“Oh, right. Peter mentioned that yesterday, but I haven’t looked into ityet.”
“Yeah, me neither. But the dude is relentless - sent another email this morning! - and he’s starting to piss me off. Says to rememberCollier. Do you know who or what thatis?”
“Uh…nope?”
Bas hummed a frustrated noise. “I’ll ask Margaret to look intoit.”
“No need. I can have Peter work onit.”
“Where is Pete today?” Bas wondered. “He’s not breathing fire at your door.” He grinned. “That was a dragon joke. In deference to yourgame.”
Drew rolled his eyes and made a gagging noise. It was possibly the worst joke ever, but Drew couldn’t hide hisgrin.
“A bit oblique, I grant you,” Bas said, waving ahand.
Right. Fine. So Bas telling the world’s stupidest jokes made his heart pound faster than any of hot-Mark’s pictures.Adjustment period,Drew remindedhimself.
“Peter is sorting out a mess with my mother’s apartment, actually,” he said with a sigh. “Something about her agreeing to renovations on her condo, but not providing the contractor with signed paperwork before she went out of town.” He rolled his eyes. “Peter’s lesser-known duties include attending to the daily Mary-Alice McMann drama. He should be back anyminute.”
Bas nodded. “Your mom is lucky to haveyou.”
“I guess. I think Amy would’ve handled her better.” Heshrugged.
“Nah. Amy wouldn’t have taken the time you do, and practical things weren’t her strong suit,” Bas said casually, sipping his coffee like he hadn’t just dropped a bombshell. But before Drew could recover from his shock, Bas continued, “If that’s not Mark, whois?”
Damn Sebastian Seaver for being so fucking single-minded. “No oneimportant.”
Now Bas’s smirk turned to a frown, though his eyes still danced. “Is this asecret?”
“No.” Drew waved a hand in the air. They’d never talked about Drew’s dates, and it seemed particularly weird to start now, with Halloween still hovering in the air between them. “What brings you heretoday?”
Bas shook his head, refusing to be diverted. “You know when you resist, it only makes me more determined. Youhavemet me,yes?”
But Drew hadn’t graduated at the top of his class in law school because he was easily distracted. “Ah. You came here to bait me? Then surely you’ve got something to say about my hair cut? Or myshirt?”
The weight of Bas’s stare as it moved from Drew’s hair down to his lavender shirt was slow, thorough, and nearlypalpable.
Uh.Whoa.
Had Sebastian ever looked at him that way before? If so, Drew was pretty sure he would have memorized thedate.
More likely, you’re misreading things, he told himself firmly. Seeing looks that aren’t there. That messed-up corner of his mind that seemed to live for self-sabotage was trying to derail him from what he knew was the right thing todo.
Well, it wouldn’twork.
“You look good,” Bas said in low rumble. “Purple is a good color onyou.”
Drew blinked. He read people for a living, and he would nearlyswearthere was flirtation in Sebastian’s voice. But there couldn’t be. Couldthere?
And Jesus, whynow? Why was the universe tempting him with hope just as soon as he’d recognized the error of hisways?
“Ah. Thanks?” Drew smoothed down the front of his shirt and couldn’t meet Bas’seyes.
“So, I had an idea,” Bas told him, sipping his own coffeeeasily.
Drew darted a look from under his lashes. “Really? You? An idea? Howodd.”
“Hush,” Bas said mildly, refusing to rise to the bait.Curiouser and curiouser.“I decided to take your suggestion from lastnight.”
