Sidelined (7 page)

“I’m not laughing. I think it’s cute. Bet the other guy didn’t have a clue. Unlike the coach. I embarrassed myself by coming on to him at the end of the season.” Levi shrugged his shoulder, the one that didn’t hurt, thinking of that night. “I declared my never dying affection for a straight guy."

“What happened? He didn’t publically out you or I’d have heard about it. Soo…” Tracy toweled off, Levi followed the path of the towel down his body, the same flip in his chest leaving him feeling uneasy.

“Sooo…he gave me a black eye. He would have done more except my center saw the whole thing. He was a senior, and big. The guy couldn’t take us both on. And I never saw him again.” Levi averted his eyes when Tracy swiped the towel between his legs. He wanted to lick the water droplets the towel missed.

“And the center—what did he do after?” Tracy seemed to have the same problem with eye contact. He busied himself finding clean clothes in the gym bag he’d dropped outside the showers.

Levi debated keeping the rest of that night to himself. But it was sixteen years ago, and the guy lived in Atlanta and dressed in drag for a living. “Me over the hood of my car, and pretty much every chance he got until he left for college. What about you? What happened with your fantasy? Did he ever find out?”

“Yeah, he did. Did him in the shower just like I dreamed of.” Tracy smirked as he dragged a Hillsborough Panthers T-shirt on over his head. “Five minutes ago.”

Light-headed, all Levi could do was stare at the shirt and the mean ass glare in the man’s eyes. “Fuck, you’re that fucking nose tackle that thought I was your personal rag doll.”

“Yeah, baby, I lived for the games between our schools. For three years. Getting my hands on you was all I dreamed about. Sacking your ass was all I had. And I made sure I did it as often as I could.” Tracy leered at him from the door.

Levi felt the brunt of that evil grin clear to his gut. He remembered seeing it from behind a face mask. The ugly taunts they threw at each other. The greatest games they played ever in his whole three years heading the team was against the fucking Panthers, the thrill of outwitting the Neanderthal who tried to kill him was only made more exciting when the boy manhandled him to the ground and held him there.

“I dreamed about you too,” he said softly, letting his smile go dreamy as he watched the blood drain from the bigger man’s face. “I fantasized about cutting off your balls and feeding them to you.”

“Fuck you, Levi.” There was laughter in his voice. “Oh wait, I already did,” he said as he walked away. His gym bag slung over his shoulder, whistling the rival school’s fight song.

“Yeah, well, it won’t happen again, you evil bastard.” Levi shouted just as the lights went out, leaving him standing naked in the dark.

Chapter Six

After the locker room porn scene Monday night, Levi had avoided him the rest of the week. Coming in to work out in the mornings on Tuesday and Thursday and throwing himself into the evening practices as if he were trying out for the pros. They talked in passing and as part of the practice, but never anything personal. He’d shower quickly and head out before Tracy finished his paperwork for the night. Leaving Tracy to shower alone. Or in most cases to head home without washing the sweat off.

By his own admission, Levi didn’t know how to coach. But by joining the team in their workout and bonding with them on the player level, he’d developed a working relationship with the boys that Tracy had yet to manage. The two rival quarterbacks were quick to test him, but Levi knew the score, he’d been in that place of having to work for the job. The kid from Hillsborough had the skills that the hometown kid lacked and would start. Fair was fair. And Levi handled it better than Tracy ever could. He’d give his ESPN diplomat voice that much. Even if he did sound as if he was reading from some invisible cue card only Levi could see. He much preferred the gutter talking hot as hell Levi that made him ache from lusting.

The long drive up to Levi’s trailer was different in the daylight. He could see the ruts in the two trail lane at least. And the seriously thick undergrowth in the forest on both sides. Cicadas and tree frogs sang their songs as he drove through with the windows down. The afternoon rain had actually killed the heat. Or at least tamped it down to bearable levels. But it wouldn’t last long.

He came out of the forest into a clearing, the two trail leading straight through Levi’s trailer. He pulled up beside the black Challenger just as something to the side made a booming sound. Levi’s voice stringing together obscenities followed on the heavy air. Tracy made for the side, following the soothing sounds of “mother fucker, son of a bitch, you freaking whore”… He couldn’t help but smile; this was the Levi that made his gut do somersaults.

Turning the corner, he found the end of a window air conditioner hanging at an awkward angle. He rushed over to level out the unit before it fell completely out of the window. “And the cavalry to the rescue. My knight in football pads.” Levi grunted as he pulled the unit inside.

“Why are you doing this all alone? Where’s your brother? Why didn’t you hire someone—“

“Save it, Coach, and pick up that post. I had the bitch in; it just decided it didn’t want to stay.” Levi ignored everything he’d said. He winced once when the AC tried to topple out again. Tracy couldn’t see him all that well, but he could tell the arm was hurting. “Push the post up under to keep it level.”

“I’ve done this before. This should be concreted in if it’s going to be permanent.” He found the post and shoved it under the base of the unit, wedging the bottom into the ground. The unit stayed level long enough for Levi to close the window. Left alone he waited to make sure the unit didn’t fall out. The sound of a power drill inside told him there was no chance of that now. “Can I come in?” he shouted through the open slits beside the unit.

“Front door is unlocked. Stop in the kitchen and grab a couple of beers, would ya?” The sound of the drill covered anything else Levi said. Tracy waited a moment just to make sure the whole thing didn’t come crashing down before he let himself into the trailer.

Cooler air greeted him the moment he walked in. He noted a few distinct changes and additions. The room was clean compared to the first time he’d been there. The few boxes littering the living room were missing, and a huge ceiling fan churned overhead. One he’d have to duck to miss walking into. The hallway off the living room now had a sheet of plastic taped over the entry, most likely to keep the main rooms cool. He closed the door and winded his way past the old furniture to the kitchen. Stopping long enough to grab a couple of beers and pop the tops. At least the man kept a stocked fridge. Real food too. Not just garbage. Cold air blasted him at knee level from the window behind the table. Levi had been busy.

In the bedroom, he found a sweat-soaked, nearly naked man flopped onto the bed, arms thrown back. The unit in the window made a feeble attempt to push the hot air from the room. Tracy surveyed the destruction of the window, deciding it would hold for a while.

“It doesn’t have to last long. Just long enough.” Levi said from the bed, he sat up and pushed his hair back from his face. “Got tired of baking every night.”

Tracy handed him a beer and leaned against the doorjamb to admire the view. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“But you were thinking it.” Levi leaned back on one elbow and rolled his neck. He took a long swallow from the bottle then pressed it to his forehead and neck.

“I was thinking something, but that wasn’t even in the same ballpark.” Tracy had to look away when Levi’s smile turned sensual. “Dinner. I came to see if you’d like to go to dinner with me.”

“As in out to dinner, or my place or yours and then raiding the fridge after?” Levi smirked behind his beer bottle, the hint of fire in his eyes proof that he’d played this game before.

“Well, we are at your place, and I was just in your fridge. And it’s still hot as fuck in here. How about steaks at my place? Farm raised steak.”

“Let me get this straight, you drove from your place over to my place, to ask me if I would like to come back to your place for steak? That’s one hell of a set up for a booty call.” Levi climbed out of the bed, his eyes snapping fire. Dressed in a pair of loose-fitting cargo shorts that hung low on his hips with no visible underwear, Levi moved like a cat, sensual and lithe as he closed the distance between them. This time pinning Tracy to the wall. “Or we could just get naked right now and then go to your place for steaks.”

“No fucking without dinner, remember? Your rules.” Tracy ran a finger along the edge of the tattoo starting at his shoulder to his waist. “You have to tell me about this one day,” he whispered, watching as Levi trembled at his touch.

“No, I don’t. And you already broke that rule,” Levi whispered. Tilting the beer bottle to his lips, he licked the rim before drinking the rest down.

“That wasn’t fucking. That was—“

“You shoved your dick between my legs and had a very happy ending. I call that fucking.”

“No, you shoved my dick between your legs. And I call that taking advantage of—“

“Oh, you took advantage of me, all right. Twice. But now we have to go to dinner when there’s a bed and—“

Tracy snaked his arm around Levi’s waist and pulled him flush against him. He leaned down and closed his mouth over Levi’s, cutting off whatever it was he was about to say. “Fuck, you talk too much.”

“More fucking, less talking. I like that idea.” Levi palmed him through his shorts, cupping his balls. Tracy fought the groan, but it tore from his throat. He shoved his hands in Levi’s hair and tilted his face up. God, the man had the most delicate features, and his mouth. God, his mouth. The smile that tilted that mouth said he knew exactly what Tracy was thinking. “I like that idea better.” He licked his lips. Mouth parted, he flicked his tongue over his teeth, licking his top lip again.

“You’re a flirt. And a cock tease.” Tracy couldn’t stop the want shooting through his body. His dick pressed hard against his zipper, begging for some of Levi’s tongue action up close and personal.

“Who are you calling a tease? I never tease when it comes to cock. And you like it when I flirt. It makes you hot.” Levi’s hand slipped inside his shorts, his button and zipper opened as if by magic. Cold air from the AC blasted over his now scorching dick, hot fingers wrapped around him, stroking him until he forgot why he was here. “On my knees or on my back?”

“I love you on your back.” What the hell was he saying? There wasn’t time for this. “My parents have the grill going. The kids are already out at the house.”

“So this isn’t a date-date—this is a football thing, and you thought you’d sneak in a meet the parents. Why Tracy I’m so flattered, but I don’t do parents.” A touch of fear entered Levi’s eyes. Tracy thrust into his hand, looking for the relief he needed from the now insistent stroking. “So I’m going to have to decline the invitation.” He felt Levi’s shorts slither down his legs to fall on his feet. “But I’m more than happy not to let you go back in this condition.”

Tracy slid his hand behind Levi’s neck, running the other down his back to squeeze his ass. He pulled him tight to his body and ground into him. God, he needed this. Levi Brody’s hot ass would be so fucking nice around his dick. He eyed the bed, wondering if it was worth it to move that far and finish this the right way. Levi’s mouth on his neck made him forget his own fucking name.

“Levi.”

“What can Levi do for you, Sugar?” Levi wrapped his good arm around Tracy’s shoulder and pulled himself up on his toes, his hand between them now held them both together. Pre-come slipping and sliding as he thrust into his hand. His breath harsh against Tracy’s neck. “Oh, you smell so good. Why do I want you so much?”

“I don’t know. You smell like sweat. Fucking want to eat you alive.” This thing with Levi had gone way past insane. “Did you call me sugar?”

Levi didn’t answer, he threw his head back, eyes gone vague as heat splashed Tracy’s belly. Hot cum coated his dick, the musky scent of Levi’s release. Fuck, it was too much; he thrust hard into Levi’s belly, looking for his own release.

“Tracy. Tracy. Come for me, baby.” The sweetness of his voice as he begged, the touch of his tongue to Tracy’s lips, the baby doll pout. Fuck, this was Levi Brody, not some doll. He shot hard. Levi’s neck, so tantalizingly close to his mouth, muffled his howl. Because it felt like his soul had been ripped from his body as he poured himself into Levi. “Fuck, baby, you needed that worse than I did.”

“Yeah.” He agreed, laying his forehead on Levi’s shoulder. Shuddering breaths rocked him. “What the hell is wrong with me?”

“You’re just a horny jock. You all end up coming to me sooner or later. Something about my lips.”

“You have the sexiest lips I’ve ever seen. Made for sucking cock.”

“I’ve sucked lots of cock. Just not yours…yet. We’ll have to work on that.”

Something was off, something completely not right. Levi fit into his arms, his body pliant, letting Tracy hold him. His head lolled on Tracy’s shoulder. The very picture of sated lover. This was fucking Levi Brody. Super Bowl Champion. Not some twink he’d picked up for the night.

“What do you mean all the horny jocks find you sooner or later?”

And just like that, the spell was broken, and Levi stepped out of his arms. The look in his eyes went from sweet afterglow to wary and hard. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He walked past Tracy into the bathroom and turned the shower on. Tracy followed him. He just wanted to know why every time he got near the man, his dick took control and he lost his fucking mind.

“Just how many men have you been with?”

“You sound jealous.” Levi climbed into the old fiberglass tub and closed the curtain. “Tell me, Coach, how many have you been with? See which one of us is a bigger horn dog.”

“I’m not jealous.” Tracy stood in front of the mirror. The shattered section hadn’t been there the night they’d met. “Did you punch this mirror?”

“Careful, Coach, you’re treading way too close to dangerous territory.” The scent of strawberries wafted out of the shower. Why the fuck did Levi use strawberry soap?