Shy and scholarly, long-distance swimmer Ryan Zwick thinks he’s the only gay member of the college swim team. He keeps his head down in the showers, and his head in the books the rest of the time. But when a sporty new transfer student joins the team, Ryan feels a surge of hope. Sexually inexperienced and looking for love, fellow swimmer Blake Gossens is everything Ryan wants in a boyfriend. But what is Blake’s game, exactly? And just how straight is he? Blake seems to be more interested in Ryan’s best friend, Marissa, leaving Ryan to go back to secretly checking out his teammates in the pool. But Ryan keeps getting mysterious messages in his dating app from a stranger who seems to know a lot about him. Could this messenger be Blake? Or someone else? When bad weather hits unexpectedly, Ryan is forced to confront his real feelings toward Blake, while opening up to the stranger by his side, eventually giving in to his wildest fantasies -- and his heart.

Distant Swimmer

&ldquo;And you&rsquo;re a good meatball roller,&rdquo; said Erik, kissing him back. Ryan turned around from Erik to take in his living space.


&ldquo;So this is your room?&rdquo; asked Ryan, gazing around the small single-windowed room with the slanted roof. &ldquo;This is where you sat around dreaming about me and jerking off?&rdquo; Erik laughed.


&ldquo;Pretty much,&rdquo; confessed Erik. &ldquo;Also, where I study,&rdquo; Erik pointed to his heavy bookshelf, loaded down with all kinds of thick books whose titles Ryan could not even pronounce.


&ldquo;They&rsquo;re all in Swedish,&rdquo; said Ryan, picking one up. &ldquo;Hey, what&rsquo;s that A with a circle on top?&rdquo;


&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a Swedish letter,&rdquo; explained Erik. &ldquo;One of the last letters of the alphabet.&rdquo;


&ldquo;Wow. Do I need to learn a whole new alphabet?&rdquo; asked Ryan, stepping back toward Erik and reaching for his hand.


Chapter 41