Chapter 8

8

JACKSON

T revor and Eli make eye contact and something passes between them, sending a terrifying sinking feeling into the pit of my stomach. Tipping onto his toes, Trevor whispers into Beau’s ear, then presses a gentle-looking kiss to his boyfriend's stubbled cheek. I watch entranced as Trevor disappears into the empty dance floor to stand behind a confused-looking Harper. I have to lock my limbs to prevent myself from running onto the dance floor to tug Harper into my arms, to make him feel safe.

Trevor moves to stand behind Harper, looping an arm around his waist to tug Harper roughly against his front. Eli whispers something into Harper’s ear, a devilish smirk on his face. Eli flashes a look at me, eyes sparkling with mischief. Eli proceeds to press tightly against Harper’s front, all the while keeping his teasing eyes on me. Caught between the two men, Harper looks torn between being terrified, and slightly turned on. The turned-on part is what pisses me off.

“What are they doing?” I ask, pulse pounding in my ears.

Colby leans back against the wall, a smile tipping his lips up. “Giving us a show.”

Beau snorts, but remains silent, which is everything I’ve come to expect from the man. The three of us grip our sodas tightly, gazes firmly set on the dance floor containing our men. No doubt about it. Harper is mine, he just doesn’t know it yet. But he will know soon if I have anything to say about it.

Trevor slowly sways them back and forth with his firm grip on Harper’s hips. My pulse pounds in my ears, in my neck, whooshing sounds filling my senses as Trevor leans down to whisper against the shell of Harper’s ear. All the blood in my body boils when Harper leans hard against Trevor, trusting the other man to hold him up. That should be me. Not Trevor. I’m the only one who should ever touch Harper so possessively, so intimately.

My mouth goes as dry as the Sahara when Eli drops to a crouch, then slowly inches back up Harper’s body in a sensuous crawl. Fuck. They’re fucking with me. My best friends are fucking with me. Harper’s lips part slightly as his chest rises and falls more quickly, obviously affected by the two men he’s sandwiched between. The soda can in my hand gets torn from my grip, tearing my attention from the three men on the dance floor.

“You’re going to bust the can, Jackson.” Colby nods his head towards the dance floor. “Take back what’s yours.”

“He’s not…”

Colby rolls his eyes. “Don’t argue with us. It’s written all over your face. Beau and I give you our blessing.”

“Blessing?” I repeat slowly.

Beau grunts softly. “We trust Harper with you. Break his heart and I’ll take a Louisville slugger to your precious Mercedes.”

I gasp in fear. “You wouldn’t.”

A smirk twitches the corner of Beau’s lips but doesn’t fully break loose. “Test me.”

“No can do, buddy,” I say loudly over the music. “That man is mine, and I’d rather die than ever break his heart.”

With that, I leave them behind. I’m going to get what’s mine. Trevor lifts his face from the crook of Harper’s neck with a wicked smirk. His eyes flit over my shoulder, no doubt landing on Beau. Eli disappears behind me just as I reach out to tug Harper from Trevor’s arms. Those gorgeous green eyes blink open, confusion warring in his gaze. But the moment it clicks into place that it’s me, a relieved smile flies across his plush lips. I need to kiss him. I have to kiss him. Right now.

Burying my fingers in Harper’s hair, I tug him against me until he gasps in shock.

“I’m going to kiss you now.” I tighten my fingers in his hair, until my knuckles pop. “Tell me no.”

Harper doesn’t utter a single word, instead he presses hard against my chest and leans up until his lips are only a breath from mine. The action dares me to kiss him, to make him mine. The world explodes into sensation when our lips finally touch. I lick into his mouth, needing the perfect taste of him on my tongue. God. He tastes sweet, just like I imagined. It’s the best damn kiss of my entire fucking life.

Harper melts against me with a dreamy sigh into my mouth. I loop my other arm around his waist, holding him steady, pulling him as tightly against my own body as I can. Everything but Harper stops existing. The sweet taste of him, the warmth of his skin against my palms, the tremble of his chest against my own as I steal the air from his lungs. All of it is mine. This man that infuriates me, makes me laugh. I’m going to keep him.

Harper’s hands tighten in my shirt until his nails bite painfully into my skin. Our kiss slows until finally Harper pulls free. His eyes are glazed as he stares up at me like a deer in headlights. Moments before he looked captivated, full of desire, but suddenly he looks terrified.

“What’s wrong?”

Harper carefully extricates himself from my grip and runs a weary hand through his messy hair. He won’t meet my gaze. I can’t have him just to lose him. I can’t. Fear rolls through me that he’s about to tell me it was a mistake.

“Jackson…” Harper trails off, biting at his lip. Only I should bite that lip. I tuck my fingers into the back pockets of my jeans to keep myself from touching him. I don’t want to scare him away.

“Harper.”

He mumbles something that I can’t make out, the music drowning his words out. This Harper shifting restlessly on his feet before me isn’t my Harper. I step up to him, until he’s forced to lift his gaze to mine, and tightly pinch his chin between my fingers. His eyes darken as I swipe my thumb across his still-kiss-wet bottom lip, effectively stopping him from biting what’s mine.

“Tell me.”

“Jackson…”

“I gave you an order,” I say firmly.

His eyes darken as his fingers sneak under my shirt to find bare skin. I fight hard to keep my reaction internal, not wanting him to see how his curious touch could bring me to my knees.

“I’ve never… it would be just you,” Harper admits shyly. He won’t meet my gaze, instead focusing on the center of my chest with an intensity I’ve never seen from him before. The words hit me like a slap once I realize what he was saying.

Jesus Christ. It shouldn’t matter, but the caveman inside of me preens at the idea of Harper only ever being mine. I try to calm my suddenly racing heart with some slow, deep breaths. Harper’s fingers dig harshly into the skin at the small of my back, making heat pool in my belly. First things first, I need to reassure him it’s fine. Secondly, I need him to know he’s mine.

“That doesn’t matter to me,” I promise him.

Harper snorts and drops his head against my chest. “It might. What if I’m bad?”

“Impossible. You’ll be magnificent. Also, stop trying to end us before we’ve even begun.”

Harper wraps his thin arms around me and hugs me tight. Running my fingers through his hair, I do my best to soothe him with my touch. Music blares around us, but when I glance to the outskirts of the empty dance floor, my friends are no longer there. We’re alone, minus for a patiently sitting Honey by our feet.

“Harper?”

He makes a humming noise against the material of my shirt.

“Do you trust me?”

“Always.”

I slide my hands down his back, cup his ass, and lift in one swoop. A shocked gasp leaves him, but he gets with it quickly by wrapping his legs firmly around my waist. Instead of having to look up at me, now our faces are even.

“Hi,” I say quietly.

That familiar smirk that makes my heart beat faster inches across his face. “Hi.”

And then I kiss him again. His arms loop around my neck to tug himself closer against me. One hand grips my shoulder, while the other rests against the back of my head, as he kisses me with an intensity that could melt every bone in my body. Desire courses through me, just from his kiss alone. Time loses all meaning. Tasting his sweet moans, his hands roving across my skin, his touch leaves fire in its wake. Nothing but Harper matters anymore. Nothing.

I tear away from his mouth, only to tuck my head into the crook of his neck. The sweet scent of him wraps around me, intoxicating and borderline miraculous. Otherworldly even. Fucking sandalwood and something sweet that I can’t name.

“We’re dating. You know that, right?” I mumble the question against the flushed skin of his collarbone.

Harper’s chuckle moves through me, until it feels like it’s my own. “I assumed so after you just ravished me. I’ve never dated anyone before, you know.”

“Harper,” I say seriously. I pull just far enough away to meet his confused gaze. “We’ve been dating for weeks.”

He delicately runs his finger over the shell of my ear, then traces down my face to dip down to my neck, and I try not to shiver as goose bumps break over my skin. Sometimes, when he smiles, truly smiles, just one side of his mouth lifts, and a small tiny dimple appears. It’s my favorite fucking thing. Number one on my bucket list, taste the dimple as I fuck the cum out of him. Yeah, number one.

Finally, I ever so slowly lower him back to the ground. The smile on my lips could split my face in two. Harper covers my face with his hand while groaning in annoyance.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

Kissing his palm, I wrap my fingers around his wrist and tug it away. A flush blooms across his cheeks, but he looks pleased, not even slightly irritated. A total win in my book.

“Can I take you home? I think the others left.”

Harper curiously looks behind his shoulder, finally noticing that we’re alone. Confusion visibly sweeps over him for a second, before finally settling on realization. If Colby and Beau left him with me, then it means I’ve been given their blessing. I do my best to not puff up with pride.

“Take me home,” Harper murmurs quietly, shifting his now heated gaze back to mine. “Stay the night?”

“I don’t have to.”

Harper smirks and a small puff of air escapes him. An almost laugh. “I’m very aware. I’m asking you to stay.”

“I’ll stay as long as you want. Every night. Forever. Whatever you want, name it.”

Harper stares up at me, something like wonder shining in his bright eyes. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

Taking his cheeks between my palms, I kiss him one more time. Only a firm press of lips, but it’s overwhelmingly sweet. Harper is beautifully starry-eyed when I pull away.

“Let me take you home.”

Harper nods and lets me guide him out of the nightclub with a possessive hand at the small of his back. The air is slightly chilly outside, so I keep my arm around his waist, tugging him as tightly against my side as possible. I let Harper into the car first, then Honey, our new routine that we’ve all got down pat.

The drive back to Harper’s house is quiet. I turn the music up so that Harper can’t feel nervous even for a moment. I never want him to feel nervous around me ever again. Reaching across the console, I tangle our fingers together, rubbing my thumb over his knuckles. He hides his face from me, but not before I see the sweet curving of his lips.

I trail behind Harper through his house. Harper sweetly takes Honey out of her vest, so I dip down to give her a pat and a kiss to her wet nose. Harper slides the back door open with a whistle in a sign to Honey for her to use the restroom. She does her business like a lady as Harper fidgets restlessly with the hem of his cable-knit sweater.

I wish I knew what thoughts were racing through his head. Everything from here on out will have to be on his timeframe. No rushing. Nothing but me and him on a journey towards something I hope will be great. Something really long-lasting if I have my way. Once Honey rejoins us in the house to retire for the night, Harper slowly locks up the back door.

Honey pads down the hallway, probably looking for the bedroom she shares with Harper.

“You still want me to stay?” I ask, needing to give him an out.

Harper nods quickly, lip caught between his teeth. “Yes. I’m just nervous.”

“About what?”

Harper gestures towards me, eyes fixed beyond my shoulder. “Look at you.”

I look down at my body in confusion. “What about me?”

Harper huffs loudly. “You’re gorgeous.”

Crossing the few feet between us, I grasp Harper’s thin shoulders in my palms. I squeeze gently and shake him a little, forcing his slightly frantic gaze to meet mine.

“You’re a stunner, punk. I think you really underestimate just how badly I want to kiss you, hold you, even see you naked. Anything we do tonight is perfect. Kiss? Amazing. Cuddle? Perfect. Hand action? Ecstatic. Just lie in bed and stare at one another? Sign me up.”

Harper roughly shoves me away. “You’re ridiculous. We can make out as long as you shut up.”

I bite at my lip to hold back a grin. Darkness invades the hallway as I follow him towards his bedroom. Only a small lamp lights up Harper’s cozy bedroom. The walls are a midnight blue, the bed low to the ground covered with white fluffy blankets that I missed in the dark the last time I was in his room.

Honey’s tucked in the corner on a very comfortable dog bed. She slowly lifts her head to look at me, licks her lips, then lowers her head back down. Obviously, she’s not that surprised at my presence. The other day bonded us in some odd way. Canine companion and boyfriend, an unbreakable bond.

“Well?” Harper asks, tearing me from my introspection.

When my gaze pings back to him, my entire body flushes with heat. At some point he’d torn his sweater off, leaving him only in his jeans. His auburn hair hangs loosely around his face, softly grazing his creamy shoulder. If he let me burn the world down for him, I would, just for one taste of his mouth. I’d even accept one nibble of his throat, as long as he was pressed against me, fingers curled tight into my shoulders to hold on to me as I wrung every ounce of pleasure from him.

Fuck. I’ve got to calm down. I stand frozen while Harper easily slides his jeans off, leaving him only in dark red boxer briefs that hug every single curve. He climbs under the blankets, then fixes me with a curious stare.

“Your turn,” Harper says softly, a small tremor in his voice.

I swallow hard. Deciding now isn’t the time for a show, I tug my shirt off, and wiggle carefully out of my own jeans. I keep my eyes firmly on Harper as I join him under the covers. Without a second thought, I reach for him, dragging him towards me under the heavy comforter.

Harper sighs against my shoulder once I’ve got him positioned just how I want. I run my fingers through his long hair, doing my best to get out some of the knots. He relaxes under my ministrations, happy sighs escaping him that I’m not even sure he’s aware he’s making.

Once he’s boneless against me, I roll over until I’m caging him between my elbows on the bed. A gasp startles out of him, but he stays relaxed.

“You said we could make out,” I point out. I trace his ear with the tip of my finger, grinning when he shivers beneath me.

Letting my body lower down, I line us up tip to toe. My cock slides against his through our boxers and it takes every single ounce of restraint to keep from rutting against him. Slow. This is about Harper, not me.

“I did say that,” Harper replies, eyes firmly on my mouth. He licks his lips once, then his gaze flits back up to mine. “Kiss me.”

He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I dip down slowly, trailing my nose across his cheek, before settling my lips across his sweet mouth. His fingers dig into my ribs, tugging me closer, as his legs open wider to allow room for my hips.

I bury my fingers in his hair, using my grip to tug his head into the perfect position to lick into his mouth. A much safer move than allowing my hands to roam his body. I don’t want to overwhelm him in any way. Not tonight. Harper moans into my mouth when I bite his lip, only to dip my tongue between his lips, tangling our tongues together. His hands slip from my ribs to rest at the curve of my spine.

He presses against me until the friction of his cock against mine sends me reeling.

“Fuck, wait.” I pull away from his mouth and press my face into the crook of his neck.

“Did I do something… I did something wrong?” Harper pants out.

“The opposite,” I mumble, playfully nipping at the hollow of his throat. “You’re going to make me come in my pants.”

“Just from kissing?” Harper asks breathlessly, a hint of wonder in his voice.

I pull away from his neck to stare down at him. His pupils are blown with desire, a flush on his gorgeous cheeks. For the first time I notice a small freckle at the corner of his left eye. The single blemish that marks his face. I don’t count the scar on his left temple because the scar is a part of him, something that adds to his beauty.

“Harper,” I say gravelly. “Just looking at you could make me come.”

“Oh.” Harper bites his lip hard, then moves his hand to tenderly cup the back of my neck. “Could we do that?”

I tilt my head. “Do what?”

“Come in our pants?” Harper clarifies with a tiny, barely noticeable smirk.

Fuck. Jesus. Fuck. Fucking fuck.

“Harper…”

Harper smiles sweetly, just before rolling his hips. Oh God. Who exactly is the novice in this situation? Because right now it feels a lot like me. When our cocks slide together again, Harper’s eyes go wide, just before closing on a deep, pleased moan. I can’t take it. I reach back and remove his hands from my shoulders, easily tangling our fingers together. Pressing his hands into the mattress, I roll my hips against him.

Lightning zips down my spine at the feel of our cocks grinding together. Even through my boxers, I can feel how hard he is for me. My mouth fills with saliva at just the idea of having his cock heavy and hard on my tongue. Since I can’t suck his dick, I dive down to suck on his tongue. The moan he lets out twists at the base of my spine, surging pleasure through me.

His fingers tighten around me when I press down hard, seeking enough pressure for us to come. Back arching, tongue pressing against mine, he comes with a moan so beautiful that my own orgasm crashes into me with all the force of a tsunami. White-hot pleasure overtakes me, short-circuiting my brain. Vision blacked out and head full of crackling sounds, I bury my face in Harper’s perfect neck.

Harper keeps making these surprised, but pleased little huffs of pleasure as our hips continue to roll. The wetness from his cum seeps into my boxers, and while it should be gross, it’s not to me. Because all I want to do is rip off his boxers and taste him. All of him. I need to hear him moan again. But tonight isn’t the night, so I calm myself by untangling our hands only to then tangle my fingers in his sweaty hair. He sighs dreamily at the feel of my fingers tightening against his scalp.

“A-plus,” Harper finally murmurs.

I chuckle because Jesus, this beautiful man. “Thank you. You are also an A student.”

Harper lazily runs his hand up and down my spine. “Really?”

I drowsily nod against his neck. “You’re fucking perfect.”

Harper hums in obvious disbelief, but remains quiet. Lying in his arms is the most comfortable I’ve ever felt after any sort of intimacy. With fake boyfriends, my skin always crawls just a little after fucking them. It’s solely getting off. Previous real boyfriends never lasted long enough for sleepovers to really be a thing. So in a lot of ways, Harper is new territory for me as well. We’re both navigating new grounds. But I think we’ll do just fine together.

As long as he doesn’t fucking push me away.

His arms soften against me, as if he’s fallen asleep. When I pull back, he blinks sleepy, moss-green eyes peering up at me. I kiss his slack mouth softly, feeling like a king when he smiles sleepily against my lips. Can’t let him fall asleep with cum in his boxers. That’s not very boyfriend of me. Climbing out of the bed, I tuck my arms underneath him and lift him easily. He immediately wakes back up.

“Hey!” Harper squawks.

“You like it right now, but you won’t like waking up with dried jizz in your pants.”

Harper relaxes in my arms as I carry him into the bathroom. The light is low in the bathroom as well. There’s a lightbulb out above his vanity, and I wonder if he even realizes it. I gently place him down on his feet, then kiss him again until the tension bleeds from his shoulders.

“I have bad news,” I whisper against his mouth.

“Hmm?”

Lips sliding against his with each word. “I don’t have a change of clothes and I know nothing of yours will fit me.”

“Sleep naked.” Harper just shrugs as he pulls away from me and lowers his own boxers. Fuck. He turns the shower on with a careful flick of his elegant wrist. My gaze travels down the expanse of his body, dropping to the generous curve of his ass. He has a serious bubble butt situation going on, which does not help my own current boxer predicament.

I have a wildly good refractory period. Sometimes I can come three to four times in an hour if my brain demands it. And my brain is definitely going to demand it with Harper. Just thinking about burying myself inside him could make me come again. Once the water is warm enough, he glances at me over his shoulder, all wickedness and tease.

“Join me?” Harper asks, voice soft, and a tad shy.

I almost bust my brain against the tile hopping out of my boxers too quickly. His gaze falls to my cock and his mouth forms a little oh of surprise. Steam fills my vision as I join him in the shower, but I can still see him clearly. Crimson fills his cheeks, but I don’t think it’s from the heat of the water. It’s because of me. The caveman inside me preens again because only I will ever get to affect Harper like this. Only me. I swear it.

I kiss him in the shower, sipping at his mouth like he’s fine wine. Harper’s better than the most expensive Shiraz, better than any food I’ve ever tasted. God. His lips are so soft, his tongue hesitantly teasing against my own. Who the fuck taught this man to kiss? A growl rumbles through my chest when his hands come up to cup the back of my head so he can kiss me deeper.

I press more firmly into him and my hard cock pushes against the creamy-soft skin of his stomach. He pulls away with a half-shocked and half-pleased gasp at the feel of me. With one eyebrow raised in question, he glances down between us.

“Again? Already?” His eyebrows furrow and he lifts his gaze to mine. “Is that normal?”

I shrug. “Sometimes. You just have that effect on me.”

He laughs sarcastically. “No way.”

Fuck. This man really has no idea. None at all. I run my fingers over his shoulders, down his arms, settling my hands on his hips to tug him against me until he feels just how much he affects me.

“Think you can come again?”

Harper stares up at me in absolute wonder. “I’ve never tried so soon before.”

I grin wickedly. “Let’s see.”

I back him up against the cold shower tiles with a grin that has him staring at me like I hung the stars in the sky. Pumping a handful of conditioner into my large palm, I take our night up one single level. When I grasp my cock and line it up with his, Harper’s eyes bug out, and a gorgeous moan floats from his parted lips. He slams his head back against the tile while wrapping his hand against the back of my neck.

“Jesus, Jackson…”

His cock is so hot in my grip. Not as big as mine, it’s still a good size. The perfect size for me to suck and lavish with attention at another time. But now, it feels perfect in my grip, sliding against my own cock. I roll my hips so that the head of my cock glides against the length of his with each thrust. Every other roll, I swipe my thumb across the head of his cock, wishing I could taste the pre-cum that’s no doubt gathering at the tip.

“You feel so fucking good,” I whisper into the steamy shower air.

Harper’s eyes blink open, condensation gathering on his long eyelashes. “You’re going to make me come again.”

“Good. You’re so good for me, Harper. Feel this?” I squeeze his cock against mine. “You make me so fucking hard, just for you. Come with me, okay? Come.”

His eyes slide closed on a breathy sigh, either trying to block out the sight of me or my words. I pump our cocks faster, needing to feel his cum sliding against my hand, warm over my skin.

Fingers biting painfully into my neck, Harper comes for a second time this evening. His release is hot against my skin, but it’s the blissed-out look on his face that punches my own orgasm out of me. My hips roll lazily as my pleasure fades and I slowly tug my hand away. Harper’s eyes blink open just in time to watch me lift my hand to my mouth. I lick our mixed cum off my hand, feeling like a god now when Harper’s eyes widen in shock.

“You…” Harper trails off, clearly surprised.

“Delicious,” I declare with a wink.

“Oh my God.” Harper covers his face with his hands to hide his embarrassment.

Okay, I pushed him too far. I rinse my hand off under the warm spray and grab the loofah hanging against the black marble tile. I pump soap into the loofah, then roughly rub it in my hands until it is full of foam. Harper stays good, heavily leaning against the tile as I swipe the soapy loofah over his skin. He even lets me lift his feet to wash the ticklish bottoms. Such a good boy when he wants to be.

I hurriedly wash my own body, then tug him to stand under the spray with me. Sleep is slowly claiming him, so I hurry us through rinsing off. Only one large fluffy towel hangs on the bar, so we’ll have to share it tonight. Tenderly drying him off first, I focus on his back for just a tad longer than I need to, which earns me a small, pleased smirk from Harper.

Honey lazily lifts her head to watch us climb into the bed but then promptly goes back to sleep once she’s no longer interested in us. Does he ever let Honey sleep in the bed? But tonight’s not the night to ask because Harper is warm against my body under the covers. Within moments, he’s zonked out, mouth slightly parted as he sleeps deeply in my arms.

I fall asleep slowly, comforted by the weight of him in my arms. Pleased with the knowledge that now he’s mine.