Powerless (Chestnut Springs, #3)(77)

“Sloane,” he growls, right as his hand drops to my throat and he kisses me fiercely.

My name is on his lips as he spills himself inside me, sounding just a little bit undone.

Just a little bit out of control.

And it gives me just a little bit of hope that Jasper Gervais might love me the way I love him too.





29

Jasper


Jasper: We’re home safe. How is Beau?

Harvey: Oh, good. Relieved you two are back. Beau is in good spirits, all things considered. He wants to call you. He’s sleeping right now though.

Jasper: We’re here. Anytime. When will he come home?

Harvey: It might be awhile. He’s in good hands here.




The first thing I did when we got back to the big empty house at Wishing Well Ranch was drag Sloane up to my teenage bedroom and fuck her while she wore my jersey.

It’s all I’ve thought about since she waltzed out of that dressing room wearing it with a teasing little grin. Harder for her to grin with my dick in her mouth. Major fan of the satisfied smile she shot me after though.

Then we passed out, limbs tangled in the tiny bed. Dead to the world. It seems like it has been months since her almost-wedding day.

Now we’re unpacking our bags and enjoying a nice cold Buddyz Best, Sloane is downstairs starting the laundry, and I’m feeling really fucking domestic and happy about the entire situation as I fold the basket she just brought up.

I can see us doing this forever. Taking trips together. Napping together. Doing chores together. Me walking up and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, just because I can, and then carrying on with my shit. Even doing boring stuff is infinitely less boring with Sloane by my side.

“Jas! Harvey is FaceTiming! Can I answer?” she calls from downstairs.

I freeze midway through folding the ugly T-shirt Cade gave me shit for wearing.

“Yes!” I call back before dropping the shirt and striding out of the room, covering as much ground as possible without running. We’ve gotten the odd text update from Harvey but not a lot of information. I know he’s trying not to worry us, but the less-is-more strategy really isn’t reassuring with the way my brain works.

“Hiiiii!” I hear Sloane’s sunny voice coming from the kitchen as I approach her from behind. “Look at you, Beau! God, it’s good to see you.”

When I get close enough to see the screen, my chest cracks wide open. Harvey is sitting beside Beau and they’re both grinning back at Sloane.

The closer I get, I can see how thin Beau looks, that his expression is a bit drawn. But he’s there. Breathing. Talking. Alive.

“Oh! There he is!” Sloane can see me in the little rectangle at the top of the screen as I approach. I push up close behind her, and without even thinking, I wrap one arm around her stomach and take my friend—my brother—in.

He and I are tight, but we aren’t sappy. Beau isn’t a sappy guy. Sometimes I think he’s just as dark as I am and just hides it better. Aka, he isn’t a sullen dick when he has a bad day.

But I’m me, so I open with, “Hey, asshole. You look like shit.”

Beau chuckles, a wry grin twisting his mouth. “When I get home, I’m gonna kick your ass, Gervais. No helmets and pads allowed though.”

“If that’s what it takes to get you home, I’ll allow it. Missed you, man.”

He forces a smile now, his eyes a familiar brand of haunted. “Missed you too.”

Sloane glances over her shoulder at my face, like what she sees reflected on the screen just isn’t enough. Our eyes catch for a moment. She smiles at what she sees there, and just as she turns back to the phone screen, Harvey lets out a loud whistle.

“Well, I’ll be . . .” His head shakes.

Beau snorts.

“What?” I ask, stepping away and crossing my arms over my chest. Because I’m not stupid. I know what they just saw.

Harvey’s grin is just a little too wide when he says, “Y’all went and made that kissing cousins saying a real-life thing.”

My eyes close and I take a deep breath. I’ve never had immunity from Harvey and his bad jokes, but I’ve always flown under the radar enough to not be his prime target. I momentarily wonder if this is how Cade feels.

Sloane gasps. “We’re not cousins!”

Beau elbows his dad, playing off of him like he always does. “I think they might be doing more than kissing. Look how red she is.”

I glance up at the corner of the phone to see her face, and sure enough, Sloane’s doing her best tomato imitation.

“We’re not cousins.” I back her up but my lips twitch. We’re going to get this joke for a long-ass time, might as well roll with the punches.

“I mean . . . sure. Not the type that’ll make a baby with a tail or something,” Harvey starts in, gaining momentum the more we all react. He’s like an over-grown child. “But still cousin-y if you ask me.”

“Literally no one asked you, Harv.”

“Hey, Dad.” Beau’s head inclines toward Harvey, and he reaches out to palm the back of his son’s neck. Harvey looks both exhausted and relieved. I twitch my nose a little to chase away the sting that crops up there.

“Yes, son?”

“On a scale of one to tail-baby-cousins, where would you put Jasper and Sloane?”