When Victor Hill bought a house with his boyfriend, Jian Kouri it was a dream come true. But now, two years later, instead of living their happily ever after, they hardly see the other awake.<br><br>With Jian out the door before Victor gets up in the morning, and asleep on the couch nearly as soon as he walks in the door, the life Victor imagined couldn’t be further from reality. They don’t talk; they don’t touch, and Victor fears he and Jian have already drifted too far apart.<br><br>The holiday season is a time for hope, but when Victor comes home to find Jian with a plan to woo him for Christmas, is it too little, too late? The dates are great, and there are filled with Christmas fun to get Victor in the right spirit for the holiday, but are they enough for the two of them to fall in love again? Or is there just too much in their relationship that needs fixing?

24 Dates

He nodded. When the end signal blasted, he reeled in and helped Jian pack everything up. Together with the other contestants, they went back to the beach and waited for the results.


They didn’t win, but Victor didn’t care. 13


The next morning, Victor woke alone in bed, again. A radio played downstairs, it sounded like Christmas music, but he wasn’t sure. This time of year, the radio most often played Christmas music. He stretched before grabbing a pair of jeans and a sweater and trudging down the stairs. The music was low and soft in the kitchen, three candles were lit in the advent candle holder, leaving only one to go.


“Morning.” Jian hugged him from behind and nuzzled the side of his throat.


“Morning.” Victor raised his hand and cradled Jian’s neck. “Did you sleep well?”


Victor nodded and Jian hugged him tighter. “Coffee’s done.”


Chapter 21