10

“You’re under the impression that I care if you like me, Mr. Tackett?”

Slamming his fist on the desk, Gage moved closer to Paulson, keeping his tone low. “Stop fucking calling me that.”

Paulson looked over at the closed door then at Gage, his eyes narrowing. “No. I will continue to refer to you in a way that makes our relationship clear.”

“Our relationship?” Gage folded his arms over his chest and arched a brow. Two could play this game. If Paulson wanted to throw his words in his face, Gage would do the same. “Maybe that’s the issue, Professor. Do we have a relationship I’m not aware of?”

This time it was Paulson who moved closer, speaking in a harsh whisper while keeping one eye on the door. “Whatever you think you’re doing, I suggest you stop. This whole conversation is inappropriate. You’re playing a very dangerous game, Mr. Tackett.”

“I’m not playing, Derek. Not yet, anyway.” The man had a point, but Gage didn’t give a shit about what was “appropriate.” Being reminded of the forbidden made exactly what he wanted very clear. He hadn’t been this fucking turned on by the prospect of seducing another man since his first days as a marine. He gave the nervous professor a slow, provocative smile. “I’ll see you Friday.”

* * * *

Friday morning Derek found himself staring at that one empty seat again. He didn’t let Gage’s absence distract him for long, but the sun shining brightly through clear skies irritated him. Unless Gage was hunting another stray, he had absolutely no excuse to miss class.

Derek assigned the class a two-thousand word paper on breed behavior. The students were encouraged to visit local shelters or animal clinics to make practical observations. He knew a handful of students would ask to use his clinic, so he ended with a brief explanation of why it wasn’t an option. Working directly with him wouldn’t be fair, and he preferred keeping his two jobs separate. He was grateful that his students didn’t question his limits.

Only one student was prone to pushing. Derek should be relieved that he wasn’t here.

But he wasn’t.

For lunch, Derek stopped in at a local restaurant, Sunshine, which served breakfast all day long. As luck would have it, the student he couldn’t stop thinking about was sitting at a back table with a group of young men and one girl. The girl fit in well with the boys; she was dressed in a loose, gray Cathia Cougars T-shirt, her brown hair in a ponytail. She sat next to Gage, tipping back a bottle of root beer and digging into her pancakes with no more decorum than her male counterparts. Actually, all of them ate like they might lose their food if they didn’t finish fast.

The girl let out a protesting laugh as Gage wrapped an arm over her shoulders and dug his fingers into her ribs.

Well, that answers that question.

Gage’s behavior had made Derek wonder if he was gay, but half the men at the table were athletes. The girl looked like she could be one, but she was probably just there with Gage. The way she touched his cheek was tender. The mood around the table turned somber at whatever she asked him.

A nudge drew Derek from his observations. He smiled at Jane Strider, a new history teacher he’d met at the beginning of the school year. Her hair was shorter than his but suited her delicate features. She worked hard to overcome the lack of respect she got from looking so young, even though she was a few years older than Derek. She was involved with one of the school’s LGBT groups, which was how they’d met. He’d spoken at a couple of the meetings to show his support. There were few openly gay professors, and being among them, she’d made sure he felt welcome.

But she clucked her tongue as she followed his gaze. “Please tell me you’re not interested in one of the army boys.”

“Army boys?” Derek frowned and looked over at the table again. Yes, he could see them all being military. Including Gage. Which solved one huge piece of the puzzle. “Why would I bother? They don’t get involved in—”

“Oh, sweetie, things have changed. You should keep yourself informed. The military doesn’t care who you’re sleeping with so long as you can do your job.”

“Bullshit.”