by Carol Lynne
When he slipped the first finger into Liam’s warm body, Liam moaned. Oh, Liam was a vocal lover, perfect. Bear was pretty vocal himself. Although the few quick fucks he’d experienced over the summer would be nothing like making love to the man he loved. Soon, Bear had worked three fingers into Liam’s tight body.
“Oh, oh God, please, Nate.”
Bear stopped and looked at the writhing man in his arms. “I don’t think you’ve ever called me Nate before.” He withdrew his fingers and wiped them on his discarded T-shirt beside the bed before picking up the foil packet. “I like the way you say it.”
“I like your name. I like the way it sounds coming out of my mouth. Do you mind?” Liam asked, rolling to his back as Bear positioned himself between his thighs.
“No. I don’t mind at all. It’s a nice change, being seen as a man and not just a football player.” Bear pressed the crown of his cock against Liam’s stretched hole. “Ready?”
“Yeah,” Liam said with a chuckle.
Moving as slow as his lust would allow, Bear pushed inside Liam’s body inch by inch. Bear’s breathing stopped as he buried himself to the root. Trying to go over football plays in his head to keep from erupting, Bear didn’t breathe again until his lungs started burning.
With a deep breath and a renewed sense of control, Bear looked into Liam’s eyes to make sure he was ready. Liam smiled and ran his hand over Bear’s jaw. “You feel even better than I’d dreamed.”
With a raised eyebrow, Bear began a slow rhythm in and out of his man. The more pleasure evident on Liam’s face, the faster Bear moved. Changing positions slightly, Bear held onto Liam’s thighs as he lifted Liam’s ass off the bed. Bear was rewarded for the new position by Liam’s cry of release.
Gazing down between their bodies, Bear watched as Liam’s cock spurted cum between them. Continuing to peg Liam’s prostate gland, Bear waited until Liam started to come down from his climax.
Three more deep thrusts and Bear’s spine stiffened as he shot his seed into the condom. Falling on top of Liam, Bear sealed their mouths together in an erotic play of tongues and teeth.
Once his heart-rate returned to normal, Bear rolled to the side and disposed of the condom. Coming back to Liam’s arms, Bear kissed those sweet lips again.
“Nate?” Liam asked, playing with Bear’s dreadlocks.
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“About what you said earlier? I don’t see you as a football player. When I look at you, I see only the man I’ve fallen for. The man I want to make sure stays around until we’re old and wrinkled.”
Smiling, Bear shook his head and placed a kiss on Liam’s forehead. “Haven’t you heard? Black don’t crack. You may be wrinkled but I’ll always retain my youthful appearance.”
Laughing, Liam playfully punched Bear in the arm. “You think you’ll still be interested in a raisin when you’re still beautiful?”
“Sure,” Bear said. “When I look at you I see more than sparkling blue eyes and that shaggy black hairdo. I see someone who sees me for who I am. I think you’re the first person to ever really do that. It’s part of the reason I fell in love.”
“And the other part?”
With a mischievous grin, Bear rolled back on top of Liam. “Because of those sparkling blue eyes and the shaggy black hairdo.”
Chapter Six
“Hey, Koby.” Liam said as he entered the weight room. “Have you seen Nate around?”
“Ooh, Nate is it?” Koby asked, teasing him.
Liam felt his face heat with embarrassment and shrugged. “He may be Bear to everyone else, but he’s Nate to me.”
“I’m just kidding you. I think it’s great the two of you’ve gotten together. And to answer your question, he’s in a meeting with the coaches.” Koby continued talking but went back to his workout.
“Oh,” Liam mumbled. Nate was supposed to find out the results from his MRI earlier that afternoon, but Liam had been unable to go with him because of soccer practice. It had been a long week, and if Nate was meeting with Justin and the rest of the coaches it must not be good. The thought of something being seriously wrong with the man he loved drove Liam to walk down the hall towards Justin’s office.
Standing outside the door, Liam tried to look through the frosted glass pane. He could make out the dark outlines of people but couldn’t tell which one belonged to his lover. Without thought, he stuck his finger in his mouth and began chewing on his nail. It was a habit he’d abandoned years earlier.
As the minutes ticked by, Liam continued the assault on his nails. When the door opened, he jumped and stuck his hands in his pockets. Stepping back until he was against the wall, Liam waited for Nate to come out. He nodded to the new offensive line coach as he passed. Julian stepped out of the office and shut the door, refusing to meet Liam’s eyes. What the hell?
“Julian?” Liam took a step forward.
“Not now,” Julian said and kept walking.
Liam felt like he’d been punched in the stomach. He looked towards the office again. One of the blurred figures waved their arms in the air evidently trying to get a point across. Liam guessed it was Justin, the new head coach. Hoping not to piss anyone off, Liam tapped on the glass.
Both heads swung to look towards the door. Bear turned back to Justin and said something Liam couldn’t make out. He rose from the chair he was sitting in to walk towards Liam.
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see something was definitely wrong. Bear seemed to take a deep breath before opening the door. “Hey. You finished with practice already?” Bear asked.
“Yeah,” Liam answered, studying Bear. “What’s going on?”
“Just an impromptu meeting. Come on, let’s get out of here.” Bear took Liam’s hand and pulled him down the hall towards the parking lot.
“Nate?”
“We’ll talk. I thought we’d stop by and grab something for dinner, have a picnic out behind the house.”
Nodding, Liam let Nate have his way. With his fingers entwined with Nate’s they headed across campus to the student union. There they could pick up a cheap burger or sandwich.
As they stepped into the air-conditioned building, Liam spotted a table of football players. He tried to release Nate’s hand, but Nate held tight. “Don’t pull away from me,” Nate whispered.
They walked up to the counter and Nate placed his order. Once Nate finished rattling off a list of food, all eyes were on Liam. Knowing his wallet was near empty, Liam ordered fries and a glass of water.
“You need more than that,” Nate said. “You’ve been practicing most of the day. Get some protein.”
Liam shrugged. “I’m not very hungry.” The loud noise his stomach made contradicted his statement.
Nate studied him for several seconds before turning to the guy behind the counter. “Add an extra burger to my order.”
Liam started to protest. He knew what Nate was doing and it made him feel like the poor kid in school all over again. The big hand in his squeezed slightly and Liam held his tongue.
“Well, aren’t you two just the cutest couple.”
He felt his spine stiffen at the loud remark thrown across the busy union. Liam didn’t dare turn around. He knew exactly who’d said it, Chad Loningham. God, he hated that guy. Even though it was never proved, Liam knew Chad was one of those behind the attack of Rocco earlier that year. Liam had been on the receiving end of Chad’s hatred in the past but had never reported him. Nate didn’t even know Chad was the one behind the beating that brought his protector into his life.
Nate started to turn around and Liam pulled on his hand. “Don’t respond to him. It won’t help.” Liam heard the low growl vibrating in Nate’s throat. He had no doubt Nate could wipe the floor with Chad, but Liam wanted to avoid any altercations between the two until he learned more about Nate’s heart condition.
Nate looked from Chad back to Liam and gave a short nod. They ignored the cat-calls from the table of jocks until they could get thei
r food and get out of the union.
Walking towards BK House, Nate didn’t say a word. They bypassed the front entrance and went around back to the picnic area Demitri had set up. Liam knew Demitri was planning to break ground on the addition next year but for now, the area held several picnic tables and a large patch of grass.
Sitting side by side, Nate pulled his food out of their sacks. “I happen to have an extra burger. You interested?”
Liam felt himself blush as he nodded and took the offered food. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” Nate said, leaning over to place a tender kiss on Liam’s mouth. “If you’re hungry don’t be embarrassed if you don’t have enough money. My folks aren’t rich but they send me more than enough to feed us both if we need it.”
Even though Liam knew Nate was trying to make him feel better, it still stung. Nate must’ve realised it was still bothering him because he put his cheeseburger down and pulled Liam into his arms. “Does it bother you?”
Liam shrugged. It did bother him but he didn’t think he could explain it to Nate. Still, Nate kept staring into his eyes, waiting for an answer. Liam played with a rope of Nate’s hair as he struggled to get the words out. “I don’t have a dad. I’m not sure if I ever told you that. He took off before I was born. Mom worked two jobs, but with the price of daycare she never seemed to get ahead. It was a little easier once I started school. It hurt her pride but she signed me up for the free lunch program at school. Somehow a kid found out and told everyone. They teased me about it every damn day. I wanted to tell momma to get me out of the program but I knew every little bit helped.”
“I’m not gonna tease you about it, and I’m not going to watch you go hungry. If our situations were reversed you’d share what you had with me, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course,” Liam said without hesitating.
“Okay then, subject closed.” Nate pointed towards the still-wrapped cheeseburger. “Now eat.” He gave Liam one more quick kiss before releasing him.
Liam picked up his dinner and started to eat. After all that, he couldn’t tell Nate the food was sitting like a lead weight in his gut. He nibbled for a few minutes as Nate finished off his second burger and reached for a third. “So what was the meeting about?” Liam finally asked.
Nate took a bite of his dinner and chewed slowly. “The doctor faxed a report over to Justin. He wanted to go over it with me and the other coaches.”
“And?” Liam prodded.
“Same thing I told you. Yeah, there’s a problem with one of my heart valves but it’s not bad enough to bench me.”
“What do your coaches think?”
“That I should think about retiring. But they can’t really make me. Oh they can cut me from the team, but I could also sue the school for it. They won’t do it and I won’t quit.”
Liam felt like the few bites he’d eaten would come back up at any second. He threw what was left of his burger into the sack. “You’re willing to risk your life to play a fucking game?” He didn’t mean for it to come out so harsh but there it was.
Nate closed his eyes for a few seconds. He took a deep breath and reopened them. “It’s more complicated than that and you know it. Not only would it kill my dad but it would ruin the rest of my life. I’m not an economics major like you are, Liam. I’m a physical education major. If I don’t make it to the pros, I’ll be teaching gym for the rest of my life.”
“Yeah, and at least you’ll have a life. What good is it gonna do for you to make it to the pros only to die in a couple years? Will your dad be more proud of you then?”
“Leave my dad out of it,” Nate said between clenched teeth.
“No, I don’t think I can. It seems to me what he thinks of you is more important than saving your own goddamn life. What about me? Do I fit into the equation anywhere?” Liam stood and looked at Nate.
“Don’t do this,” Nate begged. “Please. I have enough people putting pressure on me.”
Liam swallowed. “I’m going to take a walk. I’ll catch up with you later.” He turned and walked away without looking back. He knew he was being cruel to Nate but he needed to think. He wanted to know what Nate would be up against if he continued to play.
Making a decision, he headed back to the athletic building.
He found Julian in his office with his feet up on the desk looking through a thick text book of some kind. Knocking on the threshold of the open door, Liam waited for Julian to acknowledge him.
After a few seconds, Julian looked up. “Yeah?”
“Can I talk to you?” Liam asked.
“Depends. Are you going to try and talk me out of my stance on Bear?”
“I don’t know what stance that is, but I do need to talk about Nate.” Liam continued to stand in the doorway until Julian waved him in.
Sitting on the cracked vinyl chair beside the desk, Liam glanced at the book still in Julian’s lap. He wasn’t surprised to see it was a medical text book. “Can you tell me how dangerous it is for Nate to continue playing football?”
Julian sighed and threw the book on the desk. “No one really knows. That’s the problem. The doctor said Bear definitely shows signs of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia or ARVD, but he agrees with Bear’s hometown physician. Although there appears to be fatty tissue present in the right ventricle, it’s a borderline case and not enough to bench him.”
“What about the fainting? Is that normal?” Liam questioned Julian further.
“Of course it’s not normal but for a patient with ARVD it’s an indicator that the problem exists. The more frequent these dizzy spells and fainting episodes occur the worse the condition. According to Bear, the one a couple of days ago was the first in over a year.”
“But you still don’t think he should be playing?” Liam guessed.
“No. I don’t understand it. Bear’s an intelligent guy. Why would he risk dying on a football field? I’ve been reading and there’s a defibrillator he can have implanted in his chest that could probably save his life.”
“Good,” Liam exclaimed. “Let’s talk to him about that.”
Julian sighed and shook his head. “He won’t go for it. Most sports teams won’t allow an athlete with a defibrillator to play.”
Once again it went back to Nate’s professional aspirations. Liam just couldn’t understand risking one’s life for a game. Yeah, he understood how much football meant to Nate and his dad, but enough to die?
Liam shook his head. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t understand why he’s being this way. I don’t know what to say to him. How do you stand behind someone you love when you know they are doing something potentially life threatening?”
Running his hands over his short black hair, Julian looked at Liam. “My advice would be to try and change his mind. If that doesn’t work, you have a choice to make. You can either love him or leave him.”
“That simple, huh?” Liam snorted.
“Breaking it down into the simplest terms, yeah.” Julian nodded. “Sorry. I wish I could give you the magic words to make Bear see reason, but he has his mind made up. Unless you’re good at slipping things in under his radar, he won’t change it.”
Liam stood and held out his hand. “Thanks, Julian. Seems I have some plotting and thinking to do.”
“Good luck with both,” Julian chuckled. He sobered quickly and looked at Liam. “If anyone can change his mind it’s you.”
“Yeah, no pressure there.”
Chapter Seven
After leaving Julian’s office, Liam wandered towards the edge of campus. The small pond always made him feel better when he was down and right now he didn’t think he could get any lower. As he sat under a tree, looking out at the crystal clear water, Liam struggled with himself. He knew if he continued a relationship with Nate it could end in heartache, but his feelings grew daily and he honestly didn’t know if he could walk away.
He thought about the previous year and how Nate had taken it upon himself to p
rotect him from the other guys in his dorm. Even now that they were together, Liam knew Nate had stepped up because he was a nice guy. There weren’t any ulterior motives. It was just Nate’s way. He used his incredible strength and size to save Liam from getting jumped every time he left the dorm.
The more he pondered, the more he realised even though there was a risk involved, Nate loved football. Was it any different than Nate working the streets as a policeman, or fighting dangerous fires? The only difference Liam could find was that Nate would indeed be putting himself in danger but only for his own gratification. He wouldn’t be out there risking his life to save others. It was football, after all.
Maybe all Liam could do was make sure his man stayed healthy. He decided a trip to the library was definitely on his agenda for the next day. Liam pictured Nate’s face before he’d walked away from him earlier. He knew in his heart he’d never stop loving Nate, so what would be the point of walking away? No, he intended to spend every spare moment with that incredible man.
Nate had been right. He did need Liam’s support. Not for the decisions he’d made, but as a friend and lover. Even a big man like Nate Tucker needed someone to lean on occasionally and Liam wanted to be that person.
Getting to his feet, Liam started jogging towards BK House. He rounded a stand of trees and spotted the group of football players from the union. They were sitting on picnic tables laughing. Liam’s breath caught in his chest. He didn’t think they’d seen him, but just in case, he quickly decided to back-track and take an alternate route home.
Once on the rarely used path, he took off at a full sprint. By the time he reached the front door he was out of breath. Taking a few extra seconds, Liam sat on the front steps and got his breathing under control. The last thing he wanted was to upset Nate over this, especially when it concerned a group of Nate’s fellow players. Nate had to practice with those guys. If he knew they were the ones behind Liam’s harassment in the past, Nate would be upset every time he looked at them.