Page 26 of Game on, Love

A smile reached my lips, remembering his race. I’d left early, knowing I needed the time to myself to make the decision, and with the way they were building their itinerary for post-race celebrations, I would’ve been lucky to make it back home in one piece.

Me:Hillcrest 420S. I prefer the Navy blue, but I could settle for the black one.

A reply came in instantly.

Vedant:Are you willing to make them every race weekend until the end of my career, then?

Me:Well played.

Me:Just to be clear, that was a NO.

Grinning, I opened the tracker app linked to Milo’s collar. The blinking green dot appeared on the map, steady and unmoving. I frowned, turning to the ‘follow’ option.

My feet carried me back upstairs, then another floor, and I stopped.

This can’t be right.

Milo barely tolerated me on a good day, only wanting affection when he knew Ineededit. But he definitely didn’t like men.

Anytime I’d brought over a guy, he always hissed until they were no longer in his territory. And now, he was in Oliver’s room.

Oliver.

The twist in my stomach was sudden but not a surprise. I was almost thankful that my life had a series of thunderstorms in a span of a week to focus on the pull I felt each time I was near him. Or the fact that each time we had a conversation, he watched me, with the corners of his lips slightly turned in an almost smirk, as if he was hyper-aware of everything I was feeling.

It was jarring.

And now, Milo, my notoriously aloof cat who hated men, had decided to cosy up in his room.

I knocked lightly, a part of me hoping he wouldn’t answer.

“Yeah?”

I opened the door and stopped.

Oliver was sprawled on his bed, shirtless, and hair wet from the shower. Milo was curled up on his chest, his head tucked under Oliver’s chin, his purrs louder than I’d ever heard. Oliver’s hand was moving, slowly stroking his fur, and his gaze lifted to meet mine, his lips tugging into a slow grin.

His amber eyes connected with mine, sending a shiver down my spine. “Morning, looking for him?”

I stepped in, wrapping my arms around me. “What did you do?”

“What didIdo?” He laughed softly, his gaze running over me before flaring slightly.

“He doesn’t like people,” My jaw dropped as Milo snuggled further in his nape.

“He loves me,” Oliver countered, his hands resting lightly on Milo’s back.

“Clearly,” My cat was unbothered by my judgemental tone. “Seriously, what was it? Treats? Are you secretly a warlock?”

“Warlock?” He half-laughed.

“A man who practices sorcery,”

Oliver watched me, amused, as he scratched Milo behind his ears. “Thanks for the definition, love. But I didn’t do anything. He came up here all on his own. Can’t blame him, though. This is the best spot in the house.”

I sighed, my eyes scanning the room. The rich navy walls wrapped up the room in a calming way, embracing the cold blue of the shifting weather. He had a giant bed in the middle of the room—which could easily fit seven people; his bedding matching the walls. In the corner, he had a mini fridge that looked like it was stocked with mineral water and I held back an eye roll. Next to his bed, he had floor-to-ceiling windows with what looked like black-out curtains, that had a sofa and a small table next to it.

“You know, there’s plenty of space if you want to join us.”