Free Love On My Mind by Tracey Livesay

and avoided any other interruptions, he could still meet his deadline.
    When his doorbell rang, he almost succumbed to a roar of frustration. What now? He pushed away from his computer and glowered out the window.
    A steel-gray Jaguar XJ was parked in his driveway.
    Fuck.
    Adam considered ignoring his guest, but immediately dismissed the notion as futile. Mike was strategic, determined, and persistent. The same traits that made him one of the best COOs in the industry also meant he wouldn’t leave until he’d achieved the outcome he wanted.
    Adam took his time descending the steps to his foyer. Opening the door, he found Mike standing on his doorstep, dressed more informally than usual, in khakis, a white collared shirt and a navy half-zip pullover. A partial smile creased the blond man’s countenance while his gaze bounced between Adam’s face and the vestibule.
    When a car door slammed shut, Adam’s frown deepened.
    What the hell?
    He angled his head, glancing beyond Mike’s shoulder. Jonathan, in his familiar uniform of jeans and a T-shirt, strode up the walkway, a large box in his arms.
    Adam straightened, rubbed the back of his neck and inhaled deeply through the tightness in his chest. “Is this your way of solving my reclusive tendencies?”
    “Is that even possible?” Mike countered, then shrugged. “I’m due for a visit.”
    Adam nodded toward Jonathan. “And you thought reinforcements were necessary?”
    “The more, the merrier.”
    “In whose estimation? Not mine. I’m the recluse, remember?”
    “Don’t worry, I’m not offended,” Jonathan said, coming up behind Mike, smiling widely as he used the box to muscle them aside. The other man always appeared to be smiling, even if his lips weren’t curved upward. “I know this warm greeting is your way of saying you’re happy to see us.”
    He winked, shifted the box in his arms, and jogged up the stairs.
    “You know I hate sarcasm,” Adam called after him. “And if I were happy to see you, I’d say so.”
    “I know,” Mike said, clapping Adam on the shoulder as he, too, entered the house and followed Jonathan up into the great room.
    Adam closed the door and leaned his forehead against its cool, smooth surface. A visit from his two best friends three weeks before a crucial product launch? This wasn’t an arbitrary social call. They were here because of his last conversation with Mike but, mentally reviewing the discussion, he could discern no detail that would cause the other man to rush up the mountain, with Jonathan in tow. He didn’t have the time or inclination for this inquest. He concluded his best course of action was to ascertain what they wanted, solve the problem, and send them on their way. Then he could get back to his work.
    Climbing the staircase, he found Mike positioned next to his workstation and Jonathan in his kitchen removing supplies and ingredients from the box he’d brought with him.
    Jonathan looked up, a wedge of cheese in his hand. “You doing okay?”
    Adam shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “I’m trying to figure out what I’ve done to deserve the influx of visitors to my secluded mountain home.”
    “That’s just it,” Mike said, turning from the desk. “The last time we talked you asked if I’d sent someone here, then abruptly hung up. I called back several times but when I couldn’t get through, I was worried. With us being this close to the launch—”
    “You wanted to check on your investment,” Adam finished.
    “That’s not fair and you know it.”
    Adam met Mike’s gaze, lifting his chin to emphasize his point. His statement may have been harsh, but it wasn’t inaccurate. Computronix was doing well. Their shares had rebounded from the debacle of their last big launch and neither he, nor Mike, wanted to become complacent. The HPC would be a game changer, and, as Mike emphasized yesterday, the growth of the company was dependent upon its success. Adam didn’t doubt