The Bodyguard

35.

above is the very beautiful art piece that i got the inspiration for jasper's monologue in this chapter 💓

Ace's Pov

In the car, on the way to the venue, the city passes us by in nothing more than a glimpse.

Jasper sits next to me in the backseat of the SUV — the partition separating us from his driver.

He has one hand wrapped around my neck from the side, as the other scrolls through his phone mindlessly. My hand rests comfortably on his thigh.

I think it was unconscious at the point — involuntary. The way he always needs to be touching me in some way was symbolic of the control he had over me.

A possessive reflex that makes me wonder how I'd ever gone without it.

The silence between us was comfortable but he must've felt me staring at the side of his face — studying him — because he turns his phone off with a click and meets my gaze with his calculating smile.

"Are you actually going to do your job tonight, Pierce?" He asks, his fingers caressing my neck. "Or are you just going to stare at me like you're doing now?"

"I've always done my job," I say. "You've never been hurt as long as you've been with me, have you?"

He hums in consideration, like he could ever possibly deny my statement.

"Is that what I am now?" his eyes travel my face. "With you?"

"Have I not made that clear?"

The car slows as he searches my eyes.

"Made what clear?"

I give him an incredulous look. I knew he knew, but he wants me to say it. To confirm it. Until now, it has been hanging in the air above our heads — taunting us.

"That we're together," I watch his eyes, which contain a satisfying possession.

"Dating. Boyfriends. Partners. Whatever you want to call it."

"Is that so?" He hums. "I thought you didn't want to be my boyfriend?"

I feel him inch closer to me, even though we were already so close. He kisses the shell of my ear before saying:

"I thought I was selfish and insane and insufferable?"

"You're still all of those things," I admit. "But I don't care enough about them. They're not enough to make me stop wanting you."

Jasper places one hand on top of my hand on his thigh. He encourages me to squeeze it by applying pressure to my fingers.

"I want you too," he says. "In every way. In ways that are....unhealthy. I don't think you're good for me but I need you."

His mouth was still close to neck. When he speaks I can hear everything — every stutter, hesitation and hitch of his breath.

He is nervous.

"Can I...can I tell you something I've never told you before?"

"Please do."

He pulls away because he wants us to look at each other. He wants me to hear everything he says and understand that he's being truthful.