Page 13 of Enchanting the CEO

I moved my chair closer to her, almost involuntarily. She didn't even attempt to lean back.

"I like to seize opportunities when I see them," I said.

"Clearly," she murmured. "Thank you for the offer, though I will need to think about it for a bit. Is it okay if I give you an answer later this week?"

"Sure. Give me your phone number."

She typed her number into my cell, and then I called her. It rang somewhere in the room.

"Thanks," she said. "I'll save it later."

"Want me to help you clean up?" I offered.

"You really are something," she replied as we both stood, grabbing dishes and cutlery.

"Why, because I want to help? I don't mind doing housework," I said as I watched her load the dishwasher while I moved everything within her reach. "When I'm at my grandparents' house, I help every time. My brothers and I split tasks. Grandmother likes to cook up a storm when we visit, but at least she accepts us helping with the cleanup. We always have to choose our battles with her. Lately, though, she’s accepted ordering takeout. Her doctors told her to slow down."

Diane looked at me with a strange expression, then smiled as if she was having a conversation with herself. She started the dishwasher. "All right. Do you want a glass of wine or something?"

"No, I need to leave. Let me know about the place, okay? Because then I'll have to let the landlady know, and it might take some time until she figures out how to manage it all."

"Sure." She sounded on edge as she walked me to the door.

I turned to face her and said, "I think you and I would have a really great time."

She raised a brow. "Ah, that's your sales pitch, huh?"

I wiggled my eyebrows. "This entire evening has been a sales pitch."

"I knew it. This was too good to be true."

"You think I'm too good to be true?"

She grinned. "Have a good evening, Gabe."

"I'll be waiting for your call."

"I won't leave you hanging, I promise."

I exhaled sharply as she closed the door. I'd always enjoyed playing with fire, but even for my standards, this might be too much.

Chapter Four

Diane

The next morning, I was on pins and needles waiting for Celia to wake up. I'd brought her breakfast, but she didn't even stir when I sat at the edge of the bed. I surmised that meant she simply needed to sleep more, so I came back to the living room.

I'd barely slept a wink. After Gabe left, I looked up apartment listings. My options were slim, and his offer sounded more attractive by the minute. But I didn't want to tell him anything before I discussed this extensively with my sister. I wasn't sure whether she’d agreed with everything last night just because she didn't want to be rude in front of Gabe or if she really thought this was a good idea.

I jumped from the couch when I heard her moving around. "Good morning," I called from the living room.

"Morning. You've got your ‘I've prepped something delicious’ voice."

"I do," I admitted with a laugh.

God, I'd missed being with my sister. But though living together was cozy and brought us even closer, it wasn't feasible in the long term.

I went to the kitchen and pressed the button on the coffee machine as she came into the living room, yawning. "This is for you," I said, taking the cup from the machine and handing it to her.

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