Page 81 of Hot for Teacher
Chase deposited Killian’s offerings into a large cooler and then led Killian to a lounger in the shade. Killian shrugged his shirt off the rest of the way, pleased with the undeniable flush that rose on Chase’s cheeks with the move.
“Whoa,” Spencer’s voice cut in, closer than he’d been a second before. “I’ve never seen Chase, like, lust after someone before.” He came up behind Chase, fighting to wrap a hand over Chase’s face while Chase tried to duck the intrusion. “Cover your eyes, Chasey!”
The altercation ended with them both in the deep end of the pool, each fighting to get the other underwater. And somehow that quickly morphed into Noah and his younger brother Ash joining them, breaking into teams for chicken fights while the surly friend followed it all with an intense gaze.
So not Jell-O and dry hamburgers, but definite elements of youth.
Killian sat back on the lounger and watched, occasionally sharing amused glances with Eli. Killian would make an effort to socialize more in depth after a beer or two, but no one was pressuring him at the moment, and he was content watching Chase enjoy himself.
Any jealousy Killian had once held toward Chase’s friends was long gone. They were official now. Chase washis, and Killian had no doubts about his beta’s loyalty.
But while Killian had felt like he knew the boy inside and out, this was a side to him Killian hadn’t had the pleasure to witness before today: the way Chase fit with his chosen family.
And hedidfit; that was easy to see. Spencer may have been louder, and Noah was maybe more naturally magnetic—one of those golden alphas people gravitated toward without thinking—but Chase was a fixed point the other two kept returning to, coming to him for backup or affirmation over and over, drawn to his steady warmth like flowers to sunlight.
Killian couldn’t help considering his own two closest friends, and how they might fit if Chase wanted to host a gathering. Killian thought they might actually fit quite nicely.
Devon and Prince had begged to come tonight, but Killian had refused. He wasn’t letting them get up to any mischief on Killian’s first official meeting with Chase’s friends. They’d get their turn in time, after Killian had already established himself as a suitable partner.
Was Killian overthinking it? Possibly. But overthinking was better than underthinking—it meant he wouldn’t fuck it up.
Eventually Chase tired of roughhousing and—wet and dripping—came over to Killian’s lounger. “Make room?”
Killian shook his head. Instead, he grabbed Chase’s wrist, drawing him down to lie between Killian’s legs as they did at home. Chase melted into him immediately, setting his head on Killian’s chest, his acquiescence soothing any leftover nerves Killian might have held. They murmured together while everyone else pretended not to watch them, some (Noah) having more success with the subterfuge than others (Spencer).
“Did I leave you alone for too long?” Chase asked quietly.
“I was enjoying the show,” Killian told him, tracing his fingers over Chase’s cool, damp shoulder. “And you? Are you content, sweet boy?”
“Yeah.” Chase let out a happy sigh. “I wished you were here last time. And now you are.”
That was so unexpectedly sweet that Killian could only press a kiss to Chase’s wet hair, words escaping him for once.
There was a loud, yodeling yell, and a splash from the pool. Spencer had tackled the surly one into the water, and Ash was hollering his approval.
Chase rose just high enough to whisper in Killian’s ear, “Also, you were right. Spencer and Ash hid Jell-O shots in the back of the fridge.”
Killian startled himself with the loudness of his laughter. He buried his face in Chase’s neck to muffle it, then reluctantly pulled them both to standing. “All right. Where’s this grill? We’re going to need to feed you all if we want to make it out of this night alive.”
26
Chase
After only a moment of hesitation, Chase entered Killian’s office without knocking.
It felt oddly wrong to ignore the proprieties on campus, but Killian already knew Chase was coming. And the semester was over, so it wasn’t like there were any students looking for office hours.
And they were boyfriends, goddamn it. Chase was allowed to not knock.
The building had been quiet when he’d walked through—Chase hadn’t seen a single other person. But Killian seemed to have an aversion to working from home, even when his presence wasn’t required on campus, so he was finishing the last of his grading in his office.
Killian barely glanced up at Chase’s arrival, although his lips twitched into a small smile. Oddly enough, that lack of reaction warmed Chase’s chest. It felt significant, that they were so sure of their continued presences in each other’s lives that they couldstand to be distracted every now and again. And yet Chase never felt ignored. If he needed Killian to pay attention, his alpha would. Immediately.
“Just about done,” Killian told him after a moment, still typing away.
Chase came up behind his desk. Killian was entering his grades in the system. He was done with the worst of it, then.
And since he was right there, Chase began massaging Killian’s neck, gratified by Killian’s soft, pleased moan. Chase didn’t do this very often—it was always Killian stroking or petting Chase, not the other way around—but it kind of felt good to dig his hands into those solid muscles.
