24. Rishi
24
Rishi
C as came home from the hospital two days later, and I admit that I fussed more than I needed to. Every time I looked at him, I saw my failure. I let him be taken. I didn’t reach him in time to prevent his injuries, and now he would carry the scars forever.
He was still handsome. Nothing could change that, but the five small round marks on his face would never completely fade.
Cas humored me for two days, then ordered me to sit down already and let him do something for himself. I obeyed, then watched Cas nibble his lip for a minute before he transferred to the sofa next to me. He rose up onto his knees and straddled my lap, making himself comfortable. He hadn’t done that before, and part of me wanted to protest, but his mouth on mine in the next second shut down everything in my brain but my awareness of his lips on mine and his hands on my shoulders.
“I’m okay,” he said. “You’re okay. We won.”
That was true. We were here, and Fernandez was dead. Elena was safe in Minnesota.
I smiled up at him. “We won.”
Cas kissed me again, and one hand slid down my front to press into my crotch. “We’re alive…” he purred. “We’re in one piece, and we’re here together.”
I laughed helplessly as he rubbed me and my body responded.
“I want to ride you,” Cas growled in my ear. “Right here and right now.”
I groaned. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself,” I mumbled.
“I know…” Cas said. "But you’re just going to have to trust me.” He leaned over and reached into the drawer of the side table, producing a travel-size bottle of lube that he held up to show me with a quirked brow.
“Fuck yes,” I said, taking the bottle.
“Help me,” he said, and I held him to balance long enough for him to shove his basketball shorts off. Then he was in my lap again, and we kissed until we were breathless while I prepared him with my fingers.
Cas’s back arched beautifully when the head of my dick popped through the rings of muscle, his fingers flexing on my shoulders. I held his hips firmly and thrust up slowly, controlling the speed as he rose and fell. His lips came back to mine, and our tongues danced in time to our lovemaking.
“I love you,” I said when we broke apart to breathe.
Cas moaned. “God…” he said. “I love you too.”
How did that make it so much better? How could it even get better? It did, though, and — with the help of my slick fist as he got closer to the edge — we came together a short time later.
I cleaned us up afterward and picked Cas up like my bride, a move that still made him laugh, and I carried him to bed.
“I’ve been thinking about you hauling me around from the beginning,” Cas said. “Even though I hated it when you had to, I still loved that you could.”
I hummed smugly. “I know. Why do you think I told you I could. I could see you checking me out first thing.” I chuckled. “Alden’s guards are full service.”
Cas threw his head back and laughed. “I can see that, yes,” he said, running his hands down my chest, then pulling me down on top of him. We spent the rest of the afternoon in bed.
***
John called me the next day. “I have a proposal.”
“Yes, sir?” I asked.
“There have been a large number of cases in the LA area recently. We’ve been studying the feasibility of establishing a satellite office there, and it looks like the right move. You, Rio Torrez, and Luis Martinez are currently still in Southern California, along with another guard, Lucas Neumann, who had a prior case in Los Angeles and doesn’t intend to return to Denver. I wanted to formally ask the group of you would like to be the core team of the new branch.”
I blinked, shock filling me. “I— a satellite office? You’d like us to—” I shook my head, attempting to sound less like a babbling fool. “Of course! Have you talked to Rio and the others yet?”
“Rio is on board. I haven’t spoken to Luis yet. He may want to return to Denver. Lucas is definitely interested,” John said.
“I would love to!” I said. I could keep my job, keep Cas, and stay away from any possibility of running into Daniel. Sign me up!
John laughed. “Fantastic. The idea is still in its infancy, but we’re working hard behind the scenes and I’ll be flying out there sometime soon to check out locations.”
“Understood, sir. Thank you, it’s an honor.”
“You’ve been exemplary in your service, Rishi, you will truly be an asset,” John said warmly. “In the meantime, I can see if I can find you another job there, or…”
I glanced at Cas, who was carefully walking around the apartment with his crutches. “I think I would appreciate a few weeks leave, if that can be arranged. It’s been a very busy, exciting summer.”
John hummed in agreement. “That it has. I’ll have Marie process it. Thank you again, and we’ll be in touch.”
“Thank you,” I said, and ended the call.
Cas made a turn and was coming back towards me. He was getting more and more confident with the crutches. “What?” he asked, when he realized I was holding the phone and grinning at him.
“I have news,” I said.
“Okay…” Cas said slowly.
I grinned more widely. “You’re going to like it.”