Page 1 of Hot for Teacher
PROLOGUE
Chase
Chase sat on the stiff leather couch, hunched uncomfortably over his test paper, trying to will his brain to concentrate for just another five minutes.
He’d been offered a spot at the desk, but that would have been … too much. Too close.
The uncomfortable couch was safer.
Or at least, Chase had thought so. He’d almost finished his makeup exam—had managed to focus in the small, contained space of Professor Burke’s office, had managed to block his brain off to the pheromones so overpowering that even he, as a beta, sometimes found them distracting—but then Professor Burke had taken a call, and it had all gone out the window.
He had a really nice voice.
It was this sort of smooth, deep rumble. Chase liked it. He liked the way Professor Burke used it even more. He was always giving these clear, concise instructions and letting all his studentsknow, just as clearly, whether he was pleased or displeased with how they’d chosen to follow them.
Some students hated it. They thought he was too intimidating, and when they slacked off and faced the consequences, they found his displeasure too intense, especially when his pheromones came into play. His student reviews always mentioned how scary he was, more so than the average alpha.
But Chase liked him. He liked Professor Burke and his voice the same way he liked math, the same way he liked Professor Burke’s statistics class. So much of life had too much ambiguity. There was always some amount of guesswork, always ways to do better, to work harder. With Chase’s old lacrosse coaches, it had always been, “That’s a good play,but—”
Always a “but.” Always room for Chase to be faster, stronger, better coordinated. Always a way he was letting someone down.
But with math … with statistics … There was always a right answer, wasn’t there? No guesswork, no ambiguity. Only red marks on a page, with a score at the end. Good or bad, it was easy to figure out.
Chase peered out from under his lashes as he finally filled out his last answer. Professor Burke was at his desk—a massive oak thing that they had to have built inside the room, since there was no way it had fit through the door—murmuring quietly into his phone. He was facing the wall, his stern profile made sterner by his furrowed brow, a lock of dark hair falling over one eye.
He was handsome, wasn’t he? In an unapproachable sort of way. His student reviews liked to mention that too. Hot but too imposing for it to matter.
He looks like he’d talk you through it, but you wouldn’t like what he had to say,one particularly inappropriate review had said.
It took Chase a second longer than it should have to realize they were now sitting in silence. Professor Burke was no longerspeaking into his phone, and his dark-blue gaze was focused right on Chase.
Chase moved his eyes back to his paper immediately.
Professor Burke cleared his throat. Not like he was nervous—never that—but more like a warning. Like he was preparing Chase for that smooth voice, maybe. “Apologies, Mr. Adler. I’m afraid I had to take that. Should I extend your time?”
Chase shook his head, rising from his seat with his exam paper in hand. “No, sir. I’m finished.”
“Hand it here.”
Chase walked over to the desk, handing his paper to Professor Burke. He widened his eyes in surprise when Professor Burke took out one of his red pens, scanning the paper.
He’s going to grade it right this second?
Chase had been just as surprised when Professor Burke had told Chase he’d be taking his makeup final in Professor Burke’s office, during his office hours. He’d said he didn’t have a TA to spare, and that his hours would be free. He’d claimed no students would be coming to see him so soon after the final exam.
Maybe Chase made some sort of noise, because Burke paused, cocking a brow. “Somewhere to be, Mr. Adler?”
Chase shook his head. “No, sir.”
It always paid to be polite with Burke. He didn’t insist upon formalities, but he clearly preferred them.
Chase had been paying attention. Possibly too close attention.
“Good.” The word of approval was clipped and short, but that didn’t stop it from sending a little tingle of warmth through Chase.
Good.
Burke marked Chase’s exam quickly—as skilled at speed-reading as he was at everything else—and then handed it over.
