In Dreams He Came

by Trina Lane

  “Nick?”

  “There you are, sweetheart. You okay?”

  “Yeah, um you know just….”

  “I know. So I’ll be home on Monday. Will you have dinner with me after practice?”

  “Of course. Good luck tomorrow. Minnesota will never know what hit them.”

  “Thanks, sweetheart. It’s a tough field, but I’ll do my best.”

  “I believe in you.”

  “That’s all I need to hear. Good night, my prince.”

  “Night.”

  GABE wove his way through the crowds, still trying to get registered for the Short Course National Championships. He spied Phil standing near the far wall talking to a bunch of guys from Auburn, and there was a little pocket of women wearing Ohio State’s colors who were looking at Phil, giggling and wiggling their fingers in his direction. He saw Phil give the ladies a wink and smile. Gabe snorted internally at their behavior because man, were they barking up the wrong tree, but Phil always made them gush when he flashed one of his million-watt smiles. He had to give the girls credit for good taste, though, because Phil did make a striking picture. At six foot one, his friend stood head to head with most male swimmers, if not a tad shorter, but his sun-bleached hair and laughing brown eyes drew a person’s gaze almost without conscious thought.

  However, as attractive as Phil was, Gabe’s eyes moved on without pause. He was looking for another figure. One that would stand heads above the crowd with thick dark waves that mimicked the swells of the ocean Gabe loved so much. There. Green eyes struck blue, and if anyone in the room had psychic powers, Gabe knew that they would have sensed the collision of his and Nick’s auras in the air above the throng.

  When Nick had returned a hero in Gabe’s eyes off the success of his first Grand Prix meet last month, his boyfriend had been home all of two days before catching a plane for Denver, where the national team had a mandatory semiannual training camp. Gabe hungered for the feel of Nick against him. He craved the taste of Nick’s kisses.

  Gabe made it within a couple feet of Nick, and it took everything within his power not to leap into his boyfriend’s arms and devour him. Gabe saw Nick’s fists clench and knew that he was fighting the urge as well.

  Nick cleared his throat. “Did you get registered?”

  “Yeah, you?”

  Nick gestured for them to move out of the crowd. They ended up in a small alcove down a hallway. A rack of lane dividers acted as a screen, protecting them from any curious eyes. Nick’s arm wrapped around Gabe’s waist. Gabe lifted his head, meeting Nick’s halfway. Their lips met in a tentative brush. They rediscovered the sensation of their lips moving against one another closed and dry. Again and again. The touch was anything but chaste. Gabe didn’t think he’d ever felt anything more enticing. His knees weakened, and he was thankful for Nick’s strong arm holding him upright. Gabe’s fingers wove through Nick’s thick hair, grasping the silky strands. Their heads angled to better seal their mouths together. Nick’s tongue ran along Gabe’s lips, turning the kiss from soft and dry to hot and wet. Gabe moaned and surrendered to Nick’s onslaught. When Nick’s tongue penetrated Gabe’s mouth, his cock filled quicker than the world-record time for the fifty meter freestyle. Gabe responded by meeting Nick’s tongue, taunting it with quick jabs and long, stroking sweeps, encouraging it to come and play.

  Nick capitulated with fervor, chasing Gabe’s tongue back into his mouth and thrusting powerfully. Nick grabbed Gabe’s hips and their erections ground together. Nick placed fiery nips along Gabe’s cheeks, chins, and ears. When Nick’s mouth found the sensitive skin just below Gabe’s jaw, he couldn’t suppress the moan.

  Gabe realized their tryst could be discovered any minute and placed his hands against Nick’s chest, reluctantly pushing to put some distance between their bodies. “We can’t. Someone could find us,” he panted.

  Nick rested his forehead on Gabe’s, breathing harshly. “What hotel are you staying in?”

  “University Plaza. How about you?”

  “Damn, I’m staying at the Marriot. I was hoping to sneak into your room and ravage you tonight.”

  “Can’t. Phil.”

  “I bet he wouldn’t mind making himself scarce for a couple hours.”

  “We both have to swim tomorrow. We shouldn’t stay up to all hours of the night.”

  Nick’s arms came around Gabe’s waist again, and Gabe rested his head against Nick’s shoulder. Nick’s hands rubbed up and down Gabe’s back, and Gabe relished the soothing sensation of Nick’s hands gentling him after weeks of separation.

  Nick chuckled softly. “Why do you sound like the seasoned professional, and I sound like the horny college student?”

  “Believe me, this horny college student would like nothing more than to lock the two of us behind a hotel room door and get naked with you, but this meet is important. And well… I don’t exactly want our first time to be in an impersonal motel with a cheesy flowered polyester comforter beneath us.”

  Gabe heard Nick’s gasp, and those fingers dug into his back for a moment.

  “Are you sure, sweetheart?”

  Gabe nodded against Nick’s shoulder. He lifted his head and stared into Nick’s eyes. “Your touch burns my skin, and now I long to experience the fire consume me from the inside. I want to feel your cock thrust deep and claim me. I want to be set free while at the same time you ensnare me in a bond as primal and ancient as man’s existence on earth.”

  Nick’s hand cupped Gabe’s cheek. “Jesus, the things you say.” He kissed Gabe softly and let their lips linger against one another. “You know I leave for Dubai straight from here.”

  “I know. I know. I’m sorry I’ve made you wait, but―”

  “No, my sweet prince. Your innocence is something I treasure. Each moment we spend together, each time you give me your trust to take you someplace new, the ribbons encircling my heart tighten. I’m honored that you want to take this last step in my arms. When I come home, we’ll take a few days and escape. You’ll be on winter break, and I won’t have another meet till January.”

  Gabe’s racing heart slammed to a halt and his shoulders stiffened as he realized that by the time Nick returned from the World Championships in Dubai he would be back home for Christmas. How could he and Nick run away if―

  “Come home with me!”

  “What?”

  “Come to Idaho. With me. We’ll get a cabin and go skiing for a few days. Then you can meet my family, and we’ll spend Christmas together.”

  “And how would your family feel about me showing up? Do they know about us?”

  Gabe chuckled. “My sister ferreted the goods out of me a month and half ago. Mom and Dad both know I’m seeing someone, but I didn’t divulge the details.”

  Nick smiled. “You are so cute when you get excited. Like a little puppy. All bouncy and your eyes sparkle.”

  “I’m not cute, and I’m not a puppy,” Gabe rumbled.

  Nick lifted Gabe’s chin and kissed him. “You’re adorable. I love seeing your mossy eyes glow with exhilaration. I’d love to come home with you.” Nick placed his lips at Gabe’s ear. “Until then, I’ll dream of sinking my hard cock deep into your tight little ass,” he whispered.

  Gabe moaned, and he shook with need. How would he get through the meet with all this pent up desire racing through his blood stream? He’d have to channel it somehow. Use his need for Nick as a propellant to push him faster through the water.

  “Now, I’m sure your teammates are looking for you.” Nick looked at his watch. “I have a meeting with my coach in five minutes. Oh, I didn’t ask, what are you swimming?”

  “I’m doing the four by two hundred free relay tomorrow, individual two hundred free on Friday, and two hundred back on Saturday.”

  Nick took a couple steps backward. “I’ll be cheering you on, my sweet prince, and come Saturday, let’s hope we aren’t in lanes next to each other, because I don’t think I could concentrate with your sexy ass only a few fe
et away.”

  Gabe was rooted to the tiles in shock as he watched Nick walk away. He’d be swimming against Nick? Presuming Gabe even made it to the finals, of course. He had no illusions of being able to beat his boyfriend. The man was a sleek torpedo in the water. No, Gabe would swim his heart out for his team and try to score as many points as possible. If he made some personal best times, that’d be fantastic.

  “Gabe! You down there, man?”

  Gabe heard Phil’s voice yell down the hallway and he stuck his head out from behind the rack of lane dividers.

  “There you are. Coach is ready to head over to the hotel. Better hop to it if you don’t want to get stranded.”

  Gabe jogged down the hall and caught up with Phil as they pushed open the door to the aquatic center on the campus of Ohio State University.

  “How’s Nick? Did you congratulate him on the podium finish in Minneapolis?” Phil looked over at Gabe and squinted then broke out into a laugh. “Or, did you not exchange many words?”

  “What? How?”

  Phil slung his arm around Gabe’s shoulders. “Your lips are swollen, and you have beard burn on your cheek,” he whispered.

  Gabe’s hand came up on the side of his face where the skin felt tender. Phil laughed and the sound made some coeds turn and admire the pair of young athletes as they entered the parking garage. A blast of air blew through the concrete structure.

  Phil shivered. “Man, I can’t wait to get back to California.”

  “You are such a pussy.”

  Phil dug out his phone. “It’s thirty-six degrees! Back home it’s….” He tapped a few time on the touch screen. “Fifty-two and partly sunny! I could be drinking margaritas on top of our roof, while here every inch of my body is covered and I’m still freezing my nuts off. Laugh at me if you will, but you love the weather back home as much as I do.”

  Gabe climbed into the large van the team had rented to get around town. “First off, I bet you ten to one that fog has enshrouded the Bay Area, and you couldn’t find the sun if you were Icarus. Secondly, while I admit that San Francisco’s moderate climate has its perks, when it comes to picking a place to live out my days, I want somewhere with all four seasons. I can’t imagine never being surrounded by leaves in a riotous conglomeration of colors or watching snow fall while my breath fogs up a crystallized window protecting me from the icy clutches of Jack Frost.”

  Gabe looked around the van and saw that his fellow team members who’d qualified for the national meet were staring at him. “What?”

  “Mason, you’re starting to actually sound like one of those fancy historical dandies you’re always going on about. Besides, why would you want to give up the pleasure of California sun for months of nothing but snow, and cold?” Royce, a junior said.

  “There are simple pleasures to be found in winter that you can’t experience in a state with perpetual springlike weather. The stark beauty of sunlight glinting off snowcapped mountains, the scent of pine trees and apple cider cooking on the stove and don’t forget cuddling with a lover by a fire.”

  “I could definitely get behind that last one,” Phil said.

  “Don’t you mean on your hands and knees, Alcorn?”

  The entire van erupted in laughter, and Phil stretched over the bench seat, trying to smack Klousak, another senior specializing in the breaststroke and butterfly, for the smart-assed comment.

  “All right! Keep it down back there!” Coach Meran yelled from the front seat.

  “Yes, Coach,” they all chorused.

  Chapter 7

  NICK headed for the section of stands reserved for swimmers with his teammate and friend William Archer. He heard the announcer introducing the swimmers for the two hundred free finals come over the speakers.

  “Quick, find a spot, I want to watch this race.”

  Archer slid into a spot in front of the rail. “What’s so special about this race? Wanna keep an eye on the up and coming competition? Why aren’t you in this race? It is one of your favorites.”

  “Greg and I decided to enter the four hundred individual medley for today’s event. We know I’m solid on the two hundred for Dubai.” Nick scanned the line of swimmers, looking for Gabe. He pointed toward the starting blocks. “See the guy in lane four with the yellow CAL cap?”

  “Yeah. Old friend of yours?”

  “He was a sophomore when I was a senior. He also happens to be my boyfriend,” Nick said smiling.

  Gabe stood on the deck, shaking his arms and stretching his hamstrings. Nick watched as Gabe secured his goggles and adjusted his swim cap. When the announcer said Gabe’s name there was no response from Gabe to the herald. Gabe was completely focused on the expanse of wavering blue in front of him.

  “No shit? Nice. Long torso, wide shoulders. He’s got the build of a good swimmer. How are his times?”

  The whistle blew, and Gabe climbed up on the block. He bent over and braced his fingers on the edge of the little platform.

  “He’s no world record holder, but for a collegiate athlete, he’s respected. He wants to be a history professor,” Nick said, distractedly.

  The announcement for the swimmers to take their mark came over the speakers.

  “Come on, baby. You can do this,” Nick whispered.

  Nick felt as though he was up on that block with Gabe. He slowed his breathing, anticipated the signal blast, and when the horn blared, actually pushed up on his toes while Gabe leapt off the block.

  “He got a good start,” Will said.

  Nick nodded, but was too focused on the race to banter with his teammate. The announcer kept rambling on about the three guys ahead of Gabe. Blabbering about their accolades, and all Nick wanted to do was scream at the annoying disembodied voice to shut-up.

  “He has a good stroke, but it looks like he’s shortening the back half,” Will commentated, adding to Nick’s annoyance.

  The two hundred was eight lengths of the pool on a short course track. Gabe was about halfway done. Nick felt someone’s hand land on his shoulder and he looked away from the water for a second to see Phil standing next to him. “Hey! Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your final in a little while?”

  “Yeah, but I had to watch Nemo. He was a nervous wreck before they walked out. How’s he doing?”

  Nick looked back at the pool and quickly glanced at the leader board. “One lap to go. He’s in fourth.”

  “Go, Gabe!” Phil shouted

  Gabe did his flip, and Nick could almost see those leg muscles bunch to launch Gabe off the wall.

  “Last length. Come on, sweetheart. There! Look! He’s making a move!”

  Nick watched as Gabe poured on the gas. It was as if his prince flipped a switch and all of a sudden another man possessed his baby’s body. Gabe pulled away from the other swimmers. Some of them included Olympians from Beijing that Nick knew. Those long arms sliced through the water. The announcer went nuts as an unknown swimmer on the world circuit pulled almost even with the leaders. Nick saw Gabe’s fingers stretch the last inches to skim the wall. It was too close. Nick couldn’t tell if Gabe had pulled it off. From up here it appeared as though the top three all touched simultaneously.

  “Did he?” Phil asked.

  Nick turned to look at the score board. It was blank! Where were the results? Who’d won? Nick saw Gabe lift up his goggles and stare up at the board. Even from this distance it was obvious that Gabe was breathing heavily. It seemed as though the entire arena held their breath. Then the yellow lights came on. Gabe’s name was in the second spot, but when Nick looked at the times there was no difference between Gabe’s and the swimmer in the top spot.

  “Holy shit! It was a tie!” Phil yelled.

  Nick was shocked. Ties in swimming almost never happened. That’s why the clock went all the way to the hundredths of a second, but unbelievably it seemed that Gabe and the other swimmer actually finished with identical times.

  It took several seconds, but Nick could tell the moment it sank i
n to Gabe that regardless of having to share the podium he would go home with a gold medal around his neck. His prince sank beneath the water and Nick laughed, Gabe’s legs kicked and he did a little happy dance under the water.

  One minute, thirty-four and eight hundredths of a second. That was one and twenty-six hundredths of a second better than Gabe’s time at the beginning of the year. In fact, Nick did a quick search on his phone and realized that Gabe’s winning time would be enough to get him into the finals at the NCAA championships come March based on last year’s results.

  “What are you looking at?” Will asked.

  “Last year’s NCAA results. It looks like if Gabe can repeat today’s performance he’d make the final.” Nick looked back at Will. “That’s his goal.”

  “That’s fantastic!” Phil said, excitedly and then froze. “Do you think he can? There was something special there at the end, Nick. That’s not Gabe’s normal swim.”

  Nick placed his hand on Phil’s shoulder and squeezed. “Yes, he can do it. And now he knows he can.”

  Phil smiled and hugged Nick. “Thank you. Thank you for teaching him whatever it is you have to get him this far. Thank you for giving him confidence in himself. Thank you for making him smile.”

  “He’s worked hard this semester, and even if I gave him a few tips, the results are all his own. As for making Gabe smile? I love him, so making him happy is hardly work.”

  Nick realized that Phil was staring over his shoulder at Will. “Sorry, guys. Will Archer this is Phil Alcorn. Gabe’s best friend and teammate. Phil, Will’s―”

  “Holder of both the U.S. and Olympic Records in the one hundred butterfly and silver medalist in the two hundred breaststroke at last year’s world’s.”

  Nick heard the hero worship in Phil’s voice. It was pretty funny coming from Phil. “Well, yes that’s true, but I was going to say my friend.”

  Nick looked to his left at Will, who seemed as entranced as Phil. Interesting. Will had sworn till he was blue in the face that no man could hold his attention longer than it took for them to fuck, but it appeared that maybe the two playboys had met their match. The fireworks would have to wait, though, because Phil had to get back down to the dressing rooms, pronto.