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

by Niles, Naomi

  “Well, if you want to change that status, I might be able to help you with that,” Langdon said, wagging his eyebrows at Winnie.

  She laughed and winked back at him. “Tempting. But I’d rather not tie myself down at the moment. If you’re interested in being shamefully used for your body, then we can talk.”

  “Are you kidding?” Langdon said. “I love being shamefully used for my body. Objectify me to your heart’s content.”

  “Now there’s an offer I can’t resist,” Winnie said, leaning in a little.

  “Seriously, guys.” Alan shook his head. “Get a room.”

  “Trust me, buddy, I’ll do my best,” Langdon said without taking his eyes off Winnie.

  It amazed me how easily they were able to flirt with one another. What was more impressive was how bold and blunt Winnie and Langdon were with each other. There was nothing complicated or confusing about their interaction. It was straight forward and to the point, and both were on the same page. It was a talent, one I certainly did not possess.

  Alan shook his head at Langdon and turned to me. “You’ll get used to him. It takes a few years though.”

  I tried to laugh, but it came out in a sort of semi-cough. I reached for my glass to take a sip of water, but then realized I had knocked mine over.

  “Here,” Alan said, pushing his own glass of water toward me. “Take mine.”

  “No, don’t worry about it,” I said quickly. “I can get another water bottle.”

  “I insist,” Alan persisted. “It’s right here anyway.”

  I reached out gingerly and accepted the water he handed me. I took a self-conscious sip and set the water bottle down. Alan’s gaze on me was severely disarming.

  “You have beautiful eyes.”

  The unexpected compliment startled me into looking up at him. My eyes locked with his, and I found myself unable to turn away.

  “Thank you,” I said after far too long a pause.

  “I’ve never seen that eye color before,” Alan went on. “It’s green, but when you look closer, you can see little bits of blue.”

  I tried to control the blush on my cheeks, but I knew I wasn’t practiced enough to be able to force it down. I was woefully inexperienced in situations like this and it gave me little command of the situation. I wished desperately that I could be cool and confident like Winnie. She was the kind of person who didn’t care what other people thought of her. I was the exact opposite. I was weighed down by other people’s opinions, and sometimes it could be crippling.

  “I have my father’s eyes,” I said, mainly because it was the only thing I could think to say. “I think it’s the only thing we have in common.”

  “That can't be true."

  “It seems that way to me sometimes,” I said in a soft voice.

  He held my gaze for a moment, and something subtle and strange passed between us. The spark of invisible energy made me feel as though I could talk to him, trust him even. I wondered if what I was feeling was real or imagined. I wondered if reading all those love stories had just set me up for failure.

  “Hey, Langdon, we’ve got to go,” Alan said, breaking eye contact with me. “Coach wanted us back by three for the practice relays.”

  “Damn it, you’re right,” Langdon sighed, checking the time. “I hate to cut this delightful lunch short, ladies, but duty beckons. Maybe we can do this again tomorrow?”

  Winnie gave him a coy smile. “Maybe. If you boys are lucky.”

  As Langdon said goodbye to Winnie, Alan turned to me with a smile that seemed to say more than I was equipped to decipher. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Jessica Winters.”

  I tried not to watch him walk away, but my eyes kept darting back to him until he had disappeared from the cafeteria.

  “Fuck,” Winnie said enthusiastically. “Langdon really is something.”

  I nodded. “He really is,” I replied, but I wasn’t talking about Langdon.

  Chapter Nine

  Alan

  “Man, that was a fucking bitch of a day,” Langdon said, collapsing onto one of the armchairs in the common room. “You know, I think I might actually consider moving to Portugal… their training schedules have got to be easier than ours.”

  I snorted and sank down into the armchair next to his. “I would have thought you’d be all chipper after today’s lunch,” I said, raising my eyebrows at him.

  “Ah, yes, Winnie.” Langdon nodded. “She was hot, wasn’t she? Not that you would have noticed, of course.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  “Oh, come on,” Langdon said, rolling his eyes at me. “The only person you had eyes for today at lunch was Jessica.”

  I smiled, but I didn’t bother denying it. “She’s pretty.”

  “Hey, I’m not arguing with that,” Langdon said, holding his hands up. “I always thought she was hot as shit. She’s even starred in a few of my fantasies from the 2012 Olympics.”

  I shot him a sharp look, and Langdon laughed aloud. “Calm down,” he said quickly. “I will refrain from fantasizing about her in future daydreams out of respect and love for you.”

  I tried to hide my indignation at his revelation behind casual indifference. “I don’t own her,” I pointed out.

  Langdon looked at me shrewdly, not buying it. “So, does that mean you wouldn’t mind if I asked her out?”

  “You’re not even interested in her,” I said. “Winnie’s more your type.”

  “What is my type?”

  “Bold, aggressive, and completely uninhibited,” I replied. “The female version of you, so to speak.”

  Langdon laughed. “You do know me well. And it helps that she’s got a banging body. I can’t wait to explore it.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Funny… she actually seems like the kind of girl who’d love to hear you objectifying her that way. It’s a match made in heaven.”

  “I think so.” Langdon nodded cheerfully. “Now… how’s about some dinner?”

  “You read my mind, man,” Martin said, coming up behind us. “I was thinking we could band together and cook something up.”

  Langdon threw his hand up in the air enthusiastically. “Sounds like a plan! Onward, my friends.”

  I checked my phone and got up from my seat. “I’ll join you guys in a moment,” I said as I headed out of the common room.

  “Is this you trying to get out of cooking?” Langdon asked suspiciously.

  I smirked. “I’m just going to have a quick chat with my brother. I shouldn’t be too long.”

  As I left the common room, I heard Langdon shout after me, “So, you’re definitely getting out of cooking then… asshole!”

  I laughed as I made my way up the stairs to my room. I shut the door behind me and dialed in Peter’s number. He answered on the third ring, and I knew he had been waiting for my call.

  “Hi, bro,” I said fondly, as I sank down onto my bed.

  I could imagine Peter sitting in the house we had all grown up in. He was probably still in his uniform, sipping a cup of black coffee.

  “How was the first day of practice?” Peter asked.

  “Today was the second day of practice, actually,” I told him.

  “Seriously?” Peter said. “Shit. I meant to call you on your first day.”

  I laughed. “It doesn’t matter, Pete.”

  “I had the date written down, too,” Peter said, as though he were shocked by his own forgetfulness.

  “You’re also a full-time police officer with a whole town to protect,” I reminded him. “I’m sure there are a few small things that slip your mind every now and again.”

  “This isn’t a small thing though,” Peter replied. “Not everyone has a family member who’s an Olympic athlete.”

  “Please,” I sighed. “When it comes to professions, I certainly don’t have the most impressive one. It’s definitely between you, JJ and Sam.”

  “I thought I had them both beat last year after I nabbed the guy who was makin
g all those masked burglaries all over town,” Peter sighed, pretending as though he was really disappointed. “Then Sam goes and saves that little girl from her burning house, and JJ reconstructs her whole face.”

  I laughed. “Yeah… they definitely beat you that time. How are Sam and John?”

  “Same as always,” Peter replied. “Busy with their lives and their jobs. Sam and I were supposed to have dinner yesterday, but there was a fire in town and they needed all hands on deck.”

  “You went down with him, didn’t you?”

  “Sure,” Peter admitted. “I stood on the sidelines this time and let the firefighters do their job.”

  “Was anyone hurt?”

  “They were able to stop the fire before it spread,” Peter replied. “So, the damage was contained. They were lucky the building was empty though.”

  “If it hadn’t been, Sam would have been the first one inside.”

  “I don’t doubt that,” Peter replied. “I don’t know where he gets his bravery from.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” I said. “He gets it from you.”

  Peter laughed as though he didn’t believe me.

  “I’m serious, Pete,” I said. “You act as though we all got where we are by ourselves, but the truth is that you were the one who motivated us. In fact… there were times when you were the one who raised us.”

  “Dad raised us,” Peter said immediately. “I just…”

  “Finished the job?” I offered.

  Peter was quiet on the other side for a few moments.

  “Pete?” I called. “You there?”

  “Of course,” he replied. “I was just thinking.”

  “About Dad?” I knew instinctively.

  “He missed out on so much,” Peter sighed. “He had big dreams for all of us… even though he didn’t know quite what they were. He missed everything. He never got to see you become an Olympic swimmer or Sam become a firefighter. He never got to see John become a doctor.”

  “He knew you wanted to be a police officer though,” I pointed out.

  “He thought I was joking,” Peter replied. “I mentioned it to him once before he died, but we never discussed it. I think I was seventeen when I brought it up. He wouldn’t have taken me seriously.”

  “Peter, anyone who’s ever met you has no choice but to take you seriously,” I said. “And I meant that as a compliment.”

  “You think?”

  “Maybe Dad didn’t know you’d actually become a police officer,” I said. “But he did know you were going to be someone important. We all did.”

  “I should talk to you more often,” Peter said as his tone lightened. “You always make me sound much more impressive than I really am.”

  “It’s all about perception, my brother,” I laughed. Once the laughter had died out, I changed my tone. “Have you spoken to Talen recently?”

  I could sense the immediate change in Peter’s mood at the mention of Talen’s name, but he kept his tone calm and even. “Not for a few weeks. He’s been around less this past year.”

  “Do you know why?” I asked, trying to give Talen the benefit of the doubt.

  “No, I don’t,” Peter admitted. “He’s always been secretive… and reclusive. And he hates when I ask too many questions about his life.”

  “You can be a little inquisitorial where Talen is concerned,” I said gently.

  “Only because I have reason to be,” Peter replied. “The kid’s had a bad record.”

  “He’s twenty-one, Pete,” I reminded him. “He’s not a kid anymore, and you can’t control the choices he makes.”

  “I can give him advice, can’t I?” Peter asked defensively.

  “I think that’s the problem,” I said. “He doesn’t want your advice. I don’t think he wants advice from any of us.”

  “I’m not made for standing by the sidelines when I know something bad is going to happen, Alan,” Peter said. “I promised Dad that I would look after the lot of you, and that’s what I’m going to do… whether you like or not.”

  Peter had been carrying a huge burden on his shoulders ever since Dad died. He was the second son, and yet he had all the responsibility of the first. John was calm, quiet, and measured, but he was not a leader. He deferred to Peter in all respects, and so did the rest of us… except for Talen.

  “Is Talen coming down for the Fourth of July?” I asked.

  “I don’t know,” Peter replied. “He hasn’t confirmed, but he hasn’t missed a Fourth of July yet… so I’m optimistic. What about you? Will you be able to make it?”

  “We got our training schedules yesterday,” I said. “I’m cleared for the Fourth, so I’ll definitely be there.”

  “Good,” Peter replied. “It’ll be nice to have the whole family back under one roof again.”

  “You remind me a lot of Dad sometimes,” I said and imagined Peter’s hazel eyes lighting up at the compliment.

  “I try,” he replied. “So anyway… tell me how practice has been going? Have you and Langdon been behaving yourselves?”

  I laughed. “I always do… Langdon on the other hand… he’s all about creating chaos and chasing women.”

  “Women?” Peter repeated. “I thought it was just the men’s team in the house?”

  “It is,” I agreed. “But the women’s house is located close by. Plus, we share our lunchroom with them. And Langdon’s already got his eye on someone.”

  “What about you?” Peter asked teasingly. “Has anyone caught your interest?”

  “Well…”

  “Come on,” Peter encouraged. “What’s her name?”

  I smiled. “Jessica Winters. She’s a silver medalist.”

  “What’s she like?”

  “Quiet, shy, and slightly awkward,” I said. “But it’s endearing somehow. There’s nothing fake about her. And she’s beautiful… dirty-blonde hair and the most amazing green eyes I’ve ever seen.”

  “Are you planning on asking her out?”

  “Of course not,” I said immediately. “We just met and… I have to train.”

  “You can do both.”

  “You’re starting to sound like Langdon.”

  “Maybe Langdon has a point here.”

  “Langdon very rarely has a good point anywhere.”

  Peter laughed. “You know you could bring her over here on the Fourth,” he suggested. “Then we can all meet her.”

  “Whoa,” I said. “You’re a little ahead of me. I just met the girl today. We don’t have a relationship; we barely have a friendship.”

  “All right, all right,” Peter said calmly. “I’m just saying… you could bring her… if you wanted to.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I said. “Now tell me about this fire last night.”

  As Peter started giving me the details of the fire, I was aware of dinner being cooked in the kitchen. I knew I should be downstairs bonding with the boys, but I wasn’t ready to hang up on Peter just yet. For now, I just wanted to listen to my brother’s voice, that calm, assured voice that reminded me of my father.

  Chapter Ten

  Jessica

  “Jessica, is that you?”

  “Hi, Mom,” I said as I shut the front door behind me. “Where are you?”

  “In the kitchen,” she replied.

  I walked to the kitchen where the smell of freshly cooked pasta was wafting out of the large, copper pot Mom had on the stove.

  “How was your second day of training?” she asked immediately.

  “Exhausting,” I replied. “It feels like every muscle in my body is screaming.”

  “A hot shower will help,” Mom suggested.

  “That’s a good idea,” I agreed. “I think I might have one before dinner, if that’s all right.”

  “Sure,” Mom said. “Dinner should be ready in twenty minutes. Your dad’s been waiting for you to get home for the last half an hour.”

  “Oh?” I said. “Why?”

  “He just hasn’t had a cha
nce to talk to you much since practice started,” Mom replied. “And you fell asleep so quickly after you came home yesterday that he didn’t get a chance to ask you how everything went. You know how interested he is in these things.”

  “Oh, I know.” I tried not to let the note of frustration carry into my voice.

  “He’s in his den now,” Mom said gently. “Would you like to pop your head in and say hello?"

  “Umm… I think I’ll have a wash first,” I said. “We can talk during dinner. I promise I won’t fall asleep and prevent you guys from asking your questions.”

  I went upstairs to my bathroom, removed all my clothes, filled the bathtub with steaming-hot water, and stepped in when it was full. The moment my body was soaking comfortably, I let out a long sigh of relief. It was ironic, given that I spent most of my day in a large body of water, but somehow this was different. That was exercise, and this was therapy.

  I tied my hair back, leaned against the bathtub, and closed my eyes. Instantly, Alan’s perfect face popped into my mind’s eye, and I realized it had been waiting to make a concrete appearance all day. I hadn’t had very much time after the lunch to reflect on our interaction, and in some ways, I was grateful. Now that my mind was free to look back on the memory, I cringed.

  I had been awkward, clumsy, and completely boring. I hadn’t contributed to the conversation in any way, I hadn’t said anything remotely interesting, and I had studiously avoided eye contact. I must have seemed like a complete dunce to him.

  And yet, despite all that, I had to admit that Alan had been very attentive to me during the whole lunch, almost as though he had wanted to get to know me a little better. I imagined what it would feel like to have Alan’s hands on my body, to have his lips on my lips and breasts. I recalled the way his light-blue eyes had followed my movements and a curious heat spread up my legs and between my thighs.

  “Stop it,” I told myself aloud as I opened my eyes. “Daydreaming is not going to do you any good.”

  But that was easier said than done. My daydreams and fantasies were changing. Alan’s face had replaced Heathcliff’s, and Cathy’s face had been replaced by my own. In my head, everything was possible, and that was a beautiful thing to believe. My dreaming came to an abrupt halt when I heard knocking on my door.