Great.Īdrenaline rushed through me when the ref blew his whistle, signaling the start of the game. So what if he was tall, dark, good-looking, smart, and a world-class athlete? Gabe was still a dick if you asked me.Īnd it looked like I was guarding him this morning. I wasn’t a fan of anyone who believed they were God’s gift to humanity. Tim Berkus was slow to start, but he ramped up quickly and-oh, fuck. I bet he was out late last night and no doubt, he had a hangover. My gaze wandered to Mike Hoskins, on Jake’s left. He was six foot five with a wingspan that rivaled a professional basketball player’s. Chances were good that if you’d played in high school and college, you knew the competition well. Water polo was an insular sport with a strong presence in coastal communities like Southern California. I glanced at our crosstown rivals at the opposite end of the pool, lined up on either side of the goal. There should have been a rule stating that all non-crucial collegiate events were banned until after noon in the summertime. Saturday game was a tough sell for most people in the summer, especially for a glorified scrimmage. The stands were sparsely populated at this hour.

Mist rose from the placid water, lending an ethereal aura to the foggy morning. “The deeper the waters are, the more still they run.”-Korean proverb However, when an unwitting friendship and mutual attraction collide, both will have to decide if this is the real thing or if they’re about to lose it all in the deep. But he can’t deny there’s something special about the uptight team captain. And he certainly isn’t going to announce his sexuality. His transfer between Southern California universities has nothing to do with scholastics. The only possible kink in his plan is the new guy on the team… also known as his nemesis. He’s going soak up every minute on campus with his friends and teammates before he moves on. The real world with a serious job and big expectations can wait for a few months. But he’s determined to enjoy his last year of college. He’s a type A control personality with a penchant for order and a love of water polo.

Out in the Deep by Lane Hayes