Page 98 of Playing to Win

Colin had to admit he was right.Don’t feed the trollswas Rule #1–Infinity of the internet.

“You know who you are.” Andrew handed him the other swimsuit. “Those people online don’t know you. If you can ignore name-calling on the football pitch, surely you can ignore it on Twitter. Now take off your clothes and jump into the loch.”

Andrew had that imperiousdon’t-argue-with-melook, an expression Colin had learned to distinguish from his imperiousplease-argue-with-melook.

“I’ll be outside.” With his usual unnatural grace, Andrew stepped onto the porch and climbed up to perch on the wooden railing. After Colin undressed, then stuffed himself into the Speedo, he followed, sucking in his gut and wishing he’d spent more time on his abs this past summer.

“I feel like there’s a fire-code violation going on down there.” He gestured to his trunks. “Such crowding can’t be healthy.”

Andrew’s attempt at a smile looked pure sad. He turned back to the loch. The water sparkled with the light of the full moon fighting its way through high clouds. Colin put a hand on Andrew’s bare shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze, wishing there was something he could say to ease the loss of this place.

Finally Andrew took a deep breath and sat up straight. “Right, then. In we go.” He stood up, balanced on the bottom railing. “It’s fairly shallow, so no diving. Your manager would break my neck if you broke yours. I’ll go first.”

Before Colin could speak, Andrew flung himself into mid-air with a ringing whoop.

“Wait, where’s the—” Cold water splashed up onto Colin’s arms. “—ladder?”

Andrew bobbed to the surface and smoothed the hair out of his eyes. “It’s freezing! Come warm me up.”

Colin leaned over the railing. The drop was minimal, but that wasn’t the issue. “I can’t swim.”

“What, at all? How’s that possible?”

“It costs money to go to swimming pools.”

“You don’t have to swim. See?” Andrew rose on his toes and held up his arms. The tar-black waves lapped just above his collarbone.

Colin peered over the side of the porch to his right. He could go back through the house, out the front door, and around to the shore, where he could wade in gradually. But then he’d look a coward.

Besides, he’d crowd-dived from much greater heights at raves. Maybe this would be just as fun.

He climbed over the railing, holding tight, feeling paint flake off against his palms. He turned to face the loch, telling himself water was more reliable than a mass of ravers’ arms.

Then, with a warrior’s roar, Colin leapt.

The cold water swallowed him whole, stealing his breath with its icy fists. His legs flailed, but his feet slipped on the slick mud, and he felt himself fall backward. For one panicky moment, he had no idea which way was up.

Then a pair of strong, warm hands found his arms. They made their way up under his shoulders and lifted. Colin’s head broke the surface, the moonlight bright as a mirror ball.

“I’ve got you,” Andrew murmured. “Put your feet down.”

“Can’t.” Colin’s lungs already ached. “It won’t hold me.”

“It will. It’s the earth. It’s a big place.”

Colin stretched out his legs and found the muddy loch bottom again. This time it didn’t move. “Oh. Okay.”

“All right?” Andrew overlapped his toes with Colin’s, then pulled him close. “There, that’s warmer.”

Colin kissed him, the fingers of one hand threading through Andrew’s wet hair and the fingers of his other splayed on his silky-smooth back. As always, the heat between them melted his fear away.

They stopped kissing to catch their breath. Pressing his forehead to Andrew’s, Colin closed his eyes and let the magic of this place sweep over him. Dunleven wasn’t the Scotland he knew. Dunleven was a fantasy world.

But Andrew…Andrew was real. Somehow.

“You want to go deeper?” he asked Colin. “I’ll carry you. Just put your arms and legs around me.”

“How will you swim if I’m all over you?”

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