Seth laughed again. “Yes, yes, it is. And she doesn’t need you pouting at her the whole time she’s there.”
“I wouldn’t pout.”
“You would.”
Riley scowled. “Don’t bake any orange cakes with her.”
Seth’s eyebrows went up to his hairline. “I wasn’t planning on it. I’m just going to be showing her the basics so she knows a little more about what I offer. And she’s already run the register. We’ll go over closing duties and the little nitty-gritties. It’ll be boring.”
It didn’t sound boring to Riley, not if Seth was doing it.
He didn’t know why he was being so clingy, other than the obvious answer that it was in his nature. True, he was a little extra raw from his confession last night, but most of those sharp edges had been soothed by watching Seth sleep.
Maybe it was the unsettled mate bond tugging at him. There was this fear, underneath the peace Seth brought him, this sense that at any moment, all this could end.
Who was to say that Seth wouldn’t disappear from Riley’s life as quickly as he’d arrived? Riley had come to depend on him sofast, and everything was still so uncertain. Seth was human—not only could he leave; he coulddie.
There was no reason to think he would, but the possibility was always there, hovering in the darkest corners of Riley’s mind. Was it any wonder Riley felt a little unhinged about it all?
Seth planted a firm kiss on Riley’s scowling mouth. “You can come back tonight. I’ll make us dinner.”
Riley stole another kiss before asking, “Really?” He couldn’t help how hopeful he sounded.
“Yes, really. I told you I wasn’t banishing you.” Seth wrapped his arm around Riley’s as they headed out the door. “Do you want to take my car? You can drop me off at the bakery first.”
That was…nice. Domestic, really, sharing a car like that. Some of the tightness left Riley’s chest, even as he shook his head. “No. A run through the woods sounds nice.”
“Ugh.” Seth threw his head back. “It really does. I should go on one soon.”
“We can run together.”
Seth wrinkled his nose. “But you’ll be all composed and perfect, and I’ll be all ragged and sweaty.”
Riley nodded, pleased with that image. “I like you ragged and sweaty.”
Seth gave him a swat, but his cheeks flushed a very revealing pink.
Riley rode with him all the way to the bakery, kissed him senseless at the bakery door, and then went on his way. He wasn’t exactly feeling light as air, but he was slightly less disgruntled than he might have been.
It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have a bag of his own clothes and some spare books at Seth’s. And yeah, Riley’s momswouldwant to hear that he’d fed successfully. Mama Daphne probably had some wonderful gift she’d been saving forthe occasion. Or maybe she’d want to redo his bedroom to celebrate.
So Riley ran through the woods, relishing the rush of cold, damp air. It was comforting, the familiar scents and sounds of the forest. And Riley was full from Seth’s bite, so he didn’t need to terrorize the local woodland creatures. He could just enjoy it, taking his place as one of them.
He was momentarily distracted when he smelled something strange along the road, a kind of briny scent with an odd edge to it he couldn’t categorize. But it was too saturated with car exhaust and motor oil to make out clearly. Maybe someone had been hauling a catch of fish.
His moms’ cars were back at the house, just like Riley knew they would be. His belly clenched with nerves as he got to the front door. Would they be disappointed he’d let Seth out of his sight already? Would they think he’d been reckless to bite him so soon?
But it wasn’t Riley’s moms waiting for him on the living room couch this time.
Instead of the two women he loved most in the world, it was two grown men, sitting close together. One was blond and blandly good-looking, the other too sharp-cheeked and dead-eyed to be considered classically handsome. Not to mention the horrible checkered suit.
Riley scowled at the two of them. “What are youdoinghere?”
“Now, Riley,” Wolfe drawled, placing a possessive hand on Eric’s knee as he smiled a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Is that any way to greet invited guests?”
22
SETH
