By Chance (Courtland Chronicles) Read online

  Nick’s forehead went adorably crinkly. “So you’re not jetting off to Florida or Cancun or someplace like that?”

  “My allowance isn’t that generous. Besides, I’ve got better things to do than sit around getting drunk and sunburned.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Did you have something planned?”

  “I forgot till you reminded me, but I promised my folks at Christmas that I’d come up to the farm and work. They’re taking a road trip to Ohio for my grandparents’ fiftieth anniversary, and they can’t afford to hire an outside guy to take over for that long. So I told them I’d do it.”

  “Oh.” Eric’s heart sank, although he did his best not to let it show. But judging from the concerned look Nick was throwing him, he apparently had a lousy poker face. “Don’t worry about it. I can amuse myself for a week.”

  “You’re welcome to come with me if you want, but there’s not a whole lot to do, other than watching me bale hay and milk cows.”

  Oh, there was an idea… “How much would I have to bribe you to do your chores in the nude?”

  Nick nearly choked on his soda. “When it’s thirty degrees out at five in the morning? How deep is your trust fund?”

  “Forget it. Getting up that early isn’t my idea of a vacation. Besides,” he added, dropping his tone to a sexy growl, “I plan to see you naked every day we’re there anyway.”

  They were so busy laughing and talking, they didn’t notice Ally walk up. Eric tamped down an annoyed sigh when Nick invited her to sit with them. What was wrong with him? Normally he enjoyed talking with Ally, but tonight her mere presence grated on his nerves. All he wanted was a nice, quiet dinner alone with Nick. Was that too much to ask?

  “So what have you two been up to today?” she asked, setting her tray down before sinking into a chair Nick snagged from a nearby table.

  “Studying and going to class. Same thing we do every day,” Nick replied, keeping his eyes glued to his plate. Exasperation prickled up the back of Eric’s neck. Nick had promised him he’d tell Ally they were together, but obviously he hadn’t yet. Why not? And why was he acting like it was something to be ashamed of?

  “I missed you in Mitchell’s class this morning. That’s the second time this week,” she went on. “You keep coming in late.”

  “My alarm clock’s broken,” Nick replied.

  She speared a baby carrot from her salad, took a small bite and chewed it slowly. “We still on for Alfredo’s and our usual double feature this Friday?”

  Nick hesitated, shooting Eric a You want to take this one? look.

  “Absolutely,” Eric answered, flashing Nick a tight smile. If Nick didn’t tell her by the end of the week, then fuck it—he’d break the news himself.

  As it turned out, they didn’t have to wait that long. They’d just finished dinner when Ally remembered she needed to borrow Nick’s old twentieth-century British literature notes, which meant she had to come back to their room with them.

  Her momentarily stricken look at the sight of the unmade bed—and the plainly not-slept-on couch—sent Nick scurrying to dig through his pile of notebooks in the closet.

  How apropos. Guilt pricking at him for the uncharitable thought, Eric tossed his backpack on the desk and headed into the kitchen for some tea. Ally followed, as he’d suspected she would. He didn’t mind getting into it with her, but he wasn’t about to do it in front of Nick.

  Luckily, she had the presence of mind to shut the door before lighting into him. “What’re you doing, Eric? He’s not some trick you can discard once you get tired of him in another month or two.”

  Her harsh tone sent a chill shooting through him. Tempted though he was to fire back an equally acrimonious reply, he made her wait until he’d filled the teakettle and set it on the stove. “What makes you think I’ll get tired of him?”

  Her eyebrows arched. “So you’re telling me you actually have feelings for him?”

  He got a clean mug down from the cupboard and set it on the counter, hoping Ally hadn’t noticed the tremor in his hands. “I do. In fact, I care for him a great deal.”

  Her expression remained skeptical. “You’re sure?”

  “As sure as anyone can be.” He turned around, forcing a thin smile. “Look, Ally, I have no intention of interfering in yours and Nick’s friendship. I know how much it means to both of you. But I also know you’re still carrying a torch for him.”

  She laughed, her gaze dropping to the floor. Not an admission, but not a denial either.

  The kettle started whistling. Eric filled his mug and scooped it up to let its warmth seep into his fingers. “I’ve accepted how you feel about him. Think you can do the same for me?”

  Ally gave it a few moments of silent consideration before nodding. “Fine. But just so you’re aware—if you break his heart, I will rip yours out of your chest with my bare hands.”

  She couldn’t leave fast enough, averting her eyes this time as she scooted past the bed. Nick handed her his old notebook and ushered her out the door, then turned back to Eric with a baffled glance. “What was that all that about?”

  You, not having the guts to tell her the truth danced on the end of Eric’s tongue, but he bit it back. No point provoking a fight. Their relationship was still fragile and new, especially to Nick, who’d never come out to anyone before. Of course it wouldn’t be easy for him, but he’d make peace with it eventually.

  Or so Eric hoped.

  Chapter Eight

  Eric’s breath caught as he swung his rental car into the driveway next to the Thompson house. A classic white picket fence surrounded it, with a narrow path leading up through a row of rose bushes to a two-story yellow frame farmhouse. It looked almost too perfect to be real.

  “You didn’t tell me you grew up in a fairy tale,” he teased as they climbed out of the car and grabbed their bags from the trunk.

  “As long as you don’t mean The Nightmare Before Christmas, I’ll take it as a compliment.” Nick grinned. “C’mon, I can’t wait to show you the place.”

  The kitchen was every bit as impressive as the outside, with shiny hardwood floors and glassed-in cabinets that reminded Eric of photos he’d seen of Depression-era houses. The kitchen table appeared to be a real antique, all heavy oak, with pretty hand-embroidered place mats.

  Family photos lined the hallway; judging from the clothing, hairstyles and yellowing paper, most of them went back several generations. One relatively recent photo of a dark-haired young boy in a football jersey standing between his proud parents made Eric bite his lip and blink hard.

  The living room was right off the hall, with a comfortable-looking couch and recliner, issues of Sporting News and various women’s magazines stacked neatly on the coffee table. A tall cabinet with a stereo system and twenty-inch TV stood a few feet in front of the couch. There was a huge fireplace too, a stack of cut wood beside it. The sharp pine scent stung Eric’s nostrils.

  “It’s probably not as fancy as what you’re used to,” Nick said with a shrug.

  Eric cleared his throat. “It’s fine.”

  “You don’t have to say that just to be polite.”

  “No, I mean it. You know what’s hanging in the foyer of the house I grew up in? Impressionist art. I don’t think we even own a photo of me and my parents together.” He sighed. “Where are your folks? I was looking forward to meeting them.”

  “They left first thing this morning. It’s a long drive to Ohio.”

  “Oh.” He could’ve kicked himself the moment the syllable escaped his lips. What was wrong with him? He’d never used to display his disappointment so openly. “I thought they were going to be here.”

  “Sorry. If I’d known it was that important to you, we could’ve come up last night. Guess I’m still a little…”

  Afraid. Not terribly surprising, considering how he’d behaved with Ally. Still, Eric had to swallow his rising frustration. “It’s okay, I get it,” he replied. “Besides, you’re not out to them yet, are you?”
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  Nick wagged his head. “And after all these years, I should be.”

  “‘All these years’? I thought you only figured it out for yourself a few weeks ago.”

  “That was the denial talking.” He leaned against the wall, chuckling ruefully. “Truth is, I’ve kind of suspected I had a thing for guys ever since senior year of high school. There was this one kid the whole football team picked on—a real brain, geeky and artistic, so naturally everyone thought he was gay. He seemed nice enough, so I didn’t join in on all the pranks and name-calling. We never really talked until this one time at a party. We both had too much to drink, and ended up making out in the bathroom. I liked it. A lot.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, staring down at the floor. “Nobody saw us, but it still scared the shit out of me. So I started razzing him and calling him ‘fag’ and ‘queer’ along with the rest of the team. It got so bad, he had to transfer to another school. As far as I know, he never outed me to anybody. I still don’t know why.”

  That explained Nick’s nervousness and reticence—it all stemmed from guilt. “Maybe he saw how you were struggling with it. Did you ever try to find him and apologize?”

  “I wanted to, but I never saw him in town again after he transferred. His family used to go to the same church, but I never saw him there either. I figured they must’ve moved.” Nick sighed. “But I got paid back in a big way once I got here. I had a major crush on this guy named Hobart, our second-strong wide receiver, when I was riding the pine freshman year. I even had myself convinced I’d caught the same vibe from him. Then one day in the locker room he caught me staring at his ass. He called me a fag in front of the whole team. He still harasses me about it every time he sees me.”

  Jesus. No wonder Nick kept avoiding his teammates in the dining hall. “I guess that’s enough to scare anybody back in the closet.”

  “I wish I could be more like you, and not care what anybody thinks. But I honestly don’t know how my folks’ll take the news.”

  Eric remembered his father’s explosive reaction to his own coming-out announcement, and the livid red handprint he’d worn on his left cheek for the next few days. “It’s okay.” Eric smiled. “You’ll tell them when you’re ready.”

  They carried their bags up a short flight of stairs to Nick’s room. It was roughly a third of the size of their living room back at the dorm, with a small window overlooking the main pasture. Cows milled in the distance, grazing on spring grass. A bureau, bedside table and double bed with a stunning hand-carved headboard filled the rest of the small space.

  Eric sat down on the edge of the mattress, relieved to find it appropriately firm without being lumpy. The headboard was an actual work of art, depicting the farmhouse from an earlier era, before the picket fence or the roses. Eric ran his fingers over it in open admiration.

  “My grandfather carved it,” Nick said. “It was his wedding gift to my grandmother.”

  “And tonight we’ll curl up in it together. How apropos.” Then he caught Nick by the hand and tugged him down beside him. “On second thought, why wait till tonight?”

  Nick grinned and rolled on top of him, kissing him deeply. “Can I tell you something?”

  “You have to ask?”

  “Well, it is kinda…kinky.”

  He’d never heard Nick utter that word before. Suddenly every part of Eric’s body perked right up. “Do tell.”

  “Ever since we made plans to come up here, I’ve been fantasizing about having you right here in this bed.”

  Eric burst out laughing. “Doing it in bed’s not what I’d call kinky. Doing it in your barn, on the other hand—”

  “Ew!” Nick shuddered, making a face. “It’s dirty out there.”

  “That’s the idea.”

  Nick shrugged. “There’s something about doing it in the room I’ve slept in since I was a kid, you know? Like all those times I spent huddled under the covers jerking off with my folks right down the hall. It just made it seem that much more…forbidden, I guess. Exciting.”

  A teenager’s idea of what was naughty and dirty and wrong. Eric couldn’t help grinning. Leave it to Nick to have such an adorable, wholesome fantasy.

  “Besides,” Nick went on, “I can’t stop thinking how hot it’d be for you to, um…” And here came that sweet blush again, two spots of pink flaring high on his cheeks. “Fuck me for the first time, right here.”

  Now Eric stared up at him, unsure how to respond. They’d been content to take it slow thus far—blowjobs, frottage, mutual masturbation. Eric hadn’t been inclined to push; as long as what they did left them both satisfied, that was more than enough for him. They’d move to the next level when they were ready.

  And apparently that was what Nick was trying to tell him.

  “Just to be clear,” Eric said slowly, “you want—”

  “Your, um…”

  “My cock?” he prompted.

  Nick nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Why so hesitant all of a sudden? Aside from their first time together, he’d never had a problem making his desires known. Then again, how did you ask for something like this? Especially when Nick hadn’t even admitted his attraction to guys to himself until recently.

  But still, Eric wanted to hear him say the words, if only to see them spill from that lush, gorgeous mouth. “Where exactly do you want my cock?”

  A deep breath, and then Nick leaned in, brushing his lips across Eric’s. “In my ass. Clear enough?”

  “I, uh…” God, now he was stammering—and his pulse was racing. “I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but in the past I’ve usually bottomed.”

  “You mean, you’ve never fucked anybody?”

  “No, no, I have. It’s just been a while.” Eric threaded his fingers through Nick’s dark curls and dragged him down for another, rougher kiss. Nick’s tiny groan made his cock twitch.

  His lush lips descended on Eric’s throat, sucking at the pulse point right beneath his jawline. Nick’s strong, thick fingers worked at the buttons on Eric’s white cotton dress shirt for about thirty seconds before one of them popped off in his hand. “Sorry.”

  Eric just chuckled. “Keep going.”

  Soon the laughing morphed into moans, groans and the occasional gasp. By the time Nick worked his way down to Eric’s fly and eased down the zipper, Eric was ready to expire on the spot. When Nick’s mouth closed over Eric’s cock at last, it was too much, too late—Eric came within seconds, vision graying out, the rush of blood between his ears drowning everything else.

  He opened his eyes to find Nick wiping his cheek on the back of his own sleeve. “Shit,” he muttered. “Sorry about that.”

  He barely had time to be startled when Nick swooped in for a kiss. Eric had never kissed someone who’d just sucked him off—in fact, he usually went out of his way to avoid it. “Who knew I was so sexy?” Nick said with a shy smile.

  “Have you looked in a mirror lately?”

  Nick laughed and rolled to his feet, yanking a strip of condoms and a packet of lubricant from his jeans pocket.

  Eric’s eyes widened. “A bit optimistic, aren’t we?”

  “Don’t worry. If we run out, I’ve got more in my suitcase.”

  Laughing, they undressed and slid under the covers. The sheets were warm baby-soft flannel with a faded cowboy-and-Indian pattern, still smelling faintly of dryer sheets. Eric ran his fingertips along the pale outline of a cowboy on horseback, then rolled Nick under him, kissing and licking a leisurely path down Nick’s torso before taking his cock in his mouth. He could’ve spent the rest of the night listening to Nick’s groans and whimpers, those huge hands fisting in his hair as he swallowed Nick from crown to root, until at last Nick pushed him away.

  “C’mon, Eric, enough teasing. I’m ready.” Nick lay back, tilting his hips while Eric’s heart started to pound. What the hell had he gotten himself into? He’d never topped anybody for their first time. What if he disappointed Nick—or God forbid, ended up hurting him?r />
  “Eric?” Nick prompted, skimming a hand down his arm. “You okay?”

  Breathing deep, he nodded. He could do this, and moreover, he wanted to. Nick deserved to be with someone who cared enough to make it good—or at least, cared enough to give it his best try. “You’ll probably be more comfortable if you get on your stomach and put a pillow under you.”

  “Oh.” Nick blinked. “Okay.”

  He did as told while Eric rolled on a condom and slicked it generously. “Relax,” Eric murmured, stroking Nick’s trembling back before easing a lubed finger inside him. He was trembling too, but luckily, Nick couldn’t see it. “How’s that feel?”

  “Good. I mean, weird, but…still good.”

  “Okay.” He slid his finger out, then back in. Nick’s sharp huff of breath told him all he needed to know. He added more lube, then pushed back in with two fingers, working them until they glided in and out easily, and Nick’s panting sounded passionate rather than pained. “Eric, c’mon, are you trying to kill me?”

  Okay, passionate and pained, though Eric wasn’t sure which had just sent a lightning bolt of fresh lust slithering down his spine. No point prolonging this little prelude any longer. “I’ll try to go slow, but it’s normal for it to hurt, especially the first time. If it’s too much, let me know and I’ll stop.”

  “’Kay.”

  Dropping a kiss on Nick’s shoulder, Eric grasped his cock and guided it to Nick’s hole, nudging his hips forward until the crown popped inside. Nick gasped again, hands gripping the covers. For some strange and undoubtedly perverted reason Eric didn’t want to examine at this juncture, the sight of Nick’s toned, athletic body straining to accommodate him ramped his arousal into overdrive. Never mind the fact that he was hot as a coal inside, and incredibly tight. Shit! Why hadn’t he thought to give him a good rimming first?

  Well, there was still time. He started to pull out, until Nick twisted around, shooting him a desperate look. “What’re you doing? Don’t stop now!”