Bas was right - he reallywasevolving into a risk taker all of asudden.
“Sorry,” Drew told Bas. “Peter and I were just finishingup.”
“Yeah,” Peter jumped to his feet. “We’re all done.” But he was staring at Bas like the man had grown an extra head… or suddenly acquired a gay boyfriendovernight.
The thought was so amusing, Drew had to cover his mouth with his hand to keep from laughing out loud, and Bas narrowed his eyes, like he was missing thejoke.
“I’ll just… take my lunch now,” Peter said as he reached the door. “I’ll be gone an hour or so. I could, like, lock thedoor?”
“Not necessary,” Drew said, not taking his eyes from Bas as he came closer, laying his computer on the desktop.
“Right, okay. Well, I’ll just close it then, and I’ll see you… muchlater.”
Bas shook his head, still staring at Drew as Peter shut the door. “What wasthat?”
“That,” Drew said, standing and bracing his hands on the desktop as he leaned toward his boyfriend. “Was my assistant figuring out that you and I aredating.”
Bas leaned in and brushed his lips over Drew’s once before sinking into the kiss with a sound of relief. Drew understood it completely - being together was a lot like puzzle pieces sliding together, satisfying and right. It had always been that way between them, but now they could show itopenly.
“Dating?” Bas asked, pulling back so his teasing eyes could meet Drew’s. “Is that what we’redoing?”
“Oh, yeah. Taking it slow. Keeping it casual.” Drew gave him a final peck, pressing a smile to Sebastian’s lips, and then sat backdown.
“Oh, thank goodness,” Bas said, taking Peter’s seat and propping his laptop on Drew’s desk. “I was a little worried when you took me to your mom’s two nights ago. Kindaforwardto introduce me to your mom this earlyon.”
Drew pressed his lips together to hide his smile and nodded solemnly. His mother had been introduced to Sebastian when he was indiapers.
“Which part worried you, exactly? Was it the way she jumped up to hug you the minute we arrived? Or the way she made you promise we’d visit her weekly before she let usleave?”
Bas seemed to think about it, his eyes gleaming all the while. “You know, it might have been the way she stared at me the entire time, like I might evaporate if she looked away? Or the way she looked like she might faint from happiness every time you and I touched?” He pantomimed fainting back against the chair, his wrist at histemple.
Drew burst out laughing, because Bas wasn’t lying. His mother had always loved Bas, but she was overjoyed to hear they were together. And Drew couldn’t deny that he was relieved - his mother was a stickler for what she deemed “propriety,” and he’d worried that she might not approve of him falling in love with his sister’s formerfiancé.
She’d brushed his worries aside with a wave of herhand.
“I was shocked when he and Amy got engaged,” she told him speaking in hushed tones in the kitchen while he’d helped her prepare coffee. “Thrilled, of course. But shocked. I’d always thought he was for you.” She’d patted his cheek. “And now heis.”
And now heis.
For however long they hadleft.
Bas gave him a bright smile before focusing on his laptop. Drew turned his phone over, checking thedisplay.
His missed text from Bas flashed up at him.I missed you. I’m coming over there. We can finish up fast and take off early. It’sFriday.
He looked at Bas out of the corner of his eye and bit his lip. They really were moving quickly with their relationship, even for two people who’d known each other their whole lives. He didn’t regret it in any way, but he knew part of that was because neither of them wanted to waste a second, given the uncertainty of the coming weekend and their plan to finally, finally end things with SILA forgood.
Things seemed to have quieted down on that front. No new emails had come in from the mysterious Michael Paterkin. No new threats had emerged. It seemed like Alexei was biding his time, as well. Waiting for their high-noon showdown Saturdaynight.
And Bas seemed to have become reconciled to it, as well, though Drew knew he was still far from happy with the plan Sean had laid out. He and Bas hadn’t discussed the auction at all since Sunday, which was one of the reasons Drew had avoided telling Bas about the phone call he’d made the daybefore.
He dropped his chin to his chest, stretching out the tension in his neck. If the situation was reversed, he’d be mightily pissed at Bas for not speaking up, even if Bas’s intentions were as pure as Drew’s own. Hesighed.
“Bas, I need to tell you something,” hebegan.
“Hmm?” Bas looked up from the computer and watched Drew closely. He closed the laptop screen. “What’sup?”
“I called GaryNorth.”
