Page 68 of Sweet

“You shouldn’t have to wait that long, cutie pie,” Cas says with a frown.

What… what the fuck is happening?

“I’ll take you out. There are some guys I can introduce you to who live right outside town.” Then Cas turns his head to me and beams.

“Uh… when?” Riley asks.

“Tomorrow,” Cas chirps. “Will has to close and I’ll be all alone and bored, anyway.”

Oh, no. No, no. No fucking way.

“Baby,” I say.

“Simmer down. I’m not taking him to a rave or anything,” Cas chuckles. He reaches up and pets my buzzed head with pure affection in his eyes. “Works out perfectly. You’re closing with Jess and it’s beenagessince you’ve seen him. And I’ve got a meeting in the city with a potential investor the next day. You can stay home and hang out with Jess, and I’ll get a room out there and stay overnight.”

“What about Riley?” I stammer.

“I can catch a rideshare back. I’m a big boy,” Riley argues.

Cas smiles and fans his hand out, very pleased with his handiwork.

“I still don’t like it,” I say.

Cas wraps his arms around me for a tight hug, his lips right by my ear while he barely breathes out a whisper. “Just think how tight I’ll get after a night away. You can wreck my ass all over again, Daddy.”

I raise a brow at Cas when he pulls away, sliding himself off the counter so he bumps into me slightly once he’s back on his feet.

“You’re right,” I say to Cas. Man always knows how to win because he’s not afraid to play dirty. “It is a good chance for me to catch up with Jess and you won’t have to be up before sunrise the next day to get to your meeting.” I peck him on the lips to show him my sincerity.

“Wow. You guys have such a mature relationship. Like adults and shit,” Riley admires from the register.

That’s us. Responsible fricken’ adults and shit.

The next day comes and goes. Riley opens with Cheryl, but there is an overlapping hour where all of us are working together. Cas makes plans with Riley about meeting up that night, and Riley floats out the door at the end of his shift with the promise of being dicked down on the horizon. Jess seems shocked that Cas is okay with us hanging out, and honestly, I am too.

Then again, Cas knows I’m not interested in Jess and he very clearly does not approve of Riley being around me. He’s probably hoping getting railed will have the same effect on Riley as it would a dog in heat, and maybe he’ll calm the fuck down and stop sniffing around me. Again, not interested in Riley either and it’s kinda cute how he thinks he has a chance. His crush on me, and his interest in Cas, is mostly annoying. While I don’t like the idea of Riley around my boy unsupervised, Cas is undeniably doing me a favor by taking him out to meet someone else after pawning him off on Jesse didn’t go as well as planned.

The next day, I’m closing again. Jess’ll open and tend to the goats. I get to show up a few hours later before the lunch rush. And since Riley is supposed to be learning to close, he’ll take over the register, then get to duck out an hour early while I lock up alone. Or, at least, he’s supposed to. He’s not at the registerwhen I get there, but I dismiss it, thinking he must be outside with Jess longer than he was supposed to be. Cheryl doesn’t seem too bothered since I’m here, so she hands over the keys and heads to the office before she leaves. About an hour goes by and… still no Riley. What the fuck?

Cas shows up around the same time as usual with afternoon caffeine. Best boyfriend ever. He even brings a second one for Riley like he said he would. He frowns when he sees me alone at the register.

“I thought Riley was working with you tonight?”

“So did I. Starting to think he’s no-showed,” I say. “I can’t imagine he’s still outside with Jess, and Cheryl didn’t say he called out.”

Not even a minute later, Jess comes into the store and looks at the two of us. “Where the fuck is Riley?”

“He’s not out there with you?”

“No,” Jess growls. Cas offers him the spare iced coffee, and he begrudgingly accepts. Hopefully that puts him in a better mood.

“He’s probably hungover,” I say before looking to Cas for confirmation.

“Don’t look at me. I poured him into a rideshare before he could turn into a pumpkin,” Cas says with a shrug.

“You let him go alone?” Jess asks.

“No, of course not.” Cas sighs. “He met some guy, and they left together.”

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