In Dreams He Came Read online

  Their lips were only a fraction away from each other. “I watched your old tapes.”

  Somebody squeezed up to the bar next to them, and Nick got shoved away in the process. Gabe couldn’t decide if he was relieved, or incredibly disappointed. He looked toward the dance floor, and saw Phil heading in their direction with a very purposeful stride.

  “Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you for the last twenty minutes!”

  “Sorry, had a bit of an altercation back by the bathrooms.”

  Phil raced up and looked Gabe over from head to toe. His hands smoothed up and down Gabe’s arms. “Are you okay?”

  Gabe nodded. “Nick here stepped in and saved my ass, literally.”

  Phil turned, and his eyes widened when they met Nick’s. “Holy shit, Nick Jackson! What are you―scratch that… dumb question. Jesus, you probably don’t remember me, but―”

  “Phil Alcorn, sprinter in the freestyle and backstroke. You and Gabe have been joined at the hip since you were tadpoles on the team, freshman year.”

  “Okay, you do remember me.”

  Nick’s hand landed on the lower curve of Gabe’s back. The heat seared Gabe’s skin through his shirt. Long fingers slowly caressed Gabe’s spine, and he found himself leaning back into Nick’s touch. Why he had the desire to prolong his physical connection to Nick, whereas he’d normally be slowly edging away from a familiar touch, Gabe wasn’t sure.

  Nick’s hand slid from Gabe’s back to the side of his waist, and with a gentle tug, pulled Gabe closer. Phil’s eyes widened at the move and Gabe’s calm acceptance.

  “So, Gabe, it appears our mission was successful.”

  Nick looked over at Gabe, arching an eyebrow. “What mission?”

  “Nothing,” Gabe quickly responded. “We were talking last night, it was late, and silly things were said.”

  “It was late, true, but I meant everything I said,” Phil said, frowning.

  “You know I’m not talking about our friendship, but come on… the other stuff was a product of my fanciful imagination. People like that don’t exist in today’s age.”

  Phil’s arms crossed, and he stared Gabe down. “Not true. Nick here saved you from certain ruin. Therefore, he must be the elusive knight.”

  This entire conversation was incredibly embarrassing. Nick stood next to him, arm around Gabe’s waist. The first person that had made Gabe’s heart thud deep in his chest was now going to believe he was a raving lunatic.

  “Knight? As in Camelot and Sir Galahad and all that?”

  “Yeah, our boy is a history major. Has a bit of a romantic streak in him too. He likes the idea of some man sweeping him off his feet and—”

  “Phil! You can really shut up now.”

  Nick’s low laughter solidified Gabe’s mortal humiliation. He knew his antiquated ideas were ridiculous to men these days. He’d been admonished by more than one acquaintance that instant gratification was the priority for anyone in his generation. This could mean that Gabe should seek out a partner who was older than him, but that didn’t really appeal. Not that older men weren’t sexy, some were extremely so, but Gabe had no desire to spend his life mated to someone who always saw his younger years as a liability.

  “So I’m your knight? Does that mean I get a boon for my heroics?”

  Gabe swallowed before meeting Nick’s gaze. Their blue depths held mirth, but not ridicule. They appeared friendly, and a bit of heat still lingered from the almost kiss earlier. “What… what did you have in mind?”

  “The feel of your lips upon mine.”

  He wanted a kiss? Nick Jackson wanted a kiss from him? They’d been on the cusp of sharing the intimacy only a few moments ago, but that had been an impulse. Gabe could have given in to the moment then later reassured himself that the uncharacteristic behavior had been driven by hormones, or possibly adrenaline pumping into his system after his escape. However, if Gabe gave into this request, it would mean that he wasn’t simply acquiescent, but sought out Nick’s attention. Then again Nick wasn’t asking for Gabe’s virginity. He only wanted a kiss.

  “So how about it, Gabriel? Will you grant me my reward?”

  Gabe stared at Nick’s lips. They were firm and tinted dusky rose. He wanted those lips. He wanted to discover Nick’s taste. Gabe tilted his head up, watched Nick’s lips part slowly and close the distance between them. The sounds of the club drifted away, leaving the two of them in a protective bubble of anticipation and desire. When their skin touched, Gabe could have sworn a lightning bolt speared through his body from his head all the way down to his toes. At the first touch of Nick’s tongue, Gabe shivered. The moisture against his lips seeped into Gabe’s skin, binding his and Nick’s essences together.

  Gabe opened and immediately moaned as Nick slipped inside. Gabe pushed away from the bar and swung around, so he stood in front of Nick. His arms wrapped around Nick’s neck, and his hands combed through Nick’s wavy hair.

  Nick’s arms encircled Gabe’s waist, and their chests pressed together. Dense muscle provided a welcome support to Gabe’s wavering balance. Slow thrusts and quick flicks of Nick’s tongue consumed Gabe’s consciousness. Gabe responded in kind, and was elated to feel Nick’s arousal press against him. The evidence suggested that Nick was as affected by their kiss as Gabe.

  Nick’s lemony aftershave drifted into Gabe’s senses. The pleasant scent cut through the smells of alcohol and sweat permeating the club. Gabe’s hips arched against Nick’s, and when he expected Nick’s hand to drift lower to grab Gabe’s ass, they instead moved up Gabe’s back. The large palms, so efficient at powering through the water, were gentle as they cradled him close.

  Gabe’s blood sang with pleasure. He’d never experienced a kiss such as this. The longer it lasted, the more he wanted it to continue. Eventually they slowed, and their mouths separated. Gabe’s forehead rested against the bridge of Nick’s nose. His chest billowed as if he’d just finished racing the fifteen hundred meter freestyle.

  Nick slid his lips over to Gabe’s ear and whispered, “Oh, Gabriel, I may be your knight, but you have now become my prince.”

  Elation coursed through Gabe’s body. Nick’s words sounded sincere, not merely a ploy to get laid. Maybe… just maybe they could build something together. The sounds of the club broke through their bubble. The vibrations traveling up and down Gabe’s body no longer came from the hard thump of his heart, but the pounding music. The buzz in Gabe’s ears was no longer caused by the lack of oxygen from Nick’s kiss, but the conversation surrounding them at the bar.

  He spun around and smiled when Nick’s arm continued to hold his waist. Gabe’s back leaned against Nick’s chest. Phil no longer stood behind them, but Gabe spied him chatting up a guy a few feet away. When Phil’s eyes met Gabe’s they flashed with satisfaction.

  Gabe was able to read Phil’s lips and saw him mouth, “Are you going home with him?”

  Gabe shook his head. The kiss had been fantastic. He’d love to experience more of them and maybe go further at some point, but he wasn’t ready to sleep with Nick.

  Nick’s lips caressed Gabe’s temple. “So, my prince. Will you allow your knight to escort you back to the palace?”

  He tilted his head back against Nick’s broad shoulder. “Palace is a very generous description. We live in the university apartments a couple blocks off campus.”

  Nick laughed. “I remember those dwellings well. What building are you in?”

  “CB. We share an apartment with two guys on the water polo team. Twins, actually.”

  Nick’s hand was absently rubbing Gabe’s abs, and the caress was both welcome and very distracting. His body wanted to press back into Nick’s frame and grind against the bulge lodged firmly in Nick’s jeans, but Gabe’s mind wouldn’t let go. Not yet.

  “I get the feeling that you’re not ready to take this any further, but I’d really like to see you again, Gabriel. Do you think I could convince you to go out with me sometime?”

 
; Gabe’s lips feathered a touch against the strong column of Nick’s neck. “Yes. I’ll warn you, though. I have a really crazy schedule. Between classes, practices, and meets, there’s not much left.”

  “We’ll find a way, if we want to. I have no problem coming over to hang out while you study or you’re always welcome to bring your stuff to my place if you’re going to spend the night.”

  And there it was. The proposition, the expectation that they would sooner rather than later be sleeping together. The happy lassitude that Gabe had been reveling in disappeared.

  Nick turned Gabe around so they faced each other again. “What’s wrong? Too fast?”

  Gabe nodded. “I’m sorry. I like you, Nick. I always have. And the kiss was amazing….”

  “But?”

  “Well, you should know something before things go any further. I don’t want you to… that is….”

  Nick stiffened and stared down into Gabe’s eyes. “Is there something wrong with you? I mean are you sick? I didn’t think the team would let you swim if you had something.”

  “No! Nothing like that. I’m healthy as a horse.”

  “Whatever is bothering you can’t be that bad. Just tell me.”

  Gabe’s eyes shifted around, not wanting to look Nick in the eye. “It’s not bad. I’m probably different than most guys you know. You heard Phil earlier. Well, he wasn’t playing around. I am waiting for some guy to sweep me off my feet. ‘Waiting’ being the operative word.”

  Nick’s fingers tilted Gabe’s chin up. “Look at me, honey.” When green eyes met blue, Nick smiled. “Are you telling me that you’re a virgin?”

  Gabe’s cheeks burned, and his head gave a slight nod.

  Nick’s head dipped, and a soft kiss landed on Gabe’s lips. His eyes fluttered closed at the sweet touch, and disappointment reigned supreme when Nick pulled back.

  “I think that’s really sexy. I told you earlier the club scene isn’t my modus operandi. I’m no more into quick back room flings than you are, never have been. I’m not a virgin, but I am looking for someone special. Whenever I took a man to my bed, it’s because I felt a deep connection with him. Sometimes that connection became a relationship, sometimes it only lasted one night. But our time together always had meaning. I already feel something unique with you, Gabriel. I want to see where we can go. I’m willing to wait for you.”

  Gabe couldn’t believe his ears. It was as if the man of his dreams truly stood before him, a man with chivalry as in the days of old. Would Nick’s too-good-to-be-true behavior last if they started dating? Only one way to find out.

  Gabe smiled. “Okay, but can we still kiss even if we don’t… you know?”

  “I live to serve you, my prince. If you demand a kiss, I am your ever-faithful servant.”

  Gabe laughed. Nick’s response was silly, and yet at the same time, it filled him with happiness.

  Chapter 3

  GABE’S arm sliced through the water as he propelled himself toward the opposite end of the pool. He lifted his head for a gasp of air, and in his peripheral vision caught sight of Phil in the lane next to him. Gabe’s head turned back into the water and his world turned blue, the sounds of splashes silenced as the water came over Gabe’s ears. In his head, the training chant echoed. Pull, pull, pull, breathe. Over and over. Gabe caught sight of the wall closing in and used his tumble flip to turn his body over and then pushed against the side of the pool to rocket away back down the lane. This was the last twenty-five yards. His internal stopwatch told him that he was close to his target time. He couldn’t let his fatigued muscles win. Push through the pain, push through the burning in his lungs, stretch his arms and reach for the wall, hundredths of a second counted.

  Gabe’s fingers skimmed the concrete, and he popped his head out of the water. He lifted the goggles from his face, the release of suction made a popping sound. Gabe looked up, expecting to find Coach Meran, but instead found Nick standing on the deck in front of him, with a smile and a stopwatch.

  “Not bad, Flipper. Not bad at all.”

  Gabe squinted up at Nick. “What was my time?”

  “One minute, thirty five seconds, and thirty-four hundredths.”

  “Shit! I thought I had it that time.”

  Gabe sank beneath the water. He let the aquatic world soothe his frustration. Gabe had always run to the water to find peace when his life was in an uproar. The silence and weightlessness always calmed his rioting emotions or thoughts. A body sank next to him, and he saw Phil gesture toward the surface. Gabe shook his head. He didn’t want to go back up there. In the real world lay expectations and disappointment. In the real world stood Nick, who was most likely laughing his ass off at Gabe’s paltry attempt to swim the two hundred yard freestyle, which happened to be Nick’s best event.

  Phil surfaced as Gabe’s lungs started to burn. He was moments away from giving in to the need for air when a pair of large hands grasped him underneath his arms and hauled him up into the afternoon sun.

  “What the hell, Gabriel!”

  He turned to see Nick lying prone on the deck of the pool. His face was inches away, and his arms were wet. Over the past three weeks Gabe had spent every free moment with Nick that he could. Their make-out sessions had gradually gotten hotter, and Gabe had spent many nights after leaving Nick finishing what they’d started on his own. This, however, was the first time Nick had come by the pool while Gabe was at practice. “What’d you do that for?”

  “Oh I don’t know, maybe I didn’t want you to drown?”

  Nick was so close. It would take the smallest of movements to feel those lips against his. However, the pool area was filled other members of the team and coaches. Gabe bobbed in the water as if he were a cork. “I was coming back up. I don’t have the capacity to hold my breath for ten minutes, unlike the mammal you equate me to.”

  Phil slung his arms over the lane divider. “You know how some people have thinking rocks? Well Gabe has thinking dunks. He likes the solitude under the water. Don’t worry, Nick, I haven’t let him drown yet.”

  Nick slowly got back up on his feet. “Jesus, warn a guy next time.” He looked down at the water splotches on his shirt then back at Gabe. “So what was the problem with that swim? Your time and form in the water were good. The only break I saw was a slight hitch in the back half of your arm cycle.”

  “I thought I had met my goal this time. I have to put in under a minute thirty four if I have a hope of making the ‘A’ final at championships this year.”

  “That’s six months away. You have plenty of time to shave off the extra seconds,” Nick said.

  “I know. I really thought I had it this time, though.”

  “Nick!”

  Gabe, Nick, and Phil all looked toward the opposite end of the pool from which Coach Meran quickly walked, heading in their direction. Gabe watched as the coach came up to Nick and greeted him with a huge back-slapping hug. Two years after his graduation, and Nick was still thought of as the champion of CAL. It appeared as though Nick was the prodigal son. Gabe suspected Coach Meran was about to go kill the fatted calf.

  Gabe shook off the pity party. He knew Coach thought of all the swimmers as his surrogate children. Nick really was a child, come home. He looked back at the water stretched out behind him. The only way to improve was to keep practicing. He picked up the stopwatch Nick had left on the deck and reset the timer. He handed it to Phil. “Time me.”

  “Again? Come on, Gabe, you did well for today. Let’s go grab a bite.”

  Gabe climbed out of the pool and stepped up onto the starting block. “I said time me.”

  He took his stance. His muscles poised for that moment when a burst of energy would send him leaping into the water. His eyes trained on the far wall. He anticipated each stroke. Dissected each kick designed to propel him through the water.

  “On your mark.”

  “Gabe, what are you―”

  He tuned out Nick’s voice. It was him against the water. That was
all that mattered.

  “Ready.”

  “Gabe! Wait! You can’t―”

  “Bang!”

  He leapt off the platform. His body entered the water as if it were a torpedo. Gabe kicked for the surface. His arms windmilled as if his life depended on it. He inhaled a huge breath before turning his face back into the water. Maybe if he took more strokes per breath he could cut down on his time. He reached the opposite side of the pool and flipped. Using the wall as a springboard he launched himself back toward the starting block. Focus. Stroke. Kick. Breathe. Again, and again. Another flip and six more lengths to go. His body was tired. He shouldn’t have attempted to race full out so quickly, but Nick was there. Gabe had to show Nick that he was worth the attention of the swimming super star. One more length to go. He flipped again and through sheer force of will called up every ounce of energy still within his body. Get to the wall. Touch. Qualify. He’d have to do it again in a meet for the time to count, but if he could do it once, then he could do it again. He knew it. The tips of his fingers touched the wall. His head popped up.

  “What….” He gasped for breath. “Time?

  Coach Meran knelt on the edge of the deck. “Mason! What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Trying to swim a qualifying time, coach. I’m too slow.”

  “Jesus, Mason. The season’s just started.”

  Gabe pointed at Nick, who stood a few feet back with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. “He could have done it. Hell, he did do it. His freshman year!”

  “Gabriel, you’re a good swimmer, but Nick is in a totally different league than you.”

  And that was the hard truth, wasn’t it? Nick Jackson was in a totally different league than Gabe. Had he been completely kidding himself to think that he and Nick could have something special? Nick was a ten, hell, he was a stunningly beautiful, talented and smart eleven. And Gabe, well, he was a seven on a good day. There was no way a seven could have an eleven. Maybe in Gabe’s dreams, but not in reality. Gabe wanted to sink underneath the water again, but not come back up this time. He let his body sag, and as the surface closed over the top of his swim cap a pair of hands captured his waist and pushed him up. Gabe’s body was transferred from Phil’s grip to Nick’s, and he was lifted out of the pool.