Page 128 of Flirting With The CEO

But moving forward—together, carefully, and on purpose.

Chapter Forty

DEREK

When I get home,my lights are on.

That’s the first sign someone's up to no good..

The second is the sound of laughter coming from my kitchen. Not loud. Not drunk. Familiar.

I pause inside the doorway, jacket still on.

“Don’t,” Alex calls. “If you turn around, I will absolutely chase you.”

“I live here,” I say.

“Yes,” Mark replies, calm as ever. “Which is why we let ourselves in.”

I step farther inside.

They’re both at my island. Alex has a beer. Mark has one of my good glasses and zero shame about it.

Alex looks me over. Slowly. Thoroughly.

“Well,” he says. “You look… upright.”

“That’s generally my goal,” I reply.

“Alive,” Mark adds.

“I was earlier too.”

Alex grins. “Hard to tell lately.”

I drop my keys on the counter and loosen my tie. My shouldersfinally come down an inch.

“Sit,” Alex says, already pulling out a stool. “Tell us everything.”

“I’m not telling you everything.”

“Then tell us the important parts,” Mark says.

I sit.

“She invited me to dinner,” I say.

"So that's where you were," Mark says.

Alex freezes. Beer halfway to his mouth.

“Oh,” he says reverently. “She invited you.”

“Yes.”

Mark nods once. “That’s significant.”

“I’m aware.”