Page 54 of Delay of Game

“You were? I didn’t think that was common in Finland.”

“It isn’t. But ours was an unusual situation. Our families were bitter rivals. No, not like that. It was all business. Luxury cabinetry. Much more cutthroat than you might expect, many years of corporate sabotage and strife. When her family had a daughter and mine a son, we were essentially promised to each other from birth.”

Nate thought about Sally and Kaisa, equally calm, equally aristocratic, both with their aquiline features and ice-blue eyes, and tried to square that with the Finnish cabinet wars he was currently picturing in his head. “That can’t have been pleasant for you.”

“It was not, at first. We both did our duty, and agreed to the match, but there was no trust, of course. You cannot hate someone’s family for so long and feel comfortable in a marriage bed with them. And without that—without trust—it is nothing.”

“So you...?”

“Trust came, eventually,” Sally said, and shrugged. “With time, and effort. But we did not consummate our marriage for almost a year.”

Nate stared at him.

“It was worth waiting.” For a second, the barest hint of a smile flickered over his face, like a sheet of ice sheering off a berg. “And that is my point. Now, after the merger, you can find Salonen-Heikkilä cabinets all over Finland. Don’t worry about what is normal. Because there is nothing of the sort. What matters is trust.”

“Uh...wow. I don’t know what to say, Sally. Thank you.” Nate thought,it’s like having your own personal Yoda sometimes, except without the war crimes. And trust? He caught himself flushing, again, remembering how Zach had saidit’s gonna be good, okay, and his first thought had beenI know, I trust you. He didn’t want to think about that now.

“Whatever is going on in your personal life, Cap, I trust that you know what you’re doing, my friend,” Sally said, and patted him on the shoulder.

“I wish I had your confidence in me,” Nate muttered, but by then, it was time to play hockey, and that, at least, he knew how to do.

Chapter Eight

February

On the brief flight to Ottawa, Zach realized that it was already February. And not only was Valentine’s Day coming up, he had no idea how to be romantic or what romance actually was. And Valentine’s Day was pretty much the most romantic day of the year, right? It was Zach’s responsibility to figure out somethinggood. So he googled it on his phone, which he had to angle carefully away from Nate so he wouldn’t see it. The search bar autofilledhow to romance a manand Zach shrugged and went with it.

He read,to romance a man, try leaving him a cute note somewhere he’ll easily see it, but not too easily. You can surprise him with a special date. Consider cooking his favorite meal to share. Be creative!

Zach considered this. It made sense, actually, and seemed like things he could do. Well, notes, anyway—he couldn’t cook to save his fucking life, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t try. Nate seemed like the kind of guy who would appreciate effort. Zach bookmarked the page and looked at another list, because Nate deserved thoroughly researched romance, and promptly began feeling discouraged.

1. Get handsy, the list said. He frowned. He already did that. That wasn’t, like, romantic or anything. That was Nate having an amazing body and an ass that didn’t quit and the fact that Zach was horny as fuck about all of it.

The list suggested changing your usual outfits, but Nate only noticed what Zach was wearing if it was something really out of character. Maybe that was the point of the suggestion, but it didn’t matter. If Zach tookthatadvice, he’d only ever get chirped for it, and that seemed self-defeating.

Number three wasn’t any better, because it suggested sending him out with “the guys.” Zach frowned more deeply. At this rate, he was going to get wrinkles. He wouldn’t be able to do that one either, since he and Nate went out with the boys all the time anyway. And he didn’t think Nate would appreciate it if Zach stayed home.

Sneaking in a flirty note, complimenting him, making him laugh, or having a “special experience” also didn’t seem super helpful.Switch up sex, the list suggested, complete with a flirty winking emoji. At this point, Zach felt like his eyebrows had become surgically attached together. He was great at making Nate laugh, but the rest of it...well, they switched the sex up often enough already, he thought. But maybe there was something more he could do?

Nate looked sideways at him. “What are you reading?”

“Nothing. I can’t read,” Zach said, immediately, setting his phone down on his thigh. “C’mon, Cap, you know this.”

“Zach, I thought we’d agreed you wouldn’t say shit like that about yourself.”

Zach locked the phone and thought to himself that these lists probably weren’t written with guys like Nate in mind, guys who turned bright red if there was even a hint you were gonna say something nice to them, guys who were so fucking sincere that even three years after they had first met, Nate still got upset whenever Zach admitted to being stupid. It was cute. And Nate’s confidence in him was inspiring as all hell and it was one of the reasons he was head over fucking heels for the guy, but despite Nate’s admirable but misguided beliefs, Zach knew he was, absolutely, a grade A moron.

Only a grade A moron would be trying to figure out how to write a flirty note to a dude whose asshole he’d enthusiastically eaten out the night before.

Zach turned his most twinkling smile on Nate and said, “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, Cap.”

Nate flushed, though his voice was steady. “You know that’s exactly the kind of thing that’s going to make me worry. You do know that, right?”

Zach really wanted to kiss him, right then and there, but they were surrounded by their teammates and Mike was watching them with one of his thoughtful, unreadable expressions that made Zach feel like he’d given away too much, just by existing, just by his face.

So instead, he burrowed more deeply into the seat. “You worry about everything, but you absolutely don’t have to worry about me. I got you.”

“Uh-huh,” Nate replied, but he didn’t sound at all convinced.