Page 129 of Playing Flirty

I leaned in for a kiss, which he happily received. Was it normal to feel so content?

Climbing into his car together, we drove to the place where it all began.

“It will never not be weird knocking at this door,” William said before pounding his fist against Shaun and Neema’s door.

Neema answered and threw her arms around me. “You made it.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss game night.” I sauntered in as if I lived there, even though I never had.

Shaun came around the corner and pulled me into a hug. “Hey, you. How’s work? Do you have a new work best friend yet?”

“No. Still you.”

“Good.” He released me from the hug, and we made our way to the couch. “So, I wanted to tell you, Markham’s gone.”

A sigh of relief escaped me. I thought being away from him would take him off my mind, but he was still there, and as Shaun’s words sunk in, I finally kicked him out.

“And I got promoted,” he announced.

“Way to go!” I cheered.

“I mean, it’s because you’re not there.” He shrugged. “But still.”

“You deserve it. You love it there.”

“So how is work?” Shaun asked.

William threw himself onto the couch. It was almost as if he’d never left this place.

My face broke into a smile. “Work is great.”

“Great is an understatement.” William smiled at me. “She literally talks about it in her sleep.”

“Okay, fine. I love it. And they give me all these free games. I have a surprise for game night.” I rushed over to my overnight bag and dug out a game box, holding it up. “Kaleidoscope!”

Shaun laughed. “Oh my. No, it feels wrong. We shouldn’t be supporting it.”

“That’s what I said.” William scowled.

“Oh, come on! It won, and it’s my turn to pick a game, so deal with it.” I moved over to where William was already sitting.

He draped his arm across my shoulders. “Who else is joining?”

“Claire and Lincoln, and get this,” Neema said to William and then turned toward me. “Dean.”

We all made “ooooh” sounds, having not had Dean over for game night in years.

“It does mean Hannah is coming along, but that’s okay with us, you?” Neema asked, and William and I shrugged.

I leaned closer to William. “Do you want kids?”

“Of course,” he whispered. “But no more than seven—or six if you want to play along. My Xbox only takes eight controllers.”

He laughed, and his warm breath tickled my ear. He pulled me up and out to the balcony where it had all begun. In less than a second, he had me sandwiched against the railing, kissing me until I couldn’t see straight.

“Remember this?” he whispered when he finally let me take a breath.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I stood on tiptoes to kiss him but giggled instead.

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