Page 107 of Vespertine

Jasper rolled his eyes, but came around the counter reachingfor Nicky’s hand. “C’mon. I’ll tuck you in.”

“You better do more than that,” Nicky whispered.

Jasper stroked his thumb over the back of Nicky’s wrist,then pulled Nicky up from the stool. Nicky followed obediently up the stairs tohis room. They both relieved themselves in the en suite bathroom, and Nickybrushed his teeth while Jasper went to the guest room to get ready for bed.Nicky took another fast shower, washing away the sweat and easing the soremuscles from his earlier muscle spasms. When he stepped out, Jasper was waitingwith a towel, wearing pajama pants and a white tank shirt.

“Full service, I like it,” Nicky said as Jasper wrapped thetowel around his shoulders.

“I think you can dry yourself,” Jasper murmured. He leaned backagainst the wall and watched as Nicky rubbed the towel over himself, lingeringover his dick, which seemed cautiously interested in being observed. He was tootired to get fully hard, but it tingled nicely as it filled halfway with asweet rush of blood.

Jasper passed him a T-shirt and some boxers, but Nickytossed them aside. He took hold of Jasper’s hand and led him into the darknessof the bedroom. Nicky climbed beneath the soft, fresh-smelling sheets thatMiriam had put on the bed before she’d left.

Jasper stood by the bed, looking down at him with uncertaineyes. “Well, goodnight.”

Nicky lifted the covers. “Stay.”

Jasper swallowed in the dark stillness of the room.

“I want it to be just you and me,” Nicky said softly,evoking the words like a summons that neither one of them wanted to deny.

“Yes, all right,” Jasper agreed, lying down next to Nickyand letting the covers fall over him. “You and me for tonight.”

Nicky nodded and scooted close, drawing Jasper near. He didn’tknow the last time he’d cuddled with anyone. Unless being passed out next tosome groupie with their body parts still touching counted, it hadn’t been sincehe and Jazz had last made love at seventeen. And it was kind of annoying thatJazz’s pajamas were preventing him from feeling his skin.

“Really, Jazz?” he asked, plucking at the soft T-shirt. “Really?

“What?”

“This isn’t an overnight retreat for the clergy. Take yourclothes off.”

“Oh.” Jasper giggled a little and it made Nicky’s heartclench. “Right, of course. I can do that.”

“Well, you don’thaveto do thatif you don’t want to. I won’t fucking kick you out of the bed or anything. ButI’d like to touch you.”

Jasper sat up and pulled his shirt off and wriggled out ofhis pajama bottoms and underwear. He sat with them in his hands like he didn’tknow what to do with them. Nicky grabbed them and tossed them across the darkroom. Then he leaned across Jasper and turned out the lamp on the table,throwing them into complete darkness.

Pressed against each other in the quiet of the empty house,unable to see in the dark, they kissed. Their bodies slid together easily, andNicky pressed his hand to Jasper’s chest, feeling his heartbeat as Jaspertenderly touched and stroked Nicky’s body. Neither of their cocks grew hard asthey cuddled. They were too tired to do much more than lie twined together,brushing lips and kissing. They whispered to each other, sweet nonsensicalwords of tenderness, and tasted each other’s mouths again and again.

Eventually, drifting in a beautiful, sweet place where onlyhe and Jasper existed, Nicky fell asleep.

Chapter Nineteen

JASPERPEELED OPEN HIS STICKYeyelids and was momentarily disoriented.God, why was he so hot?He licked his lips in an attempt togenerate some moisture in his mouth as he stretched his stiff legs.

He was curled protectively around a sleeping Nicky, and adizzying lurch of longing and intangible loss made him clutch the thin sheetcovering them both. No matter how hard he wanted to grasp these lasttwenty-four hours, he knew time was slipping through his fingers like sand froma broken hourglass. And waking up next to Nicky after all these yearswas…unbelievable. A warmth spread through him, slowly at first, then faster andfaster, like a piece of paper catching fire. It was doused as fast as ifsomeone had thrown a bucket of water on the flames.

Was this it? Would it be no more than a moment’s reprieve intheir adult lives, a shard of blissful happiness already turning into nothingmore than a memory?

His heart rejected the idea, too painful to evencontemplate.

Nicky’s chest rose and fell under his palm, and Jasper drewhim gently nearer. He closed his eyes and buried his face into Nicky’s hair. He’dfound himself in Nicky when he was a teenage boy. And he’d rediscovered himselfin him now. How could he let this go?But how can I not? Imade vows. I pledged my life to the Lord.He should have been horrifiedby what he’d done, yet…he wasn’t.

“I can hear you thinking from here,” Nicky mumbled.

Jasper smiled and allowed himself another whiff of Nicky’s fragranthair before he lifted his head and said, “I’m sorry I woke you.”

“It’s fine. We should get out of bed anyway. My parents willbe home soon.”

“What?” Jasper sat up so fast Nicky bounced onto his back.The dark circles of his nipples nearly distracted Jasper, but he groped aroundfor his phone before remembering it was still downstairs. “What time is it?”