Once they were both in, he added, “What I’m wearing are my personal trunks, specially designed to contain any raging boners I happen to get from seeing absolutely beautiful male athletes in barely anything.”
Jake laughed and Steve gave him a big smile. “Wow, you’re totally unconcerned with the fact that you turn on a big gay man when both of us are barely wearing clothes.”
“I doubt you’ll molest me. It’s no different from what Raine does to me, man. Only I won’t be able to hide shit. Okay, water’s fine. What do you want me to do first?”
“Loaded question, Jake. I won’t answer honestly.” They laughed and Steve put him to work, walking the width of the pool. Once he’d completed several walking laps, and Steve was happy with his range of motion, they added weights to his ankles.
“Stand very still while I do this, dude, or I may forget myself. Just kidding…but not really.”
They chatted companionably, as Jake continued walking, with Steve directing and demonstrating when necessary.
“You’re really good at your job. What made you choose to do this?”
“I was a center in high school and college. I was damn good. No one ever got past me, man, no one. I had the safest quarterback on the field.”
They turned and Steve checked his posture. “My senior year, we’re playing the championship game and this big fucker from Alabama came off the line and caught me in the hips. I’d never felt such pain in my life. Realized I couldn’t get up. He fractured my pelvis in three places and busted my hip. Laid me up for months.”
Steve demonstrated a little kick-step for the next lap before continuing.
“I came here for therapy and met Rhiannon, and for whatever reason, she stuck with me. If I’d been straight, I would have gone total Graduate on her. She was beautiful and kind, so good at what she did.”
He added another weight to his ankles. “She told me I should consider career options other than brutalizing my body day after day. The damage to my hip would never fully heal and she’d clear me to play, but would rather not. She offered me another option. I met Raine and realized I could have a sort of family here, start over, and make a difference to other athletes.”
He paused and gave Jake an appreciative glance. “Bonus, I get to look at ridiculously fine men in vulnerable situations. All upsides for me.”
Jake shook his head. “I honestly don’t know what I would have done if I couldn’t have played baseball. You’re pretty fucking awesome, Steve.”
Steve splashed him. “Have you learned nothing these past weeks, Jake? Don’t ever use the words fucking and Steve in the same sentence again, especially when you’re barely dressed. We’ve been working your lower body hard. Ready to get out or want to do some laps with me?”
Jake laughed again and dove to the side, stealing a head start on Steve. By the third lap, they were in tandem, taking their strokes and turns simultaneously.
After the twentieth lap, he felt good, revitalized. He stood in the shallow end, leaning slightly forward and resting his arms on the edge of the pool.
“Thanks, Steve, I really needed that.”
Jake turned his body towards the corner stairs to climb out. He was halfway across before he looked up and noticed Raine standing on the other side of the stairs next to her mother.
Freezing momentarily in surprise, wondering how long they’d been there watching them swim, he dropped his hands in the water and finally managed to stammer out.
“Wow, the effect of both of you side by side is…just gorgeous.”
“I like you, Jake. Flattery will get you everywhere.” The exaggerated fluttering of Rhiannon’s eyelashes was complimented by the goofy grin she also wore.
“Hi, Raine. You look stunning in green; it really brings out your eyes.” Raine blushed and Rhiannon glanced at her, eyes narrowing shrewdly. “I didn’t think I’d see you once your mom came back. What a happy surprise.”
Raine placed one hand on the railing running down the center of the stairs and crouched at the side of the pool. “How are you feeling, Jake?” Her eyes roamed over his face and bare upper body, covered in droplets of water. “How’s the knee holding up to Steve’s punishment?”
Jake continued to wave his hands in the water in front of him, dragging his fingers over the surface to blur the image of his lower body. He stared at her for a long moment before answering.
“I’m feeling good. Steve is very careful; he’s great at his job. Thank you for asking. How are you, Raine?”
“I’m fine, thanks. Are you ready to get out, Jake? I need to do a flexibility measurement.”
Rhiannon’s eyes widened in surprise and a slow smile spread over her face. The older woman glanced at Steve, raised her eyebrows, and he nodded subtly.
“I…I think I need to swim another ten laps. Can I come find you when I’m done?” She nodded and he exhaled in relief. There was no way he could get out of the pool yet.
She seemed to fight reaching out to touch him. Finally, she stood and left. Rhiannon gave him a last searching look before following her daughter.
Turning to the wall, he set his forehead on his arms and said quietly, “Steve, I’m going to need a towel, man. No joke.”
Laughing, Steve jumped out and grabbed one, holding it in one hand and reaching down to give Jake a hand out with the other. He turned to grab a towel for himself.
“I’m truly impressed, Jake. You’re handling this very well. I may have to arrange a reward for you.” Drying his hair, Steve looped it around the back of his neck. “I’m going to give you my cell number and you need to answer if I call you.”
Jake wrapped the fabric around his waist and smiled wryly. “She’s killing me, man…by inches. Right now, I have a few more inches than I should, given the fact I haven’t so much as kissed her in five years.”
“Oh, lord. Please, I’m begging you…open that towel. I need a cheap thrill. I know I’m getting laid later.”
Jake chuckled and opened the sides, his erection substantially obvious behind the thin fabric of the swimsuit.
Steve nodded, his look appreciative. “Excellent equipment, Jake. I think I may like having a straight guy around.”
Jake covered himself and headed to the locker room to change, his laughter echoing off the walls.
Chapter Five
"So…that's him, huh? The original knight who stormed the castle. Very nice, Raine. You did your mama proud." Rhiannon's smile grew from watching the flush creep up the back of her daughter's neck as they walked away.
"Mom! I'm begging you. Keep your opinions to yourself.”
Raine tensed as she saw Danny approaching down the hall, leading another patient into exam room number two. She walked into her office, waited for her mother to follow her in, and closed the door behind them.
In a careful, controlled voice, she made her feelings clear. “I don't care what you're thinking, or what you and Steve have discussed or will discuss. I don't want to hear it. No asides, no under your breath, no sly comments, or shared looks when one of us walks by."
Raine leaned her hip against her desk as she looked at her mother, her arms crossed and holding Jake's file close to her body as she spoke.
"I've managed to maintain a doctor/patient relationship level for weeks now and I'd really appreciate you doing the same."
Rhiannon's struggle not to smile at her daughter’s outburst was obvious. To her credit, she sobered quickly under Raine's steady and serious gaze.
"One quick question, then no more, I promise. If you're not interested, then why tease him the way you just did? That's not playing fair, Raine."
The two of them had always shared a close relationship. Rhiannon knew better than most how the encounter five years prior had truly affected her little girl.
"I don’t mean to tease him. I just…I don’t know, Mom. I was so shocked when he walked into the office that first morning. His first few visits, he was flirtatious. Then he seemed to back off for some reason, acted like th
e perfect gentleman.”
She sighed and pressed her fingers over her eyes. “I can't tell if he's playing a game with me, trying to pay me back for the way I ran out back then, or if he really wants to get to know me. Although, after the past week or so, I confess I'm really hoping for the latter."
“Honey, the way that man was looking at you, I’d say the latter is definitely where he’s going. Do you know what you want to do next?”
“I have no idea. Is it even possible for us to have any kind of relationship after…well, after? I thought that sort of thing only happened in chick flicks. That crap isn’t real.”
Rhiannon walked over and put her arms around her daughter. “If anyone deserves a real happily ever after, it’s you.” Raine leaned her cheek against her mom’s. “He looked damn good in those trunks, didn’t he?”
They giggled together, the tension broken. “Mom, you have no idea.”
“I knew it. If only I were ten…okay twenty years younger...I may have given you a run for your money with a man like that.” Rhiannon gave her daughter a wink. “Now, how’s he coming along with therapy?”
Jake took a quick rinse in the shower with the dial turned as far as he could stand to cold. He was finally able to bring his body under some semblance of control.
After getting dressed, he leaned on the counter in front of the mirror, ran his fingers through his hair, and sighed heavily. He left the locker room and met a fully dressed Steve. He followed him through the main clinic and into exam room number three.
Rhiannon and Raine were waiting, deep in discussion. The elder Storm’s perusal of him was more pronounced and he understood she was looking him over as a man instead of a patient.
Interesting, Raine must have filled her in.
That could be a good or a bad thing. He’d see how it played out.
They worked together to examine him, both talking while Rhiannon took notes, with the occasional comment thrown in by Steve in regards to his therapy progress.
At one point, they made him stand against the wall and do squats to forty-five degrees, both kneeling on the floor at his feet. Jake glanced over at Steve and made a face. The other man laughed silently at his obvious discomfort.
When Raine’s hands wrapped around his knee, one in front, one in back, he tilted his head back and pressed his fingers hard into his eyes.
She glanced up from below, “Pain?” She was legitimately concerned.
He shook his head, moving his hands to look her in the eyes. “Not bad.”
They stared at one another for a moment and she nodded. When she let him go, she squeezed the muscle at the back of his leg lightly and he sucked air softly through his teeth.
Raine helped him stand and he leaned against the wall as the three of them stood together at the counter and outlined his next two weeks of therapy.
After the three were satisfied with what was to come, mother and daughter said their quick goodbyes. They were discussing the next patient as they left the exam room.
Motioning for Jake to proceed him through the door, Steve walked him to the exit. Clapping a hand on his back, he said under his breath, “I call, you answer. Got it?”
Jake nodded and pushed through the front door into the bright day. He was actually relieved to leave the clinic, a first for him. It had been particularly stressful around Raine today.
Getting into his truck, he released the mental chain he’d had on himself. The blood immediately rushed to his cock as he remembered the feel of Raine’s hands on his leg, so close and yet so far from where he wished they were.
Sighing, partly in frustration and partly in resignation, he headed home.
Thoughts of her stayed in his head during the drive, and as soon as he pulled in, he decided to take another cold shower.
This time, the water didn’t relieve his tension.
Taking his cock in his fist, he stroked it, remembering his night with Raine five years ago. How her face looked when she was coming, how she clenched her jaw to keep from screaming, her nails in his back, strong thighs clamped around him.
Jake came hard, whispering her name against his arm on the cold tile as his release swirled down the drain. His immediate need relieved, he washed his hair and body. For a long time, he stood under the water, lost in thought.
He wrapped a towel around his lower body and laid down, flipping the TV on for company.
Chapter Six
Drifting to sleep, Jake’s phone woke him several hours later.
Seeing Steve’s number on caller ID, he almost rolled off the bed. The physical therapist was calling from a sports bar and club in Fort Worth.
The place was familiar.
“You had a very rough day, Jake. I think you deserve something awesome. My little posse convinced Raine to let us make her over…we do that a lot. You might be interested in the results. She’s currently shaking her ass to Shakira with two of my best, fortunately for you, gay friends. I thought you’d like to know, in case you had nowhere else to be.”
Jake pulled on jeans and a dress shirt. He wanted to wear his worn cowboy boots but knew getting them off later would kill his knee. Instead, he stepped into Armani leather high tops with a sigh and called it done. He was out of the house in ten minutes.
Half an hour after Steve’s phone call, as he walked into the club, Rude Boy started playing and he spotted Raine immediately.
Wearing a bronze slouch dress that outlined all those curves he so appreciated and wearing dangerous stilettos to match, she looked magnificent. Her hair had been straightened, gone were the delicate curls, and her makeup was a little heavier, with a light shimmery powder dusting her exposed skin.
Currently she was moving and grinding between two very good-looking men on the dance floor. Knowing they were gay barely helped. Their hands roamed her body the same way hers wandered theirs. As he watched, the song changed to a pounding beat from The Pussycat Dolls and two new, equally good-looking, men took their place, spinning her into a salsa grind back and forth.
He followed the first two as they made their way off the dance floor and found a large table of men who looked like they just walked off a GQ cover shoot. He headed in their direction and chuckled when two of the men pretended to faint as he approached.
A beautiful and very buff black man who resembled Michael Ealy stood to shake his hand. “Hell yes…this is like my dirtiest fantasy come to life about stealing third base. Too bad I already know why you’re here.”
He paused to sigh ruefully. “I can still live inside my mind though, right? Your girl is smokin’ tonight. I’m John, by the way.” He looked Jake over carefully. “Now I get her Brad Pitt obsession. You are one serious hottie.”
“Thanks,” Jake said with a grin.
From behind John came the comment, “Damn it, John…you can’t be hogging him like that! Sit the fuck down!”
An Alex Pettyfer lookalike appeared as John took his seat laughing. “I’m Vincent. You must be what got Raine all worked up; she made us take her dancing to get it out of her system. Pretty, gay men are good for a woman’s self-esteem, and we love her muchly. We can naturally relate to her guy drama.”
He interrupted himself with the music change. “Boys, Gimme More is starting. Chase and Carlos…time to go.” As he spoke, a taller version of young Johnny Depp and a white guy who could have been Chris Hemsworth’s giant twin got up with a smile and headed to the dance floor.
Turning to Jake, Vincent explained, “We have to pace ourselves or we’ll be dead by the time she’s tired. You like her hair? I did that. Wanted her to try something new.”
“She looks…stunning. I like the way she usually looks though.”
“Really…interesting,” Steve said from behind him. “Glad you could make it, Jake. Have you met everyone? Let me introduce you around. You have at least an hour to chill before she breaks for food. We can’t let her go longer or she’ll drop. The girl is hypoglycemic and forgets basic nourishment all the damn time.”
Steve walked him around the table and gave little tidbits of information about each of his friends.
“Incidentally, it isn’t likely that you know a lot of gay men, but should you think of any pretty alpha males who might like to walk on the wild and gorgeous side, you need to keep this table in mind.”
Jake assured him he’d pay closer attention in future.
Introductions were interrupted as the music changed. “Flo Rida…Anthony, you and Steve are up. Make her work for it. She dances so pretty.” Vincent was like a mama hen as they traded up.
Anthony looked like Keanu Reeves and his apparent smoothness was the perfect complement to Steve’s rougher exterior.
Jake was entranced as he watched Raine dance with six different men in shifts. Moving effortlessly between partners, she danced to every song, flowing through steps beautifully.
She was getting a lot of attention from men unsure whom she was with and from jealous women who thought she was being greedy.
Raine worked down to the floor and up again, stroking the men she danced with as much as they stroked her. It was very hot to watch, he had to admit. She bent at the waist and rubbed her ass against Steve, tossing her head back so her hair cascaded down her back.
Jake made sure his mouth wasn’t hanging open.
“I know. If I were straight, I’d be all over that. I’m Chase and a huge fan. I won’t fall all over you or anything, but I wish I could. You are much better looking in person.” He grinned and Jake laughed.
“Sean Paul, hell yeah, I’m up.” Vincent got up with a smile. “Chase, time to shake your ass…on the dance floor, you whore.”
They laughed as they passed Anthony and Steve on their way back to the table.
“It’s crazy, right?” John asked him. “She can go all night. I’m assuming that applies to other areas as well, we girls do like to talk. We got her wasted on tequila on her birthday, she went on and on about this mystery man no one can match in bed. Hope you brought your A-Game, Jake.”
John looked down at Jake’s injured knee. “I saw that hit, must have hurt like a motherfucker. Think you’ll be ready when the season starts?”
Love of the Game - The Complete Collection (Box Set) Page 29
