“Professor, no,” he interrupted me. “Surely there’s something I can do. Extra credit, maybe?”

My pretty, pretty boy stood in his socked feet, one on the other. His white t-shirt, with the huge tulip in the center, rode up over his belly button, exposing the black hairs of his happy trail that disappeared into the band of his jeans, which fit him like they’d been painted on. My mouth watered. He’d had the right idea. Who needed lunch when such a feast awaited me?

“I’d let you suck my dick”—he gasped—“but I’ve already given the honor to a student this morning.” I snorted as Will dropped the act just long enough to give me the stink-eye. As if I’d let anyone but him touch me.

He quickly recovered and jumped back into our game. “Maybe I can… uh, straighten your desk.” We both glanced over at my completely organized workspace. “Okay.” He wrung his hands together. “I don’t know. What do you need?”

I trailed my gaze lazily down, stopping at his crotch. He thrust his hands down, protectively covering himself. “Please, professor. I’m a virgin. I’ve never even kissed a boy, much less a man like you,” he added coyly, dropping his voice to a simper.

A growl started low in my throat. Did I know this pretty boy in front of me knew exactly how to handle my body? Yes, but it was so hot when he laid it out there like he was mine to touch, to own. And make no mistake, no matter who Will had been with before me, the only man who’d ever owned him was me. Shoving to my feet, I got into his space, towering over him. “Do you know where the faculty lounge is?”

He gulped. “Y-y-yes.”

“Go there and wait for me.”

He scrambled his pert little ass right out of the room and down the hall toward our bedroom. It was fun playing Will’s little games, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy the comfort of our bed to take him apart. While he waited for me, I went to the kitchen and put together a quick vegetable, fruit, and cheese tray. We’d have our fun, but he needed to eat, and I’d be distracted with worry if I didn’t take care of his dietary needs first. After filling a tall glass with water for us to split, I went in search of my prize.

Will stood hesitantly outside the bedroom door, still wringing his hands. “Why didn’t you go in like I told you?”

“I didn’t know what to do. There were two other professors finishing lunch when I first arrived. They just left, but I didn’t know if I was allowed in.”

I shook my head. “What am I going to do with you, Mr. Edwards?”

“I’m sorry, professor.”

“Mhm. Go in now.” I followed him in and kicked the door shut behind me. “Lock the door, please. I don’t want to be disturbed.”

He skirted around me, hesitating with his fingers over the lock. When I cleared my throat, he quickly turned it and backed away. He looked like a frightened kitten, and it was adorable.

Making my way to the chaise lounge in the corner of our room, I placed the food and drinks on the side table that normally held our e-readers. “Come sit, please,” I said as I sat down. Once he took his place next to me, I pulled the table so it was centered between us. “You may feed me.”

Will rolled his bottom lip in, and I knew he was fighting back a laugh. Once he got himself under control, he picked up a cube of cheese and held it out in front of my mouth. “Like this?”

Using my teeth, I removed the cheese from between his fingers and sucked it into my mouth. “You might as well eat, too. You’re going to need your energy.”

He wasn’t able to hold back his eye roll. I was driving him up a wall with my obsessive worry over his stomach aches. So far, the doctor thought it was nothing more than stress, but what was he stressed about? Talking to me about wanting a baby or was it something else? I didn’t know, and until I did, he’d have to deal with my nagging.

Will alternated between feeding me and himself until we devoured the whole platter. He took a few sips of water when we were done, then inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. It was a trick his friend Toby had taught them to help center themselves, and I found it adorable that he was applying it here and now. “What’s next, professor?”

“You’ve really never been kissed?”

He shook his head hard from side to side. “I get a little anxious, you see, so I’ve never even been on a date.”

“I’ve been thinking. Sex is important, too. Maybe I’ll teach you the ways to please a man and grade you on what happens physically instead. What do you think, Will Edwards? Would you be amenable to that arrangement?”

“And I wouldn’t have to take your statistics class anymore?” he asked hopefully.

“You’d have to be in class, but no, your grade would depend on what happens between us in private.”

He squeezed his eyes shut tight, then spun toward me and nodded his head. “Okay. Let’s do it.” His cheeks pinkened as he realized how spot-on his word choice was.

“Such a pretty boy,” I said, snickering when his nose scrunched. He’d always been my boy. As cute as some of the terms of endearment our friends used to refer to their boys, my Will liked boy. He said the way I said it first drew him in, and so that was what we stuck with. But he knew damn well that, in my head, he was my very pretty boy.

I pushed the table back where it belonged, then stood, holding out my hand to him. He placed his palm in mine, and I drew him up in front of me. “Well, if I have you for the rest of the semester, we’ll take it slow.”

“Not too slow, Daddy,” he muttered, and I threw back my head laughing. Heaven forbid I forget his initial request to get fucked.

Cupping his cheeks, I leaned down and gently pressed my lips to his. Will shivered as I flicked my tongue out, running it along the seams of his lips. With another tremble, he opened and let me in. I explored slowly, licking up the taste of grapes and apples from our lunch. Pulling away, I stared down into his dark, fathomless eyes. “How was that?”