Swimming For Love - A Standalone Novel (A Bad Boy Sports Romance Love Story) (Burbank Brothers, Book #1)

by Niles, Naomi

  “It’s practically scientific,” Langdon replied confidently. “In fact, I think it might actually be legitimately scientific.”

  “Sometimes I don’t know if you’re joking or you’re just completely delusional.”

  “Maybe I’m both?” Langdon said with a shrug. “I think that’s a winning combination.”

  “You might be the only one.”

  Langdon gave me a pointed look. “In my opinion, you could use a little sexual deviancy… you could use some loosening up.”

  “I have plenty of sex,” I told him.

  “I have plenty of sex,” Langdon told me with satisfaction. “You don’t have nearly enough. Which is why training has come at the perfect time.”

  “To fulfil my sexual needs?” I asked incredulously.

  “Precisely.” Langdon nodded seriously. “And I’m sure Jessica Winters will be up for the challenge.”

  “I know this might surprise you… shock you even,” I said. “But Jessica Winters might actually be here to train. In fact, that might be why I’m here, too.”

  “So… you’re not here for the girls?” Langdon asked in mock outrage.

  “Surprisingly not.”

  “Blasphemy,” Langdon said dramatically as he straightened out of his stretches. “I’m disappointed in you.”

  “I’ll live.”

  “So you’re saying that if Jessica came over here, pushed her tight, lithe body against yours, and asked you to fuck her in the pool, you would just… walk away?”

  I smiled. “I’m an athlete. But I’m also human… of course I wouldn’t turn down an offer like that.”

  “Ah-ha!” Landon said with satisfaction.

  “I’m just saying I wouldn’t go out of my way to pursue any kind of relationship with her… or anyone else. I’m here to train and that’s my main focus.”

  Langdon rolled his eyes at me. “Fine, whatever. Sometimes I feel as though you’re a lost cause.”

  I laughed at Langdon’s frustration, and we walked over to where the other guys stood finishing up their cycle of stretches. Coach appeared immediately after and ordered Martin and Stuart into the pool to test their lung capacity underwater.

  “After this, we’re going to run an eight-hundred-meter test relay,” Coach informed us.

  “Awesome,” Langdon exclaimed. “Who are you gonna put in, Coach?”

  “That depends on your speeds,” Coach replied. “You boys work on lung capacity while I test out the others. Martin and Stuart, you’re with me.”

  While Coach moved to the opposite side of the pool, the rest of us jumped in and started timing ourselves underwater. Langdon managed to stay under for two minutes and forty seconds. I managed to stay under water for three minutes and five seconds.

  “That’s decent,” Langdon said, mulling over his time. “I’m no Tom Cruise. His record is over six minutes.”

  “That’s a little different.”

  “How?”

  “The only way you can stay under that long is to slow your body down so that you’re not using excess energy,” I told him. “That’s going to be hard to do when you’re swimming like hell through two hundred meters.”

  “Fair point,” Langdon said, sounding mollified. “Man… we’re going to kick ass this time. You’re going to kill every other country in the two-hundred-meter freestyle and we’re going to take the victory easily for the eight-hundred-meter relay, especially with you as the anchor.”

  A burst of condescending laughter sounded from behind us, and Langdon and I turned around to see Patrick rolling his eyes at the both of us. “You think Alan is going to win us the relay?” he asked in disbelief.

  “Fuck yeah,” Langdon replied without animosity. “He’s our secret weapon.”

  “You’ve been talking a lot about his skill,” Patrick said, adjusting his goggles. “Frankly, I haven’t seen anything special from him yet.”

  “Wait till you see him swim.”

  “I’ll expect to be blown away.”

  “You will be,” Langdon replied. “Literally… cause he’ll just blow by you in the water.”

  Patrick’s smile became tight, and his eyes turned cold. “I wasn’t aware that you were here as Alan’s personal cheerleader. I thought you were a competitor in your own right, but apparently you’re just here to make him look good.”

  “Hey, Patrick,” Langdon said in a chipper voice. “Why don’t you go down and hold your breath? We’ll count to a million.”

  Patrick rolled his eyes and swam away from us as Langdon laughed loudly for his benefit.

  “Why do you keep engaging him?” I asked. “It’s not worth it.”

  “He doesn’t bother me,” Langdon replied. “But I can bother him; it’s fun.”

  “You are a weird little man.”

  “Thanks,” Langdon replied with a wide smile.

  “Hey, Alan?” Daniel asked as he came up behind me.

  “Yeah?”

  “What’s the significance of that tattoo?” he asked unexpectedly.

  I looked at him, taken off guard by the question. Instinctively, I felt the skin on the back of my right shoulder blade tingle slightly. “Umm… why do you ask?”

  “Mickey and I have this bet,” he admitted light-heartedly. “The tattoo’s a date, so it has to signify an important event of some kind. Mickey thinks it has to do with a girlfriend, and I think it has something to do with a family member.”

  Mickey swam up next to Daniel, and they both looked at me eagerly. “So?” Daniel asked. “Which one of us is right?”

  I shot a glance at Langdon, who was suddenly very quiet. “Well, you’re the winner then, Daniel. The date signifies my father. It’s the date of his death.”

  Both their expressions changed instantly, and I knew they were sorry they had brought it up. “Fuck, man, we didn’t know,” Mickey said sheepishly. “I’m sorry.”

  “That’s okay,” I said quickly. “It was a while ago now.”

  “I feel like an asshole for bringing it up now,” Daniel said apologetically.

  I shrugged. “Not a big deal; don’t worry.”

  I could feel Langdon squirm under the awkwardness of the moment. “Hey, guys,” he called, drawing the attention to himself. “Coach wanted me to practice my breast stroke. What do you think of my form?”

  Then he proceeded to tread water while rubbing his fingers over his nipples in concentric circles. The boys burst into laughter, and I joined in. It was helpful to have Langdon around sometimes. The moment diffused as Coach called the rest of us around to his side of the pool for our individual speed laps.

  “Langdon,” Coach called. “You can go first. Two-hundred-meter freestyle.”

  After Langdon, Coach had Mickey, Stuart, Devin, and Paul swim laps, and then it was my turn. I could feel Patrick’s eyes trailing me and knew he had been waiting all morning to see if Langdon’s bold claims had been accurate or unfounded.

  I had promised myself not to engage with Patrick, but I also wanted to show him up. I braced myself for the swim and focused my mind the same way I had for my very first competitive swim eighteen years ago. The nerves had dissipated somewhat, but I still had the same excitement that I had back then. The moment Coach’s whistle sounded, the image of my father in his red shirt popped into my head for a split second before I hit the water, and then my body took over.

  I pushed myself as hard as I could, taking great leaps and using every tool at my disposal to push through the water as fast as I could. My body burned with fire, and I felt more alive than I ever did on the ground. When I came up for air, I could hear the sound of clapping ringing in my eyes. I removed my goggles and pulled myself out of the water.

  “How’d I do?” I asked. But even as I asked the question, my eyes fell on Patrick’s face, and I knew I had done well.

  “Nice work, man,” Langdon said, patting me on the back as the boys chanted, “Super-jaws, Super-jaws,” behind him. The only person who didn’t join in was Patrick.

>   “Good job, Alan.” Coach nodded to me. “Let’s try and improve that speed over the next few months, shall we?”

  I nodded at the approval in Coach’s voice, knowing it was high praise coming from him. I couldn’t help but enjoy the moment as Coach called for Patrick to get ready for his laps. Patrick shuffled toward the head of the pool, and I knew he didn’t want to follow me, but his pride wouldn’t allow him to admit that. I laid back and enjoyed the view.

  An hour later, Langdon and I pulled on t-shirts and headed for the lunchroom. Patrick had been sulking for the last hour because his time had been almost ten seconds longer than mine, and Langdon and I couldn’t help but laugh about it.

  The lunchroom was a massive space with an impressive selection of food. They always had a huge amount of choices, given the number of calories that we needed to consume every day. Langdon and I loaded up our plates and glanced around, looking for a good spot in the crowded cafeteria.

  “Hey, man, look!” Langdon said urgently, nudging my shoulder and gesturing with his eyes.

  “What?” I asked, looking around.

  “Over in that corner by the window,” Langdon replied. “Isn’t that the chick you were checking out? Jessica Winters.”

  I found his line of sight, and I realized he was right. Jessica Winters was sitting with her black-haired friend.

  “Yeah, that’s her.” I nodded.

  “The rest of their table is empty,” Langdon said pointedly.

  “I don’t know…” I replied reluctantly.

  “Oh, come on, man,” Langdon said impatiently. “We need a place to sit and there’s room at their table.”

  “There’s also room at that table over there,” I said, pointing out an empty bench.

  “It’s right by the rest rooms.”

  “Or that one over there?”

  “It’s too close to the pools; I don’t like the smell of chlorine when I’m eating.”

  I rolled my eyes. “We both smell of chlorine,” I pointed out.

  “Funny,” Langdon said with a shrug. “I don’t smell it on us.”

  “Convenient,” I said, conceding defeat. “All right then, let’s go.”

  Langdon’s face broke out into a broad smile. “Atta boy. Finally, it’s going to get fun around here.”

  Chapter Eight

  Jessica

  “You actually have time to read?” Winnie asked incredulously.

  “I don’t have much of a social life,” I replied. It was getting a little easier to be honest with Winnie. She was the kind of person who didn’t judge, and that made me more comfortable. “So yeah… I spend my free time reading.”

  “What are you reading right now?” Winnie asked, spearing a sausage with her fork.

  “I’m re-reading Wuthering Heights at the moment,” I replied. “It’s one of my favorites. I’m hoping to start Romeo and Juliet after I’ve finished with it.”

  “Is that another re-read?” Winnie asked.

  “It is.” I nodded. “Reading is cathartic for me, but I’m so exhausted during training that I never really invest in new books. I just re-visit the classics.”

  “Well, I admire your commitment,” Winnie said, chewing her food. “I don’t have the patience for reading. I’d much rather be out there doing stuff than reading about things other people are doing.”

  Laughing, I noticed two tall figures approach our table. It took me a moment to realize they were headed straight for us. I clammed up as I recognized the attraction I felt for the taller of the two men.

  “Hi, ladies,” the shorter one said with a wide smile. “Would you mind terribly if we joined you? This looks like a great spot for lunch, and we could use some company.”

  Winnie’s eyes brightened, and she returned his smile with vigor. “Of course. Go right on ahead.”

  The guys slipped into the seats opposite us, and my pulse quickened a little as my eyes fell on the man sitting right in front of me. He was unbelievably handsome, and very familiar. It took me only a moment to remember his name. Alan Burbank. I had watched him compete in previous Olympic games, but he was much more attractive in person.

  He had a slightly square jaw, hollowed-in cheekbones, and light-blue eyes that made me think of cooling water. His hair was a dark, earthy brown, and his smile was polite and sincere. The moment those blue eyes met mine, I dropped my gaze, unable to hold the intimate contact.

  “I’m Langdon Ballard.”

  “Alan Burbank,” Alan said, reaching out for my hand first.

  “Winnie Sanders, and this is Jessica Winters,” Winnie said, taking the reins and speaking for me.

  “I’ve seen you compete,” Alan said directly to me. “You’re a talented swimmer.”

  I felt myself blush instantly, and I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. “Thank you,” I mumbled ineffectually, hoping Winnie would start talking to cover up my awkwardness.

  “Jessica’s an extraordinary swimmer,” Winnie said immediately. “She’s just overly modest. I’m working on that with her.”

  “Oh?” Langdon said, leaning in toward Winnie. “What else are you working on?”

  “A great many things,” Winnie said, and I could tell she was enjoying herself already. “I’m a very busy woman.”

  “I can imagine,” Langdon replied appreciatively.

  Langdon and Winnie continued to flirt aggressively, which just made me feel more self-conscious about myself. I realized that I hadn’t made one contribution to the conversation, and that was starting to bother me. I didn’t want Alan to think I was slow or uninteresting, but I also had no idea how to carry a conversation with a man as handsome and as accomplished as he was.

  “I watched you in the last Olympic,” Alan said, addressing me directly.

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah… it was an amazing race,” he said.

  “Umm… which one was it?” I asked. “

  “Two-hundred-meter freestyle,” Alan replied. “I was sure you’d win it.”

  “Olga deserved to win,” I replied, without making eye contact. “I wasn’t fast enough.”

  “You were almost there,” Alan said. “You missed gold by three seconds.”

  “Two.”

  “Excuse me?”

  I colored at my own correction. “I… it was two seconds. My father told me later.”

  Alan smiled. “He was paying attention.”

  “He always does.”

  “It must be nice to have that kind of support,” Alan said with a smile that made my heart jump a little in my chest.

  “It’s nice when it’s not stifling,” I said. Alan raised his eyebrows at my frank admission, and even I didn’t know where that blunt honesty had come from. “What I mean is… it is nice… of course.”

  Alan’s smile softened, but he didn’t ask me what I meant. “The facility’s looking good, isn’t it?”

  “Sure.” I nodded.

  “And they’ve done up the cafeteria, too,” Alan continued, trying hard to engage me in conversation. I tried to give him more than one-word answers, but nothing was coming to me. I glanced helplessly at Winnie, but she was too involved in her conversation with Langdon to come to my aid or pay me any attention.

  “Yeah.”

  “So… what do you do in your free time, Jessica?” Alan asked.

  It was a comfortable question, but my brain was suddenly drawing blanks. Instantly I thought of what Winnie and I were discussing just before Alan and his friend had joined us. “Books.”

  “What?”

  “Sorry… I mean… I read books,” I said. “In my free time. That’s what I do.”

  If he noticed my awkwardness, he was gentlemanly enough to pretend as though he didn’t. “I wish I was a reader,” Alan said. “But I never really developed the affinity for it, to be honest. What kinds of books do you like to read?”

  “Umm… romance mostly,” I admitted, only because I didn’t have the capacity at that moment to think about my answers before I ga
ve them.

  Those intoxicating eyes of his had me under a spell, and I was unable to be intelligent or witty or charming. I was stuck being myself… plain, boring, and entirely uninteresting.

  “Romance, huh?” Alan asked, trying to draw me out of my shell. “Any books that I might have heard of?”

  “Sure,” I replied. “Old classics like… Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, Elizabeth and Darcy.”

  “Ah.”

  “I mean… there’s no book titled Elizabeth and Darcy,” I corrected quickly. “They’re the characters… in Pride and Prejudice.”

  “Of course. And what about romance novels appeals to you so much?” Alan asked with interest. I was trying to figure out if he was genuinely curious about me, or if he was just making conversation so that his friend could get some one on one time with Winnie.

  “I guess they make it easier for me to dream,” I said without censoring myself.

  Alan’s eyebrows went up a little. “And you dream about a great romance?”

  My cheeks burned hot with fire. “I… umm… not really.”

  “Not really?”

  He wasn’t taking his eyes off me, and my discomfort was beginning to move to my hands and legs. My left leg was jumping uncontrollably under the table, and I wasn’t sure quite what to do with my hands. I decided to move them under the table, too, when my right hand brushed against my water glass and it topped sideways onto the table, splashing water everywhere.

  “Oh, my god,” Winnie cried, taken unawares.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said in embarrassment. “My hand slipped.”

  Everyone started clearing away their plates and sopping up the extra water with paper napkins. I didn’t even glance in Alan’s direction, mortified with my own behavior.

  “That’s all right,” Alan said kindly. “It could have happened to anyone.”

  Winnie cast me a side-glance before she looked up at Alan with a bright smile. “So, Alan. Do you have a girlfriend?”

  If Alan was taken back by the question, he didn’t show it. “No, I don’t. I don’t have the time for one, unfortunately.”

  “Same old story, huh?” Winnie said with a nod. “Jessica and I were discussing our own single statuses this morning.”