by Carol Lynne
“With all due respect, sir, I don’t think you can do that. My physician, as well as one here in town, has cleared me to play.”
Justin crossed his arms and studied Bear. “That may be, but I don’t feel like watching one of my players drop dead on the field. I realise you have every right to get a lawyer and sue, but I’ll quit before I put you into a game again.”
Bear’s hands curled into fists as they rested on his thighs. “Please don’t do this, Coach. I have to play.”
“I’ll make you a deal. You go talk to the doctor and see about getting the defibrillator implanted and I’ll go to the Athletic Board on your behalf. If they say you can play after the operation, I’ll put you in.”
Bear’s gaze swung towards Julian. He knew where Justin had obtained his information, Liam had told him Julian was studying up on his condition. Nate shook his head. “If I have the operation I’ll miss the season so it isn’t much of a deal.”
Julian leaned forward, finally giving Bear his two cents. “With the new units, the hospital stay is relatively short. Recovery time is also fairly short. You stand a good chance of coming back before the end of the season if Justin can get you cleared by the Board.”
In a daze, Bear stood and slung his bag over his shoulder. He started to walk out of the room but his southern upbringing stopped him. Turning back to the coaches, he shook their hands. “I’ll need time to think. Thank you for working with me these past four years.”
He was almost back to BK when the damn broke. Finding an out-of-the-way bench, Bear sat and buried his head in his hands. No football? Benched? How in the world was he supposed to tell his dad? He knew his dad would want to sue the college, but Bear had far too much respect for Justin for legal action. The team needed Justin, Julian and Peter more than they needed him.
Life without football. He rolled it around in his mind as he wiped at the few escaping tears. Now what was he supposed to do with his life?
By the time Liam made it back to the stadium, the game was well and truly over. Looking up at the scoreboard, Liam sighed, “Shit.” He knew Nate would take the loss personally.
Heading inside the adjacent athletic building, Liam went directly to Justin’s office. He hoped to get Justin and Julian on his side as far as staging the intervention. Tapping on the frosted glass, he heard the conversation cease. A second later the door opened.
“If you’ve come to defend Bear you’re wasting your time,” the head coach stated.
“Huh? Why would I need to defend him?” Liam looked around the office at Julian and the new offensive coach.
“I benched him.”
Liam looked wide-eyed at Justin. “Holy crap. How did he take it?”
Justin shrugged and walked back towards his desk, motioning for Liam to enter. “I’m not sure. That’s what we were just discussing. I think it came as a shock, but in the end, he shook our hands and thanked us for coaching him.”
Rubbing his jaw, Liam blew out a tired breath. “I just spoke to his sister on the phone. I asked if she could talk her mom and sisters into coming up here. I wanted to gather the people who care about him to stage a type of intervention. I guess it’s pointless now. The decision of whether to play has been taken out of his hands. I’ll have to give them a call back,” Liam said, thinking out loud.
“I told him if he had the defibrillator implanted, I’d go to the Board on his behalf.”
Liam shook his head. “It won’t matter to Nate. Even if the Board allows him to finish the season, pro teams won’t touch him.” Liam stood and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “You don’t think he’ll try and play professionally without finishing up the season, do you?”
“Shit, I hadn’t even thought of that,” Justin said, running his fingers through his thick hair. “If he could pass their physical, Bear could very well get drafted by a pro team. There’s nothing in the rule books that says he has to even finish college.”
“Okay, I guess I’ll call Nate’s sister and tell her what we may be up against. I’ll let them decide what our next course of action should be.” Liam suddenly felt guilty. Here he was trying to derail the dreams of the man he loved. “Am I being disloyal?” he questioned.
Julian stood and placed his hand on Liam’s shoulder. “That’s a hard one, Liam. Some might see it as disloyalty, while others see it as caring. You love Bear. It’s obvious to everyone around you. The big question is how much, and what are you willing to do to keep the man you love safe?”
Liam grinned and looked up at Julian. “Gee, Julian, do you have to put the guilt pressure on me every time we talk?”
Julian chuckled and released his hold on Liam. “Whatever works.”
“If I need you guys, will you help me?”
“Sure,” Justin answered quickly. “We all care about Bear the man, more than we care about Bear the All-American. It’s the reason I made the decision in the first place.”
Taking a deep breath, Liam nodded and walked to the door. “Wish me luck.”
“You know it,” Julian said with a wave as Liam left.
Two hours later, Liam was frantic. He returned to their room only to find it empty. He’d taken the opportunity to place a quick call to Shonda before searching the house for Nate.
When his search came up empty, Liam started calling around. No one had seen Nate but all agreed to call if they did. “Hey, Sam? I’m going to check the campus once more. You interested?”
“Sure,” Sam said, setting aside his magazine. “If we split up we can cover more ground.”
“Count me in as well,” another of the guys said.
Before long, Liam was out roaming the area around the pond. He’d managed to get three guys from the house to help in the search. Turning up nothing, Liam walked back to the centre of the quad to meet up with the others.
“Liam,” Sam yelled as he ran towards him.
“Did you find him?”
“Nope, but Charlie just called my cell. He got a call from the folks at Lucky’s. Bear’s passed out drunk in a corner booth.”
“Drunk? Nate doesn’t drink.”
“Well, he obviously does now. Come on, Jace was at the house when Charlie called. He’s bringing the car around to pick us up.”
Liam noticed a little spring in Sam’s step as he headed towards the street. He wondered if Charlie would be with Jace or if Sam would be able to spend some time alone with the man.
He shook his head. What the hell am I thinking? The man I love is passed out in a bar that’s nothing but a meat-market and I’m trying to match up Sam and Jace. He wanted to be angry with Nate for going off the deep-end in such a way but how could he?
It was at that moment, Liam decided to cancel the intervention. Evidently Nate was under enough stress. Maybe if Nate was shown just how much Liam loved him it would make a difference. He should be supportive, not pushy. With a new resolve, Liam turned to Sam as they spotted Jace’s car. “Can I borrow your phone? I need to call Nate’s sister.”
“Sure,” Sam said, handing it over. “I have unlimited minutes so don’t worry about it.”
“Thanks.” Liam automatically got into the backseat of the luxury sedan as he dialled. Being as it was his third call in less than three hours, he already knew the number by heart.
As he waited for Shonda to answer, he grinned at the silence in the front seat. Sam may be getting his time alone with Jace, but neither of them was taking advantage of the situation. He wished he could figure out who Jace was attracted to, Charlie or Sam. It seemed to be a toss-up.
When they stepped through the door at Lucky’s, Liam spotted Nate right away. “Stay here,” he said to his companions. “If I need help getting him out to the car I’ll let you know.”
Making his way over to Nate, Liam felt his heart drop. His lover’s head was on the table surrounded by those muscled arms. How alone must Nate have felt to come here by himself?
Talking to Shonda, Liam had learned Nate’s dad had been informed of the
decision to bench his son. Evidently, Mr. Tucker wasn’t taking it well, not that anyone had expected him to.
As Liam neared the table, Nate began to stir. His head rose and he looked directly into Liam’s eyes. Maybe Nate wasn’t as drunk as they thought. He slid into the booth next to his love and kissed his cheek. “My shoulders aren’t as broad as yours, but they’re available.”
Chapter Twelve
“Justin benched me,” Nate mumbled.
Although his breath did smell of beer, Liam could tell Nate definitely wasn’t drunk, just heartbroken. “I know.”
“My Dad’s gonna kill me.”
Liam wrapped his arms tightly around Nate and kissed his neck. “I don’t think he’ll be happy, but he won’t be mad at you.”
Nate shook his head. “You don’t know him well enough. He’ll blame me.”
Closing his eyes, Liam sighed inwardly. “Can I ask you a question? Besides your dad, why do you play? I mean, is it the sport you love, the crowd, the adrenaline, what?”
Several seconds passed before Nate spoke. “I’m not sure what you mean? Football’s what I know. It’s always been there. I can’t think of a single memory that involved my dad that didn’t include football.”
“Baby, you still haven’t answered the question. I don’t care about your dad. I want to know what Nate loves about playing.”
“I like being part of a team.” Nate’s face lit up. “I really love helping my team-mates improve their game.”
“And you think you’ll lose those things if you don’t play,” Liam said, starting to understand.
“Yeah.”
Liam ran his fingers over Nate’s cheek. “I think we’re a team, but if that’s not enough for you there are plenty of things you could do and still be part of the team. Do you consider Justin part of the team?”
“We are a team,” Nate said and gave Liam a deep kiss.
“And Justin?” Liam asked again once they came up for air.
“I guess. I mean he heads the team.”
“Does he teach players how to improve?”
“Hell yeah. He’s taught me a lot in the last couple of years.” It must’ve finally dawned on him what Liam was trying to say. “You’re saying I should forget about playing and coach?”
“I’m just trying to get you to see there’s life beyond playing a game that could very well kill you. I love you, and the last thing I want is to see you die because you feel obligated to your dad. You’re so good with people. You may look like a grizzly, but I know you’re a teddy.”
Nate seemed to think it over for a few seconds and then shook his head. “Dad will never go for it.”
“He gave up his career because the doctors told him the same thing. He’s alive and well. Dad thinks the doctors don’t know what they’re talking about.”
“When I hear a statement like that, my first thought is, gee, I’m glad your dad gave up football. Because…he’s been able to enjoy a long life with the people who love him.” Liam could see his words were having an impact. “Do you think less of your dad because he never went pro?”
“No, he’s my dad.”
“Exactly. I think the question you should ask yourself is why would your dad think less of you for the same reason.”
Nate said nothing. Liam swallowed and pushed a little harder. “Your life should mean more to him than your ability to fulfil the dreams he had for himself. Besides, I rather fancy a hot history teacher who also coaches high school ball,” Liam teased in his best upper-crust accent.
“Teachers don’t make much money,” Nate commented.
“How much do we need? Sorry to break this to you, but I don’t ever want children. Unless you do, we simply need a house big enough for the two of us. With two incomes, we’ll be just fine, and you know what really excites me?”
Nate grinned and ran a hand across the front of Liam’s jeans. “Yeah, I think I do.”
Rolling his eyes, Liam chuckled. “Okay, besides that. It excites me to know you’ll be with me longer.” He gripped Nate’s hand. “I need you to get the operation. I want to look into those beautiful eyes of yours for the rest of my life.”
“I’ll think about it, I promise.”
Saying all he could, Liam nodded and looked around the bar. “Let’s get out of here before Sam and Jace come to blows.”
Nate looked towards the two men and started a full blown belly laugh. “Damn, when they finally decide to recognise the tension between them is passion, watch out.”
Sam stood beside the small table at the front of the bar waving his arms wildly. Liam couldn’t hear what Sam was saying with the music so loud, but it was obvious he was pissed at Jace for something. Jace said nothing, just sat with his arms crossed over his chest.
Sliding out of the booth, Liam pulled Nate after him. He started to lead him towards the arguing couple but stopped and turned towards his man. “By the way, that other thing that excites me? Why don’t you refresh my memory when we get home?”
A deep growl erupted from Nate’s mouth as he picked Liam up and kissed him. Liam threaded his fingers through the ropes of Nate’s hair and tasted the beer and whiskey on his lover’s tongue. Pulling back, Nate lowered him. “Did you honestly mix beer and whiskey? You know that combination is lethal, especially to someone who doesn’t drink.”
Nate shrugged. “I felt buzzed earlier, but not so much anymore. I think my size helps.”
Liam pressed himself against Nate’s growing erection. “Your size always helps.”
“Are you guys ready?” Sam asked from behind Liam.
After flashing Nate a grin and a wink, Liam turned. “All set. You having a problem with Jace?”
“I don’t know what I ever saw in that asshole. How can you work with him?”
Shaking his head, Liam knew better than to answer. Yep, there was a thin line between love and hate.
Monday morning, the ringing phone woke Liam. He groaned and reached to the side table. “H-Hello?”
“Put my son on the phone,” Ben Tucker barked.
“He’s asleep, sir. Can I have him call you when he wakes up?”
“No, you can wake him now and hand him the phone. I’ve left messages all weekend. I’m not getting off until I speak to him.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Tucker, Nate’s had a hard weekend. It’s my fault he didn’t call. I didn’t give him your messages and I turned off the ringer.”
“What gives you the right to interfere in this matter? I realise my boy likes you, but you can’t keep him from talking to his family.”
“No, sir. I wasn’t trying to do that. I just didn’t want him to feel any more pressure than he already does. He has some tough decisions to make and I felt he needed time to make them.”
Nate stirred and turned to face Liam. “Who’s on the phone?”
“Your dad,” Liam mouthed the words.
After several deep breaths, Nate nodded and gestured for the phone. “Hi, Dad.”
As Nate talked, Liam ran his hands over all the bare skin at his disposal. The hard cock poking him in the thigh gave Liam a few ideas. He may have to talk to his dad, but that didn’t mean it had to be a totally unpleasant experience.
Scooting down under the covers, Liam traced the muscles on Nate’s lower abdomen before moving further south. Nate rolled to his back to accommodate Liam’s exploration and put a hand on top of his head, guiding him in the direction he needed.
Liam chuckled and ran the back of his fingers over Nate’s furry sac. Nate’s guidance became more forceful as he spread his legs. Happy to give his man what he obviously needed, Liam replaced his hand with his mouth. Nuzzling against Nate’s balls, Liam inhaled. They’d spent the previous thirty-six hours in bed, only getting up for necessities. Nate had taken him in every conceivable position and the evidence still clung to him in a heady mix of sweat and semen. The smell turned Liam on more than he cared to admit.
He felt as well as heard Nate grunt several times. Liam wasn’t
sure if it was from pleasure, or in reply to his father’s obvious rants. Releasing the wrinkled skin of Nate’s sac, Liam licked his way to the flared crown of the thickest cock he’d ever seen.
“Dad, please, just hear me out.” Liam heard from under the covers. With his lips wrapped around the head of Nate’s cock, Liam stilled. Maybe this wasn’t the best thing to do when Nate was trying to coherently make a life-altering point to his dad?
The covers were ripped off him within seconds. Liam looked up the length of Nate’s body and met his gaze. Nate shook his head no and thrust deeper into Liam’s mouth. Maintaining eye contact, Liam sucked and slurped his way up and down Nate’s erection.
“I’m sorry you’re disappointed, Dad. I’ll call you later.” Nate sighed and hung up the phone.
Still gazing into Nate’s eyes, Liam lifted his hand towards Nate’s mouth. Taking the hint, Nate took it and sucked on Liam’s fingers. When he felt they were good and wet, he removed them and reached down. Circling the tight pucker of Nate’s ass, Liam gently prodded until the tip of his finger pushed in.
“Gonna shoot,” Nate moaned as he hooked his forearms under his knees and spread himself wider.
Liam pulled off Nate’s cock for a moment to add more spit to his questing fingers. With more saliva running down the crack of Nate’s ass to his hole, Liam was able to work in another finger. He’d barely had time to wrap his lips around the head of Nate’s cock, when an explosion of seed shot down his throat.
After sucking Nate dry, Liam pulled off and grinned. “Hand me a rubber and some lube.”
Still breathing hard from his climax, Nate fumbled beside the bed until he came back with his prize. “Fuck me,” he growled, handing Liam the needed supplies.
“Gladly.” It wasn’t often Liam took the lead, but he knew Nate needed to let go and allow someone else to take over. Liam’s cock was so ready he almost lost it when he rolled the condom on. He squirted lube onto his fingers and began rimming Nate’s already stretched hole again.
“This won’t take long,” Liam grunted as he slowly pushed his cock inside the heat of Nate’s body. Once fully seated, Liam took several deep breaths and began to move. He’d been right, only managing four thrusts before exploding into the condom. Falling onto Nate’s stomach, Liam felt a small amount of shame. “I suck.”
