The Long Game (Steeped in Love Book 3)

Andre Collins has spent his entire existence constructing a fortress of invulnerability. A former professional football player who successfully pivoted into high-stakes real estate development, Andre is a man who knows how to hold his ground. While he has never hidden his sexuality, he has spent his life playing it safe, shrouding his private self in a protective, comfortable silence. For Andre, keeping his guard up is equivalent to survival. Enter Malik Rivera, a man who radiates warmth and lives his life without a filter. Malik is a hopeless romantic who views love as a vast, celebratory, and entirely public experience. He refuses to settle for anything less than a partner who is just as proud and open as he is. When these two men cross paths in the quiet corners of the Tea Room, the spark is undeniable, but their philosophies on life and love couldn’t be more different. As their connection deepens, the pressure mounts. Andre must finally weigh the security of his silence against the freedom of authenticity, while Malik reaches a turning point where he must decide if waiting for Andre’s evolution is worth the toll on his own heart. It is a tender, transformative journey about the courage required to be fully seen.