Page 67 of Sweet

“So be his friend.”

“Allow me to emphasizelonely, again. He knows no one in the area and half the gay population of this town is standing in this room right now.”

“He’s a barely legal airhead.” Jess rolls his eyes again, but he’s starting to smile.

“Exactly! Those are the best ones, Jess. No expectations. No basis of comparison. You can mold him into whatever you want. He’s like a gay blank slate waiting for you to draw in cum all over him.”

“You’re despicable.” Jess’s mouth quirks up at the corners.

“Yes, I am,” I say with a wide smile. “All I’m saying is, maybe don’t be afraid to put yourself out there just because he’s so young. Give him a chance. Worst-case scenario, nothing comes of it. Best case, you’re getting your dick wet.”

“Okay,” Jess huffs.

“Atta boy,” I say.

Jess follows me back to the front and takes Riley outside for some bonding—er, training—and I’m really hoping Jess moves fast because I cannot handle Riley fawning all over my boyfriend every shift that we’re working together. They come back in the early afternoon, and Jess leaves until the start of his closing shift tonight.

I’m hoping to see Riley infatuated when he bounces back over to me at the front register. No such luck. Not that I can tell, anyway.

“So, you have fun playing with the goats?” I tease.

“Yeah, it wasn’t as bad as you made it sound,” Riley says. “And Jess is a nice guy.”

“He is,” I agree with a wide smile.

“He, um, he told me that you used to date.” Riley flicks his baby blues up at me.

“Oh, no, we’re friends now. Er, still. It didn’t really get serious. Or last long.”

“Because you met your boyfriend,” Riley says with a winning smile. “But you haven’t been togetherthatlong. Isn’t that right?”

Oh. Oh no. This is not how this is supposed to go.

“Sorry,” Riley says immediately after. “It’s just that… You’ve been really nice to me, too, Will.”

“No, it’s okay. He and I… we met last year at the farmer’s market and we’ve liked each other the entire time. So, no, it’s not exactly recent. Kinda like how I was friends with Jess for years before we ever dated.”

Riley nods along at this information and I’m starting to think this is going to be the end of it. Crisis averted.

Someone comes by with a return shortly after, and that’s the perfect opportunity to teach him. Returns are few and far between and I’d like him to do it at least twice before running the register solo. Riley hovers right beside me the entire time, gradually leaning closer until he’s resting his chin on my shoulder while he watches. I stop talking to look over at him and he gives me the adoring smile once again. I can practically see the little hearts in his eyes. Fucking fuck.

Of course, the only thing that can make this awkward as hell moment even worse is the sound of someone clearing their throat. Cas smiles back at me and seeing him flushed shoots desire through my veins from my heart all the way to my cock.

“Baby,” I say with a smile.

I walk around the counter and scoop him up, then plop him right back down on the counter so he’s perfectly level with me. Genuine happiness reaches the surface and Cas hands me an iced coffee that he must’ve already set on the counter for me while I was distracted. Perfect fucking man. I don’t know what I did to deserve him.

“Having a good day?” Cas asks.

“Now I am.” And I comb a hand through his hair just in case he has any doubt exactly what I mean.

Cas shifts his eyes over to Riley, literally looking down his nose at him while swinging his legs. “Wish you would’ve told me Riley was working with you again. I would’ve brought a coffee for him, too.”

“You’re too sweet,” I say with a kiss to his cheek.

Cas looks especially pleased, but he’s not focusing on me. “How’d it go with Jess?”

“Oh, ah, he’s very nice,” Riley flounders. “We don’t have any overlapping time off this week, but uh… maybe next week. Once the new schedule comes out.”

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