Swim Coach: A Novel

by Sam E. Kraemer

  "God, no. I actually start at the bookstore that week. Unfortunately, I can't get back in my dorm until the weekend before classes, so I might need a place to stay. I've applied for a room at Alder, but they're pretty full up over the holidays so I'm on a waiting list," I told him.

  His eyes shot open and his face morphed into a scowl. "You should have told me that, Colton. Of course, you're not staying at Alder Hall. I hadn't even considered when you'd go back to work. We need to talk about things like this," he chastised.

  We did, but most of the time when we started talking about something serious we ended up in some state of undress with something of someone's in a mouth or…Andre's ass. Hey, we're still in the honeymoon phase.

  "Yeah, I know, but when you start talking, I start watching your mouth, and well, you know what happens from there," I teased, feeling my cock beginning to stir, that horny bastard.

  Andre chuckled. "Yes, we do tend to get carried away, don't we? Anyway, you can stay with me. Lance spoke with Heidi's parents last week. They're going to send for her things over the break. If I'd just waited to move, it would have been a lot easier."

  We'd switched his and Heidi's rooms and it had been a pain in the ass. In hindsight, it would have been better to wait, but the fact Heidi the Whore wasn't coming back, yeah, I didn't hate the news so I was enthusiastic about helping him in the switching process.

  "Well, if we all had the ability to see the future, a lot of things would be different, wouldn't they?" I replied. He looked down and placed his sandwich on his plate, and I knew I'd said the wrong thing immediately. I wanted to fix it quickly, so as not to taint the weekend with anything negative.

  "Now, none of that. After we eat, I'll give you a massage. I believe one of my new massage oils is supposed to dissolve my lover's inhibitions and arouse dormant passions. I'd say we give it a consumer road test and report back to the company regarding their claims."

  He laughed. "I don't know how much further my inhibitions could be dissolved, but hey, I'm certainly game for anything. Unfortunately, the thorough pounding you gave my ass earlier might take me out of the ring for that sort of activity later. I'm sure we can think of something else to tempt my dormant passions," he offered.

  I remembered something I'd read on the internet, and hell, it sounded like the perfect time to try it. "I might have a few ideas that wouldn't entail pounding of any kind. It might be a little outside your comfort zone, but if you don't like it, then I'll stop immediately," I promised.

  "Finish up. I'm thoroughly intrigued." I winked at him in agreement and finished my ham and Swiss, volunteering to clean up the mess while he went back to the bedroom and got undressed.

  I turned off the kitchen light and turned on the Christmas lights, even though it was still daylight. The lights gave the living room area a very warm glow, and I loved it. I walked back to the bedroom, seeing the gorgeous body of the gorgeous man I loved on full display. He'd pulled the covers down and was on his stomach on the dove gray sheet with a dark gray towel under him. His head was at the foot of the bed, and he was watching the flames of a gas fireplace I'd neglected to notice when I first came into the room. There was a view of the beach, the snow, and the fireplace. It was too fucking perfect.

  I walked over to the docking station on the dresser, noticing the mirror reflected him on the bed. Oh, that was a plus I hadn't counted on. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and cued up a playlist of songs I really wanted to hear while I did dirty things to him. I'd made it during study breaks for finals, and it was time to unleash it on him. One of my new favorite singers began quietly singing as I stood at the end of the bed and stripped slowly in front of him, seeing him lick his lips.

  I walked to the side of the bed and saw the bottle of massage oil I’d chosen sitting on top of it. I grabbed it and climbed on bed, straddling his hips. "I love you," I whispered against the skin of his back as my tongue danced across it. There was a bit of a salty taste to his skin, which was from our earlier fucking, and it brought a smile to my face as I remembered it. He'd cleaned up after, but he hadn't showered. It was quite enticing.

  "I love you, too, Colton," he whispered as I continued to kiss him everywhere I could without moving from astride him.

  I reached for the bottle of oil and squeezed it on my hands. It had the most incredible spicy scent and coupled with Andre's natural scent, I knew it was going to test my control. Oh, God, it was going to test my control.

  I began massaging his shoulders, just as he’d done to me, and the satisfying "hmmm" made me happy. "So, how many classes do you have next semester?" I asked quietly, not to break the mood, but to try to keep things from escalating too quickly.

  "Only my senior projects. I was approved to take two classes for my masters because I took summer classes at UCLA and transferred the credits." That was something I didn't know. I was coming to learn there were a lot of things about his college career I didn't know.

  "Why didn't you go to UCLA? You'd have been closer to Jean-Luc and Les."

  He half turned to look at me and smiled. "For reasons unknown to me at the time, I was meant to go to school here. I have a few new theories as to why, but I'm not going to question ‘why’ any longer. I have a job I'm looking forward to starting, and I've met the most incredible guy in the world, so I have to believe the universe was looking out for me. Everything before meeting you again led me to you.

  "You asked me earlier," he began as I directed him to turn back to the fireplace. I couldn't look into his face and have him give me some sort of promise for the future he might not be able to honor.

  I moved back to massaging his shoulders, but he didn't shut up. "You asked me where I saw us going, and then you changed the subject. I'd like to answer that question, Colt."

  I froze with my hands in the middle of his back. He squirmed a bit, and I continued my kneading of his muscles, hearing more moaning and appreciative groaning. "Andre, you don't need to make promises to me. I'm an idealistic kid, you know. We eighteen year-old-girls fall in love all the time," I tried to deflect.

  He tried to turn around again, but his face had a definite scowl. He bucked up his ass and when I lifted off him, he flipped onto his back, pulling my slick hands onto his defined chest and holding them there by my wrists. I did the best I could to stay still, but before I could pull away, he moved down to hold my hands. "I'm sorry. I forgot.

  "Listen to me, Colton Wixsom. I'm closer to a girl than you, so get that straight. Maybe you fall in love all the time, but I…do…not. Yes, you're eighteen, and under any other circumstances, I'd be far more cautious because I'd never want to break your heart. You, however, aren't the typical eighteen-year-old guy, either. You're far more mature than other guys your age. Fuck, you're far more mature than guys my age.

  "So, taking that into account, I'll tell you this. We won't have a fairytale life, but we will have a happily ever after, Colton. There's a reason we're both here, at this point in our lives. Did I think I'd fall in love with a guy I met years ago when I was his swim coach? Fuck, no. Did it happen? Oh, it did and in a big way. Get used to it, love. I won't go down easily."

  Well, he might not, but after what he said, I did. I went all the way down, and apparently, I'd been able to give him another first…my tongue in his ass. I was quite proud of myself. Those bricks just kept flying.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Like a Phoenix…

  "I still think that should hang lower," Andre complained as we lay on the couch in the living room. We'd decorated the tree the previous night after he was able to move again while we waited for the delicious meal he’d had brought in by a local restaurant.

  Apparently, my tongue and his ass…well, inside his ass…took him out more than anything I'd done to him up to that point. I almost laughed as I remembered him squealing when he spilled on his chest. It was a pretty good afternoon if I said so myself.

  "Babe, if it was lower, it would tip the tree. Right there in the middle is where it sho
uld be. It's ugly as hell, anyway," I complained. The ornaments left a lot to be desired, but I did appreciate decorating the tree with the mulled wine Andre made. It was an incredible experience I’d never forget.

  "So, when do you want to open gifts?" he asked. He was like a kid, and he was anxious to get to the loot. I wanted to do it after I made him dinner, but I could see his patience was waning.

  I sighed. "If you wanna do it now, we can, but…I insist we save one gift each to take home with us and open on Christmas. I want to feel like you're with me, even if it's just through a gift and a phone call."

  He hopped up from the couch and hurried over to the tree, pulling gifts out from the bag he'd brought. I hauled up my lazy ass and went to sit next to him on the floor, pulling his gifts out of the bag I'd brought. I put the gift for his parents to the side, and I saw him do the same with two gifts. He shoved a stack over to me, and I was embarrassed that the gifts I had for him were far fewer.

  "I, uh, take back half of this," I demanded.

  He laughed. "Nope. I actually bought those gifts with money I made from tutoring, and you're going to graciously accept them. Don't hurt my feelings," he ordered in response.

  I couldn't hurt his feelings so I waited for him to look at me. "Where should I start?" I asked.

  He pointed to a tower of several boxes of the same size, and I grabbed them, opening them without any consideration for the wrapping paper, though I did notice they looked a lot nicer than mine. I ripped off the lid of the first box, seeing there were old-school, button-fly jeans in it. I laughed. When I opened the other two boxes, I saw two more pairs. "Well, you suggested them, so I'm guessing I won't find boxers in any of these."

  Andre laughed. "No way in hell; not a boxer in the place. I like you commando when I can get you that way. With those jeans, well, that gives me a lot of opportunities." He actually fucking winked at me, the sexy bastard.

  I continued to open the gifts, finding two gorgeous cashmere sweaters and a robe he declared I'd keep at his place. There was a gift certificate to a restaurant we'd talked about trying. It was southern cuisine, and it was definitely out of my price range but the gift certificate was enough for both of us. "Well, clearly, we'll be enjoying this together." He smiled and when I kissed him in thanks, he hesitated to let me go.

  He settled back and picked up a package I was worried about. "Okay, before you open that, please understand, I'm not very familiar with the world of finance but it sounded interesting."

  He nodded before he tore into it. He held up the paperback and smiled. "Colton, this is one I've wanted to read. Thank you so much." It was entitled, "The Richest Man in Babylon.” The story told about a man who seemed to have the secrets of wealth and happiness. I didn't understand the concept much except that the richest man in Babylon was not only wealthy in pocket but wealthy in spirit and love. I thought it was something he'd like, so I bought it.

  I also bought him the first James Bond film in which Sean Connery starred, "Dr. No." I planned to buy him the other six, but I started with the first one. "Thank you, love. I've only seen this one a couple of times, but we can watch it when we get back to school."

  The next gift was a subscription to the Wall Street Journal Online, because really if he was set to become a high-powered financier, he should read the paper. He laughed. "I feel very privileged to have my own subscription. Thank you."

  When he picked up the last gift, I stilled his hand. "Take that one with you to LA. Open that one on Christmas."

  "You have no idea how hard it's going to be for me to wait, but I will. I love my gifts, Colton. They're amazing. Thank you so much," he stated quietly before he pushed me down on my back on the thick rug next to the tree.

  "I sent your last Christmas gift to your mother's house, thinking the same thing as you. I wanted you to have something of me there, and I didn't trust myself not to push you to open it tonight. Momma assured me she'd give it to you on Christmas."

  He kissed me gently, and it was so fucking perfect, I felt the tears welling in my eyes. I wasn't going to puss out on him and cry because honestly, I'd done that a few times, but in a moment as pure and joyful as that one, it was hard not to get emotional.

  After we kissed, I pushed him back a little. "Another of my gifts is to cook dinner for you, so how do you like your steak?"

  He climbed off of me and we went to the kitchen. We sat out on the deck enjoying a nice bottle of red wine while I cooked our steaks and the potatoes baked in the oven. After dinner, I made a nice bath for us, and when we went to bed, I made love to him like it was the first time. It was perfect and as we settled into sleep, I counted my blessings, praying I'd never lose him. At that point, I didn't know what I'd do without him.

  "Hey, I love you, and next year, we'll work this shit out better, okay?" Andre asked as we stood at security. I'd insisted on parking and walking him inside the airport, and after he'd checked his bag, the only thing left was the goodbye, which was fucking awful.

  "If you slip into Mr. Slick-California-Guy, please lose him before you get back to school. I hate that guy," I told him as I held him close, looking into those soulful, green eyes which captivated me.

  "I'll be spending my holiday with Annalee and her newest boyfriend, and do you think Leslie Dupree, your biggest fan is going to be happy if I go out with my former friends? I'm going to be working on my senior project and missing you, love. I'll be quite pathetic to be around. Any ideas about that tattoo? I can give Anna a head's up and start her thinking about it."

  I had actually thought about it and I knew it was in the future before I'd be able to get one because it would likely be expensive, but I knew what I wanted. "I want a bird of some sort. Wings could cover it and maybe its head sweeping up over my shoulder to cover the bite mark. I don't know. That's just what I thought about," I stated, feeling foolish.

  "So, maybe a phoenix rising from the ashes?" he suggested. Hell, that sounded great to me. I hadn't even considered it but it summed things up pretty clearly.

  "Yeah. As colorful as she can make it. Maybe the flames at my lower back, and then the phoenix rising up, but it should be just black. Anything around it can be colorful, but the bird itself should be without color. Things are black and white now and that's how I want it. You think she can do it?" I asked as I held him next to me, reluctant to let him go, though I knew I had to sooner than I'd have liked.

  "I'll work on it with her, and if she comes up with something, I'll send it to you. I love you, Colton Wixsom. Don't you dare take this time apart and work yourself into a frenzy that we won't work out. I know you, and if that shit starts to crawl into that beautiful mind of yours, you call me and I'll set you straight.

  "It's only a short time we'll be away from each other, so don't you start thinking too much. I love you. If you doubt it, you call me and I'll tell you dirty things until those thoughts just disappear." He leaned forward and kissed me again. It was a kiss that let me know he meant everything he'd said, and I believed him.

  "Gotcha, Boss. Kiss your mom and hug your dad. Tell them I miss them. I'll pick you up when you come back. Stay safe, ya hear?" I told him as I loosened my hold on him. He nodded and gave me that crooked grin before he went through security. One last wave before he was out of eyesight, and then he was gone.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Turning Point

  "COLT!" I heard shouted up the stairs of my mother's home. It wasn't a welcome interruption because I was thinking about Andre, and my cock was just getting hard. I wanted to rub one out because I'd be away from him for too long, but when I was reminded where I was, I remembered how I ended up at home.

  I'd swung by the campus and picked up Brad because he'd texted that his ride fell through, so after I went into his house to greet his parents, I ended up getting home much later than I'd anticipated. Mom and I had sandwiches and I was exhausted, so after a quick shower and a call with Andre, once he landed in LA, I went to bed.

  I turned to see it was ei
ght in the morning on Christmas Eve, and I really didn't want to get up but she sounded insistent. "COMING!" I yelled back, putting thoughts of my boyfriend out of my head and willing my cock to deflate.

  I got out of bed, changing out of my pajama pants into jeans and a sweatshirt of Andre's I'd managed to cabbage onto while we were at the cottage for our Christmas celebration. It was an old one Andre loved, and I'd snuck it out of his suitcase, but I'd replaced it with one of mine so maybe he wouldn't be too pissed about it.

  I hurried downstairs in sock feet, nearly busting my ass on the stairs and when I walked into the kitchen, I was surprised to see Herb Wynn sitting there with a cup of coffee. He looked quite at home in my mother's kitchen which gave me pause. She was dressed unlike I'd ever seen her before, even in full makeup at that early hour, and I wondered if something was up I hadn’t been privy to?

  "Momma? Sheriff? What's up?" I asked as I sat down at the table across from him.

  "Colton, it's good to see you again." I could tell Herb was stalling and I didn't like it. Something was definitely wrong.

  "I'll be better if you tell me what you're doing here on Christmas Eve morning looking nervous."

  "Herbert, just tell him." I looked at my mother and saw her staring at him with a look I didn't quite understand. Herbert? Seriously?

  "Okay, Chelle. Colton, I'm going to Vicksburg next week and I'd like you to go with me. I got the Chief-of-Police down there trying to get a court order to unseal the juvenile records of your attacker. It seems Jameson Turner's juvenile record is a bit more extensive than anyone knew, but the reason he showed up in NCIC is that charge of sexual assault."

  I looked at him and my mom. She sat down at the table and took my hand. I knew it wasn't going to be good news, so I braced myself. "Against who? Did the charges…what happened?" I asked eagerly.

  "From what I've been able to find out, and it’s sketchy trust me, he was brought up on charges of sexual assault by an eighteen-year-old-girl. The charges ended up being dropped because the girl has a history of mental illness, and he alleged she took advantage of him. He said she made advances on him and when she figured out she'd committed a crime and would face charges, she made allegations against him which weren’t true.