All For You

Chapter 12

"Did Liam tell you about his girlfriend?" Jess asks Jasper as she leans over the counter, smirking as his eyes dart down his t-shirt to her perky breasts.
"Girlfriend? He was sound asleep when I got home so I haven't heard a thing about any girlfriend," Jasper says, watching as she saunters back to the stove and mixes his soup again in the pot, heating it up for him. "What girlfriend?"
"He apparently has a girlfriend now at camp," she says, smiling.
"What's her name?"
"I don't know. He didn't say. He just said that she always sits next to him and he always shares with her."
"Hell, that boy is growing up so fast," he says, running a hand through his hair.
She laughs. "He sure is. He also got a candy bar today for behaving. But act surprised when he tells you. He was really excited."
Jasper nods, staring at her and watching her smile while talking enthusiastically about his son. He could tell that she really cared about Liam and that warmed his heart beyond belief. He couldn't help but think that the woman before him was so incredible.
He gets off the barstool and walks up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing kisses along her neck. "I love how much you care about Liam."
She rubs his arm, pressing her back against his chest. "He's a great kid, Jasper. You raised him right."
He smiles, rubbing her hip. "I tried. It wasn't easy at all. I always wondered what it would be like if his mom stuck around. I wondered if she would breastfeed him or if we would still need to use formula. I wondered how she would deal with tantrums and fits and if she would let him get away with them or ground him for the slightest thing."
She wondered why was telling her this, but didn't say anything. He was opening up and she would listen and listen hard to anything he had to say.
"I'd always wished while raising Liam that she didn't leave. I'd hoped she'd come back and help raise the kid that she helped make. But now I don't ever want her back here. I think that Liam needs a mom, but Cassidy wouldn't know what a mom is if you wrote it on her forehead. I don't think I'd even be able to trust her with him because of the way she was. I'm happy things turned out the way they did."
She nods. "That makes sense. I think you somehow knew that she didn't have what it takes to be a mom."
He kisses her temple. "Exactly." He pauses, wondering if he should speak the words building in his mouth.
"What?" Jess asks, sensing something on his mind that he doesn't want to share.
Finally, he swallows thickly. "Liam really looks up to you, Jess," he says. "I want to make what we have work and I really don't want Liam to get hurt again."
    She nods, understanding what he's saying. "I get it, Jasper." She leans back against his shoulder, her hand coming up to caress his cheek. "I don't intend on hurting either of you."
    He dips his chin, pressing his lips to her shoulder as he slides his t-shirt out of the way.
    She runs her fingers through his hair, mixing the soup with her other hand. Eventually, she giggles and shoos him away, grabbing a bowl and pouring soup in it for him. He takes the bowl with a kiss before digging in.
    Jess cleans up the kitchen a bit while he eats then puts his dishes in the dishwasher after he's done. As she's closing up the dishwasher and wiping the counter, Jasper walks up behind her, grabbing her full hips. He tugs her body against his, wrapping his arms around her waist.
    "What happens at the end of summer?" He asks her, almost sounding reluctant to ask. He obviously didn't really want to talk about it, but had to know. "Will you still be leaving?"
    Jess pauses, wondering herself. She didn't even know if they'd last that long, but God, she wanted them to. "I don't know," she whispers honestly. She drops the paper towel in her hand and turns in his arms to face him, looking up into his vivid blue eyes. "I don't want to, but my family's there. I can't just abandon them so suddenly."
    He nods. "I understand that. And you have a business that you want to start up. You can't change up your whole life to be here."
    She wanted to tell him that she didn't want to talk about it or think about it, but she knew that it had to be discussed sooner or later. "Maybe I can come visit?"
    He gives her a soft smile. "I would be pissed if you didn't."
    She runs her fingers over his solid chest. "And maybe you guys can come visit me?"
    He nods. "All the time."
    "But we'll still be... together, right? Just long distance?" She clarifies, suddenly wondering if they're on the wrong track. How could she even ask this of him? He's had so much happen to him that shouldn't have. So much pain that shouldn't be there, yet here she was asking him to date her while she lived hundreds of miles away. She shakes her head, her thoughts overtaking her mind. "I'm sorry. I can't ask that of you."
    "Hey," he whispers, lifting her chin with his fingers to meet his eyes. He kisses her forehead. "I want this... us just as much as you do. We just started, there's no way we can give up just like that. I'll visit, you'll visit, and we'll just go day by day. Okay?"
    She gives him a soft smile and nods, rising onto her toes to kiss him. He caresses her cheek, guiding the kiss as he pulls her tighter into him. She fists his shirt, tugging him closer even though they're already as close as possible. His arms drop and his hand meet her rear, lifting her off her feet. She wraps her legs around his waist as he expertly carries her back to the guest house, all the while kissing her endlessly.
    It seems like forever when they finally make it to her bedroom and Jasper closes the door behind him, locking them inside for the next two hours.