Page 91 of Game On

Folding his arms over his chest, he said, “Because I want to woo my boyfriend.”

“But he’s already your boyfriend. I don’t think you need to woo him anymore.”

“Just because we’re together doesn’t mean the romance has to die.”

“People usually dress up when they’re romancing their partners, not dress down.”

True, but the aqua harem pants and white crop top had meaning. Jamie would appreciate it, so Adriana’s opinion didn’t matter.

Dorian opened a package of batteries and inserted two into the battery-operated string of lights he’d purchased on his way home from the office earlier. When he finished, Adriana was still there. “Do you remember when you first arrived, and I said you could stay, and you said I wouldn’t even know you were here?”

Adriana grinned. “Yup.”

“Great. So go away.”

Instead, she climbed up onto the landing and sat with her back against the doorjamb.

Dorian ignored her and went back to work. Dipping into the fort, he draped the lights over the chairs and barstools, then turned them on to get the full effect.

“Pretty,” Adriana said.

“You’re still here?”

“I wanted to talk to you.”

“So talk.”

Silence.

Growling under his breath, Dorian grabbed the fake candles he’d also purchased earlier, flicked the switches at the bottoms, and placed them along the outer edge of his fort. Then he tossed blankets and cushions inside to make it cozy.

“Not bad, huh, Poppy?” he muttered.

Tonight was his and Jamie’s last night before they had a houseguest—another houseguest. Gio Vitone was arriving tomorrow, in time to attend the Orcas’ game against John Henty’s new team.

The first time Jamie would face his old captain since he’d landed in Vancouver more than a month ago. When Dorian had asked him about it, Jamie had admitted to being more excited than nervous—he was looking forward to meeting his old captain on the ice and showing him that, despite everything, Henty hadn’t managed to beat him down. Dorian was nervous for him, though, so he figured he’d gotten both his and Jamie’s share of nerves.

Go figure.

Jamie would be home any minute and?—

“I noticed your website’s live.”

Dorian froze. Poked his head out of the fort. “What?”

“The Fir & Pine website.” Adriana pulled at the hem of her T-shirt. “It’s live.”

“Yes. As of this afternoon.”

He’d launched his website and all his social media, and although he was excited to finally have his business out in the world as he eagerly awaited his first subscriptions, hitting Publish on his website had been seriously anticlimactic. It wasn’t like scoring a goal in hockey where the horn went off and the crowd cheered and you got hugs from your teammates.

It was basically the exact opposite.

“Congratulations,” Adriana said, and despite her lack of enthusiasm when he’d told her about Fir & Pine, the sentiment appeared genuine. “I really do hope it’s successful for you, Dorian. And I’m sorry about how I acted the other day. Mom and Dad reacted almost the same way when I told them about my business, and it was... tough to hear, especially when I could’ve really used their support. And I went and did basically the same thing to you.” She pulled on her sleeve. “I’m not proud of it, and I’m sorry.”

“Oh. I...” He didn’t know what to say. And he wasn’t given the opportunity to figure it out because Adriana continued.

“And I’m sorry things have been... not so great... between us. Mom and Dad didn’t help there, always pitting us against each other, but as adults, we should be better. And I’d like to be. I’d like to have a relationship with you. If you’d like.”

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