The Quarterback (The Team, #2)

by Tal Bauer

Football seemed small, suddenly, compared to Nick’s job.

Jesus, the Nick from back then felt like a stranger now, like he and Nick had only been acquaintances who knew the same people. Six months, and so much had changed between them. What can a year do to a man?

It was more humid than he was used to,

Houston is digustingly humid. I remember leaving the airport and feeling like I couldn't breathe

“This is my friend Colton.” “Friend?” The bartender’s eyebrows rose. He smirked. Leaned forward and braced an elbow on the bar top. “Or… friend?” His eyebrows wagged up and down.

“Actually, you know what does bother me? How come Wes never hit on me? Aren’t I a catch?”

Lmao I adore you, Colton

Neither of them mentioned their trip to Houston. Or that they were sitting right next to each other. Again.

This wasn’t just a casual night out, Colton realized. Wasn’t just a stop for a few beers after a long day. Nick had shown him something that mattered to him, something—and someone—important to him. He felt like he’d glimpsed buried treasure inside Nick, something no one else knew existed.

Lips tickled the skin behind his ear. Ruffled the hair at the nape of his neck. He felt an exhale. Heard someone whisper, Colton.

Colton, the voice said again, right before a mouth pressed against his pulse, sucked on his skin—

He turned to the stands, searching for the one face he was desperate to see—

He reached across the center console and took the driver’s hand—

Colton, he breathed, brushing his nose against Colton’s. Colton gasped, and his eyes fluttered closed, right as Nick leaned in—

He turned, and there was Nick. Waiting for him. Smiling at him. Smiling because of him.

Everyone faded until there was only Nick standing on the fifty-yard line and Colton, sprinting toward him, heart going wild.

It was all there in his eyes, in the way he looked at Colton. Pride and joy, and even… Even in his dream, Colton didn’t dare think the word.

He crushed their lips together as if Nick had Colton’s heart hidden inside him. He pulled Nick closer, wrapped his arms around him— He jerked awake.

He’d been hugging a pillow like it was a person. Jesus, he’d been on top of the pillow, humping it, and he was so fucking hard it hurt.

What the fuck was that? He’d been dreaming… about Nick? No no no no no—

He wasn’t attracted to men. He wasn’t. He knew that.

He’d never had a sex dream about a guy before.

Fuck, he was going to come. He was going to come from just thinking about Nick, never mind touching himself.

He shuddered, biting his lip, and fell to his side before rolling to his belly as he soaked the comforter with his come. Nick’s face filled his mind. The curve of his smile. The imagined taste of his kiss—

He wasn’t attracted to men, but he’d just come to the imagined feel of Nick in his arms and the dream memories of Nick loving him, of the two of them taking a wildly different turn in their friendship.

I’m not gay, but if the right guy comes along… Nick.

I’m not gay. But Nick.

He licked his lips and let himself feel it. Let himself feel the dreams he’d had, replaying the moments that had flown through him like photographs fluttering in the air. Taking Nick’s hand in the car. Holding Nick’s hand on the patio. Holding Nick to him as they did his shoulder stretches.

How had this happened? How had he fallen for Nick Swanscott? Well… nonstop togetherness probably had something to do with it. His weakness, too, for a man to turn to him with a smile and a word of praise and a teaspoon’s worth of attention.

Why had this never happened before? Why now? Because he liked Nick. Goddamn, he liked Nick. He liked who he was. Nick was the best person he knew, and he’d had more impact on Colton’s life in six months than anyone else ever had.

Were wires getting crossed between his admiration and affection for Nick and the empty places where a dad should have been in his life?

Nick was a great father, and Colton idolized how Nick loved Justin with everything he was. But if he let himself think it, what he wanted from Nick was nothing close to fatherly. Nothing close at all.

He wanted Nick to crave him like he craved Nick. He wanted Nick to kiss him, run his hands over Colton’s body. Wrap his arms around Colton’s waist, bury his face in Colton’s chest or the center of his back. He wanted Nick’s world to be full of Colton, like Colton’s world was full to the brim with Ni...

Nick would reach for him, slide his hand into Colton’s hair. Say Colton and then wrap his hand around the back of Colton’s neck, tug him down until their lips met— No, Jesus. Nick wouldn’t do that at all. Never in a million years.

His eyes blurred until he couldn’t see Nick through the kaleidoscope of his tears. He stayed on his side, facing Nick, catching watery glimpses of the man every time he blinked.

It wouldn’t happen. It would never happen. Nick was the worst possible man in the world for him to have fallen for. Not only was there no cha...

Nick was straight. Nick was older and more experienced than him. More refined. Nick had the world in the palm of ...

He wanted this summer to last forever. Wanted to always start his mornings with Nick’s smile and shared cups of coffee, for every hour to be filled with Nick’s voice and his laugh and the crinkle of his eyes when he turned Colton’s way. Wanted Nick’s face to be the last thing he saw each night.

I want to be your quarterback for the rest of my days.

Maybe he could get an hour of sleep if he stopped staring at the man. Of course, when he fell asleep again, Nick was waiting in his dreams.

Colton had a lifetime’s worth of practice hiding everything important away from other people, so it was easy to hide this, too. At least, from the world. And from Nick.

He was so aware of Nick, suddenly. Nick filled his life, enveloping Colton’s days and nights completely.

Nick lived in Colton’s dreams as they spun a make-believe relationship be...

he never, ever wanted to close his eyes in his dreams, because when he did— He woke in Justin’s bed, in a world where he didn’t know what Nick’s hands felt like or what his kisses tasted like, and where he was alone.

Alone in his heart, where he ached for Nick.

He cried, too, when his dreams woke him and it hurt so fucking much because everything he’d been feeling in his dream world was wonderful, so fucking perfect that he couldn’t breathe, and he was happy— Until he opened his eyes and he was alone in Justin’s bed.

He’d obsessed about his behavior, in fact, watching himself like he was watching game tape, perfecting each movement, playacting at being normal and not head over heels for Nick.

What right did he have, offering to go to Dallas with Nick on one of the most important days of his life? But who else would be there for Nick if not Colton?

Nick had thrown himself fully into Colton’s life, without apology. He’d changed Colton, had made Colton fall for him. He should expect Colton would throw himself into Nick’s life with at least the same level of care.

“I’d love that, if you’re sure you want to.” If Coach had been beside him holding out a football and telling him it was that moment, then or never, to get back on the field and play again, he would have pushed the ball away. “’Course I want to.

Oh shit

That’s not something you face alone.” Nick’s smile grew both sadder and softer. “I was, until you walked in.”

“In some ways, I wish I’d never met her. I’m so mad about how it ended that I wish nothing had ever happened between us. That I’d never loved her at all. But then we wouldn’t have had Justin, and there’s nothing in the world I would trade or change if it meant Justin wasn’t exactly how he is, right now.

Hahaha not me crying because those are exactly my thoughts about my ex-husband