likely I’ll never see him again. So I can’t do this to myself. This trip is about having a good time, making memories and fucking each other silly.

That’s it.

Not making love. Not taking time that we don’t have.

I lean my head against the wall, between my palms that are flattened as I wait. Then I hear him and feel his slick cock between my cheeks. He slides it through my crease, and I feel his big hands opening me, spreading me.

“Fuck,” he whispers.

“That’s the idea,” I say like an asshole, but I try to keep it light as I wiggle my ass. “Get inside me. Fuck me.”

I feel his finger prodding my hole, circling around it gently, and I can’t do that.

“I’m fine. Just fuck me. I’m still stretched out from this morning.” And it’s true. He took his time with me this morning too. Took me apart so slowly. Kissed every inch of me. He worshipped me. Nope. Can’t think about that. “Please. Hard,” I say.

I feel his hesitance, but thankfully, he doesn’t argue. His cock starts to push into me, though he’s going slow. Taking it easy, letting me feel every hard inch of him as he spears into me.

But once he bottoms out and I reach a hand back to hold onto his hip, digging my fingers into him, he seems to realize I won’t break, and finally, his resolve snaps. He pulls almost all the way out and then slams back into me, nearly stealing my breath and making me gasp.

“Yes. Finally fucking yes,” I say, and it feels so good. Every single thrust into me sends me to a new height of pleasure. My balls are already full and begging for release, and I reach between the shower wall and my body, grabbing my cock and stroking desperately as he fucks me hard.

I push back against him, taking every single punishing stroke.

Needing it. Wanting to feel how feral I make him.

He bites and licks my neck as he pounds into me, and when he nails my prostate, I’m a goner.

I spray the shower wall with my cum, crying out and squeezing around him, wanting to keep him inside me forever.

He tenses and bites my earlobe when he comes inside me, then blankets my body with his.

“Goddamn, that was good,” he whispers harshly into my ear.

It always is.

Fuck me. I hate that it didn’t save my heart at all. It’s the same with him, no matter if it’s fast or slow.

My heart is never going to make it through this.