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"My dad hates the idea of an assisted living facility," he said. "We’d have to drag him there kicking and screaming. I don’t know, maybe we’ll be able to afford a full-time live-in aide."
River raised their eyebrows and said gently, "I think those are pretty expensive. I’m so glad you and Nora are doing well with the business but …"
They trailed off, not wanting to deflate Cassidy, but he just nodded.
"Yeah, we have money set aside for it. It’s …" He ran a hand through his hair. "A little weird."
"Weird, like you accidentally made a ton of money on crypto? Weird, like you robbed a bank, or?"
Cassidy nodded. "Yeah, I robbed a bank. You won’t turn me in will you?"
"Your crimes are safe with me," they said.
"It’s actually weird like my mom wrote this song years ago. Kind of a one-hit wonder. About five years ago, a show contacted her about using the song in an episode. She said yes, but the show got stalled in production and didn’t end up coming out until after she died. Then the show turned out to be really big and after the episode with her song in it aired, tons of people started streaming it and it was on the soundtrack."
A smile played at the corners of Cassidy’s mouth.
"It was kind of cool for me, actually," he said. "Because there was a Riven song on the soundtrack and I’ve always been a big fan."
"Wait, seriously?" River was delighted. "That’s amazing. I can’t wait to tell Rye. He loves Riven; he’ll totally flip at that. What show was it?"
"Velvet."
"Holy shit. That’s major."
"Yeah, so Nora and I control the publishing and licensing rights for her work, so we’re using the revenue to pay for the nurse and for whatever else my dad will need going forward. The money’s not endless, but it’s been really damn helpful."
"Put it on!"
"The song?"
"Yeah, of course the song. I wanna hear your mom’s hit."
Cassidy’s smile was warm and he pulled out his phone.
While Croissant and Mushroom made biscuits on their thigh, River listened to a song that was folky and synth-y and very catchy.
Cassidy’s expression was one of pride and when he caught River looking, his eyes heated.
"Hey," he said softly, scooting a bit closer.
River put a hand between his shoulder blades and ran their palm gently down his spine. They could feel the shiver run through him.
Cassidy—big, strong, sweet Cassidy—looked undone by a single touch.
"I don’t want to be weird and make a move on you while we’re listening to your mom," River said. "But I’m just saying that I do wanna make a move on you."
River laughed at the speed with which Cassidy cut the music and tossed his phone across the floor, where it was immediately taken for a cat toy.
"Yes, please. I want a move to be made on me."
River smiled and led him upstairs.
CHAPTER 22
Cassidy
Cassidy followed River up the narrow staircase to their room, enjoying the view of their gorgeous round ass in his face.
Their room was dark and small, with a bed, a dresser with a TV on top, a small bookcase, a closet, and a bathroom. River flipped a switch and the space flickered with the soft glow of fairy lights nestled along the ceiling. The whimsical lighting transformed the whole room.
"Oh, wow."
"I was the lucky recipient of Gus’ reject lights last year," River said. "They weren’t bright or colorful enough for her purposes but they were perfect for mine."
They stepped into the bathroom and began brushing their teeth.
"No fair," Cassidy protested. "Now you’ll be minty fresh and I’ll have blue cheese breath."
"I think I have …" River rummaged around under the sink. "Here."
They handed him the twin to their own toothbrush. It was purple and sparkly and had a little grip for your thumb, and it filled Cassidy with absurd tenderness to imagine River picking them out.
He thanked them and brushed his teeth. When he set the toothbrush down on the edge of the sink, he couldn’t help but imagine it sitting there in the future—his own toothbrush for when he spent the night at River’s.
River’s arms snaked around his waist. They hugged him from behind, pressing their weight against him, and laid a cheek on his back.
"Cassidy," they said softly, and it was a complete sentence.
He turned in their embrace.
River’s eyes were a bottomless blue sea, their lips plump berries. Their hair fell around their face, messy and perfect.
"Damn."
He kissed those berry lips softly at first, then River’s tongue caressed his, and the kiss turned heated.
River stepped back against the wall and Cassidy caged them there as they kissed again, nearly lightheaded from the lust that tore through him.
He kissed River’s throat and their breath caught.
"You like your neck kissed?"
River nodded, baring their neck.
Cassidy obliged, drinking in their shiver.
"What else do you like?" he asked, nuzzling them and placing a kiss on the soft skin below their ear. "Or not like. I want to make you feel good."
