Page 30 of Sweetest Hate

I bit my lip to keep from saying anything back, which he'd love, and try to use as proof I cared when I didn't. "What happened to your growing list of things you and Quinn needed?"

Without waiting for an answer, I carried my haul and set it on the counter. The guy glanced at me and shot me a gap-toothed grin. "This all today?"

"Yeah—"

"Arsen Scott!" A surprised voice shot from the open office door behind the register, and a familiar face lit up with a smile as he stepped behind the counter.

"Henry." I nodded, hiding a flinch. The last thing I wanted was to deal with the owner's son, who had flirted with me every summer from the time my voice had started to change. He was my age, nerdy and slim, something that hadn't changed over the years.

"Henry," he mimicked while pushing his round glasses up the bridge of his nose, but he didn't lose the grin. "I haven't seen you in a while. How's everything going?"

I shrugged. "College. Just haven't had time to escape down here lately. What about you?"

Henry ushered the cashier away. "I got this one, Vick. Will you restock the snacks shelf?" Once the guy walked off, Henry leaned in, elbows on top of the yellowing counter. "Busy running this place now. Mom and Dad have basically retired. Maybe while you're in town, we could—"

"Could you please make some room so I can set this stuff down?" Kellan grunted as he shouldered me aside and placed his things on the counter, unknowingly coming to my rescue.

"Sure thing, babe," I said before I'd really thought the plan through.

Kellan froze as I wrapped my arm around his waist, grazing my thumb along his taut side.

Henry cleared his throat. "Is this your boyfriend, Arsen?"

He was fishing to see if it was worth trying to get me to fuck him, but that would never happen. "Yep."

I flashed a fake smile at Kellan, who stared at me with wide eyes before glaring. "What in the actual fuck? I amnotyour boyfriend."

I gave a sheepish smile to Henry. "My bad.Fiancé. It'll take some time to get used to that word." This time when I glanced down at Kellan, he just stared, and I choked, trying to smother an unexpected laugh before offering Henry a shrug. "He can be kind of shy."

"Fiancé?" Henry's eyebrows rose. "Wow. Never would have seen that coming."

"Me neither," Kellan said through clenched teeth.

There was no good reason why I leaned down and brushed a kiss on his forehead that wrinkled as he frowned, but I told myself it was to sell the story. "Why don't you wait in the car, babe? I'll grab these and be right out."

Kellan's jaw dropped slightly before reluctantly playing along. "I can wait right here...babe." His lips twisted as if the word was sour on his tongue.

"He's a handful, right?" Henry asked Kellan.

My fake fiancé gave an uneasy laugh. "Not exactly the word I'd use."

Henry's lips twitched. "Well, I won't lie. I'm sad to see he's off the market but happy for you."

Kellan grinned and offered a casual shrug. "Well, if things don't work out between us—"

"Things will work out," I interrupted, holding back a wince at the sharp pinch Kellan delivered to my side. "My sole focus is making you happy."

"That right?" Kellan's lips quirked, and my eyes narrowed, knowing he was about to take advantage of the situation. "You know… I saw a few things I would really like to take with us. If you'd buy them, that would make me really…happy."

My jaw ticced, and I glared, which brought a genuine smile to his lips, and why wouldn't it? I'd walked straight into this bullshit scenario. As he stepped back, my arm fell away, and I flashed him a tight grin. "What my baby wants, my baby gets."

"You are too good to me, Arsen. It's almostunbelievable, huh?" he asked Henry, who was studying us with a skeptical eye. At this point, it would have just been easier to come clean, but losing this little game to Kellan? Not happening.

"Go get what you want." I slapped his ass and winked. "I have another surprise when we get back to the cabin."

His smile wavered. "I can't wait to see what it is."

"And I can't wait to show you." I grinned, imagining spanking his perfectly round ass properly, but I wouldn't because if it wouldn't stop there if I got my hands on his naked ass. Instead, I was just going to take whatever shit he made me buy and throw it in the trash.

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