Page 64 of Hot for Teacher
He hung up, then pressed a few more buttons on Chase’s phone, clearing his throat. “I’ve blocked his number until you’re ready to speak with him.”
“Oh. Okay.” Chase blinked at him. “That was strange.”
Killian’s expression was unreadable now that the anger hadleached out. “You’re trembling,” he said, his tone nothing like the gruff, pissed-off voice he’d used with Chase’s father.
“Am I?” Chase held up his hand, and yeah, it was visibly shaking. He tucked it under his leg. “I’m okay. I thought I wanted him to pay attention, but that was—” He tried to shrug and didn’t quite manage it. “I didn’t like that, I guess.”
“Of course you didn’t.” Killian reached out as if to touch him, then redirected and swept a hand through his hair. “Christ, Chase. You shouldn’t have had to listen to any of that.”
“Can I maybe— Do you have—?”
Killian nodded, as if Chase had actually managed to formulate a question. “I’ll make you some tea.”
Chase had been about to ask for a beer, actually, but he supposed tea would be fine.
He’dbe fine. He just … needed a minute.
A hot drinkand half a movie later and Chase was fine. Really. He’d even told Killian that five or six times, although the alpha didn’t seem inclined to believe him.
But he was.
Sure, the few times Chase had imagined him and Killian going public, he hadn’t exactly pictured his father yelling at him over the phone and calling him a collegiate prostitute or whatever, but maybe he’d just been lacking in imagination.
They’d paused the movie so Chase could use the bathroom, and he took the opportunity to stretch and set his cup in the kitchen sink. Killian followed him in—he seemed reluctant to let Chase out of his sight, and Chase supposed he should count himself lucky Killian hadn’t tried to follow him into the bathroom too.
Chase turned to lean his back against the sink. He needed tosay something, if only to get that concerned look off Killian’s face. “I’ll just tell him it’s over.”
Killian blanched. “Excuse me?”
“My dad. I mean, they’re never around, and it’s not like we’re out in public very often.” Chase shrugged. “Seeing Mr. Hansen was a fluke. If it really pisses him off that much, I’ll tell him I ended it and that will be that. They’ll forget.”
“No.”
Killian’s refusal sounded calm enough, but there was a finality to it that even Chase, in his slightly numb state, could hear.
Chase … hadn’t been expecting that. “What?”
Killian folded his arms. “That doesn’t work for me.”
“Why not?”
Killian stared him down for a minute, then cocked his head. “What exactly do you think we are, Chase?”
For some reason, the question had Chase flushing. He suddenly felt hot. Too hot. Why was Killian putting him on the spot like this? “Um. Lovers?”
He immediately wanted to die. For fuck’s sake, he wasn’t the heroine in some tragic romance. Couldn’t he have chosen a better word for it?
But Killian didn’t laugh. He only nodded. “Yes and no. I don’t think it’s any secret, after the rut we just shared together, that I have some very intense feelings for you, Chase Adler.”
That hot feeling intensified, centering in his throat now. Chase wanted to loosen his collar, but he wasn’t wearing a collar. He never wore a collar. He was a T-shirt guy. “W-What?”
Because what the fuck did Killian mean, it wasn’t a secret? It sure as shit felt like one to Chase. No one had told him that.Killianhad certainly never told him that.
But he’s telling you now.
Killian kept staring at him, his arms crossed and his stance wide, the very picture of a stubborn, commanding alpha. “Chase.”
And it was horrible the way he said it. Softly. Kindly.
