Chapter Seventeen
“Ithink that went well,”Peter said, pushing Drew’s office door halfway shut behind them. “You got everything that we wanted from Tekko and let them think they were getting a gooddeal.”
“Mmmhmm,” Drew agreed, setting his folders and a paper coffee cup down on his desk. He took off his suit jacket and hung it over the back of his chair, and fished his brand-new cell out of his pants’ pockets. He was dimly aware that Peter kept talking, even as he plopped into his seat to check histexts.
There was a new one from Bas.Working alone isn’t satisfying. Text me when you’re back from yourmeeting.
And Drew couldn’t help grinning as he replied,Back,and then sat and watched the bubbles dance as Basreplied.
God, this schmoopy, hearts-in-eyes thing was so unlike him. He remembered mocking Cam and Cort relentlessly when Cort had first come to work for Seaver and the pair had been unable to sit through an entire meeting without making eyes at each other over the conference table. He’d prided himself on the fact thathisfeelings for Bas were virtually undetectable to the casual observer, which was really how relationshipsoughtto beconducted.
And now, here he was, waiting for a reply from his boyfriend — the same boyfriend whose bed he’d crawled out of only a few hours before, sex-drunk and famished, and who’d driven him to work — with all the eagerness of a lovesick wife whose sailor had gone off to sea yearsbefore.
It was getting out of hand…but he’d be damned if he’d do anything to stopit.
Sounded ridiculous to say he’d missed Sebastian while he was in an hour-long client meeting — they were hardly co-dependent, generally — but it was the sad and sappy truth. And he was more than half hoping Bas would grab his laptop and move himself into Drew’s office to work this afternoon, just as he had every day that week. Drew was getting pretty addicted to seeing Bas’s blue eyes and broad shoulders every time he looked up from hiskeyboard.
“Okay, what’s with you?” Peterdemanded.
Drew slapped his phone-face down on the desk and cleared his throat. He’d actually forgotten Peter’s presenceentirely.
“I’m sorry, were you sayingsomething?”
“I asked you if you wanted me to set any follow-up meetings. With Tekko,” he added, when Drew didn’t respond rightaway.
“No, I think things are settled. Check in with Paula and make sure she doesn’t need any additional face-time.”
Peter nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on Drew’s face and a slow smile began to dawn at the edges of his mouth. “You’re flirt-texting!” heaccused.
“What?”
“You. Are. Flirting. With a man. Over text.” He perched on the edge of the chair facing Drew’s desk and put his chin in his hand. “Don’t bother to denyit.”
Drew raised an eyebrow at this serious over-familiarity… but he was pretty sure he was blushing, which probably killed any air of authority he might have achieved. “I’m not discussing this with you,” he said instead. His relationship with Sebastian was personal, and he wanted to be discreet about it as long aspossible.
“That’s fine!” Peter said, throwing both hands up innocently. “I’m just going to assume that Mark is just as hot in person as he was online.” He tossed Drew awink.
Oh. Oh, no nono.
“I’mnottexting with Mark,” Drewsaid.
“But Ithought…”
“Yeah, we had a date. Let’s just say it was an absolute disaster. If he ever tries to contact me again through you, let me knowimmediately.”
Peter nodded, his brow furrowed. “Yeah. Of course. But if not him,then…”
Bas stuck his head in the partially opened door and knocked on the doorframe. “Hey,counselor?”
Peter and Drew turned to look at him in one synchronized movement, watching as he pushed the door open fully and walked in. Sure enough, he was carrying his laptop under hisarm.
“Oh, sorry, Peter,” Bas said. “I just needed a moment of Drew’s time.” He glanced at the phone on Drew’s desk and said archly, “You didn’t answer mytext.”
Peter’s eyes flew to Drew’s face, then back to Bas, and grew wide as comprehensiondawned.
Drew shook his head and huffed out a laugh.So much fordiscretion.
But Drew was surprised to find he didn’t really care all that much. Alexei’s threat hanging over their heads was enough to put every other problem into perspective, and besides, he and Bas weren’t a temporary thing. Even just six days into this new phase of their relationship, he could say with confidence — a confidence he couldn’t have imagined even a week ago — that this wasforever.
